Gun Control Essays (829 words) - Firearms, Gun Politics, Gun Control

Gun Control Section 1. Overview The issue of the letter which I sent was gun control legislation. The recipient of my letter was United States Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio. This issue is an important topic in our country at this time which involves critical and controversial legislation, a large industry and special interest groups. Section 2. Summary of the Issue The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution states, ?the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.? The reason for this Amendment as intended by the founding fathers was to insure that the citizens of the newly formed union could protect themselves from government tyranny and to guarantee the states a right to a militia. As with many other reasons for reform, the colonial authors could never have imagined that weapons would exist such as the ones that were banned in the 1994 Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The need for gun control legislation was never really a hot topic in the United States until the early 1980's, starting with the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. During the last two decades this issue has sky-rocketed to the top of the list of concerns of the American Glover 2 population. After the April 1999, massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado gun control became the topic of much full scale nationalized and media exploited debate in our country, especially in the federal and state Congresses. Even though gun control legislation was already being debated and bills concerning gun control were set to be voted on within days and weeks of the Columbine incident in both federal and state Houses, a new and even stronger waive of calls for reform ripped through the nation. Most called for better control laws, but some called for radical legislation. Section 3. Relation to Course The large gun manufacturing and retail industry is supported by many special interests groups. These groups, like other industry support groups, are very important to those employed by this industry for job security. One of the most powerful lobbies in the nation today is in fact the gun lobby. Although recently many of the anti-gun control groups such as the NRA and the American Shooting Sports Council, Inc. have agreed and even pushed for better gun legislation. Many Congressmen are also supported by PAC's which either support or oppose gun control legislation. Even in wake of the pressing of constituents who may have changed there views recently and are pushing for new reforms, this makes it very difficult for Congressmen to vote against the beliefs of these committees as long as they continue to hold fast to there beliefs. This conflict will probably create a reluctance of Congressmen to come to a compromise on bills before they can even be brought to the floor for vote. Even if new gun control legislation is passed the question will again be raised about whether the law is in compliance with the Second Amendment. With all of the controversy that surrounds this issue it is undoubted that a new law would be opposed in the United States Glover 3 Supreme Court. In the past the Supreme has been quick to rule against any law that even slightly infringes on the Second Amendment. This may be another area of reluctance for Congressmen to pass gun control legislation. Section 4. Recipient United States Senator George V. Voinovich was elected to the Senate in 1998. Before that time he served two terms as Governor of Ohio and ten years as the Mayor of the city of Cleveland. In the Senate, he serves on four committees: the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Governmental Affairs Committee, the Small Business Committee and the Select Committee on Ethics. When deciding which official to write to I chose Senator Voinovich because he is the highest ranking federal official who was elected in an election in which I was able to participate and also because of his strong reputation as a leader and motivater. I have received a reply from the Senators office in which he states his stance on gun control legislation and assured me that my concerns would be taken into account in future legislation. Section

Free Essays on Necklace

â€Å"The Necklace† The theme of Guy de Maupassant story â€Å"The Necklace† seems to be suggested by the line, â€Å"What would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace?†. Mathilde Loisel grew up in poverty and had no expectations in life. When she got married, her and her husband would sit around the dinner table and imagine they were eating a luxurious meal. They would imagine using shiny silverware and eating their meal on marvelous plates. Together, they had nothing. Mathilde had no clothes, no jewels, and only one friend. One day her husband came home from work and handed her an invitation they had received to attend a ball. Her husband thought that she would be enthusiastic about it, however she busted out in tears. She wanted to attend, yet she had no dress to wear. After digging in to money they had been trying to saved, Mathilde purchased a dress for the ball. As the ball drew near, Mathilde decided she still needed something more to finish