Case Analysis: Tennant Company Essay

Lead-In/Key Issues Over Tennant Company’s (Tennant) 141 year history, they have consistently remained a producer of floor-cleaning equipment and technologies focusing their efforts in producing products for non-residential use. Since the new CEO Chris Killingstad has come to the company however, he has been dramatically changing Tennant’s value proposition with a broader emphasis encompassing â€Å"chemical-free cleaning and other technologies.† This case shows Tennant’s move beyond traditional green efforts to centralizing environmentally-friendly performance at the heart of the company’s focus, and whether this new focus provides enough benefit as a competitive advantage. The challenge now for Killingstad and Tennant is how to move forward into 2013 in terms of company focus and direction; mainly the extent to which they should diversify. Should Tennant move into residential markets with smaller units for consumers to use in-home? Should they continue to focus on the commercial side, investing instead in the market potential of their ec-H20 and irreversible electroporation technologies? Or should they enter emerging markets with low-cost alternatives to truly increase their global exposure and propagate their vision of chemical-free cleaning? Situation Analysis External Analysis In this section I will use case information and provide an analysis of the commercial cleaning industry. I am choosing to ignore the residential cleaning industry at this time as they have only begun thinking about the consumer market at the time the case was written. Also, given the push by the majority of cleaning companies to â€Å"go green† it is important to look at the entire cleaning industry rather than just the ecologically-friendly niche in order to assess the level of Tennant’s competitive advantage relative to the industry as a whole. As aforementioned, there has been a general trend towards green alternatives in the 21st century, across a large array of industries. More specifically in the commercial cleaning industry it was revealed that consumers desired more environmentally-friendly solutions, as long as there was no sacrifice to price and performance. This ties in with the industry opportunities in the Tennant SWOT analysis (appendix 2) as the innovativ e products from Tennant give them the advantage over chemical-only cleaning companies. Before I analyze Porter’s five forces with respect to Tennant, we must understand what life cycle stage the commercial cleaning industry is currently at. Since profits for Tennant have been rising, and the industry as a whole is said to have risen to 5 billion, I can conclude the industry is still in the growth stage. Now it is important to look at how the development of new technology has impacted Porter’s five forces, most specifically the bargaining power of buyers and the threat of substitute products. Since the introduction of their disruptive technologies they have greatly reduced the risk of these two forces specifically; as these types of products are not easily available elsewhere. It is through these technologies they have created a new, unique selling proposition that has become a competitive advantage for Tennant. Internal Analysis Moving away from the external environment in the cleaning industry, I will now shift attention to Tennant’s key strengths (and their underlying causes) as well as an analysis of financial information to assess their profitability and efficiency. The main source of Tennant’s relative strength in the industry comes from their innovative and patented technologies (see Appendix 2). Firm-specific strengths are resources that can become core competencies; in the case of Tennant they have already become a primary strategic advantage. Now as technological strengths are quite often a by-product of well-structured R&D within a firm, it is therefore crucial to look at in this case. Most of their initial innovative success can be attributed to the Advanced Product Development group, which although was only allocated 10% of the R&D budget they developed the most significant technologies between 2002 and 2006, namely their FaST and ReadySpace technologies. Following the success of th eir ec-H2O technology, they decided to further develop its platform outside of the corporate culture of Tennant and created the subsidiary â€Å"Orbio Technologies Group.† It was through this subsidiary that Tennant developed the split-stream technology and irreversible electroporation, both successful innovations. In all, it can be concluded that the creation of an â€Å"entrepreneurial† subsidiary was a successful management move, and combined with well coordinated R&D it allowed Tennant to develop their core competency. Now it is also important to note where their strengths and weaknesses lie with respect to their financial data and corresponding ratio analysis. Tennant’s main concerns lay in three specific ratios: operating cash flow ratio, their operating profit margin, and their solvency ratio (see Appendix 1). First their operating cash flow ratio is well below one indicating they have not generated enough cash flow during the year to pay off their short-term liabilities. Second their operating profit margin is only 6.10% and 5.76% for the past two years respectively, indicating they are not generating an ideal amount of EBIT per sales dollar earned. And third their solvency ratio is below the healthy threshold of 20% (10.67% and 9.67% for the past two years respectively) meaning they have less of an ability to fulfill debt obligations and have a heightened default risk. Now they are a little stronger in some areas; their current ratio is above a two which is ideal for most firms. Also they do have some operating leverage (although not much above a one means it is low). There is a significant gap between their gross margin and operating profit margin, indicating they are spending a large amount of their revenue on operating expenses. This is to be expected with a highly R&D intensive company like Tennant, as well as the need for high selling expenses required to differentiate from the rest of the cleaning companies. Strategic Alternatives Alternative #1 My first alternative is for Tennant Company to move into the residential, consumer market with smaller Orbio-E handheld units. In this proposed alternative they should stay away from licensing and keep production within the company. This alternative simply provides a variation of their core competency, innovative technologies, and therefore does not stray far from their already established strategic strengths. Alternative #2 The second alternative I would recommend would be the proposed base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) model in emerging markets. As suggested by the case would allow them to identify areas to improve in their legacy markets by creating low-cost products for low-income consumers in developing countries. Furthermore, this action could potentially catapult them to industry-leader status by taking their green initiative to the next level. This very likely would also cause an increase in their goodwill. Alternative #3 The final alternative I will provide with this analysis is for Tennant to continue current operations. They would focus their resources on developing their existing customer relationships with their tried and tested product line. This alternative is taking the less risky approach, by not pursuing chemical-free cleaning too quickly and waiting to assess where the industry is after a given period of time. This will help mitigate potentially detrimental effects on their existing customer base who do not feel ready to make the transition to chemical-free cleaning. Strategic Recommendation I would suggest Tennant Company move forward with my second proposed alternative, of the BOP business model venturing into emerging markets. It does carry with it more risk, and would require them to take an in-depth analytical look at the profitability of that option. However the potential benefits outweigh the perceived risk in this example for Tennant. Not only will they gain valuable insight into reducing costs associated with their production by developing a low-cost line, but this option is the most synergistic with their core vision. Chris Killingstad even states: â€Å"We owe it to the world to grow and expand as much as we can,† and this simply cannot be accomplished by avoiding emerging markets in developing countries. All-in-all, with their unique technology and highly green initiatives, Tennant Company is well-positioned for continued success in the cleaning industry.

