Philip Larkin Ambulances Discussion Essay

Throughout his works Philip Larkin shows the ‘emptiness that lies under all we do.’ The way we travel through life riding a wave of superficialities, too caught up in the moment to see what is really going on. Larkin aims to alleviate the blindness created by our deep involvement, attempting to draw the reader out to see the big picture. In Ambulances he acknowledges death as a device powerful enough to allow people to see beyond themselves and the things surrounding them. The thought of their impending demise, â€Å"so permanent blank and true† allows them to ‘get it whole’ and see the truth, the sheer vastness of death pales to insignificance the things that worry about in everyday life. But this realization is a curse, as once you see it whole, see life for what it is, it ‘dulls to distance all we are.’ Things that used to matter loose their importance. It is this that Larkin struggles with throughout his works. It can be seen within Larkin as he strives to fill the gap left by his separation from life and society. Ambulances is really a chronicle of a realization, not a work that stands up by itself but rather supporting evidence created to reside with the messages generated in his other works. Though it does evoke a reaction within the reader, as they begin to realize the truth they whisper â€Å"poor soul †¦ at their own distress.† It is this use of inarguable truths that makes Larkin’s work so powerful. He creates a situation where the reader is forced towards a realization by making them see something within themselves. He does not propose a fully formed interpretation, as that would be just as ‘reprehensibly perfect’ as the closed interpretation presented by the society that he hates. Instead he alludes to an understanding without stating explicitly what it is. This means that the interpretation is dependent on the reader and it is because of this that Larkin’s works relate to so many people. He bases his works on the things that make us essentially human. The ambulance itself is no more than an object, representative of death, this interpretation could be seen to show Larkin’s pessimistic outlook on life as an ambulance could also be said to represent hope, life, rather than death. However, his reasoning is undeniable, there is a grim fascination with ambulances that can only be described through a fear of death. The  knowingness that someone, at the moment of seeing an ambulance pass, is facing their own mortality. Larkin takes this and applies it to all people, ‘all streets in time are visited,’ by doing this he makes the reader see their own mortality, the fragility of their life and in doing so allows them to see the farcical nature of the life they have been living.

Role of Media and Islam in Pakistan’s Politics

With the end of the cold war, the drive towards democratization assumed center state. Out of a total 206 states in the world, 195 claims to be either democratic or republican. In spite of it, the nature and function of many self pro claimed democratic systems leave much to be desired. This has led to international efforts, led by the US, to engage in the twin task of democracy promotion and democracy protection. India joined the community of the democracies in 2000, at the turn of the millennium, and later became a member of the UN democratic funds in2005.It has sought to contribute to the efforts aimed at promotion and strengthening of democracy in its own way. The author of the book under review, Professor Muni, calls it â€Å"significant shift† in India’s foreign policy. As a close followers of India’s foreign policy he has tries to isolated the â€Å"democracy dimension† in India’s foreign policy towards its immediate neighbors on an individual country basis over three distinct phases, which makes interesting readings. Professor Muni has enough experience as an academic and a diplomat to comment on such an important issue with great care and diligence.After a brief review of theories of democracies and its interface with foreign policy, the author situates the Indian experience over three different phases. He argues during the first phase (1947-1960s) soon after freedom from colonial rule, India emphasis â€Å"independence and nationalism†. The principal architect of Indian foreign policy, Jawahar Lal Nehru, set out to build of free, cooperative and peaceful Asia. This explained Nehru’s vociferous argument in favor of inclusion of communist china in the comity of nations as an independent state.He went on to fashioned his policy of non alignment as a main benchmark of India’s foreign policy and try to stay out of the bipolar power politics. His policies towards neighboring countries demonstrated his pr edilection for democracies in spite of the compromises he made to protect the strategic and economic interests of India. The author makes a detailed analysis of Nehru’s approach towards Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myanmar and Pakistan and concludes that Nehru’s preferences for democracies was often trumped by India’s vital security concerns.During the second phase (1960s-2000) the successors of Nehru, the author argues, adopted a pragmatic policy devoid an idealism that marked the Nehru years. The post 1962 (sino-indian war) years, as Nehru confessed shocked him out of his idealism and prepared the grounds for unapologetic realism in Indian foreign policy. Professor Muni demonstrate through his narrative of twists and turns of Nepalese politics that Indian supported democratic moments in Nepal when its suited its strategic interests unencumbered dilemma that characterized by Nehruvian years.All through, the main driver of India’s policy towards neighbors was t o keep the region free from adversarial influences. The security challenges post by china and Pakistan largely determined the parameters of India’s foreign policy since the 1970s. Even as India evolved as a democratic nation and institutions promoting democratic values took firm roots in the country, during this phase there was no enthusiasm to propagate democracy and encourage democratic forces in the neighborhood.Nevertheless, India played an important role in the liberation of East Pakistan in 1971, integrated Sikkim in 1975 and supported exiled democratic forces from Myanmar in 1970s and 1980s. Democracy mattered only when it converged with India’s strategic interests. However, india choose to diassociate it self from democratic forces in the mid 1970s. in Bhutan, india’s sided with the king and discouraged the popular movement raised by Bhutanis of Nepales region. It is quiet and other india forced the nepaled king to negotiate with the democratic forces in 1988.In the case of Myanmar, since the late 1980s, it decided to mend its relationship with the military Junta and ignore the democratic forces to balance china’s increasing proximity to Myanmar. The third phase since the start of new millennium as found India in the company of US, seeking to promote and protect democracy around the world. India has calibrated its policy towards its neighbors accordingly. Despite its aversion from the maost of Nepal, it played a critical role in the mainstreaming of this group and revived the democratic process.Despite playing a modest but critical role in Bangladesh’s return to democracy in 1990, it has maintained a study aloofness from the rough and tumble of Bangladesh politics. In recent years a fresh wave of the democracy swept the neighborhood. The author has appreciated India’s diplomatic responses to these changes. There is also a brief discussion on India’s efforts and indo-US coordination in the process of reco nstruction and democratization in Afghanistan since 9/11.The author implies that in view of India’s strategic interests in Afghanistan, it is imperative for India to continue with its developmental work despite attacks on its citizens by paksitan-sponsopred terrorists. In some author suggest that in its conduct of foreign policy, India should not blindly follow the US at the cost of its strategic interests. The book provides useful insights to India’s neighborhood policy over the last six decades. The author brings to bear his personal interaction many leading actors in both India and Nepal to present his analysis of Nepalese politics forcefully.His study of other neighbors of India somehow struggles to come that level of compliance and intensity. To be share to the author, given india’s leverage in Nepal and its ability to influence its politics, Nepal was certain to attract that much attention and care. However, one wondered if the author have accorded some sp ace to India’s reaction to the imperfect nature of Srilankan democracy with its lack of emphasis on inclusivity and pluralism. Given the threat it posed to the Srilankan polity and deep Indian involvement in the 1980s, Srilanka deserved some attention in the book.To the conclusion reader of the book finds the book and the author holds a strong grip over the material and issue it contained. The book deserve the attention of foreign policy analysts and scholars of international relations in India because in recent years India has sought to spell out its neighborhood policy tentatively with emphasis on building a web of interdependencies the neighbor and finally the book is a good depiction of India’s foreign policy specially in reference to its influences the democratic scenario in the outer world.

