Culture and History of Spain Essay

The golden age of Spain does not refer exactly to the economic and military hegemony of Spain, as Spain was on the verge of political, economic, and military collapse during this time. Spain engaged in expansionist policy abroad that had necessitated the government to impose an increased taxation, which leads to the revolts in 1640 first in Catalonia, then in Portugal. From then on, Spain was weakened economically, politically and culturally. Rather, the golden age refer to the flourishing in arts and literature in Spain. The main topics during this period were literature and the arts rather than economic or military victories abroad. The period of the Spanish golden age according to John A. Crow and Patricia Craig as featured by AOL Hometown in their article â€Å"Spain’s Cultural life: Literature and the Fine Arts† was between 1530 and 1680. During this time, theatre works, poetry and novels were very popular, and the most well known was the work of Cervantes entitled Don Quixote published in 1605. (AOL Hometown) Among the most popular names were dramatists like Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderon, which had premiered fine works of Spanish theatre. Spanish Famous artist during this time includes Velasquez, El Greco, Zubaran, Rebera and Morales which were held to be the greatest of their times. The reason behind Spain’s golden age was perhaps the existence of these fine artists whose works captivated even the highest nobility. The golden age of Spain according to history (an article entitled â€Å"Spain†) began with the ascension of Philip II to the Spanish throne. It was during his time that the popularity of arts and literature reached to highest level. However, the consequence of the golden age was the political and economic as well as military decline of Spain both in the home front and in overseas. An article entitled Spain in History (iExplore) pointed out that because of the prominence of art, the Hapsburg monarchy became increasingly less able to deal the empire’s somber problems particularly during the 17th century causing the empire’s gradual economic collapse. Most historians attributed this economic failure to the inability of the monarch to rule the empire because their interest was in the arts rather than in improving the economy. Another consequence of the golden age is the ‘feminization of Spain. Feminization refers to the gender emphasis that proliferated in the Spanish societies during the golden age. Men during this time adopted the customs of women such as mode of dressing and cosmetics. In the summary of Sidney Donnell’s book Feminizing the Enemy featured in the website article LAFAYETE the article pointed out that the gender anxieties during the golden age was related to the emphasis on arts and culture that was prevailing during this period of Spanish history. The Role of Religion in the Rules of the Hapsburg (or Habsburg) Kings During the period of 16th and 17th centuries, Spain was under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty, which was the dominant power in the Central Europe with capital in Vienna, Austria. Spain then was ruled by many kings that brought Spain both success and fall; and that, the â€Å"church enlarged its already dominant position in Spanish life† (High Beam Encyclopedia, par. 27). The Obvious topic during this time was Catholic Faith and Church membership as the reigning Monarchs were committed to impose Catholicism through the empire. The role of religion in the rules of Hapsburg kings according to Victor Perez Diaz (1998) was that the Hapsburg viewed society in the context of teleocratic state, which put society in a secondary position. It means that in view of the Hapsburg Kings, society can be a sphere in which they can generate resources to be use by the ruler to accomplish its mission. The implication of this was that the Hapsburg Kings uses religion or the so- called politics of faith to fulfill their mission. In other words, religion has become a powerful apparatus with which they achieved their aims. According to Diaz, although the Hapsburg kings respected the socioeconomic order, yet they were also devoted to some shared goals that necessitate systematic interventions in the social fabric to reinforce the sovereign’s authority. Thus the Hapsburg, Diaz pointed out, marshaled resources for protecting Catholic faith and shaped the moral character of its subjects, making membership in the church the means to recognition in the political community (Diaz). The reason for this was, the Roman Catholicism became the official state religion in Spain in 1492 after Ferdinand V of Aragon, and Isabella I of Castile married which linked the kingdoms. Because both monarchs were devout Catholics they wanted to impose the purity of the Catholic faith as well as to enhance the royal power. Because of the close relations of the Hapsburg to the Holy Roman Empire they were so dedicated to the Catholic Church prompting them to establish the Inquisitor in order to prosecute, and confiscate property owned by the Moors (Spain Life and Culture). Ferdinand and Isabella imposed religious uniformity through out Spain by aggressive campaign to convert the Moors and the Jews or they face expulsion (Spain Life and Culture). However, the consequence of their emphasis in the purity of Catholic faith, leads to the persecutions of Protestants, which resulted to war with protestant England. This prompted Philip to send a great Spanish Armada against England in 1558 unfortunately, it was defeated, and it marked Spain’s decline of power (Spain). Thus the consequence of the Hapsburg use of religion to enhance their power and to strengthen their rule was costly and it cost the gradual collapse of the Spanish hegemony not only in the home front but also abroad. The Bourbon kings in Spain (efforts to improve Spain) The Spanish Bourbon was one of the most vital royal families in Europe that held thrones in Spain during the 17th century. Philip V of Spain became the first Bourbon ruler of Spain after the death of Charles II (1665-1700). The bourbons ascended to the Spanish thrones during the end of Spain’s hegemonic power with the death of Charles II. In the view of J. Clayborn Laforce, with distressing vulnerability Spain slipped into an embarrassing sequence of decline, which continued until all of Spain’s greatness was gone. However, with the ascension of Philip V, Spain crossed a new threshold marked by the extraordinary progressive participation by government in Spanish economic dealings. The main topic during the Bourbon’s rule was economic recovery, in which the Bourbon monarch had implemented series of economic measures designed to improve the economic condition of Spain. Obviously a learned man, Philip’s knowledge in French mercantilism had helped him in improving the economic condition of Spain. Philip launched a series reform policy and programs for commercial and industrial revival and promotes the production of merchandise of high value that previously had been purchased abroad. The next Bourbon king to inherit the Spanish throne was Charles VII (1759-88) Like Philip; Charles was one of the most enlightened Spanish Monarch, which had contributed to Spain’s short-lived cultural and economic revival. The reason behind all these efforts was that through production of these commodities, the government would minimize its dependency on imported commodities. The third Bourbon Monarch to rule Spain was Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) which perhaps marked the end of the short economic revival started by Philip V and continued by Charles VII. It was during the brief reign of Charles IV, an incompetent Bourbon monarch that the flame of economic revival dies down. The reason for the short live economic revival was the squabble in the royal family that prompted Napoleon of France to invade Spain, and gave the Spanish throne to his brother Joseph Bonaparte. Spain after this was engaged in wars that halted its economic hope of revival. The consequences of disunity in the royal family had not only weakened the economic reforms put in place by Philip V but it also invited napoleon to invade Spain and claimed the Spanish throne for himself. It also led to war against England that further pushed Spain to humiliation and defeat. Indeed the misery of Spain cannot be attributed to the Bourbon rule as they merely inherited a declining kingdom. Had the momentum of economic growth that was laid out by the first two-bourbon monarch, Spain could have recovered from its drooping. Spain’s history was indeed very intriguing and full of difficulties, which are a good source of both learning and inspirations for the student of Spanish history. It features the rise and fall of the empire that had conquered much of the known world through sword and religion, but it had collapsed also because of religion and sword when it wage against protestant England in the name of religion. Work Cited Diaz, V. P. (1998) State and Public sphere in Spain during the ancient Regime Vol. 137 La Force, J. C Royal Textile factories in Spain, 1700-1800 The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 24 No. 3(Sep. , 1964), pp. 337-363 Http://links. jstor. org/sici? sici=0022-0507(196409)24%3A3%3C337%3ARTFIS1%3E2. 0. CO%3B2-N http://www. questia. com/googleScholar. qst;jsessionid=HRpGVQQzlhZJSZhM6QdwhnXtr7jp8dDwrBlY2dyNPJ6GGnyjVrvH! 1976250333? docId=5001368566 Spain http://www. geocities. com/CapitolHill/8823/aboutes. html Spain’s Cultural Life http://www. hometown. aol. com/antmagictg/culture. html Spain History I Explore http://www. iexplore. com/dmap/Spain/History Spain. http://www. geocities. com/CapitolHill/8823/aboutes. html Spain. High Beam Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 7, 2008. http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1E1-Spain. html Sidney Donnell will Talk about â€Å"Drag Performance and Hapsburg Spain† today. Lafayete http://www. lafayette. edu/news. php/view/5137/

