How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How Not to Pay Retail by Jane Spence - Essay Example However, with the changing patterns of prices, different products may have different ‘best buying times’. For example, the best time to buy a compact disc is a few days after it has come to the market. For digital cameras, the best time to buy is the sprint where new models are produced and prices on the old stock are reduced. Â  The article gives some very common sense examples of how someone who wishes to be an early adopter of the latest technology gadget will have to pay a premium over someone who wishes to stay one generation behind the curve. For example, the article reports that the prices of video games fall on average by 30% every three to four months as newer titles are released on to the market and demand for older titles is reduced. Â  In the apparel industry, the increase of the amount of clothing sold on sale shows that retailers have to look at how and when they decide to put items on sale for their customers since clothes are most likely to be bought when they have been reduced from their standard retail prices. In a market where more than 60% of all clothes are sold on sale, market share is most likely to go to a retailer who has sales often and gives good discounts over regular prices. Â  Another good practice which can be used by retailers to preserve market share is the idea of bundling where one product at a sharp discount is bundled with another product with a high margin to gain a competitive advantage. In this manner, not only can the retailer look at sustaining its market share for a certain type of product, it can also seek to expand its market share for allied and complementary goods at the same time. Â  In some cases, the nature of the product itself may bring price competition to the forefront since it would be the only manner in which sellers can compete.

Landmarks in Humanities Second Edition by Gloria K. Fiero Research Paper

Landmarks in Humanities Second Edition by Gloria K. Fiero - Research Paper Example The irony of the beginning and the end of the end of Rome is that the mythic man who built Rome, Romulus, is the name of the last emperor to rule over the state of Rome. Romulus Augustulus was the last emperor of Rome, his reign ending in 476 BCE when Flavius Odoacer deposed the emperor in the name of Constantinople (Illustrated History of the Roman Empire). This change is most often considered the moment that marks the end of ancient Rome and the beginning of the Western European Middle Ages (Schafer and Cohen 100). According to what is known about the last emperor, he was merely a teenager when his empire fell and was allowed to live, retired to the region of Naples with an annual pension. The power of the emperor had run so low that the new regime felt no threat from his living presence (Sass, Weigand, Pearson and Hattikudur 111). The problem with considering the ‘Fall of Rome’ is in determining exactly when Rome fell. If Rome is considered a concept more than a place, the fall of the empire might not have actually occurred until 1453 when Constantinople fell. If it is considered a place, the fall happened much earlier than the date of the deposing of Romulus Augustulus and occurred when Emperor Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Bosporus in Constantinople in 330CE. The only reason that it is considered to have fallen in 476BCE is because the line of emperors was broken during that event, but the fall of the Roman Empire can be considered through a vast number of events which makes the Empire either a short event in history or a very long event in history, spanning more than a millennia (Cunningham and Reich 108). Rome was a phenomenon that has yet to be truly rivaled since its time. At its height, the empire of Rome was spread from Hadrian’s Wall in Briton to the River Euphrates in Western Asia. According to Heather â€Å"interconnected fortress systems, strategic road networks, and professional, highly trained armies both

Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay Example for Free

Ethics Game Reflective Journal Essay Nursing has evolved throughout the years. Gone are the days that the existence of nursing geared towards following the orders of senior members on the profession and initiation of routine procedures. In today’s nursing, nurses are valued and needed for their reasoning as well as intellectual skills. The changes in nursing require the desire to be more responsible and contributory to the wellbeing of those that needed care. These changes led to more complex ethical dilemmas that nurses’ encounter. This paper aims to provide a reflection on the Ethical Dilemmas presented on the Ethics Game Simulation, the decision-making steps taken to address the ethical issues, how the ethical concepts influenced the decisions made, and the application of the ethical concepts to a medical-surgical unit. The Case of the Troubled Teen This case illustrates Rachel Banks a 16 year-old teenager who got pregnant out of wedlock and currently on her tenth hour of labor on the OB/GYN unit at Seva Medical Center. She’s accompanied by her parents. Rachel’s parents are instructing the staff nurses to withhold the pain medication as punishment for getting pregnant before getting married. Since Rachel Banks is a minor, legally, the parents can decide for her. The nurses are concerned due to the possible detrimental health effects that the situation can cause to Rachel and her unborn baby, Lily. The nurses also became aware that the parents may not be fully educated on the consequences of their decision. In order to make an ethical decision on this case, I used the Baird Decision Model which provided five frameworks: Step 1: Be attentive, Step 2: Be Intelligent, Step 3: Be Reasonable, Step 4: Be Responsible, and Step 5: Be Reflective (University of Phoenix, 2013). The main issue in this case is how to ensure that Rachel and the baby get appropriate and timely medical care. I reviewed the e-mails and communications gathered in order to get a picture of the situation and see that the best possible solution arise. Upon understanding the main issue of this case, I’ve identified that the primary stakeholders includes; Rachel Banks, her parents, her unborn child, the staff nurse, and the primary nurse because they will be impacted on the decisions made in this situation. After identifying the main issue and the primary stakeholders, using the rights/responsibilities lens I was able to identify that my obligations and duties includes providing the best possible care to Rachel Banks and her unborn child, not to accommodate parents who are harming their child, and also support my staff’s professional improvement. On the results lens, I was able to recognize what would create the greatest good for the greatest number of stakeholders which was to involve the nurses and the parents in assessing need for medication intervention and also provide information for aftercare support and education. I believe that the decision made on this scenario benefits both the patient and her family. By involving the parents in the assessment of Rachel’s medical needs, conflict is alleviated and thus, creates a positive outcome. The Case of the Policies and Politics This case is about Alain Trottier, a patient brought in the emergency room by his domestic partner, Yves. Alain was admitted to the ICU unit and has been unconscious. The day- shift supervisor, Carlotta Baldwin is preventing Yves from seeing the patient and refuses provide information regarding the patient because he is not an actual family member. However, according to the hospital policy, domestic partners are to be treated as married couples for the purposes of access and, most importantly, when it must be determined who can make medical decisions for a patient unable to give their own consent. My duty as the nurse taking care of Alain is to identify the critical issue in this situation which is the equal treatment and access of gay partners at Seva Medical Center as equal to those of straight couples. Upon identifying this as the main issue, it is easier to analyze the problem. Again, the following stakeholders were identified: Alain Trottier (patient), Yves (domestic partner), C arlotta Baldwin, RN (shift supervisor), Amelia Flinch (Director of Nursing), the shareholders of the hospital, and lastly, I the staff nurse taking care of Alain. This scenario has led to the identification of relationship lens. The relationship lens focuses on the community. The main concern of this lens is to provide basic liberties to all people (University of Phoenix, 2013). The three rights represented in this case were: right to participate in decision-making for an unconscious family member, right to have hospital policy regarding participation by family members implemented, and right to be informed that your interpretation of hospital policy is inaccurate. I believe that these rights are the major component of this lens because it focuses on the patient, family, and healthcare providers. Upon understanding the basic rights related to this situation, the following actions such as educating all employees with hospital policies, establishing a taskforce to make sure that the policies are put into practice and conducting yearly audits to make sure that the policies are implemented. These actions will ensure that the patient will benefit greatly on the policies placed on the facility. Lastly, the reputation lens discusses the virtues important for leadership; core competencies such as managing diversity, problem-solving, self-knowledge, decision quality and fairness. These values are important because of the overall positive effect that it can bring to the patient and the facility. My final decision in this case is to note on Alains chart that Yves is to be given access and treated as family. Speak to Carlotta about my decision and let my supervisor know. I believe that this decision has no risk. This decision has demonstrated that I am fully knowledgeable on the hospital policies and also implementing what I know for the benefit of my patient. By assuring equal access will likely improve the hospital’s status in the community. Lastly, by informing Carlotta Baldwin and the supervisor know of the decision can be a message that further education is needed for all employees to be more aware and knowledgeable of the hospital policies. Ethical Dilemma at a Medical-Surgical Unit I’ve been working as a RN at a medical-surgical unit for almost a year now. I still consider myself as a novice nurse and I feel that I haven’t been exposed to a lot of ethical dilemmas. However, I believe that pain management or providing pain relief can be an ethical dilemma for any nurse. The ethical issue is this: can we as nurses undertreat a patient’s pain because we are concerned about the repercussions or because we know that the patient is addicted to the medication. I believe when challenging situations like this arise, I need to be conscious of my own biases and make evidence-based decisions that can provide optimal treatment to the patient. By not being judgmental, I can fully assess what would benefit my patient greatly and include him/her on the treatment plan- giving autonomy. By including the patient I can also decrease the harm because I will have a better understanding of what will work best for my patient, and lastly, by hindering my biases I will be able to treat my patient’s pain in a non-discriminating way possible. As nurses continues to encounter complex ethical dilemmas as the profession and society gears forward, we must still go back on the foundation of nursing in accordance to the mission of Florence Nightingale; nurses are missioners of health dedicated to the advancement of human welfare. References: University of Phoenix. (2013). Ethics Game Simulation [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HCS478 website.