o ff the dress they had just spent so much money on. The next day, Mathilde visited her only friend to see if she could barrow some of her jewelry for the evening of the ball. After about an hour of deliberating with her friend about what to jewelry to wear, Mathilde found it. Under all the other pieces of jewelry lied a diamond necklace. Mathilde was ecstatic. Never before had she seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She decided this was what she was going to wear. The entire way home she dazzled the necklace. She knew that she would stand out in the crowd at the ball. The night of the ball came and Mithilde looked great. Her and her husband showed up at the ball and everyone was amazed at how good Mithilde appeared. Mithilde was not used to all the attention she received that evening, after all she just a poor young lady. The evening ended and everyone went home. Mithilde decided that one last time she would look at herself in the mirror before getting out of the clothes. When s. .. Free Essays on Necklace Free Essays on Necklace â€Å"The Necklace† The theme of Guy de Maupassant story â€Å"The Necklace† seems to be suggested by the line, â€Å"What would have happened if Mathilde had not lost the necklace?†. Mathilde Loisel grew up in poverty and had no expectations in life. When she got married, her and her husband would sit around the dinner table and imagine they were eating a luxurious meal. They would imagine using shiny silverware and eating their meal on marvelous plates. Together, they had nothing. Mathilde had no clothes, no jewels, and only one friend. One day her husband came home from work and handed her an invitation they had received to attend a ball. Her husband thought that she would be enthusiastic about it, however she busted out in tears. She wanted to attend, yet she had no dress to wear. After digging in to money they had been trying to saved, Mathilde purchased a dress for the ball. As the ball drew near, Mathilde decided she still needed something more to finish o ff the dress they had just spent so much money on. The next day, Mathilde visited her only friend to see if she could barrow some of her jewelry for the evening of the ball. After about an hour of deliberating with her friend about what to jewelry to wear, Mathilde found it. Under all the other pieces of jewelry lied a diamond necklace. Mathilde was ecstatic. Never before had she seen such a beautiful piece of jewelry. She decided this was what she was going to wear. The entire way home she dazzled the necklace. She knew that she would stand out in the crowd at the ball. The night of the ball came and Mithilde looked great. Her and her husband showed up at the ball and everyone was amazed at how good Mithilde appeared. Mithilde was not used to all the attention she received that evening, after all she just a poor young lady. The evening ended and everyone went home. Mithilde decided that one last time she would look at herself in the mirror before getting out of the clothes. When s. ..

Assignment 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment 7 - Essay Example f psychotic disorders characterized by effective distortions of reality; emotional and mental disorganization, as well as the withdrawal of individuals from social interaction. Some theories while trying to explain schizophrenia, give primacy to biologically related factors like biomechanical imbalance. Other theories tend to emphasize on the dynamism of the family, for example, the way one expresses hostility to the ill individual. Depressive disorder entails signs of â€Å"intense sadness, feelings of futility and worthlessness, and withdrawal from others† (Sue, Sue, and Sue, 1990, p. 325). Characteristics of depression are often physically manifested in change in appetite, sleep, and motivations like boredom and apathy. Cross-cultural studies reveal that there are variations in the way cultures define and communicate symptomatology of depression. Some cultures use fewer words in conveying emotions like anger and sadness. Somatization entails the use of bodily complaints as a means of expressing psychological distress. Certain studies have proposed that certain groups, like Hispanics and Japanese somaticize comparatively more than Americans and Europeans. Some of the complaints include intestinal problems and low back pain. Therefore, the carried out research suggests that, even if previously regarded a phenomenon of culture-specific could be universal embedding meanings of culture-specific as well as expression modes. Culture-bound syndromes present the strongest relevance regarding cultural relativism in comprehending and addressing abnormality. Historically, the literature can be put into view points, with the first view proposes that psychopathology and culture are intertwined, and that one has to constrain him/herself within a given framework of culture. This approach is referred to as cultural relativism. The other view, which contrasts the first one hold proposes that even if culture plays a responsibility while determining the actual behavior, the

Proving The Biblical Flood (Noah's Ark) Term Paper