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay The research project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rationale to the conclusion. I examine the reasons for conducting the research, how the Company might benefit from the experience and how trainers may reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and knowledge. The project also considers the background to the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK Services, what role Workplace Training Services had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was designed to meet. The main body of the project, the research itself, sets out to consider a range of questions related to the evaluation of ECDL within a financial services setting which I believe is a valuable piece of research that is not presently widely available. The research considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for following the particular actions undertaken. The conclusion draws the project together and provides answers to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value within the business, have learners acquired new skills, what of the present learning methods and how might these be designed to suit the needs of future learners? I support my research findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent use outside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material used whilst working on the project as Reference and Bibliography. AEGON UK Services (UKS) is the ‘closed book’ arm or Third Party Administration (TPA) operation for AEGON UK one of the world’s top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new business comes into the organisation and particularly in the present economic climate control of costs and expenses becomes paramount. It is not an overstatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS site in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one staff member in Lytham is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is almost double at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 staff at the Lytham site. There are many reasons for this divergence in costs, not all of which may be directly influenced by the Company but it is this difference which remains key to the health of the AEGON UK Services operation. It is against this background that the research into the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation obtaining maximum value for each pound of spend. As Managing Director, David Barker, said at the 2002 Business Plan launch to staff, ‘Through the professionalism, skill and commitment of its staff AEGON UK Services has a key part to play in the growth and development of the UK operation.’ It is my responsibility, as Training Manager for UKS, to provide learning opportunities, develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (1989:22) who created the notion of a ‘low skills/low quality equilibrium’ argued that ‘†¦ the majority of enterprises staffed by poorly trained managers and workers produce low quality goods and services.’ Their view was that Britain would not be able to keep pace with changing economic conditions. A decade on and still the need for the training and development of our staff in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National Training Awards ceremony in December 2000. ‘The key message today is that there is a real economic need for people to upgrade skills throughout life. We need to help everyone fulfil their potential and respond to the changing world economy.’ (People Management, Vol 6, No 25). The task facing us in the UKS Training team is to meet the Secretary of State’s challenge and drive the business forward at the same time whilst maintaining a tight rein on expenditure. In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to Workplace Training Services and this partnership with a local education provider soon bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the introduction of a Common Operating Environment (COE) between its various UK operations; the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites. Significantly, as AEGON UK Services previously used Microsoft there were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our awareness of existing applications. The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril Wheat, offered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our solution to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL programme is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and included learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Over 50 staff started the ECDL qualification in September 2001 and to-date over 150 have either achieved the award or are working towards it. Further developments of our work with the College have been the provision of additional learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facilities and the healthy ‘learning partnership’ that has grown between an employer, union and education institution. To support the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services 100 free places on the ECDL programme in 2002. Although we have seen a large number of staff following the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted any formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I have learned new skills and am able to access more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, have the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the following research which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company but also for the staff, College and as a valid piece of research. Congratulations Sara Lundstedt! But why is this the Swedish environmental co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one millionth student to complete the programme, as reported in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7). What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. Shortly after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task Force in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Commission, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry. The Task Force identified the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a qualification for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes acceptance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe. The ECDL Foundation was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit basis and to promote, develop and certify computer skills and IT knowledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL Foundation is ‘To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills certification programme that prepares all people for participation in the Information Society.’ On the surface, this has been successful; in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries. The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. According to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http://www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) ‘†¦to-date, over 1.75 million people are registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. There are tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an attain certificates.’ So, seven module appears to be working as students are assessed against the following competencies: basic concepts of IT, using a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and information and communication. The ECDL Foundation points out that the programme is now used in over 60 countries and IT Training announced in its October 2002 edition that ‘†¦the number of students †¦ enrolled topped the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) also reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day.’ One of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increasing role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decision is reflected in the fact that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, ‘New technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health care will not be successful unless more priority is given to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills.’ There is a great deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from two successful ventures. The House of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MP’s assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, â€Å"Our objective, and indeed an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the employability of staff outside the Parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also allows flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on.† Donaghy continued, â€Å"An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of teamwork between MP’s assistants. Staff are increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which will mean a more professional MPs service al l round.† The Bank of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via personal or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, ‘Across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making.† ECDL appears therefore to have positive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, ‘Since the UK launch there has been a growing demand for information about ECDL users from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in order to measure profiles, motivation, satisfaction and likely interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. Apart from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost two thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification.’ Despite the fact that there is a great deal of published evidential support for ECDL, there remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works! But does it? As Reay (1994:23) points out, ‘†¦evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that you’ve been failing in the past; but good trainers realize there is always room for improvement.’ It is against this background, of a developing IT culture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the research with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company? ‘Most people associate the word ‘research’ with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment’, suggested Howard and Sharp (1983:6). However, Denscombe (1998:1) takes an alternative approach when opening his piece of work some 15 years later, ‘Social research is no longer the concern of the small elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far greater number of people who are faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development.’ In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workload! Payton (1979:4) identified research as ‘†¦the process of looking for a specific answer in an organised objective reliable way’ and it is this search for answers that has driven me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, Black suggests (1993:24/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, ‘The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, one that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available.’ When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set down by Managing Director, David Barker: a) what would add value to the business supporting AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and up grade their knowledge and skills? These factors contributed directly to my questions: How has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services? How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their jobs? Has the method of learning for ECDL proved effective? What is the most effective way for any further learners to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve ECDL? Blaxter et al (1997:58) identified 2 different methods for designing and doing a research project, their ‘research families’ of qualitative and quantitative methods. To Burns (2000:3), the quantitative approach is viewed as ‘scientific’ and in his opinion, ‘†¦has been the conventional approach to research in all areas of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by countless generations of scientists †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Burns (2000:9) outlines the strength of the quantitative approach as being its ‘†¦precision and control’, together with ‘†¦a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis.’ Denscombe (1998:177) supports Burns’ standpoint by adding that, ‘The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a sense of solid, objective research.’ However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (2000:6) when pointing out that ‘ †¦the hard data on social structures which quantitative researchers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage.’ Caution was necessary for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individual’s ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as reveal social processes. On the other hand, qualitative research is an umbrella term that covers a variety of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can fall under the term ‘qualitative’ and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998:207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, ‘†¦a concern with meanings and the way people understand things†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and ‘†¦a concern with patterns of behaviour†¦.’ Cohen and Mannion (1998:8) go a stage further and view qualitative research as a search for understanding in which ‘†¦the principal concern is with †¦ the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself.’ Researchers who adopted this qualitative approach, responsive to individual perceptions, were felt by Bell (1999:7) to ‘†¦seek insights rather than statistical analysis.’ A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (1984:10), is ‘†¦that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what ‘real life’ is like.’ The approach to this research project was on a qualitative basis and whilst there is a range of disadvantages to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) – the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and readily available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to really understand another person, and qualitative research tends to focus on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Anderson’s findings; focusing on the learners and managers and thei r views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis. However, in Denscombe’s opinion (1998: 173), the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the treatment of the data. As Strauss (1987: 2) argues, ‘†¦the genuinely useful distinction is in how data are treated analytically.’ Denscombe’s (1998:173) view then is that ‘†¦a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight.’ To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992:114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the project, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when using action research, ‘†¦the outcomes†¦are generally increased knowledge, understanding and improved practice.’ The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (1997:64) confirm this by pointing out that ‘†¦it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues’ practices.’ Cohen and Mannion (1998:186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it ‘†¦is situational – it is concerned with diagnosing a problem in a specific context and attempting to solve it in that context.’ Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannion’s (1998:193) comments that it is not scientific, ‘†¦its sample is restricted and unrepresentative†¦its findings †¦are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out.’ I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be ‘restricted to the environment’, they are after all intended for use solely within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus. Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, interviews with senior managers and Preston College staff, and focus groups conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 Study Guide (1988:54) as ‘†¦cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and subsequently comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible.’ The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (1989:55) outlines reliability as something which ‘†¦refers to the consistency of a measure.’ Blaxter et al (1997:200) summarise the issue of reliability in simple terms as considering whether ‘†¦you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the same questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results †¦.’ Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, ‘†¦to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring.’ Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work. The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (1998:88) who suggests that they are at their most productive when: used with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the respondents can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with fewer in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process. However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (1999:75) suggesting that ‘It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined.’ McKernan (2000:125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low response rates. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct access to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. Given that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple questions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000:581) who supports me by adding such strengths as ‘†¦cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee confidentiality.’ Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias due to poor returns and badly prepared questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns’ concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use; 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group. Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000:245) put it, ‘†¦the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaire†¦or the possible invasion of privacy.’ As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions posed, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners. To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (1994:21) who confirm that these are ‘†¦simple to complete†¦and do not discriminate unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. However, to ensure that people’s views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small degree of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992:115) when considering the use of closed questions: ‘†¦they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanations to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them.’ A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B. It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers; I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000:128) claims, ‘Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught.’ I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering ‘Interviewing Skills’ training courses for 5 years to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this process! There are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and these include, Burns (2000:582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, ‘†¦the interviewer has the opportunity to observe the subject and the total situation in which they are responding†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and ‘†¦if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. ‘ Cohen et al (2000:268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for trust to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee ‘†¦that transcended the research, that promoted a bond of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos.’ Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of trust in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (1997:68) asserts, ‘†¦the closer the interviewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful.’ When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980:206) who sets out the ‘interview guide approach’, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus ‘†¦the outline increases the comprehensiveness of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent.’ I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or salient points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business. Consideration however must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (1997:42) suggests that ‘good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a much more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out †¦ than, for example, to develop and use a structured questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions.’ Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a limited number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals only and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. Not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work. My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (1988:27) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, ‘†¦a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussion.’ Cohen et al (2000:288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they ‘†¦might be useful to triangulate with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc.’ Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire. According to the December 2002 issue of Croner’s A-Z Briefing (12/02:2), ‘†¦the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect subjective judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. †¦By using a focus group †¦the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported †¦.’ This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the opportunity to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, ‘†¦they perform a useful function when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision.’ Morgan (1988:43) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting ‘†¦between four and twelve†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ whilst Croner takes a similar stance, ‘†¦between 6 and 12†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Both of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), ‘†¦all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration.’ I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (1999:83) suggests, ‘The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have.’ However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue. Cohen and Mannion (1998:87) put forward a range of sampling tools including probability and non-probability, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989:107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an Excel spreadsheet. Kerlinger (1986:45), identifies randomness thus, it ‘†¦ means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that correctly explains or describes events and their outcomes.’ Kerlinger (1986:44) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, ‘†¦ random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population †¦ so that each member of the population †¦ has an equal chance of being selected.’ Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitat e 2 focus groups of 8 members each. There are some difficulties in using focus groups and some of these are identified by Krueger (1988:46/7) who outlines the following: less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a supportive environment. I acknowledge Krueger’s observations and take extra care when running the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a skilled interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. ‘Any research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence’, Blaxter et al (1997:146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up and provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (1999:52) warns, ‘People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide.’ The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000:241), who adds that, ‘It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind.’ As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 1:1 interviews and each of them is contacted personally by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree suitable times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000:221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research. As Burns (2000:22/3) summarises, ‘All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments.’ Burns’ comments alert me to the need to take nothing for granted in view of my ‘special’ position with the learners, ‘Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in voluntary and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter.’ It is this ‘special’ position, that of someone who has worked very closely with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962:583) might have been thinking of then they attested, ‘†¦ interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents.’ Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for instance Borg (1981:87) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, ‘†¦ eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a vague antagonism †¦ or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions †¦.These factors are called response effect by survey researchers.’ ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions? However, Bell (1999:139) offers words of wisdom, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that ‘†¦ it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can creep in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the instigator of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person responsible for the ECDL programme. A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training team’s entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the team’s work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the judges in the Data Analysis and Conclusions. My research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great majority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People; staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner. ‘Being able to solve problems,’ ‘increasing one’s confidence’, ‘developing trouble-shooting skills’ and appropriately ‘staff trained in new technology’ are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners’ responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very difficult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL prog ramme I was unable to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team. There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDL’s own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented: â€Å"We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the company’s values and good standing are continually maintained.† (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal) Even in the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, ‘We realised fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm) 90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company. Feedback from the learners in the questionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was ‘What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students?’ Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than ‘good’ during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferred learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus gr oups felt that the CD ROM was ideal. Comments were also made that it was often difficult to obtain 1:1 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners’ comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners; as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the introduction of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials. Most surprising amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the management team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no awareness that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the management team for the future of the programme. The comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to merit the programme a success. When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, ‘Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs.’ The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business. New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the same time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time. Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first tentative enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the College’s first learning partnership in the North West to one of collaboration on other projects; as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisation’s role with the business and speaks highly of our work, ‘with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important.’ The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, ‘We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation.’ (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyril’s team’s commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme. Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000 which is approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for money learning. Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly; as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required. The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were ‘†¦ impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification’ and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, ‘†¦ it is still quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment’ and they have suggested that we ‘re-enter at a later date’. I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias; the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large. However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, ‘So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with †¦.’ From the feedback received from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services’ staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL. Project Proposal – DHL0730 Empirical Study AEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal complement to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out. An evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services. The ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000. An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence. (2017, Oct 12).

