Cheat Sheet for Strategic Management

M&A & Restructuring Strategies. Merger: Two Firms agree to integrate operations on relatively equal basis(usually 1 dominates another in mkt share/size/asset value) Hostile takeover: (delivers higher shareholder value than friendly acquires)(Preannouncement returns of hostile takeover anticipated with increase in bidder & target's share price). Diversification creates value by using excess resource. Restructuring used to correct with ineffective mergers/acquisitions. M used as means of growth to potentially lead to strategic competitiveness. ?ing ext env affect type of M used. M used cuz of uncertainty in competitive l. )Increase market power due to competitive threat 2)Spread risk due to uncertainty 3)Shift core biz to diff mkts 4)Manage industry & regulatory ? s. –> Increases strategic competitiveness & value. Shareholders of acquired firm earn above avg returns while shareholders of acquiring firm earn ~0 returns. Reflects investors' scepticism of projected synergies. Reaso ns for Acquisition 1)Increased mkt power(horizontal,vertical,related, sbjct to regulatory review & financial mkt analysis)able to sell good/service above competitive levels/costs of its primary or support activities lower than competitors.Buy competitor/supplier/distributer to Increase size, resource & capabilities. Horizontal Acq helps to exploit cost-based & revenue synergies. Better Most effective when integrate assets with acqed firm. Vertical Acqsitions controls additional parts of value chain. (CVS/Caremark)Related acquisitions(acqing firm in related industry). Create value thru synergy by integrating resource & capabilities. 2)Overcome entry barriers. Help gain immediate access to international markets. Higher the barrier, higher chance firm will acquire. )Cross-border acquisitions(made btwn companies with HQs in diff ctys) global M declined in financial crisis. Chinese companies seek horizontal cross-border acqtns of natural resource. India seek access to pdt innovation capa bilities & new br/distribution channels. 4)Cost of new product development & increased speed to mkt. Gain access to new pdts & to current pdts new to firm. Pharmaceutical firms. 5)Lower risk than developing new products. Acquisitions may become a substitute for innovation. Acquisitions shld always be strategic than defensive 6)Increased Diversification.Diff for companies to develop pdts that differ from current lines for mkts in which they lack experience. Acquisition strategies used to support unrelated & related diversification stgies. More related firms are, greater prob acq is successful. Horizontal & related acqs contribute more to strategic competitiveness. Cisco. 7)Avoid excessive competition 8)Reshaping firm's competitive scope(Lessen dependence on specific mkts) 9)Learn & developing new capabilities. Broadens their knowledge base & reduce inertia. Acquire good talent through cross-border acqtns.Seek to acquire diff but related & complementary capabilities to build own knowl edge base. Biological Drugs, AstraZeneca. Problems in achieving Acquisition success Greater success accrues to (select right target, avoid high premium by doing due dilligence, integrate operations,retain human capital to underst& target firm's operations) 1)Integration difficulties (cultures,diff financia & control systems, working relationships, resolve problems of status of acqed firm's executives) 2)Inadequate evaluation of target.Due diligence – Potential acquirer evaluates target firm for acquisition. Done by investment bankers,accountatnts,lawyers,mgmt consultants. Without due dilligence, purchase price is made by pricing of other ‘comparable' acquisitions than rigorous assessment of where,when,how mgmt can drive real perf gains. â€Å"bidding war† 3)Large & Extraordinary debt. Firms increase debt to finance acqtns. E. g. Junk Bonds. High debt increases chance of bankruptcy, downgrading credit rating & firm may divest some assets to relieve burden to remai n solvent. )Inability to achieve Synergy. Assets worth more when used tgt than seperately. Created by efficiences from EOS, EOSC & sharing resources. Private synergy(combining & integrating target firm & acquiring firm's assets yield capabilities & core competencies that couldn't be developed by integrating either firm's assets with another firm. Transaction costs to acquire & create synergies (indirect & direct) 5)Overdiversification Related diversification outperforms unrelated.Related diversification req more info processing, thus being overdiversified with smaller no. of biz units than unrelated. Scope created by over diversification causes mangers to rely on financial than strategic controls. Tendencyfor acquisitions to become substitutes for innovation. 6)Managers over focus on acqusitions Managers need to: search for viable c, complete due dilligence, prepare negotiations & manage integration process, can divert attention. 7)Too large –> Bureaucratic controls, stifling innovation.Effective Acquisitions Complementary Assets/resources(meet current needs to build competitiveness, high synergy & competitive advantage), Friendly acquisitions(lower premiums,faster & effective integration), Due dilligence(overpayment avoided), Maintain Financial slack(Acquired firm has slack, financing is easier/cheaper), Low-moderate debt(lower risk/financing cost),Sustained emphasis on R of acqing firm (maintain LT CA in mkts), Acqing firm is flexible (faster/effective integration for synergy) Restructuring (firm ? s its set of biz or financial structure).Deal with failure of acquisition/? s in ext or int env. Downsizing (reduction in no. of employee/operating units but may change the composition of biz in company portfolio) used when paid too high premium, reduce duplicate functional jobs. Downscoping(divesture,spin-off to eliminate biz unrelated to firm's core biz) Refocus on core biz Leverage Buyouts(party buys all of firm's assets with debt to take firm private). Restructure & sell. Management buyouts, Employee buyouts, whole-firm buy outs(purchase whole than part of firm). MBOs lead to downscoping, strategic focus, improved performance.Downsizing-;reduced labour costs(ST) -; loss of human capital/lower performance(LT). Downscoping-; reduced debt costs/emphasis on strategic controls(ST)-;higher performance(LT). LBOs-;emphasis on strategic controls/high debt cost(ST)-;higher performance/risk[creates ST & risk-averse managerial focus](LT) International StrategyRationale for international diversification is to extend product life cycle. 4 benefits of using international strategy: 1)Increase market size (size of international mkt affect firm's willingness to invest in R&D to build CA in that mkt.Firm prefer to invest more in cty with scientific knowledge&talent to produce value creating product & processes 2)increased EOS & learning (Firm able to exploit core competencies through resource&knowledge sharing btwn units & network partners across bo rders. New learning opportunities. BUT, firms need to have strong R&D system to absorb knowledge) 3)develop CA through location(lower basic cost of gds/services. Gain access to critical supplies/customers. Reduce liability of foreignness if low cultural distance) 4)return on investment (Generate above-avg ROI) International BL Strategies(cost leadership, differentiated, focus, integrated).Determinants of National Advantage: 1)Factors of production. Basic Factors. Advanced Factors(digital comm systems & educated workforce). Generalized factors(highway system/ss of debt capital). Specialized Factors(skilled personnel in specific indsty). 2)Dem& conditions(nature/size of buyer's needs in home market for industry's gds/services) Large mkt sgmt produce dem& to create scaleefficient facilities. 3)Related & Supporting Industries (Italy's leather-processing industry provides leather to produce shoes. Supporting indstry & design services contribute to success of shoe industry.Cameras & copie rs are related industries in Japan) 4)Firm strategy, structure & rivalry(Germany technical training system for continuous product & process improvements. Italy designers. Japan cooperative & competitive systems facilitate cross-functional management of complex assembly operations. US compt btwn computer & software producers increase development). The factors are likely to produce CA when firm develops & implements an appropriate strategy that take advantage of distinct cty factors. International CL Strategy (scope of firm's operations thru pdct & geog diversification) Unilever Multi-domestic Strategy.Decentralized decisions to SBUs. ! less knowledge sharing for firm as a whole =(no economies of scale,costly. Global strategy(centralized control at home office. SBUs interdependent to achieve integration across bizs) EOS. =( forgo growth opp in local mkts. CEMEX Transnational Strategy Flexible Coordination is required-Building shared vision & individual commitment thru integrated netwo rk. Starbucks China Environmental Trends :Liability of foreignness relative to domestic competitors. Regionalization(more similar culture, legal social norms)EU & NAFTA promotes regionalization.Internatonal Entry Mode 1)Exporting (exporters must establish some means of marketing & distribution) ! high transportation costs, tariffs, less control of products, pay distributer fee,diff to market competitive product/provide customization to international mkt, Exchange rates volatility. 2)Licensing (purchase right to manufacture/sell firms pdts by paying a royalty)~exp& returns based on prior innovation. low cost, low risk ! little control, low returns. 3)Strategic Alliances(uncertain env) ~shared costs/risks/resources, gain access to new technologies, no tariffs! roblem integrating btwn partners (2 cultures) 4)Acquisitions(quicker) ~quick access to new mkt ! high cost(debt), complex negotiations, prob merging with domestic operations 5)New Wholly Owned Subsidiary(Green Field venture) ~Ma x control, potential above-avg returns ! complex, costly, time consuming, high risk. Export,licensing & strategic alliance good for early market development. Joint venture/greenfield venture -> IP rights not protected, high need for global integration, growing no. of competitors. Strategic competitive outcomes 1)Enhanced returns.Decrease initially, then increase. Diversifying geographically into core biz areas positive effect on stock price. Offshore outsourcing created sig value-creation opp as firms move into flexible labor mkts. 2)Enhanced innovation. Exposure to new pdcts & mkts. Opp to integrate new knowledge into operations. Generation of resources to sustain innovation. Risks in international environment 1)Politcal Risk. Govt instability/regulations/corruption/conflict/war/conflicting & diverse legal authorities/potential nationalization of private assets/? s in govt policy 2)Economic risk.Govt oversigh & control of economic&financial capital/weak IP rights&protections impact FDI/terrorism/investment losses from political risk/security risk of foreign firms acquiring key natural resources or strategic IP. Cooperative Strategy(shared objective) Strategic alliance(firms combine resources&capabilities to create CA) Leverage existing resource/capabilities to develop additional resources/capabilities for new CAs. Collaborative/relational Advantage-CA developed through a cooperative strategy. 3 Types of Strategic Alliances: 1)Joint Venture.Siemens AG & Fujitsu -> Fujitsu Siemens Computers (Own equal % & contribute equally. 2 or more firm create legally independent company to share some resources/capabilities to develop CA). Optimal when firms need to create a CA that is diff from individual advantages & when highly uncertain hypercompetitive markets are targeted. 2)Equity. Baidu & Japanese telecom operator NTT DOCOMO (2or more firms own diff % of company they formed to create CA, e. g. many FDIs such as companies from multiple countries are making in China) 3 )Non-equity. HP (2 or more firms develop contractual relationship to create CA.Firm DOES NOT establish separate independent company thus don't take equity positions)-; less formal, fewer commitments & no intimate relationship. E. g. licensing/distribution agreements & supply contract. Reasons firm develop Strategic Alliances Allow partners to create value they couldn't develop alone & to enter markets faster with greater penetration. Firms lack full resources & capabilities to reach their objectives. Slow cyclemkt: Gain access to restricted mkt. Establish a franchise in a new mkt. Maintain mkt stability(establishing st&ards). Fast-cycle mkt: Speed up development of new goods/services.Speed up new market entry. Maintain market leadership. Form an industry technology st&ard(). Share risky R&D expenses. Overcome uncertainty. St&ard-cycle mkt: Gain mkt power(reduce industry overcapacity). Gain access to complementary resources. Establish better EOS. Overcome trade barriers. Meet competi tive challenges frm other competitors. Pool resources for large projects. Learn new biz techniques. BL Cooperative Strategy 1)Complementary Strategic Alliances (Vertical, horizontal) -firms share r&c in complementary ways to develop CAs. More value-creating than other strategies.Vertical(from diff stages of value chain e. g. Nintendo) Horizontal(same stage(s) of value chain to create CAs. ) 2)Competition response strategy(to competitor's attacks). Becuz they can be diff to reverse & exp t operate, strategic alliances are formed to take strategic than tactical actions to respond to attacks. 