Prostate Cancer in African American Men Essay Example for Free

Prostate Cancer in African American Men Essay Prostate Cancer is the gland below a mans bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is common among older men. Prostate cancer is a silent killer, and because it grows slowly, many men have no idea its there It is rare in men younger than forty. Risk factors for developing prostate cancer include being over sixty five years of age, family history, being African American, and some genetic changes. There is an estimated of 241,740 new cases and 28,170 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in 2012 (National Cancer Institute, 2011). Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, behind skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men especially in African American men. one out of six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. For example, if youre at home having a cookout with 11 of your friends, its likely that two of you at some point in your lives will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. and If youre an African-American man, those odds increase to nearly one in five. Prostate cancer affects African American men twice as often as Caucasian men; the mortality rate among African American is also twice as high. African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer of any ethic group in the world. In the African American community men are at high risk due to low socioeconomic status, and not getting cancer screening because of no health insurance. With the increased amount of men being diagnosed each year it is shocking that many men still avoid visiting the doctor because it makes them uncomfortable and they are afraid of what the results will be even when some clinics give free prostate cancer screening. While prostate cancer screening test can have abnormal results even when cancer is not present, it is important for men to have prostate screening done.prostate cancer is usually detected through screening, and there are two methods for early detection. The prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) is used, but there are many factors that can inf luence the outcome of the PSA test. Medications such as antihistamines, physical exertion or recent ejaculation can raise a PSA level. Another test for early detection of prostate cancer has been the digital rectal exam (DRE). Although, DRE is a better method for early detection, it is also a hindrance among men, particularly African-American men, to screening and early detection According to American Cancer Society (ACS) and American Urological Association (AUA), the PSA and DRE should be offered annually for all men beginning at age 50. However, they also recommend that African-American men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin testing by age 45. Early intervention is the key to a 5 year survival rate. Prognosis of prostate cancer diagnosed at an early stage is noted as being optimistic. Despite these credible statistics, free prostate cancer screening and early detection remains a problem area for many health care practitioners when it comes to the African American population (Plowden 2009) Madeline Leininger’s Sunrise Model has been used in many studies over the past twenty years. Between 1999 and 2008, over 200 citations of articles were noted using Leininger Theory (McEwen, 2011). She postulated that nurses should attempt to increase knowledge related to the care of people who value their cultural heritage and way of life (McEwen, 2011). The Leininger Sunrise Model of cultural diversity is used to obtain compliance with prostate cancer screening among African-American men; the goal has been to build a relationship of cooperation between clients and health care workers. Educating the men as well as examining their fears and anxieties is useful in removing barriers of resistance and gaining trust, thus empowering the client (McEwen, 2011). The Health Belief Model (HBM) â€Å"postulates a person’s perception of disease threat and benefits of taking action will predetermine taking action† (Rivers, 2009). The HBM is used to determine the African American male understanding of prostate cancer and to identify factors that would motivate that populatio n to seek screening and treatment of prostate cancer. The HBM has been used to design intervention to educate as well as facilitate access to screening and treatment (Rivers, 2009). Leininger’s Theory of cultural care diversity is a middle range theory that is based upon the major concepts of culture, culture care and understanding the differences as well as the similarities to transcultural human care. Her other major concepts of transcultural care are, caring, and ethic views, the system of health care, the professional system of care and culturally congruent nursing care. (McEwen, 2011) The strength of Leininger Theory lies in the fact that it is a holistic theory seeking to cover both the diversity and universality of nursing care concepts. Caring aspects within and between cultures must include the acknowledgement of the similarities and differences. The theory has been widely used within the credibility and confirm ability of data gained from research (McGee, 1994). Because the Leininger Theory places emphasis on cultural s ensitivity and cultural congruence, it can be said that cultural knowledge will improve care. However, because the approach fails to take into account a political and structural inequality of minorities and focuses on differences and deficits, it can be construed that the culture itself is the problem. The possibility of reinforcing stereotypes and increasing the gap between provider and patient may actually make the care aspect less than culturally safe (Orià ¡, 2005). Leininger Theory can be used in a wide range of modalities when considering the problem of prostate screening. When examining the focus of this clinical problem i.e., how to get increased participation from a high risk group to prostate cancer screening, Plowden reached several conclusions that are applicable to today’s practice for advance nurse practitioners. For example, African-American men were more likely to seek screening and participate in the treatment process if 1.) There was a perceived susceptibility to prostate cancer and that threat was perceived as severe in life threatening or disabling . 