The Current Ukraine Situation and IR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Current Ukraine Situation and IR - Essay Example This paper bases on the current situation in Ukraine to show that power and self-interest are characteristic of International Relations today. The current situation in Ukraine shows the pursuit of Russia of its unification with Crimea. Russia takes advantage of its powerful nature to continue breaching set laws and treaties and further the Ukrainian conflict. In the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in part, as it was assured of the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council, including Russia, through diplomatic notes and memorandum. The ongoing Ukrainian conflict therefore, displays cynicism on the side of Russia and other permanent members of the UN Security Council. Russia and other four permanent members of the UN Security Council, being powerful, continue to witness breaching of the Budapest Memorandum, and this is unfair to the currently less powerful Ukraine. This paper has analyzed how the aspects of power and self-interest manifest in current international relations, basing on the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has been seen to capitalize on its higher power status to control the less powerful Ukraine. On the other hand, both Russia and Ukraine exhibit self-interest in the different ways they have acted in this conflict. Similarly, the UN and the US are considered to have greater authority to resolve various problems in international relations. Nevertheless, basing on the Ukrainian conflict, it is evident that power and self-interest major characteristics of IR.

Define the Joint Commission stand on the use of Electronic Health Essay

Define the Joint Commission stand on the use of Electronic Health Records and requirements for use - Essay Example The Joint Commission is responsible for verifying that the health organizations are using the electronic systems correctly in their activities of providing quality patient care (Joint Commission Resources, 2001). The 2008 alert from the sentinel event of the Joint Commission of the United States stipulates that as the technologies are being increasingly adopted by various organizations concerned with health issues. The commission suggests that their users should be careful of the security risks along with the prevention of the adverse effects that the systems can bring forth. These adverse effects can occur due to errors in commission or errors in omissions (Green & Bowie, 2010). They additionally suggest that these adverse effects usually stem from human or technological errors and should be greatly avoided. For example, in the year 2006 the Joint Commission found out that Pharmacopeia databases had over a hundred and fifty thousand errors on the medications issued and a quarter of them consisted of computer technology errors (Joint Commission Resources, 2001). The commission additionally suggests that the health organizations making use of the electronic records on health should use certif ied systems in meaningful manners (Abdelhak, 2007). This should be for the purposes of exchanging information that will lead to improvements in the quality of health care provided. They have clearly stated that the systems should also be utilized in the submission of clinical quality and other measures within the health organization (Green & Bowie, 2010). The commission carries out its accreditation activities on healthcare organizations through surveys on their sites every three years. Accreditation is awarded on the basis that an organization is complying with the requirements of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) Act of 1996. These requirements include issues like information management, the management of

Governmental Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Governmental Program - Research Paper Example Part B also called medical Insurance helps cover doctors’ and other health care providers, services, outpatient care and home health care. It also covers preventive services. Here most people pay a standard Medicare part B Premium. Medicare part C also known as Medicare advantage offers health plan options run by Medicare –approved private insurance companies. Part D also called Medicare prescription drug coverage helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. It also helps in lowering the cost of prescription drugs and shield against higher cost (CMS, 2011). Financial Compliance Medicare spending is a large component of the federal budget and national health spending, in 2006 the Medicare benefit payments totaled $374 billion, in 2007 Medicare spending accounted for 12% of the federal budget and the same year spending on Medicare benefits was 20% of the nation’s total health care sending (Kaiser, 2007). Medicare is financed majorly by payroll tax revenues, general revenues and premiums paid by beneficiaries. Part A is financed by a dedicated tax of 2.9% of earnings paid by employers and their employees. Part B is financed through a general revenue and premiums paid by beneficiaries. ... its part has ensured that they comply with all the laws put in place to ensure that the money generated from revenue streams is spent on the right services (Piper, 2011). In order to prevent fraud, wastage and abuse in Medicare the department of Human and Health services has instituted the office of the Inspector general and another department that works jointly with the HHS called the Fraud Prevention and enforcement team (HEAT). The two offer compliance training programs such as seminars, training materials and webcasts (Piper, 2011). To ensure that there is compliance another program was begun called the Senior Medicare Patrol program which aims at educating the older adults on Medicare benefits how to prevent detect and report health care fraud. The program recruits volunteers nationwide in the effort to empower older adults to protect themselves from fraud. The programs initiatives are funded by the US administration on Aging (HHS & DOJ, 2011). This program together with the HEA T task force has ensured that they reduce false billings that. This year alone it was able to charge 91 defendants for participating in Medicare fraud schemes that involved approximately $295 million in false billings. Although Medicare as a government agency has complied with all the laws pertaining to financial compliance and used the money they have been allocated wisely, there exist insurance agencies who work on behalf of the Agency that take part in fraud schemes in order to taint the name of the Agency. False billings are a common phenomenon and this has made Medicare to look into ways of ensuring that they stop this kind of fraud. Otherwise all departments have complied with the law (HHS & DOJ, 2011). Economy and efficiency Medicare is considered more economical and efficient in