3)Uncertainty reducing strategy (new pdt mkts/emerging economies 4)Competition-reducing strategy (explicit/tacit collusions) Tacit collusion – Firms in industry indirectly coordinate their production & pricing decisions by observing each other actions/responses.Results in output below fully competitive levels & above fully competitive prices. !reduce service quality, on-time performance. Mu tual forbearance- Form of tacit collusion where firms dont take actions against rivals they meet in multiple mkts. Assessment: R integrated MUST be VCRN. vertical strategy have greatest probability of creating sustainable CA. CL Cooperative Strategy. Firm use this strategy to diversify in pdts offered/markets served. Diversify by means other than M. Require fewer resource commitments, greater flexibility. 1)Diversifying S/A !Highly diverse network of alliances can lead to poorer performance by partner firms. 2)Synergistic S/A(create EOScope across multiple functions/bizs btwn partners) 3) Franchising (contractual relationship to describe/control sharing of its R with partners) Advantages: Attractive strategy for fragmented industry(retailing,hotels,motels) where large number of small/med firms compete without one having a dominant share. Assessment: Alliance costs needs monitoring. International Cooperative Strategy 1)Cross-border alliance(firms with HQs in diff nations decide to co mbine some R to create CA & value).Incentives: limited domestic growth opp, foreign govt economic policies. China & India have strong preference to license local companies. Strategic alliance with local partners help firms overcome liability of foreignness. Operational advantages due to local market information. Network cooperative strategy (several firms form multiple partnerships to achieve shared objectives) Particularly effective when formed by geographically clustered firms. Gain heterogeneous info & knowledge from multiple sources. ! lock in partnerships precluding alliance with others.Stable Alliance network (mature industries where dem& is constant & predictable) Built primarily to exploit EOS/EOScope existing btwn partners e. g. airline industry Dynamic Alliance Network (frequent product innovations & short pdct lifecycle) Competitive risks: Inadequate contracts. Misrepresentation of competencies. Partners may act opportunistically. Partners fail to use their complementary resources. Holding alliance partner's specific investments hostage. Risk&Asset Management Approaches:Detailed contracts & monitoring. Develop trusting relationships -> create value.Managing cooperative strategies: Cost minimization(Firm develops formal contracts with partners specifying how strategy is to be monitored & how partner behavior is controlled) Opportunity maximization(Maximize partnership's value-creating opportunities) Corporate Governance – Set of mechanisms used to manage the relationship among stakeholders & to determine & control the strategic direction & performance of organizations.. It is concerned with: Strengthening effectiveness of company's board of directors. Verifying transparency of firm's operations. Enhancing accountability to shareholders.Incentivizing executives. Maximizing value creation for stakeholders & shareholders. Separation of Ownership & Managerial control. Allows each group to focus on what it does best: Shareholders bears risk that fi rm's expenses exceed revenue (shareholders will hold a diversified portfolio to diversify risk). Managers formulate & implement strategy & decision-making. Agency relationships(between firm's owner & top-level managers) Managerial opportunism seeking self-interest with deceit. An attitude & set of behaviors. Prevents maximization of shareholder's wealth.Product Diversification as Agency Problem 1)Diversification increase size/complexity & thus managerial compensation. 2)Reduces manger's employment risk as a firm & its managers are less vulnerable to reduction in dem& associated with a single/limited no. of product lines/bizs. 3)Managers have control of firm's free cash flows which they invest to diversify instead of giving to shareholders. Shareholders like a diversified position between dominant & related-constrained diversification strategies. Shareholders prefer riskier strategies & more focused diversification. Managers prefer higher levels of product diversification.Managers ma y prefer level of diversification that maximises firm size & compensation while reducing employment risk. Agency costs – sum of incentive/monitoring/enforcement costs, individual financial losses incurred by principals because of agents. 3 internal governance mechanism 1)Ownership Concentration (No. of large-block shareholders & total percentage of shares they own) X Diffuse ownership (large number of shareholders with small holdings & few large-block shareholders) Large-block shareholders are active in their dem&s that corporations adopt effective governance mechanisms.Ownership of many modern corporations now concentrated in h&s of institutional investors than individual shareholders. Institutional owners (financial institutions that control large-block shareholder positions) They are powerful governance mechanism. They have both size & incentive to discipline ineffective top-level managers. 2)Board of Directors (group of elected individuals to formally monitor & control ma nagers in order to act in owner's best interests) Insiders – Firm's CEO & other top-level managers. Related outsiders – Individuals not involved with firm's daily operations but have relationship with firm.Outsiders – provide independent counsel to firm & may hold managerial positions in their company. Outsiders have no firm info & thus emphasize use of financial than strategic controls to evaluate firm. Shifts risk to managers who make decision to maximise their interest & reduce employment risk. Enhance effectiveness of BOD 1. Increase diversity 2. Strengthen internal management & accounting control systems 3. Establish consistent use of formal processes to evaluate BOD performance 4. Creation of ‘lead director' 5. Compensation of director, reduce stock options. )Executive Compensation Use LT incentive plans. Effectiveness: don't link pay to financial outcomes. Manager may focus ST effects to enhance pay. Other factors also affect firm's performance whic h are not under manager's control. Market for Corporate Control (external governance mechanism. The market is a set of potential owners seeking to acquire undervalued firms & earn above average ROIs by replacing ineffective top-level management teams) Used only when internal controls fail. â€Å"Golden parachutes† help them leave while â€Å"Golden hellos† help them to get in the door of the next firm.Hostile Takeover Defensive Strategies â€Å"Poison pill† allows shareholders to convert their rights into large no. of common shares if anyone acquires more than set amount of target's stock to dilute percentage f shares acquiring firm must purchase at premium. Litigation – Lawsuits that help target company stall hostile attacks e. g. antitrust,fraud. Greenmail – repurchase of stocks from agressor at premium for agreement to no longer be targeted for takeover. Standstill agreement – Contract btwn parties in which pursuer agrees not to acquire a ny more stock for specified period for a fee.Capital structure change – Dilution of stock, making it costly for bidder to acquire e. g. recapitalization, new debt, share buybacks, stock selling) Corporate charter amendment – Ammendment to stagger elections of members to the BOD of attacked firm so that all are not elected same year, preventing bidder to install new board in same year. Corporate governance in Germany: 2 tiered board structure, place responsibility of monitoring & controlling managerial decisions & actions with separate groups. Banks exercise sig power as source of financing. Power sharing includes representation from community & unions.Corporate Governance in Japan: Cultural concepts of obligation, family & consensus. Close relationship btwn stakeholder & company through cross-shareholding can negatively impact efficiencies. Keiretsus: Strongly interrelated groups of firms tied tgt by cross-shareholdings. Banks are highly influential with firm's manager s. Global Corporate Governance: Relatively uniform governance structures, moving closer to US corporate governance model. Organizational Structure & Control. Organizational Structure – Specifies firm's formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, authority & decision-making processes.Curcial to match structure with strategy! Controls guide the use of strategy, indicate how to compare actual results with expected results, & suggest corrective actions to take when the difference is unacceptable. Strategic Controls – Largely subjective criteria intended to verify that the firm is using appropriate strategies for theconditions in the external environment & the company’s competitive advantages. Strategic controls are concerned with examining the fit between: What the firm might do (opportunities in its external environment) What the firm can do (competitive advantages).Evaluate the degree to which the firm focuses on the requirements to implement strategy: B L:primary activities. CL(related): sharing of knowledge, markets, technologies across bizs. Financial Controls objective criteria used to measure firm's performance against previously established st&ards. Focus on ST outcomes. ROI, ROA, EVA(economic value addedmarket based measure). ! produces risk-adverse managerial decisions. Essential for unrelated diversification! Simple Structure (owner manager makes all major decisions & monitors activities) Few rules, limited task specialization, basic tech system.Functional Structure(CEO & limited corporate staff make decisions. Functional line managers present. functional specialization from active sharing. ! impedes comm. & cordination among functional areas. Multi-divisional Structure. Operating divisions represent separate biz / profit center. Top corporate officer delegates responsibilities for daily operations & business unit strategies to division managers. ~Ties together all operating divisions. Enables more accurate monitoring of p erformance of each unit. Facilitates comparisons between divisions.Stimulates managers to look for improvements. Matches between BL strategies & Functional Structure 1)For cost leadership strategyWalmart (simple reporting structure, few layers in decision-making & authority, centralized in a staff function. Job specialized.. 2) For differentiation strategy. Complex & flexible reporting relationship, freq use of cross-functional product development teams, strong focus on mkting & R&D. Few formal rules & procedures. Jobs not specialized. Decentralized. 3)For integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy.Diff primary & support activities emphasized. Match between CL Strategy & Multi-divisional Structure(M-form) 1)Cooperative form for related-constrained. Centralized at corporate office; Extensive use of integration mechanism; emphasis on strategic criteria; linked to overall corporate performance. Frequent direct contact btwn division managers. Liason roles in each divisions redu ce time integrating with work occurring in other divisions. Matrix Organization might be formed(dual structure combining both functional specialization & biz product or project specialization.Cooperation among divisions implies loss of managerial autonomy -> managers hesitatnt to cooperate. Use strategic controls to evaluate manager on how well they cooperate. 2)SBUForm for related-linked strategy ! coordination between SBUs is hard. Diff to communicate complex biz model to shareholders. 3)Competitive form for Unrelated Diversification Strategy Decentralized to divisions; no integration mechanism; emphasize on financial criteria; linked to divisional performance. Finance & Auditing & Legal Affairs 2nd tier. Divisions 3 tier. ~internal competition creates flexibility; resources allocated to most potential division.Challenges the status quo & inertia. Motivates efforts due to funding if u are an efficient division. Matches btwn International Strategies & World-wide structure 1)Worldwi de Geog Area for Multidomestic Strategy. Decentralization to business units in each country. No integration mechanisms. Informal coordination ! inability to create global efficiency 2)Worldwide Product Divisional Structure for Global Strategy. Aims to gain EOS & EOSC;Centralized. Integrating mechanism important(e. g. Direct contact btwn managers, liaison roles btwn departments). inability to quikly respond to local needs & preferences; difficulty in coordinating decisions across borders. 3)Combination Structure for Transnational Strategy Global Matrix. ~flexibility in designing products & responding to customer needs. ! employee accountable to 2 boss. Difficult to be simultaneously loyal to both. Can be member of several functional or product group teams. Difficult & time consuming for approval. Hybrid Structure. (some divisions oriented to products while others oriented toward market areas) Matches btwn Cooperative Strategies & Network Structures.Strategic network (group of firms f ormed to create value by participating in multiple cooperative arrangements) can be a form of CA when operations create value that is hard to imitate. Used to implement BL, CL & International Strategies. Strategic center firm(main firm) does: Strategic outsourcing, seek ways to support members effort to develop Core competencies, Manage development & sharing of technology-based ideas(req formal reports of technology-orientated outcomes of their efforts),Emphasizes principal competition are btwn value chains & between networks of value chains.Centralized. Strategic network for BL Cooperative Strategy(horizontal,vertical Chp 9), CL Cooperative Strategies & International Cooperative Strategies(Distributed strategic networks -Several regional strategic centre firms are included in dist network to manage partner firms' multiple cooperative arrangements)