Arpanet :: essays research papers

The Network Working Group's development of open technical documentation - the RFC - was a necessary step to technical advancement. Steve Crocker explains the importance of openness in a developmental situation: "The environment we were operating in was one of open research. The only payoff available was to have good work recognized and used. Software was generally considered free. Openness wasn't an option; it just was." (Crocker, 1993c) The NWG's work was important (THE?) to the development of the ARPANET. Their work paved the way for the development of TCP/IP, when more capacity was needed and other problems arose. I would call the RFC one of the Heralding Achievements of the NWG. It represents the forward looking view which these people had and it proved to succeed. The principles which embody RFC 3 foreshadowed the success of TCP/IP from NCP's influence. Both TCP/IP and NCP were developed in the field. A version of the protocols would be released for experimentation and use. Also all specifications were available free and easily available for people to examine and make comments about. Only through this early release were the problems and kinks found and worked out in a timely manner. This bottom-up approach is substantially different than the top-down approach which other protocol suites have been developed under. The top-down idea comes from figuring everything out as a standard on paper, or behind closed doors and then releasing it to be used. The bottom-up (and free accessibility of protocol documentation and specifications) model allows for a wide-range of people and experiences to join i n and perfect the protocol and make it the best possible. (Check email in TCPIP.MAIL file to provide quotes.) In summing up the achievements of the process that developed the ARPANET, the ARPANET Completion Report draft explains: "The ARPANET development was an extremely intense activity in which contributions were made by many of the best computer scientists in the United States. Thus, almost all of the "major technical problems" already mentioned received continuing attention and the detailed approach to those problems changed" [II-24] The computer scientists and others involved were encouraged in their work by the ARPA philosophy of gathering the best computer scientists working in the field and supporting them: "IPT usually does little day-to-day management of its contractors.

Metaphysical Language: Does it have any Meaning?

