Strategy development at LEGO Essay Example for Free

Strategy development at LEGO Essay One of the initial strategy decisions was based upon the oil crisis in the 1980’s. The company reacted favourably by introducing new innovations and penetrating previously unexplored markets. Changes in the market environment in the 90’s also spurred on strategy development at LEGO. The advent of competitors and research contrary to what LEGO was basing its strategy on up to that point proved to be a focal point for the company. Objectives were set out and adopted and the company moved on. LEGO had difficulty in accessing and reading the market. Once this was highlighted, with the aid of a new COO, the company restructured and went on a cost cutting expedition – freeing up resources to assist with the long term objectives. LEGO suffered a sharp decline in the ‘most admired companies in Denmark’ poll. The external image of the company that which affected the general public’s opinion and the desirability of the LEGO Group as a prospective partner and employer suffered due to the fluctuations in sales and profits. Heavy financial losses resulted in a weaker capital structure and limited investment opportunities for the future. As a result the entire procurement process was re-analysed and restructured and cost reductions in all sectors of the business were significant. LEGO was fortunate enough to have a strong brand and awareness in the market. The market is more favourably inclined to ‘forgive’ companies that have taken the time to cultivate strong brand awareness. Even though LEGO clearly had bigger problems, they maintained and developed their relationship with their customers in order to better understand their needs and inculcate a higher standard of customer service within the company. Their focus remained strongly on the distribution in retail. The company suffered heavy financial losses and briefly discussed selling LEGO. However, this was clearly a last resort decision for the CEO. The family company and their dedication in making it succeed, worked for them. Had they given up the company, the LEGO brand would not have survived the climate it did. The company enjoyed strong financial backing. Instead of selling the company, it was decided that a loan would be taken. Give the heavy losses experienced, the climate and changes i n market share, LEGO still secured a loan. Clearly, someone else believed in them as much as they believed in themselves. The dedication of LEGO’s management and staff is one of their key advantages. Having staff dedicated to the vision, mission and strategy of the company is essential for the success of their long and short term objectives. LEGO’s bold approach to the global financial crisis in 2009 was part of their great success. This willingness and ability to act boldly saw them in good stead during a time of economic downturns. Another excellent use of resources is in the form of enthusiastic LEGO users for the development of products.

Educating Students With Autism English Language Essay

Educating Students With Autism English Language Essay Many people with ASC (autism spectrum conditions) have intricacy in identifying emotions in themselves and other people. For young children learning to speak, suffering from autism present a special problem to their teachers as well as parents as they are faced with the challenge of teaching these unfortunate children how to express themselves through speech. The importance of effective communication cannot be underestimated. Yet teaching students with autism is not an easy task, it requires patience and use of special assistive technology tools to help these children learn how to form words and use them effectively. There are various technologies that can be used, while other are simple some of these technology are so advanced and needs extra training to use them. One of the basic technologies that has been used for a number of years is Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS ) studies have indicated that this technology improves communication of children with autism This paper intends to discuss on the use of this assistive technology to educate students with Autism. Introduction People with autism spectrum conditions have impairments in public communication; included in this core impairment is an intricacy with the social emotional reciprocity in addition to nonverbal communication such as gestures, facial expression and eye contact. Regularly, people with autism spectrum conditions have difficulties identifying emotions particularly complex emotions that call for metalizing (jealous, embarrassed, sarcastic) in both themselves and other people. All of these complications can add to challenges in keeping and making friendships and other encouraging peer relationships. WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY? Assistive technology tool means any piece of equipment, item, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, off-the-shelf, or customized, that is used to maintain, increase, or improve functional abilities of people with disabilities. Assistive technology service directly assists people with a disability in the acquisition, selection, or use of an assistive technology. The Use of Assistive Technology to Educate Students with Autism The theory of mind is one conceptualization used to explain the social impairment in autism spectrum conditions (Golan and Bauminger, 2006). The theory states that people with autism spectrum conditions have an intrinsic disability in terms of recognizing the psychological perspective of others. That is, they have problem imputing emotion, meaning, and intent to other people. Deficits in this part are serious to effective social interaction, to a great extent it is anticipated on knowing what other people are feeling or thinking. Getting to know emotions is one aspect of the capability to take another persons perspective. A number of studies have