Outline and Evaluate Research Into the Effects of Day Care on Social Development

Belsky and Rovine (1988) conducted a study in order to assess attachment using the strange situation technique. They observed infants who had been receiving 20 hours or more of day care per week before the age of 1. Their findings suggested that, in comparison to children at home, these children were more often insecurely attached. With insecure attachments being associated with poorer social relationships this may be considered a negative effect of day care. The NICHD started a longitudinal study in 1991 to study many aspects of child development. Similarly the NICHD study found that children who were in day care for more than 30 hours a week were 3 times more likely to show behaviour problems when they went to school. By comparing the two studies we can see that the amount of time spent in day care plays an important role in whether or not children showed negative effects. However Violata and Russell’s meta-analysis showed that when time spent in day care exceeds 20 hours a week negative effects become apparent however the NICHD study found this time to be 30 hours therefore the results are contradictory and inconsistent. The EPPE study was a large scale, longitudinal study of the progress and development of 3,000 children in various types of pre-school education across the UK. The results of the EPPE study found that high levels of day care, particularly nursery care in the first 2 years, may elevate the risk of developing anti-social behaviour. To some degree the EPPE study supports the findings of Belsky and Rovine’s study as both found that the age of the child when placed in day care contributed to whether or not it was perceived to have negative implications. However the two studies can only be looked at comparatively to a certain extent as Belsky and Rovine’s study assessed infants under the age of 1 whereas the EPPE study assessed children up to the age of 7. Clarke-Steward et al studied 150 children and found that those who were in day care were consistently more advanced in their social development than children who stayed home with mothers, enabling them to better deal with peer relationships. Likewise, the EPPE study found increased independence and sociability in the children who attended day care. Field (1991) found that the amount of time spent in full-time day care was positively correlated to the number of friends children has once they went to school. However, although these findings suggest that full-time day care had positive effects on the child, the results clash with studies conducted by Belsky and Rovine. This may be due to individual differences of the children assessed in both studies, for example shy children may have appeared insecure when assessed using the strange situation technique by Belsky and Rovine. Moreover the positive correlation shown in Field’s study cannot accurately be used as grounds to state that full-time day care causes children to be more popular as correlation is not causation.