2.) There were perceived benefits to the screening such as early detection and accurate diagnosis. 3.) There were no perceived barriers. 4.) Sufficient triggers need to exist to motivate behavior (Plowden, 2009). When applying these findings to advanced nurse practitioners’ practices, it can be said that men in the high risk groups must first be educated on the risks of prostate cancer. They need to understand the implications involved with failure to be screened. Early detection and accurate diagnosis are very important to the 5 year survival post diagnosis. Screening is essential to the quality of life for a person diagnosed with prostate cancer. For example, lifestyle changes would have to be made after a radical prostectomy versus a chemo radiation treatment of a localized slow growing tumor. When health care professionals can successfully manage to remove or go around barriers, whether real or perceived, the goal of seeking medical intervention is improved. Health care professionals can attempt to established sufficient triggers so that the behavior can be motivated to attain compliance to screening. The advanced nurse practitioner’s challenge will be to first establish trust and reputation as a caregiver who cares and is approachable; educate the population of the high risk group to the benefits of early detection versus late discovery; provide easy access to screening and the follow up phase of the intervention; and maintain confidentiality. Peer group discussions with professionals have shown to aid in getting better compliance (Plowden, 2009). The African-American males’ decision making process when considering prostate cancer screening is influenced greatly by cultural mores and beliefs. These cultural beliefs often lead to a lower rate of compliance to free screening versus all other races i.e. Caucasians, etc. Leisiniger’s cultural diversity theory can be used to effectively educate and increase compliance by teaching practitioners ways to overcome these cultural barriers. By following the concepts of care, caring, and understanding feelings of self, as well as the feelings of others, it is possible to overcome cultural barriers. Works Cited Cherath, Lata, et al. Prostate Cancer. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Laurie J. Fundukian. 4th ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 3578-3584. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. LATEST RESEARCH: Faster Prostate Cancer Growth In Black Men?. Prostate Disorders (2011): 31. Health Source Consumer Edition. Web. 7 Dec. 2012 Prostate Cancer. National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009 (Vintage 2009 Populations), National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. .

Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue Ethics Essay Virtue Ethics and the view that ethics should be wholly concerned with a person’s attributes based on the holistic theory of Aristotle and his Golden Mean, is a newly accepted theory, which looks at a person’s virtues and not their actions. It is a view that directly contrasts with the theories of Kant and Bentham, which focus on actions as opposed to the actual person making those actions. Although the deontological nature of Kant’s theory does partially contradict the teleological constitution of Bentham’s theory, they both focus on the moral decision that a person chooses to make and these theories both clash with Virtue Ethics, in respect that Virtue Ethics looks at why and what made the person make that decision. Whilst it is important to focus on the person behind the action, a more consequentialist view of ethics is a better functioning theory in today’s society due to the emphasis placed on the result of actions and the many cultures in the world, where virtuous acts would be difficult to define. In this essay, I will explore these contrasting ethical positions to prove that ethics should be more concerned with what you do than who you are. Aristotle’s theory is ultimately based on the idea of reaching eudaimonia, and this was something which, unlike the theories of Bentham and Mill, was sought for itself rather than as a means to some other end. The virtues that lead to this â€Å"happiness† are described by Aristotle to be like a habit, they should be learnt and acquired making one a better person, meaning that they will make the correct moral decisions. Using â€Å" Virtue Ethics† as an approach to life is taken up by many parents across the globe, as they act to make the child become a better person. However, one must question whether Virtue Ethics is a logical means of moral explanation as perhaps just because a person has many desirable virtues, it doesn’t certainly follow that they will make good, ethical, moral decisions. The aim of reaching Eudaimonia highlights the teleological aspect of Virtue Ethics as it is Aristotle’s GOAL for life. However whereas in consequentialism actions are taken in order to be happy, Aristotle believes that we should be happy in order to do something else. Aristotle arrived at the answer of whether an act was virtuous or not by using his â€Å"Final Cause† argument. In this, he believed that everything has a final good, which is achieved by fulfilling the purpose for which it was designed. Aristotle claimed that we all learn to have virtues that are â€Å"good† and will help us to obtain Eudaimonia. However, a major flaw of Virtue Ethics, leads from this, as Virtues are liable to change. The attributes that Aristotle valued are not necessarily what is valued in today’s society. He also talked about the doctrine of the Golden Mean. This aspect of virtue ethics is, for me, what makes it a potentially credible theory, as it takes into account human emotions, recognising that we can sometimes be extreme. This is explained by the idea of vices versus virtues, in that we should not have extremes of virtues as they are no longer â€Å"good†. However, surely this makes virtue ethics hard to follow, as there are no clear rules of what to do in a moral dilemma, instead just telling us to be a balanced person. By being a balanced person, Aristotle concludes that people will also be moral