When we speak of something as metaphysical, we speak of something that is usually characterized as supernatural or something that is not perceptible by our senses.   When we talk about the things that our minds’ eyes see and not the things that our physical eyes see, we are talking in the language that is metaphysical. This is one of the things that the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein looks into in his book Tractatus Logico Philosophicus.   Wittgenstein argues that metaphysical language does not have any meaning.   They are as good as words that do not signify anything.   He even contends that the metaphysical statements should not be said: The right method in philosophy would be this. To say nothing except what can be said, i.e. ,the propositions of natural science, i.e. something that has nothing to do with philosophy: and then always, when someone else wished to say something metaphysical, to demonstrate to him that he had given a meaning to certain signs in his propositions. This method would not be satisfying to the other –he would not have the feeling that we were teaching him philosophy—but it would be the only strictly correct method. †¦ Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. (Wittgenstein, 6.53-7) This does not mean that metaphysical propositions are all automatically false.   What Wittgenstein means is that it is beyond the realm of logic for us to understand metaphysical language.   This is not because they are profound or beyond our reality or beyond our senses but because, for Wittgenstein, they have no sense. To illuminate, let us take for example this scenario.   I saw a huge Blue Heron flying in front of me and the next day, my neighbor won the lottery.   Another day, I saw a Blue Heron again and two days after that, an accident happened in front of my house.   Now, I see a Blue Heron the third time and I conclude that the Blue Heron is a sign of something will happen.   Nobody knows what will happen but I am sure that the sign means that something will happen because I see it in my mind’s eyes, my soul.   My metaphysical statement is that the Blue Heron is a sign that things will happen.   It is like saying that when we see a black cat, bad things will happen to us. For Wittgenstein, it does not have any sense to say that a situation is a result of my perception of a Blue Heron or a bad luck is the result of my seeing a black cat.   He says that sentences like these work like a picture.   Since it is very difficult to explain, let me explain it through an example.   A map of the United States, for example, is a picture that points to the land of the United States.   The map shows that New York is more or less in the Eastern side of the map and Washington is in the Western side of the map. If we are in the Central part of the United States and we want to go to Seattle, we will fly eastward.   We will not fly westward because the map which pictures for us the location of Seattle tells us that Seattle lies east of the United States.   Ã‚  This is what Wittgenstein means when he says that â€Å"there must be something identical in a picture and what it depicts† (Wittgenstein 2.161).   The map mimics the way reality is structured.   It mimics the way the real locations in the US are placed beside each other. Language works like a picture.   It tells us what the situation is.   Wittgenstein says, â€Å"We picture facts to ourselves† (2.1).   For him, the meaning of a statement is whatever it pictures.   The meaning of the statement tells the situation of the world but like the picture, it can not tell us if it is actually true of false.   When we make a statement for example and we feel that it is meaningful, what the sentence is doing is that it is just pointing to a possible situation in the reality but it may be true or false. When we say, for example that a Blue Heron causes things to happen like it is the cause of our neighbor’s winning in the lottery or accident, the statement’s meaning pictures to us situations that can be true but we cannot be really sure because there is nothing in the sentence that makes it true.   Wittgenstein says, â€Å"In order to tell whether a picture is true or false we must compare it with reality† (Wittgenstein, 2.223). If we apply this with the statement, â€Å"The Blue Heron causes things to happen, things like winning a lottery or being the cause of people’s car accident†.   A Blue Heron is a big bird that lazes around the shallow part of water.   By definition, it has wings.   It can fly.   It has a beak, it can catch fish.   It can walk for a few steps.   It can swim.   These are the capabilities of a Blue Heron.   In reality, nothing in its definition or physical make-up can tell us that it can make a man win a lottery or be in a car accident. So the statement that â€Å"The Blue Heron causes things to happen, things like winning a lottery or being the cause of people’s car accident† does not have any sense.   As Wittgenstein says, â€Å"There is no compulsion making on thing happen because another has happened.   The only necessity that exists is logical necessity† (Wittegenstein 6.37).   We can understand the statement but it is nonsensical if we analyze it following Wittgenstein. In the same way, Wittgenstein would say that it does not have any sense to talk about a ‘soul’ or ‘a good life’.   We do not know what a soul is.   Nobody has seen a soul.   Nobody has reported that he or she sees a soul getting out of the body of a person who has just died.   We cannot find a correspondence for the world ‘soul’ in reality.   We have a sign for soul but we do not have a referent for the sign. When somebody dies and we say that he/she has lived a ‘good life’, it is also nonsensical.   What is a good life to one is not automatically the good life to another.   There is no single referent for what the sign ‘good life’.   It is also nonsensical when people at the funeral say about the dead person that lives were changed because of him.   Again, value statements like these are subjective and are not verifiable.   How can this statement be analyzed if there nothing that can be the referent for the sign.   The referent has died.   For Wittgenstein says, â€Å"The world of the happy man is a different one from that of the unhappy man. . .   Soo too at death the world does not alter, but comes to an end† (Wittgenstein 6.43-6.431).      