researched on the interventions to educate individuals with autism spectrum conditions to identify emotions. These comprise social skill instruction (Golan and Bauminger, 2006) and assistive technology interventions. For instance, Bauminger (2006) examined the use of a behavior based intervention to assist in the emotion recognition skills of 15 high responding kids with autism, ages 8 to 17. The intervention involved lessons from a social skill syllabus used in the school setting for 2 to 4 hours per week for 7 months. The lessons comprised of activities such as role play and just plays with a normally developing peer and working on the skills acquired from each weekly lesson with parents at home. The end results showed advancement in the kids emotional ability and knowledge to give examples of difficult emotions. Specially, at post intervention, the partakers with autism were likely to start social communication with their peers and spent a lot of time displaying encouraging social behaviors. In another study, Hadwin, Baron-Cohen, Howlin, and Hill (1996) taught children with autism spectrum conditions to foresee and identify emotions in others using a computer based intervention called the Emotions Trainer. Partakers between the ages of 12 and 20, incorporated in either a control group or an experimental, were diagnosed with either Asperger syndrome or autism. The program comprised of five sections that incorporated asking the user to select the correct emotion out of four options explaining photographed facial expressions, events or situations, and descriptive captions and objects. Contrasted to the control group, the experimental group showed improvement in their ability to recognize emotions in tale and cartooned circumstances that triggered an emotional response, but not in their recognition of emotion in pictures (facial expressions), on which both intervention and control groups demonstrated improvement. The following section will examine Picture Exchange Communicat ion Systems (PECS) as one of the key assistive technology used to assist students with autism. Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) This is a low technology assistive system created as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), where pictures are used in place of words to assist children with autism to communicate because of their problems in speech development. At the initial stage of using PECS, a child is provided with a number of pictures of favorite toys or foods. If the child requires any of these things, he simply gives the picture of the specific item to a therapist, teacher or even caregiver (Charlop-Christy, et al. 2002). The person receiving this picture in return hands the toy or food to the child. Through this exchange, communication is then strengthened. Similarly PECS can as well be applied to make suggestions regarding things viewed or heard within the surrounding. For instance, a student might view a car passing by and give a picture of a car to his teacher. The objective of this method is that, when a child starts to acknowledge the importance of communication, the child will start using natural speech instead of pictures. How this assistive technology works A student with autism can be taught how to use this technology by his teacher, caregiver or a therapist, who understands the way this technology works. Normally, an applied behavior analysis (ABA) method is applied. Through this method, prompts are offered to control the picture exchange. More so, in the initial stages of PECS training, the student selects a picture he wants and gets what is on the picture, for instance food. Receiving food is meant to give a positive reinforcement to the student for his use of the picture in communicating. Normally PECS training entails six stages: Stage I: the teacher lists down a list of the students favorite items normally starting with foods. A single item from the list is chosen for the opening training lesson, and items picture is drawn. The item can be put in a place visible to the student, to allow the student to view the item but not to pick it. When the child seems interested in the item, the teacher gives such a student a picture card of the item. The teacher guides the students hand to pick the picture and give it to the teacher. The moment the teacher receives the card from the student, he communicates loudly the want the student wants, for instance, he say so you want the cake and give the cake to the child. Stage II: the teacher moves a little distance in order for the student to move towards him to give the picture card to the teacher. Stage III: the student is provided with several picture cards so that he can choose the one representing what he wants. The selected picture card is given to the teacher, at this moment; the student may use a binder or a communication board where the cards will be held. Stage IV: at this point, the student is provided with a card written on I want____. The student has to use this card together with the picture card illustrating what is wanted. The concept is that the student will learn the way to communicate through complete sentences. Those students who can not read the words can be in a position to recognize the words written as symbols on the card. Stage V: prior to this stage, the student has never been directly what he wants, at this stage, the teacher asks the student directly what he wants, and then waits for the student to select a picture representing what the students wants. This lesson builds the basis for future communication between the student and the teacher when the teacher wants to find out what the student wants. Stage VI: the moment the student is able to fluently use PECS, and has managed to generalize the system to use it to communicate with other people apart from the teacher; the student is taught the way make suggestions on something that he has observed. The teacher picks up something interesting and