Assessment of English Language Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment of English Language Learners - Essay Example This is done to improve the ability of a test to achieve the required outcomes with little or no drawbacks. Introduction Spanish speaking students in the United States have varying English language proficiency. This might limit their learning ability when undertaking educational programs administered in English. To determine the level of English proficiency on these students, English language learners assessment is crucial. The assessment is currently undertaken in schools using English language proficiency test that is a combination of both summative and formative assessments. This currently used test has both benefits and drawbacks. Hence, there is a need for review of this test to make it much better. The benefits make it unnecessary to replace the test with other tests. However, the drawbacks call for a review of the test in order to make it more effective. Review of English language proficiency test English language proficiency test currently used in most schools, including ours , is a combination of formative and summative assessments. The summative tests are undertaken at the end of an English language instruction to determine the students English proficiency developed during the learning period. Formative tests that are used to guide instructions are taken at the beginning or in the middle of instruction. In this kind of a test, an educator designs an assessment activity to detect an aspect of a student’s language proficiency that could guide him in his decisions. However, in this English language proficiency test an educator rarely involve students in the designing of the test. According to Spodek & Saracho (2006), this test is effective in promoting accountability for students’ progress as well as monitoring this progress. The formative part of this test has been effective in monitoring the progress of the students. Summative part on the other hand has been promoting the accountability for students’ learning among the educators. Mo reover, this English language proficiency test has been effective in categorizing students according to their levels of English language proficiency. However, according to Stiggins (2007), this English language proficiency test has been categorizing students into two categories, which are those on the winning streak and those on the losing streak. Those on the losing streak have become de-motivated and thus failing to succeed in education thus the requires a review in order to reverse the trend. Several reviews applicable to the test that can avoid drawbacks exist. One review is through inviting students in the creating and interpreting the results of the test. This could enable the students to monitor their learning and levels of achievements, as a result, all of them would be more motivated to learn. Another crucial review is involving students in keeping records concerned with the test. This would enable the student to know and understand his changes in performance levels. As a r esult, students would be able to monitor their improvements. The other important review is improvement in the test development. English language test could be reviewed to become purpose driven and effective in results delivery (Abedi, 2007). This could be achieved through a collaborative effort between the educators, students, and other stakeholders. Undertaking these reviews would make the test more effective, thus giving it an ability to overcome most of its drawbacks. Alternative assessment formats Five

Analyse and evaluate contemporary marketing practice Assignment

Analyse and evaluate contemporary marketing practice - Assignment Example As such, the study of the factors which has created the competitive advantages for the company over the years of its operations seems to be a relevant and challenging topic in the arena of contemporary marketing. This report aims at studying the contemporary marketing practices of Zara that has been used by the company for creating a strong position for the company in its industry of operation. For this purpose, the sources of competitive advantage for the company has been identified and studied in depth. The business model followed by Zara is considered to be highly innovative and unique in nature/ the business model of the high street fashion retailer is built up on the vertical; integrations between the different levels and departments of the business including manufacturing, procurement, delivery and sale of the products. The business model is characterized by a unique flexible structure which helps the business to modify it according to the suitability and needs of the external environment and the business requirements at a particular point of time. The business model of Zara is identified to be one of the key drivers of the competitive advantage of the company. The vertical integrations within the business and with the external partners of the business like the suppliers and distributors and the use of advanced information and communication technology are the two main strengths of the business model of Zara. Additionally, the time factor and the use of the stores of the company as important sources of information make the business and with the external partners of the business like the structure of the company much unique and advanced as compared to the other fashion retailers. The ability of the fashion retailing company to design the products and deliver new lines of products in frequent intervals also acts as a major strategy of the company which enhances the competiveness of the company

Plato, John Dewey, Maria Montessori Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plato, John Dewey, Maria Montessori - Essay Example To the prisoners the shadows and objects are his reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) In case the prisoner is allowed to turn around or even stand the sunlight coming into the cave from the entry will be too much for him. And if they are objects passing by their shadow to the prisoner are the reality rather than the object itself. He will see the sun as the source of the shadows that he has seen. Once this prisoner is taken outside and gets enlightened and has he desires to free other prisoners in the cave but they are not willing to set free. When the prisoner is back in the cave he is trying to adjust to the dim light and has to get used again. His identification of the objects on the wall goes down this makes the other prisoners to think that going to the surface has destroyed his eyesight. In the allegory the outside of the cave or the world represent amass knowledge and the cave is a representation of a dark place with limited information leading to a faulty reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p.67-69 512-513) According to Plato to get reality one had to look at the order of the creation to increase understanding of experience. 'Humans had to travel from the visible realm of image-making and objects of sense, to the intelligible, or invisible, realm of reasoning and understanding. "The Allegory of the Cave" symbolizes this trek and how it would look to those still in a lower realm. Plato is saying that humans are all prisoners and that the tangible world is our Cave. The things which we perceive as real are actually just shadows on a wall. Just as the escaped prisoner ascends into the light of the sun, we amass knowledge and ascend into the light of true reality: where ideas in our minds can help us understand the form of 'The Good'. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) In Plato theory, what we perceive through our senses is not a reality i.e. what the prisoners see as the reality on the wall are just shadows, but on the contrary when one gains knowledge then he/she is able to understand the true reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) Unlike Plato in the Allegory of the cave the Pragmatisms connote that action and knowledge are two different spheres and also there is a supreme truth exceeding the sort of inquisition (ways by which the organisms can get a hold of their surrounding) that organisms use to get by in life. (Shusterman, 1997, p.11, 23, 90-95) This theory provides an environmental account of knowledge. 'Real' and 'true' are used in the inquiry process and they cannot be comprehended outside of that context. The theory acknowledges an outside world which needs to be tackled or dealt with. John Dewey says 'something is "made true" when it is verified.' According to Pragmatists; 'truth is not ready -made, but jointly we and reality "make" truth.' Truth is characterized by being mutable and it relative to abstract system. (Shusterman, 1997, p.11, 23, 90-95) In the Allegory of the cave approach they are no visible importance of teaching since the students observe and learn from what they see. A teacher or a mentor is not assigned any role since in Plato view of man is as a universal being that does not learn but discover. All human beings have the ability to move being ignorant to being knowledgeable as Plato asserts. (Shusterman, 199