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about love Essay

Compare the ways in which Larkin and Abse write about Love, in your response you should write about at least two of Larkin’s poems Larkin’s general view on love and marriage is that both are a liability. This is seen throughout many poems including ‘Self’s the man’ where Larkin talks about a man being held back and worked to death by his wife. Abse’s views are somewhat contrary to Larkin’s. He has a much softer approach when talking about love and feels that it connects himself with his family, as seen in his poems ‘Postcard to his wife’ and ‘The Malham Bird’ where he expresses his love for his wife. Love as a theme is present in many of Larkin’s poems and ‘Self’s the man’ illustrates his stereotypical outlook on marriage and love. In the first stanza Larkin directly compares himself to his made up character of Arnold, who represents all the lower class men in a marriage. The first tw o lines ‘Oh, no one can deny/ That Arnold is less selfish than I’ have a humorous tone in with the use of a rhyming couplet, Larkin is patronising the reader. In the next line he writes how Arnold married a woman to ‘stop her getting away’. In comparison, the poem ‘The Malham Bird’ Abse writes of love in a different way ‘in love, you a Gentile’. His soft tone creates a slower pace to the poem which shows his love for his late wife. On the other hand Larkin doesn’t use the word love and he uses a faster matter-of-fact tone. Larkin is often viewed as sexist but here he could be seen as saying that women don’t get a chance to live their lives how they want to because men marry them ‘Now she’s there all day’. In the second stanza Larkin continues to paint women in a poor light ‘And the money he gets for wasting his life on work/ She takes as her perk’. The first line uses enjambment which makes the poem sound like a list of moans. She appears to be greedy by taking his money. Larkin displays an air of snobbery about the lower classes hard labour jobs. He describes the woman as interfering and domineering. Larkin then uses colloquial language to make fun of the lower classes and how they speak ‘To pay for the kiddies’ clobber and the drier/ and the electric fire’. He does not rate family life very highly. Larkin states that the roles have reversed in the third stanza. Arnold told his wife to marry him and she did and now she is telling him to work, to do the chores etc†¦ ‘Planning to have a read at the evening paper/ It’s Put a screw in this wall-‘. The fourth stanza uses colloquial language again and the fifth and uses a sarcastic and patronising tone. Larkin does not look upon  marriage favourably. Moving into the sixth stanza, the poet claims that Arnold, too, was just â€Å"out for his own ends† and â€Å"if it was such a mistake / He still did it for his own sake / Playing his own game.† He concludes that â€Å"he and I are the same† and both are selfish, but he is better â€Å"At knowing what I can stand / Without them sending a van†. The â€Å"van† is a mental institute’s mode of transportation, suggesting that Arnold is going mad in his situation. Much of this poem is unsympathetic towards Arnold’s situation. However at the end Larkin reveals an uncertainty. Suddenly the poet is faced with the reality of his own situation ‘But wait, not do fast/ Is there such a contrast?’ Has he realised the loneliness in his own life because he was too selfish to share. Another poem which presents love as a theme is ‘Talking in Bed’. In this poem Larkin describes a couple in a failing relationship because they are isolated and find it difficult to communicate. Themarital bed is used as a symbol for marriage; a haven for spouses to come together. The bed should be the place where a couple feel united, but in this poem, the bed makes the couple’s detachment from one another glaringly obvious. The word â€Å"lying† has an ambiguous meaning in this poem; on one hand it means that the couple in assuming a horizontal position together, and on the other hand, it appears there is some fabrication between them. â€Å"Goes back so far† also presents some ambiguity: first, the couple have been â€Å"lying together† in their bed for years which is an indication of a lengthy marriage; and second, they have been living a lie for many years. The couple are clearly unhappy with their marriage. This was a time when separation and divorce was frowned upon but couples stayed together unhappily because it was the right thing to do. There was a sense of accountability within the marriage contract and it was difficult for women in particular to walk away from their husbands. The second stanza describes the turmoil of their marriage metaphorically by using nature. The awful silence is deafening and an indication of the tense, nervous atmosphere between the two, worsening as they continue to remain silent. The â€Å"outside† is a reflection of the couple inside; the tension heightens between them, and is never relieved. The wind is turbulent, scattering the clouds across the sky. â€Å"Builds and disperses† could be a metaphor for an argument; the environment is fraught and situations cannot be resolved. â€Å"Clouds† have both a dark and threatening aspect, and can be difficult to see through. Metaphorically speaking, a clear sky would represent a marriage at peace, but in this case the clouds suggest a marriage at war with itself; these wars could potentially harm the marriage, so the clouds hide them, if you can’t see something then it doesn’t exist. â€Å"Dark towns† can be used to describe a number of different things: faults, disagreements, difficulties, isolation and pain. The contrast of their marriage to the tumultuous winds are a stark reminder of what their future holds. They have to try and work things out to arrive at an amicable solution. It is not understood why their marriage has failed; why at â€Å"this unique distance† (lying side-by-side) that they feel so isolated from each other. The husband cannot understand why communication between him and his wife have broken down. Words are not forthcoming and he is at a loss as to how the marriage appears to be irretrievable. Was he ever really in love with his wife? Did he ever feel a softness towards her? ‘It becomes more difficult to find/ Words at once true and kind’. He wonders if their marriage was based on a lie or was it inevitably going to fail. Dannie Abse’s approach to love is different in comparison to Larkin; Abse sees love as something to be treasured between him and his family. Where Larkin views love with a touch of cynicism, Abse’s poems demonstrate a purity and an equality. In The Malham Bird it did not matter that the couple are from different backgrounds ‘you a Gentile and I a Jew!’ Their relationship may have been unacceptable for the times but their love was all that mattered. The poem is littered with fond memories of when the couple first met ‘Dear wife, remember our first illicit/holiday, the rented room, the hidden beach’. Theirs was a romantic love. Abse’s couple are happy in contrast to the couples portrayed by Larkin in the above poems. Their shared history is full of warmth and mutual admiration. Where Larkin’s poems view love as a hindrance and something a man can do without, Abse firmly believes you need love above all else. In Postcard to his Wife, Abse’s portrayal is of a husband (himself) desperately missing his wife in her absence. He longs for them to spend the day together. He wishes she would ‘Make excuses’ so that she would be home with him. He loves her and enjoys her pre sence the opposite of Larkin’s idea of relationships. Abse feels there is a void in his life when his wife is not around and cannot bear the heartache. The contrast between Larkin and Abse’s views on love and relationships are polar opposites.

Fast Food Essay Essay

Life is developing more and more, people are getting busier and busier. The modern people do not have enough time to cook meal themselves so the advent of fast food helps them so much. Most of people people – especially students – prefer to eat fast food, such as hamburgers, pizza, fried food†¦ Fast food is becoming popular recently all over the world because of its benefits. It is quite cheap, quick and convenience to those who have a busy life. The busy life is one of the top reasons of eating fast food the modern. Students who have a busy schedule usually do not have time to cook at home, as a result, they prefer to eat at restaurants or cafes, because it is a simple option. Nowadays time is one of the most important things in a person’s life, and fast food is served very quickly. For example, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and others fast food restaurants, have drive through windows, so people do not even have to get out of their bikes to get food. Beside that efforts of fast food restaurant companies to improve their delivery service also make more convenience for students who live away from their family and very lazy to make a traditional home-cook meal. Equally important is the economy. One of the primary reasons students frequent fast food restaurants is the price. Finding inexpensive places to eat is important to many students, which make up a large percentage of fast food customers. Many chains offer value meals or items for less than a home-cook meal, counting on customers with budget sensitivity to be attracted to these options. And with the students, who still not have a job to earn money and depend on their family, the cheaper choice when eating fast food is one of best way for they can save money. In conclusion, fast food attracts students more than home-made food does. It is known as the food that they do not have to prepare. Fast food is more common because students are always busy, and in a hurry, so they head towards fast food restaurants to save their time and also because of cheaper than home-made food is making fast food more popular with students.

Credit Crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Credit Crunch - Essay Example Credit crunch can be thwarted by sound efforts on the part of the people who brought this credit crisis about in entirety. This would mean that these people are asked to do things against the norms which have already made the rounds in the last year or so. There is a need to address the issues that the credit crunch has brought with it since these have magnanimous effects on the world, and not just financial institutions alone. The economic climate all over the world has changed and that too in a very negative way. The manner in which states have been able to change the behaviors of the people from a futuristic angle comes directly under the aegis of moral hazards. The solution for the same is to bail out the banks so that these could avoid the short term issues and problems and hence benefit the common man. There must be stop gap solutions so that people do not suffer on the same count, however little was done to address the issues that plagued the life of commoners. The financial companies have a responsibility to meet the needs of the people and to regulate the banking sector and the government cannot be allowed to have its own under such extreme circumstances (Pettinger 2008). The credit crunch came about because banks made loans of serious amounts and had little respect for the proposition of repaying. The mortgage loans were increased since a number of different ways were devised and hence these stra tegies did not benefit the common man when the credit crunch came down quickly. The homeowners are now at a severe risk of mortgage defaults and hence they cannot fathom something sane to happen within their respective ranks. The entire financial system of the world has suffered due to the steps undertaken by the people who are at the helm of affairs within these financial institutions. The consumers for mortgage have suffered on the same count, if not less. The sales pitches given by mortgage people were very aggressive and this led

Timed essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Timed - Essay Example As a function of this, the needs and requirements that this particular demographic has with respect to the website they visit are inherently different as compared to needs and requirements that other demographics may have. Due to this fact, it is necessary for website developers to be cognizant of this differential and seek to promote a level of recognition that engages these differences and promotes understanding and development in terms of accessibility issues and improving the web experience for individuals within this particular demographic. As a function of this, the following analysis will seek to provide a brief and summary discussion of some of the tactics they can be utilized and how they would benefit the overall quality of life and web experience of individuals within the aforementioned demographic. It is the hope of this particular author that such a level of discussion will not only be beneficial in encouraging web developers to consider these facets but to employ them w ith respect to websites that are more and more likely to be visited by individuals representing an older demographic. One major consideration that can and should be leveraged has to do with the native platforms that web developers consider with respect to web users that are 65 years of age and older. For instance, web users that are 65 years of age and older tend not to use Android, iOS, and other platforms that are familiar with individuals from different demographic groups (Gencer, 2012). Naturally, this should not dictate that web developers should not be cognizant of the fact that the older demographic may in fact use platforms other than a PC or laptop. Yet, studies with respect to this indicate that web browsing is most commonly conducted via a traditional web browser utilized on a PC computer; at least for this particular demographic group. With this in mind, websites that are specifically focused towards individual within this particular demographic need to

Professional Perspectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional Perspectives - Essay Example The main objective of co-educators is to ensure that a group heterogeneous student understands instructions effectively (Perez, 2012). Contrariwise, co-educators differences results to lack of collegial interactions of strategies, which leads to a poor instructional program. Philosophy Statement on Co-Teaching It is hard for co-educators to meet diversified students’ needs with differing professional perspectives, which negatively affect professional interactions in the development of effective strategies to ensure that all student needs are satisfied including those with disabilities. A colleague with a different perspective from mine will be of more disadvantages than advantages in terms of collegial support towards meeting student needs and formulation of effective strategies. I am profound on the professional interactions as well as my co-educator’s characteristics and needs. The concepts of an effective exchange of plans and consultation in implementing a curriculu m that gratifies all student needs are central to my philosophy of co-teaching. Collegial support that offers a different input towards my plans demonstrates the absence of diversity based teamwork towards a long lasting co-teaching (Specialconnections.ku.edu, n.d.). I believe that co-teaching has to involve a number of co-teachings activities such as exploring skills that educators require to collaborate successfully. However, in a case whereby my co-educator differs with every slight perception I have towards a learning environment, it is challenging to implement co-planning in a classroom. I love learning new things, and it would be god of my o-educator to equip me with new instructional techniques. Nonetheless, my co-educator has to assimilate my perspectives and together develop strategies towards effective co-teaching opposed to a situation where none of our professional perspective is common. I believe that adaptability, dedication, collaboration, and positive collegial suppo rt are the key aspects towards effective consultations on issues affecting students because of diversity rather than focusing on the differences that may exist between my co-educator and me. Different professional perspectives should be utilized as a tool of every co-educator self-reflection to realize his/her weakness and strengths concerning the ability to work as teamwork (Perez, 2012). The success of an inclusive classroom depends on the parity portrayed by the partnership of both educators, which must show the presence of a teaching practice based on effective collaboration and support. Viewpoint Description on Co-Teaching The most important aspect for effective consultations in handling students’ needs in co-teaching is the partnership between two co-educators. Each co-educator perspective on co-teaching is a complicated set of actions and intentions with unique criteria for evaluating strategies that are right and wrong. Our roles and the idealized self-image as co-edu cators are determined professional perspectives. Moreover, perspectives provide the basis to which co-educators can reflect on the co-teaching practice (Beninghof, 2012). The moment I consult with a co-educator who believes as I do, an immediacy of communication is established as well as the feeling of being understood. However, a colleague that believes in a truly different way from mine evokes a