After Aristotle Virtue ethics was dismissed until Elizabeth Anscombe revived it in 1958, criticising Kant and Bentham claiming they are in their ivory tower, with theories that are not in touch with todays society. This point made by Anscombe really highlights the changeability of ethics, as ethics can change with society. The point about morals adapting to society reflects MacIntyre’s view on Virtue Ethics as he makes it more current and recognises that virtues must operate within a community for them to be â€Å"virtuous†. Contradicting Virtue Ethics are the theories that hold that ethics and morals should be based on the actions that one takes, such as the theories of Kant and Bentham. The Teleological stance on morals, taken by relativists including Bentham and Mill believe that the consequences of an action define its ‘goodness’. By doing so, relativists ensure that the focus of ethics is on the actions that are taken, which relates to todays society. An example of this is the justice system in Britain Jury’s are not interested in your attributes, or how good a person you are; if somebody has committed a crime (a bad action) then they will be punished for that. Personally, I feel that just because you are a good, virtuous person does not defy you from making unethical decisions, a view that Virtue Ethics contradicts. Unlike consequentialism, absolutism focusses on the motives for the action. By following definite rules, absolutists believe that acts are intrinsically wrong. Kant believes that all his definite rules can be universalised and followed by anybody no matter how ‘virtuous’ they are. These rules are meant to give the best moral outcome, but circumstances occur that when these rules can contradict a deep rooted moral conscience. This is shown with the example of is a murder asked you where your friend was so they could kill them, would you be obliged to tell the truth? This problem is eradicated by consequentialism as each moral issue is treated differently and circumstances, time and place are all taken into account. This is a clear advantage of relativism as opposed to absolutism, because it can change with different societies, and is accepting of other cultures. By focussing on what people do, ethics ensures that people can be held responsible for their actions. The ends of a decision are what really matters in ethics because that is what makes the change to your life, the lives of others or society. Morals need to be based on ends in order to take into account these differences. Without basing morals on ends, the same rules would have to apply to everything, all the time which wouldn’t work. Despite this strength of the teleological argument I think it needs to be interpreted with this quote in mind â€Å"when in Rome do as the Romans do†. This way, we avoid the criticism that ‘anything would go’, as within societies people would be clear on the moral guidelines, but unlike absolutism, would not feel condemned if they felt the need to break those guidelines. Virtue Ethics is a good way of life, but I dont feel that is as good for functioning in society as consequentialism.

Differences Between Spice And CMMI Information Technology Essay

Differences Between Spice And CMMI Information Technology Essay Software quality is increasingly becoming a necessity with growing number of firms dependent on IT infrastructure and mission critical softwares for their business processes. The capability maturity model and SPICE have been the two most comprehensive models for software process development that have resulted in a robust system for improving development process (Marshall, Mitchell 2004). A lot of applications have been developed with the use of such models. However, in spite of a lot of differences between the two models, there has been little focus on the key differences between the two models. While the capability maturity model is the best known software process improvement, the ISO/IEC 15004 is a suite of standards that are expected to affect the continuous evolvement of Software CMM (Paulk 1999). In this essay, the basic aim is thus to lay down the primary and secondary differences between the two maturity models in SPICE and CMMI. Further, through diagrammatic representations, the paper tries to list out the key differences between the models. CMMI: The capability maturity model (more popularly known as CMM) had its origins from a book published in 1989 by Watts Humphrey in his book Managing the Software Process. The basic theme behind the capability maturity model integrated (CMMI) is process improvement (Glazer et al 2008). It must be understood that CMMI is a process model and not a process standard. CMMI consists of process oriented activities that can be used collectively to attain the process area and business goals of an organization. CMMI practices are also meant to encourage organizations to use other process models based on the organizations need and practices. Primary Attributes of CMMI: The capability maturity model has certain primary attributes associated with it. It has been observed by Hoggerl M and Sehorz (2006) that process area, goals and practices are the three key concepts of CMMI. As stated earlier, the CMMi is a list of pre-defined processes that are stated under CMMI. According to the authors (Hoggerl Serhorz), the CMMI consists of 25 specific process areas within the development processes. Primary attributes of CMMI according to these researchers are thus process management, project management and engineering and support (Hoggerl Sehorz 2006). There are five basic maturity levels defined in the CMMI model. These are detailed in the table below Software CMM Maturity Model Description 1. Initial Software processes characterized at this level are ad-hoc and occasionally chaotic. At this stage, very few processes are defined and the success of the processes depends on the individual efforts and heroics 2. Repeatable The process management processes are defined at this stage. They are basic in nature and are generally derived from earlier successes 3. Defined The software process for both the management and execution are defined and are well documented during this phase 4. Managed Detailed measures for the evaluation of the software processes 5. Optimizing