Mukherjee vs Rodriguez

Mukherjee vs. Rodriguez As of today, The United States accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than any other country in the world. The number of immigrants totaled 37. 5 million as of 2006. All of this has to do with Richard Rodriguez and Bharati Mukherjee’s stories based on immigration in the United States. Entitled â€Å"Los Otros, Mis Hermanos† and †Two Ways to Belong in America†. Where as Rodriguez’s story is about a young Mexican immigrant finding it hard to live in a society where he struggles to understand it’s main language. He believes as a child that he doesn’t belong in a country where it’s main language is not of his. He only feels at peace when he is with his family speaking his own language. As well as where Mukherjee’s story is of two sisters named Mira and Bharati, both immigrants and very successful in their careers. Explaining how Mira all of a sudden has rage towards the country she has lived in for thirty years, due to the lack of effort shown by the U. S. Congress to enact a legislation that would not allow any government benefits towards resident aliens. As for Bharati, she has mixed feelings on the subject at hand. Rodriguez and Mukherjee’s stories share a common theme and purpose, but are diverse in their conflict and focus. Los Otros, Mis Hermanos† and â€Å"Two Ways to Belong in America† share a common theme in where they both are legal immigrants living in America. Rodriguez’s story is based on his childhood where he is living as a Mexican immigrant. Since Spanish is the only language he is able to interpret, he reference â€Å"The language of thei r Mexican past sounded in counterpoint to the English of public society† (Rodriguez pg. 309). For â€Å"Two Ways to Belong in America† the two sisters are living in the United States while Bharati is an American citizen, Mira is not. However both have Indian roots within them. For both of them their cultural backgrounds are very strong within them. As of course, them being an immigrant in a new country that they are not familiar with, they both have very strong bounds with their cultural heritage. Where as for example in Mukherjee’s story she shows how traditional her family is with their Indian marriages by saying how they are properly done in her home country. Mukherjee states †We would endure out two years in America, secure our degrees, then return to India to marry the grooms of our father’s choosing† (Mukherjee pg. 316). However, they both did not follow those guidelines by marrying grooms of their own choosing. In Rodriguez’s story he shows how speaking Spanish made him feel at home, by whenever he spoke to his family members or friends in Spanish he felt as if he was recognized as someone special. While there are similar qualities between the two stories there are contrarieties too. One being their formalities of education, reading where Mukherjee’s story was coming, from the sisters were well educated and successful in their careers. They both received degrees in their prestige subjects. As for Rodriguez’s story when he was younger it seemed as if it was very difficult for his upbringing into education. For example, his parents learning of the English language, as he states â€Å"In public, my father and mother spoke a hesitant, accented, not always grammatical English† (Rodriguez pg. 309). It seemed as if the schooling where he was coming from was not as much of a impact as compared to mukherjee’s learning’s. In â€Å"Los Otros, Mis Hermanos† as a young boy Rodriguez was very secluded from the rest of civilization by reason of his inability of learning the English language. In â€Å"Two Ways to Belong in America† the sisters were very much in content with the rest of the world. They would travel all throughout the world willing to try anything new. Where as Rodriguez, he was concealed from his very own neighborhood, he didn’t know the names of his neighbors, as he states, â€Å"But no one in the family knew the names of the old couple who lived next door; until I was seven years old, I did not know the names of the kids who lived across the street† (Rodriguez pg. 309). The stories by Rodriguez and Mukherjee’s stories had a similar case and dedication, however were disparate in their upbringings and socialization. Being in a country where your not accustomed to is difficult enough, living their must be an even bigger challenge. In Rodriguez’s case he couldn’t speak Spanish outside of his home so he felt at lost. In Mukherjee’s situation even after living for 30 years in this country they were still at subject to be dismissed from it. This shows you being the outsider in a world isn’t as easy to sustain, even when they had thought they had finally made it.

Lemons problem and its effects on the efficient functioning of a Essay

Lemons problem and its effects on the efficient functioning of a market - Essay Example The lemons problem, in the investment field, is noticeable in areas such as corporate finance and insurance (Mishkin 420). The lemons problem is essential in business as it clarifies those who are overexploited, in business dealing, and those who are not (Akerlof 1). Information asymmetry occurs when parties to a transaction lack the same degree of information essential to formulate an informed decision. For instance, in the market for used vehicles, the purchaser mainly cannot establish the value of a car accurately and might, therefore, just be willing to pay a minimal price for the car (Akerlof 1). This is somewhere between the premium price and the bargain price (Mishkin 434). Nevertheless, this tilts the proceedings in favor of a lemon vendor. This is because, even as the normal price for this lemon would be higher than the value it would command, the purchaser knew beforehand that it was, in fact, a lemon (Mishkin 435). Also, such a happening puts the seller of a proper used car at a disadvantage, as the best price a vendor can expect is an average price, but not the premium price the vehicle shou ld

Industrial Organization Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industrial Organization Economics - Essay Example Globalization has led to opening up of borders to facilitate trade. Those countries and companies that are ahead in the game realize the benefits compared to the laggards. Some of the strategies that nations have adopted to neutralize the effects of competition arising from globalization include creating barriers to entry, strategic entry deterrence as well as mergers and acquisitions. The rest of the paper will outline how the three factors influence industrial organizations as well as their impacts. It will achieve it by discussing three newspaper articles on the same subject. In an article by Gelles (March 12, 2015) in the New York Times titled, "Uncertainty weighs on Endo’s higher bid for Salix Pharmaceuticals† confirms the competitiveness of merger and acquisition. The article talks about the competition existing between Endo International and Valeant Pharmaceutical over who acquires Salix Pharmaceuticals. Endo has offered $ 175 per share, compared to $ 158 per share that Valeant offers (Gelles2015). It implies that the company that offers a higher bid per share may acquire the parent company and expand the operations. However, many factors hinder the merger and acquisition. These factors are related to policy issues. The board of the parent company has to agree to the offer because the deal will be binding to all the stakeholders including shareholders of the acquired company. In this article, people learn many issues regarding the topic or merger and acquisition. It is contrary to earlier knowledge that acquisition or merger was an arran gement of two companies; this article provides evidence of a third party. Third parties can come in if they offer a higher bid than what others offer. Endo offered a higher bid than what Salix had anticipated, which gives it a greater chance of acquiring the new investment or the company (Gelles 2015). It is a new scenario rarely experienced among accompanies. In the article by

Authentic Leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Authentic Leadership - Dissertation Example The second article deals with increased performance due to trust given by subordinates to their leaders. Individuals with disability are excluded from social participation. Authentic leaders require strategies that involve these individuals in social contributions. This is discussed in the third article. The last article deals with strategic orientations for coping with organizational change. Different leaders have different goal oriented inclinations, which affect sustainability of change in an organization. From Avolio Bruce (2009) Most researchers concentrate on what a leader does, what they have done in the past, and how they have performed as a measure of quality leadership. Constituents of genuine leadership require a frontier of both the practice and science of leadership. In the current world, organizations are competing for leadership talent. Governments and businesses are concerned with developing leadership that will promote a sustainable world. The world is faced with fin ite resources, which calls for more attention for management and leadership qualities. The current leadership interventions aim at enhancing the self awareness of leaders. In the previous regimes of leadership, charismatic leaders could use symbols, images, and rhetoric to perform above ordinary levels (Avolio and Gibbons, 1988). These leaders sacrificed everything to show their followers their commitment to achieving their vision. According to Burns (1978) such leaders were inspiring, morally uplifting, and focused on converting followers into leaders. They transformed several of their followers into leaders. However, not all charismatic leaders are morally uplifting. Some leaders like Joseph Stalin advantaged on group by destroying others. They eliminated other people inclined towards leadership. Transformational leadership is characteristic on the leader throughout their life span (Avolio and Luthans, 2006). These leaders are inspiring and visionary. Positive outcomes in the orga nization and within an individual emanate from transformational leadership (Judge and Piccolo, 2004). According to Kegan (1994) leaders guided by self interest make it difficult to invest time to develop their followers into leaders. Their moral perspective is typically stuck at determining their personal gaining from transforming others into leaders. They dislike changes in the leadership positions and cannot judge the overall best course to pursue in transforming others. An authentic leader is self-aware, moral centered, transparent, and fair in decision making (George, 2003). As individuals advance in experience and wisdom, they shift from individual performers to morally uplifting and focus on transforming followers. Some of these leaders display transformational qualities but lack the moral basis to become transformational. Such leaders are seen to be very successful but leave their organizations in ruins. This is as a result of lack of transformational nature in these leaders and self motivated gains. Leadership is more made than born. In an incremental perspective, development is more elastic and modifiable within the life course. However, those who believe that leaders are born have an entity view. They consider personality and leadership as fixed entities at certain points in the life stream. Developing leadership is therefore difficult in people who think certain things are fixed. Transformational leadership should exist in strategic levels in an organization. Cascading effects are witnessed

Cryptography and Computer Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cryptography and Computer Security - Essay Example virus from which the computer needed protection. Issues continued to arise but the most serious problem came with the introduction of internet. Internet gave birth to many problems because the internet gave rise to many virtual access points. Access points are an entrance to every sort of information and along with the information that enters virus and other malwares can easily enter. This opened a gateway to many virus and unwanted material into the computer. In order to protect the computer from such threats many techniques and methods were adopted and up till now new techniques and soft wares are being developed to protect the computer. One such method of protecting data is cryptography. It was used to convert understandable data into data that cannot be understood. In the earlier years cryptography was used to protect and secure information and messages between important personnel but gradually cryptography began to be used for the protection and safety of all sorts of communicat ion and safe computing. CRYPTOGRAPGY Cryptography has generally been used widely and there are some keys that are written for public and the major reason is to protect the data that is being transferred that is why it usually remains a secret or a matter of confidentiality between the receiver and the sender. It is a matter of great concern for the government and especially the law enforcing agencies when the data is encrypted as they need to be better equipped with programs and software so as to be counter the encrypted data and be able to read it. This is the sole reason that previously there was such a hue and cry with relations to the matter of privacy. It was discovered that there was no mail or communication that was hidden from them. They had super software and super computers to help them decode the algorithms and be able to decipher it. Earlier in 2009 there a series of very serious attacks on various organizations like Yahoo, Google, Morgan Stanley, Juniper Networks, Syman tec, Dow Chemical and the Adobe Systems. It was an attempt to get hold and manipulate the SCM of these organizations. The SCMs were wide open for access and the organizations never thought of protecting them as they felt that it was safe. The SCMs are quite an important part of any programs as they help when the person is looking to restructure the programs or rewrite them for any changes that are required. The main reason for the attack was to modify the SCM and then re modify the programs to their own motives. This attack showed how vulnerable the SCMs were. The result of this attack was to encrypt the SCM so that even if anyone got hold of them they would not be able to modify it. The encryption codified the programming and thus it was useless until the person was an expert in the algorithms. The attack basically modified the file path and turned normal usable software into malwares. It was at first discovered by the Google blog and then as a result they put forward an ultimatum that this originated in china and if it is not taken care of Google would close its franchise in China. There were further algorithms that were released from time to time just to exploit the loopholes that existed in various very commonly used software and this was done by random programmers. Encryption helps prevent such attacks (Stallings, 2011). With the advent of