Classical Approaches to Management Essay Example for Free

Classical Approaches to Management Essay Since the Industrial Revolution began over two hundred years ago, management practices have had to develop and become more clearly defined. The increasing mechanisation and automation that occurred changed how goods and services were produced dramatically. New theories and disciplines emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century as a response to these challenges facing management in a more industrialised age. These new ideas, known as The Classical Approaches to management became the essential building blocks of systems and techniques which help modern day managers effectively plan, organise and control their organisations in the most efficient manner possible. One of the first theories we will look at is was what is known as Scientific Management and was developed chiefly by Frederick Taylor (1856-1917). Taylor came from an engineering background and he highlighted the importance of finding the single best way to perform a particular task. He noted that by analysing every basic movement involved and timing each action in various different ways, you would soon find the quickest and easiest method as a result. As R.C.Appelby (1994) has argued; Taylor â€Å"codified and clearly stated practices which had been developing in many well-run factories†. This â€Å"Time study† approach was very important in helping manufacturing lines improve their productivity by cutting out inefficient, outdated methods of production. Currently, manufacturing industries incorporate methods engineering systems which developed from Taylors time study work to ensure the most efficient production process is in place. Total Quality Management is a modern management practice that relies on continually improving a company’s product or service. A Key factor in this is having a production process that works efficiently and reliably. Taylor also developed the â€Å"Exception Principle† which was to be used as a quality control measure on performance. This method works by detailing precisely the standard of performance to be achieved. The performance of all staff is monitored regularly. Any ineffective staff members that do not meet the standard set are taken note of, and adjustments can then be made to improve the quality of their work. The exception principle also works by identifying any employee who is greatly outperforming the standard set. This tracking of performance results also forms part of the Total Quality Management concept and Taylors work in this area can be seen as being significant in its development. Another key aspect of Taylor’s teachings,  which is still widely used in human resources departments today, was the scientific selection of staff. He asserted that employees should be recruited scientifically based on how their own education, skills and abilities matched the requirements of the job. Once the correct candidate had been hired, they should be given training to help them to perform their tasks to the highest standard possible. He recommended that any increased productivity from an employee should be rewarded financially too, thus incentivising the employee to work harder. These managerial practices are used in nearly all organisations where it has been recognised that an organisations workforce are its most important resource. The training and constant up skilling of the workforce is necessary to keep up with advances in technology and to give a company a competitive edge. Henri Fayol (1841-1925) also developed some theories on the importance of maintaining good relations between staff and management. In his work on what is known as Administrative management, Fayol developed 14 principles of management, one of whic h was â€Å"the stability of tenure â€Å". He recognised the importance of a low staff turnover to an organisations overall effectiveness. Modern management practice generally follows this principle today but also recognises the need to bring in fresh ideas and approaches from new staff to keep the right balance of experienced workers and enthusiastic new people. Another of Fayol s principles which is greatly in evidence today is that of â€Å"initiative†. He believed that employees should be encouraged to put forward their own ideas and be free to execute their tasks in ways they see best fit. This fosters an entrepreneurial environment in the workplace, where employees feel that their ideas are worthy and could form part of a new business plan. Modern IT companies like Google are using this classical approach which has greatly improved innovation and productivity from their employees which has resulted in huge success for the company. Interestingly, Google achieved number 4 on the prestigious Fortune 100 Best Compani es To Work For in 2011. H.L. Gantt(1861-1919) was a colleague of Taylor had some similar approaches. He agreed that management were obliged to provide proper training to its staff and that clearly defined tasks and goals would incentivise employees to perform well. Gantt developed charts for measuring the performance of various projects. These are known as Gantt Charts and are still used today by managers. It gives a quick overview as to how a project  is progressing in relation to its agreed timescale and general targets. A P.E.R.T analysis is another project control method which developed from Gantts bar chart. This Project Evaluation Review Technique works in a similar way to a bar chart, but it offers three possible outcomes of how each task will take in a given project, so as to be prepared for delays in the project or quicker than expected results. This method gives the manager more information to enable him to prepare for all eventualities. Human Resource management has developed into one of the more important areas of management practice. Employees are now regarded as an organisations key asset. R.C.Appleby has said managers must â€Å"know why employees act in the manner that they do†. This is necessary to know what motivates people and what changes could improve performance among a workforce. The Hawthorne Experiments that were conducted by Elton Mayo(1880-1949) and published in 1941 showed the results of phsychological experiments on workers at the Western Electric Company. The aim of the study was to establish the impact of different conditions of work on employee productivity. A group of workers were subjected to various working environment changes such as breaks, hours and managerial leadership.

