Health Care Spending Paper Essay

This paper will include: the current health care expenditures whether spending is too much or not enough, where the nation should add or cut, how the public’s health care needs are paid and provide a forecast for: the future economic needs, why these needs must be addressed, how I envision these needs will be financed and conclusion. Current Health Expenditures Health care costs have been rising for several years. Expenditures in the United States on health care surpassed $2.3 trillion in 2008, more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990, and over eight times the $253 billion spent in 1980. Stemming this growth has become a major policy priority, as the government, employers, and consumers increasingly struggle to keep up with health care cost. Hospital spending, the largest share of overall health care spending, is a major driver of increased costs The current national expenditure have tripled over the last decade especially in hospital care, physician/clinical services and drug ( Kaiser, 2010). The United States is at an all time high in health care. In the health care system there are some factors that contribute to this increase. It is getting to the point that more and more Americans cannot afford health care, because of the cost of health care is getting harder to maintain for their families. Whether Spending is too much or not enough It is difficult to pin point one exact factor why spending is escalating. The chart below states that hospital care, physician/clinical services and prescription drugs are where the most spending is taking place (Kaiser, 2010). This shows we are spending too much, especially in these top three categories listed. When health care cost is steadily increasing, so we are spending a great deal in the list above. National Health Expenditures, 2008 [pic] Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group Where the Nation Should Add or Cut Medicare and Medicaid account for a significant share of health care spending (Kaiser, 2010) and also according to the above chart we could cut in the hospital care, physician/clinical services and prescription drugs. This is why we need to cut as far as the nation is concerned because these government programs Medicare and Medicaid are funding health cost at a steady growth. We have to work on controlling this program before it controls us. If we do not start cutting from somewhere we will be in a serious deficit for health care in the United States. Then we need to cut prescription drugs cost, so it can be affordable to everyone, so the government needs to intercede the pharmaceutical companies closely to manage this expense. How the Public’s Health Care needs are Paid Although Americans benefit from many of the investments in health care, the recent rapid cost growth, coupled with an overall economic slowdown and rising federal deficit, is placing great strains on the systems used to finance health care, including private employer-sponsored health insurance  coverage and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid ( Kaiser, 2010 ). The public’s health care payments are paid by Medicaid and Medicare if eligible for this government health program and other private health insurance companies, for example: Blue cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna and United Health Care are just a few the public health care is paid. There are some people who pay out of pocket, whether they can afford it or not. Forecast: the Future Economic needs Scott Donahue, vice president of Triple Tree healthcare advisory group, agrees, pointing to statistics such as those found in the 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute study that revealed nearly one half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends each year on healthcare is wasted. â€Å"While it is impossible to point to any single breakdown contributing to the waste, it is clear from the study’s findings that this is an industry that has significantly underutilized technology to improve efficiencies,† he says, adding that cloud computing could help mend a healthcare system that is stuck in the inefficiencies and limitations found in older legacy systems (Chavis, 2011). There needs to be an investment in our technology system for health care for example: electronic medical records (EMR) to better serve the patients and technology that is being required to give quality service and modify the provider’s wages, since in the hospital this is the biggest cost. This is a start in the direction to accommodate the Americans who cannot afford health care. These small changes can contribute to a clear forecast in health care. Forecast: why these needs must be address This issue needs to be address because health care cost is soaring and if we do not intercept and make some real changes the American people will not afford medical services. The health provider’s and facilities are making big money and they need to work with the people to help with this expense we have made. The government can help by fine tuning the Medicare and Medicaid  program, so people can benefit fairly from it. We need to get proactive in prevention, so we our bodies will stay healthy for a long life. Forecast: how I envision these needs will be financed I envision a new administration making some major changes to make health care affordable for all Americans. The private insurance companies will need to work on some alternative health care package to their consumers for health care cost. The government in Washington to stop thinking of them and focus on health care cost, so all can manage health expense and get continued quality care also. Conclusion The bottom line we need to concentrate on cutting cost of health care and quality care, which we all deserve as human beings. There is not just one factor that contributes to the health expenditure but several pieces to this puzzle that makes this a major health cost issue. We need to find ways to decrease spending too much, so people can benefit from their health plan. The nation should consider cutting hospital care, clinical services and prescription drugs, since these are the top expenses for health care. This would definitely clear a path for reduced cost. The public can barely afford to pay premiums to their private health insurance companies but if they want coverage they have to pay. The one’s who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid will get help from this government program for health care cost and yes some people still pay out of pocket to maintain their health conditions. Technology is one investment to keep up with the growing health care needs of people. We must address these health cost concerns or they will get out of control, so we need to be proactive getting health care financially in shape to accommodate medical service to all. I envision that all people will be covered by health care regardless of economic background. Americans need to get resources to take better care of their health and invest in prevention, so our health will not result in a chronic illness or an incurable disease. Then maybe the law makers in Washington will make sound  decision about our health care plan from other health care providers, so we can benefit and help with cost diminishing. References Access My Library. (2004). Health Care Spending Hits 1.6 Trillion in 2002, Rising More Than Twice as Fast as U.S. Economy. Retrieved from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19942976_ITM Chavis, S. (2011). Cloudy Forecast for Health. For the Record, 23(4), 10. Getzen, T., Moore, J. (2007). Wiley Pathways health care Economics (1st. ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Kaiser. (2010). U.S. Health Care Costs. Retrieved from http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue- Modules/US-Health-Care-Costs/Background-Brief.aspx#.