Assignment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment - Lab Report Example The main attributes of a catalyst are: a. It is not used up during the reaction and can be recovered at the end of the reaction. b. It also lowers the activation energy for the chemical reaction to yield products. 4. Explain gas chromatography? How does it work? Chromatography in general is a laboratory technique for separation of mixtures. Gas chromatography is an analytical technique that involves separation of substances by analyzing the volatility of the components of the mixture. It works by having a stationary phase contained in columns like capillary tube or test tubes coated on their walls. The mobile phase which is the more volatile substances moves past the stationary phase. Sensitive electronic detectors or sensors installed in the device detects and identifies the various gases composed in the mixture as they travel along the column and emerge out of the tube. Detection of substances creates peaks as outputs which can be used for the analysis. The following questions can be answered after the experiment: 5. Did the reaction between acetic acid and ethanol produce ethyl acetate? Explain how you used chromatographic data to analyze the esterification reaction. The reaction between acetic acid and ethanol was able to yield ethyl acetate. This was observed through the fruit flavor smell that was produced during the experiment. Based on the data gathered from gas chromatography, the first set of peaks created without the esterification process, were made as standards to identify the three substances: acetic acid, ethanol and ethyl acetate. Every substance has unique peaks to identify them from each other. When esterification was done, it was observed that there is dominant presence of the ethyl acetate based on the output peaks. The rates were different for every test tube. The results of chromatographic data showed that there are more peaks identified as ethyl acetate. Therefore, esterification process is taking place producing ethyl acetate. 6. Name 3 ways you could modify the experiment to â€Å"push† the reaction to favor the products more? For the reaction to produce more of the products which is ethyl acetate, these 3 ways can be done: a. Add more of the reactant such as ethanol. This can push for the reaction to yield more products since there are more reactants for the reaction to happen. b. Addition of catalyst. For esterification, concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as catalyst can facilitate the reaction to happen thus, more products will be produced. c. Higher temperature can speed up the reaction rate for faster production of more products. 7. Why do you need to make a hole in the Parafilm? What would happen if you did not make this hole? Esterification process involves formation of CO2. This gas is released as alcohol and carboxylic acid react with each other to produce H2O and ester. The hole made in the Parafilm will prevent pressure build up inside the test tube. Without the hole, gas particles are trapped in side. Too much pressure built up can cause bursting of the

Mexican immigrants undocumented Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Mexican immigrants undocumented - Essay Example Most importantly, the social workers should know that immigrants or refugees despite the duration they will stay in the host country, they are most likely to be faced with a duality of cultures and hence do work with norms and expectations that conflict often. Although refugees and immigrants all seek new residence in a foreign country, their social and economic statuses differ and hence their adoption to the host country may also vary. Immigrants go to a host country on their own volition by attractiveness they see in that particular country. Usually they plan their entry carefully and selectively bringing some assets while relinquishing the assets at home (Abdulla, et al., 1997). Whether their reason for migrating is economic or political, they easily adopt since they at least have somewhere to start from. On the other hand, refugees are forced to flee their homelands and seek asylum from the host country for various reasons and would probably prefer to return if safety is permitted. Usually they flee home with little or no planning and with few belongings if any and are usually traumatized by the destruction they have witnessed and so it takes time for them to adapt to the new surroundings. With this knowledge, the social workers could know how to handle them and the issues that affects them for effective integration. Prior to the World War 11, the Mexicans accounted for less than 10 percent of the Florida immigration, and a quarter of Florida’s migrants in the early post war periods. In the 1960s, the Mexican immigrants percentage rose to 40 percent and by 1990s the figure rose to 50 percent of the total migrants in Florida. Prior to the 1970s, about 300,000 Mexican immigrants gained legal permanent residence in the United States yearly with most of them settling in Florida. In the last three decades, the number of legal permanent immigrants from Mexico to Florida has been doubling in each decade. This increasingly

