How to Improve College Education in the United States Essay

How to Improve College Education in the United States - Essay Example This essay stresses that the importance of education is that it plays a major role in determining the future of the concerned individuals. At times, it seems to widen the gap between the high and low income families with regard to the level of education that is present. Placing hopes on education simply means that only those who are educated prosper in life. Needless to mention, that the gap between the rich and the poor widen with the presence of education. In reference to this, it is important that the United States assesses student learning in higher education institutions. Assessment basically entails educational improvement where ideas are enacted on the type of learning that has more value to students and aim at assisting in its achievement. The values should incorporate both, what we choose to assess and how we do it. This paper makes a conclusion that the United States should ensure their colleges and universities regain back their glory as some of the best universities worldwide. This could be done through ensuring that the level of education is taken to a notch higher and more complex cognitive skills are taught to prepare graduated to a working experienced world. The college and universities should not be highly taxed especially for foreign students as this discourages them from joining the institutions. Through this, there will be a grantee of an improvement in the college education in the United States.

The Father of Chicago Blues Essay Example for Free

The Father of Chicago Blues Essay He is known for creating some of the greatest blues songs of all time â€Å"I Can’t Be Satisfied†, â€Å"I feel Like Going Home†, and â€Å"Hoochie Coochie Man†. His unique and distinctive voice conveyed intense feelings and emotions to audiences all over the globe, while his guitar skills inspired some of rock history’s greatest legends. He was known as Muddy Waters; a man whose raw talent and tenacity led him out of Mississippi, to Chicago, to winning several industry awards, and finally into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Much of the development of the blues genre, as well rock and roll, has been accredited to him and rightly so. Bringing the heart and soul of blues music to Chicago, Muddy Waters single-handedly led the progression of Delta blues to Chicago blues, from which much of today’s popular music has sprung. The origin of the blues dates back centuries. In commercial terms, it was once referred to as â€Å"race music†, as the artists were primarily black and the music was marketed to black audiences. The genre eventually became know as â€Å"rhythm and blues† or â€Å"RB† a music style rooted in Africa and brought over to the US when slaves would sing African spirituals while working on plantations. American Popular Music (2006) describes RB as such: RB, as the genre came to be known, was a loose cluster of styles, rooted in southern fold traditions and shaped by the experience of returning military personnel and hundreds of thousands of black Americans who had migrated to urban centers such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles during and just after the war. (p. 38) As the music world expanded, sub-genres of the blues came into existence. Delta blues, jump blues, and Chicago electric blues were the most popular categories. Muddy Waters himself grew up singing Delta blues songs from that region, until he moved north to Chicago. It was in Chicago that his sound evolved and he was labeled as a â€Å"Chicago electric blues† artist. During the 1940s, Chicago became one of the most rapidly-growing cities in terms of black neighborhoods, which fueled the popularity and demand for blues music. Although Delta blues artists had been a favorite amongst the African American community for decades before the emergence of Muddy Waters, it was a new type of blues sound that soon became the iconic music of Chicago: A very different urban blues tradition of the postwar era, Chicago electric blues, derived more directly from the rural Mississippi Delta†¦ The musical taste of black Chicagoans, many of them recent migrants from the Deep South, tended toward rougher, grittier styles, closely linked to African American folk traditions but also reflective of their new, urban orientation†¦ Muddy Waters exemplifies these developments. (Starr Waterman, 2006, p. 41) The Chicago blues scene was essentially a combination of both northern and southern influences. This is an example of how music, as well as society, evolves in order to embrace a new way of life while retaining its roots. Although people still embraced musical themes from traditional Delta blues frustration, loneliness, pain they were looking for a more developed and refined sound. This new blues style, Chicago electric blues, soon became personified through Muddy Waters. His voice contained all of the grittiness and rough sounds of traditional African American music, yet his innovative guitar skills and musical phrasing appealed to audiences who were demanding a more urban feel. Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield on April 4, 1913 in Issaquena County, Mississippi however, he later changed his birth year to 1915 in order to appear younger to the entertainment industry. He was born to Berta Grant, who was only a teenager at the time, and Ollie Morganfield, a cotton farmer. Muddy’s parents were an unconventional couple, as they never married; and after his mother passed away in 1918, his grandmother Della Grant took over in raising him. He was only three years-old at the time, and Della was an extremely young grandmother of 32 years of age when he was born. Muddy’s world seemed to revolve around music from a very early age, although he did enjoy fishing and playing down by a nearby creek. He would always get dirt on his clothes and mud on his face, which is how he was nicknamed Muddy Waters. Muddy was not the only musical talent in the family. His father Ollie was well-known amongst locals as a very skilled singer, guitarist, and washboard-player. This seemed to fuel Muddy’s interest in music, as he began to learn how to play a variety of instruments. He improvised by turning a kerosene can into a drum, which became his first instrument, and that was followed by the accordion, a harp, and a box and stick that he made into his first guitar. He recalled, â€Å"Couldn’t do much with it, but that’s how you learn! † (Roots, 2007). As a teenager, Muddy began listening to blues artists such as Charlie Patton and Roosevelt Sykes. One of his greatest influences, however, was Son House. He was inspired by House’s guitar technique and would often attend live performances: â€Å"I was there every night, close to him. You couldn’t get me out of that corner, listening to him. I watched that man’s fingers and look like to me he was so good he was unlimited† (Roots, 2007). By the age of 17, Muddy was able to purchase his first guitar a used Stella and began making a name for himself as a local blues artist. With his own makeshift band, Muddy performed in several local Delta clubs until he was discovered by Alan Lomax in 1941 a folklore collector who invited him to record for the Library of Congress. Lomax was searching for a blues singer comparable to Robert Johnson, whose guitar style influenced Muddy’s own way of playing. It was most likely Lomax’s encouragement that persuaded him to move to Chicago in 1943 he had been contemplating the idea for awhile, yet decided against it as he did not want to leave his grandmother. After his move to Chicago, Muddy started working at a paper mill. Three years later, a man by the name of Sunnyland Slim helped him get signed to Aristocrat Records; but his first series of recordings proved to be unsuccessful, and he would have to earn money by driving trucks for six days out of the week, while performing nightly in local clubs. His career did not fully launch until 1948 when Aristocrat Records was sold and became Chess Records. Under this new label, he recorded his first single â€Å"Rollin’ Stone†. It was an absolute hit, and was even used to name one of the world’s most famous rock bands the Rolling Stones. By 1951, Muddy had a complete band with Otis Spann on the piano, Little Walter on the harmonica, Jimmie Rodgers on the second guitar, and Elgin Evans on the drums (Rolling Stone, 2009). He was now a major blues performer, creating some of the most iconic and influential songs in the music industry: Waters’s approach to the blues is different from that of blues crooners†¦ Waters was a master of the bottleneck slide guitar technique. He used his guitar to create a rock-stead, churning rhythm, interspersed with blues licks, which were counterpoised with his voice in a kind of musical conversation. (Starr Waterman, 2009, p. 42) He mastered the electric guitar after moving to Chicago, as the crowds were noisier than his previous audience in the Delta, and there was a high demand for dance music. He brought the traditional blues sound up from the Mississippi Delta, turned it into a more electric sound, and Chicago electric blues was born. It was this emotionally distressing style of guitar-playing that won him the name â€Å"The Father of Chicago Blues†, subsequently inspiring future rock artists such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and bands of the 1960s and 1970s British explosion (Rolling Stone, 2009). Even though Muddy’s records were mostly sold in the Delta, New Orleans, and Chicago, his reputation spanned the globe. Over the years, Muddy would be cited as a great influence for many artists, including Chuck Berry, Leg Zeppelin, and Angus Young of AC/DC. His songs would also be covered by other industry heavyweights such as Cream, Etta James, and Bob Dylan. Muddy’s success was later signified by several Grammy Awards, Blues Foundation Awards, and his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 (Rolling Stone, 2009). It is impossible to think of history’s greatest blues artists without naming Muddy Waters he epitomizes Chicago blues. Today’s artists still praise his name and discuss how he has impacted the music world with his talent and innovation. Coming up from the Delta, he brought the true soul of blues to Chicago while simultaneously melding it with a more popular sound. He created a new sub-genre in music; and his voice and phenomenal guitar skills won him the respect of the entire music industry, both past and present. References Rolling Stone. (2009). Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www. rollingstone. com/ artists/muddywaters/biography Roots, A. (2007). So Into Blues. Retrieved July 28, 2009, from http://www. blues- finland. com/english/muddy_waters_biography_1. html Starr, L. , Waterman, C. (2006). American Popular Music: The Rock Years. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Health and Social Care Essays red dot system