Designing a Rewards System Essay

When designing a rewards system within an organization there are several factors. First, look at the organization and focus on what matters most for that particular organization. Then focus in on the employees and what needs they have in particular. After breaking down the focus, you can move forward into creating a rewards system that not only fits but also everyone benefits from. † Reward management is concerned with the strategies, policies and processes required to ensure that the value of people and the contribution they make to achieving organizational, departmental and team goals is recognized and rewarded. It is about the design, implementation and maintenance of reward systems (interrelated reward processes, practices and procedures) that aim to satisfy the needs of both the organization and its stakeholders and to operate fairly, equitably and consistently. † (Armstrong, 2010) Look at the organization. What does the organization promote or goals it is working toward? Next, make sure the needs of the organization are being met. â€Å"Currently, many organisations are implementing or planning to implement, reward and/or recognition programmes believing that these will help bring about the desired cultural change. In some organisations, large amounts of money are being invested in these types of activities and some managers are required specifically to set aside a certain amount from their budgets for this purpose. † (Milne, 2007) If they are not met focus on creating a rewards system to include meeting the goals that at the moment are not being satisfied. Now to look at the employees and what they need. What will motivate them to perform better work? What is the age range within the organization so we can focus on what will better serve that population? After looking into the age check their work progress and see where there needs to be more and focus on setting up goals to get that area where it needs to be. â€Å"Recognizing employees for a job well done isn’t superfluous or magnanimous. It’s necessary. † (Zemke, 1988) â€Å"There was a study done with four groups that answered a questionnaire with twenty-five factors as to what would motivate them to work hard on their job. From the four groups only nine of the twenty-five factors were selected. The nine factors that were selected by these four groups are: 1. Respect for me as a person . Good Pay 3. Chance to turn out quality work 4. Chance for promotion 5. Opportunity to do interesting work 6. Feeling my job is important 7. Being told by my boss when I do a good job 8. Opportunity for self-development and improvement 9. Large amount of freedom on the job† (Kettner, 2002) All nine of these focus on how to build up the confidence of the employee and all owing them to know how well they are doing. Treating the employee like a person and not a machine is very important because it gives the employee a feeling of self and knowing it’s ok to be who you are as a person. This makes them comfortable to be there on the job. Providing good [ay is also very important because it shows the employee that you care and are rewarding them for their hard work while on the job. It also will make the employee want to stay with the organization because they do not need to go elsewhere. Giving the employee a chance to do the best quality work for the organization will give them a sense of pride in their job. If the employee knows that, there is a chance for them to be promoted through the organization they will work hard to be considered for promotion. Being able to do interesting work will keep the employee coming back because they are able to do different things which makes the job more interesting because they are not consistently performing the exact same job daily which will also make them feel that their job is important. Everyone loves being told good job! So as a boss, make sure you are informing your employees how well they are doing. Offer to the employee ways they can grow as people whether it is education or exercise. Giving them the opportunity for more development or just some improvement, they will be appreciative. Giving the employees freedom makes them more independent and lets them know that the organization trusts them to perform their job the way it is supposed to be done without someone standing over them constantly. After gathering this information, we can move forward with creating our own rewards system. First, we would create a chart showing the work and the progress being made. Then with that chart, incentives can be created for the employees to get to top of the list by making the most progress. In addition, incentives will be created for those that make the lowest amount of mistakes while performing their job function. This gives the employees some freedom to work hard on getting their performance up. Incentives will be in place for attendance also. Competitive pay will be based off performance and attendance. The better your performance is the better bonus and pay raise you will get. Your attendance will also affect your bonuses and pay raises. Keep your attendance up and consistent and you will be able to gain better pay bonuses. With bettering attendance and performance there will be opportunities for growth within the organization. The starting pay will be marginally based on experience and education. It will be fair and equitable to every employee. After setting up the chart with performance and attendance based incentives we can focus on creating a fair and free workplace for the employees. Set up the management center so they are accessible to the employees for guidance. The management system will also be in place for overviewing the employees from a distance without taking away from the employees ability to work as an individual. The management system will also be able to delegate tasks out to the employees that are performing at a faster or more effective rate. This will also allow the employees to be treated as individuals and not as a singular group. Next we would set up a system for growth and development that would include furthering your education and health needs. We work to offer help and assistance to other now we need to help and assist our employees. For education we will offer education breaks where you will be reimbursed for half of the amount spent on your college courses and supplies. This will allow the employee to re-enter school without fear of inability to pay. The stipulation will be that we will only reimburse as long as the course taken he employee completes and passes the course. The employee will be required to submit the final grade for the class and the receipt for the payment of the course and the supplies needed for the course. Next there will be a gym facility placed within the workplace that is available for the employees use before and after work and also during lunch or breaks. With offering the employee open use of a gym without having to pay will give them the help of not spending a lot of money on a gym membership that they may not be able to use regularly. It will also give them flexibility to use the gym whenever they want to without fear of it closing before they can get there to workout. With this rewards system in place every aspect of the employee and organizational needs are being met. The organization is running efficiently and effectively with each employee working hard to reach the incentive goals. The employees are working in an environment where they are comfortable and know they have every option available to them with movement and growth within the organization.