asks the student to say what the item is. At that stage the teacher also picks a card with I see _____. The student is to match the card with what he is seeing. In this manner, the child is able to learn how to communicate what he observes together with his experiences to other people (Charlop-Christy, et al. 2002). Theory behind this technology The express reinforcement coming from immediately receiving what a student with autism is the main principle of PECS. A student is able to show his inner wishes without speaking any words, and be rewarded. Such tangible rewards greatly reinforce such a child compared to social rewards, particularly during the initial stage of communication. PECS could as well improve the social relations of an autism child. This is because the child is able to learn to initiate communication; more so, at this point the child is not expected to speak, so the child is less intimidated. How effective is the technology A number of studies carried out have indicated that PECS is useful tool in helping children with autism. For example, a study carried out by Schwartz, et al. (1998) on eighteen preschool students suffering from autism and with speech difficulties established that those children were able to communicate through PECS in their school days. However, after a training of one year, nearly 50 percent of these children stopped to use PECS and instead began to natural communicate (Schwartz, et al. 1998). More studies supporting this observation were found by (Charlop-Christy, et al. 2002). generally, evidence from a number of studies have established that PECS assistive tool is an effective technique in developing natural speech in children suffering from autism, particularly if they are taught how to use this tool when is below six years of age (Bondy, 2001). Side issues This technology has no known side effectives to children with autism. Though a number of parents showed concerns that their children could end up depending on PECS as their communication tool, and fail to develop their natural speech, this concern lacks any credible support from studies. On the contra, there is credible evidence showing that children suffering from autism are able to learn through PECS to develop their speech quicker compared to those who have not used PECS (Bondy, 2001). Conclusion Children suffering from autism conditions have impairments in public communication; included in this core impairment is an intricacy with the social emotional reciprocity in addition to nonverbal communication such as gestures, facial expression and eye contact. Such children need special assistance when at school to improve on their communication special speech. Teachers and caregivers have a number of assistive technologies that they can use to assist these children. As discussed above one of the very effective and easy to use assistive technology is Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS), though it involves only six stages, they offer the child with the required speech mechanism and enable a student with autism to al least be able to form words and communicate his feelings. Nevertheless, as noted by Charlop-Christy, et al. (2002) this technology can be used together with other technologies for better results.

Comparison of Two Films About King Arthur Essay -- Film Movies Compare

Few works of literature or legend are as varied as that of King Arthur and his round table, forever retold by each generation. Without question, the defining work of Arthurian Literature is Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Morte d'Arthur is a compilation of all the King Arthur legends that existed before Malory. Malory tried to bring all the stories together into one cohesive whole. Morte d'Arthur is a trove of stories about magical encounters and various quests that is loosely centered on the rise and fall of King Arthur. Since it was written, there have been countless interpretations and adaptations. Today, we not only have countless Arthurian books, but many movies on the subject as well. In this paper I hope to compare and contrast two such Arthurian movies, Excalibur and King Arthur, and discuss what each film adds to the treasury of Arthurian lore. It is hard to believe that two completely opposite movies are based on the same literature. The movie Excalibur is like a modern day Morte d'Arthur, while the more recent King Arthur differs greatly from all former Arthurian works by attempting to be historically plausible. Excalibur Although Excalibur is based mostly on Malory, it also contains stories from Chrà ©tien de Troyes and Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. The film takes scenes straight from Malory, but it also changes Malory slightly by condensing some of his many details and mixing them with stories from other Arthurian writers. It smoothes over many of Malorys contradictions then manages to throw in some plot twists of its own. Excalibur The first scene of the film introduces the most important symbol of the film, Excalibur. Throughout the entire movie at every critical juncture, Exc... ..."with machines." Two of her fingers were broken. Arthur receives another shock when he realizes that these ministrations were performed by a priest. The priest believes that to torture heathens is an act of kindness that would enable them to enter heaven. The final blow that completely crushes Arthur's belief in the Church is the news he receives on Pelagius' excommunication. How can the Church excommunicate a man who believes in such lofty and glorious ideas? Conclusion While Excalibur keeps both the content and form of Malory, King Arthur tries something new by trying to translate the barely-fitting together cacophony of Morte d'Arthur into a historically plausible film. Though Excalibur is more enjoyable to real King Arthur lovers, King Arthur is strangely refreshing in its extreme adaptation of the overused story, while being still familiar in its core.