A Study On Structural Formworks In High Rise Building Construction

ABSTRACTIn the most recent couple of years extensive requirement for tall structures has been building up. Specific accentuation has been given to decrease the time duration in finishing of these undertakings. Therefore, formworks have been acquainted in order to diminish time and also work cost of such industries.Structural Form works utilized as a part of the Construction has gigantic favorable circumstances due to the speed of finishing of the building. But as this Auto Climbing System is likewise utilized at great heights these variables could prompt significant dangers. These are for the most part utilized as a part of constructing main wall/ divider which fills in as the foundation of the whole structure of the building.Few of such hazards can consist of workers working on platforms posing a threat of tumbling from tallness, damage from equipment tumbling from stature to the individual working underneath the platform. More preference should be given amid the Jumping/Lifting of such platforms. At the point when the platforms are hoisted from a lower level to a larger , more amount of dangers are presented. The objective for this study is to understand different dangers and risks associated with the utilization of such basic form works in the construction business and give legitimate and suitable methods for control measures.INTRODUCTIONIndia is a fast growing country with its cities growing even faster and expanding to newer limits. Such exceptional growth stories have pulled in people from different parts of India to settle and work in its cities. This has led to growing demand of living space required for city families as well as office spaces for companies and other services .For such development plan, limited city area is one of the key reasons for concern. Specifically the expansion of city spaces through horizontal construction is possible only up to a certain extent and will further lead to shrinking of available area for other projects. Therefore high rise buildings in cities are the need of the hour and an efficient way of land management and utilization.In many developed cities around the world their skylines are as famous as the cities themselves. High rise buildings are not just architectural and infrastructural marvels but become a part of city identity and icon. Tall buildings are a marker of city life as well as a standard of better quality of life. Its main benefit is the ability to accommodate a large amount of people with each vertical ascent and thereby saving up a lot of land. Other benefits include lesser exposure to air and noise pollution but better access to natural light and ventilation while offering a high vantage point view of the city itself.Tall structures offer a refuge from floods but it needs design fortification to protect it from other natural calamities like high intensity wind force and lightning. Therefore safety rules and regulation need to be strictly laid out and followed during construction of high rise buildings. Structural stability and security are key aspects of such building safety as they have to be earthquake and fire resistant .In case of high rise buildings it is their height that determines whether safety compliance needs to be fulfilled or not and as such builders have to overlook and furnish fire and earthquake safety plans and exit routes, rescue spaces, electricity supply, service ducts, elevators among others.The construction of high rise buildings requires advanced technology and machinery to aid in the process. One of such new advancement is the Auto Climbing System which is a hydraulically operated self-climbing formwork system. It is useful because it significantly reduces the completion time of construction projects and safer compared to the traditional method of crane lifted formwork often referred to as jump forms.There is a need to evaluate the saf ety of the platforms installed for a secure working environment as there have been reports of industry accidents occuring when the platform is lifted from one level to another. This technique requires more crane time and is too sluggish, dangerous and inefficient for tall structures where the concrete walls dividers are consistently on the analytical way. Despite the fact that Auto or Self climbing framework is a tremendous advancement in diminishing the time required for completing the project, we cant disregard the small deficiency in these frameworks.The importance of this thesis is to give a secure workplace to the work persons and all the staff performing work on or underneath the platform. Huge importance should be given for the establishment of these platforms. It has been generally seen that ,while lifting or jumping of the platform has been carried out , very less investigation has been done as far as the well being of this specific action is concerned. However, a number of accidents have been accounted for while lifting the platform starting with one level then onto the next.. LITERATURE REVIEWAutomated Climbing System can be generally used for the outer part of the main concrete wall, because of the exterior look of building that is concrete or a tower that supports the cables. One of the main benefits of Automated Climbing system format includes the lack of over wall that acts like an obstruction which in return allows the steel to be put in a proper manner on the ground ; can be carried to places via mats. ACS arrangement is particularly used for the insides of the main wall as well as used for lifting both inside ; outside part of formwork for building.The first step starts with removing the casing, by using carriages, of the previous casting and then by screwing the climbing shoes to the anchor. These climbing shoes are bolted on every platform which is locked automatically. After that the mechanism is swapped which now climbs the unit than the rail, which is generally done at 50cm/min. when the unit reaches the climbing shoe, before disabling the hyd raulics, it is locked using bars and then with the help of carriage, rebar is fixed by positioning the framework which is ready to be finned with concrete, finally completing the construction cycle. While selecting a proper ACS format for a concerned project, factors that need to be decided are: building form, sequence in which construction will take place, the number and time of cycles need to me mentioned properly, work that needs to be reinforced, and specification needed during placement of boom while climbing. Formworks are divided into wide number of types based on different sizes, location where it will be used, equipments needed for construction, operation nature.Major hazards identified in structural formworks†¢ Extreme weather conditions like heavy rain and strong winds can cause problems in hanging type platform. So proper assessment of weather conditions is of utmost importance.†¢ Unauthorized and untrained personnel should not be allowed to operate the platform as improper handling can cause major hazards.†¢ Fall of material from the platform on the ground below can be hazardous to person standing down.†¢ Ladders and scaffolds erected on temporar y basis should be removed otherwise they can fall while lifting is performed. †¢ Strength of concrete should be high enough before fixing the platform.†¢ Length of cord must be long enough for performing lifting of platform otherwise they could get stretched and break causing spillage of hydraulic oil.†¢ Incompetent and untrained members could cause miscommunication while jumping on platform.†¢ Sufficient clearance must be provided between wall and platform so that it doesnt scrape against the wall causing uneven lift.†¢ If protectors are not provided on platform it could cause slipping of profiles and lead to falling of platform.†¢ Proper access of the platform must be maintained to protect worker from getting stuck.Safety norms and procedures to be followed during the operation of the climbing system. a) On site safety for personnelClimbing rescue walls at the edge of the slab and platform with protectors provide effective safety against falling and also provide protection against extreme weather conditions in case of work at height.b) Safety from extreme weather conditions like high wind loadClimbing operations are of two types crane-dependent climbing procedure and self-climbing procedure. 72km/h is the max wind speed for self climbing procedures. According to German standards such structures are designed to withstand high wind loads. For high wind speeds of over 200km/h statistical proof can be provided.c) Manufacturers service for providing safety to the personnelCompetent assembly personnel, engineers and supervisors should be available at all time for providing help beyond initial phase. Regular assembly and training must be conducted. d) Improvement in quality for safetyEN ISO 9001 Quality System is followed for conducting internal procedures of the company. It provides the basis for best quality of the PERI equipment as well as high quality of development standards. Official approval is provided to PERI climbing anchors and quality of its components is maintained.Control measures and recommendations:It is absolutely imperative that the person operating the lifting of the auto climbing Systems of all hazards and risks associated with the working and the functioning of the auto climbing system. Hence we make it mandatory that the person operating has beengivenproper training an all thesafety aspects have been properly explain to him. Only a certifiedoperator from the manufacture should operate the lifting or jumping of the Auto climbing System.Ensure that we observe all the weather conditions while lifting and operating the Auto climbing System. Extreme weather condition such as high wind speed and torrential rain, it is advisablew should not operate it in harsh climate conditions.The next major hazard to look at is if any looseitem is present on the platform being lifted. During lifting, the material could roll onto the ground which could cause serious injuries to the person below. So, all loose materials should be removed from the platform.CONCLUSIONOur main objective is to highlight the various circumstances ; constraints while managing the utilization of the formwork under various conventional conditions. As most of the major undertakings have to be completed under stipulated time period, so, there is no easy or effortless quick fix while using formwork for typical buildings.We should not avoid the hazards associated with the utilization of formwork at work site. In order to just increase the rate of work to decrease the completion period of construction, it will be wrong to simply not notice the safety in construction because it may endanger the lives of each and every people associated with the work.Therefore, it is very important to focus on the various safety features that have been highlighted in this study. The most important question that we all need to ask ourselves is that – should we follow all the safety rules to have a risk free work place in order to complete the project in right time or should we just try to complete the given work by hook or by crook neglecting the rules thereby endangering all our lives as well as others?

Human environmental hazards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human environmental hazards - Essay Example Chemical hazards are considered to be the most common of human environmental hazards because there are numerous types and the majority of them are quite simple for a human to obtain. The majority of people are unaware that they are even being subjected to the many chemicals in the environment until their health becomes compromised. The physical hazards category consists of natural disasters, which are events that human beings have no control over. The greatest danger about physical hazards, besides not being able to control or prevent them, is that they can occur without warning.These events have the ability to harm human life, as well as plant and animal life, and property. Cultural hazards consist of hazards that can often be foreseen, but tend to go unnoticed until it is too late. Cultural hazards come as a result of where we live, our occupation, behavioral choices, and our socioeconomic status.People have the ability to control the majority of cultural hazards, such as taking better care of themselves or living in safe environments, but many people are unaware of the damage that can happen. Biological hazards come about from ecological interaction primarily between human beings, but there are times when other organisms can get involved, such as animals. Biological hazards can be prevented when people are more attentive to their health, cleanliness, and how they interact with other people.

Case study analysis - will upload case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis - will upload - Case Study Example (Yoffie, 2009, p. 1) This notion quite obviously reflects the strategic decisions, which the two companies often come up with to capture the different unexplored segments of the market. However the carbonated soft drinks industry in the United States of America suddenly declined as the annual consumption of carbonated soft drinks decreased in US, and in the year 2004 it reached a constant low. (Yoffie, 2009, p. 1) The two companies definitely got affected by the downward trend of the industry, but in different ways. This particular case study analyzes the strategic management decisions that the two separate companies adopted, in the segments of bottling, pricing and brand promoting, in order to sustain their growth in the declining beverage market of United States. The focus is on the various strategic approaches adopted by the two cola companies in order to attain a desired position in the market. The strategic changes adopted by the two players in the case study ensure that the com petition or the cold war between the two will continue for the years to come. The foundation of Coca-Cola, which is the older of the two companies, dates back to the year 1886. A pharmacist named John Pemberton was the first to discover the formula for the potion and in the year of 1891, Asa Candler obtained the formula and with a specific objective started a sales force to distribute the product under the brand name of Coca-Cola. (Yoffie, 2009, p. 5) The first bottling franchise for the particular company was opened in the year 1899, and the growth rate was so substantial that within a gap of eleven years the company acquired about three hundred and seventy franchises in USA. (Yoffie, 2009, p. 5) With growth and popularity there were also direct threat to the brand image of Coca-Cola as there were an eminent number of imitators in the industry who

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Emergency Management - Assignment Example In contrast, MEPP seeks to improve emergency management capabilities by focusing on already trained personnel. In other words, MEPP is an advancement of emergency management exercises. Hit by significant budget cuts, FEMA could eliminate MEPP and make an integral part of the Independent Study Courses. The idea is to eliminate it as a standalone program but provide for its accommodation in Independent Study Courses. Eliminating Independent Study Courses is not an option because doing so would jeopardize national preparedness goal. Persons with emergency management responsibilities and the public at large need the Independent Study Courses (Jenkins, 2011). Eliminating this important program would create a void in management of emergencies in the public context. Given that MEPP is an advancement program, FEMA should eliminate it because the Independent Study Courses could still provide for advancement opportunities as far as the program is concerned. The social and economic benefits of Independent Study Courses outweigh the improvements covered in the MEPP

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) Assignment

The Gathering Storm and Global War (US History) - Assignment Example The Axis powers wanted to rule the world. If not stopped by the combined efforts of the Allies, this could have been a reality. Without the U.S.’s support, the English, Russians, and other Allies might have failed to defeat the Axis powers. 2) JAPANESE INCARCERATION-Should the survivors of the Japanese prison camps have been given a $20,000 reparations payment from 1988 on, or was their imprisonment just the fortunes of war? Explain. Yes. Japanese prison camps should have been given $20,000 in reparations, not only for their economic and material losses, but also for the emotional turmoil at the loss of security of being an American citizen. If we did not issue reparations, then we would have been worse than the NAZIS. We are supposed to be good guys, although America sometimes makes mistakes. These mistakes need to be acknowledged and paid for. Japanese prison camps were not only a mistake, but wrong as well. 3) ATOMIC BOMB-Was there any better option for Pres. Harry Truman to end WW2 than dropping two atomic bombs on Japan? Explain. No. The Japanese had a different perspective about death. Our goal was to protect as many American lives as possible. The Japanese did not mind dying in kamikaze attacks as long as Americans also died. If the atomic bomb had not been used, the war could have lasted indefinitely. This might have caused more causalities, American and Japanese, than the ones that died in Hiroshima or Nagasaki