Operations Management assignment Essay Example for Free

Operations Management assignment Essay Supply chain management is the coordination of the processes and functions within a business, adopted by most companies in the UK in the late 1990’s. It deals with the internal and external factors that, when dealt with correctly and systematically, can determine a businesses success or failure. A supply chain is the network of activities that delivers a finished product service to the customer. By definition, supply chain management (SCM) is â€Å"the management of the flows of materials from suppliers to customers in order to reduce overall cost and increase responsiveness to the customers† (Reid Sanders). SCM entails the co-ordination of the movement of good through the supply chain from suppliers to manufacturers to distributors to the final customer. The main aim of SCM is to maximise the efficiency of any given process being carried out by a company; by doing this it is allowing them to try to cut their costs and hopefully keep satisfying their customers’ needs, while at the same time maintaining their competitive position within their market. Supply chain management is seen as more of an â€Å"open system† in contrast to the traditional system used by the majority of companies just 20 years ago. The new â€Å"open system† allows room for change which is greatly needed with the current financial instability of the economy. SCM has evolved over the years and has moulded to suit the ever changing economy. First adopted by the Japanese, in the form of Geba Kai (A meeting of the minds), the now commonly found process is used by a vast amount of companies in the UK. Nowadays, SCM within a business is responsible for a product from when it’s in its raw state to when it’s a finished product, ready for consumption by customers. The chain management that Comfort Company PLC currently uses is a very traditional system, otherwise known as a â€Å"closed system†. This type of management system isolates itself from the other components in the supply chain and therefore only has communication flowing through the companies own system, this is a negative attribute as it prevents the company from getting important and influential information about the state of the other links in their supply chain. When the dynamics of change happened, it forced the breakthrough of a new approach, the â€Å"open system†. The â€Å"open system† made companies a lot more open to operational change and as a result of this it made several managers, whose companies used the closed, more traditional system, view the new approach as a loss of power; this consequently made a lot of companies resist against the change. The new and more flexible â€Å"open system† was adopted firstly by the Japanese in the form of â€Å"Geba Kai†, they were closely flowed by the British who quickly followed them in adopting it. There are still some nations that, even now, rigidly stick to their old ways and use the â€Å"closed system†, two examples of these nations are the Americans and the Germans. Along with the list of positives the company will gain by changing from a traditional chain system to a more formal supply chain management (SCM) system, there are also a few strategic reasons why a company should change to the newer system, reasons that will help them to stay on par with the other business’ within their industry and within the whole business sector. One of these reasons is globalisation. As stated in â€Å"Operations management: Along the supply chain†, Two thirds of today’s businesses operate globally through global markets, global operations, global financing, and global supply chains†. Globalisation means that British companies, such as Comfort Company PLC are going to have to be prepared to compete in markets that are foreign to them and also have foreign competition within their own domestic markets. Companies that adopt, or have already adopted, a formal supply chain management system will have an advantage upon those who havenâ€⠄¢t and will be able to benefit from globalisation. There are many benefits a company would gain from introducing a formal supply chain management system, all fulfilling the wish to supply the customer with good quality products that â€Å"Comfort Company plc† posses, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to maximise their customer satisfaction, manage their supply chain effectively and allow flexibility to their supply chain. By maximising customer satisfaction, â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could asses how well they are meeting their customers needs, while at the same receiving an indication of how well the business is doing in comparison with their competition; both in their market and foreign markets. Having a flexible supply chain would mean that the company would be able to react to change in demand quickly to ensure that they level the demand to their output, this would save them a lot of time, waste and resources if a freak change in demand was to happen. If â€Å"Comfort company plc† did not adopt the formal supply chain management system they would be at risk of loosing a lot of money if an unforeseeable change was to happen, this would give them a disadvantage upon the competition and would lower their competitive advantage. Effective management of a supply chain could open up opportunities for â€Å"Comfort Company plc† to improve many aspects of their production, and potentially save themselves a lot of money. By identifying the unnecessary waste along the supply chain, â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could make the process an easier, cheaper and quicker one for themselves and other links in their supply chain; this would make the chain more productive, co nsequently making the finished product â€Å"better value†. One of the main advantages of a formal supply chain management system, and an excellent attribute a company can have, is an advantage upon your competitors. Defined, competitive advantage is â€Å"an advantage over competition gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices†(Tutor2u.net, 2011). The type of competitive advantages a company such as â€Å"Comfort Company plc† would achieve from a formal SCM system are advantages such as lower costs and operational flexibility. As there are numerous ways of gaining a competitive advantage, the company in question needs to do some research into their market to see how it could be done, they could research the ways in which their successful competition operate and try to adopt some of their approaches. A good example of a company using its formal SCM system to achieve a good competitive advantage is Dell Computer Corporation. â€Å"Quick delivery of customised computers at prices 10-15 percent lower than the industry standard is Dell’s competitive advantage. A customised Dell computer can be en route to the customer within thirty-six hours. This quick response allows Dell to reduce its inventory level to approximately thirteen days of supply. Dell achieves this in part through its warehousing plan. Most of the components Dell uses are warehoused within fifteen minute travel time to an assembly point. Dell does not order components at its Austin, Texas, facility; instead, suppliers restock warehouses as needed, and Dell is only billed for items only after they are shipped. The result is better value for the customer† (Reid Sanders). There are a few ways â€Å"Comfort Company plc† can gain competitive advantage within their market, such as using tools like business to business (B2B) e-commerce, or adopting one of Dells results gaining approaches and making sure that there components and raw materials for making the products are located a short travel time away from the place of assembly. Being situated on the Crewe Gates industrial park, where many other businesses, some similar to â€Å"Comfort Company plc† no doubt, are situated, there’s sure to be some way that they could find a supplier closer. If this was to succeed they could create a good, strong relationship with the suppliers and build a barrier of trust and communication, this would be a perfect scenario to ensure the links in the supply chain are strong, as the supply chain is â€Å"only as weak and its weakest link† and vice versa. A business to business (B2B) e-commerce is when companies sell to other business, it is the largest segment of e-commerce. If â€Å"Comfort Company plc† were to use business to business (B2B) e-commerce, they could gain potential benefits such as: †¢Lower procurement administrative costs, †¢Better quality because if increased cooperation of between buyers and sellers, especially during the product design and development, †¢Low-cost access to global suppliers, †¢Lower inventory investment due to price transparency and reduced response times (R. Dan Reid, Nada R. Sanders) The reasons/advantages stated above for changing from a traditional chain system to a formal supply chain management system are in fact more than just small advantages â€Å"Comfort Company plc† could gain, but necessary changed that need to be made if they want to survive the current economical crisis and still have customers/revenue at the end of it. With globalisation growing and the need to satisfy the customers becoming more apparent and diverse, the formal supply chain management system is a necessary system that every business, no matter how small or large, should put into place. The formal SCM system will allow â€Å"Comfort Company plc† to integrate their information systems with their suppliers and customers in an effort to meet their goals and objective while still at the same time doing this in a cost-saving way. With every new system brought into a company, there is the risk of it creating a few problems within the company; this makes the need of a contingency plan much higher. There are a few risks that come along with implementing such a big change to a business so set in its ways like â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, a main one being the possible lack of cooperation from the workforce or managers. When change happens in a workplace the employees can feel threatened and scared and will sometimes rebel against the new change, this could be avoided if the company took a few simple procedures to ensure the workforce are happy with the new system. They should tell the workforce about the new operational plan and get their feedback on it, this will make them feel involved in the change and will hopefully make them feel less alienated. Also, they should sit them down and explain the needs of introducing a formal supply chain management system into the company, and the benefits it would gain by doing so, if they feel it would be benefiting the company, they should feel happier about the change going on. Furthermore, if both of the steps are carried out correctly, it could make them more motivated towards their job as they will feel involved in the company and will hopefully want it to succeed. Another risk of the formal supply chain management system is the potential loss of jobs within the company; this will be because some members of staff will not be needed as a go between for information between suppliers and so on. The redundancies in the company could possibly cause bad feeling between the workforce and the new system and could de-motivate them, possibly leading to a decrease in the effort put in by the workforce; this could potentially lead to a product being of a lower quality. Also, the possible redundancies made will be a negative factor for the economy as there will be a few more unemployed people in the country; this is one of the only major downfalls of the introduction of the formal SCM system. However, there may be members of staff who are close to retirement and could benefit from voluntary redundancy and the benefits that go with it. A negative of that would be that â€Å"Comfort Company plc† may loose some of their staff with the most experience and expertise, potentially making them train up current members of staff to the same quality as the members of staff who left. However, the operations management team at â€Å"Comfort Company plc† will have to put contingency plans in place that cover all of the possible risks, and ways to reduce the risks from happening. There are many needs of introducing a formal supply chain management system into â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, and many advantages it would gain by doing so. While there are also some risks involved, the advantages and needs outweigh them massively as they could potentially provide â€Å"Comfort Company plc† with a competitive advantage, while at the same time reducing their costs and use of resources. Like the traditional chain system currently adopted by â€Å"Comfort Company plc†, the new, more up to date formal supply chain management system will fulfil their wish to supply the customer with good quality products while at the same time saving them resources and money, making them more profitable. The introduction of a formal supply chain management (SCM) system is necessary and â€Å"Comfort Company plc† should definitely strongly consider it. References: †¢Operations Management: An integrated approach (2007) (3rd edition) R. Dan Reid, Nada R. Sanders. Pages 16, 98-105 †¢Operations Management: Along the supply chain (6h edition) Russell Taylor. Page 9. †¢Tutur2u.net (2011) Competitive advantage (WWW) Available from: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/competitive_advantage.htm

Strategic Management Accounting Essay Example for Free

Strategic Management Accounting Essay This is an individual assignment of 3,000 words (+/-10%), excluding appendices and bibliography. The word count MUST be shown on the front of the assignment. There are TWO questions to be answered in this assignment. Each question carries a maximum mark of 50%. All of the learning outcomes for the module are being assessed in this assignment. The learning outcomes are shown in the section entitled â€Å"Marking Guide†, which is further on in this document. The University’s policy on cheating collusion and plagiarism will be applied to this piece of work. You are required to produce a report which answers the following TWO questions: Question 1 XYZ Limited is a medium sized manufacturing business which makes and sells products to a range of industrial customers who use XYZ’s products in their own products. The working capital of XYZ is typical of a manufacturing organisation in that at any point in time they have cash, trade receivables, inventories of raw materials, work in progress and finished goods and trade payables. The Managing Director of XYZ Limited believes that all parts of the working capital cycle could be improved and has asked you to produce a report which discusses how each part of the working capital cycle could be improved and which critically evaluates the implications of the improvements on XYZ and other connected parties (for example trade receivables and trade payables). Question 2 Many organisations use transfer pricing when transferring products between different divisions of the same organisation. You are required to discuss in detail the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following four methods: 1) Market based transfer prices; 2) Full cost transfer prices; 3) Cost-plus a mark-up transfer prices; and 4) Negotiated transfer prices. Guidance: Students are encouraged to be inquisitive and innovative in their approach as to what should be included in this report. The following may be of some use in providing guidance as to what could possibly be included, although this is in no way meant to be prescriptive. The aim of the assignment is to help you understand how key areas of strategic management accounting are applied in practice. This will include investigating topics from throughout the course linked to the above issues. Some of the principles, concepts and models will be more relevant to your chosen approach than others and so it is likely that different students will formulate different approaches to the problems. This is normal it is not expected that all of the course content will be used in the analysis concentrate on that which you feel is most important. As part of your work you might find it helpful to briefly explore the underlying theory behind the key areas of investigation that you identify before applying them to report. With a total of 3,000 words you do not have a lot of room for long introductions so assume you are writing to a sophisticated audience who has a working knowledge of strategic management accounting and is well versed in business theory. Numerical example for illustrative purposes may be of use  but should not be the main thrust of the work. If used they should be to provide evidence to support your findings from your other analysis of position and policies. If other sources are used remember to reference everything! Please avoid relying too heavily on descriptive sections reproducing information available from course material or the set text. It is your own logical, evaluation of the situation, the interpretation of course material and presentation, with critical analysis, of a coherent strategic plan that will attract high marks. Marking Guide The learning outcomes for this module assessed by this piece of work are Knowledge 1. Critically evaluate a range of key strategic management accounting models and concepts. 2. Critically understand of specific analytical skills in key areas within management accounting at local and international level 3. Critically understand of the role and limitations of management accounting theory. Skills 4. Applied the key management accounting concepts and methodologies in order to contribute to successful decision making in an organisation. In light of this the assessment criteria in the grid below will be used when assessing your work.