Health and Social Care Essays red dot system Introduction In the frequently frantic and universally pressured world of the AE departments of this countrys hospitals, mistakes get made. This is a fact of life. In any human endeavour this is sadly true. Until recently, the blame culture that was prevalent within the NHS, made certain defensive behaviour patterns amongst staff almost endemic (Vincent, 1994). It is one of the characteristics of a professional life that you have to take responsibility for your actions. If you take the wrong action, you will be criticised. This defensive attitude was, to a large extent, fostered by the professional health insurers who, worried about paying out large quantities of their funds, demanded secrecy, no apology and a defensive stance from those that they insured.(Clinical Services Committee) It became apparent to those who were in a position to have an overview of the situation that such a situation was actually in nobodys interest (Barley, 2000). Healthcare professionals were practising defensive medicine, patients were being kept in the dark when mistakes were made, and most important of all, because problems were not examined in an open and constructive way, productive lessons were not learnt. All that was happening was that defensive stances were becoming entrenched. The advent of the no-blame culture is helping to erode these stances and attitudes (Aldridge 2000). It is allowing the development of practices which may help the efficiency of our hospitals and provide the patient with a better service. The red dot system arose as a product of both of these factors. The pressure on the AE department staff is often relentless and great. The structure of the system is that many decisions are taken by comparatively inexperienced staff members and often not the most appropriate for the decision that needs to be taken. Huge numbers of X-Rays are seen by junior doctors and decisions regarding treatment are initially made before a senior specialist has a chance to oversee them. It would follow, by any common sense analysis of the situation, that any measure that could help in the decision making process should be welcomed. This argument is taken further by the article by Vincent et al. (1988) . In the days before the red dot system was seriously considered, Vincent and his colleagues carried out a study of the radiological errors made by junior hospital doctors. They found an error rate of 35% when the X-Ray was assessed by the SHO alone. For errors with a clinically significant impact the rate was 39% (of abnormal films). The red dot system represents a mechanism to try to address this gap. It involves the radiographer usually, but not always, the one who has taken the film giving the clinician some feed back. Radiographers see many thousands of films and are generally very familiar with the structures that they show. Quite apart from their formal training, simply by everyday familiarity and experience, they get to know what is normal and what is not. The radiographer is therefore well placed to recognise an abnormality even though they may not fully appreciate the full clinical significance of what is on the film. The same argument can be applied to the clinician, who can generally recognise pathology in a patient but may not be so familiar with the X-Ray changes. The red dot system requires the radiographers to examine the film after it has been ordered by the clinician. If they feel that there is an abnormality on it they will place a self-adhesive red dot on it to denote that they believe that it contains an abnormality. Clearly this does not relieve the clinician of the responsibility of examining the film as, the legal responsibility for interpreting the film must rest with him. This is only reasonable since even the most experienced radiologist would only give a report on what he could see on the film, the full significance of the changes seen can only be fully assessed by a healthcare professional who has also seen and assessed the patient. As we will discuss later, the converse argument that the absence of a red dot does not imply that there isnt an abnormality it only denotes that the radiographer hasnt seen one. The red dot system In a letter to the BMJ Keith Piper (2003) outlined the case for the red dot system and the radiographer reporting system (See on). It was initially suggested by the Audit Commission in 1993 that radiographers could be trained to interpret certain images and this was found to be of particular interest in view of the difficulties that some departments currently experience with the reporting service The first accredited course was run in 1994 many radiographers have since been reporting on primary skeletal X-Rays in AE departments Piper points out that the system is designed to reduce errors in reporting X-Rays. It is ultimately totally reliant on the radiographs being finally reported by a senior radiologist in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as Beggs pointed out in 1990 when it was found that over 20% of UK teaching hospitals did not report on all accident and emergency films With specific reference to the red dot system, the letter by Aldridge and Freeland (2000) passes comment on the system which is in use in their hospital and, having audited it, they present their results. The system in use conforms to that currently outlined by British Association of Accident and Emergencys guidelines (1983). The important facets of their system include The rapid return of X-Rays to the requesting clinician Reporting of X-Rays by a consultant radiologist within 24 hrs. Telephone recall of patients who have mistakes picked up The use of the red dot system by the radiographers The use of such X-Rays for teaching purposes for staff As far as the audit of the red dot system was concerned, they report the last audit showed an 1.5% false positive result, 2.0% false negative result with the rest categorised as true positive or negative results. The authors felt that this represented an excellent approach to what they described as an error prone activity, reducing mistakes by accident and emergency staff (often junior), increasing patient satisfaction, and reducing long term patient morbidity and litigation. This letter is a significant piece of evidence as it is written by two clinicians who are clearly anxious to assess the system and to make it work. They appreciate the problems, quantify them and address them by placing safeguards to minimise problems. Significantly, they suggest the use of the red dot system where it has picked up omissions by the clinical staff to be the basis of teaching junior staff in an attempt to further reduce potential problems. These results should be seen in the context of a study by de Lacey et al.(client to supply date) who considered the accuracy of casualty officers interpretation or X-Rays in their departments. They found that by comparing the casualty officers interpretation with that of a radiologist, it only compared favourably in 83% of cases. The 17% discrepancy clearly represents a major burden in terms of clinical implications for the patient, financial implications for the hospital and possibly litigation implications for the casualty officer. The study also examines the implications of a delayed reporting system (by the radiologist). It was found to reduce their workload by 25% by restricting their reporting to those films which the casualty officer was unsure or thought may have an abnormality. It clearly follows from this that any measure that is likely to increase efficiency inaccuracy of reporting is likely to have benefits of both economy and patient suffering. We therefore need to exami ne the premise that the red dot system does exactly that. These figures are clearly worrying insofar as the 17% discrepancy is a wide margin. The figures still have to be viewed in context however as, although they represent the interpretation of as specialist (the radiologist) as compared with that of the non-specialist (the clinician), the paper does not draw any distinction between the experience levels of the two groups. The clinicians may be comparatively inexperienced casualty officers and the radiologists probably are consultant grade. If that is the case, then the figures are much less alarming. This point is discussed in detail further on in the piece (Williams et al 2000) where radiologists in training are compared to radiologists of consultant grade. The point is brought into sharper focus by consideration of the next two papers. Before we consider this aspect however, we need to evaluate the accuracy of reporting in the AE Department environment. Benger and Lyburn (2003) attempted to investigate exactly that. They scrutinised the X-Ray output of an AE Department over a six month period (nearly 12,000 films). They identified the films which had discrepancies in reporting between the X-Ray staff and the AE Department staff. From the 12,000 films they found (only) 175 discrepancies. In clinical terms, this equated to a rate of 0.3% of patients who needed a change of management as a result. In all our deliberations on the subject, perhaps it is this that actually is the subjective criteria for whether a system works within tolerable limits or not. Different studies may find different discrepancy rates in interpretation of X-Ray films, but what is of practical value is the actual number of patients who require a change of management as a result. If a minor degree of subluxation of a proximal interphalangeal joint is missed by a casualty officer and subsequently picked up by a radiologist, it will appear on inventories of discrepancies such as the ones discussed above. In terms of patient care or treatment, it will not make a scrap of difference. This point is made, rather more eloquently and in a different context, by Fineberg (1977) and the Institute of Medicine (1977). This point should not be taken lightly and indeed, it goes to the core of this piece. Academic studies may show different abnormality detection rates between the different professional groups. While recognising that these are clearly important, they are not the yardstick by which we must judge the red dot system. We have already examined two papers on the subject that have reported differences in abnormality detection at each end of the spectrum one of 17% and one of 1.5%. We should not be blinded by these figures themselves. What actually matters is the number of patients who have a change of management decision as a result of this discrepancy. The paper quoted above (Benger and Lyburn 2003) is one of the few which actually gives us this information. They quote an observed change of management in only 0.3% of patients which, for any system, is a very tolerable level of error. This is clearly a very fundamental point and one that we need to examine further. The next paper that we sh ould consider looks at exactly this point and examines it in great detail. Taking a more academic approach Brealey and Scally (2001) tackle the difficult issue of just how to interpret the findings of a study that purports to evaluate the reading of X-Rays by two or more different professional groups. This is a very technical paper and is included here for the sake of completeness. It examines all of the possible margins for error and bias when reporting a trial. It throws little direct light onto our deliberations here because of its very technical nature, but it would be of considerable importance to one who wished to interpret the findings of a major trial independently. The point needs making that the trial design can influence the outcome of the trial (and therefore its usefulness) to a great extent. As we have made the point above, the actual figures produced at the end of the trial must be interpreted in the light of the trial design. Actual detected differences in readings between two groups of professionals may be of academic interest, but in the c ontext of our examination of the red dot system, they are not nearly as important as a critical examination of the discrepancies which resulted in a change of patient menagement. On the direct issue of the red dot system, an almost immediate precursor to the system was reported in the BMJ in 1991 by Renwick et al. . He discussed a system that was tried out of getting radiologists to indicate their diagnoses on the pre-reported X-Rays, in order to guide the casualty officers in their decisions. The conclusions of the study were that, because of the high rate of false positive reporting (7%) and higher rate of false negatives (14%) it was appropriate for radiologists to offer useful advice but to take no more responsibility than that. We shall discuss the issues of false positives and false negatives further on in this piece and clearly they are an inherent problem with the system. It follows that we should, perhaps, address the reasons why there are these discrepancies and use them as a learning exercise to try to reduce the gap. In the excellent and concise article written by Touquet et al. (1995) the authors address the Ten Commandments of AE Department radiology. They discuss the red dot system in the following terms. Inexperienced doctors will inevitably come across injuries that they have never seen before. In these cases it may not be possible to make a diagnosis but you will notice that the films do not look quite right. Good examples of this are lunate and perilunate dislocations of the hand. It is important to seek senior advice and also to listen to the radiographer. Many departments operate a red dot system, in which the radiographer flags up an abnormality. An experienced radiographer may be as good as or even better than a junior doctor at interpreting films. The problem with this system is that the absence of a red dot does not necessary mean that there is no abnormality. This is important to remember because the final responsibility lies with the doctor, and not the radiographer. Therefore never accept poor quality or inadequate films. The most salient point of this article is in the last paragraph. The absence of a red dot does not mean the absence of an abnormality and the liability lies with the doctor not the radiographer. This is clearly proper, as any experienced healthcare professional will state, any investigation (particularly an X-Ray) is only an adjunct to diagnosis, it is the person who is clinically in charge of the patient who has to assimilate all the available evidence to make a diagnosis. The radiographer has not seen the patient to examine, and certainly will not have to hand all of the other potential diagnostic aids that are available in a modern AE Department. It is entirely reasonable to ask for his opinion on an X-Ray film, but it is not reasonable to hold him responsible for its definitive interpretation when he has not seen it in the context of the patient. This statement is behind the reasoning for the legal responsibility of X-Ray interpretation. It would be clearly inappropriate to ask a radiographer for his opinion on a film and then make him responsible for any subsequent management decisions that were based on that opinion. Some commentators have criticised the red dot system for its clear lack of apportionment of responsibility to the radiographer. We would suggest that this shows a fundamental lack of appreciation of the problems involved. The radiographers are trained to be experts in taking X-Ray films. They are not, and do not pretend to be, trained in the biological sciences and their applications to pathology and the human disease processes. It is quite appropriate to ask their opinion in an area of their expertise (the interpretation of the X-Ray film), but it is quite inappropriate to ask them to make clinical management decisions. For this reason, all questions of liability always rest on the clinician in charge of the p atient, and it is only right that this should be the case. It is fair to say that some of the views reviewed so far have been old school necessarily so, as the intention was to document the evolution of the red dot system. It is equally fair to state that we have only considered the use of the system in the AE Department. The truth of the matter is that in the recent past, the status of the radiographer has increased in professionalism both within their own speciality and within the NHS as a whole. Many of the comments made in some of the earlier papers quoted will therefore, now seem rather outmoded and not consistent with the modern experience of working in the NHS. To redress the balance we shall look at an article from Papworth hospital by Sonnex et al; (2001) . The authors describe a system currently in use at an acute cardiothoracic unit. Radiographers were asked to assess all the X-Rays taken over a six month trial period. Those that were assessed as showing acute changes had a red dot placed on them to denote an abnormality and these were then assessed by a radiologist. The success or failure rate was then measured against this standard. The figures are rather different from the figures quoted in the studies that looked at skeletal X-Ray in AE Departments. The reason for this is almost certainly that a chest X-Ray is notoriously hard to interpret, even more so when it is a post operative X-Ray. The results were reported as a total sample of 8614, of which 464 (5%) had red dots applied. Over 100 of these were considered inappropriate. 