Exclusionary rule and the fruit of the poisonus tree Essay

Exclusionary rule and the fruit of the poisonus tree - Essay Example Such illegally obtained evidence was henceforth banned form use in Federal courts. Justice William Day wrote the unanimous opinion, saying that the Fourth Amendment essentially embodies the old English common law principle that ‘a man’s home is his castle’, and that it was intended to â€Å"forever secure the people, their persons, houses papers, and effects, against all unreasonable searches and seizures under the guise of law.†2 Justice Day continued with what may be one of the most damning indictments of illegal police conduct as he argued that â€Å"the tendency of those who execute the criminal laws of the country to obtain convictions by means of unlawful searches or enforced confessions . . . should find no sanction in the judgment of the courts which are charged at all times with the support of the Constitution and to which people of all conditions have a right to appeal for the maintenance of such fundamental rights.†3 The vital element of this argument is that just because the police and prosecutors had routinely performed illegal searches and â€Å"pressured† (some would say tortured) suspects into giving confessions, the mere fact that the illegality was widespread and of long duration provided no defense. Interestingly, Day’s argument was essentially the opposite of William Rehnquist’s argument for keeping the Miranda rights. Renquist argued that while the constitution may not guarantee or require such rights, the fact hat they had become part of the overall fabric of the legal system in particular and of American society in general they had become an essential fabric of the legal landscape.4 While the actual reasoning behind the exclusionary rule may be somewhat hazy at times, especially in these early cases when it was being initially being developed, and before its progeny had fleshed out the whole, its institution seems to have been catalysed by a view of

Comparison of the U.S foreign policy in the Middle East under the Bush Essay

Comparison of the U.S foreign policy in the Middle East under the Bush Doctrine and Obama Administration - Essay Example In the words of Irving Kristol, the heralded ‘Godfather of Neoconservatism’, Neoconservatism â€Å"is not a movement but a persuasion, one that manifests itself over time, but erratically, and one who’s meaning we clearly glimpse only in retrospect.† Neoconservatism emerged as a dialogue with liberalism and these neoconservatives were driven to the right in the early 1970s when crime was increasing in the United States , the soviet Union was making a lot of progress in the cold war and the dominant wing of the Democratic party was not willing to get tough on their problem. With this, it bore another much broader concept: American exceptionalism. This discours according to Michael McKinley speaks of America as â€Å"embodying an inexpugnable uniqueness beyond the common conceits of national identity found universally.† In other words it is derived from the concept of manifest destiny and the declaration of independence. The Bush Doctrine lays its persistence upon the value of war culture as basis for maintaining strong nationalism and cultural unity. We see it creating the justification for the U.S to create a new enemy with the USSR. The presidents rhetoric â€Å"Either you are with us or you are against us† embodied the exceptionalist concept whereby the â€Å"terrorists† were characterized as â€Å"enemies of freedom†. It is a manipulation which serves to create an ‘us vs. ... The main difference however is the liberal approach on the Obama’s administration on the United Nations, where he embraces the importance of multilateral organizations and uses more diplomatic stunts and mediation between states. There is no punishment to the country that does not offer assistance to the U.S in the Obama’s administration which was in contrast to the Bush Doctrine. The other difference between the two was that the Bush Doctrine has disdain for international institutions and sees them as constraints to the US power while the latter actually sees them as a useful way to legitimate America dominance. With this it is clear that both of them exploit the virtues of American Democracy, both resort to military power as a vessel of change and both seek to ensure United States as the global dominant. In as much as we see a lot of similarities, Obama’s more liberal approach seems to be more effective compared to the Bush Doctrine. This is because in as much as the Obama administration is trying to uphold the externalization, it also makes all the other nations feel like allies since there is no force used and thus feel more willing to join hands. Comparisons between the US foreign policy towards Russia and towards the European Union One of the priorities of the Obama’s administration foreign policies was to see upon the change of certain international agendas but with great observation to a more diplomatic approach. He also stressed in multilateralism. In other words this is increased relation with the third world countries with which the former presidents regime were in constant logger heads with like Iran. This is something that has

Policy review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy review - Essay Example 2006: 1). Perioperative environment area is the sterile area that should be free of the infection-causing bacteria. Therefore preventing cross transmission of the MRO must be addressed in all perioperative settings including, day surgery, the surgical ward, the holding area, the surgery suite, and the PACU. It is the responsibility of all healthcare staff to protect themselves and their surgical patients from contracting MRO infections. The Infection Control Policy: Prevention and Management of Multi-Resistant Organisms (MRO), a policy directive of the NSW Department of Health, or PD2007_084 would guide all health workers in the prevention and management of MRO. The content of document, PD2007_084, the NSW Department of Health policy directive which is the Infection Control Policy: Prevention and Management of Multi-Resistant Organism (MRO) outlined the roles and responsibilities of healthcare staffs by highlighting the general and specific measures that should be observed as standar d practices in all healthcare units. The general measures refer to infection control measures, use of antimicrobials, and environmental cleaning. Specific measures included surveillance of MRO, screening patients and healthcare workers for MRO, risk categorisation of patients and healthcare workers for MRSA, decolonisation and clearing a patient of MRSA, and risk categorisation of patient care area. Guidelines on specimen collection, decolonisation protocol for MRSA, and relevant readings are also included in this policy. Lee and Bishop (2002:273-274) stated that nosocomial infections are grouped into two categories: exogenous infections and endogenous infections. Exogenous infections refer to those infections from the hospital environment, staff, other patients and visitors. Endogenous infections are cause by microorganism in the patient’s own normal flora, including hospital strains. Lee and Bishop (2002: 274-275) also stated that the Australian survey showed a higher preva lence of nosocomial infections in large teaching hospitals because they usually have a large reservoir of infection in intensive care unit, specialised burns unit and in transplant operations facilities. In Australia, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of controlling and managing infection control in the recent years. All staffs are responsible to control hospital infection by observing the infection control policies and guidelines (Lee and Bishops, 2002: 276). Purpose of the Policy The purpose of infection control policy is primarily the prevention and management of MRO in healthcare facilitates so as to ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers through the implementation of routine and standard practices of preventing and controlling the risk of transmission and colonisation of infectious agents. This will prevent fatal illness or death from MRO infection, prolonged hospital stays, readmissions, and additional diagnostic and treatment cost associat ed with such infectious contamination. Implementation would thereby improve the delivery of healthcare services and protect the lives of both patients and healthcare workers. The purpose of infection control policy is not only for the prevention and management of multi-resistant organism in the perioperative environment but also in every aspect of the

The Link Between Greek And Western Civilization Essay Example for Free

The Link Between Greek And Western Civilization Essay The Greek civilization is recognized to have been one of the foremost contributors to Western Civilization. The culture, politics, science, and educational systems of the ancient Greeks are said to have impacted the development of early Western Civilization and are thus the foundations upon which our present society is based. Many different historians, experts, and writers have tried to provide a comprehensive understanding of ancient Greek and its impact on modern society. Bruce Thornton is one of these experts and he shows in his book that the Greeks did, in fact, contribute a great deal to our civilization. When we talk about the Greek civilization, the conversation invariably goes into a discussion of their achievements. Greek philosophers were known for their use of reason and logic. The speech forms of rhetoric and dialogue were developed and perfected by the Greeks in large agoras or public spaces where they were wont to hold numerous public discussions about intellectual matters. The political system of democracy developed in ancient Greece and is considered by many to be their most important contribution to modern society. The literature of the time continues to regale modern audiences. The Greek epics The Odyssey and The Iliad are still capable of inspiring modern works. The writings of Plato are still the favored topics of discussion by scholars. The impact of Greek science on Western civilization is equally great. In the field of medicine, for example, one will not be considered a doctor without first taking the Hippocratic Oath. Greek art has influenced present society by being the forerunners of aesthetics. Even architectural works like the Parthenon have had a great impact on the way Western Civilization continues today. By simply looking at the works of the ancient Greeks and comparing present-day Western society, it is clear that the Greeks were able to contribute to all aspects of Western life today. But Bruce Thornton asserts that there is a deeper and more primal contribution by the Greeks. The entirety of what other writers and scholars have talked about as the contributions of Greek civilization to Western Civilization can be summed up as a contribution of critical consciousness. What the Greeks truly gave Western civilization was the ability to analyze, to think critically about the self and everything outside of the self. It is perhaps the case that all the greatest accomplishments of the Greeks were born out of this practiced ability to be critical. Democracy, rhetoric, even logic all come from a critical consciousness. The Greeks, above everything else they did, gave Western civilization a model and the ways by which one could develop a critical consciousness. This contribution is larger than the more concrete, more talked about works of the Greeks. Because the Greek civilization shared the legacy of critical consciousness with the Western civilization, the latter has been able to think on its own. Because of critical consciousness, we have been able to give birth to equal rights, free speech, public education. The Greeks did not espouse the same ideas regarding the three concepts but because we have critical minds of our own, because we have immersed ourselves in the legacy of the Greeks, we are able to decide on our own what would be best for our society. We are not reliant on the processes, philosophies, and hierarchies practiced by a previous civilization. Because the Greeks gave us critical consciousness, we are able to take what they had and make it into something much better, much more appropriate for our civilization, for the times we live in now.