Proving The Biblical Flood (Noah's Ark) - Term Paper Example To this end, God instructed Noah to construct a huge Ark that would shelter his family and also a pair of every animal and bird species in the world. It is stated that Noah complied to each and every of God’s commands and secured himself, his family plus the select pair of every animal and bird species in the Ark. Afterwards, the book of Genesis details a mega flood that rained for 40 days and 40 nights. To this end, Genesis 7:21-22 states that all flesh perished that moved on the Earth, every man, cattle, birds, beasts and all the creeping things (Beitzel, Barry, Barry L. Bandstra, and Laurie, 24). Only the people and land animals on board the Ark were spared. After, one hundred and fifty days, it is stated that the water receded from the Earth. Unfortunately, a majority of sceptics and atheists normally dismiss the Great flood as one of the many mythological tales. Most critics like to point out that there is no evidence on Earth for Noah’s flood. However, The Bible a nd especially the Book of Genesis is a true historical account of the universe. ... This fact is credible considering that all global surface water covers three quarters of the Earth surface. Evidently, some secular geologists have supported the theory that all the continents were once whole and not divided by the massive oceans of today. To this end, it is also a valid point that the receding waters of the flood were sufficient to effect the continental separation changes. Evidently, the Biblical scriptures state that God created the ocean basins by raising the land surface from the water so that the floodwaters may recede to a safer place. Most critics of the Great Flood normally seek for geologic evidence from proponents of the Great Flood. Evidently, a number of Christians are blind to the geological evidence that support the occurrence of the Great Flood. To this end, they have bought in the evolutionary idea that asserts that ‘the present is the key to the past’ (Shimmeal, 67). However, in examining whether the Great Flood really took place, direc tion from Biblical evidence is a starting point. Evidently, in Genesis chapter 7 to chapter 8, it states the fountains of the deep were fractured and water was expunged from within the earth’s core for 150 days. Furthermore, the heavens opened up and there was a global torrential rain for 40 days and nights. To this end, all the mountains and hills were immersed in water. In addition, all creatures on the land were swept away and died. Consequently, in attempt to check for evidence, one would expect to discover billions of dead animals and plants that have been buried and fossilized in layers of mud, sand and lime. Furthermore, such sediments would have been deposited instantaneously by water, within

Factors That Affect The Achievement Of The Operational Excellence Business Essay

Factors That Affect The Achievement Of The Operational Excellence Business Essay One of the most competitive industries in the world is the pharmaceutical industry. For a long time, the operation of the pharmaceutical companies has been subject to scrutiny, especially by the government of each country of operation. The underlying reasons for the strict attention include: the cost of medicines and drugs available for purchase, the reduced life cycle of product development, the technological advancements which impact operations and the nature of the health care systems. Moreover, the pharmaceutical industry, like other businesses, is affected by factors such as the issues of human resources development and sensitivity to culture and diversity. In fact, they all have influenced the birth of the new and improved meaning of operational excellence. The increasing demands for an improved productivity and manufacturing costs have been the growing concern of pharmaceutical companies today. The need to meet the fast changing needs of the market for a much higher standard and quality drugs has also resulted to increased expectations not only from the consumers but from all stakeholders (suppliers, investors, employees and the government). However, the quest for a much potent product is a very significant issue. The common goal is to reduce the attrition rate in bringing new medicines in the market as well as in creating a fair and efficient standard in choosing the best pharmaceutical company to award the patent. As more and more consumers are becoming concern of the drug s its short-term efficacy and its long-term side effects, marketing for the drug has also become more innovative and active. In this view, the operational processes and engineering for pharmaceutical product has come to a new level. Introduction The old adage Health is Wealth is generally true nothing can be more valuable than being healthy and alive. The objective of the government of every country around the world to provide its public with health care services has been notable but still incomplete and unsuccessful. Not only the poor and underdeveloped countries are the ones having problems with high medical costs and insurances but even the developed or economically strong countries. There are many factors that contribute to the inability of the government to properly provide for its people in terms of health care, for one, the health service is truly an expensive part of man s need to live and the costs of services are