Superdry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Superdry - Essay Example This, however, does not translate to the fact that enterprises did not employ business models before this renewed wave of interest, but rather that, the business model did not carry much weight as it is does today. Arguably, the latest advancement in information and communication technologies coupled with the wave of globalization has sparked the recent attention in business model innovation and business model design. In fact, the so-called â€Å"e-businesses† comprise new business models (Riley, 2009). Shafer, Linder and Smith (2005) postulates that majority of these models are related to e-business. Certainly, other forces have been at play in the recent development in business models such as forces resulting from deregulation and increased consumer awareness. New strategies for forces of competition in globally emerging markets have also accelerated researchers and practitioners towards the systematic study of business models (Grant, 2001). Most academics study concurs that, for companies to be successful in such different and ever dynamic environments, it is imperative to come up with innovative business models (John, 2008). In point of fact, globally motivated enterprises that aim to reach the top ladder in the global markets must find business innovations and model an important constituent (McWilliams, 2000). Therefore, it is precisely right to state that, for an organization to thrive in the current dynamic markets, the management must have hands on skills in business models. In this regard, this study will attempt to look at various models that can be used by Super Dry in the endeavor to become a globally competitive fashion industry (IBM, 2006). Superdry owes its existence to a British international corporation, Super Group Plc. The Superdry products include fashion and clothing line designed in Americana styling inspired with Japanese

Marketing Presentation Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing Presentation Report - Coursework Example Tele Cinch’s and Blackberry’s core and actual elements and finally compare their distribution and marketing communication strategies from a critical point of view. Furthermore, the report will evaluate whether their strategies are similar or dissimilar to that of each others. Identifying the Products’ Core, Actual and Augmented Elements Tele Cinch 1.0 The innovative designing of the phone has deliberately contributed towards the modernised definition of smart phone devices by providing unique features such as large buttons and long lasting battery power. Furthermore, core elements, such as heating function and speech dialling are especially integrated in the handset to provide convenient facilities to the aged groups that the brand targets the most. Moreover, the brand assures its customers that it is user friendly and easy to use among all other available smart phones. Furthermore, in relation to its distribution operations, it assures to deliver the product wit hin 48 hours at any place desired by the customer. In addition, the brand provides augmented elements like 3 years guarantee to all its products along with a replacement warranty to enhance its customer relationship providing assistance through its technical support team. Blackberry Bold 9900 The brand claims that this actual product is the thinnest smart phone in their product line up. The uniquely integrated ‘Liquid Graphics’ touch screen ensures life time durability to the customers while using its features such as swiping, zooming and pinching photos and videos. A few core elements incorporated in this product are ‘Vlingo’ which enables ‘speech to operate’ facilities that enable the user to use their voice for writing messages, opening applications, setting statuses on Twitter along with numerous other activities. Moreover, the brand claims that its operating system makes it the fastest Blackberry till date (Research In Motion Limited, 2012 ). The Blackberry Bold’s augmented elements are its innovative applications that are available to the user free of cost, its built-in Near Field Communications (NFC) that enables connecting with other NFC enabled devices and the useful accessories that the brand provides for the convenience of the users, such as travel charger, Bluetooth headsets and external battery charger bundle (Research In Motion Limited, 2012). Comparing the Distribution and Marketing Communication Strategy Tele Cinch 1.0: Distribution Strategy The brand uses traditional style of distribution process that include finished products transferring from manufacturers to the wholesaler to the retailer and finally to the end customers (Bucklin, 1965). Furthermore, the brand, at times follows different approaches of skipping the wholesaler and transferring directly to the retailer or skipping both the wholesaler and retailer and selling it directly to the customers. Blackberry Bold 9900: Distribution Strategy T he brand uses various modern approaches while distributing its products. It focuses on partnering with resellers to sell the various products. The products are also sold directly to the c

Leadership, Ethics and Irrational Behavior Essay

Leadership, Ethics and Irrational Behavior - Essay Example Definition of Terms To be able to understand the interrelationships and implications of the concepts, it is important to individually define the terms. Leadership is the manner by which a leader handles people and resources to achieve common organizational goals. The leader is a person who has the capability to influence a group of individuals in the process of attaining the objectives of the group (Northouse, 2009, p.3). Leadership can be affected by different factors such as the traits and the manner by which a person leads and influences others. For that matter, it can then be considered to have correlation with the character and behavior of a leader (p.5). This is where the concepts of ethics and irrational behaviors enter. Ethics is related to the decorum, which based on the purpose of the study is related to the proper attitude within an organization. One definition had been presented through the model of living code of ethics in a positive ethical organization which showed eth ical organizational identity as the product of the interaction between the authentic leadership, aligned processes, and ethical culture of the organization (Verbos et al., 2007, p.19). Based on the said definition, leadership and ethics in an organization are contributing factors to the success and achievement of goals. Irrational behavior is the third concept in the study which represents the challenges and the hindrances encountered by the leaders of organizations. This concept represents the lapse of judgment or mistake in the decision-making process committed by the leader of an organization. Due to the fact that the occurrence of such mistakes can be considered inevitable due to complexity of interactions of the different factors within an organization, the science of irrational behavior is one of the main subjects in the study (Brafman and Brafman, 2009, p.1). The Relationship of Ethics and Leadership It is an ideal notion that leadership and ethics work hand in hand for the a chievement of goals. Although perceived as good for the organization, this is not always the case due to the different factors that can affect the decision making process and the perception of a leader and the members of the group. In the study by Caldwell and colleagues, the leaders were described as â€Å"ethical stewards† and stress the importance of trust and leadership in an organization. The authors presented an ethical stewardship analysis that discusses the different issues of governance, the ethical stewardship characteristic and the leadership implication. One issue presented was the ethical focus. Based on the study, by focusing on ethical goals, there is commitment not only to the interest of the society but to the welfare, virtues and rights of the members of the society. In this case, the leader will not only focus on the profitability of the company but on the welfare of the people in the society (Caldwell et al., 2008, p.155). In general, the study presented t he positive influence of ethics in the achievement of a focused and rational form of leadership in an organization. One example that can be cited is the case of spiritual, philosophical or religious leaders. In the study by Heine, he focused on the relationship between the success in business and the decision-making ad interpersonal skills shaped by the philosophical and spiritual outlooks of the different cultures around the world and the different eras through history. Based on the conclusion of the study, a deep

Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Nigeria Essay Basically, Nigeria is a plural society and heterogeneous in virtually all the facet of life. The custom and tradition of Nigerians is so diverse to the extent that Nigeria as a country is now confronted with the problem of religion and ethnicity towards their political stability. The origin and history of ethnic conflict (societal wars and violence) can be traced from eternal (internal) state rivalry to external (physical). And its root cause is not very far from power competition and decision making over economic resources and other important human factor, like position. The implementation process has always involved more than one or two persons. In general concept, the author of this work traces conflict back to the first and early Patriarchal of human history and ever since then, there has been an increase (in various dimensions) of Conflict in the face of human world. Some are personal (internal) conflict, family, community, and group, intellectual, state, national and international in nature, to mention but few. In conforming to this idea, Badawi (2006) in his statement titled â€Å"World Apart† stated thus, â€Å"indeed the greatest discord today is among the descendants of Abraham. These are the people of the book, the followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, who had in fact shared a common beginning in the religion of Abraham†. In shedding more light in the above statement, Badawi statement goes far beyond religion, rather, he was tracing one of the earliest source of conflict which Badawi mentioned the off-springs of the said Abraham. Even before Abraham, there had been conflict, so it is as old as human history down to the Abrahamic period, to ancient kingdoms, Dukes, and Kings. In about 88 B. C. , King Mithriadates VI of Pontus invaded Roman territory in Asian Minor. He advised Asian debtors to kill their Roman creditors. Happy to reduce their credit card bills, the Asians massacred 80,000 Romans. Ethno-political conflicts have greatly shaped our present world and of course have its structural phenomenon, (William Easterly, 2001). For instances, the conflict we now call Israeli and Palestinian war, has been an ever-lengthening sort. The Assyrian, Babylonian war, by King Nebuchadnezzar of the hanging Garden in history, the Persia war, Alexander the Great (the Macedonian mad man in history), the German war of Adolf’s. Hitler, the Roman wars, narrowing all these down, we came to the horn of African continent which seem to be an epidemic field of conflicts of diverse kinds till date. The giant-lion of African continent, just like the origin of conflict is said to have stated very old in human history, even so in the case of Nigeria, which can be traced to the colonial period of history. Conflict takes different sizes and shapes with diverse reasons and purposes. Majority of the conflicts takes time before their escalation and at such, could have been transformed right at their respective early stages. The history of ethnicity and ethnic conflicts in Nigeria is also traced back to the colonial transgressions that forced the ethnic groups of the northern and southern provinces to become an entity called Nigeria in 1914. In the case of Nigeria situation, disturbing history of colonialism, this generated hatred and conflict among different ethnic groups. The task of addressing this seed of conflict planted by the British has been a complex one. After weakening the former diverse kingdoms, Emperors, etc now called Nigeria and reordering the groups’ politics, the colonial powers failed in nation building and providing for the peoples basic needs. Hence, unemployment, poverty increase, and due to these, conflict over scarce resources ensue. The Southern and Northern protectorates were also being amalgamated into a nation. Thereafter, the merging of different colonies into one country called Nigeria was forcefully done without the peoples consent. This was a major seed of conflict that is still troubling Nigeria today. This article is focused on the historical incidents of ethnic conflicts in within Nigeria societies, the cause of the conflicts and perhaps, the government actions towards ethnic conflict in the country. In conclusion, this paper will explore into decision-making (by the elites and those in authority) process has contributed immensely in generating the syndromes of conflict in the said state. The Nigerian political situation has witnessed more breaking of heads, than counting them. In fact, even when it has been convenient for heads to be counted, the outcome has always been the breaking of heads instead. Conflict in Nigeria is so intense because of lack of democratic behaviour. The head of the individual in the democratic context signifies citizenship. So when heads are broken in the Nigerian political community, the issue in respect of broken heads is citizenship. If conflict in Nigeria means the absence of democratic behaviour, it follows, therefore, that conflict in Nigeria is interwoven with the absence of democratic governance. Gurr (2000): has also shown that the incidence of conflicts at the global level declined in recent years with the deepening of democratisation. Nation-states where conflicts persist are those where what obtains is the democratisation of disempowerment (Ake 1996). Beyond the veneer of elections, the state remains ambushed, privatised, repressive and unpopular. The people who were tantalised by the prospect of a democratic revolution that would terminate decades of alienation and pauperisation have been short changed and given a ‘choice less democracy’ (Mkandawire 1999). The ‘credibility gap’ which fostered the De-linkage of the people from the state, and ignited social forces to struggle for democracy, is not being bridged (Rothchild 1995: 58). African peoples out of clear rational calculations sans atavistic attachments have turned their backs on the state ‘and given their loyalty to sub-national social formations such as the community, the sub nationality or ethnic groups’ (Ake 2000: 114). It is against this backdrop that the proliferation and exacerbation of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria in the post-transition period can be appreciated. This article adopts an analytical framework that holds that The interface between ethnicity and democratisation is found in absence of effective citizenship and good governance in post-transition societies. In the circumstance that democracy does not go beyond the conduct of multiparty elections to include improvement in the quality of life of the people, there is frustration, and people who already feel alienated from the state are vulnerable and likely to be mobilised around counter-elites who exploit extant popular alienation from the state by whipping up sectarian sentiments. This has been the case in Nigeria and several multi-ethnic states of Africa (Osaghae 1994). Although the foregoing theoretical discussion has focused on ethnicity, the term ethno-religious is adopted because some of the recent violent conflicts to be examined were triggered by religious issues. The relevance of religion is also underlined by the fact that in Nigeria ethnic boundaries tend to coincide with religion, with the exception of the Yoruba ethnic group (Ibrahim 1999). The Nigeria state was amalgamated in the year 1914 by lord lugard. The various geographical areas or territory which was amalgamated to form Nigeria by the colonialist comprises of various cleavages, clans, towns even there were kingdoms and chiefdoms with diverse culture, language, religion, norms values, customs and political structures etc. The focus of the research monogram is to examine the role of religion and ethnicity in Nigeria nascent democracy. In Nigeria especially, religion plays a very vital and influential role in the society that has manifested itself as a potent force in the political development of the Nigerian state from pre-independence to post-independence. Hardly can the Nigerian state be talked about without reference to religion (Kukah, 1994; Falola, 1990; Kenny, 2006; International IDEA, 2000; Suberu, 2009). However, religion in Nigeria, at different levels, is mostly mentioned in negative terms. Or rather, historical events linked to religion tilts more towards its negative than its positive contribution to the Nigerian state. The Jihad, the civil war propaganda, the Sharia law controversy, the tensions provoked by the Nigerian accession to the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the incessant religious crises that have engulfed the Northern part mainly indicate that religion cannot be ignored or wished away in the Nigerian political development. Several religious crises have occurred in Nigeria. They have been documented as academic dissertations for some of them. This piece of work does not intend to start the discourse on religious violence anew but only recognizes the fact that as a recurrent phenomenon it is worth being explored further. Thus â€Å"Boko Haram† menace which gained global recognition and even press support ranging from July 2009 till date is a the central focus of this study together with other riots which has engulfed the Nigeria state from 1999 till date which most Nigeria educated elite believed that religion and ethnicity were the basic causes. The educated elite have conducted series of research on what the causes of this violent riots maybe. Most have concluded that it can be traced and linked to the failure of governance in Nigeria. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS The mistake of 1914 has polarised the Nigeria society together with its citizens in which loyalty to the State is a mirage instead people pay loyalty to their various families and ethnic groups the effect of this can be traced to 1967 civil-war which disintegrate the country or in the political system which almost lead to secession of the country with the easterner believed to be the aggrieved ethnic in the war. Similarly Nigeria has a long history of religious crisis which has affected the political instability of Nigeria. The maintasine riot of 1980 can be said to be the first major religious riot in Nigerian history, claiming about 800 lives. The Boko Haram insurgence in the northern part of the country which has been directed mainly against the Christians, they have suffered a lot both physically, psychologically, economically, spiritually and even politically in the far North which has led political writers and pundits to affirm that Boko Haram conflict has its roots in Religion. The thrust of this work will be to examine the underlying reasons behind political instability in Nigeria using religion and ethnicity as a paradigm. 1. 3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY. The study will cover the impacts of religion and ethnicity towards the stabilization or in- stabilization of the Nigeria political system it will cover how religion and ethnicity have impacted on the political stability of Nigeria. Furthermore the study will emphasize more on the role the government is playing in stabilizing the un-stabilized country. 1. 4OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The following can be regarded as the aims and objective of the study 1. To know the meaning of religion, ethnicity, political stability, and political instability 2. To know how religion and ethnicity have negatively impacted on Nigerian political development 3. To develop possible solutions and panaceas to the problems of religions and ethnicity to Nigerian political in-stability 1. 5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1 What meaning does religion, ethnicity and political instability carries 2 How has religion and ethnicity impacted on the political stability of Nigeria 3 what are the possible solutions to the problem of religion and ethnicity in Nigeria political system 1. 6 JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY Many a developing countries of the world are currently experiencing the problems which ethnicity and religion have caused. The ethnic problem which led to the apartheid era in South Africa is also the same ethnicity and religion problem which has almost disintegrated the Nigerian State. Recalling back to what happen during the civil war in the late sixties and early seventies which led to the introduction of the national youth service corp. by the then military president General Yakubu Gowon which aim at integrating back the almost disintegrated country. Books, Journals, Magazines, Pamphlets, and lot of researches have been written and carried out respectively on the issue of ethnicity and religion, and its impact on the Nigeria political stability. This research work will serve as an additional material to the issue on ethnicity and religion to political instability in Nigeria, this work will focus more on ethnicity and religion and its impact on Nigerian politics 1. 7RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will be based on secondary data collections ranging from books, Journals Newspapers, News Magazines, Pamphlets and even the Internet. In conducting any research basically there are two methodologies employed by researchers which are the primary and the secondary methods. This research work will be basically conducted using the secondary methodology as earlier mentioned. 1. 8DEFINITION OF TERMS Ethnicity: According to the oxford advance learners dictionary ethnicity can simply mean â€Å"the fact of belonging to a particular race† from the dictionary meaning we can deduced the fact that Humans believed in race and they have passion for race which leads to humans ethnocentrism i. e. highly ethnocentric in nature. Ethnicity has a strategic interaction of persons and other actors, who have different beliefs, attitude’s, values and goals as they decide particular conflict the distribution of resource’s and general issues of political rules within a context of norms, expectations and institutions. Any of the rule, expectation and institutions may be reversed, maintained or inverted by the individual who win the right to control them, in the course of those political negotiations that are sometimes called cooperation, and sometimes called war, and are usually somewhere between the two. In another sense, ethnic identity are political resources just like money or vote. Instrumentalist like Micheal Banton and Micheal Hecthtar, argue that ethnic identity are not inherent in group or socio-formation of people. They see ethnic identity as socio-capital brought to bear on the political negotiation table by different groups and at different times. Hutchinson and Smith also argue that ethnic identity are an important resource that political Elite employ in securing the support of the masses as a strategy for gaining a desired good. These goods and or goals are â€Å"measured in terms of wealth, power, and status and†¦ joining or national communities helps to secure these ends either by influencing the state, or in certain situations, through secession. Religion: religion on its own part can be regarded as the belief in the existence of God or gods and the activity that are connected in the worship of them. Religion can also be stress further by meaning one of the system of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular God or gods. For example the Jewish religion, Christianity Islam and other world religion. Furthermore in the classical and ancient ages religion has achieved a lot in their politics for example the doctrine of Islam was used in many Arab nations has their constitution even up till the present age. The Ancient Romans, also, during the time of Constantine accepted Christianity as a religion and a mode of life which also affected their political terrain. Religion in the 21 century is now used narrowly towards Christianity and Islam even though other religion still exist but the former two religion have elevated to prominence that other religion are now beneath them. For instance about Political stability: can depict the mean of a system of politics in which the government of that State is experiencing a stable government and peaceful existence in the State or in otherworld’s a legitimately accepted government by the people. Democratically governed States are believed to be stable. In the global sense every political entity must be ruled democratically without internal oppression or external aggression. Any country of the world that is free from the aforementioned point are regarded as stable political system in other words internal oppression has cause a lot of havoc to many democracies of the world which has infringed on their stability as noted by Ojo 2002. Descent Rule: These covers a larger set of cases that we commonly understand to be ethnic than the rules that ethnic groups must have a myth of common ancestry or common origin. But it excludes several cases in which individuals routinely consider themselves, and are considered as members, of a group that we classify as ethnic even when their parents were not coded as members of this group. Take for example the category â€Å"Yoruba† when it was invented in Nigeria in the nineteenth century. At this time period, the parents of those who were classified as Yoruba were not themselves classified as Yoruba for the reason that this category did not exist during their lifetimes. According to Descent Rule, then, the category Yoruba in the nineteenth century would not be coded as ethnic. But the category Yoruba is universally coded as an ethnic category by all comparative political scientists, without making a distinction between time periods. As another example, consider the category â€Å"Backward Caste† in India, which included as members individuals who possessed a given set of last names and/or ancestral occupations. The category was introduced by the Indian Central Government in 1990. Within a few years, 52% of the Indian population classified itself and was classified as backward. Yet the parents of those who termed themselves â€Å"Backward Caste† were not coded by themselves or by others as â€Å"Backward Caste† because, as in the case of the first generation of Yoruba’s, this category did not exist during their lifetimes Democracy: According to Abraham Lincoln he defines democracy as the government of the people by the people and for the people. In this wise democracy connotes a system of government in which all the people in a country will have the outright say on the government of their country although in a representative manner meaning that they will elect representatives that will represent their interest in the government. Advanced countries if the world where democracy is practiced completely they have national identity as opposed to the developing world where they have ethnic identity. Advanced democracies always believe in secularism in which every religion is accepted and embraced not a system in which part will have cognisance to a religion and the other will believe in other religion causing serious tension in such states like Nigeria. Federalism : Elasar (cited in Akande, 1996:1)† the formation of European union (EU) which simply begun as a trading partnership for coal and steel is now moving towards a more integrated political union founded upon federal principle of governance†. The African union (AU) which is the federation of African counties where a central government intended to be created with sharing or division of power among the federating unit, even the world highest organization body united Nation have in some little degree, evolved the principle of federalism. Federalism is a system of government which embraces unity in diversity. Federalism as a system of government is one in which there will be central and regional governments each one autonomous of each other.