Management Capacity Resume Essay

The purpose of this letter is to express my interest in working with your company in a management capacity.   I have over 15 years experience working for a major bottling company utilizing my Sales and Operations management skills which would be an asset to your organization. My diverse background includes serving in the United States Army Reserve.   In both my military and professional career, I have demonstrated excellent leadership abilities and exceptional customer service skills.   I successfully built a solid sales team consistently mentoring and motivating staff to meet and exceed company sales quotas. In addition to the skills noted on my resume, I can also offer your company: An enthusiastic individual seeking new endeavors, accomplishing personal and professional goals. A multi-tasking individual leveraging sales and marketing skills to exceed sales quotas. Excellent analytical ability with solid verbal and written communication skills. I look forward to speaking with you further to discuss my skills and qualifications.   You can reach me at the number listed above.

Hammurabis Code and the Babylonian Economy Essay

Hammurabis Code and the Babylonian Economy - Essay Example The Code showed the importance of agriculture as the major livelihood of the citizens. It should be noted that various laws mention major crops such as corn, grains, and wool. The heavy punishment to be administered to anyone stealing and causing poor harvest indicates the importance of these commodities. It is also notable that the agricultural economy of Babylon is supported by quite complicated infrastructures to ensure a good harvest. The Hammurabi's Code mentions the presence of dams and dikes which prevents flooding agricultural areas. Animal husbandry is another major livelihood during the Babylonian Empire. It should be noted that the Code set out provisions regarding the robbery of major livestock. Within that civilization, it is remarkable how the citizens were able to raise a number of animals such as cattle, sheep, ass, pig, or goat. The importance of animal husbandry in the economy cannot be overestimated. For an individual steal any of the aforementioned animals and has nothing to pay for it, he will need to give his life as a payment. Though the above two industries represents the two major activities in the Babylonian economy, it should be noted that the civilization also features extensive trading network,

Economic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic - Coursework Example A number of reasons are available for this. For example, the structure of the Icelandic economy makes independent monetary policy more difficult to implement, national and international economic and financial market conditions have been highly unusual, and the formulation of monetary policy, which did not succeed in gaining sufficient credibility, was somewhat imperfect. Moreover, increased globalization of the national financial system and its rapid growth are likely to have weakened the transmission channels of monetary policy and increase the underlying risk in the financial system, which magnified the volatility of the exchange rate. Sufficient co-ordination between monetary and fiscal policy was also lacking, which exacerbated the negative side effects of financial restraint. A fixed exchange rate regime has advantages and disadvantages. The main benefit is the uncertainty accompanying exchange rate fluctuation is reduced, particularly if the peg proves credible and speculative attacks can be avoided. If Iceland were to adopt a fixed exchange rate regime, it would be most obvious from an economic point of view to peg the krona to the euro. Such a regime could be implemented in different ways. Experience from the financial crisis, both in Iceland and elsewhere, indicates a need for further strengthening of monetary policy and macroeconomic policy in general. The experience of recent years highlights the importance of implementing stabilization policy so as to hinder rapid, unsustainable asset price inflation, which is usually accompanied by excessive credit expansion. It is also important to prevent the banking system from creating risks that are beyond the ability of the national authority to deal with it. The paper analyses policy adoption by monetary a nd fiscal authorities in the recent years as well as the coming years in Iceland. In the past two years, the formulation of monetary policy has reflected the capital