Psychological Impact of Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer

Psychological Impact of Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer CHAPTER ONE Introduction The concern addressed in this dissertation is to explore the psychological impact on a newly diagnosed lung cancer patient. Patients with lung cancer normally experience variety of distress symptoms, many of which begin prior to diagnosis and continue throughout the course of the disease and the treatment, which adversely affects the functional status and quality of life (Julkunen et al, 2009). The experience of lung cancer is not limited to only the victims but may equally have wide-range impact on families physical and emotional well-being. Therefore it is essential to critically assess the extent of this psychological impact of lung cancer on the patient. This topic is properly examined in context of a critical literature review approach. The approach has adopted the traditional method which is considered appropriate for the purpose of this piece of work. This method involves a critique, summary and synthesis of a body of literature after which a conclusions is drawn, (Coughlan,et al. 2008). According to Crombie (1996), the purpose of writing a literature review is to convey to readers the knowledge and ideas which have been established on the chosen topic, and explore the strength and weaknesses. This helps to identify gaps and inconsistencies in the literature. Gomm et al, (2000) stated that the purpose of a review is to analyse critically a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles. A further consideration for the literature review will not merely be a descriptive list of materials obtained, or a summary of relevant resource s, but rather to provide the framework of the research investigation and summarise the literature studied in order to develop the research study (Brink and Wood, 2001). A brief description of the anatomy and physiology of the lungs will be discussed to enhance proper understanding of the topic. Pathophysiology, aetiology and epidemiology of lung cancer will be outlined. The methodology will be described including a brief description of the models and strategies adopted in conducting the review. The review of 10 peer review papers are presented in chapters using critical appraisal tools to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the research papers. Both qualitative and quantitative primary research papers will also be used. Limitations of the literature and the process of the review will be identified. The dissertation will be structure in the following way: Chapter 2 will explore the background information about lung cancer by examining the pathophysiology, aetiology, and epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and evaluation of the disease. It also considers the rationale behind the chosen topic. Chapter 3, Research Methodology, outlining the various strategies employed to gather and analyse the sources of data. Chapter 4, Psychological distress: anxiety, depression, desire for hastened death, feeling of guilt and hopelessness. Chapter 5, Discusses the impact psychological distress has on quality of life of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. Chapter 6, Summary of findings of the literature reviewed. Chapter 7, Limitations of the literature reviewed. Chapter 8, Limitations of the whole literature reviewing process. Chapter 9, Conclusion and Recommendations, distils the key points and relates them to proper management of lung cancer. It also proposes a number of recommendations to tackle the problems identified above. CHPTER 2 Lung cancer 2.1 Introduction The study is to identify the psychological impact of newly diagnosed lung cancer on the patient. Lung Cancer is a disease that begins in the tissue of the lungs. To better understand lung cancer, it is vital to understand the anatomy and physiology of the lungs. 2.2 Anatomy and physiology of the lungs The lungs are two cone-shaped structures positioned on either side of the heart. In the mediastinum. They are sponge-like organs that are part of the respiratory system. During breathing, air enters the mouth or nasal cavity and travels down the trachea. The trachea, divides into two smaller tubes: the right bronchus and the left bronchus. The right bronchus enters the right lung and the left bronchus enters the left lung. The right and left bronchus branch into bronchioles. These bronchioles end in tiny balloon-like air sacs called alveoli. The alveoli are where oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other substances are exchanged between the lungs and the blood stream. (Gould, 2006). Pathophysiology, aetiology and epidemiology of lung cancer Lung cancer is a term, which covers a collection of several different forms of malignant tumour arising in the lungs and in the major airways (The Royal College of Physicians, 2005). There are two major types of lung cancer, non-small cell and small cell. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) arises from epithelial cells which is the most common type of lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer begins in the nerve cells or hormone-producing cells of the lung. The term small cell refers to the size and shape of the cancer cells when seen under a microscope. According to (McCance and Heuther 2005) the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80% of all lung cancers. There are different types of NSCLC, these are: Squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma). This is the most common type of NSCLC. It forms in the lining of the bronchial tubes and is the most common type of lung cancer in men. Adenocarcinoma. This is found in the glands of the lungs that produce mucus. This is the most common type of lung cancer in women and also among people who have not smoked. Bronchioalveolar carcinoma. This is a rare subset of adenocarcinoma. It forms near the lungs air sacs. Recent clinical research by Scullion and Henry (1998) has shown that this type of cancer responds more effectively to the newer targeted therapies Large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma. This cancer forms near the surface, or outer edges, of the lungs. It can grow rapidly. The small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as (MacCance and Huether, 2005) puts it, accounts for about 20% of all lung cancers. Although the cells are small, they multiply quickly and form large tumors that can spread throughout the body. Smoking is almost always the cause of SCLC. Lung cancer begins when cells in the lungs grow out of control and form a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A cancerous tumor is a collection of a large number of cancer cells that have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. A lung tumor can begin anywhere in the lungs (Muers et al, 2001). According to Hughes and Pride (1999), once a cancerous lung tumor begins to grow, it may or may not shed cancer cells. These cells can be carried away in blood or float away in the natural fluid called lymph, which surrounds lung tissue. Lymph flows through the lymphatic vessels that drain into lymph nodes. Cancer cells metastasise when it leaves its site of origin and moves into a lymph node or to a far away part of the body through the bloodstream. The location and size of the initial lung tumor, and whether it has spread to lymph nodes or more distant sites, determines the stage of lung cancer. The type of lung cancer and stage of the disease determine what type of treatment is needed. The staging system describes the extent of the disease at the time and therefore provides a basis for treatment and prognosis. The staging systems as described by McCances and Huether, (2006) are based on the following: The size of the primary tumour (T); The extent of regional lymph nodes (N); and The spread of the tumor (M). Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, resulting in 36,000 deaths each year (DOH, 2007). Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer motality in the UK: In every 15 minutes, a new diagnosis is made with approximately 40,000 fresh cases every year (NICE, 2009). It remains the most frequent of all malignant diseases and the one with the poorest prognosis. 80 percent of effected people die within a year (DOH, 2007). Lung cancer continues to rise and is now very high in women as well as men (Hamer et al, 2008). Many epidemiological studies have assessed the extent and nature of problem in the UK, (Blackler et al, 2007) report that lung cancer occurs in people who smoke. This is supported by further research from the United States of America, including other comprehensive study conducted by Scullion and Henry (1998) that the risk of lung cancer is higher in persons who begin smoking early, continue for many years, and are considered heavy smokers. However (Gould, 2006) posited that people who dont smoke can also develop lung cancer, although this is much rarer. This confirms (McCance and Huethers, 2005) statement that people who have been in prolonged or close contact with asbestos have a higher risk of lung cancer, especially if they smoke. Lung cancer is rarely diagnosed in people younger than 40 most cases occur in people over the age of 60. 2.3 Pathogenesis, Treatment and Evaluation The treatment of lung cancer is based on the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread, and also the persons overall health. There are four basic ways to treat lung cancer: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy (NICE, 2005). Treatment options differ for each individual and may depend on other factors such as age, physical condition, and other medical problems. The goal of Surgery is to remove the part of the lung where the tumor is isolated. Chemotherapy is to kill rapidly dividing cells in the body, including cancer cells using drugs. It is the main treatment for people with small cell lung cancer. In many people, chemotherapy will enable them to live for longer, with better control of symptoms. (NICE 2009) Chemotherapy may be given on its own, or before radiotherapy. Sometimes chemotherapy and radiotherapy are given at the same time; this is known as chemoradiation. Targeted therapy is a treatments designed to target cancer cells in more specific ways, usually involving the mechanisms that cause cancer cells to grow or divide (DOH, 2007). The diagnosis of lung cancer becomes a crisis in victims life when experienced, confronting them with changes in identity, role, and social interactions and presenting them with an uncertain future (Waller and caroline, 1996). Kemp (1999) posited, the psychosocial distress can interfere with the patients healthcare and diminish his or her health and functioning. Many patients who face cancer diagnosis that require physical effects of treatment appear to experience emotional difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Equally, patients with untreated depression or anxiety may be less likely to take their cancer medication and maintain their health. Moreover they may withdraw from family or other social support services which may affect the treatment outcome. 2.4 Rationale The rationale for the choice of topic was based on a desire to understand the psychological impact of lung cancer on the patient. Often the physical effects of the cancer disease and treatment are focused more on the curative effort. Therefore, it is important for the health-care team to address psychological effects, that cancer patients normally encounter that can greatly affect their sense of well-being. Nursing is expected to deliver high quality care that is effective in promoting health and well being (LoBiondo-Wood and Haber, 2006). Evidence-based practice is a key strategy in the development of modern health services and crucial to the development of nursing practice (Parahoo, 1997). Evidence-based care as Brink and Wood (2001) suggest and supported by (Carnwell 1997), is the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients or the delivery of health services. The successful completion of the review will investigate primary r esearch. In doing so this may act as an additional information source for healthcare professionals and as a basis for further enquiry. Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Aims and research questions Against the background of the foregoing explanation, it is desirable to identify the psychological distress associated with lung cancer and how it affects the patient. The questions the review seeks to address/answer are 1. What are the psychological reactions of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients? 2. How do these psychological reactions affect physical and psychological wellbeing of theses patients? 3. What interventions can be used to address these psychological reactions of newly diagnosed lung cancer and manage them effectively? 3.2 Parameters for the literature search The chosen method is a systematic literature review of both qualitative and quantitative research in the study area. A systematic literature review as defined by (Parahoo, 1997) is a summary of research that uses explicit approach to perform a thorough literature search and critical appraisal of existing body of published knowledge to identify the valid and applicable evidence. It is a means of managing very large volumes of information to identify evidence on which recommendations can be made (Holloway and Wheeler, 2002). Studies were used if they included adults (age 45 +) who have been newly diagnosed of lung cancer. 3.3 Inclusion Criteria This review included literature published from the year 1999 onwards All papers published in English Language only. Primary research directly related to the topic and Published research articles only. 3.4 Exclusion criteria Primary research not directly related to the topic Unpublished research articles Articles published before the year 1999 Other people were involved also, people from the specialist cancer services and the librarians whose help was invaluable in developing a search strategy and in sourcing and retrieving papers. 3.5 Literature searching strategies The search was completed using electronic databases. These were the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, Northampton Full Text [emailprotected], Proquest, Medline, and PsycInfo. The Cochrane Library was searched initially to see if a similar study had been done. The other data based were then searched from 1999-2009. Medline is a nursing and medical database. It is known to be incomplete (Markinson, 2002) however (Tagney and Haines, 2009) demonstrated that a search on MEDLINE is likely to produce most of the appropriate papers because it publishes articles from a worldwide source. The hospital library service was used to find studies which were not available in full text form on the internet or locally held journals. Not all could be located; however this potentially could be a source of bias. In discussing the problems and importance of incomplete retrieval of papers, (Chalmers and Altman, 1995) argue that trials that are difficult to locate tend to be smaller and lower methodological quality than trials that are easily accessible. The key words used to search the database were LUNG CANCER, DIAGNOSIS, DEPRESSION, CANCERS, PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION, MEN, ANXIETY, ANGER, SADNESS, FEELING OF GUILT OR REGRET and PATIENTS FEELINGS. The nature of the study necessitated the use of very general terms such as lung cancer, and psychology. Sensitivity was chosen rather than specificity in the selection process and this meant that the search initially uncovered a large number of papers unrelated to the study. The result of the search was initially screened by reading the abstract online and retrieving the relevant ones using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies which were retrieved were screened again to make sure they fulfil all the criteria required to be used for the review. To avoid bias, this study used methods outlined by Aveyard (2008). The methods were simplified for people who are new to or have little experience in doing a literature review. As suggested by (Cutcliffe and Ward, 2003) met hods used in systematic reviews reduce the potential bias of the review. 