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Essay Example for Free

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Essay The evidence-based practice guideline that I chose is titled, â€Å"Myocardial Infarction,† written by the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim. The intended users for this guideline are health care providers and physicians. The target population is individuals with suspected or known myocardial infarction. The objective of this guideline is to â€Å"collect, summarize, and update the core clinical knowledge essential in general practice† and â€Å"describe the scientific evidence underlying the given recommendations.† (Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, 2008) Clarity and Researchability of the Study’s Purpose and Question According to the researchers, the purpose of the study is â€Å"to test how teaching format (factual versus storytelling) and restructuring the social norm of caring for others to caring for self affects how women learn to identify and respond to myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms. † (McDonald, Goncalves, Almario, Krajewski, Cervera, Kaeser, et al., 2006, p.216) I feel that the purpose of the study is significant to nursing because nurses need to educate patients about what symptoms to observe for and report to their primary care providers. Also, if this study could determine which teaching format would better assist patients in acknowledging significant symptoms of an MI needed to contact EMS, then nurses could possibly be better able to educate patients about those symptoms. I believe that the study title of â€Å"Assisting Women to Learn Myocardial Infarction Symptoms,† is more general than the three research questions listed in the study: (a) â€Å"Are women who are taught how to recognize and respond to symptoms of an MI using a storytelling format more likely to be able to identify symptoms and plan to get help than women who are taught the same information using a factual format?†, (b) â€Å"Does teaching women to cognitively restructure the ‘caring for others’ social norm to ‘caring for self’ make them more likely to identify symptoms of an MI and plan to call EMS than women who are not taught this form of cognitive restructuring?†, and (c) â€Å"Are women who have been taught MI symptoms and response using the storytelling format and who were taught cognitive restructuring of the ‘caring for others’ to ‘caring for self’ social norms more likely to identify symptoms of an MI and plan to call EMS than women who were provided factual information about MI symptoms and response, and who were not offered cognitive restructuring?† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217-218) The two independent variables identified in the study are â€Å"teaching format (factual vs. storytelling) and social norms (caring for others first vs. caring for self)† and the dependent variable is â€Å"the posttest knowledge of MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) The American Heart Association (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) states that â€Å"heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women and kills over 248,000 women each year in the United States.† Mosca, Ferris, Fabunmi, Robinson (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) states that â€Å"the majority of women remain unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, despite a significant increase in awareness since 2000.† While the assumptions of the researchers are not clearly stated, I would assume that the researchers believe that women need to be further educated about the symptoms of MI in order â€Å"to avoid disabling or life-ending consequences from MI.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) Adequacy and Relevance of the Literature Review I feel that the literature review is relevant to the problem because they discuss the differences in MI symptoms among genders and which symptoms were commonly reported by women. DeVon and Zerwic (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216-217) â€Å"reviewed studies on gender differences in MI symptoms and concluded that symptoms were similar across gender; however, in seven studies back pain, dyspnea, and nausea and vomiting occurred more frequently in women.† According to McSweeney, O’Sullivan, Cody, Crane (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) â€Å"women who have experienced an MI often describe additional symptoms besides chest pain, such as weakness, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, diaphoresis, nausea, feeling flushed or dizzy, or a heavy feeling in the arms.† The literature review also discusses the possible reasons for why women delay in contacting EMS when symptoms of MI do occur. Finnegan et al (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) states that â€Å"women might delay responding to their own MI symptoms to meet their caregiver responsibilities.† The literature review is logically organized, because it clearly talks about the differences among identification of MI symptoms among genders, along with the possible reasons for the delay among women in reporting their symptoms in order to receive immediate attention. The discussion about women not wanting to take care of themselves in order to continue assuming the responsibility of caring for their families, supports the research question of â€Å"cognitively restructuring the ‘caring for others’ social norm to ‘caring for self’.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) I feel that the 23 references used were appropriate for this study. The dates of the references range from 1989 to 2005, with this study being published in the May/June 2006 issue of Public Health Nursing. Majority of the references (20/23) had to deal with heart disease, while the remaining three discussed (a) theory of planned behavior, (b) story telling as a tool, and (c) applied multivariate statistics. Both, primary and secondary sources were used as references. Agreement between Purpose, Design, and Methods The study design described is â€Å"a pretest posttest full factorial experimental design with educational format (storytelling vs. factual) by social norms (restructuring the social norm of â€Å"caring for others† vs. no restructuring).† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"a true experimental design has three identifying properties: (a) randomization, (b) control, and (c) manipulation† (p.179). In the study, the researchers randomly assigned the participants to one of four groups, each group receiving a different type of informational MI symptom pamphlet. LoBiondo-Wood Haber also state that â€Å"experimental designs are the most powerful for testing cause-and-effect relationships due to the control, manipulation, and randomization components† (p.185), which I think makes the design appropriate for answering the research questions in this study. Data was collected by having participants respond in writing first to a demographic form, and then to a Heart Attack Survey, both before and after, reading an informational pamphlet about MI symptoms. â€Å"The Heart Attack Survey consisted of two questions. The first question was open ended, ‘list all of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack that you are aware of.’ The second question used a 0-10 scale, with the corresponding anchors definitely would not call and definitely would call, to measure the behavioral intention of calling 911 within 30 min if heart attack symptoms occur.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) I feel that their data collection procedure is logical and practical because paper-and-pencil instruments â€Å"are most useful for collecting data on variables that cannot be directly observed or measured by physiological instruments.† (LoBiondo-Wood Haber, 2010, p.274) The researchers did not clearly discuss their instruments in terms of content validity and reliability. LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) define validity as â€Å"the extent to which an instrument measures the attributes of a concept accurately† and reliability as â€Å"the ability of an instrument to measure the attributes of a concept or construct consistency† (p.286). I think that both of their instruments were valid since the demographic form only measured demographic info, and the Heart Attack Survey only measured the number of MI symptoms the participants knew along their intent to call 911. However, I do not think the Heart Attack Survey was very reliable, since the researchers did mention that many of the women did not answer the same MI symptoms on the posttest that they had mentioned on the pretest. If the instrument was reliable, I would believe that the posttest would have the same MI symptoms as listed on the pretest, along with any new symptoms the women learned from reading the informational pamphlets. Suitability of the Sampling Procedure and the Sample I feel that the researchers used a convenience sample consisting of 113 adult women. The women were recruited by graduate nursing student data collectors in shopping malls, restaurants, and other public areas. â€Å"Inclusion criteria included of (1) female, and (2) age 25 years or older, and (3) able to speak, read, and understand English or Spanish. Exclusion criteria included (1) previous MI, (2) physician or nurse, or (3) current or past EMS worker.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) Descriptive characteristics of the sample include: (a) a mean age of around 42 years, (b) majority of participants having a high school education, with about an additional 36% having higher education, (c) most women were white, with next largest racial group consisting of black Americans, (d) nearly more than half being of non-Hispanic ethnicity, (e) few women having personal history of heart disease, while around half reported family history of heart disease, and (f) half reporting having careg iver responsibilities. I think the sample size was adequate for the study. The researchers state that â€Å"a small effect size for the intervention effect was anticipated based on the REACT findings† and â€Å"the sample size needed for a four-group multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with a power of 0.80, a significance level of .05, two dependent variables, and a small anticipated effect size was n=115.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) There were an additional seven participants, but were not included in the final sample because they provided incomplete data, by not completing both the pretest and the posttest. The researchers state that â€Å"there were no significant differences between women completing the study and women not completing the study for age, ethnicity, race, marital status, education, having health insurance, a personal history of heart disease, a family history of heart disease, or responsibility for caring for others.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) The researchers state that â€Å"the study was approved for human subjects’ protection by the university internal review board.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) The researchers also state in their study that â€Å"each participant was provided verbal informed consent and a copy of the study information sheet.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) Correctness of Analytic Procedures The statistical procedures named in the study are: (a) analysis of variance (ANOVA), (b) χ2 (chi-square), (c) Pearson’s r correlation, (d) t test, and (e) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is a statistic that measures differences among group means and uses a statistical technique to equate the groups under study in relation to an important variable† (p.574). In the study, McDonald, et al., (2006) tested the three research questions through ANCOVA: The two independent variables—teaching format (factual vs. storytelling) and social norms (caring for others first vs. caring for self)—were entered as the grouping variable. The pretest knowledge of MI symptoms served as the covariate, and the posttest knowledge of MI symptoms was entered as the dependent variable. (p.220) Since the study wanted to know the type of MI symptoms that the women could identify, the level of measurement for this study would be nominal. According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"when data are at the nominal level and the researcher wants to determine whether groups are different, the researcher uses the chi-square (χ2)† (p.326). The MI symptoms would be considered categorical variables because they could have â€Å"more than two true values†; also, since only one point was given to each symptom identified, â€Å"there was no order† to the variables. (LoBiondo-Wood Haber, 2010, p.312) The researchers listed several p values in their study: (a) â€Å"the factual information with the social norms restructured group had more White participants (26.6%) and less non-White participants (0.9%) than the other conditions, χ2(3) = 7.94, p .05†, (b) â€Å"women responding to the English instruments reported significantly more symptoms (M = 6.4; SD = 2.73) than women (n=29) responding to the Spanish instruments (M = 4.7; SD = 3.26), t (111) = 2.75, p .007†, and (c) â€Å"for the pretest the number of MI symptoms and the 911 response score were unrelated, r (113) = 0.16, p .09, and slightly related, r (113) = 0.20, p .04, on the posttest.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"the minimum level of significance acceptable for nursing research is 0.05† (p.322). Clarity of Findings The findings described under the results section state that â€Å"the women identified significantly more MI symptoms after reading the MI pamphlet.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) â€Å"Table 1contains frequencies for the entire sample of the most frequently identified MI symptoms on the pretest and posttest.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) Table 1 highlights the finding that a majority of the MI symptoms were identified more frequently on the posttest when compared to the pretest. â€Å"Table 2 contains group frequencies for identified MI symptoms, with pretest frequencies for each of the four groups preceding the posttest frequencies,† which highlights the finding that â€Å"no significant group differences emerged for storytelling and social norms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) While the results did show that â€Å"women generally learned three more MI symptoms to add to their previous knowledge of the commonly identified MI symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm pain,† the results also discuss that â€Å"the storytelling versus factual format for teaching women about MI symptoms did not affect how women learned MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.221) I feel that these results show that more research is needed in order to find a way to adequately teach women the symptoms of MI and which symptoms would require them to quickly contact 911. While I do not think the conclusions are generalized beyond the sample, I agree with the researchers when they state that it is important for everyone to know that â€Å"MI symptoms are ambiguous, and that even when people are unsure about their MI symptoms they should always call 911.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.222) The researchers state in their study that there were â€Å"several potential limitations† that could have impacted their results: (a) participants were recruited from the community and might not have carefully read the informational pamphlets, â€Å"potentially reducing the amount of information learned†, (b) the words ‘heart attack’ were not included in â€Å"the content of the factual group pamphlets,† which might have led the women in that group to not associate the â€Å"symptom information with MI symptoms,† (c) â€Å"the pretest and posttest were identical and separated only by the time taken to read the intervention pamphlet† which as a result â€Å"might not reflect symptoms that the women later remember and identify as potential MI symptoms,† (d) â€Å"many women did not include all of the MI symptoms that they wrote on the pretest, decreasing the score that they received for identifying MI symptoms,† (e) â€Å"the MI symptom score did not reflect if the same symptom was included on the pretest and posttest, or if commonly occurring but less frequently recognized MI symptoms were learned,† and (f) â€Å"the 911 scale proved to be an inadequate measure of response to MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.222) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"a research study using a true experimental design is commonly called a randomized control trial (RCT)† (p.179). LoBiondo-Wood Haber also state that â€Å"an individual RCT generates Level II evidence because of the minimal bias introduced by this design through use of randomization, control, and manipulation† (p.179). Since this study used a â€Å"pretest posttest full factorial experimental design† and â€Å"the participating women were randomly assigned, using a web-based random number generator, to one of the four experimental conditions,† I would classify this study as an RCT generating Level II evidence. (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) According to the evidence-based practice guideline that I chose, â€Å"instead of chest pain, acute dyspnoea may be the primary symptom† and â€Å"the diagnosis should be made without delay since early therapy improves the prognosis decisively.† (Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, 2008) I feel that the results of this study support the guideline because it is important for women to be able to recognize the symptoms of MI early on and â€Å"be aware of their risk for an MI so that they can secure immediate emergency medical care when symptoms of an MI occur.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) References Finnish Medical Society Duodecim. (2008). Myocardial infarction. Retrieved from the National Guideline Clearinghouse website. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15doc_id=12794nbr=006596string=myocardial+AND+infarction LoBiondo-Wood, G., Haber, J. (2010). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence- based practice, 7th Ed. St. Louis: Mosby. McDonald, D. D., Goncalves, P. H., Almario, V. E., Krajewski, A. L., Cervera,