The Theory Of Parallelism

The Theory Of Parallelism Mind and body is considered as a separate form of human. By giving an example for mind such as sad, euphoria, angry or happy, it is considered as mind. A mind can be explained as what we called feeling. For our body, it can do things such as cycling, hiking, writing paperwork, and talking. We cannot see how large is our mind but we can see our body. So, we can conclude that body is a physical subject while mind is a mentally subject. Based on the older philosophy theory, the mind and body is not correlated. This theory is called as parallelism. What is parallelism? Based on thefreedictionary.com, parallelism is The doctrine that to every mental change there corresponds a concomitant but causally unconnected physical alteration. (thefreedictionary.com ,2009) The meaning is every changes that happened in our mind, doesnt affect our body while the changes in our body doesnt affect our mind. These two are independent against each other. For example, if were happy, it just a stimulation o f chemical in our body that is call endorphin. It is nothing related to our thinking. However, if we are saying that the mind and body are two different and independent things, we are no better than a machine or robot. The idea of Descartes theory has formed a mind and body problem. So what is mind and body problem? The problem is how does mind and body correlated to each other? According to Descartes philosophy, mind is a thinking thing while body is an extended thing. These two is somehow related to each other. To answer this question, Decartes has formed a philosophical theory called dualism. Based on Decartess dualism, body and mind is dependent against each other. The body needs the mind to tell them how to react and what to do and the mind needs the body as an object to express our thinking. However, if we said that there are connected to each other, but where is the connection between the mind and the body? There must some connection within the mind and body. The things that we think somehow affect our body and vice versa. Decartes solution is possible for mind/body problem. What he said was mind and body are connected and irrelevant to each other, but where is the bond that connects the mind and body? Do they even exist? We cant say that our body is connected by electrons or electromagnetic waves that generate within our body because electrons and electromagnetic waves is something that we can see and know for a long time through science. The connection between mind and body must not be visible to our naked eyes. If we use the theory of electrons as our proof of the existence; a scientist can manipulate the electrons that connect through our mind and body and extract the mind and put into someones body. The body must have a special code or something special to connect with the mind. We cant just move the mind into someones body to survive. If we can do that, we can escape the fact of death. When a person is about to die, just extract the electrons and put into someones body. According to Joseph Almog, he said that ..here is the kind of mind a mind is is stable in time. Given that Decartess Meditation is a human mind, it may not turn into an angelic or divine mind.. (Joseph Almog, 2002, pg 94). Mind provides use stability. Hence, there must be a connection that binds within a mind and a body of a person, and mind and body must be complete with each other. Besides that, if mind and body arent related just as what parallelism said, we can just live in this world without a body. The body basically is an extended thing. If I ask a normal person, what they think about mind. Basically they will just tell you something like mind is a soul, mental, or a spirit. So why dont we just live in this world just by using a soul? Isnt that our body is just a little an extra feature? When were dead, our body will be assumed as a corpse, our soul will be assumed as a spirit. Based on what I said before this about spirit and corpse, if dualism is not a solution for this, we can say that were just spirit living in a corpse body. We are no better than a zombie that doesnt have any feeling and emotion towards anything. It is basically just a walking corpse. As a result for that, to be called as a human or a living being, one must be exist with a package that contains mind and body. These two things arent divisible as they two are depending on each other. Ba sed on science, there is nothing such as zombie, spirit or recreation exists. However, the scientific reporting of the reality only provided evidence based on medical research investigating birthmarks and defects. (Casimir J. Bonk,contents pg xvii) This determines how we can deeply understand what an individual with thinking and physical are connected together. Apart from that, physical (body) must exist with mind (consciousness). A person wouldnt know what pain is, if the physical part of his body does not experience any pain before. For example, if a person touches a hot stove, he/she will feel the pain by pulling his/her hand. That person can scream too as an alert to show that we are in pain. However, the pain feeling will stays in our consciousness. For the next time, even when the stove if not hot, when we are going to touch it, there is a pain feeling in our mind. Besides that, if a person did not feel any pain before, will they know what is the meaning of pain is? They might just know the theory of pain but not exact consciousness of pain. Hence, it creates a conscious between mind and body about how we feel. In conclusion, I think Decartess dualism is the solution for mind and body problem. Mind must exist with the body and body must exist with mind to stay in what we called as a human being. Without any of them, we are just a dead corpse or a spirit. Hence, I think Decartes has one of the best solutions for this problem. Citation Joseph Almog, 2002 What am I?: Descartes and the mind-body problem, Oxford University Printing Press. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parallelism , Access 17th February 2011, Updated at year 2000 Casimir J. Bonk, 2010, Descartes Was Right! Souls Do Exist and Reincarnation Proves It: A Challenge To Rethink Dualism

Exile :: Literary Analysis, Julia Alvarez

The poem â€Å"Exile† by Julia Alvarez dramatizes the conflicts of a young girl’s family’s escape from an oppressive dictatorship in the Dominican Republic to the freedom of the United States. The setting of this poem starts in the city of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, which was renamed for the brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo; however, it eventually changes to New York when the family succeeds to escape. The speaker is a young girl who is unsophisticated to the world; therefore, she does not know what is happening to her family, even though she surmises that something is wrong. The author uses an extended metaphor throughout the poem to compare â€Å"swimming† and escaping the Dominican Republic. Through the line â€Å"A hurried bag, allowing one toy a piece,† (13) it feels as if the family were exiled or forced to leave its country. The title of the poem â€Å"Exile,† informs the reader that there was no choice for the family but to l eave the Dominican Republic, but certain words and phrases reiterate the title. In this poem, the speaker expresser her feeling about fleeing her home and how isolated she feels in the United States. The poet uses four line stanzas or quatrains, and this is a narrative poem because the speaker tells a story. The speaker seems a little odd in a way because she does not know what is happening; â€Å"Worried whispers† (6) is an alliteration, and it also symbolizes the speaker’s anxiety. Both her uncle and father do not tell the truth to the speaker, instead they â€Å"Sugarcoat† it. This is similar to Emily Dickinson’s poem â€Å"Tell all the truth but tell it slant† because the children might get scared if they learn the truth right away. In the line â€Å"What a good time she’ll have learning to swim,† (11) the poet again emphasizes how adults lie to children so they do not hurt them. The speaker feels as though her parents are lying to her; however, she just trusts them because she believes that what adults do cannot go wrong. Also, â€Å"A week at the beach so papi get some rest† (15) sounds as if the speaker’s fath er has to leave the Dominican Republic because he is some kind of danger. The speaker struggles throughout the poem because she is leaving everything she has known behind, and she is going to a new land that she knows nothing about.