38 X-Rays which were abnormal were not picked up. It would appear that radiographers tend to err on the side of caution when reviewing an abnormal chest X-Ray, even more so when previous comparative films were not available for comparison. This particular study had a high false positive rate. One should not lose sight of the fact that the radiographers concerned were dealing with a different population to those that we were considering earlier. The patients were generally very ill and often in a post operative state making assessment far more critical than perhaps the colder X-Ray of the AE Department where decisions could reasonably be delayed safely for 24-48 hrs. there was therefore perhaps far more pressure on them to report any possible abnormality. It is also appropriate to comment that this was the first stage of a study which then went on to review the radiographers performance after a further period of training. One would reasonably anticipate a higher agreement rate after appropriate training. As we have already seen the red dot system has evolved in several different variants. The basic premise is the same in each case how is it possible to minimise the potential sources of error caused by inexperience? A further variant is outlined by Williams et al (2000). His paper title specifically involves the cost effectiveness of the scheme as well as the overall impact on patient management. In this scheme ( which was running at the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) the original AE Department films were reviewed by radiologists-in-training. They identified 684 incorrect diagnoses over a one year period. These were then called red reports and reviewed by a consultant radiologist. During this process 351 missed fractures were detected with ankle, finger and elbow fractures being the main areas where pathology was missed. Williams also reported 11 incidences of pathology on a chest X-Ray as being missed. This amplifies the point made earlier that the radiologists-in-training tended to produce false positives at a rate of about 18% when compared to the subsequent, more expert opinion. In this particular study, further action was taken by the AE Department staff in 42% of those cases although no operative intervention was required in any patient as a result of the missed diagnosis. Despite these figures, it must be noted that these cases form a very small percentage of the X-Rays taken in a busy AE Department False positives and false negatives We have looked at a number of studies that have compared radiographers interpretations of X-Ray films against that of a Consultant Radiologist who has generally been used as the Gold Standard. The difference between the two sets of interpretations is then subdivided into false positives and false negatives. This group is actually the most important as it is firstly an indication of the usefulness of the whole system of red dot reporting and secondly it is also an indication of how much more training any particular reader (radiographer or casualty officer ), of the films has to undergo, in order to make fully competent assessments. The false positive is the situation where the radiographer has identified a problem that is not there. Conversely, the false negative is when they have missed pathology that is there. In most of the assessments that we have seen, there are more false positives than negatives. This implies that the radiographers are being over cautious when confronted with an equivocal film. Several of the papers that we have seen so far have stated (either explicitly or otherwise) that the absence of a red dot does not imply the absence of any pathology. Any common-sense analysis of the situation would suggest that this is clearly self-evident. It must be the case where two highly trained but clearly not expert healthcare professionals are looking at a film for pathology, they are probably more likely to arrive at the right answer than one alone. Brealey (2005) produced a Meta-analysis of studies involving radiographers input in interpreting films and found that radiographers involved either in the red dot system of X-Ray reading improved with experience and with training, acquired an accuracy approaching that of radiologists when dealing with skeletal X-Rays. The red dot system is designed to utilise the expertise of specially trained radiographers to interpret plain X-Rays. From the evidence presented above we can say that there is evidence that radiographers are clearly more expert in interpreting plain skeletal X-Rays than chest X-Rays or visceral radiographs. The red dot system appears to be a growing movement within the profession. A paper by Brealey (2003) pointed out the fact that between 1968 and 1991 the radiologists workload increased by 322% but the number of posts increased by only 213%. As a result of this the number of films successfully reported within 48hrs fell to 60%. As a result of this trend the Royal College of Radiologists decided to endorse the trend of radiographers giving indications of pathology on X-Rays . Brealeys paper examines the initial cohort of radiographers who were trained under this scheme and found that, statistically, there was no significant difference between the reading of an X-Ray by a radiograph er or a radiologist (in the case of plain skeletal X-Rays) which supports the view that the red dot system is viable. Any examination of this issue would be incomplete without a consideration of the detailed and analytical paper by Friedenberg (2000) which he provocatively entitled The advent of the supertechnologist. It is particularly relevant to our consideration of the red dot system and the role of the radiographer as it looks at the background to the whole issue. Friedenberg uses the term Skill mix as a specific term to define the current trend in medicine away from specialisation and departmentalisation and towards the communal utilisation of expertise from different individuals in related fields to complement or increase the expertise available to patients. He points out that this is not actually a new concept and cites the optician who relieves the workload of the ophthalmologist and the nurse specialist anaesthetist who relieves the anaesthesiologist by performing uncomplicated procedures. He quotes a whole host of paramedical providers who now assist the physician, in most cases without p roblems Loughran et al (1996a, 1996b, 1992) have specifically looked at the practicality of utilising the skills of the radiographer to better advantage than just taking the films. He contrasts the difference in practice between the UK and the USA, citing the cause of the complete separation of the roles of radiographer and radiologist in the USA as being due to the fact that in the USA, the radiologists still operate largely on a fee-per-service basis whereas in the UK the pressure is primarily on clinicians to become more efficient and to keep costs down. Friedenberg, interestingly also examines the evolution of the legality of the roles of radiographer and radiologist. Between 1900 and 1920, there was competition between radiographers and radiologists with regard to the performance of radiography and the interpretation of radiographs. In the middle 1920s in England, radiographers were prohibited from accepting patients for radiography except under the direction of a qualified medical practitioner (Quotes Larkin 1983) After this the professions came closer and by 1971 Swinburne (1971) was suggesting that radiographers could perfectly well separate normal from abnormal films, which after all is the basis behind the red dot system . As we have discussed earlier, this move then progressed into the first formal appearance of the red dot system in North Park Hospital in 1985. The first trials of the system found that approximately half of the abnormalities that were not picked up by the junior casualty officers were detected by the radiographers. The early safe guards were outlined by Loughran (1996) as follows: 1. It is made clear to the referring physician that the report is a technologists report. The physician is encouraged to consult the radiologist if there is a lack of clinical correlation. 2. The technologist must consult the radiologist if he or she is in doubt. 3. The physicians, radiologists, and technologists have devised a set of guidelines to create a safe environment for this practice. 4. Initially, the technologists practice is monitored on a regular basis. After the technologist is experienced, however, monitoring is no longer performed. Such monitoring should be performed if a new technologist enters this practice. Interestingly, Loughran also subsequently produced a set of guidelines for the radiographer : 1. The technologist should be confident in his or her report. 2. In cases of doubt, a radiologists opinion should be obtained. 3. In such cases, although the report may be issued by the reporting technologist, the consultants name should be appended to the report. 4. All reports by a technologist should be clearly designated as a technologists report. 5. If the patient re-presents for radiography of the same body part within 2 months, this should be reported by a radiologist. 6. Non-trauma examination findings should be reported by the radiologist. 7. All accident department images in patients who are subsequently admitted as inpatients should be reported by the radiologist. 8. Clinicians are to be advised to consult the radiologist if clinical findings do not match those in the technologists report. 9. Regular combined reporting sessions are to be held with the consultant radiologist. Robinson (1999) Defines the ideal areas for radiographers and radiologists with the following definition between cognitive and procedural tasks thus: Procedural tasks can be described, defined, taught, and subjected to performance standards that make them transferable to other staff with appropriate training. Cognitive tasks that are related not only to the interpretation of images but also to decisions about differential diagnosis and appropriate choice of further investigations are more difficult. We have examined the evolution of the red dot system and there have been moves towards the logical progression beyond the radiographer simply indicating that there may be a problem to the situation where radiographer who have undertaken further training have developed their skills in other ways as well, but this is beyond the scope of this piece. Perhaps we should leave the last thought to Friedenberg who envisages the future as being the era of the Supertechnologist and it is the specialist who is left to do a small number of very highly specialised procedures. References 1. Jonathan Aldridge, Peter Freeland, (2000) Safety of systems can often be improved BMJ 2000;321:505 ( 19 August ) 2. The Audit Commission (1995). Improving Your Image How to manage Radiology Services More Effectively. London: HMSO.1995 3. Victor Barley, Graham Neale, Christopher Burns-Cox, Paul Savage, Sam Machin, Adel El-Sobky, Anne Savage (2000) Reducing error, improving safety BMJ 2000;321:505 ( 19 August ) 4. Beggs I, Davidson JK 1990. AE reporting in UK teaching departments. Clinical Radiology, 41, 264-267. 5. J R Benger, I D Lyburn (2003) What is the effect of reporting all emergency department radiographs? Emerg Med J 2003; 20:40-43n. 6. Benger JR. (2002) Can nurses working in remote units accurately request and interpret radiographs? Emerg Med J. 2002 jan;19(1):68-70 7. S Brealey, A J Scally (2001) Bias in plain film reading performance studies British Journal of Radiology 74 (2001),307-316 8. S Brealey, D G King, M T I Crowe, I Crawshaw, L Ford, N G Warnock, R A J Mannion, S Ethell,(2003) Accident and Emergency and General Practitioner plain radiograph reporting by radiographers and radiologists: a quasi-randomised controlled trial British Journal of Radiology (2003) 76, 57-61 9. Brealey S, Scally A, Hahn S, Thomas N, Godfrey C, Coomarasamy A. (2005) Accuracy of radiographer plain radiograph reporting in clinical practice: a meta-analysis. Clin Radiol. 2005 Feb;60(2):232-41 10. Brennan TA, Leape LL, Laird NM, Herbert L, Localio AR, Lawthers AG, (1991) Incidence of adverse events and negligence in hospitalised patients: results of the Harvard Medical Practice study. N Engl J Med 1991; 324: 370-376 11. Clinical Services Committee, British Association for Accident and Emergency Medicine. X-ray reporting for accident and emergency departments. London: BAEM, 1983. (Currently under revision.) 12. C K Connolly (2000) Relation between reported mishaps and safety is unclearBMJ 2000;321:505 ( 19 August ) 13. Fineberg HV, Bauman R, Sosman M. (1997) Computerised cranial tomography: effect on diagnostic and therapeutic plans. Institute of Medicine. Policy statement: Computed tomographic scanning. Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences, JAMA 1977;238:224-7. 14. Richard M. Friedenberg, (2000) The Role of the Supertechnologist Radiology. 2000;215:630-633.) 15. Johansson H, RÃÆ'Â ¤f L. (1997) A compilation of diagnostic errors in Swedish health care. Missed diagnosis is most often a fracture.Lakartidningen 1997; 94: 3848-3850 16. Pia Maria Jonsson, GÃÆ'Â ¶ran Tomson, Lars RÃÆ'Â ¤f, (2000) No fault compensation protects patients in Nordic countries BMJ 2000;321:505 ( 19 August ) 17. G de Lacey, A Barker, J Harper and B Wignall An assessment of the clinical effects of reporting accident and emergency radiographs 18. Larkin G. (1983) Occupational monopoly and modern medicine London, England: Tavistock, 1983. 19. DD Loughran CF, Alltree J, Raynor RB, (1996) Skill mix changes in departments of radiology: impact on radiologists workloadreports of a scientific session.