Continuous improvement processes are carried out using quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting of innovative ideas Table 1. CMMI Maturity Stages Secondary Attributes of CMMI: Within the primary attribute of project management, the authors Hoggerl Sehorz (2006) suggest that there are some processes which are specific in nature. These are referred to as the secondary attributes of CMMI. Some of the common secondary attributes include planning, monitoring, supplier management and team management. Within process management too, there are certain secondary attributes. Organizational focus, definition, training and innovation are some of the common secondary attributes that can be placed under the process management criterion. The engineering section of the CMMI model has a lot of scope for improvements. Thus, the secondary attributes under this section are vital to the process improvement. Some of the secondary attributes under the engineering section include requirement management, integration, verification and validation (Hoggerl Sehorz 2006). Within the support section (primary attribute of CMMI), there are some secondary attributes too. These include con figuration management, quality assurance, decision analysis and organizational environment (Hoggerl Sehorz 2006). The entire set of attributes is better presented in the composite features diagram shown below. For understanding a composite feature diagram, it must be noted that the maturity of a software process is best understood in five different levels. Although these levels vary from organization to organization, they can still be generalized as initial, repeatable, defined, managed and optimized (M, Paulk. M, Konrad. S, Garcia.1995;M, Paulk.1999). During the initial level, the processes are not ordered. During this stage the processes are chaotic and mostly depend upon the individual efforts. As per its name, the repeatable processes repeats itself; the success of earlier processes. Therefore, Paulk et al (1999) states that the defined maturity levels in the whole process go through the standards policies to fulfill the process. A proper documented plan of action is one of the most important aspects in the completion of a defined maturity model. However, the managed maturity models are tested quantitatively for the processes and product quality (M, Paulk. M, Konrad. S, Garcia.1995; M, Paulk.1999). The optimized maturity models are concentrated on innovation and continuous improvements through feedback mechanisms. A look at the advantages and disadvantages of CMMI model would be in line with the above discussions. Advantages of CMMI: CMMI has a number of benefits. According to Konrad, Shrum and Chrisis (2003), the CMMI model provides a good coverage for the average product life cycle than any other process improvement products when they are used alone. Moreover, CMMI can be integrated with any of the other software improvement models and can be implemented to provide robust functionalities. Although the main focus of CMMI was on product and service engineering, it was also built to provide enterprise-wide process improvement (Chrissis, Konrad, and Shrum 2003). Disadvantages of CMMI: Even though CMMI provides with a lot of functionalities for robust functioning, it is still not easy to implement within organizations. CMMI is not a process; it is rather the characteristics defined that should be present within an ideal process. Thus, the problem with process improvement is not that of a missing standard but to implement the standard in the perspective of the organization (M, Niazi. D, Wilson, D, Zowghi.2003). Since CMMI does not provide the actual implementation steps, it is not advisable to use in certain scenarios. Diagram 1. CFD For CMMI With such a brief description of CMMI, the concepts about the model are made clear. The next section of the paper discusses about the SPICE or the ISO/IEC 15504 process maturity model. SPICE: (ISO/IEC 15504): The SPICE model also known as the ISO/IEC 15504 is an emerging international standard on software process assessment that defines the number of software engineering processes and scales them to measure their capability (Emam, Birk 1999). The basic difference between the CMMI and SPICE is that while CMMI is a model consisting of steps that might be required in an ideal software process; SPICE is a standard for software process implementation that needs to be followed. The emerging ISO/IEC 15504 international standard is an attempt made to harmonize the existing assessment of models that are in the common use. It is an European model that is based on the quantitative score of assessment associated with the performance of the organization or the project (Emam Birk 1999). A software process assessment (SPA) provides a quantitative score that reflects the organizations or projects implementation of the best practices as defined in the assessment model. Thus, the more number of best practi ces that are adopted the more higher the quantitative score is expected to be. This score obtained from the baseline current implementation provides a perfect framework for making process improvement decisions and also serves as a means of tracking improvement efforts. Attributes of SPICE: SPICE model is based on five different processes. These processes were created in different nationalities and became accepted internationally. The five processes are customer-supplier, engineering, supporting, management and organization. Each of these processes has a capability level on which it is marked quantitatively. These levels begin from 0 to 5 ranging from incomplete process (0) to an optimized process (5). These processes are further marked using what is called as process attributes. It is the base premise of the software process assessment that the resultant quantitative scores are the predictors of the performance of the project or the organization that is assessed. In all, there are nine attributes in SPICE. As with CMMI, the nine process attributes are linked with the five processes. The nine attributes are Process Performance Performance Management Work Product Management Process Definition Process Deployment Process Measurement Process Control Process Innovation Process  Optimization. Similar