3.6 Method of Evaluation The literature is evaluated using Greenhalg T (1997) structure for evaluating qualitative research. (See appendix 2) This model was selected because most of the research was qualitative due to the nature of the selected topic. Anxiety and depression are difficult to measure because its an emotional response and therefore immeasurable. 3,7 Method of Analysis The research is analysed using a summing up approach as described by (Aveyard, 2008) which is adopted from the approaches given by Paterson et al (2001). This model was chosen because it facilitates the extraction of themes from research literature of a diverse nature. Again is suitable for people who are new to the literature review process. The themes generated are: Psychological distress: Anxiety, depression, feeling of hopelessness and the desire for hastened death. Effect of psychological distress on quality of life of people with newly diagnosed lung cancer. 3.8 Data handling method The data was stored and subsequently analysed using data storage system described by (Cormack, 2000) this system has two commonly methods of storing data: storage in original form, and storage using computer. The printed research papers were stored in a ring binder file and a memory stick was used to store computerised data. The purpose of data storage as LoBiondo-Wood and Haber (2006) puts it has three basic related purposes: to make sure that no data are lost; to ensure that information are obtained in a way which makes it reasonably accessible; and to ensure that the researcher is able to analyse the data. A separate note book was used to store references. 3.9 Resources required and sources identified Resources required are computers, various libraries, search engines, text books, stationary, supervisor, and librarian. Sources identified are internet and printed journals. CHAPTER FOUR THEME 1 Psychological distress: Anxiety, depression, desire for hastened death, feeling of guilt and hopelessness. Following exploration of the available and chosen research for this literature review, various themes have been identified. This chapter aims to discuss and explore the reviewed literature regarding the psychological distress of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. It will discuss anxiety, depression, feeling of guilt and hopelessness which influence the disease-related factors on the desire for hastened death which have emerged from the data. Five studies (Akechi et al (2006), Turner et al, (2006), Wilson et al, (2007), (Rodin, et al 2009) and Mystakidou et al, (2008) will be examined using the methodology, discussions and analysis of the research to evaluate their findings. (See appendix 3 for research articles) In order for this to be achieved, the chapter has been divided into three sub-themes these are: Psychological distress. Anxiety and depression. Feeling of guilt/hopelessness and the desire for hastened death. There will be a small summary to conclude the chapter. 4.1 Psychological distress A cancer diagnosis can be viewed as a very stressful event for patients as they must adapt to the shock and uncertainty that such a diagnosis presents Fox et al (2006). As a result of life-threatening nature of cancer, psychological distress in cancer patients has been widely studied. Previous studies have indicated that 10-40% of cancer patients suffer from psychological distress (Skarstein, 1999). Vos et al, (2008) reported that 19% of lung cancer patients experienced depression between the time of diagnosis and initial treatment and 35% of them continued to experience the same disorder 6 months after. It is therefore vital to investigate the exact predictive factors of the psychological factors experienced by newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. The first research paper identified was conducted by Akechi et al (2006). The purpose of the study was to investigate longitudinal changes and predictive factors for psychological distress among newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. The study was conducted among 85 newly diagnosed advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Data were obtained in structured interview and validated self-report questionnaires. Psychological distress was evaluated using the Profile of Mood State (POMS) scale. This scale was developed by McNair et al., 1977. The POMS scale according to Akechi et al (2006) is a self-rating scale measuring six emotional sates (tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigor, fatigue, and confusion) and total mood disturbance. It was hypothesized that a lower fighting spirit and a higher helplessness/hopelessness were significant predictors of total mood disturbances. Therefore initial psychological response after lung cancer diagnosis was the most relevant p redictor of subsequent psychological distress. Their findings indicate that initial mood disturbance after the disclosure of a diagnosis of cancer (shock and uncertainty) is the most relevant predictor for subsequent psychological distress and that early intervention beginning immediately after a diagnosis is one way of preventing and/or reducing subsequent psychological distress in lung cancer patients. Initial psychological response after cancer diagnosis seems to continue the subsequent illness trajectory for at least several months, although several dimensions of psychological response, including anxiety and depression, may decrease. In their words, the overall psychological distress does not decrease naturally in the usual clinical care setting. Their study has several methodological advantages as compared with other studies because the method used for collection and analysis of the data were clearly described in the study which confirms that the qualitative method used was appropriate for the study (Greenhalg, 2001). However it has several limitations and cautions must be used when interpreting its findings. First, it was stated in the methodology that the researchers were not able to obtain longitudinal data on approximately 40% of the potentially eligible subject at the time of the investigation (Akechi et al, 2006). This introduces the possibility of a selection bias (Crombie 1996). The absence of this longitudinal data mentioned demonstrate that individual level change over time could not be studied on 40% of the sample therefore the researchers could not obtain the longitudinal course of psychological distress of those people(Akechi et al, 2006). This indicate that the findings may be distorted by the bias, even though it seems to be very common and one of the most difficult issues that cannot be completely overcome in the studies focusing on advanced cancer patients. Secondly, of all, this study included up to 6 months follow-up after cancer diagnosis, the longitudinal course of patients psychological status thereafter is unclear. Six months after diagnosis may not be enough long time to evaluate the longitudinal course of distress experienced by advanced lung cancer patients. For example, a recent study, examining the course of psychological distress in metastatic breast cancer patients demonstrated that distress remained constant or declined during the illness trajectory; however distress significantly increased proximal to death (Hill et al, 2002). Considering the prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients, it seems plausible that many dimensions of psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, may increase as death approaches. The convenience sampling method used also poses threat to the generalisation of the findings, because the study subjects consisted entirely of newly diagnosed advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCL) patients who visited one Thoracic Oncology Division in Japan. Since patients with other lung cancer types at other sites were not examined in the study, it remains unclear whether the results can be extrapolated to patients with other lung cancer types at other sites. Lastly, psychological distress after cancer diagnosis was the only significant predictive factor of subsequent psychological distress after cancer diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, very few studies have addressed the predictive factors for psychological distress in lung cancer patients while several studies have investigated predictors for subsequent psychological distress in other types of cancers (REF). Edward and Clarke (2004) demonstrated that family functioning and patients illness characteristics were associated with anxiety and depression in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. Consequently, because the follow-up period in this study was short and the sampling method used caution must be taken when interpreting the findings. 4.2 Anxiety and Depression Depression refers to an emotional disturbance marked by the cardinal symptoms of persistent and pervasive low mood and the loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities (Skarstein et al, 2000). McPherson (2004) defined anxiety as a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations sweating, and feelings of stress. Depression and anxiety disorders are thought to be common in palliative cancer care ( Strutkowski et al, 2008). The first study identified was conducted by Turner et al, (2006). It was a prospective observational cohort study of patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer. The aim was to measure psychological distress and concerns before and after treatment using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) and a concern checklist. Participants were selected randomly from radiotherapy clinics in various hospitals. Data were obtained from a group of 83 elderly patients (aged 75 and above) being treated with palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer, with a comparison group of 49 younger patients (aged 65 and under). They completed the HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and a concerns checklist before and after treatment. The HADS according to Skarstein, (1999) is an instrument which rates anxiety and depression in patients with physical illness. It has two sub-scales, one assessing anxiety, and another evaluating depression. Anxiety and depression subscales of the HADS were scored using a score of 0-7 = normal, 8-10 = borderline, and 11-21 = probable case (i.e. likely to have the diagnosis of anxiety or depression confirmed after formal psychiatric assessment). The concerns checklist data were examined to provide median numbers of concerns identified by each patient group before and after treatment and, the changes over time were compared statistically. They hypothesized that majority of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients experience severe level of depression and anxiety. The result of the study shows that the 60% of young group and 40% of elderly group had anxiety. And 30% of young group and 60% of the elderly group had depression. The young group consistently ranked the illness, the future relating to the illness, family and their energy level as their major concern and the elderly group also ranked family and breathlessness as their major concern. This findings suggested that people of all ages have similar concerns and level of anxiety and depression whiles receiving palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer. A year after a similar study was conducted by Wilson et al, (2007). It examined depression and anxiety disorders in 381 patients who were receiving palliative cancer care. The study group consisted of 212 women and 169 men (age 26-93). Data was obtained through the development of a structured interview of symptoms and concerns. Depression and anxiety disorders were assessed with a modified version of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) clinician evaluation guide. The PRIME-ED according to Fox, (2006) provides a quick screening method for a wide range of mental health disorders. The findings of the study suggested that physical symptoms (such as pain and breathlessness) as well as issues about the illness itself and its treatment were more likely to have been addressed. Anxiety and depression were the frequent individual diagnosis. But there was no association between these disorders and the time to death. However it makes it more difficult to treat their physic al symptoms. The findings from these two studies suggest that depression and anxiety disorders are common in newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. However Turner et al (2006) suggested that people of all ages have similar concerns and levels of anxiety and depression while receiving palliative radiotherapy for lung cancer. Turner et als (2006) findings supported Wilson et al, (2007) because it also established that issues about the illness itself and its treatment outcome were the major concerns of the participants which influence anxiety and depression. However the two studies are limited to the method used. Turner et al (2006) clearly identified the data collection method used in the methodology. Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Concerns Check List. The questionnaire was completed by patients during their first visit for radiotherapy using touch-screen technology to record their responses. This method has been validated against paper questionnaire (Holloway and Wheeler, 2002). Some patients also used the paper version of the questionnaire. Data obtained from these two methods were compared in the analysis. Follow up was made during the next visit of patients to their outpatient appointment. Lung cancer specialist nurses were used for the collection of follow-up data. Where this was not possible, questionnaire, along side paid envelopes were sent directly to the participants. Those who returned completed questionnaires were sent a letter of thanks. On the other hand, Wilson et al, (2007) used a di agnostic interview which was a modification of a protocol that has been developed for the rapid screening of mental disorders in primary rather than palliative care. Although it has been used in previous studies in oncology settings, admittedly there is not enough strong body of validating research to support it use (Skarskein, 2000). Moreover Turner et als (2006) study was conducted in the United Kingdom while Wilson et al, (2007) was conducted in Canada. This could affect the interpretation of the findings because of the existing cultural differences and healthcare systems among these two countries. Conversely, in both papers the researchers achieved excellent sample sizes and responses (LoBiondo-Wood, 2006). Greenhalg (2001) stated that when examining studies it is important to distinguish whether the sampling strategy is appropriate for the design of the study and level of evidence provided by the design. Turner et al, (2006) selected a sample size of 191 patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy in radiotherapy centres in various hospitals. From this, 132 were recruited into the study, 83 elderly and 49 younger patients. Wilson et al, (2007) selected an eligible sample of 381 lung cancer patients receiving palliative care in eight sites across Canada. In both studies the researchers achieved excellent sample size and response rate. The sample sizes were large enough to give an accurate picture of what is going on (Greenhalg, 2001). Crombie (2008) stated that studies which use too small sample size often fail to detect clinically important effects. Moreover both studies used random sampling to recruit participants for the studie