Satirical Poem :: essays research papers

University Applying to college is a slow and painful process. Because it’s really hard to get accepted, unless You are better qualified than thousands, and their thousands. You know; the bank accounts in the Caribbean islands. I had to study really, really hard for the SAT’s, In order to even stand a shot into any of the ivy leagues. And luckily, My family, Can donate a library, Or instead of Columbia University, I’d be off to Albany. There are whole bunch of these so-called admission committees, Who skim through your extracurricular activities, Because that’s the only way you might be able to get in with those B’s. Although the wait is lengthy, don’t worry, because it really is fair, You see, because if you’re a minority, deny you, they wouldn’t dare. If the letter says â€Å"Sorry, but we can not accept you into the graduating class of 2005† You’ll survive! Because you can still resort to the U.S News and World report, And look at the next twenty-five schools for comfort. Worst comes to worst there’s a neat little trick, All you have to do is be born holding a lacrosse stick. Or if you really want to pull a rabbit out of a hat, Try complementing that with a baseball bat, Perhaps even a wrestling mat, And you’ll get in, just like that! And most importantly you must decide West coast or East coast and how long is the ride? But it all pays off at the end, with a job at Price Waterhouse Cooper or Goldman Sachs, So that at the 10 year high school reunion you’ll be getting the last laughs. What’s really amazing though is that with all these great schools this country has to offer It’s amazing that so many kids are still hanging out, smoking on the corner. Corrupting their minds with drugs and whores While all their spare time should be spent improving their scores. Taking test after test after test after test after test, Making sure their parents standards are met, and of course kept

Role of UNICEF and the International Labour Organization in the Working

Introduction This paper deals with the role of transnational actors like UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the working children’s movement. It examines the role of development communication in empowering working children, and its impact on the movement. The paper begins with a brief introduction to development, linking it with issues concerning working children. It then goes into a brief overview of UNICEF and the ILO, and talks about the role of each in the international working children’s movement. It evaluates one program executed by each of the organizations in dealing with a development situation, in terms of intent and purpose, policies and procedures, obstacles faced, and the outcome of each effort. I then present my critique of strategies followed by both actors and my conclusion from this comparative analysis regarding the effectiveness of each actor. As this is a topic that has been of concern to me for a while, this analysis might appear to be a bit subjective to the reader, but I have tried to bear in mind objectivity, and did extensive research on both organizations to make sure that I was looking at a wide enough body of work. The research consists mainly of information I found on both websites as well as a few books and journal articles. It also comes from the first hand experience of a non-profit organization that works with issues concerning working children, who have worked closely with the ILO and the United Nations. A transnational actor can be defined as a person, business or organization that operates across borders and has some impact on world societies and environments. It became apparent to me as I was doing my research that transnational actors often have admirable... ...tion to make sure the projects are meeting their goals. There needs to be constant monitoring of each new venture undertaken. Detailed evaluations of current projects and research for new strategies in place of older unsuccessful ones are essential, to make plans better cater to the needs of the children. Lastly I think there needs to be increased government and non-profit participation, and involvement of the children, to bring about the best kind of development. From a development communication standpoint, I think the ILO manages to utilize the most optimum model to bring about progress and change the status quo, wehreas this is largely lacking in UNICEF’s approach. BIBLIOGRAPHY Moemeka, Andrew. Development Communication in Action. University Press of America, 2000. www.unic.org.in/devsup13may.htm www.unicef.org www.ilo.org

Why K-Pop Should Be Banned

Argumentative Essay K-Pop wave should be banned in Malaysia. Nowadays, in the fast pacing world, the explosion of technology has brought everything underneath our hand. We can clearly see the generation gap that made the world now and the past ten years is different. The patterns of life changing and all sorts of routine thing that involved us are different too. In the past ten years, the outside culture will take a long time to absorb in our country.It’s a different situation now, with everything at our fingertip, and the simple example would be in the entertainment industry. The latest fashion, style, music, film, movie and in a simple word, an entertainment will easily enter our country without hesitation and no boundaries. I don’t agree that K-pop culture should be banned in Malaysia. We should see this matter in a positive side essay writer no plagiarism. There may be advantages of this wave. For example, it will add a variety of music in our country.If we can acce pt the western culture and their entertainment, why should we ban others? We should be more open-minded but it doesn’t mean that we should just blindly receive; we are now in the world of 21st century where all people are gifted with education and high knowledge so, we need to consider all the good and bad sides of the entertainment that will get into our country. Next, most of teenagers are attracted to K-pop culture because they want to release their tension or stress from their work because sometimes the day just won’t go the way you wanted it to be.The bands from Korea are known for their energetic performance and full of spirit. They gave their all when they stand on the stage and treat their fans will lot of love. When we are bored, the vitamin that we need is their ambitious performance that will surely rise up our mood and make us smile and completely cure our fatigue. Although some might said that k-pop will only addicted and wasted our time but as long as we can manage our life and make everything under control, we can handle everything. It’s all depend on us. We are the one who ave the right on ourselves. So make sure we control and manage our life, consider everything and take only a good thing and avoid all the bad influence that may come after us. As a conclusion, I strongly believe that k-pop shouldn’t be banned in Malaysia because we should spice up our entertainment industry with lot types of music genres. As long as we still consider every good and bad side of the things, we will surely not make a wrong decision. We also can raise up our own music industry and compete healthily with the current trends.

Homeland of the Free

In the poem â€Å"Let American Be America Again† by Langston Hughes, the author portrays America as a place where people try to escape their old life of oppression and struggles to this so called â€Å"American Dream†. But, what they find is â€Å"the same old stupid plan of dog eat dog†. Hughes sees that American is being seen as a ideal utopia while he actually views America as a place where there are too many obstacles in the way to achieve the American Dream. The dream is only stood in the way by the obstacles we create.For the dream to come true, change must happen. â€Å"The dream that’s almost dead today†. The dream is not what it is but, the dream is what you want it to be. The dream pushes down other people when also, the people who are degrading others are no better. Hughes believes the dream is made out of three things: liberty, equality, and opportunity. He hopes that United States will be the dream where â€Å"opportunity is real, and life is free†. Obstacles that we create are made by our selfishness by being tangled in the â€Å"ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! . We discriminate against each other which makes it harder to achieve our goals and dreams. Because of the hatred between each other to certain people makes it that, The Homeland of the free was never The Homeland of the free to them.In the text Hughes states that change is needed if we are to achieve this dream. Hughes says that the U. S. A. has never been the dream it should be. Yet, it must be the dream where it is â€Å"the land where everyman is free. That the land is everyone, the people who made America, â€Å"the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—†. We have to work hard to â€Å"bring back our mighty dream again. † The vision of America that Hughes shows is that the U. S. A. is not what it should be. He shows it as a place where America is no different from anywhere else, and that the same things happen. How can America be a utopia if it is made out of imperfect people? He also shows that even though America has not achieved this dream yet, it must become this dream, because America is the dream.

Office administration SBA Essay

Statement of Topic To determine the duties and responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant at The Cable Department. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this project are: To investigate the duties and responsibilities of the administrative assistant To determine the importance of the Administrative Assistant to the organization. Functions of the Cable Department At The Cable Department, the functions of an Administrative Assistant areto make and cancel appointments on behalf of an executive and to greet the customer or potential business person in the most polite way. Abbott Village, West Farm, St Kitts. 17 October, 2012 Ms Judith Hewlet The Administrative Assistant, The Cable Department, Church Street, Basseterre. Dear Ms Hewlet, I am a fifth form student of the Verchilds High school. In an effort to complete my School Based Assessment, I am writing this letter seeking permission to conduct an interview with you and also to do some observations of the Administrative Assistant. I would like to find out the duties of the secretary and how his or her work benefits the business. I hope that you would grant me permission to have this interview. I would be extremely grateful as this would make it easier for me to complete my Office  Administration School Based Assessment Project. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Yours sincerely, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Tashaun Greene Methodology The instrument that the researcher used to gather the informationwas an interview. The researcher interviewed the Administrative Assistant on the 21st of October,2013 and recorded responses during the discussion. This instrument is used by asking an Ms.Hewlet in that specific business place questions whether face to face or over the telephonewhich is relevant to the business to gather information. This instrument was chosen over others because more questions can be asked and the researcher may get a better understanding of the data. In addition, the interviewer can answer questions that were not clearly understood by the respondent, this way is much more effective and faster in terms of getting the data. Five important questions 1. What equipment do you use to complete your work? 2. What are the duties in the business? 3. What are the documents used in the business? 4. What are the legislations that govern the business? 5. Are there any health and safety rules? Schedule of Activity Date Activity Comments 13/9/12 The guidelines for the SBA was handed to the researcher from the teacher The teacher explained everything that should or should not be done in the SBA 14/9/12 The researcher started research on the first six tasks of the project A past student corrected the project and put a few changes 19/9/12 I spoke with the secretary to seek her permission about the interview The secretary was pleased to answer and said yes 23/9/12 The SBA was sent back to the researcher in an e-mail The teacher corrected the project 14/12/12 The researcher was on job attachment to get further information about the project It was a success and all the information required was collect 21/12/12 The interview was conducted It was successful 8/1/13 The teacher gathered with students to ask about the job experience The students responded well, it benefited most of them 21/1/13 The SBA was sent to the teacher Teacher made some adjustments to the SBA 22/2/13 The SBA was sent back to the researcher to be corrected The researcher sent back the correction to the teacher Rules and Regulations LEGISLATION One legislation that governs the work place that the researcher had to be aware of is confidentiality, this simply means that whatever information is in the business place it should stay there and shouldn’t be discuss among your peers, relatives or friends etc. The information should stay private. However, the researcher became aware of this legislation by the members on  staff. HEALTH AND SAFETY One health and safety practice while carrying out this research project based on the workplace is the sign which reads â€Å"wet floor†. This sign prevents people from getting hurt by letting them know that danger can be ahead of them. STAFF RULE One staff rule which the researcher had to comply with while carrying out the project is that there should be no use of cell phones while working. This is so because it may be a distraction or it may develop conflict between the customers and the staff member. Report The objectives of the project are to investigate the duties and responsibilities of the secretary and to determine the importance of the Administrative Assistant are to maintain good working conditions and to use the basic software applications. BUSINESS FORM DATE NAME OF DOCUMENT PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT 19/12/12 Internet User Agreement The purpose of this document is to ensure that the customers agree to get the internet service and they will do whatever is required to get the service. 21/12/12 The Cable Form The purpose of this form is for the customers to fill out to clarify whether  they want to reconnect, disconnect, upgrade or downgrade their service. Cancelation Form The purpose of this form to cancel the entire cable service. OFFICE EQUIPMENT DATE EQUIPMENT PURPOSE OF EQUIPMENT SUITABILITY FOR TASKS 27/12/12 Photo Copying Machine The purpose of this equipment is to copy the customer’s ID and any other document that is there for proof It is suitable to clarify whether the person is who they say they are 28/12/12 Cash Register The purpose of this equipment is for the customers to pay their bill in which they owe or to make certain transactions It is suitable because this is the main thing that the customers come into the business to do and it will be benefiting the business because they will be getting money 30/12/12 Printer The purpose of this equipment is to keep a hard copy of the important information or information relevant to the business It is suitable to print stuff so there would be a hard copy so they will be sent out to consumers, for example letters Bibliography Person listed: 21 December 2012, Basseterre, Labour Secretariat Administrative Assistant Publication List S Finisterre, L Payne & J Reid (2004) Longman Office Administration for CXC Appendix Five important questions 1. What is the equipment used in the business? 2. What are the duties of the business? 3. What are the documents used in the business? 4. What are the documents used for in the business? 5. What are the legislations that govern the business? 6. Are there healthy and safety rules? 7. Is the business a successful one? 8. What are the benefits of the business? 9. Are there any staff rules?