to CMMI, the ISO/IEC 15004 has five process areas. These are known as levels. Each key process area is described in terms of its key practices that contribute to satisfying its goals and are allocated to produce common features. These key activities describe the specific function of the infrastructure and activities that contribute to produce the most effective implementation and institutionalization of the key process area (Paulk 1999). These five process areas are described in the table below Level Focus Key Process areas 5 Optimizing Continuous improvement Prevention of bugs, defects Technology Change Management Process Change Management 4 Managed Product process quality Quantitative process management, Software quality management 3 Defined Engineering organizational support Organization process focus, Training programs, Process definitions, Integrated software management, Peer reviews 2 Repeatable Project management processes Requirements Management, Software project planning, Project Tracking Oversight Quality Assurance, Subcontract Management, Configuration Management 1 Initial Competent people and heroics Adapted from: Paulk 1999 Diagram 2. CFD for SPICE: Differences between SPICE CMMI: SPICE CMMI Primary Attributes: SPICE model is more focused on Process Improvement. Primary Attributes: CMMI model is more generalized as it considers the organization as a whole Secondary Attributes: Acquire, supply, develop, operate, evolve, and supporting software processes. Secondary Attributes: Optimizing, managing, defining, re-using the software processes. SPICE is a European model CMMI is an American model Not much difference between the lead-assessor and the other members of the team. Every member of the team is responsible. Heavily depending on the lead assessor, CMM was the earlier version of CMMI. OO-Spice is the latest version of Spice. CMMI integrated Spice in one of its process. ISO/IEC 15504 model. SPI (Software Process Improvement) model Thus, the differences between the process maturity models have been highlighted. With these differences, it becomes easier to identify whether or not a particular model (like CMMI) or a standard (like SPICE) might be usable in a given organizations scenario. Ideal Model CFD: The attributes of both the CMMI and SPICE can be integrated to provide an ideal model for software development. This model is represented in the below diagram. Diagram 3. IDEAL CFD Conclusions Recommendations: Both SPICE and CMMI are said to improve software process development. While the CMMI is a set of standard processes that need to be carried out for the ideal software development process, SPICE is a standard that needs to be followed for effective implementation. Although there are some differences and similarities between the two models, both can be used in a combination to provide excellent software development process. The ideal CFD lists out the key processes that are a combination of both SPICE and CMMI that can be used in the software development lifecycle. Both SPICE and CMMI can be used in different circumstances and/or can be combined according to the organizations needs. After evaluation the advantages and disadvantages of both the models/standards, it can be said that both SPICE and CMMI can be used in a combination to provide the most efficient models for software development. These models can comprise of stages which are a combination of both the recommended models. Thes e combinations would depend according to the requirements of the organizations. For organizations with little time requirement, CMMI would be beneficial since it first maps timings and then plans the modules of the software development phase. On the other hand, if the organization seeks to achieving and maintaining a high standard of implementation that can bring a competitive edge, then it might want to involve more processes out of SPICE or the ISO/IEC 15004 standard. Therefore, the use of a particular model is dependent entirely on the needs and requirement analysis of the organization.

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

Of mice and men is a novel about two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, who go to work on a ranch in California together. Lennie is a massive man with incredible strength but has a child's mind. George is a fairly sized man who is not incredibly brilliant but has good common sense. The two men travel from town to town and job to job to just get by and survive. But they dream of saving up enough money to someday get a place of their own where they "won't have to answer to no one" and "live off the fatta the land" Lennie dreams of having rabbits of his own that he can take care of all by himself. The ranch they go to work at is in Soledad, California. When they arrive, they go to their bunk house, where they meet Candy. Candy is an old, weathered man who has been working on the ranch for years. He befriends George and Lennie and they confide to him their dreams of having their own place. Candy tells them that he has saved up a descent sum of money and asks if he can tag along in the adventure if he pays his share. Another man on the ranch, Slim, gives Lennie a puppy to play with but Lennie, feebleminded and sweet attempts to love even the gentlest of creatures, but, as he only has a childlike understanding of his enormous strength, the results are often tragic. Curly is the boss's son, and sensing Lennie's simple mind, he attempts to intimidate and antagonize him not anticipating his strength. He hits Lennie because he thinks Lennie is teasing him. Lennie tries to resist fighting as long as he can but after suffering many blows to the face from Curly, he grabs Curly's hand and squeezes it so hard it breaks every bone in it. Curly's wife is a beautiful woman who is always lonely and attempts to receive "love" through the attention of other men. In Curly's seductive wife, Lennie sees a beautiful and innocent creature, like the small animals he attempts to love. Though she seeks to take advantage of his innocence, she cannot know that his strength coupled with his naivete is, for her, a dangerous combination. She comes into the barn one day when Lennie has just killed the puppy given to him by Slim because he played too hard with it.