SARS: Modern Pandemic Episode Essay -- Disease, Disorders

Throughout the ages pandemic episodes have plagued mankind. Severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS is an example of a modern pandemic that recently affected the world. The SARS pandemic challenged world health care organizations and governments on how to confront a modern day pandemic episode. This paper will explore the origin of SARS and the steps taken to contain and treat the pandemic episode. SARS emerged mid-November 2002 in southern China, in the province of Guangdong, but was not officially reported until February 2003 to the governmental health care organization of Guangdong (Ahmad, Krumkamp, & Reintjes, 2009). The first case of SARS outside of China that was reported was on March 3, 2003 in Vietnam, with more cases reported from Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and Taiwan shortly afterward (Ahmad, Krumkamp, & Reintjes, 2009). By mid-summer of 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) had been notified of 8437 cases worldwide, with 813 deaths (Zhong et al., 2003). The disease spread quickly from China to Europe, North America, and southeast Asia because of travel from where SARS first started. Patients that were infected by SARS were noted to have atypical pneumonia. They presented with high fevers and respiratory issues that quickly developed into pneumonia within a few days (Zhong et al., 2003). Through serological and nasopharyngeal aspirate testing, the coronavirus (CoV) was determined to be the cause of SARS (Zhong et al., 2003). It was also determined that the persons that were originally exposed to the virus had contact with animals, most likely to prepare food, at a produce market in the province of Guangdong (Zhong et al., 2003). The virus had started with the animals, crossed over to humans, and mutated. ... ...?. BMC Public Health, 91-8. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-81 N. S. Zhong, A. C., B. J. Zheng, A. C., Y. M. Li, A. C., L. L. M., A. C., Poon, Z., H. H., & ... Xu. (2003). Epidemiology and cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, in February, 2003. Lancet, 362(9393), 1353-1358. Timen, A. A., van Doornum, G. J., Schutten, M. M., Conyn-van Spaendonck, M. E., van der Meer, J. M., Osterhaus, A. E., & van Steenbergen, J. E. (2006). Public health implications of using various case definitions in The Netherlands during the worldwide SARS outbreak. Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 12(12), 1214-1220. World Health Organization (WHO). (2004, October). WHO guidelines for the global surveillance of SARS Updated recommendations, October 2004. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_CSR_ARO_2004_1.pdf

Sylvan Learning Systems Case Study Essay -- Education Tutoring Essays

Sylvan Learning Systems Case Study The Sylvan case study illustrates the challenges of building value and improving business performance through an acquisition and diversification strategy that did not coincide with the capabilities and competencies that originally built the Sylvan brand. Sylvan was founded by W. Berry Fowler in 1979 and during his six year tenure, Berry developed the franchise business model, training and educational programs, and teaching methodology that provided Sylvan with a competitive advantage in the education industry.1 Berry Fowler built his business strategy through an intimate understanding of customers needs and developed Sylvan’s core competencies around providing supplemental education designed to fill the educational gaps experienced by students. 1 Upon Berry’s departure, Sylvan’s new CEO, Douglas Becker, embarked on a corporate-level strategy of related diversification. However, this strategy did not successfully translate into financial economies between business es nor did it obtain significant market power through these additional levels of educational diversification.2 To that end, this case study will look more closely at Sylvan’s process of diversification and acquisition strategy, management’s leadership as Sylvan transitioned from their founder and the new course the organization charted to address additional challenges for the new millennium. W. Berry Fowler founded Sylvan Learning Center with an investment of $14,500 in 1979.1 As a former teacher and through his own experience of receiving tutoring help during college, Fowler hoped to prevent students falling short academically by filling the educational/learning gaps left by students’ primary educational provider.1 During his six year tenure, Fowler built Sylvan’s competitive advantage through its low cost franchise model, educational programs and teaching methodology. Of particular importance to the success of Sylvan Learning Centers (and sustained competitive advantage) was the ability to capitalize on the expertise and resources of local franchise owners (Fowler lacked the capital to expand on his own) and gain maximum benefit from knowledge they diffused throughout the organization.2 Additionally, through a focused strategy of augmenting K-12 educational services offered by the public school system, Sylvan was able to capitalize and to integrate their i... ...e activities and focus that were critical to the Sylvan’s earlier success (i.e. Sylvan Ventures). That being said, Sylvan’s recent split into two companies to allow better focus and better investment decisions is clearly a gigantic step in the right direction. The goal of this restructuring through down scoping was to reduce Sylvan’s level of diversification, to eliminate unrelated businesses that didn’t serve a strategic purpose, and to help top-level managers refocus on the core business.2 In the case for Laureate, Becker and his top management can solely focus on post-secondary education. For Educate, Inc, Chris Hoehn-Seric and his top-management can solely focus on the K-12 education market. With this focus, Educate, Inc and Laureate should marshal their resources to continue to define and mine opportunities in their respective segments of the fragmented educational market. References: 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ashaye, Cotts, Gray, Perry, â€Å"Sylvan Learning Systems†, Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. 2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hoskisson, Hitt, Ireland, â€Å"Competing for Advantage†, Thomson Learning 2004. 3.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Educate, Inc., http://www.educate-inc.com 4. Laureate Education, Inc., http://www.laureate-inc.com