high because medical equipments are expensive not mentioning the maintenance cost of every hospital. Hence, the need to secure the health benefits of the people has become the motivating factor for the government to present in an agenda, its health objectives for the American Nation. Statement of the Problem The pharmaceutical business is one of the most important industries in the world. The benefits people gain from the results of research and development conducted by the pharmaceutical firms, which include discoveries of the cures for many diseases, and the lessening time required to treat the patient that lead to saving of lives, cannot be equated with money. Even the wealthiest person on earth gets sick and requires medicine. Sick people and their families are happy whenever they learn that there is a cure for their diseases and that their lives are lengthened by the healing power of medicine. However, with the high cost of production, stiff competition, and the ever-changing government legislations, pharmaceutical companies are facing major challenges. While the time to bring the pharmaceutical product in the market quickens, the risk involved in the cost recovery and industry survival increases for many pharmaceutical companies. In this view that the selected problem is titled: Ac hieving Operational Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry. The selected research problem evaluates the operational and engineering processes used by the pharmaceutical companies. Achieving operational excellence requires that pharmaceutical companies understand the factors which may affect their operations, such as the changing human resources relative to cultural diversity and manpower outsourcing, the impact of the environmental factors, which may include changing government legislations, market trends and future opportunities and threats and the future trends, operational systems, collaborative efforts (merging, tie-ups, etc.) that will all make a difference in the midst of heavy competition and highly selective customers. The selected statement of the problem hopes to reveal the possible solutions to the challenges and in the end provide a wider perspective based on the data presented, evaluated and analyzed. Purpose of the Study The goal of this research is to find out the relevant factors that affect the achievement of the operational excellence of the firms in the pharmaceutical industry. It also hopes to learn and understand what makes a successful pharmaceutical company and how operational excellence can be achieved. Significance of the Study The findings of this research will serve as useful information on understanding the pharmaceutical industry as a whole. Readers will also have a full view of the pharmaceutical industry from its begging up to the current time. Researchers of the same issue will have a concrete basis of analyzing and evaluating for the same. Pharmaceutical companies will have a wider perspective of the industry where they exist, providing them with more information useful in the creation of marketing strategies and operational upgrades. The government will also benefit from this research because, it will present a different interpretation of the key factors affecting the pharmaceutical industry. Research Questions This paper looks into the following issues: (1) How should the current pharmaceutical industry be described in terms of: a. Operational processes and engineering; b. Pharmaceutical technology; c. New product development, Research and development; and Product life cycle; d. Production systems (total quality management, total productive maintenance, etc.); and e. Factors that characterize operational excellence (best practices)? (2) How are performances evaluated? a. The Porter s diamond concept in a pharmaceutical setting (3) What are the challenges of achieving operational efficiency in view of: a. Sensitivity to culture and diversity with respect to a unified corporate thinking; b. Globalization; and c. Human resources development? (4) What are the expected future trends? Background Pharmaceutical firms are categorized according to the nature of their business operations: they are the research-based firms; manufacturing-based firms and a combination of research-based and manufacturing-based firms. Characterized by its two distinct functions: research and development (RD), and manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry was reported as a $600 billion worth of sales in the year 2006 (economywatch). Specifically, there was a 7 per cent increase on the sales of prescription medicines worldwide or a total of $602 billion based on the report of some major pharmaceutical and medical information firms. These pharmaceutical firms are either, primarily engaged in Research and Development (RD) alone, studying diseases and advancing drugs and medicinal potency while other firms focus on the drug manufacturing process. Large, financially-able and world renowned pharmaceutical companies engaged in both activities. The US is considered as having the number one pharmaceutical market and an increasing trend in the pharmaceutical industry all over the world. According to statistics the highest recorded annual sales of pharmaceutical products and services in the US alone