WEEK 2 DQ 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WEEK 2 DQ 2 - Assignment Example Another difference is that the ERG theory considers a random movement of the needs in the hierarchy, whereas Maslow’s theory considers a systematic satisfaction of the needs starting from the bottom to the top. The third difference also relates to the movement within the hierarchy (Loh, Dawn, & Schapper, p. 14). The ERG theory states that a person can move backwards in the satisfaction of their needs, while Maslow’s theory states that once a need is satisfied the situation becomes permanent. I have applied the ERG theory in various ways. For instance, there was a time when I became sick and had an admission at the hospital. The treatment took a whole week and I could not manage to pay the bill because the money I had was meant for the college semester that followed. However, I had to employ the ERG theory and moved backwards in the hierarchy. I used the money meant for my school fee to clear the hospital

PAS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

PAS - Case Study Example After 6 months, I was asked to run the whole station store and gas pumps. The gas was closed a year after it was closed due to its line expiry. It was due to this reason that Pas Automotive repair decided to acquire a building that was the year 2000, hence the business became steady from then. Pas Automotive is luckily located on one of the busiest  streets in Sydney 500 Prince Street. With a large lot of 20 plus cars and access to the roadways, situated in 3 different directions. In business, Pas automotive repair company is among the automotive repair shop that deals with all repairs on both cars trucks boats as well as lawn mowers. In addition, the company deals with rebuilding various vehicle engines as well as changing engine oil. As the business is at a tender age, the company has a total of seven employees. Our services include; service calls, self service work where customers will be picked from a prevailed position and the problem they are encountering on their vehicle asc ertained just on time and at affordable price. Our prices depend on the  labor  guide, being serviced and provided by all of our service stations. We also give a discount price to students and  seniors. More so we have affordable and special hourly rate of 60.00 dollars an hour and this makes us cheap on the market as compared from our competitors. Research on the Pas Automotive Repair as a sole  proprietor  business is very useful. Firstly, it will aid in making a forecast to affiliate the current situation, therefore supporting the potential increase in service provision. Additionally, while delivering the service, the industry looks forward in growth and developing around the globe. There are several factors that limit their use, which may be reflected later. Moreover, the statistical analysis of the pas automotive repair company and distribution channels, which is very essential in making sound decisions, will be evaluated. Secondly, the study of online and traditional agency services (in terms of understanding consumer needs) is relevant not only for the owners of Pas Automotive Repair Company, but also for the insurance companies, transportation and others. Through the data, a clear analysis of the various factors affecting the industry is evaluated. This leads to increased efficiency and consequently increased returns. Additionally, research of the subject carries a statistical and social nature, which makes it necessary to understand the consumer behavior, as well as their knowledge of the possible opportunities. Increasing Sales and Profits One of the main objectives of advertising is to augment sales and profits. Most companies nowadays employ advertising to impart people regarding their products and services. Some forms of advertising lend themselves more to producing immediate profits. This can be with adverts availed through Billboards. The company will process and markets their services under a brand name of Pas Automotive Repair Compan y. Encourage Trial and Usage Pas Automotive Repair Company will frequently use advertising to hearten trial and convention of new services they unveil to their customer. The company will lope their advertising to bring in their services to the public as well as their customers. The company will initiate public enticements to first-time service consumers and will work based on brand equity among techniques Forms of advertisement In any company as per the requirements of marketing strategies,

Culture Assessement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture Assessement - Essay Example They should be fully aware of the need for such an assessment and that they agree to such a review. Aside from the commitment from the top level management, the other lower rank employees should also cooperate with the project. A certain degree of openness must be expected among all the participants who will be interviewed; thus, it is important that the objective of the assessment be relayed to all concerned to ensure the success of the culture assessment (Schein, 2004). A culture change initiative which I experienced happened when I was still working with a development bank. Unlike other banks, we were required to go to the office on Saturday mornings. This was the time devoted to short seminars, personality development programs or the like. Attendance was always a problem because we did not see the relevance of such seminars. We viewed the activity as a total waste of time. When the objectives of the program were explained clearly and its importance emphasized to us, everyone beca me more enthusiastic and attendance greatly improved. Furthermore, we were consulted on the topics that we want to be discussed so we became more interested. Most of us even looked forward to Saturday mornings. References Schein, E. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership. John Wiley and Sons.