Presidential vs. Parliamentary Political Systems Essay -- Political Sc

Presidential vs. Parliamentary Political Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two main types of political systems, one being a presidential system and the other being a parliamentary system. Both of them have their own benefits as well as their own disadvantages. No political system can be perfect or can always have stability, but shown in history there are successful countries that use either one. Also there are countries that have failed with one of the two systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Firstly there is the presidential system. There are many characteristics to a presidential system. The first main part of a presidential system is how the executive is elected. The executive is a president who is elected to a fixed term. Also a president is not only head of state, but is head of government. The president is the sole executive of the government. Even though there is a cabinet in a presidential system it does not have the power it does in a parliamentary system. The cabinet is chosen by the president instead of chosen by the parliament. A president has to follow a constitution rather than following history. The president actually has a large part in the government’s decisions. A big advantage to political scientists of the presidential system is that there is a separation of powers. The legislative branch being separate from the executive branch lets one another keep checks and balances on each other. This assures that no one branch will take over or attempt to take over the government. Another advantage of a presidential system is that the population elects the chief executive and the legislative branch. By winning a popular vote shows that most of a country is backing the executive which does not seem to cause revolution. The president can not dissolve an assembly as one can in a parliamentary system. Also in a presidential system there is the judicial branch, which is the court system. The judicial branch is important because it helps uphold the constitution. One of the last advantages of a presidential system is that there is more stability because a president is elected to a fixed term, where as in a parliamentary system a prime minister can be ousted at any time. A presidential system is not perfect, but it has it’s high and low points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other type of political system being analyzed is a parliamentary system. A parliamentary system has its executive branch in ... ... be elected by the majority of the population of the country. Also there being a written constitution in a presidential system makes it easier to prefer because this explains the law precisely and accurately. In a presidential system there is a judicial branch which makes it fair to be tried for crimes, which is a plus too. I may be bias because I live in a country that has a presidential system, which is the United States and it is the most successful nation, but I feel that even if lived in another country I would envy our style of government and would want to live here. A presidential government is by the far the most successful and fairest way to run a country. I feel that France is most comparable to the political system I prefer. It is semi-presidential, which is more effective than a parliamentary system. Their election process is similar to a presidential system, which shows a popular vote in the population wins. The parliament can censure the premier also, which is good because it does not let one part of government make any drastic changes without the parliament agreeing. I feel that France is most like my preferred type of political system because of these reasons.

Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Chandidas Ganguly (About this sound pronunciation (help ·info); born 8 July 1972) is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Presently he is cricket commentator and President of Editorial Board with Wisden India[1]. Born into an affluent Brahmin family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. [2] He started his career by playing in state and school teams.Currently, he is the 5th highest run scorer in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and was the 3rd person in history to cross the 10,000 run landmark, after Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam Ul Haq. Wisden ranked him the sixth greatest one day international batsman of all time, next to Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Dean Jones and Michael Bevan. [3] After a series of playing in different Indian domestic tournaments such as the Ranji and Duleep trophies, Ganguly got his big-break wh ile playing for India on their tour of England. He scored 131 runs and cemented his place in the Indian team.Ganguly's place in the team was assured after successful performances in series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia, winning the Man of the Match awards. In the 1999 Cricket World Cup, he was involved in a partnership of 318 runs with Rahul Dravid, which remains the highest overall partnership score in the World Cup tournament history. Due to the match-fixing scandals in 2000 by other players of the team, and for his poor health, Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar resigned his position, and Ganguly was made the captain of the Indian cricket team.He was soon the subject of media criticism after an unsuccessful stint for county side Durham and for taking off his shirt in the final of the 2002 Natwest Trophy. He led India into the 2003 World Cup final, where they were defeated by Australia. Due to a decrease in individual performance, he was dropped from the team in the follo wing year. Ganguly was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004, one of India's highest civilian awards. He returned to the National team in 2006, and made successful batting displays.Around this time, he became involved in a dispute with Indian team coach Greg Chappell over several misunderstandings. Ganguly was again dropped from the team, however he was selected to play in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Ganguly joined the Kolkata Knight Riders team as captain for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament in 2008. The same year, after a home Test series against Australia, he announced his retirement from international cricket. He continued to play for the Bengal team and was appointed the chairman of the Cricket Association of Bengal's Cricket Development Committee.The left-handed Ganguly was a prolific One Day International (ODI) batsman, with over 11,000 ODI runs to his credit. He is one of the most successful Indian Test captains to date, winning 21 out of 49 test matches. Soura v Ganguly is the most successful Indian test captain in overseas with 11 wins. [4] An aggressive captain, Ganguly is credited with having nurtured the careers of many young players who played under him, and transforming the Indian team into an aggressive fighting unit.