is $252 billion and increases at around 5.7 per cent annually (economywatch). According to a pharmaceutical industry report, the leading countries in the world in terms of potential market are India, China and the United States. The report specifically stated that: The report proved that there is an increasing demand and market for the pharmaceutical industry because of the increasing health awareness of the people all over the world. Literature Review Market intelligence data from IMS Health, a research company providing on pharmaceutical and healthcare industries proved that: in 2002, the estimated worldwide sales for prescription drugs was about $400 billion; and that the United States expenditure on prescription drugs in 2002, was roughly 200 billion dollars which accounted for approximately half of all sales worldwide. But despite this high costs, the United States ranked as the 21st rate on infant mortality in the world, way below Greece and South Korea and only a bit higher in Poland. Also, the United States ranked at the 17th rate in terms of life expectancy all over the world. The research agency also reported that in 2008, the US prescription drugs sales had amounted to a whopping $291 billion dollars every year (sourcewatch). In this view, the challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry around the world are enormous (Sherk). One of the main reasons is the pressure of bringing down the prices of medicines and drugs that are considered contributive to the escalating costs of the health care services (Sherk). The cost of health care in the United States is generally double compared to other developed countries in Europe such as Britain, France and Germany. (yahoonews) Furthermore, the United States has reportedly spent 7, 290 dollars per person in the year 2007 but provided no meaningful advantage in terms of quality of care, and placed far behind the averages in the key indicators such as the infant mortality and life expectancy rate compared to the previously mentioned countries. The proposed healthcare reform in the United States, includes the evaluation of the drug costs and the possibility of creating legislations that will regulate the operations of pharmaceutical companies. Research Design The research design that will be used to evaluate and answer the selected problem titled: Achieving Operational Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry is qualitative research. The decision to use the qualitative research design was based on the following factors: limited time available, and also, the use of secondary data. In order to answer the general and specific questions, the researcher uses the descriptive research as a type of qualitative method of research. The researcher gathers secondary data from previous researches, statistical reports, surveys, demographic information, and online resources. The data gathered are listed, sorted and analyzed in order to answer the problems undertaken. Findings The following are the findings that were gathered using secondary information, specifically from previous researches, statistical reports, and other sources. (1) How should the current pharmaceutical industry be described in terms of: (a) Operational Processes and Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry Drug Approval and Registration Process As implemented by the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, the strict compliance of the law should be observed in all stages of the operational process and engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry, primarily, in the registration (FDA, 2010) The Food Drug Administration (FDA) s fundamental mission is protect the public health is the collection of this information, which is used for important activities such as post-market surveillance for serious adverse drug reactions, inspection of drug manufacturing and processing facilities, and monitoring of drug products imported into the United States. Comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information is critical to conducting these activities with efficiency and effectiveness. (FDA, 2010) (b) Process Analytical technologies (PAT) One of the new systems that are being used in the pharmaceutical industry is known as the Process Analytical technologies (PAT). The term Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) has been used to describe a system for designing and controlling manufacturing through timely measurements (i.e. during processing) of critical quality and performance attributes for raw and in-process materials and also processes with the goal of ensuring final product quality. The PAT initiative focuses on building quality into the product and manufacturing processes, as well as continuous process improvement. (pharmainfo.net) c) Industry Operating Procedures The pharmaceutical industry, just like other industries uses the US standard of Accounting GAAP (irs.gov). Pharmaceutical companies have to apply for the registration of their newly discovered drugs or medicines. Before a drug can be tested in people, the drug company or sponsor performs laboratory and animal tests to discover how the drug works and whether its likely to be safe and work well in humans. Next, a series of tests in people is begun to