Traditional Monoclonal Antibodies and Recombinant Antibodies

Traditional Monoclonal Antibodies and Recombinant Antibodies Introduction: Antibody is a special molecule that present in our bodies to fight against infections and stimulate immune response. Typical antibody is a Y shaped molecule consists of two H (heavy) and two (light) chains. Two antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) are linked with a constant region (Fc)(Brekke and Sandlie 2003). After the discovery of murine monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridoma cells developed by Kohlor and Milstein(Kohler and Milstein 1975), the role of monoclonal antibodies in therapeutics and clinical diagnostics are increasingly important in the last three decades (Laffly and Sodoyer 2005). The term monoclonal antibody is defined as an antibody molecule which is monospecific and derived from a single B cell clone. Results in using fully murine monoclonal antibodies in therapeutics are not ideal and problems aroused in triggering unwanted human immune responses. These problems force the generation of recombinant antibodies in the replacement of traditional monoclonal antibodies. Tailor-made recombinant antibodies fragments increase flexibility both in immunotherapy and immunodiagnostics. The application of minimal form of functional antibodies single-chain antibodies (scFvs) are the most popular form of recombinant antibodies fragments as diagnostic agents (Hagemeyer et al. 2009). In this assignment, the comparison between traditional monoclonal antibodies and recombinant antibodies as therapeutics agents and diagnostics tools will be discussed. From the example of tragedy TGN 1412, the potential risk of using recombinant antibodies in therapeutic agents should not be ignored. Finally, future perspective of recombinant antibodies in gene therapy and using polyclonal antibodies as novel immunotherapeutic strategy will be discussed. Theoretically, probably any kind of monoclonal antibodies can be produced with the aid of hybridoma technique. The continuous culture of hybridoma cells creates an inexhaustible supply of monoclonal antibodies in the laboratories by cell culture or rodent(Nelson, Reynolds et al. 2000). Its highly specificity, stability and homogeneity are ideal for diagnostics and in therapeutic purposes. After the introduction of the first FDA approved drugs OKT3 launched into the market in 1986, the results of using fully murine monoclonal antibodies in human was not promising (Chatenoud, Baudrihaye et al. 1986; Chatenoud, Jonker et al. 1986). This is because murine originated monoclonal antibodies triggered several immunogenic responses in human body. One of the problems arise is human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) or anti-globulin antibodies (HAGA) response (DeNardo, Bradt et al. 2003; Presta 2006) generated against the administrated murine antibodies. Studies showed that around 30-75% of patients with solid tumors and relapsed B-cell malignancies developed HAMA response after exposure to murine antibodies (Smith, Nelson et al. 2004; Majidi, Barar et al. 2009). The activation of HAMA response is mainly due to the host antibodies generated against the idiotopes of the administered murine antibodies. Moreover, rapid clearance of murine Abs shortens its serum half-life and relatively ineffective to trigger cytotoxic effect (e.g. ADCC and CDC) compared to human antibodies hindered murine Abs as therapeutics agents (Presta 2006). Based on the above unresolved problems, with the aid of genetic engineering, murine monoclonal antibodies are modified to become less immunogenic and enhance potency in therapeutics and diagnostics. Three different types of recombinant antibodies are generated: chimeric, humanized and human antibody. In chimerization, the murine variable region is fused with the human constant region forming chimeric antibodies(Presta 2006). This modification imitates the human immune system. Although chimeric antibodies is less immunogenic but may trigger human anti-chimeric antibody responses (HACA)(Baert, Noman et al. 2003). Further maturation technique is humanization (hyperchimeric). In this technique, only the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) from the murine antibody was grafted into a human constant and variable regions (Smith, Nelson et al. 2004). By resurfacing, reshaping and hyperchimerisation of hyperchimeric antibody, the antibody binding affinity improved. Although the above me thods minimize immunogenicity, but immune response result of xenografting may occur. Finally, human antibodies can be generated by transgenic mice and in vitro combinatorial libraries (Brekke and Loset 2003; Brekke and Sandlie 2003; Presta 2006). Antibodies which generated under this method are expected to be identical to human antibodies with clinical significant without any side effects. One of the examples in combinatorial library approach for the selection of antibodies is by phage display technology in which antibody variables domain are expressed as fusion protein as coated on the surface of the bacteriophages. Under combinatorial library approaches and transgenic mice, the chance of getting fully human antibodies are higher when compared to hybridoma and chimeric antibody technologies. In addition, single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and Fab fragment can be isolated (Brekke and Loset 2003; Brekke and Sandlie 2003). Therapeutics application Fc portion in an intact antibody trigger effector function which is undesirable for therapeutic applications. Therefore, for a desirable antibodies design for cytokine inactivation or receptor blockage, the main considerations of antibody design are: size, tissue penetration, distribution, half-life, effector function, affinity, stability and immunogenicity. scFv and Fab fragments are preferred as choice of preference when compared to traditional antibodies because of smallest in size, high binding affinity, specificity, good tissue penetration and reducing immunogenicity due to HAMA response. scFv and Fab antibodies have a shorter half-life than whole antibodies and this drawback can be overcome by PEGylation. In addition, the attachment of PEGylation of murine monoclonal antibody reduces HAMA response of the host after administration(Laffly and Sodoyer 2005). Applications of monoclonal antibodies are vastly employed in therapeutic agents (e.g. treatment of cancer) and in clinical diagnostic (e.g. histopathological diagnosis). Humanized mAbs (transgenic mice) (resurfacing, reshaping and hyperchimerisation, etc) Phage display technology (Fabs and Fvs) In recent years MAbs have become very important commercial reagents, and currently contribute to over 30% of biopharmaceuticals in development and production. To date, 10 different MAbs have achieved FDA approval, with others in phase III trials.4 Applications Antibody conjugates (Majidi, Barar et al. 2009) Unconjugated mAbs (Majidi, Barar et al. 2009) rAbs for cancer therapy immunohistology genetic immunotherapy(Pelegrin, Gros et al. 2004) scFv for diagnostics tools (size, immunosensor, inhibition of imnflammation and complement system) (Hagemeyer, von Zur Muhlen et al. 2009) Problems polyclonal vs monoclonal therapeutics (Haurum 2006) TGN1412 incident (Self and Thompson 2006) References: Baert, F., M. Noman, et al. (2003). Influence of immunogenicity on the long-term efficacy of infliximab in Crohns disease. N Engl J Med 348(7): 601-608. Brekke, O. H. and G. A. Loset (2003). New technologies in therapeutic antibody development. Curr Opin Pharmacol 3(5): 544-550. Brekke, O. H. and I. Sandlie (2003). Therapeutic antibodies for human diseases at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2(1): 52-62. Chatenoud, L., M. F. Baudrihaye, et al. (1986). Restriction of the human in vivo immune response against the mouse monoclonal antibody OKT3. J Immunol 137(3): 830-838. Chatenoud, L., M. Jonker, et al. (1986). The human immune response to the OKT3 monoclonal antibody is oligoclonal. Science 232(4756): 1406-1408. DeNardo, G. L., B. M. Bradt, et al. (2003). Human antiglobulin response to foreign antibodies: therapeutic benefit? Cancer Immunol Immunother 52(5): 309-316. Hagemeyer, C. E., C. von Zur Muhlen, et al. (2009). Single-chain antibodies as diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents. Thromb Haemost 101(6): 1012-1019. Haurum, J. S. (2006). Recombinant polyclonal antibodies: the next generation of antibody therapeutics? Drug Discov Today 11(13-14): 655-660. Kohler, G. and C. Milstein (1975). Continuous cultures of fused cells secreting antibody of predefined specificity. Nature 256(5517): 495-497. Laffly, E. and R. Sodoyer (2005). Monoclonal and recombinant antibodies, 30 years after. Hum Antibodies 14(1-2): 33-55. Majidi, J., J. Barar, et al. (2009). Target therapy of cancer: implementation of monoclonal antibodies and nanobodies. Hum Antibodies 18(3): 81-100. Nelson, P. N., G. M. Reynolds, et al. (2000). Monoclonal antibodies. Mol Pathol 53(3): 111-117. Pelegrin, M., L. Gros, et al. (2004). Monoclonal antibody-based genetic immunotherapy. Curr Gene Ther 4(3): 347-356. Presta, L. G. (2006). Engineering of therapeutic antibodies to minimize immunogenicity and optimize function. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 58(5-6): 640-656. Self, C. H. and S. Thompson (2006). How specific are therapeutic monoclonal antibodies? Lancet 367(9516): 1038-1039. Smith, K. A., P. N. Nelson, et al. (2004). Demystifiedrecombinant antibodies. J Clin Pathol 57(9): 912-917.