Secretary: Law and Legal Secretaries

When people hear the word ‘Secretary' – I'm pretty sure they picture someone behind a desk typing. Yes, this is pretty accurate but a Secretary in whatever field is so much more (and one can indeed spend much time running between their desk and any multitude of places! ). I remember learning a spelling mnemonic of sorts at school that Secretaries keep the secrets. Now I realise it's perhaps more to do with the word's derivatives but it's stuck with me!Having finished a Legal Secretaries Level 3 Diploma course in which I have an overall grade of a Merit, I have found myself privy to these ‘secrets' and the opportunity I wanted: to expand and specialise my skills in an administrative field. It has given me a goal, having not taken the most direct job path. It can be difficult to find the right next step to take in your working life. Law is a fascinating arena, even more so ‘backstage'.It might at times seem to be a far cry from the drama of the court room but w ithout Legal Secretaries doing their part to make a difference with their input in the office, which affects the Solicitor who passes that effect onto the client, all aiming to reach the desired result, I'm not quite sure what would happen. Sometimes I think it takes an organiser, an administrator or a (Legal) Secretary to understand another – it takes one to know one.The day to day achievements can be small, but by getting a complex subject filed comprehensively, simply giving someone the assurance that their enquiry is being looked at correctly or preparing someone thoroughly for a meeting, you in turn ensure that the client is getting the best service possible (even though you may not be attending that meeting in person). These are things that I already do but in the sphere of law they become magnified – what starts as small, indirect input evolves into an integral part of the law process.That is quite something to be part of and I look forward to it. Within my rece ption role, I have had over 2 years of part-time work experience of dealing with clients and solicitors in an office environment. My role included answering the phone, getting personal details from callers and transferring to the appropriate member of staff. I learned to be patient, methodical and efficient. Flexibility is one of my strengths; I am also prepared to learn new skills. I have extensive experience of using computers.I have experience of Microsoft and Microsoft Excel in which I passed exams. I have used Word to produce documents such as letters, posters and minutes. I am able to prioritise my workload. Being flexible, I also have a positive attitude. This was particularly evident at The Broadcast Monitoring where I was able to concentrate all day even when working an early morning shift which began at 6. 30am. I also undertook nightshift to cover for staff on holiday. I work well under pressure. There were many deadlines throughout the day.This also involved good written and verbal communication skills which were required when report writing and dealing with colleagues. I have found that I am able to build up close working relationships with other members of staff; most recently at my time in Chipatiso Associates (I can appreciate client confidentiality). I am a good organiser and am able to work on my own initiative. I was efficient at delegating the department workload at the Solicitors firm. I have an editorial/press reader eye for detail. I am polite and reliable, trustworthy and conscientious.

Graduation of Jake Moon Essay

In my book Graduation of Jake Moon, Jake is the main character in the book. Jake Moon is an only child Jake Moon was named by his grandfather because his mother was stressed out for the first 2 weeks of him being born. When they moved in with his grandfather he named him Jake not Jacob just Jake. Jake Moon changes by being annoyed, frustrated, and embarrassed to being understanding by his grandfather. Jake changes from being annoyed and frustrated and embarrassed towards his grandfather because his grandfather Skelly got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Jake gets annoyed with him being forgetful and not knowing who he is. Jake witnesses him being in the dumpster Jake was embarrassed and felt different when he seen his grandfather in the dumpster and 2 eighth grade boys picking on him and asked him if he went to PU University. Jake Moon changes at the end by being frustrated, annoyed, and embarrassed to being understanding towards his grandpa. He helps his grandpa get up in the morning and get dressed. Jake found his wet sheets in the oven when his friend Lucas was over. Skelly put his pajamas in the freezer. Skelly wrote stuff on post it notes and put them all over the house to remember things. What happens at the end is that at Jakes Graduation is Skelly goes up on the stage and then Jake goes off stage and takes his grandfather down to family then goes back up on the stage. That shows how Jake Cares about his grandpa Jake Moon understood at the end of the book compared to the beginning. Jake was better towards his grandfather because of the graduation stuff with his grandfather. Jake cares about his grandpa that he did that but if that happened at the beginning of the book he would of probably sat In his chair like who is that guy.