determine whether the drug is safe when used to treat a disease and whether it provides a real health benefit. The process must be based on the steps set by the Food and Drug administration of the country of operation. The development and Approval Process of Drugs in the United States is believed to be the safest and the most advanced pharmaceutical system in the world. Another unique operational process used by the pharmaceutical companies is in the area of marketing. Unlike, the traditional selling and buying area of many products, selli ng drugs is a very complicated issue. Before companies can sell drugs, they have to seek approval and license from the FDA. Marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is commonly through salesmen. (2) How are performances evaluated? Porter s Five Forces of Industry Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Industry The pharmaceutical industry has high barriers to entry, primarily because capital is huge in this business. The need to allocate heavily on research and development is highly important if one will enter this industry, not mentioning high threat from government policies, and longer or no return on investment. The supplier power has low impact because material supplies are solely for pharmaceutical companies alone, and shelf life of chemicals is longer than any ordinary supplies. Buyer power depends on the kind of medicine being produced, if the medicine has no other substitute, then buyer power is low, and vice versa. The threat of substitutes is also low in the pharmaceutical industry, because although generics have been gaining popularity and acceptance, still, many consumers believe branded medicines are more effective. In terms of competitive rivalry, the pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive. Mullins (2006) reported that the industry was overpopulated and not one company has more than 5 percent market share. In addition, market growth rate is also minimal. (3) What are the challenges of achieving operational efficiency in view of (a) Sensitivity to culture and diversity with respect to a unified corporate thinking; (b) Globalization and (c) Human resources development. The changing landscape of business due to the forces of the new and changing environment have become the major influences in the manner in which leading function in the organization is done today. Unlike the traditional leadership process, global leadership extends its functions to new horizons and length that increased values for businesses, hence an increased risks. Leaders are more flexible and multi-skilled today. Thus, new business horizons that offer new and improved opportunities are available for global leaders to take advantage of. With the right attitude and qualifications, success in the business is possible for global leaders. The secrets however, lie on the ability of the leader to understand these new concepts and challenges. Human Resource Management or HRM is an activity that is focused on recruiting, managing and developing the people in an organization. This function also deals with the issues regarding employee compensation, hiring, performance evaluation, safety, development, wellness, communication, training and development. The human resource management in the organization plays a big role in making strategic and coherent approach to managing the company s most important asset; its people. The HRM function is seen by most companies as a major contributing factor in aligning specific assignment to the employee s capabilities. In doing so, the company will be able to efficiently achieve its goals at a minimum required resources. Factors that affect staffing and staffing turnover are considered to be a big problem faced by human resource managers. Pinkerton (2001) made an effort to know the reasons that influence the staffing needs of hospitals. The answers vary depending on the hospital, the top thr ee include, teamwork or no teamwork/unit cohesiveness, chaos factors impacting the delivery of nursing care and effectiveness of communication. The factors affect staffing which can be categorized under external and internal. The external factors include the level of education, the prevailing attitudes in society (the kind of attitude toward work), the many laws and regulations that directly affect staffing, the economic conditions, and the supply of and demand for the manpower outside the enterprise. Organizational goals, tasks, technology, organization structure, the kinds of people employed by the enterprise, the demand for and the supply of managers within the enterprise, the reward system, and various kinds of policies are the internal factors which may affect staffing. For example, the use of high technology in most industries requires extensive and intensive education and training. The organization s ability to effect change is largely affected by the organizational culture because it serves as the basic nature and characteristics of the whole organization. Where organizational culture is deep seated and forms underlying subcultures, it is more difficult to change and therefore sets a more challenging role for leaders who want to implement change in the organization. The tendency to resist change is higher when organizational