Essay --

Introduction (110/600 words) The White Cube Gallery in London is known for its traditional approach to gallery space, as the name of the building implies, and is the approach most galleries around the world take for displaying work. The white walled, highly lit design is what many consider the optimum way to view art (insert quote) but since the rise of alternative exhibition spaces, the ‘white walled gallery’ has been greatly challenged by media and artists alike (insert quote). Most modern galleries offer a neutral, private, timeless place to display and experience art but also creates a natural barrier between the audience and the art. Alternative and makeshift galleries are becoming more popular. Christopher Green 142/600 Christopher Green is a young artist based in London, United Kingdom and after completing university; he and a group of artists he lived with created a gallery space inside their house and curated shows open to the public from 2006 to 2007. It is a unique venture as it is a gallery where the art is produced in the same space and it is being shown but it is not a studio space. Over 11 months they exhibited and curated approximately 55 artists’ works in 9 exhibition shows. Although most of the house was in a state of run down, the gallery area maintained a white walled, brightly lit area though some rooms of the old Georgian town house still contained white washed fireplaces that adds a certain character and human touch that is not necessarily seen in a usual gallery space. White Cubicle Gallery (221/600) The White Cubicle Gallery, located in the women’s toilets of The George and Dragon, London, and it describes itself as ‘an antidote to London’s sometimes extremely commercial art scene ‘. It... ...ything as it should be, the right pieces of art in the right places, making sure information is correct upon publication and of course the galleries main purpose, selling art and also making available to the public for viewing, all of this now being done online as well as on site. The appeal of the online gallery vs. the real life gallery is it is almost a simpler way to display work and project to audience because you are more than projecting to a small group of people, online it is the whole world, for everyone that cannot go to The Museum of Modern Art you can see its collection online. And it is open for anyone to use, the restrictions of getting the right space and art and cost is not feasible online, anyone can start a collection for an audience to view and it is the collecting and curating of what you find into a selection is what makes it an online gallery.

Engagement with China: A Smithian Perspective :: Adam Smith Economics Essays

China seems to have been long stationary, and had probably long ago acquired that full complement of riches which is consistent with the nature of its laws and institutions. But this complement may be much inferior to what, with other laws and institutions, the nature of its soil, climate, and situation might admit of. A country which neglects or despises foreign commerce, and which admits the vessels of foreign nations into one or of its ports only, cannot transact the same quantity of business which it might do with different laws and institutions. Adam Smith, The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations Book I, Chapter IX Introduction In today's post-Cold War world, U.S. foreign policy faces a plethora of uncertainties in the economic, social and political spheres. With the geopolitical order currently reduced to one major superpower, the new order is still quite amorphous. For such reasons, politicians, economists, military strategists and others in Washington have sought to answer the question, "Is there any particular country that has the potential to rise to the level of a regional, or even global, hegemon in the 21st century?" Evidence suggests so, and the country that has placed itself on the path of fulfilling that prophecy is the People's Republic of China. A 1994 World Bank study showed in 1980, the PRC accounted for only 3.6% of the world's gross domestic product and 0.8 % of its exports of manufactured goods. It estimates that, by 2010, the PRC could account for 15.5% of the world's GDP and 6.4% of its exports of manufactured goods (O’Quinn, 1997). Clearly, China is poised to assert much more influence on world affairs in the coming century. For this reason, foreign policy towards China has been debated under the realm of two distinct policies, engagement and containment. Engagement seeks to encourage China’s involvement in multilateral agreements and its membership in international organizations as a means of promote Beijing’s respect and adherence to international norms. Containment, on the other hand, adopts a more defensive approach. Its advocates point to the security risks inherent in accepting China into the international community. The policy proposes counterbalancing China in a method similar to that used with Russia during the Cold War. The challenge for the United States is to examine these two policies and determine which will be most effective in promoting U.S. interests vis-Ã  -vis an emerging China. In searching for answers, this paper will utilize arguments from a variety of scholars, most notably the famed economist Adam Smith, in an effort to focus on the strategy of engagement with the People's Republic of China.

Move N Store Inc.:”Pack and exhale”

Mission Statement: â€Å"Pack and exhale† – Offer peace of mind to customers by providing most efficient and reliable moving and storage services available. We strive to exceed customer’s expectations by building relationships between you and our team to consistently meet your needs. By utilizing the highest standards of design, development and management, we will provide facilities that consistently deliver satisfaction, value and peace of mind for our customers. Company Description: Establish a self-storage business in the US and India that offers portable moving solutions, packing services and off-site storage solutions for residential and commercial customers. Move N Store Inc. offers long and short term storage in a warehouse type of facility with climate controlled and non –climate controlled floors. Some of the key features at each facility are: * On-site managers who reside at the facility and operate from the office from 9AM – 5PM. * Automated / Controlled gate access to the facility so the facility is accessible 24/7. Loading bay with large garage doors accessing the loading dock, so that vehicles can be parked directly outside the elevator lobby for ease of loading and unloading. * Surveillance cameras on each floor in several areas for customer safety. * Individual door alarm for each unit. * Well lit aisles and lobby areas. * Completely fenced facility. * Boat, RV or Car parking in some facilities based on geographic al location and customer. A good marketing plan should focus on three objectives: increasing occupancy, increasing tenant value to the facility, and improving marketing efficiency. It should also be based on results and flexible. It will clearly outline