National Revival in Wales between 1880 and 1914 Essay

National Revival in Wales between 1880 and 1914 - Essay Example 205). Perhaps Keir Hardie's greatest contribution, however, was in the genesis of the Labour Party in Britain. Hardie had been an ardent member of the Liberal Party, but he felt that the policies put in place by William Gladstone fell far short of representing the interests of the working classes. While the Liberal Party would make big promises in exchange for the votes of workers, it would never carry out meaningful policy changes that would help the workers' condition, and so in April 1888, Hardie ran as an independent labour candidate in West Lanark. While he came in last, he was encouraged about the future. In August of that year, the Scottish Labour Party was formed. Hardie won a seat in Parliament in 1892. Interestingly, for his first session, he did not wear the same outfit that other working-class MP's wore; instead, he wore only a plain tweed suit, red tie, and deerstalker hat. He was in favor of such progressive policies as free education, pensions, the abolition of the House of Lords, suffrage for women, and a progressive income tax (Wrigley 2002, p. 203). In 1893, Hardie was one of the founding members of the Independent Labour Party. However, two years later, Hardie found himself out of Parliament. An explosion at a Pontypridd colliery had killed 251 miners, and Hardie asked that a message of condolence be added to a Parliamentary address giving congratulations for the birth of a royal heir (the future King Edward VIII). After this was refused, Hardie made a speech attacking the monarchy and lost his seat in 1895 (Wrigley 2002, p. 205). However, Hardie was not out of politics for long. He spent the next five years making speeches and, in 1900, put together a meeting of trade unions and socialist groups, which agreed to form the Labour Representation Committee, which was the precursor of the Labour Party. In that same year, Hardie was elected as the junior MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare in the South Wales Valleys, and he would represent this region until his death in 1915 (Wrigley 2002, p. 207). The election in which Hardie returned to Parliament became notorious in history for another reason as well. The British military was involved in the Second Boer War, and this war became the primary issue in the 1900 British general election. The Conservative government of Lord Salisbury was reelected, with an enlarged majority over the Liberal Party. There were a couple of reasons for this enlarged majority: not only did the British public want to rally behind its government and support the war effort, but the emergence of the Labour Party created the possibility of vote-splitting among the opposition, as some might vote Liberal and others Labour, which would assist the Conservative cause. Because of this, and because of some funding shortages encountered by the Liberal Party, over 100 races did not have a Liberal Party opposition candidate. The election became known as the "khaki election," because of the new khaki uniforms that the British Army was wearing at war. This became a po pular term in British politics for an election that is decisively influenced by wartime or postwar emotion. Other elections in British

International Relations - International Development (Proposal Outline) Essay

International Relations - International Development (Proposal Outline) - Essay Example As a matter of fact, women in general are kept at lower than secondary level and in most of the societies despite her services mainly to families that are also unpaid. In all, women has been given less privileges on social, political, and economic power than they deserve as compare to men with one and only reason of being Woman. Moreover the prejudice has strengthened itself and women, in many parts of the world especially developing countries, are growingly deprived of the fundamental rights as human being. Economic marginalization of women refers to the disadvantage and deprivation that woman is accounted for against man on the economic fronts. Economic marginalization include all aspects such as poverty, deprivation from decision making rights and positions with respect to economic matters and more importantly access to economic resources. The menace of oppressing human being with gender inequality, in general and economic oppression in specific, also didn’t allow more adva nced sections of the nations that claim to be leaders in development. For instance, only 12 companies from fortune 500 are led by women; down from the count of 15 than previous year (CNN, 2011). Countries that are taking leading positions of growth as emerging nations i.e. China with an average growth rate of above 8% in global financial crises time; vulnerability and marginalization of women has increased with increase in migration from rural to urban areas for their economic growth. These women, though, got freedom from low wage paid job at farm but faces in cities more difficult situation of inequality such as harassment and other city- version of marginalization including job discrimination, salary gap and opportunity inequalities etc (Tam, 2006). Evidences from developed and emerging nations when hold such situations it then gets self explanatory the condition prevailing in developing nations such as India and Pakistan. The two countries being the cultural hub of the South East Asia hold more tightly those old ignorant values that favored the dominance of men even in most educated sections of society; depriving women of social, cultural, public and economic earning as well decision making (Nelasco, 2012). Recently in two conferences, women have asserted despite trade liberalization and globalization, women are growing becoming the victim of unemployment, underemployment, migration for livelihood to urban and overseas etc. All these have put multiplied impact on women inequality with deteriorating food insecurity; labor intensive industries taking advantage of cheap labor with influx of large number of women mainly with their families for jobs and hence, posing high insecurity reasoning the huge labor pool. Given below are some statistics that presents start realities of discrimination against women (Nelasco, 2012) Importance of the women empowerment â€Å"When we empower women, we empower communities, nations and the entire human family.† —U N secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon (UN Women, 2011) For effort related to reduce this inequality social sciences has presented immense literature; however, the affectivity has only gained success to the point that UN sections realized the importance of fact that world shall now develop awareness regarding women empowerment and year 2011 UN marked inaugural of formal efforts for women empowerment (UN Women, 2011). CEO of UN-Women (Women Empowerment section of UN) has vision of this section to have future