Policy Issues in US Healthcare

Policy Issues in US Healthcare Jessie E Salters   POLICY/ADVOCACY PROJECT The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, nonpartisan research institute. The Foundations mission is to improve the lives of Georgians through public policies that enhance economic opportunity and freedom. The Foundation is state orientated, independent, and without particular interest towards any political group. Georgias Public Policy Foundation conducts scholarly research and analysis of state public policy issues and work to educate citizens, policy makers and the media. Several events throughout the state are hosted each year to discuss issues relating to public policy issues that affect Georgians. The present policy issue of significance that this agency is actively seeking to address is health care spending. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, (georgiapolicy.org/2016/08/guide-issues-health-care) the government office of accountability non health care spending accounts for the consistent overall percentage of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over time, however health spending increases at an overwhelming rate. Funds that are spent on Social Security, defense, domestic programs, etc., excluding interest expense left unattended causes unsustainable federal deficit spending. This type of spending overshadows other budget interests pertaining to education and transportation thus causing health care spending to strain Georgias families budgets. Health care is very complex and has many challenges to try and address as a whole. The Georgia Public Policy Foundations plan to address the issue is by focusing their attention on what they consider to be policy issues that are misrepresentative of our health care system. The Foundation is addressing the federal tax policy, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and coverage for pre-existing conditions.   The Foundation proposed to tighten gaps within the federal tax policy by redefining refundable tax credits to allow unused credits to reimburse safety net providers. This is assumed to be the most impartial way to improve access to health care and provide individuals with alternative ways to purchase health care insurance. The uncompensated care issues caused by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act would be alleviated by use of the tax credits. The tax credits would assist in the transparency between employers provided insurance vs. commercially purchased insurance. To prevent take-over by employer insurance the tax credits would only be offered to employees that dont have employer insurance. Pre-existing conditions would be address by replacing costly regulations with high-risk pools. This is beneficial to individuals who are considered to be medically uninsurable based on certain health conditions or reasons.   The Georgia Public Policy Foundations expected response as a result of their advocacy efforts would be a sound health policy with the characteristics being Patient Centered, Security for the Sickest, Equitable Tax Treatment, Personal Responsibility, Access for All, and Transparency. In reverence to the above current policy issue the article by Alan R. Weil, Coverage Expansion, Accountable Care, and More. Health Affairs 36, no.1 (2017):7 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1607 expressed concerns that are associated with the above policy issues. This article identified health care as a primary talking point during the election year. The Affordable Care Act was considered to make Health Care accessible and affordable for all. However, health care coverage expansion, accountable care, and disparities are issues associated with the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. Health care premiums continued to sky rocket in 2016. The health care market is difficult to measure since insurance premiums continued to change from year to year and underwriting has a significant effect on prices. Premium increases are based on the prices of product offered and not products people actually buy. Health Affairs, (2016.1607) reported disparities in California that showed individuals switched their insurance plans to the plan of lowest cost. This in turn caused a rise in the amount of money paid by enrollees, more than individuals that were only searching for insurance. Reports indicated a third of individuals did not received insurance discounts due to the lack of knowledge or because of obtaining the insurance out of the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Medicare Shared Savings Programs used data that was from two years of services provided by accountable care organizations (ACOs) that indicated racial and ethnic disparities.   New payment procedures are needed to ensure a positive quality of healthcare is provided and accessible. Cost and health care quality in the Alternative Quality Contract (AQC) was compared among enrollees in regions of Massachusetts with lower and higher socioeconomic status which found disparities in process measures but not in outcome measures. Medicare subsidies are not equal to the quality and improvements as in the Alternative Quality Contract. The information contain in this article illustrate and support the need for advocacy in implementing consumer driven health care reforms. This article describes how difficult it is to achieve health care at the local, state and federal levels due to systematic and controversial differences that are prevalent and are affecting our health care system. The need for continued advocacy at all levels is vital to succeeding at revitalizing our health care system. REFERENCES Alan R. Weil, Coverage Expansion, Accountable Care, And More: Health Affairs 36, no. 1 (2017): 7 doi: 10. 1377/hlthaff.2016.1607 Guide to the Issues: Health Care: Retrieved From; http://www.georgiapolicy.org/2016/08/guide-issues-health-care/