Majoring in Public Relations

Majoring in Public Relations Public relations is a worthwhile specialization for business majors who have an interest in marketing, advertising, and communication. Public relations (PR) professionals have the important responsibility of nurturing relationships between a company and its clients, customers, shareholders, the media, and other important parties central to a business. Nearly every industry employs public relations managers, which means that opportunities abound for individuals with a PR degree. Public Relations Degree Options There are public relations degree options at every level of study: Associate Program  - This undergraduate program lasts for two years and can be found at many small community colleges. Programs at this level commonly have a lot of general education classes and a small number of specialized classes in communications or public relations.  Bachelor Program  - This undergraduate program lasts for four years and can be found at most colleges and universities. Programs typically include a mix of general education courses and public relations courses. Some schools allow students to customize their education with specialized electives.  Masters Program  - This graduate program is for students who have already earned an undergraduate degree; it typically lasts two years and can be found at graduate schools and business schools. Masters programs, particularly MBA programs, commonly feature core business courses along with specialized courses in public relations. Many programs include opportunities for hands-on experiences.   Business majors interested  in working in the public relations field will be well-served with a four-year undergraduate degree. Most employment opportunities require at least a bachelors degree. However, there are some students who get their start by earning an associates degree with a specialization in communications or public relations. A masters degree or an  MBA degree  is advisable for students interested in a high-up position, such as a supervisory or specialist position. A dual MBA degree in public relations and advertising or public relations and marketing may also be beneficial.   Finding a Public Relations Program Business majors interested in pursuing a public relations specialization should have no problem locating degree programs at any level. Use the following tips to find the right program for you. Look for a program that is accredited. Accreditation  ensures a quality education and improves your chances of career success.Look at ranking lists from organizations like  U.S. News World Report  to see which public relations programs are considered among the best,If youre interested in working for a specific company, do some research to see which schools that company typically recruits from.   Public Relations Coursework Business majors  who want to work in public relations will need to learn how to  create, implement, and follow through with a public relations campaign. Courses will generally center on topics like: MarketingAdvertisingCommunicationsPromotional writingSpeech writingMedia planningCreative strategy  StatisticsEthics Working in Public Relations Public relations professionals can work for a specific company or for a PR firm that handles a wide variety of companies. Applicants  with a respected degree and a good understanding of various marketing concepts will have the best job opportunities.   To learn more about working in public relations, visit the Public Relations Society of America website.  The PRSA is the world’s largest organization of public relations professionals. Membership is open to recent college graduates and seasoned professionals. Members have access to educational and career resources as well as networking opportunities.   Common Job Titles Some of the most common job titles in the public relations field include: Promotions Assistant  - A promotions or advertising assistants handle communications and work on promotional campaigns.Public Relations Specialist  - PR or media specialists work with the media and help clients communicate with the public.  Public Relations Manager  -  Public relations managers or directors supervise PR departments. They perform many of the same duties as PR specialists.

Fatuous Means Foolish, Not Flabby

Fatuous Means Foolish, Not Flabby Fatuous Means Foolish, Not Flabby Fatuous Means Foolish, Not Flabby By Mark Nichol At first glance, readers unfamiliar with the word fatuous might assume that it has something to do with obesity. The term, however, derives from the Latin word fatuus, meaning â€Å"silly† or â€Å"stupid.† It may stem ultimately from a word meaning â€Å"of speech,† with the implication that a fatuous person is one notorious for saying silly or stupid things. The adjective’s other parts-of-speech forms are the adverb fatuously and the nouns fatuity and fatuousness. Interestingly, many synonyms for fatuous are variations of compounds ending with the root -headed: Some, like airheaded, suggest a lack of brains; others, like lunkheaded, imply that a fatuous person’s head is solid or thick. An etymologically unrelated but synonymous word that nearly rhymes with fatuous is vacuous, associated with the first class of words ending in -headed; the word is related to vacuum, suggesting a void within a person’s skull. The term infatuation (and its verb form, infatuate) is based on the same root word as fatuous: It refers to a foolish passion. Usually, that passion is love (or what the infatuated fool self-deceptively believes is love), but it can also refer to an unreasoning adherence to a belief or a cause or a platonic devotion to a person. Also related is â€Å"ignis fatuus†- literally, â€Å"foolish fire.† This Latin name for a will o’ the wisp, or light generated by combustion of gas from decomposing organic matter, is also used figuratively to refer to a deceptive goal or hope- a beacon of folly. (Mirage, the term for an optical illusion resembling water or other shining material or objects, has a similar figurative connotation.) Ignis is the origin of ignition, referring to the act of causing something to start burning, and is related to igneous, an adjective pertaining to volcanic rock. â€Å"Will o’ the wisp,† meanwhile, consists of the abbreviated version of the name William (previously sometimes used, like Jack or Bud, to refer to a generic person), as well as a contraction of of, plus the and wisp, meaning â€Å"a thin strand or streak.† In its figurative sense, â€Å"will o’ the wisp† suggests a frail thread of longing a fatuous person clings to. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?15 Great Word GamesTrooper or Trouper?

Analysis of Feathers, a Short Story by Raymond Carver

Analysis of 'Feathers,' a Short Story by Raymond Carver American poet and author Raymond Carver (1938 - 1988) is one of those rare writers who is known, like  Alice Munro, primarily for his work in the short story form. Due to his economical use of language, Carver is often associated with a literary movement known as minimalism, but he himself objected to the term. In a 1983 interview, he said, Theres something about minimalist that smacks of smallness of vision and execution that I dont like. Feathers is the opening story of Carvers 1983 collection, Cathedral, in which he began to move away from the minimalist style. Plot of Feathers SPOILER ALERT: If you dont want to know what happens in the story, dont read this section. The narrator, Jack, and his wife, Fran, are invited to dinner at the home of Bud and Olla. Bud and Jack are friends from work, but no one else in the story has met before. Fran is not enthusiastic about going.   Bud and Olla live in the country and have a baby and a pet peacock. Jack, Fran, and Bud watch television while Olla prepares dinner and occasionally tends to the baby, who is fussing in another room. Fran notices a plaster cast of very crooked teeth sitting on top of the television. When Olla enters the room, she explains that Bud paid for her to have braces, so she keeps the cast to remind me how much I owe Bud. During dinner, the baby begins fussing again, so Olla brings him to the table. He is shockingly  ugly, but  Fran holds him  and delights in him in spite of his appearance. The peacock is permitted inside the house and plays gently with the baby. Later that night, Jack and Fran conceive a child even though they had not previously wanted children. As the years pass, their marriage sours and their child demonstrates a conniving streak. Fran blames their problems on Bud and Olla even though she saw them only on that one night. Wishes Wishes play a prominent role in the story. Jack explains that he and Fran regularly wished out loud for things we didnt have, like a new car or the chance to spend a couple of weeks in Canada. They dont wish for children because they dont want children. It is clear that the wishes arent serious. Jack acknowledges as much when he describes approaching Bud and Ollas house: I said, I wish we had us a place out here. It was just an idle thought, another wish that wouldnt amount to anything. In contrast, Olla is a character who has actually made her wishes come true. Or rather, she and Bud together have made her wishes come true. She tells Jack and Fran: I always dreamed of having me a peacock. Since I was a girl and found a picture of one in a magazine. The peacock is loud and exotic. Neither Jack nor Fran has ever seen one before, and it is much more dramatic than any of the idle wishes theyve been making. Yet Olla, an unassuming woman with an ugly baby and teeth that needed straightening, has made it a part of her life. Blame Though Jack would place the date later, Fran believes their marriage began to deteriorate precisely on the night they had dinner at Bud and Ollas, and she blames Bud and Olla for it. Jack explains: Goddamn those people and their ugly baby, Fran will say, for no apparent reason, while were watching TV late at night. Carver never makes it clear exactly what Fran blames them for, nor does he make it clear exactly why the dinner gathering inspires Jack and Fran to have a baby. Perhaps its because Bud and Olla seem so happy with their strange, squawking-peacock, ugly-baby lives. Fran and Jack dont think they want the particulars - a child, a house in the country, and certainly not a peacock - yet perhaps they find they do want the contentedness that Bud and Olla seem to have. And in some ways, Olla does give the impression that her happiness is a direct result of the particulars of her situation. Olla compliments Fran on her naturally straight teeth while she herself had required braces - and Buds devotion - to fix her crooked smile. At one point, Olla says, You wait until you get our own baby, Fran. Youll see. And as Fran and Jack are leaving, Olla even hands Fran some peacock feathers to take home. Gratitude But  Fran seems to be missing one fundamental element that Olla has: gratitude. When Olla explains how grateful she is to Bud for straightening her teeth (and, more generally, giving her a better life), Fran doesnt hear her because she is picking through the can of nuts, helping herself to the cashews. The impression is that Fran is self-centered, so focused on her own needs that she cant even hear someone elses expression of gratitude. Similarly, it seems symbolic that when Bud says grace, Olla is the only one who says amen. Where Happiness Comes From Jack does note one wish that came true: What I wished for was that Id never forget or otherwise let go of that evening. Thats one wish of mine that came true. And it was bad luck for me that it did. The evening seemed very special to him, and it left him feeling good about almost everything in my life. But he and Fran may have miscalculated where that good feeling was coming from, thinking it came from having things, like a baby, rather than feeling things, like love and appreciation.