culture is more cohesive and more symbolical. Since the organization comprises of people that have different behaviors, talents, skills, knowledge, values, personality and many other differences, working together they come on terms to manage each other s differences. Culture is the behavior which formed when the people in the organization meet and agreed verbally and nonverbally and creates rule for doing the task. (Heathfield) Diversity The diversity in the organization was previously seen as a negative factor, but in today s environment where change is inevitable, it adds up to the company s flexibility in order to survive the competition in the market. In an organization where diversity is high, the leader must understand and know how to deal with it and use them effectively as a competitive advantage. Nowadays, many organizations employ diverse group of employees because they want to create a unique culture which adds up to the value of the organizational workforce. Common diversities in the organization include racial mixes, foreign workforces, women on the job, and disabled workers. (4) What are the expected future trends? Major transformations are occurring in the delivery of healthcare worldwide. Medical and healthcare technologies are increasingly impacting the clinical as well as the administrative dimensions of healthcare care delivery. Innovations introduced in the last decade have created accumulated effects that will be compounded with the continuing technical progress in medicine. Areas such as telemedicine, telehealth, computerized medical records, e-health and use of the Internet in B2B and B2C applications in healthcare are some of the milestones in the almost total revamping of the healthcare landscape. Medical and healthcare technologies are already transforming the operations, design and mission of hospitals. In this regard, the challenges for the future are an exciting opportunity for study, reflection, planning, and intervention. Technology assessment (TA) arose in the mid-1960s from an appreciation of the critical role of technology in modern society and its potential for unintended, and sometimes harmful, consequences. Congress commissioned independent studies by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress that significantly influenced the development and application of TA. These studies and further congressional hearings led the National Science Foundation to establish a TA program and, in 1972, Congress to authorize the congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), which was founded in 1973, became operational in 1974, and established its health program in 1975. Another factor that is considered as a threat not only to pharmaceutical industry but all industries is the globalization. Globalization has been creating impacts to various industries and individuals. The possibilities associated with it are countless. Hence, it also poses higher threats to many. Globalization has influenced major transformations on the organizational structures, and the processes of firms whether locally or internationally operated. Globalization also redefined the functions and roles of the intermediaries. Distribution of products has become entirely dependent on the intermediaries. Companies are trying to lessen interaction costs and because of this, have outsourced services from other countries to take advantage of the economies of scale. Industrial sectors have to undergo extensive structural changes which become more visible in the sectors that are based highly on the advanced technologies. Examples include the car industry, pharmaceutical industry and the tel ecommunications, among others. Conclusions and Recommendations Based on this research study, there are several lessons which could be learned from the evaluation of and analysis performed in the pharmaceutical industry. Primarily, the safety and security of our lives depend on the ability of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the AMA (American Medical Association) and APA (American Pharmacists Association), to screen and select the safest medicine, drugs and vaccines. The criteria set should always and consistently be tested, proven, and communicated to all industry players. Second, the operations of the pharmaceutical companies are generally affected by the changes in the industry. The relative amount of information available in understanding or describing a situation can significantly help in making valuable decision regarding the business operation. Third, the threat on the human resources because of globalization is considered a very critical issue even in the pharmaceutical industry. In the situation where there is limited available resources, need is high for an effective HR planning. Maximizing employee performances through devising appropriate training is also vital to the needs of the company. The approach will also help in maximizing the return on investment of the any organization s human capital and minimizing the financial risk is the main objective of human resources. Finally, it should therefore be concluded that the operational excellence in the pharmaceutical industry will only be achieved when companies learn to adapt the changes and developments brought about by the globalization.