Industrial Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

2. INTRODUCTION During the second half of the 17th century, there were a drastic breakthrough in mainly Great Britain’s, but gradually the rest of the worlds development, that would lead to radical changes in peoples lives, working relations and environment. Industrial revolution was so fundamental that it’s often compared with the transition from farming to stock raising, which began several thousand years before the birth of Christ. Considering the uses of natural resources, can human history be dived up into three pieces of varying length; hundreds of thousands years before â€Å"the agricultural revolution†, thousands of years between this and the Industrial revolution and the two hundreds years after the beginning of Industrial revolution. Before Industrial revolution, man did the most work in society. During 17th century people started to invent machines. Accompanied by changes in agriculture, science and the treatment of people, the Industrial revolution shaped a new kind of life. 2.1 Limitations I, sometimes have difficulties to draw limits. When it comes to such big and wide subject as the Industrial revolution, it is of course very difficult to write and understand it all. It is also difficult to decide what is important enough to bring in the essay and what you should omit. Therefor I decided to write a rather comprehensive job. I haven’t focused on any particular part, but written what, when, how and why the Industrial revolution is /occurred. 2.2 Aims I want this essay to contain as much information as possible of the Industrial revolution or â€Å"Second wave† as it is also called, on the few pages that I will write. 3. REVIEW OF SOURCES I have only written this essay based on written material. I have used a lot of information from the Internet, but also from a very good book called â€Å"The Industrial Revolution in World History† written by a professor called Peter N. Stearns. If I decided to write a part from one book, or from an Internet site, I always compared it with another source, to see the differences and similarities. Dictionaries are often very sweeping in the subject, and there are both good and bad sides about that. I have decided also to write the centuries in Swedish form. So 17th century is in our time scale â€Å"sjuttonhundratalet†. 4. RESULTS 4.1 The beginning A Revolution doesn’t mean only changes and development. It means rapid change... ...ution. The problem of how to move the increasing quantities of factory produced goods to distant places was solved by improvements in transportantions. In contrary to many other countries were the state produces the most communications, England’s railroads, roads, and canals, were often financed by private persons or companies. Also Englands biggest need for better transportations was’t because of military needs, but for commersial needs. 1820-1830 was the years of the most successful railroads. The canals that were built, were pariculary in north England. Farm owners and industry owners made canals from waterdrains. The canals gave excellent transport possibilities, and could often halften the costs 4.5 Industrial revolution in the world The Industrial revolution rapidly affected the whole world Because the Indusrtal revolution first appeared in west , it most often also connected to there. It also both connected and divided different continents and parts of the world. The Industrial revolution formed one of the most central of human history. It brought wirh it bobth advantaged and disadvantages. It’s started and constatly continuing. We still adjust ourselves to it’s effects.

Sutton&Anderson Pastoralism Summary :: essays research papers

Sutton Anderson Chapter 8 Pastoralism is the form of agriculture where the domestication and use of animals are used for the primary means of food production. There is a relationship among the animals and humans. The humans give the animals’ protection and guaranteed reproduction. Animals give humans food and other products. Most pastoral groups are loose tribes moving around, yet the household is the primary organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three types of pastoralism exist, (1) nomadic (groups are very mobile and rely heavily on their animals), (2) semi-nomadic (groups are less mobile and animal products are supplemented by horticulture), and (3) semi-sedentary, (groups that are not very mobile and horticulture is a major aspect to the way of life). Herdsman husbandry and sedentary animal husbandry are components of larger agricultural systems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Herbivores are used in pastoralism; animals include reindeer, horses, sheep, camels, cattle, and others. The origin of pastoralism is unknown; however it is believed that it arose from an agricultural system. The animals live in pastures and feed there. Grazers primarily eat grasses and low-growing plants. Browsers eat primarily foliage from bushes and trees. This makes it possible to have different species on the same pasture (habitat) while occupying different niches. Careful management of the pastures is essential for the group’s survival. Animal products include meat, blood, milk, hides, hair, wool, and dung. Most groups supplement these products with horticulture, trade and wild resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unmanaged or poorly managed use of pastures can led to damage of ecosystems. The current practice of changing forest into pasture lands is causing considerable damage. The Maasai of East Africa provide us with an example of properly managed pastures. The Maasai burn brush to create pasture land, when the herd must be moved so that the pasture can regain its strength, other animals such as deer and small wild pigs enter the fallow fields, thus creating another resource of food for them. The governments of Kenya and Tanzania took about 75% of the Maasai lands to use for tourism. The land soon began to grow over and the brush took over. The large game that the government was counting on to create revenue from the tourists began to leave to find more suitable land. The governments are slowly giving the Maasai people their land back in hope that their properly managed pastures can bring the large game back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Navajo of the American Southwest are an example of semi sedentary pastoralists.

Panama :: Essays Papers

Panama The official name of Panama is the Republic of Panama or (Repà ºblica de Panamà ¡). Panama is located on the narrowest and lowest part of the Isthmus of Panama that links North America and South America. This part of the isthmus is situated between 7 ° and 10 ° north latitude and 77 ° and 83 ° west longitude. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina, approximately 77,082 square kilometers. The country’s two coastlines are referred to as the Caribbean and Pacific, rather than the north and south coasts. To the east is Colombia and to the west Costa Rica. Pacific. Dominant features of their landform is highlands forming the continental divide. The higher elevations near borders with Costa Rica and Colombia. The highest point in the country is the Volcà ¡n Barà º which rises to almost 3,500 meters. The lowest elevation is in the middle of the country where it is crossed by the Panama Canal. Most of the population is on the Pacific side of the divide. The population of the country is around 2.8 million with a growth rate of 1.5%. The racial and ethnic groups are 65% mestizo, 14% African descent, 10% Spanish descent, 10% Indian. The religion is 85% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant, and 5% Islamic. Spanish is the official language, though United States influence and the canal zone reinforce the use of English as a second language. Panama's arts show its ethnic mix. Indian tribes, West Indian groups, mestizos, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Swiss, Yugoslav and North American immigrants have all offer contributed ingredients to the culture. Traditional arts are woodcarving, weaving, ceramics and mask-making. The capital city is Panama City with major cities of Colon, Bocas del Toro, Potobelo, El porvenir, Santiago, Tocumen, La Palma, David, Balboa, and el Dorado. Political culture traditionally characterized by personalism, the tendency to give one's political loyalties to an individual rather than to a party. Politics from 1968 until his death in 1981 dominated by General Omar Torrijos Herrera, Their form of government is Executive under provisions of their 1972 Constitution, as amended in 1978 and 1983. The chief executive is president of the republic, he is assisted by two vice presidents, all elected by popular vote for five-year terms. The unit of currency is the Balboa which is equal to the United States dollar. Balboas are available only in coins.