Kari Martinsen Philosophy of caring Model Essay

Kari Martinsen Philosophy of caring Model - Essay Example Principally, there are three features that links nursing care; the belief of quality in nursing, the association between nursing care and ethical values and compassionate as an interpretational exercise. In contrast, countless patients complain about the lack of care when consulting their doctors, facing ignorance, inattentiveness or undignified conduct (Malmsten, 1999). I debate about the state of caring in nursing and highlight some of the distresses in relation to care in nursing. Mission/Vision Statement/Core Values Mercy Suburban Hospital’s vision statement is to be the leading provider of kindhearted health care and increased community access to excellent health and Medicare services aimed at improving the quality of health of communities and individuals. Mission: Mercy Health System aims at building strongly partnership with the Catholic Church in healing and treatment through the ministry’s spirit of the sisters of mercy. In fulfilling the mission, Mercy Health Hospital strives to create a caring and compassionate environment within the hospital and its surroundings. Besides, the hospital is dedicated to communal transformation and healing addressing the diverse health demands of the community and increased access to medical care by the marginalized and the disadvantaged groups. Mercy suburban Hospital works closely with the patients and their families to forge on advancing spiritual and psychosocial support through innovative compassionate care and medicines. Core Values Mercy Systems Hospital is committed to: Excellence: in quality medical care and health services which exceeds expectation of the patient Christian Service Motivation: contributing to the preservation and strengthening of Catholic Health service via Catholic Health East membership Inclusiveness: affirming and inviting persons from all ethnicities, religion, and culture to network and collaborate with Mercy Systems in providing quality healthcare to the community. Stewardsh ip: enhance fiscal responsibility and creative leadership among all the stakeholders. Besides, it enhances staff development, resource conservation and nurturing the environment. Integrity: advocacy and generation of trust. The Kari Martisen Philosophy of Nursing Care There is a considerable discrepancy between expectations and reality in nursing care (Martinsen, 2006). Not all doctors or nurses care a terrific deal. The concept of care in the field of medicine is disputable. I welcome Kari perspectives on the influence and importance of ethics in relation to nursing care. Care by definition requires the recognition of the need. The basic human existence relates to this definition. As humans, we are social and dependent on other people. Thus, care is a preconditioned fundamental in human life. As mankind, we are interconnected; this creates dependency which requires a response in the form of care (Malmsten, 1999). Martinsen understands a state of care as being circumstantial, emotio nally burdened and particularistic in nature. Care is to communicate to the other in absolute and impulsive way as a reaction to the condition of the other (Martinsen, 2006). To accomplish this, we must identify the patient need in the first place. Noting the necessity for care is thus the basic element of care as Martinsen implies by arguing that in order to care for the patient, we must both be able to see and express the patient’s plea for assistance in order to reinforce the patient’

Economic Integration has been the Most Concrete and Visible Essay

Economic Integration has been the Most Concrete and Visible Achievement of the EU Since its Creation - Essay Example The process of economic integration has been developed by the EU through involving the facet of political integration amid the member nations in order to establish a well-built monetary paradigm which could facilitate to strengthen the trade activities through considering efficient monetary guidelines (Seller, 2007). Political integration has been considered as the practice whereby countries pass over the desire as well as the ability to perform domestic and foreign guidelines of each other in an independent manner. This process is intended to strengthen decision making process of the nations rather than seeking mutual decision in terms of developing their new central organ. The term ‘political integration’ is also defined as a framework whereby the political leaders in different settings of national districts are influenced to alter their desired expectation as well as political activities to a well-structured new centre (Bache & et. al., 2011). Emphasizing upon the different practices and decisions of the EU in the context of monetary phenomenon, the major purpose of this report is to discuss the concept of economic integration in the EU. ... The process is intended to uphold lower prices both for the distributors and customers with the intention of enhancing the joint economic efficiency of the nations (Jovanovic, 2002). The concept of economic integration has been derived from Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) which had been taken by the European Council in the year 1991 and was preserved later under the treaty of EU. EMU has been recognized as an early step in terms of practicing the process of economic integration. The extent of economic integration can be segregated into six different steps which are designed to augment efficiency and empower the economic development of the states. In accordance with the economic integration process designed by the EU, the six major steps are namely the Preferential Trading Area, Free Trade Area, Customs Union, Single Market, Economic and Monetary Union as well as Complete Economic Integration (European Commission, 2012). Preferential Trading Area (PTA): Preferential trading areas (P TA) can be stated as certain areas, regions, states or nations among which the trade activities are conducted in a minimum custom barrier (Holden, 2003). Free Trade Area: It can be recognized as a group or collection of certain countries that appeal to maintain low trade policies as well as control mechanisms in terms of tariffs while performing trade activities amid each other. Free trade areas endorse the approving nations to freely execute trade activities of their products and/services so as to create economic efficiency of both the countries (Rodrigue, 2013). Customs Union (CU): The step tends to set widespread external tariffs between the member nations and

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Knowledge Management - Essay Example For example, as a recorded tradition in different Abrahamic religions, it is said that when one of the sons of Adam killed the other, he learnt from the nature that what to do with the dead body. Moving further, when mankind decided to search for the ways to feed themselves, other than hunting, it was actually their never satiating desire for knowledge that helped them in learning new ways. Thus we can say that one of the important factor of the advancement and continuous evolution of the human civilization is the continuous enhancement of knowledge. However, it must be noted that the purpose to acquire knowledge has been drastically changed. Now, besides the purpose stated earlier, the knowledge acquisition is also aimed for the self-growth and intellectual development. However, by the passage of time, as the ways to store information or knowledge improved, the volume of knowledge started to grow exponentially. With this change in the arena of the knowledge, the focus shifted from merely its acquisition to its management as well as implementation. This shift in focus was not restricted to any one discipline, rather this wave of change was across the board, thus affecting al the discipline. However, the intensity varied from field to field. Among these, the business arena experienced the remarkable influence of this concept. To move on to knowledge management, we must be primarily have an idea of diver... WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE There is no single agreed definition of the term 'knowledge'. This is probably not out of ignorance to the subject, rather an exhibition of the diversity in the ways people approach knowledge, create, store and disseminate it. Dome people have defined it philosophically, some have defined it religiously, while some define it in the context of their own readings and work experience. According to John Locke (1689), knowledge has been defined in his book BOOK IV. Of Knowledge and Probability. "An Essay: Concerning Human Understanding" in following words: Knowledge is the perception of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas Another tendency of defining knowledge is to correlate it with the experience: "a) the condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association b) the condition of being aware of something c) the condition of apprehending truth or fact d) the condition of having information or of being learned" (tangents.home.att.net/data/rlgdef.htm) The religious orientation brings another understanding towards 'knowledge'. According to them, knowledge is: "is an ability to remember Scripture or have it supernatural quickened, or to know a fact or truth about a person or situation revealed directly by the Holy Spirit--sometimes termed a word of knowledge. [Bible Study on Knowledge.]" (www.acts17-11.com/dictionary_gifts.html) Some other authors have defined it in their own way: knowledge is what I know information is what we know (Foskett) A dictionary definition is a as follow: Acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation. Source: The Random House Dictionary of the English Language It was important to cite as much as possible different perspectives on knowledge, so

Punk rock or how an an ancient structure was built Essay

Punk rock or how an an ancient structure was built - Essay Example Maneuvering protuberances were put in to function as hitching points. (Holmquist & Philips) The beginning of housing started with the Neolithic people 10000 years ago. Their houses were mainly of mud, stone and wood, but the structure differed for every house. Since then the types of houses being built have evolved and upgraded. The Greeks and the Romans are famous for their structures and architectural techniques. Most of Roman architecture has been inspired by the Greeks and Greece is known as the 'Mother of Rome.' The Greeks used three types of architectural systems: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The roofs that they built were of low pitch. Windows and doors would be enormous; this would help in wind circulation and keeping the heat out. Greek structures were painted white because it was not known then that the white marble of ancient Greece had been polychrome. These structures were mainly built of local marble or limestone and had stone frames. One trend that was very common among the Roman architecture and structures is that of bases which provided support to the colu mn. (Holmquist & Philips) There have been many trends in the Greek architecture. The first of them was the archaic period, in which the structure was mainly rectangular, consisting of steps, a platform, an anta and a porch.

Legal Positivs and the Rules of Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legal Positivs and the Rules of Law - Essay Example This provides for the security of the people as manifested by the institution of a government willing to be able to enforce it for the benefit of the majority of the population at the very least. Law and morality are destined to be intertwined for they serve the same purpose and to establish a thought of segregation in a positivist perspective would essentially diverse any of its very nature. Any law, even if it does presuppose to be primarily lacking of moral substance finds the very same although in what may be a distorted moral view of the few to rendered it into being. The source of any law must come from a moral perspective and this is inculcated therein by spirit. The discussion on the Utilitarian proposition on the distinction of law and morals has long found its way to stimulate conversation and debate over the great legal minds and has spanned centuries in the process. Austin said in his book ‘The Province of Jurisprudence Determined’ that â€Å"A law, which ac tually exists, is a law, though we happen to dislike it, or though it varies from the text, by which we regulate our approbation or disapprobation† (p.184). This has then on been the subject of reference by discourse from other authors in the legal profession. This is perhaps another source of the thesis found Hart’s article of his distinction between what law is and what it ought to be. Thus from this discussion of Hart we were introduced to the exemplification of the German woman who has divulged to the military her husband’s resentment to Hitler which was a source of punishment for the latter by virtue of a statue. Later on the wife was found guilty by the appellate court under the German Criminal Code of 1871 for denouncing her husband to the German courts (Hart, p.2). This law clearly antedated the woman’s act and the decision can be perceived to be fuelled primarily by the moral institution of the law by the court. But what concerns Fuller on Hartâ⠂¬â„¢s argument although the same was not an absolute positivist in the same level as Austin, was Hart’s position on a mere intersection of law and morals instead of clear convergence of the two. He then answered in retort and quite aggressively that the content of Hart’s article is confusing in the same way that the writer may have been just as confused of his hypothesis himself (Fuller, p.630). But despite this criticism, Hart’s one rhetoric finds its way to be an effective question that permeates through. Consequently, he asked â€Å"Why should we dramatize the difference between them?† (Hart, p.3). Why indeed? Throughout the history of this debate it is fathomable that the minds behind the idealization of positivism such as Austin have parted their wisdom at a different day and age while the Utilitarian philosophical suggestion was a way of being. This enables for the advocacy toward strict adherence to the law devoid of moral rationalization. A law i s a law and as such must be followed to the letter. This renders the same to be an object of absolute prowess that could find its fault in the legislation process and the adverse outcome of which to be experienced during its actual enforcement with the weight of the law to be imposed by the courts of justice tasked to interpret and ultimately apply the law as worded by the legislative body. A law as a positive manifestation is a truth which may not be rendered otherwise. This