Emerging Standards of Care: Cultural Competence Essay

The United States is often referred to as a melting pot. Cultural diversity is an inevitable reality in today’s society. We are faced with an increasingly diverse patient population and a diverse group of health care providers. Culture is a dynamic and complex phenomena that most understand as something that describes a particular ethnic group (Mitchell, Fioravanti, Founds, Hoffmann, & Liebman, 2010). Culture influences a person’s behaviors, practices, norms, customs, and beliefs on health, illness, and health care. According to Freidman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), people view culture as a model for our way of behaving, living, and feeling. There is an existence associated between culture and health practices. As the world becomes more diverse with migration, it is important that nurses and other health care workers understand and recognize the various cultures they encounter. The current U.S. population exhibits unparalleled ethnic and sociocultural diversity, yet the nursing workforce fails to reflect the current state of the nation’s diversity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. nursing workforce is predominantly White/Non-Hispanic and female (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, 2010). Nurses face the challenge to meet the health care needs of a culturally diverse population while promoting diversity in the workforce. Nurses promote diversity in the workforce through educating nurses on cultural sensitivity and competence. Cultural competence in nursing is evolving as a standard of care. It is essential that nurses and other health care providers employ knowledge of various social and cultural influences in the care setting to promote  patient-centered care (Mitchell, Fioravanti, Founds, Hoffmann, & Libman, 2010). It is necessary to appreciate and recognize the relevance of diversity in the acute care setting to set standards of culturally competent nursing care, and to improve delivery of care through improving and meeting these standards. It is important that health care providers not only embrace cultural diversity, but also strive for cultural competence in order to ensure that all patients receive the best possible care. It is imperative that health care professionals integrate a patient’s cultural beliefs and practices into his or her treatment and recovery plan. Health care is rapidly changing. Patients and families are more receptive to these changes in modern medicine if their traditions and practices are integrated (Chater, 2008). Cultural competence not only pertains to race, sex, age, and ethnicity, but also encompasses â€Å"other inseparable factors of culture such as economic, political, religious, psychosocial, and biological conditions† (Stein, 2010). Delivery of culturally competent care entails promotion of the principles of social justice. According to the American Nurses Association (2001), â€Å"respect for the inherent worth, dignity, and human rights of every individual is a fundamental principle that underlies all nursing practice† (American Nurses Association, 2001). These principles model the standards in providing culturally competent care. They also guide nurses’ decisions pertaining to patient care. It is crucial that nurses and other health care providers examine their own beliefs and values. They must determine how their beliefs and values influence their interactions with patients, families, and colleagues. The concepts of cultural aspiration, cultural skill, cultural appreciation, cultural knowledge, and cultural acquaintances all produce cultural competency. Motivation of the nurse to become culturally proficient leads to acceptance of cultural diversity. Cultural awareness is the profound self-exploration of an individual’s personal cultural background. This includes identifying one’s cultural assumptions, biases, and prejudices of different cultures. The capability of assessing and assembling relevantly cultural facts that are significant to the patient’s presenting problem  refers to cultural skill. Cultural knowledge includes both seeking for and acquiring a strong educational foundation of the existing multicultural population that includes health beliefs and practices. And, lastly, the process that encourages nurses to interact face-to-face with diverse cultures is cultural encounter. Culturally competent care is reached by incorporating these concepts. By doing so, there is a decrease in health disparities and an increase in the potential for better outcomes and relevant care (Campinha-Bacote, 2003). The HHS Disparities Action Plan was initiated by the Department of Health and Human Services. This plan coordinates with other agencies to reach its goal of promoting health equality by using provisions set forth from Healthy People 2020 and the Affordable Care Act (HHS, 2011). According to HHS (2011), ethnic groups such as Hispanics, Asian Americans, American Indians, and African Americans experience higher mortality rates than other ethnic groups. The HHS Disparities Action Plan identifies factors such as poverty, socioeconomic status, lack of access to health care and racially driven disparities to promote safe patient outcomes and health equality. Several critical components establish standards of practice contribute to an organization’s capacity to provide culturally competent care. These components include: critical reflection, transcultural nursing knowledge, social justice, cross-cultural practice and communication, patient advocacy, health care systems, multicultural workforce education, policy development, training, and evidenced-based practice and research (Brady, 2010). Health care facilities need to ensure that tools such as multilingual teaching materials and interpreters are in place to effectively provide care. The use of cultural knowledge in composing a patient’s plan of care is a way to value diversity. Cultural competency is a continuous learning