Cultural Influences in Children Essay

The negative influences for video games: children are always playing it or wanting to play their xbox, wii or playstation, not wanting to go to school. Children will want to be on the game for several hours or all day. Children or adults can have seizures from the movement of all the changing lights and from the lights flashing especially in the dark. Children can have nightmares from playing a game called Call of Duty it has a zombies part. Children can also shoot zombies and people with guns and might act this out in real life even shoot at people. These games are violent, and gory. Children can play Grand Theft Auto they are playing as a gang member and your boss tells you to do crimes and get away with it. The police try to catch him but he can get away with whatever it is he does. When children get old enough they might try to steal cars, run people over, and beat up people and cops for no reason. The children might not know in real life they will get caught. They cannot hide from the cops. Grand Theft Auto can make children more aggressive, more violent at school and at home. Children can also talk on these games to other children or even adults online. They can hear cussing and talk about other things not needed for this game. Video Games can make children socially isolated, doing less homework, less hanging out with friends, can make children obese, less exercise, less going out, and less spending time with family. Interest children in different activities: soccer, football, baseball, tennis, volleyball. These sports would be a good exercise so the children will not be obese, just sitting in front of the television playing games. Encourage your child to get involved in other outdoor activities with other children in the neighborhood such as bike riding, or just childhood games outside can help tag, hid and seek or at a YMCA swimming, basketball. Get the child to play with his toys for a few hours out of the day. Go to the park for a day have a picnic, go hiking and go sightseeing. By telling Child to go outside and playing a sport or get involved in child activities will get them away from the video games. Tell the child to go bike riding around the block and get their mind off of wanting to play Grand Theft Auto would be better than them thinking of steal cars and beating up people. Another negative cultural influence is television. It has television shows children should not be watching, not much learning. Television is not always great it has a few channels that are learning channels but most are not teaching children anything. Some channels like Disney or nickelodeon have some learning shows but that is only in the early morning or way late at night and only for children that are in the younger ages. Cartoon network changes to adult swim after a certain hour. Children should not be watching these shows to name a few Family Guy, American Dad, and Robot Chicken. Family Guy has a talking dog, lots of cussing and is violent and also has sexual content. Robot Chicken is a show that does some parodies of other shows with cussing and violence as well. Children like to always watch television, but it is not educating children and is a waste of time for them when they can be doing other educated activities. Getting children educated is a better idea than watching television they will need to be educated for school. So having them read chapter books or read other books or magazines for a while will get them away from the television. Have children write a story or a few sentences to a paragraph depending on how old they are about what they have read or would want to read or learn about. Have children go outside and start a garden, plant vegetables and fruit. Learn how to grow a garden to pick fruit and vegetables when they are ready to be eaten. Children can always stay inside and play a board game there are a few games to play monopoly, trouble, and cards are really fun games. Boggle and scrabble would be also good to use their brains.

Ethical Issues in the Professions and Business Essay

Professionals and other business personalities all share a common ground of responsibility towards that people that they particularly aim to serve. As individuals handling several procedures of servicing the society, it is undeniable that professionals follow a certain line of responsibilities that lead them towards the procedures of being able to complete the said tasks that they have towards the society that they are serving. To make the discussion concise, there are three major sets of responsibilities that each professional should give attention to. A) The Journalists Each member of the society has his or her own values in life that must be served by journalists. As for a fact, people are rightfully given the chance to know what is happening in the society around them. However, when they are involved in the issues presented by the media, whether they are from the local sectors of the society or that of the well-known personalities, they are entitled to having their own privacy and this too should be well guarded by journalists in their process of presenting the truth to the public. On the contrary, the aim of the institutions that journalists are serving such as media networks is to present as many credible facts as possible. To make the ends meet, it is important for the journalists to measure the impact of the society and their company as well towards their professional being. B) The Teachers Teachers are primarily expected to render service that is connected to sharing knowledge. It lies in their hands the wide possibilities of coming up with effective procedures of handling the needs of their students. The institutions that they are serving however aim for enrolling as many students that the institution could cater to. It is then in the discretion of the teacher on how he or she could be able to give the students the education that they need though applying a process that could cater to a huge number of students in an effective manner. C) The Lawyers It is the service of providing justice to all, that lawyers are particularly expected to render to the society.   Undeniably, the values of the society in this manner are to be highly considered. Serving the truth to those who need to know it and to those who need to be free is the key role that lawyers portray in the arena of justice provision. Once the lawyers are faced with a case that needs to be solved, whether they are in the defendants or the accused side, they must recognize the fact that they are there to render the truth to whoever is entitled to receive it.

King Leopolds Ghost Essay

Between 1880 and 1920, the population of the Congo was slashed in half: some ten million people were victims of murder, starvation, exhaustion, exposure, disease, and a plummeting birth rate. Why do you think this massive carnage has remained virtually unknown in the United States and Europe? During all this death there was only a few who would go down into the Congo because of all its dangers. So with hardly anyone already going down there and those who did brave the dangers would usually come back insane from a disease of some sort, there was just not enough evidence to prove how bad it was really getting even with those who made it out fine. There was also no communication possible only by mail and considering the dangers no persons would risk their life to take a letter to and from the jungle. So how can you, with not enough brave people to go down there, get the information out to the world. But even those who got it out and tried to spread the word would be persecuted for saying such things because nobody wanted to help them because that would put their life in danger. No one in their right mind would even venture down to that part of Africa. So with no phones, pagers, computers, or mail to get the word out and sickness and animals killing most that went down there. Even those who go looking for these camps cannot usually find them because there in rural eras of the jungle which, for some, are impossible to attain. There was just no possible way to get word out to the rest of the world to get help. Now even with all the technology to find and go to them we still don’t hear much of them. We have all the vaccines to fight off all the disease and help the dying people in Africa. So even though we have all that still not much people want to help because they are caught up in the world they are living in and nothing else matters until they get what they need and want. The human race is selfish and only looks out for themselves. Question 6 The European conquest and plunder of the Congo and the rest of Africa was brutal, but so was the European settlement of North America and, long before that, the conquest of most of European by the Romans. Hasn’t history always proceeded in this way? Well yea, history has a way of repeating itself. Nothing only happens one time in history. There is always going to be those crazy Hitler type people out there and those who go power drunk and take over their country and then try to take over the world. And yes, whenever you go exploring a new place it’s going to be difficult. Have you ever heard someone say’ â€Å"I went exploring a new continent and it was easy. † There is so much that goes into exploration. You need tools, maps, guides, protection from animals and natives. Pretty much anything new you do is not going to be easy for you to do. Anything you do needs time, practice, and plans, but most important in needs to be organized. If nothing was organized the world would be in chaos. So yes history has and will be forever keep repeating itself to keep balance and stability to the world. It will always have its ups and always have its downs. It doesn’t matter who or what you do to try and prevent it. God has established the status quo and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Question 13 Hochschild quotes Roger Casements as insisting to Edmond Morel’s â€Å"I do not agree with you that England and America are the two great humanitarian powers †¦ [they are] materialistic first and humanitarian only a century after. † What evidence supports or refuses Casement’s judgment? Would Casement be justified in making the same statement today? Now back in that time we were more of a humanitarian country because first of all we didn’t have all the same technology we did today. Second we were pretty much a new country and we were trying to make a good name for us. Then third we went to war for other which was no cause of our own and all we did was help out less fortunate countrys than us. See now during this time it is a little different. We have all sorts of distractions. We have technology, we have more murder, and we are being more protective of our people. We use to go to war for no cause just to help out but now when we are attacked we don’t want to go to war. So you can say we are and have been a little of both the whole time. Back then we went to war to help people now we are sending missionaries to camps around the world to help people. But in the end let’s hope that we become more

Instructions for Blockbuster

Effective 2005, Blockbuster began a new policy of no late fees. In late 2005, Blockbuster was experiencing financial distress and needed emergency financing to stay afloat. The stock price dropped from $12 to $4, and the debt traded as junk.Question 1: Analyze the soundness of the decision, given the contribution that late fees made to prior years’ results. Does an analysis of the company’s cash flows support or refute the company’s decision?What you need to do is as follows: Get the data from 2002-2004, which should all be in the 2004 10-k, compute what free cash flow would have been without the late fees during 2002-2004, and project what 2005 free cash flow would be if the no late fee policy stays in place and business doesn’t improve. Late fees are referred to by the euphemism â€Å"extended viewing fees†.Question 2: Is there any evidence that the 2005 results benefited from the no-late fees policy? If so, quantify the specific amount you believ e that the basic business improved due to the no late fees.Compare your projected 2005 free cash flow to the actual (from the 2005 10-k). Consider the known reasons that 2005 results differed from the no-late expectation from question 1: i) there were some large fees actually collected, ii) interest costs were higher than expected, iii) Capex was way lower than any reasonable expectation, and iv) a lot of cash went into working paper to replace the trade credit that was withdrawn. Use these four ‘known unexpecteds’ to form an adjusted expectation for 2005, and then compare that number to the actual.Notes: 1. It is important to remember the effects of tax. In particular, free cash flow should change by the after-tax amount of late fees, not by the gross amount of late fees. 2. Late fees are referred to in the income statement by the euphemism â€Å"extended viewing fees†. 3. Focus on Blockbuster’s data and  don’t get distracted by an analysis of Ne tflix. Avoid making testimonials about how much better Netflix is than Blockbuster, or vice versa.