Battle of Thermopylae (c. 480BC) Research Paper

Battle of Thermopylae (c. 480BC) - Research Paper Example King Leonidas was held out with mere 300 hoplites and was against thousands of best Great King’s troops. The battle of Thermopylae was during the invasion of Persian between 480-479 BC. The battle was first and between the Greeks and Persians. The force of Greek was very minute and was very much determined to fight and stand against thousands of Persian army. In central Greece, association of Greek-states at the pass of Thermopylae fought with the invading Persians. Greeks were outnumbered but they fought and held back Persians for three days and is known as history’s one of the most famous last stands. King of Sparta Leonidas blocked the road which was the only road to pass by the massive force of Xerxes I of Persia. The 300 Spartans fought till the end but were all killed and they would have known in advance that they would be killed. The courage shown by the Sparta provided a sense of belief and inspiration to the Greeks1. Spartans were never afraid of enemies and th eir numbers. Opposing forces According to Herodotus, Greek city-states consisted of around more than 6,200 men who fought with Persian army and were totally outnumbered. Persian army was about 2,242,000+. Greek army included 300 Spartans, 1000 Phocians, 500 Tegeans, other Arcadians 1000 and others. But comparing with the Persian army it is very minimal and very small army force. Persian army included 500,000 fleet crew, 1,500,000 infantry, 320,000 Greek allied troops, etc. numbers are very large indeed. 300 Spartans who fought for Greek city were an elite group of Spartan hoplites2. Each man of 300 Spartans had a living son. And it is said that each of the 300 Spartans had someone to fight for. 300 elite Spartans were led by the king Leonidas. Strategic and tactical considerations of the Opposing forces The Spartans didn’t have many options. But the king of Sparta Leonidas decided to place scorched earth policy. Policy was placed so that Greeks went out and destroy all buildi ngs, livestock and grain and polluted the main water supply. And all the work was done before the arrival of Persians. When Persians arrived with their huge force at Thermopylae they had to rely on food which is being sent to them. They also found that they could not leave the land and that is not the situation to be in. The Greeks decided that they would make a stand at Thermopylae which is a narrow pass where northwest of Athens met at the sea. From the strategic point, Greeks have used best possible way to stop huge army of patricians. The Greek style of warfare was tactically suited in the pass at Thermopylae3. Leonidas used forces in a narrow pass so that Persians could not attack from flanks. The Greeks deployed in a phalanx. And this basically means Greeks stood in firm lines and used large shields to protect them. They stood firmly in lines and locked their shields together. They locked their shields so tight and close that there isn’t any gap between the shields for enemy to attack. Battle of Thermopylae First day The Phocians built a large ancient wall to stop raids from Thessaly. But it was destroyed and fallen apart. Leonidas went on to rebuild the wall and also send some local Greeks to protect the people who are rebuilding the wall. The Persians saw that rebuilding of the wall but were not concerned by the small force of Greeks. Persians

Punk rock or how an an ancient structure was built Essay

Punk rock or how an an ancient structure was built - Essay Example Maneuvering protuberances were put in to function as hitching points. (Holmquist & Philips) The beginning of housing started with the Neolithic people 10000 years ago. Their houses were mainly of mud, stone and wood, but the structure differed for every house. Since then the types of houses being built have evolved and upgraded. The Greeks and the Romans are famous for their structures and architectural techniques. Most of Roman architecture has been inspired by the Greeks and Greece is known as the 'Mother of Rome.' The Greeks used three types of architectural systems: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The roofs that they built were of low pitch. Windows and doors would be enormous; this would help in wind circulation and keeping the heat out. Greek structures were painted white because it was not known then that the white marble of ancient Greece had been polychrome. These structures were mainly built of local marble or limestone and had stone frames. One trend that was very common among the Roman architecture and structures is that of bases which provided support to the colu mn. (Holmquist & Philips) There have been many trends in the Greek architecture. The first of them was the archaic period, in which the structure was mainly rectangular, consisting of steps, a platform, an anta and a porch.

Battle of Thermopylae (c. 480BC) Research Paper

Battle of Thermopylae (c. 480BC) - Research Paper Example King Leonidas was held out with mere 300 hoplites and was against thousands of best Great King’s troops. The battle of Thermopylae was during the invasion of Persian between 480-479 BC. The battle was first and between the Greeks and Persians. The force of Greek was very minute and was very much determined to fight and stand against thousands of Persian army. In central Greece, association of Greek-states at the pass of Thermopylae fought with the invading Persians. Greeks were outnumbered but they fought and held back Persians for three days and is known as history’s one of the most famous last stands. King of Sparta Leonidas blocked the road which was the only road to pass by the massive force of Xerxes I of Persia. The 300 Spartans fought till the end but were all killed and they would have known in advance that they would be killed. The courage shown by the Sparta provided a sense of belief and inspiration to the Greeks1. Spartans were never afraid of enemies and th eir numbers. Opposing forces According to Herodotus, Greek city-states consisted of around more than 6,200 men who fought with Persian army and were totally outnumbered. Persian army was about 2,242,000+. Greek army included 300 Spartans, 1000 Phocians, 500 Tegeans, other Arcadians 1000 and others. But comparing with the Persian army it is very minimal and very small army force. Persian army included 500,000 fleet crew, 1,500,000 infantry, 320,000 Greek allied troops, etc. numbers are very large indeed. 300 Spartans who fought for Greek city were an elite group of Spartan hoplites2. Each man of 300 Spartans had a living son. And it is said that each of the 300 Spartans had someone to fight for. 300 elite Spartans were led by the king Leonidas. Strategic and tactical considerations of the Opposing forces The Spartans didn’t have many options. But the king of Sparta Leonidas decided to place scorched earth policy. Policy was placed so that Greeks went out and destroy all buildi ngs, livestock and grain and polluted the main water supply. And all the work was done before the arrival of Persians. When Persians arrived with their huge force at Thermopylae they had to rely on food which is being sent to them. They also found that they could not leave the land and that is not the situation to be in. The Greeks decided that they would make a stand at Thermopylae which is a narrow pass where northwest of Athens met at the sea. From the strategic point, Greeks have used best possible way to stop huge army of patricians. The Greek style of warfare was tactically suited in the pass at Thermopylae3. Leonidas used forces in a narrow pass so that Persians could not attack from flanks. The Greeks deployed in a phalanx. And this basically means Greeks stood in firm lines and used large shields to protect them. They stood firmly in lines and locked their shields together. They locked their shields so tight and close that there isn’t any gap between the shields for enemy to attack. Battle of Thermopylae First day The Phocians built a large ancient wall to stop raids from Thessaly. But it was destroyed and fallen apart. Leonidas went on to rebuild the wall and also send some local Greeks to protect the people who are rebuilding the wall. The Persians saw that rebuilding of the wall but were not concerned by the small force of Greeks. Persians