An Exit Strategy From Poverty: Sustainable Comprehensive Humanitarian Assistance and Planning in the developing and under-developed world

Humanitarian aid to the developing and under-developed world has been a hotly debated issue around the globe for decades, with the focus being on how these poor nations can be given aid and if the aid is only creating more barriers than it is breaking them down. The prevalent belief now is that previous models of humanitarian aid have been band-aid fixes for an enduring, wide-scale problem. There appears to be a sea change occurring with humanitarian aid, however, spurred by economic and social reforms to previous aid models. This change, examined at the most simple level is influenced by the proverb â€Å"give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. † An organization at the head of the tide of this sea change is Sustainable Comprehensive Humanitarian Assistance and Planning (SCHAP). SCHAP represents a movement away from aid from nation states and NGOs to more independent work by non-profit organizations – with a different economic sense than before. This new sense focuses aid not on the previous ‘head-above-water’ emergency temporary fixes, but rather on the development of the poor nations and their people, to get them out of the water altogether. It is the sustainable and comprehensive on which SCHAP endeavors itself, seeing it not just as part of the name of their organization, but as the name of a â€Å"new humanitarian ideology† (SCHAP 1) where assistance and planning are critical to the creation of a self empowering infrastructure based on the thinking and development of the suffering regions and communities (SCHAP 1). It is this focus on sustainability and providing aid in a comprehensive manner that SCHAP shares with the organizations it works with and takes inspiration from, like the revolutionary Grameen Bank. What SCHAP brings to poor nations is a unique aid perspective from a business-sense, where entrepreneurship and lending reforms are paramount. SCHAP’s vision is that this sea change will see developing and under-developed nations become truly profitable in not only an economic sense, but also socially, culturally and politically. SCHAP, in other words, does not wish to provide the fish, but rather to help create a nation of fishermen. 2. SCHAP’s HUMANITARIAN AID PLATFORM SCHAP is a non-profit organization working in poor nations, and their mission is two-pronged: to bring sustainable solutions to humans living with extreme disadvantages in an effort to empower them with tools, resources, information and vision requisite for development and an increased quality of life, while also teaching the correct principles of sustainable and comprehensive humanitarian work to aspiring philanthropists. SCHAP 1) SCHAP brings an approach that focuses on internal development rather than external fixes or influences. With access to developmental skills and tools and proper education, SCHAP states that change will come from the spread of principles, technology and information from within communities (1). SCHAP’s non-profit status means that it can devote the entirety of its resources and donations to the communit ies of poor nations. Founder and President Cory Glazier emphasizes that every dollar that goes to SCHAP goes into the cost of their projects, and that with a fully volunteer staff, they can grow unabated by the freedom from the need for funds (KPBS 1). An aspect of SCHAP that has garnered it not only success in its application in villages like Matoso, Kenya, but also global attention, is from its focus on planning that examines the issues at the heart of the communities and builds aid from those issues in a way that respects the local cultural and social integrity. Glazier maintains that by looking at the roots of an issue rather than just the implications of those issues (which includes speaking with people in the villages), a better understanding is gained as to how these people’s circumstances got to be the way they are and what must be done (SCHAP 1) to promote development to cross the poverty line. By better understanding the circumstances that led to and that propagate the conditions the people of poor nations face, SCHAP is uniquely equipped with the knowledge to create a plan that implements a comprehensive multi-dimensional platform to create permanent solutions. Paul Polak sees this sort of planning as being â€Å"routine for large businesses or for any entrepreneur seeking to start-up venture capital, but it is rare for development organizations† (18). Polak’s wealth of experience with humanitarian aid has given him an exclusive perspective on what is needed in order to end poverty in the poor nations, and he sees learning from a real-life context from those who are suffering and not ignoring the obvious as leading to creation of world-changing ideas (18). SCHAP’s focus on the internal development rather than the external addresses what Jeffrey Sachs sees as the influence of the developed world and how the poor nations must break the barriers that have beset them as well as the barriers that foreign aid has unwittingly erected. Sach’s identification that â€Å"a country’s fate is crucially determined by its specific linkages to the rest of the world† (128) is one that SCHAP recognizes and looks to fix with promoting the internal development of communities to unwrap themselves from the more burdensome linkages, such as crippling terms of debt or the inability to gain credit. Sach carries forward on his premise of the effect of specific linkages with the rest of the world, suggesting two remedies that SCHAP champions, which are the concept of economic transformation of a broad-based sense and the possibilities of a practical nature that arise from conceptual thinking on a large-scale (128). The true promising potential of SCHAP is seen in how its fundamentals mirror what a United States Institute of Peace symposium in October 1995 outlined as to what was needed to create a more positive impact by NGOs on foreign aid, which were improved planning, more accurate assessment of needs, providing aid with the longest term benefit to specifically targeted groups and empowering local institutions (Smock 1). With SCHAP focusing on sustainable and comprehensive planning, it is operating within a new framework that is given a freedom as a result from working independently of governments and International bodies that have been heavily involved in foreign aid that has largely been ineffectual. Operating in this manner, SCHAP is not guilty of what David Smock admonishes NGOs for, which is functioning merely as agents for the implementation of foreign aid from governments and the United Nations (2). The most unique aspect of SCHAP is its local approach regarding aid. By focusing on a community, not only is the task less daunting for a smaller organization such as SCHAP, but it also plays to the organization’s strength of knowing the root of local issues. This knowledge entails a respect for the social and cultural identity of these communities and the importance that the sphere of a community is to the larger cultural and social national identity. It is tribalism mixed with 21st century economics, and it is this ‘best of both worlds’ framework which SCHAP is hoping to use to bring the people of poor nations out of poverty – for good. To evaluate the work that SCHAP is doing, its potential for long term developmental benefits and the support it has from other institutions that assist it or provide a parallel framework, three key areas that SCHAP is focused on should be examined. Firstly is SCHAP’s focus on providing the people of poor nations with an exit strategy from poverty by a business-oriented tilt towards entrepreneurship and the formation of a solid financial foundation from micro-credit. Another key area of concern for SCHAP is attention towards education, which will not only raise the quality of life for the people in the communities, but a focus on the development of children will lead to long-lasting benefits that will carry on for generations. Lastly, SCHAP is obviously promoting improvements in the health of the people of poor nations with such necessities as clean water and access to and knowledge of better nutrition. These three key areas of concern are part of the building blocks of the comprehensive vision that SCHAP holds of bringing an end to poverty for the people of poor nations – on their terms. . Providing an Exit Strategy from Poverty Foreign aid has largely been stopgap measures in emergency situations, with money and manpower being poured into poor areas to provide food and resources without addressing the causes of the problems that plague poor nations. This aid has managed to staunch some of the bleeding that poverty steadily provides, but it is only by giving the poor nations an independence from foreign aid and providing the tools and knowledge needed to ascend beyond poverty that these nations and, more importantly, their people will prosper. What SCHAP endeavors to provide the people of communities like Matoso, Kenya is an exit strategy from poverty that focuses on providing the means for not only self-sustainment but also profit. It is from Glazier that SCHAP’s unique foundation is formed, as he has a background business, which he uses to his advantage and to the advantage of his organization and the people they help escape poverty. To use Matoso as a case study, Glazier and SCHAP put together what he calls a â€Å"business plan for the village† (KPBS 1), which focuses on what is needed to increase the quality of life for the village as a whole and for families and individuals that live within it by promoting their own development. Glazier sees the inherent barriers that a cashless community faces in trying to interact with a cash community (1), such as a financial institution or a financially supportive NGO or nation state. SCHAP’s business plan is to break those barriers. SCHAP’s exit strategy from poverty for the people of poor nations involves teaching the principles of entrepreneurship, how to optimize businesses and the benefits of microcredit (SCHAP 1). The passing of this knowledge is intended to create sustainable rural development promoted by the entrepreneurship of local members of the community, which would create a market environment within the community (SCHAP 1). SCHAP recognizes that the potential of local entrepreneurs by to be business leaders and wishes to empower them with training and assistance to reach this potential. Implementation of this strategy includes business development workshops in the communities, teaching those in the communities to develop business plans and how to qualify for microcredit and to train and hire members of the community to serve as business development leaders to carry on the initiatives set out by SCHAP (SHAP 1). Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize winner for creating the ‘grandfather’ institution of micro-credit, the Grameen Bank, acknowledges the capabilities of the people of poor nations to be successful entrepreneurs and that the support of organizations with the objectives of SCHAP can create stepping stones out of poverty. Yunus sees entrepreneurship as a universal ability that allows people to choose to work for themselves rather than waiting for jobs to be created for them (54). Yunus likens the business development by local entrepreneurs to the growth of healthy bonsai trees, as the seed of a tall tree planted in a shallow pot will grow to resemble a tall tree but will be stunted; the seed is fine, but the soil needs to be adequate to promote proper growth (54). The ‘seed’ that foreign aid has provided in the past was well intended but the framework was inadequate to create real change to the situation of poverty. The business-driven initiatives of SCHAP look to create deep, fertile soil to promote the ascension beyond poverty. Another aspect of SCHAP’s exit strategy from poverty involves the access to microcredit in order to bring the impoverished into the financial sphere. Not only will microcredit allow for entrepreneurial growth, but it will also promote financial stability for future inevitabilities of families well beyond business. By providing microcredit and supportive training to qualified members of the communities, sustainable financial situations can be created and maintained. SCHAP looks to achieve this not only with access to microcredit, but by also working with the local entrepreneurs with developing a business plan and to achieve the qualifications for credit (SCHAP 1). This is a long-term initiative that looks to empowering the people of poor nations and breaking down the barriers that traditional financial institutions have erected by marginalizing – and even entirely dismissing – the people of poor nations. Breaking these barriers is what motivated Yunus to create the Grameen Bank to serve as a financial institution to the poor. Yunus’ evaluation of the treatment of the people of poor nations led him to the realization that banks considered the poor as unworthy of credit and as a result, the poor were prevented from entering into – and profiting from – the financial system, and from this broken system Yunus sought to create a financial institution that would worthy of the people (49). In the traditional financial system, the people of the poor nations are non-entities. Traditional financial institutions are concerned with making money, and providing funds to risky ventures is not in those banks best interests. Without credit, the poor cannot create a foundation to develop a long-term self-sustaining life and save money. The conditions that have created and perpetuated poverty in developing and under-developed nations are not the only obstacle that the poor must overcome in order to escape poverty. The barriers created by the traditional financial institutions hold back the development that the poor are capable of achieving given they are allowed access to what the rest of the world has had for decades. Turning up a nose to the people of poor nations’ need for credit is a hypocritical stance that ignores the realities of the markets in the Western World. Credit is arguably how the middle class in the West survives, and when that bubble bursts, the effects show how pervasive credit is in the economy of these countries. Look no further than the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States and the resulting economic instability for an example of the vast need for credit inherent in the developed world. To deny the developing and under-developed world credit is to deny their potential and their rights. Yunus created the Grameen Bank to allow access to credit for the poor to generate self-employment and income for them (Yunus 54). The Grameen Bank operates under Yunus’ principles of microcredit, which does enforce on the poor the rules and laws of traditional banks, but rather recognizes them upon their own worth (49). Microcredit provides microloans – small loans with small interest rates – to those without collateral or previous credit. Microcredit, and the other facets of microfinance promote entrepreneurship and the ability to develop the stability needed for long-term sustainability above the poverty line. The Grameen Bank’s use of microcredit and its unique lending terms allow for the challenging of what Yunus calls the â€Å"financial apartheid† (51), as traditional lending terms, especially interest rates, are entirely unreasonable for the people of poor nations. While the average person in the Western World is around 20 to 25 per cent, poor people, who are ‘graciously allowed’ to be burdened by traditional banks with payday loans, are facing annual interest rates around 250 per cent (51). Yunus faced widespread criticism from those appalled at his disregard for the low-risk activity of traditional financial institutions and willingness to apparently throw money away without any chance of seeing any sort of return. Yunus was literally banking on the potential he saw in the people of poor nations, and his work not only yielded financial returns, but also allowed for the economic development of poor communities. The success of the Grameen Bank and its microcredit platform is seen in the over 2500 branches that currently provide loans to over seven million poor, totaling six Billion Dollars (51) since the Banks’ inception in 1983. The repayment rate on those loans stands at 98. 6 per cent – a blow to critics of microcredit and the Grameen Bank – and most importantly, 64 per cent of borrowers that have been involved with the Bank for five or more years have risen above the poverty line (52). SCHAP utilizes microcredit to promote development in communities because it allows for flexibility and growth that is within the reach of poor entrepreneurs. A study by Daryl Collins et al. howed that when given access to loans, the poor members of communities acted in a responsible manner that promoted sustainability, with savings being contributed to the bank weekly, and withdrawals being made only between two or three times in a financial quarter (161). The study also found that ease of use brought about increased development, as the introduction of the passbook savings account saw a dramatic rise in savings made by the poor members of the communities (162). The efficacy of the Grameen Bank and microcredit, then, can be seen in the quantitative evidence, but the true human impact can be seen on the quality of life of those borrowers. In these communities, the priority of families if of course the children, to not only provide them with the essentials for a healthy, productive life, but also to be given the tools and skills to continue the entrepreneurial activities. The Grameen Pension Savings (GPS) is a facet of the microcredit initiatives that greatly benefit children with the long-term stability of saving profits. The GPS offers a low interest rate to borrowers in exchange for the promise of a regular savings of at least one dollar per month for the term of the loan, which is either five or 10 years. The plan is not restricted to retirement resources, as it promotes the saving of funds for the social, cultural and familial inevitabilities, such as children’s schooling and weddings (168). While the structure of the GPS promotes savings discipline, it also is freeing in terms of its end-of-term options, as at the end of a GPS term, savings can be transferred into a deposit account at the bank and a new GPS can be started (168). Programs such as the GPS promote the sort of sustainable development that SCHAP is initiating in these communities, which will allow for the people to pick themselves up out of the hole of poverty and propagate the economic, social and cultural integrity of the community, the region and the nation at large. The Asia-Pacific Review highlighted the advantages of microcredit to organizations such as SCHAP and their initiatives: micro-credit is a dream come true for donors and non-governmental organizations†¦loans are invested in pre-existing survival skills, enabling the poorest to be magically transformed into entrepreneurs. That way, micro-credit’s supporters claim, lending to the poor shows that capitalism can benefit all, not just the rich. (xii) It is not magic that will transform the people of these communities into entrepreneurs, but the hard work of organizations like SCHAP and, more importantly, the hard work and dedication of the local members of the communities. One aspect of entrepreneurialism that SCHAP is channeling that hard work and resources into is the ensuring of ongoing regional economic development through a focus on agriculture (SCHAP 1). Polak has studied such agricultural reform with great attention, and has found that foreign aid to poor communities has provided only enough knowledge of farming to barely keep their heads above water. His experience in these communities found that the focus of agriculture was on the products and means of producing such that provided only enough to eat, but not near enough to reach a surplus on which money could be made on the market. Polak found that the difficulties of such practices come from two sources: an ingrained traditional in the culture of these communities and the propagation of such practices by government agricultural aid agents that applied Western knowledge of crop production for sustenance (84). Polak saw the potential for the economic benefits and an increase in quality of life in agricultural reforms, specifically in small-acreage farms. This potential arose from the ideals of the Green Revolution, for which its creator Norman Borlaug received a Nobel Prize. The Green Revolution refers to the sustainable change in food production, with a focus on small-acreage farmers, which would create an increase in food supply, new jobs and reasonable income from the selling of surplus food products (85). What agricultural reforms like the Green Revolution provide for small-acreage subsistence farmers is the opportunity to not to just live hand-to-mouth and remain reliant upon foreign aid donations, but to operate in a profitable manner that will allow them to be active members of the marketplace and to have the ability to purchase the food and resources they need. This is the sustainability that SCHAP endeavors to help provide, hence their attention to agriculture as a means for entrepreneurial success. The means for this success suggested by Polak concerning agricultural reform are teaching small-acreage farmers green revolution strategies, including using high yield varieties of crops already being produced, the use of fertilizers and proper irrigation to increase the yield of their food crops to enter the marketplace (84). SCHAP has used a business plan approach to agriculture to create cash flow in the village of Matoso. They took a plot of land and created – with the help of those in the community – a large garden. This garden served to not only get the economic ball rolling in the community to combat poverty, but also served as an example for the local members of the community as to how to develop a marketplace to benefit them by creating capital. In order to gain access to such healthcare products such as malaria medication or contraceptives, members of the communities could work in the garden and farm area in exchange for the medications, which SCHAP would provide. They did this, not to undermine the economy of the community, but to promote the knowledge and skills of producing time, effort and product into money (KPBS 1). By promoting entrepreneurship in this manner, SCHAP created a cycle of cash flow by purchasing medications and providing those medications to the community and then selling back the produce from the garden and farm area, (KPBS 1) in hopes of overcoming the stagnation of poverty with a new engine of commerce. This promotion of commerce with agriculture is not only an access point for local members of the community to qualify for microcredit, but also the creation of a sustainable way of life that promotes the growth beyond poverty. Lisa Avery points out that microcredit has gained recognition on the world stage as an effective mechanism for the empowerment of the people of poor nations in an economic and social sense (224), but her work also shows the importance of SCHAP’s comprehensive focus on battling poverty. The need for effective aid is to be multi-dimensional, and Avery recognizes this factor in the relationship between entrepreneurial pursuits and the support of microcredit and education and health, as she discovered that the children of borrowers from microcredit institutions like the Grameen Bank had much higher rates of enrollment in schools and that their medical needs were more likely to be met (209). 