specific activities to accomplish those three objectives, with deadlines. The marketing plan will provide strict guidelines for logo usage, copy creation and offers so that the plan has a consistent and recognizable look and feel. The plan will also discuss how the marketing is going to be tracked for effectiveness and what constitutes â€Å"effective† so that quick, smart decisions can be made throughout the year. The marketing plan will be comprehensive and focused on the target markets that produce the best results. It will be a combination of building relationships in the community, customer referral, key influencer referrals, search-engine marketing, social networking, Yellow Pages ads, and niche marketing specific to the local community. The marketing plan will be implemented on a consistent basis with tracking and measuring to make ongoing improvements. Online marketing will become an important part of the marketing plan as it attracts new customers and allows existing customers to maintain their accounts. As stated in an article by Carr, June 8, 2010: When was the last time you opened a phone book? Do you remember what ad was on the last billboard you saw? You have probably thrown away or recycled all of the bulk mail unopened that you’ve received in at least the last year. I think there’s an important reason for all of this. All of these forms of advertising are relatively invasive and, at the moment the potential customer is receiving the message, they’re not actively in need of or searching out your product or service. On the other hand, internet marketing – more specifically, search engine marketing – is a different story. The potential customer is actively seeking out a solution to their problem. They’re hoping that they will find your product or service to solve one of their problems. This means, as a business owner, it is critically important to the sustained growth of your business that you pay close attention to your online presence and aggressively try to improve it. Start a social media campaign, set up an email auto-responder, and, most importantly, discover which keywords you should be targeting and go after them with whatever resources you have. The top three tactics that will be used are: Internet marketing, database marketing, and community-network creation and maintenance. The plan will include having an effective search-engine marketing program. Second, there will be a comprehensive program to target key influencers in the area surrounding the facility; these key influencers can be real estate agents, chambers of commerce, business-networking organizations, apartment communities, housing communities, etc. Lastly, will be a program to reach out to the community and become a credible organization that helps others. Through helping others the business will become known throughout the community which can help improve business. A brief outline of the marketing plan is as follows – On a Daily basis, do the following: * Track all incoming calls to determine their sources. Keep track of the total number of calls, sources of the calls and the percentage of calls that turned into visits. * Speak with the store manager once a day to see if he needs any help. Supporting the manager keeps him/her motivated. Make at least five to 10 outbound calls each day to drum up business from commercial accounts. All managers should have a quota of outbound calls to make. * Send out postcards to those people who called during off hours. Use a caller ID device to record the phone numbers of people who call when the office is closed. Use an online reverse directory to get their addresses. Then mail them a postcard with a time-sensitive offer. On a weekly basis, the marketing plan is: * Call all the â€Å"centers of influence† in town to remind them of the facility’s presence (i. e. call the real estate offices, truck-rental places and all of the other businesses who have the potential to send you business. * Play ’Mystery Shopper† by getting the District Manager’s to call the facility and disguise their voice to hear how your employees really handle themselves when they talk with customers. * Look for opportunities to get coverage by the local media. There are countless opportunities to piggy-back storage onto a current-events news story. Find one angle each week and send out a press release. * Consider running specials to rent slow-moving units. Look at the units that aren't moving and make weekly adjustments if necessary. Waiting until the end of the month may not give the management enough time to properly react to competition or the changing market in the local area. On a monthly basis the facility shall perform the following activities: * Call and/or visit competition to see what they're up to. This is an activity that needs to be done at least once a month. * Conduct regular training sessions with managers to keep them up-to-date. Conducting monthly meetings for managers and other employees makes a lot of sense. Read industry trade magazines to keep abreast of current issues. Owners and managers must be committed to staying up-to-date with the latest industry information. * Schedule a monthly coaching session by phone with an outside self-storage expert, employees and managers like to listen to experts above owners. Using an outside expert to give basic feedback is a great idea. * Go to monthly networking events, such as at the chamber of commerce. Managers and owners should make an effort to get out into the community to network. Review occupancy rates by unit size to make necessary price adjustments. * Hold a contest for store managers, and vary them from month to month. Give them some realistic goals to shoot for and then reward them for meeting those goals. This strategy is inexpensive and effective. On a quarterly basis, marketing plan for the store shall include: * Hold unannounced, random events for customers to thank them for their business. For example, wash the car of each one of your tenants who comes into the facility on a given day. * Create seasonal fliers. Fliers are inexpensive and effective and can be created for any or all services at the facility. In addition to handing those out off-site, fliers can be designed to be placed under people's unit doors to announce various promotions. * Direct mail can be tested on a targeted group within five miles of the facility. Direct mail and Value-Pak mailers can be effective. * Find an additional item to sell at the office based on customer feedback. * Play â€Å"Undercover Boss† by working at the facility one day each quarter to find out how things really work. Owners sometimes never even see their storage facilities. Working at the facility is the single most-effective means for owners to understand what really goes on in their businesses. On a yearly basis, marketing plan for the store shall include * Attending the annual self-storage conference and expo in Las Vegas and taking store managers along. * Having a qualified consultant do an external marketing audit of the facility. * Review financial numbers with a qualified expert to see what areas of business can be improved. Some