Ethical Considerations for Teachers Essay Example for Free

Ethical Considerations for Teachers Essay Ethics and its essential considerations are fundamentals of human nature. Just like in any field of profession, the principles behind ethics are of undeniable significance to the educational setting. This is basically due to the concept that the teachers and the rest of teaching professionals are the ones who influence the thoughts, values and even conducts of the young ones. Such condition creates an enormous responsibility for teachers to ideally shape the future members of the society hence it is expected of them to correctly practice what they teach or preach. Beyond the theories, ethical considerations are of utmost importance in the performance of the teaching profession. It is essential to carry out ethical ideas in manners that are practically acceptable to human attributes. Teachers are required to impart moral principles to their students. However, it will always be the educators’ innate characters and individual behavior which spell the difference in eventually producing respected or morally upright persons. In order to come up with an ideal educational system, therefore, it is vital not to just adhere but also live up to necessary ethical considerations. In an educational setting, members of the learning organization particularly teachers are supposed follow or exercise specific ethical considerations. This is because there is a constant struggle between a teacher’s personal interest and professional commitment. Citing May (1990), this situation was emphasized by Smith (1996) who said that teachers are always susceptible to their respective concern as well as dedication to live up and maintain the dignity of the academic field. In effect, such conflicts have resulted into relevant ethical dilemmas that have inevitable implications to other learning professionals, the students and one’s mandate to the teaching career (Smith, 1996). In order to address, if not resolve the issue, Smith mentioned the suggestions made by May. That is, there is a need to recognize and even reiterate significant ethical considerations which teachers are responsible of. These include the sincere manifestation of respect for any colleague or student as an individual. Truthful communication and encouraging others’ confidence are also the needed ethical considerations. Most importantly, it is fundamental for teachers to help create just and caring cultural and social structures that uphold the benefit of all people within the educational organization (Smith, 1996). To carry out such ethical considerations, teachers are also required to perform several standards of professional communication. It is required for teachers to help their respective organizations to achieve their academic goals. Educators also need to exert additional efforts for the respective professional and individual enhancements of their colleagues and students. The ethical consideration of professional interaction likewise calls for teachers’ kindness as well as comprehensive and reasonable evaluation of functions of students and co-teachers. Lastly, teachers need to perform their roles in manners that support and even exceed the principles of ethical considerations (Smith, 1996). When the said ethical considerations are incorporated on existing educational policies, students will be completely empowered and provided with ideal instructional materials thus preventing teachers from providing documents outside the required curriculum. Students will also be assured of a teacher’s presence resulting to better education. The carrying out of examinations and making of grades will happen in ways beneficial both to teachers and students. In doing all these considerations, the educational setting is sure to exemplify a successful professional condition and effective relationship between teachers and students (Smith, 1996). Similar to any other professions, ethical considerations are of extreme relevance to the educational environment. Therefore, it is empirical to realize the individual behavior of teachers. This is due to the underlying principle that what teachers do and how such activities are performed are sure to ultimately affect all the people within the educational setting. Reference Smith, R. M. (1996). Essential ethical considerations in education. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa3673/is_n1_v117/ai_n28677142/pg_4? tag=content;col1

Developing Successful Strategic Alliances

Developing Successful Strategic Alliances The traditional relationship between the client, consultants, main contractor, subcontractors and suppliers within the construction industry using a traditional contract is in most cases but not all very contractual and adversarial one Blame Culture which is not productive in a business as it about relationships, where the client and consultants puts all of the risk on to the main contractor who in turn passes it down the line to their supplier chain i.e. Suppliers Subcontractors, due to the nature of the construction industry i.e. large and complex projects that need to be completed to unrealistic time frames, budget, quality, safety expectations, this is the direct opposite and goes against the grain of Strategic Alliances. Gomes-Casseres 2003 p.1213 combines elements of item 1 2 above Alliances are agreements between two or more separate firms that involve ongoing resource contributions from each to create joint value, are incomplete contracts where the terms of the agreement cannot be completely specified and agreed at the outset and joint decision making to manage the business and share value We will be adopting the characteristics of item 3 above in our business plan. Alliances (large and small) have been around in one form or another since the early 1990s, they are used in all different industries across the world and the construction and engineering industry is no exception some notable projects that have been completed around the world using alliances are: Burj Khalifa, Dubai UAE, the worlds tallest building was built by a Joint Venture (type of strategic alliance) by Samsung Engineering Construction (South Korea), Besix (Belgium) and Arabtec from UAE; The Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE, the worlds largest retail development was built by a Joint Venture Partnership (type of strategic alliance) by Dutco Balfour Beatty (the author used to work for this company) Al Ghandi and Consolidated Contractors International Company (DBB/AG and CCC); and Gateway Bridge Duplication Upgrade Project, Brisbane, Australia, was built by Leighton Contractors Abigroup Joint Venture at a cost of AUS$1.88b it consisted of the duplication of Gateway Bridge and 20km upgrading of Gateway Motorway, including the Gateway Deviation. This business plan has be developed using the principles of leading alliances academics, experts practitioners in their field in particular Gomes-Casseres work to develop best practices that work, while recognising that each alliance is unique and there is no one size fits all approach. This document is a work in progress and we would be working with the potential partners after the business alliance strategy has been established by MCS Constructions, to jointly develop the alliance operating plan, this will construct a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. The topic of this report is Defining a Business Plan for a Potential Strategic Alliance, there are many possible interpretations of this topic as strategic alliances have been in existence since the early 90s, are used in across a variety of different industries, companies both large and small, on a domestic and international level which can range from very simple to the complex. Drawing upon my own life/work experiences, knowledge, skills and qualifications in the construction and engineering industry both local and international over the last 10 years plus (refer CV in Appendix ?), and considering I do not have access to relevant information on an existing alliance, I will be looking at the feasibility of developing a potential strategic alliance and defining a business plan which will include but not limited to the following areas as outlined in the elective assignment specification (refer appendix ?): This is drawn on the extensive life/work experiences, knowledge, skills and qualifications gained by the owner/director Mr. Matthew C. Smith in the construction and engineering industry both local and international over the last 10 years plus (refer CV in Appendix ?), which is evident in the business today. We are exploring the feasibility of setting up a Strategic Alliance with other trusted companies within the industry, to provide its clients (Public Private) with single-source of responsibility, a one-stop shop to complete its projects of various sizes and complexity on time, to budget, quality and safety that exceeds the clients expectations and objectives. In order to do this a strategic alliance would provide a vehicle with capital/finance, additional knowledge, skills, experiences, expertise from the potential partner companies (Consultants, Major Preferred Suppliers and Major Preferred Subcontractors) both local international, resources, connections, capabilities and competencies, where the clients projects require a broad range of expertise, some of which we may not have in-house. We would be looking at developing this alliance capability to enter the overseas and remote projects in developing and third world countries in particular Middle East / Africa / Asia etc. We would also welcome alliances closer to home (Australia) when needed and depending on our clients requirements. Is to provide its clients (Public Private) with a single-source of responsibility, a one-stop shop to complete its projects of various sizes and complexity on time, to budget, quality and safety that exceeds the clients expectations and objectives in an economic, efficient, ethical, environmental sustainable way. At this stage of the business plan we have not identified any particular companies as potential partner organisations but MCS Constructions would be looking to undertake a strategic alliance that consists of both local and international firms (large or small) within the construction and engineering industry supply chain both up and down the line. The rationale for MCS Constructions to partner with the supply chain (as outlined above) both up and down the line (forward and backward integration) for it to deliver the alliances clients within the construction and engineering industry, projects that are on time, to budget, quality and safety and exceeds the clients expectations and objectives. We offer our potential partners our core competency of Technological Know-How and Management Know-How within our chosen area of knowledge, skills, experiences and expertise in commercial construction i.e. new build, fit-out, refurbishment and heritage listed work. We would be looking for a potential partner with which would complement us and provide capital/financing, additional resources, capabilities, competences, skills, experiences, knowledge, connections, expertise etc. The anticipated benefits would be that MCS Constructions would be able to grow and expand its business overseas into new markets with the additional capital/financing, resources, capabilities, skills, experiences and expertise in their chosen area i.e. Consultancy, Major Preferred Suppliers and Major Preferred Subcontractors, to share risk/reward (Gain/Pain Share) and am opportunity to learn. Now we have made the decision to enter a strategic alliance, we have many choices to be made that relate to the design of the alliance, scope, goals, management processes including legal, tax, insurances, financing, structure etc. This will be outlined in a formal alliance agreement (refer to appendix ? for a sample copy). In relation to legal, tax and insurances, performance bonds/guarantees, profit etc. (for the purposes of this report is outside its scope) this will depend on the local jurisdiction that the strategic alliance is under i.e. Country that the alliance is operating in for example Dubai, UAE it is a requirement that international companies setup a joint venture to partner with a local company sponsor where 51% will been owned by the local company and 49% by the international company. The author used to work for Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC in Dubai, UAE which was 51% owned by the local company Dutco and 49% owned by Balfour Beatty the international company. On a separate note the author used to work for Balfour Beatty in the UK. There are three major forms of strategic alliances Joint Venture, Equity Strategic Alliance and Non-Equity Strategic Alliances, the final decision on the form will be negotiated between all parties to their mutual benefit, but it is envisaged that we will use a Non-Equity Strategic Alliance (refer to definitions section) which over time may develop into a Joint Venture. Stage 1: Utilise the alliance partners specialty in their chosen area, we will allocate tasks and responsibilities to each partner on the basis of what they do best, we will tender and bid for constructions and engineering projects in various target markets/segments, tendering and bidding for projects requires capital, resources, time, etc., if we are not successful at winning work we will continue to look for other opportunities, if we are successful at winning work then we will move into Stage 2; Stage 2: Once we have successfully won and been awarded the project/contract from the client we will enter the Project Stage where we will utilise the alliance partners specialty in their chosen area, we will allocate tasks and responsibilities to each partner on the basis of what they do best, the project stage will depending on the type, size, complexity of the project be broken down into various stages which will typically following a traditional matrix: Alliances Specific Strategy and Alliances Analysis Selection this will be undertaken be the Senior Management of MCS Constructions championed by the owner / director Mr. Matthew C. Smith but will including other internal resources HRM, Accounting / Finance / Legal and Operational Managers, as well as external consultants when required and needed such as Facilitator, Lawyer, Investment Bank, Strategic Alliance Management Consultants i.e. Vantage Partners to provide their expertise as this is the first strategic alliance for MCS Constructions. Alliance Value-Creating Negotiations, Operational Planning and Structuring this will be continued by the owner / director Mr. Matthew C. Smith and the senior management of the preferred potential partner once a MOUP has been enacted by all parties including a non-disclosure confidentiality agreement, this is to continue to build the relational capital and trust between the parties moving forward. According to (Gomes-Casseres 2003 p. 120 64% of poor or damaged relationships between firms are the foremost cause of alliance failure.