Superb Biology Studying Hints for Students

Superb Biology Studying Hints for Students Biology Study Hints You can be successful in biology. These recommendations from students who were able to achieve success in their biology courses will help you to get an A grade.Students who succeeded in biology have told us they study at least 2 hours daily during the semester. Be persistent when studying biology. It is a hard work and requires your time and energy. Remember it. To know and understand terminology is one of the keys to success. Study Latin and Greek roots and it will definitely help you to comprehend the terminology and difficult terms. Try to make flash cards for better memorizing. Notice whatever is brought into the lab. Biology teachers have stated that if something is brought into the lab, it is a big chance that you will be tested on it. It is not required to know chemistry for taking biology at College, but it still will be a good background before learning it. Get used to reading over the material before going to your class. Do not skip lessons and listen carefully. It is also important to write down at least 66% of what is said during a lecture to be a successful student. Failing students, for example, write twice as much. Most of all, visit every class. Do not create troubles for yourself by playing truant. Reread the material right after class and then eight hours later. You are more likely to remember the information later. Accomplish what is unfinished. Explain important terms in your own words. Do not hesitate to ask questions any time. Find your instructors during their office hours for help. Seek for help in case you do not understand the material. Use different books from the library to learning and review all your textbook explanations. One of them will definitely be helpful to you.Work in pairs. Read aloud what you are learning and explain terminology to each other. Explain in your own words same and different elements between terms you are learning. Do this in pairs. If biology is your biggest pain always study it at the beginning. Make sure to take breaks every 20-40 minutes to stay fresh. Write down information and frequently review your notes. Use helpful and powerful visualization techniques for remembering terms. For example, break words into small chunks and picture each chunk until you recall them and then put them together. You can use mnemonic techniques to learn faster. For instance, if you need to remember cranial nerves, you can create a sentence with all words starting with the first letter of each nerve. Create tests and test yourself. Put a limit in time while doing tests similar to those you expect in class. Practice with sand clock or an alarm. Practice your difficulties. Ask somebody to quiz you on a regular basis; it transfers more knowledge to long-term memory.