Austrian School Cost Essay

Our behaviors and decisions in our daily lives are affected by economics. When making decisions, we will use economic theories either consciously or subconscious to decide if we will make or reject that decision. The same can also be used to explain our actions and behaviors when making an economic decision to purchase a house. This paper will evaluate how economics affect one’s decision to purchase a new house. First, the decision to purchase a new house is considered a large and important decision by many. This is because the prices of houses are usually very high, and thus purchasing a new house will greatly deplete the savings of an individual. The demand of houses is highly price elastic. Economic theories state that the larger the proportion of income a certain purchase requires, the more price elastic the demand will be. In the case of the purchase of a new house, it will require the spending of a large proportion of an average person’s income, hence this will greatly lower the purchasing power of the individual when the decision is made to purchase the house. Furthermore, buying a new house will require people to shift from a familiar environment to a less familiar environment and this can be a life-changing experience which may be scary to some. Hence, these are all factors which make the purchase of a new house a very difficult decision to make. There are various principles of economics that can be applied to a decision to purchase a new house. First, one of the principles will be that of trade-offs which people have to face. Every decision comes at a cost. In this case, the decision to purchase a new house will deplete people of a large proportion of their savings. The tradeoffs which they face will be alternatives which they get to enjoy with the same amount of money. For example, the same amount of money spent on a new house can be used on sending a child to university, going on a long holiday or purchasing a new vehicle. I have to remember even though the APR’s may be low and I have my down payment or even if I am using HUD as a first time buyer to eliminate closing cost or no fees at all there may still be one depending on my situation. Purchasing a new home is a big step not only the financial part of if but also the area I chose and the economy at this point and time. I must think ahead to how the economy will be now and later, as well as the housing area I chose. Will the neighborhood be a good choice for my kids, and will my house be a smart investment in terms of efficiency and equity? I need to determine if a recession will place my decision in purchasing a home the wrong time to buy. A recession could cause job lose and no income to pay my mortgage or even placing me in default to take out a loan on my home. Taking a loan on my home to make ends meet would cause me to pay double for my home and never actually own it. Tradeoffs are important when purchasing a new home because you have to be willing to give up miscellaneous items to get where u want to be, extra expenses are not a good idea when purchasing a new home.

Comparison and Contrast between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers Essay

The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League is a tale of two iconic franchises engaged in a figurative war. No guns or bullets, just pigskin and gridiron. The tussle between these two major leagues has been long going and is one of the longest in the National Football League. While the Bears seem better advantaged with their 92 wins, 88 losses and 6 ties against the Green Bay Packers, Packers have won in all their last six encounters with the Bears since 2011. What reinforces the rivalry even further are the more Superbowls, NFL titles and the Conference titles the Packers have clinched in comparison with the Bears. The rivalry may seem long lasting and is expected to last even longer, but these two rivals share similarities. Both the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers were each established in 1919. The Bears franchise was founded in Illinois in 1919 before moving to Chicago in 1921. On the other hand, the Green Bay Packers is currently based in Wisconsin and was founded in 1919. Together with the Bears, the Packers are among the oldest franchises in the NFL. Considering their location, both franchises are members of the same division of the NFC (National Football Conference) in the National Football League (diffen.com). When it comes to differences both the rivals have a number of differences than similarities. One difference is in ownership. The Bears is privately owned with Virginia McCaskey and her family controlling 80% of the franchise, Patrick Ryan, the chairman of Aon Corp, and Andrew McKenna, Aon director, 19.7% of the franchise. On the other hand, the Packers is a non-profit, community owned team, the only professional sports team with such ownership in the United States. Yet another difference between the two rivalries is with their team colors. Pride of any team is with their team colors. The team colors of the Bears are Navy blue, burnt orange, and white while the Packers are noticed with their Dark green and yellow. It is a law that no two teams in the NFL should have the same team colors for ease of identification and to foster sense of belonging among the team fans. For these two rivals, their team colors are a black and white affair, a sky-earth phenomenon considering that the team colors of the Bears is bright compared with that of the Packers that is rather dull. With such colors, one would understand the rivalry (diffen.com). A final difference between the two rivalries is with regard to their fan base. The Bears are reputed a having the most devoted fan base as compared with the Packers. Research places Bears at the sixth place regarding their Fan Equity rankings, which is basically a measure of brand equity centered on fans enthusiasm to financially support the team. The Packers on the other hand have an equally good Fan Equity rankings, but not as much as Bears, this according to research. While the Packers are highly placed in analysis on the NFL Social Media Equity, the Bears do not appear anyway in the top five. In conclusion, apart from their similarity in terms of their respective founding dates and their placement in the same division, both teams also share the similarity of having a penchant for competition. From their respective successes, it is evident that both rivals are highly competitive in setting records. They would stop at nothing in their bid to outperform each other. This fact makes for a better rivalry that is expected to last and make their meets eagerly anticipated and talked about. References Diffen. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers. Accessed on 25 November 2014. Retrieved from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Chicago_Bears_vs_Green_Bay_Packers Source document