4. SCHAP’s Focus on Education. SCHAP’s comprehensive focus is supported by the Asia & Pacific Review, whose study findings led them to suggest that unless microcredit is couple with sufficient support in other areas, the poor borrowers, especially women, will find their capacity to generate income in decline (xii). A focus of SCHAP in addition to entrepreneurship is education, which speaks as much to sustainable development within these communities just as much as economic activity. SCHAP operates with heavy attention on primary education by introducing school buildings and the tools and skills to provide the educational framework within them. Yunus exemplifies the authoritative voice of support for SCHAP’s initiatives, arguing that â€Å"the first and foremost task of development is to turn on the engine of creativity inside each person† (56). Yunus also looks to the next generation of the members of these communities to be the focus of reducing or eliminating poverty, and maintains that any program directed towards children should be considered a prime development program, just as important, if not more so, than the development of infrastructure (55). In terms of the comprehensive approach to battling poverty, Yunus agrees this approach must be taken, as he argues that economic development must include the exploration of creative potential of the individual which, when enabled, will prove more important than any quantitative economic factor (56). This sense of education leading to economic growth not only shows the efficacy of the comprehensive approach of organizations like SCHAP, but also highlights the focus on the long-term sustainability of these communities and their people. By focusing attention and resources on children at a prime stage of development, the impressions made will last beyond their generation, as they will be passed on for many more to come. SCHAP’s primary education goals are to create schools and to create activities that foster learning and creative exploration for the children, as many of these communities have no formal primary educational programs and the education institutions that do exist are highly ineffective, which has resulted in high illiteracy rates and basic learning skills, especially in children under nine years of age (SCHAP 1). Construction of school buildings are repairs to existing structures is an example of a hands-on fix, while SCHAP looks to empower the community to provide education by providing training and jobs for local teachers as well as needed resources (1). Sustainability of these programs is addressed with the covering of overhead with small school fees, which are made possible by the economic reforms within these communities with entrepreneurship and access to marketplace due to agricultural reforms. The multitude of benefits from this focus on primary education is due in no small part to the role that poor education plays in the derailment of any long-term attempts at ending poverty in these communities. Lisa Avery found that children that do not receive schooling during their critical formative years will only serve to continue the cycle of the illiterate and uneducated in the communities, and that low levels of education contribute to the continuation of poverty, as a result of higher birth rates and those children competing in the families for resources already stretched too thin and they are left out of the workplace (212) due to lack of skills. The Academy for Education Development looks to primary education programs such as those of SCHAP as promoting the learning of skills and the articulation of ideas that promote the acquisition of knowledge and the means for development, but also in the acquisition of the processes and habits of reasoning that promote lifelong learning and the development of the community as a result of learning. An important aspect of SCHAP’s focus on education within the context of a community is that with local education there is also an instilling of cultural value systems. These value systems are just as important as the knowledge of the world around the students, as an understanding of where they come from and what it means to belong to that community, regional and national culture promotes the continuation of those cultural traditions and values to future generations. This is an empowering facet of the nature of these communities, not only to preserve the culture, but to also serve as a sense of independence from nations and cultures that they previously relied so heavily upon. In this way, every member of the community can be a teacher, and there is much to be learnt from them by the children. SCHAP recognizes this and involves parents and other elder members of communities within the educational programs to promote cultural learning. This is essential for not only the children, but also for the other members of the community to reinforce the cultural value and belief systems. The Academy for Education Development regards this activity as highly effective in doing so, recommending that for the success of such primary educational programs, parental involvement should be encouraged, not just as guests or family members but as contributing members of the community (23). Having parents and members of the community involved in primary school programs as SCHAP does promotes linkage between school and the community and home, where what is learned from each sphere can be transferred and shared between members. While the positive aspects of learning within a community are emphasized by SCHAP, so to are initiatives to overcome the aspects of the community that may impede learning. One such initiative is the creation of a â€Å"micro library† consisting of a collection of approximately 1,000 books on a wide variety of topics, along with providing assistance for studying the materials (SCHAP 1). What SCHAP is trying to do with these libraries is not just to provide another centre for learning, but also to combat the â€Å"closed system of information† (1) that communities become. Making new knowledge, skills and resources available to the community promotes an increase in development (1) in the economic, social, cultural and political spheres of the local region. Education works in tandem with business development to create a foundation from which to rise above poverty, but another issue that must be addressed before work can be done or learning is to be made, and that is the health of those in the communities. . SCHAP’s Focus on Health Health is obviously an important issue in the lives of people in poor nations and foreign aid’s attempt at solving. Unfortunately a large amount of funds and manpower has been put into emergency situations regarding health, but very little has been done to address the roots of health issues that are simplistic and relativ ely cheap in comparison to wide-spread relief efforts of the past. A health focus that comes from SCHAP’s knowledge of the fundamental roots of issues in these communities involves the access to clean water. The conditions of water in developing and under-developed nations is dangerously poor due to contamination from agricultural run-off, ineffective or non-existent waste management and illness-causing pathogens. By creating a clean water system in these communities, SCHAP is producing a permanent fix to the root health issue by providing a â€Å"sustainable, maintainable, expandable and replicable† (1) resource. One initiative to achieve this system is with the building and installation of a water filtration system that is simplistic and requires low maintenance, so that the members of the community can maintain existing systems and build and install more elsewhere. An IDRC study by Blanca Jimenez et al. recommends such simple filtration systems for communities such as these, with filtration removing dangerous particulate matter and illness-causing pathogens from the water (3). The IDRC also sees the benefit of access and propagation of these basic systems, as they are infinitely more cost effective than wider-spread regional programs that require significant funds and resources, such as the installation of water treatment plants (3). Another health focus of SCHAP that not only addresses a fundamental issue of poor health of the impoverished but also illuminates how health is linked with education and work in creating an escape from poverty is nutrition. The plan for improved nutrition involves the education of the community, particularly children, as to what is necessary in terms of food to keep them healthy, but also an education as to what agricultural output is most nutritional (SCHAP 1). While medications can be costly and difficult to obtain because of limited supply, addressing a health concern such as nutrition gets to the origins of issues before they can multiply or become fatal. Many people in poor nations die from illnesses that would be easily preventable with basic education and forethought into such things as nutrition. Engle et al. has examined the linkage between nutrition and child development, finding that illnesses that come from poor nutrition, such as anemia, impede such development (230). The prevention of childhood development that malnutrition causes is caused by a disruption of neural circuitry that can lead to permanent difficulties with cognitive skills (230). Early intervention in the form of nutritional education and agricultural reform is shown to combat this development impediment. To use anemia as an example, it occurs because of an iron deficiency. SCHAP initiatives would include the promoting of the growth of iron rich plants, which the IDRC has found to have positive effects on the childhood development of motor-skills, emotional maturity and language and other social skills (Jimenez 2). The initiatives of SCHAP in this context once again present a comprehensive approach to combating poverty, by promoting a healthy lifestyle and the means to achieve it, which can be passed down for generations to come. . Conclusion While only touching on a few of SCHAP’s initiatives for communities in poor nations, what is made clear is that a reformed, comprehensive approach that focuses on sustainable long-term results has the great potential for creating an exit strategy from poverty for these nations and to untie these nations from the cumbersome umbilical cord of foreign aid. What SCHAP is doing by setting up programs and initiatives in these communities is not a hand out, but a helping hand. By giving the tools and the means to create their own resources to these communities, SCHAP is contributing to the fight against poverty in ways that are far-reaching and long lasting. The emphasis made by Cory Glazier on listening to the members of these communities shows a simplistic approach to revolutionary, life-changing ideas. It implies the communication with and involvement of the people of these communities who not only have a right to have say in foreign aid that is given to them, but who also have a responsibility to create the changes that will end poverty in their nations. While SCHAP has shown great potential and has made great improvements in villages such as Matoso, the reality is that there must be hundreds more organizations like SCHAP to join the battle. It is not a battle that these organizations, such as SCHAP or their supporting institutions such as the Grameen Bank, can win, but it is in arming the people of these poor nations that the battle can indeed be won.