ways to measure the effectiveness of advertising are : Using website stats – using a website counter to figure out how many visitors have viewed the website. As stated in an article by Kathleen, â€Å"At the very least you should be aware of what keywords are bringing traffic to your site, how many are coming directly by typing in your domain name, and other referring pages. More detailed info such as bounce rates, visitor paths, landing and exit pages will all give you additional information to assess what marketing value your website is providing. Use Direct Mailed Surveys – Mail surveys to current customers and customers who have made enquiries to figure out which areas need to be improved and work on those areas. Ask people how they found about the business – If a cold call is placed and if it is not known where the person came from, it is good to figure to where the person came from. Was it the sign in the yard? An ad that was placed in the paper? Crai gslist? Check the response on ads – When ads are run continuously, stop the ads to figure out if it has made a change in revenue. If there are no changes, then there is no point in spending dollars on the ad campaign and it would be better to divert the funds to other options. Call reporting – this is a methodology to ensure if incoming calls were being handled appropriately and in the most effective manner to hook more tenants. This system tracks how many calls were received from print and internet advertising, a report usually provides details such as time of day you receive the most calls, where the calls originate and the length of the call. It can also be helpful in measuring how many after-hours calls are being missed. Call-tracking and recording programs – These programs help management play back calls whenever they choose to without the employees’ knowledge. If all call recordings are reviewed for the exact nature of conversations and how they are being handled, the management can begin working on refining the sales process. Other strategies that can be used in addition to advertising are: * Participating with the local community in hosting events such as food drives, charity auctions, provide storage for boy/girl scouts, provide assistance during natural epidemics such as storage for people who have lost homes during a storm or flood. Sponsor cookouts for a local fire or police station. * Partner with local baseball or football teams and provide tickets to customers based on a raffle each month. * Advertise on Valpak, Craigslist, GroupOn (for coupon discounts) and other local magazines. * Use social media network such as Facebook or Twitter for promotion. * Build LEED or environmen t friendly facilities to show responsibility towards the community and world as a whole. * Provide an online payment system for customers to pay their monthly rental fees. Some ways to measure customer satisfaction are as follows: 1. Survey Customers This is probably the only way to get customer feedback, surveys can be provided in several ways (through mail, email, or over the phone). In order to get the best information, customers should be allowed to answer questions on a weighted scale (as in â€Å"Rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 indicating complete dissatisfaction and 5 indicating complete satisfaction†). Repeat customers may have to survey again to see how their experience changes over time. . Understand Expectations The business must make an effort to discover the expectations of customers in terms of both service and products in order to ensure that their needs are met. 3. Find Out Where You’re Failing If customer requirements are not being met, the management needs to find out where the failure is occurring. Are the products less than what is advertised? Are employees making promises that cannot be met? Are custo mer service representatives dropping the ball on dispelling customer concerns and managing their complaints? Whatever the case, it is important to know where the lines of communication are breaking down so that relationships with customers can be mended. 4. Pinpoint Specifics Whether a customer is satisfied or not, the data collected will need to accurately assess what is working and what isn’t. So inquiries into level of satisfaction should include more than just the overall experience. The business needs to determine the products or services they purchased, what they liked or disliked about their sales interaction, how the actual purchase compared to their expectations, and any suggestions they have for mprovement. 5. Assess the Competition As part of the survey process, the business may want to consider inviting customers to compare and contrast similar products or companies to find out what they are offering. This helps in understanding what is lacking in the business. As stated in an article by Kevin Cacioppo, â€Å"Customer satisfaction is the state of mind that customers have about a company when their expectations have been met or exceeded over the lifetime of the product or service. The achievement of customer satisfaction leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. † He also states that: In addition to a clear statement defining customer satisfaction, any successful surveying program must have a clear set of objectives that, once met, will lead to improved performance. The most basic objectives that should be met by any surveying program include the following: * Understanding the expectations and requirements of all your customers. Determining how well your company and its competitors are satisfying these expectations and requirements. * Developing service and/or product standards based on your findings. * Examining trends over time in order to take action on a timely basis. * Establishing priorities and standards to judge how well you've met these goals. Gap Analysis is a popular assessment tool to find out the ‘gap' between what exists verses what is needed or desired. The steps involved in this are – * Identification of customer expectations, Identification of customer experiences, * Identification of management perceptions, * Evaluation of service standards, * Evaluation of customers’ communications. Gap analysis generally refers to the activity of studying the differences between standards and the delivery of those standards. For example, it would be useful for a firm to document differences between customer expectation and actual customer experiences in the delivery of medical care. The differences could be used to explain satisfaction and to document areas in need of improvement. Other tools to bridge gap in customer expectations and experiences could be by sending mail-in surveys to customer to get feedback on the service received, going out of the way to make sure a customer’s needs are addressed, providing top notch customer service are also ways to bridge gaps. Bottom line for any small business such as Self Storage is getting to know customers, listening to their concerns, making customers feel appreciated and personal touches such a learning their names might be important in retaining business and building relationships.