experience. Health care facilities may collaborate with professional organizations to establish best evidence-based practice in order to develop policies and standardized culturally competent care and reduce disparities (Brady, 2010). So, how does one become culturally competent? The initial step to becoming culturally competent is self-awareness. We must be aware of and value our own culture in order to identify with and recognize the value of the culture of others. We do this by critically reflecting on ourselves. â€Å"Examining and reflecting on one’s own ethnicity, belief structure, and values† determine the impact on our ability to â€Å"deliver culturally competent care† (Brady, 2010). A Nurses who understand themselves are able to understand and appreciate cultural differences. By doing so, the nurse can establish ideal ways to render effective health care services. An example would be that of a patient from the Far East. A nurse caring for a Chinese patient must appreciate that the Chinese adhere to traditional healing practices such as acupuncture, meditation, and homeopathy. Knowing this, the nurse will attempt to integrate these traditional practices into the patient’s treatment plan. The nurse can integrate acupuncture as an alternative treatment for pain management. A nurse who appreciates cultural diversity will strive to understand the cultural practices and beliefs of that patient and integrate applicable elements of the patient’s culture in the plan of care. Explanation of the plan of care and identifying the needs and expectations of the patient and family will aide in reducing tension, hence, develop a trust between the nurse, patient, and family. Nursing is making advances in promoting and implementing culturally competent care. Transcultural Nursing Society is a professional nursing organization involved in ensuring cultural competence is being included in the curriculum of nursing schools throughout the nation. The Transcultural Nursing Society is also involved in ensuring that curriculums are providing nurses with the necessary knowledge base to ensure cultural competence in their practice (Transcultural Nursing Society, 2013). Another organization, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), provides guidelines to enhance culturally competent care in health care facilities. This organization recognizes the disparities in health care delivery due to linguistic differences. They also recognize that there is prevalence in racial and ethnic disparities in health care delivery in the United States. The AHRQ points out that culturally and linguistically  diverse groups, as well as individuals with limited proficiency in English are disadvantaged in the health care system. These groups often experience poor health status and outcomes by accessing inadequate medical care in regards to quality despite consistent insurance status and income. Policy makers, civil rights groups, and health care facilities are responsible to understand the reasons behind persistent disparities and implement effective strategies to eliminate them. One way to do this is to improve cultural and linguistic competence of health care providers (Wilby, 2009). Linguistic competence is the ability of health care facilities to provide individuals with limited English proficiency appropriate oral and written language services. Health care facilities can hire bilingual/bicultural staff, train health care providers, or hire translators to assist during communication. The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services, (CLAS), standards are â€Å"intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by establishing a blueprint for health and health care organizations† (OMH, 2013). There are four categories under which these standards fall: principle standard; governance, leadership, and workforce; communication and language assistance; and engagement, continuous improvement, and accountability. Health care professionals can make the production of positive health outcomes for distinct populations possible by customizing services to a person’s verbal communication preference and way of life. Pursuing health integrity must remain at the forefront of healthcare’s efforts, with continuous identification of dignity, respect, and quality of care as rights of all, and not the civil liberties of some. According to OHM (2013), culture defines how individuals receive health care information, and how individuals exercise their rights and protections. It is what individuals consider a health dilemma, and how individuals express their indications and anxieties regarding the crisis. Holistic care involves designing care to meet the individual needs of the patients, to care for the whole. This includes considering cultural differences when planning care. Barriers to culturally competent interactions entail verbal communication, communication approach,  individuality, and sometimes a lack of respect for the patient’s preferences and needs. Language is a method by which a patient approaches the health care system, becomes aware of services, and formulates determination in relation to his or her health performance (Woloshin, Schwartz, Katz, & Welch, 1997). Communication endorses the opportunity for people of various backgrounds to learn from each other. Put the patients’ desire to understand first and make certain that they receive a chance to describe, in their own words, the information regarding their health care concerns and plans are fundamental initial measures in eliminating descrepancies and enhancing quality of care. Cultural competence requires people to develop an awareness of the differences of other people and their cultural personality groups. One is not capable of being culturally competent without considering the differences. Cultural competence does not involve giving up one’s own beliefs, values, or practices (Elliott, 2011). According to Elliott (2011), we can crack the cultural competency code by asking questions, listening, and aligning our attitude. The late Madeleine Leininger was a pioneer in the influence of culture on health care. Leininger was a Transcultural Nurse. She advocated two leading standards that nurses can employ in caring for patients from various diverse cultures. First, preserve an extensive, independent, and open attitude in regards to each patient. Secondly, evade the perception that all patients are alike. Leininger believed that by pursuing these principles, we can free ourselves to discovering the way others envision health and illness, and develop relationships that are therapeutic. She viewed every clinical experience as cross-cultural (Leininger, 2002). Diversity at the Workplace I work in a hospital in the small city of Tarpon Springs, FL. Tarpon Springs is located in Pinellas County. According to the 2010 census, the population was 23,484. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans than any other U.S. city. The city of Tarpon Springs has a total area of 16.9 square mile. 9.1 square miles being land, and 7.7 square miles  being water. Tarpon Springs has a series of bayous which feed into the Gulf of Mexico, and was first settled around 1876 by white and black fishermen and farmers. It got its name because some visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters. The first local sponge business was founded by John Cheyney. In the 1890s, a few Greek immigrants arrived to work in the sponge industry. It was in 1905 that John Cocoris introduced sponge diving to Tarpon Springs and recruited divers and crew members from Greece. Tarpon Springs became the largest sponge dock industry in the world. Many restaurants serving traditional Greek cuisine line the streets of Tarpon Springs, as well as quaint boutiques. Nearby beaches are popular for swimming, picnics, boating and windsurfing. Viewing bottlenose dolphin are a favorite past-time of many. Tarpon Springs is also known for its Greek Orthodox festivities, including the January 6 Epiphany celebration that includes youths diving for a cross and the blessing of the boats and waters. This celebration attracts Greek Americans from across the country. The racial makeup of the city is 90.07% white, 6.15% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races. Hispanic or Latino is 4.33% of the population. 11.8% of the total population report their ancestry as Greek, which is included in the white statistic of 90.07%. 8.87% report speaking Greek at home, while 3.46% admit to speaking Spanish, and another 1.09% French. There are 91.8 males for every 100 females. The median income for a household is $38,251. About 7.7% of families and 9.8% of the population are below the poverty level. The hospital which I work is the only hospital in Tarpon Springs. The hospital has 168 beds which comprise 150 acute care beds, 18 transitional care beds, 14 ER beds, 9 ORs, 2 C-Section rooms, and 2 cathlabs. Adventist Health Systems acquired the hospital from University Health approximately 4 years ago. As you can see from the above demographics, this hospital serves a diverse population and community. From a religious perspective AHS is of the Adventist religion, however, welcomes, serves, and does not discriminate against any religion. The primary language is English, however, various  languages such as Greek, Spanish, French and Italian are spoken as well. Unfortunately, there are some patients who only speak their native language, and do not speak, nor understand English. For the most part, the hospital experiences minimal difficulty in assisting the patients and families in translation. Recently, the hospital contracted with a translation service using the internet. The hospital does provide admission and treatment information sheets and consents in other languages, as well. Our hospital is dedicated to serve the multicultural community of Tarpon Springs. Our food service caters to different cultures on a daily basis. Of course, Tuesday is Taco Tuesday. However, other ethnic foods are offered daily such as Greek, Italian, and Chinese cuisine as well as Soul Food and food that is in accordance with the beliefs of the Seventh Day Adventist religion, which excludes pork and shellfish from their diet. Chaplains and different religious figures are available to visit and pray with patients and families. Every Friday at sunset, a prayer recognizing the beginning of the Sabbath is heard over the intercom. Every Saturday evening at sunset, another prayer is heard over the intercom to recognize the end of the Sabbath. All committees, meetings and gatherings are started with prayer. There is signage throughout the hospital to portray our mission: Extending the healing ministry of Christ. I feel confident in saying that this hospital does follow Culture Care Standards. Signage is posted in all patient care areas and public areas regarding the hospitals standards. Signage includes anything from Equal Opportunity Employer to EMTALA. Because the workforce is very multicultural, the hospital is at an advantage at meeting these standards. There is one thing that all employees know; we are family despite our cultural differences. I am very proud to say that I work for this hospital. Conclusion The United States is a melting pot, and is becoming more and more diverse every day. Recognizing that diverse cultures exist is the first step in decreasing health disparities, and providing the best possible care to  individuals. Health care workers, including nurses, need to practice self-awareness. By becoming aware of self, they can then embrace other cultures and the needs of their patients. It is important for all health care professionals to understand the culture and beliefs of the patient population which they serve, in order to integrate these beliefs in his or her practice, whereby enhancing the quality of care provided to all patients. Education and training is vital in ensuring that health care professionals attain clinical excellence and strong therapeutic relations with the patients they serve. We cannot dictate the communities that we serve. Cultural competence does not mean giving up one’s own beliefs or values. It means opening eyes to the beliefs and values of others. The need for health care professionals to integrate cultural competence will allow delivery of optimal care, treatment, satisfaction, and better patient outcomes. References American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Retrieved from http://nursebooks.org Brady, J.M. (2010). Cultural nursing implications in an integrated world. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 25(6), 409-412. doi: 10.1016/j.jopan.2010.10.005 Campinha-Bacote, J. (2003, January). Many faces: Addressing diversity in health care. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 8(1), Manuscript 2. Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAperiodicals/O JIN/TableofContents/Volume82003/No1Jan2003/AddressingDiversityinHealthCare.aspx Chater, K. (2008). Palliative care in a multicultural society: A challenge for western ethics. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(2), 95. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). HHS action plan to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. Retrieved from http://minorityhelath.hhs.gov/npa/templates/ content.aspx?lvl-1&lvlid=33&ID=285 Elliot, G. (2011). Cracking the cultural competency code. Canadian Nursing Home, 22(1), 27-30. Friedman, M.M., Bowden, V.R., & Jones, E.G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, & Practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Leininger, M. (2011). Culture care theory: A major contribution to advance transcultural nursing knowledge and practices. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3). 189-192. Mitchell, A., Fioravanti, M., Founds, S., Hoffmann, R., & Libman, R. (2010). Using simulation To bridge communication and cultural barriers in health care encounters: Report of an international workshop. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 6, 193-198. doi: 10.1016/j.ecsn. 2009.10.001 Stein, K. (2010). Moving cultural competency from abstract to act. Supplement to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(5), 21-27. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.010 Transcultural Nursing Society. (2013). Transcultural Nursing Society mission and vision. Retrieved from http://www.tcns.org U.S. Department of Commerce. (2010). United States Census Bureau Tarpon Spring, Florida. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (OMH). (2013). The National CLAS Standards. Retrieved from http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=15

The retail industry in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The retail industry in China - Essay Example f various consumer protection legislations like 1993 Chinese Consumer Protection Laws and others that have resulted in high bargaining power of consumer in the Chinese market (Zhuang, Herndon & Zhou, 2003, p.42). Bargaining Power of Suppliers In the past history Chinese suppliers had an edge over the retailer primarily due to legislative policies like the planned price based system. This helped the suppliers to have greater bargaining power. However with the abolition of this policy has led to suppliers in a situation of overstocking that has forced them to lower prices that has in turn heavily reduced the bargaining power of the suppliers. In addition to this the emergence of private label brands and supermarkets has also considerably dented the bargaining power of the suppliers. Hence it can be easily stated that the extent of this force in the Chinese retail industry is low (Zhuang, Herndon & Zhou, 2003, p.40-41). Threat of New Entrants The Chinese retail industry was initially hi ghly protected by the government that made it difficult for new players to enter the market, however with liberalization coming in a step by step manner, the entry barriers have decreased owning to smaller economies of scale in the retail industry. However, the coming up of international supermarkets has also threatened the existence of small individual retailers and has also increased the entry barriers for the new players (Bird et. al, n.d., p.44). Competition among the Existing Players The opening up of the Chinese economy and its liberalization has increased the number of competitors in the market. The emergence of international retailers has further increased the extent of the competition in the retail market. The figure below shows the list of top ten retail brands in the multi brand... According to the research findings the age of globalization has opened up a plethora of opportunities for business organizations operating in the present world. Globalization has rendered the entire world into a boundary less market with organizations trying to establish their presence in the market. The growth of free trade as well as emergence of developing economies like China and India also have opened up new vistas for firms trying to expand their business in the wake of saturation of the traditional markets of Europe and USA. However international expansion also involves considerable planning as there are considerable entry barriers in new markets as well as other forces that affect the business prospects of firms. The analysis of the Chinese retail market shows considerable advantage considering the rapid economic growth of the nation. The analysis of the five forces model reveals that the competitive landscape is very congenial for investing in the market. However certain ent ry barriers like government regulations can emerge as a considerable source of barrier for new foreign players to establish their presence in the market. However since the competitive landscape of the market has become extremely competitive hence, it has become somewhat difficult for new market payers and instantly grab the market share. The key lies in formulating an optimum service mix that can help in generating competitive edge for an organization.