Resume a article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Resume a article - Essay Example 83) â€Å"Good Enough† products offer decent quality goods for a rapidly expanding group of value-seeking consumers with mid-level incomes. Any market producer that wishes to enter the Chinese market place must consider the evolving middle class demographic as the battle ground for the future of emerging markets not only in China but across the globe. According to the authors, the Chineses market is divided into three different segments: the premium segment, the low-end segment, and the exponentially expanding middle market or â€Å"Good-Enough† segment. The Chinese middle market has a thirst for gadgets and utility products such as LCD Televisions, DVD Players and MP3 players.(Gadiesh et.al. 2007, p. 83) The Chinese consumer is seeking product function without all the features that can be purchased for a rock bottom price. The key point for start-up companies in the Chinese market is an understanding that the Consumer in these markets is not driven by the products esthetics. Market producers do not need to deliver perfect products to engage the market; they need to deliver good products at a reasonable price. For international companies to establish, sustain or expand their presence in Chineses market, they must focus all efforts on their products’ value. There are three approaches to entering the â€Å"Good –Enough† market which are: attacking from above, burrowing up from below and mergers and acquisitions into the â€Å"Good-Enough† space.(Gadiesh et.al. 2007, p. 83) Burrowing-up is most often over-looked by multi-national corporations. The method is most commonly employed by local market producers who over the course of decades upscale their products from low-end regional products to â€Å"Good-Enough† national brands. Attacking from above is a not so inviting multinational tactic that can sometimes backfire and result in their premium product and market share being cannibalized by their marketing push into the â€Å"Good Enough†

Decreasing Population of Bachelor of Secondary Education Essay Example for Free

Decreasing Population of Bachelor of Secondary Education Essay INTRODUCTION Anyone who chooses a teaching career in the Philippines must hold a degree in teacher education. Teachers in public and private elementary schools must have at least a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. High school teachers are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with specialization (a major and a minor) in high school subjects. Both degrees are awarded upon successful completion of approved teacher education courses in recognized institutions. Teaching in colleges or professional degree programmes at the tertiary level requires at least a master’s degree in a particular area of specialization. But obviously, population of Bachelor of Secondary Education students were decreasing ultimately. Because of these, quality of education in the Philippines will likely face a crisis if the current trends in decreasing college enrolment and increasing dropouts especially Bachelor of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education will continue. There are several factors to consider why the population of Education students diminished. Due to continuing tuition hikes, many college students decided to take vocational courses. Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines reported that approximately 22 percent overall student survivals from first to fourth Year College. And undeniably, teacher is a very stressful profession. Teacher engaged in actual classroom teaching that render not more than eight hours of actual classroom teaching a day, preparation and correction of exercises and other work incidental to his/her normal teaching duties. Secondary teachers shall be assigned to no more than six daily forty-minute periods of instruction. For college, the normal teaching load of a full-time instructor shall be eighteen hours a week. The teaching load of part-time instructors who are full-time employees outside of teaching shall not exceed twelve hours per week. However, the average teachers’ salary at present is inadequate as source of livelihood. Teaching is a noble profession companied by the fact that they have a lot of pressure responsibilities to mould people in the society they belong. RELATED LITERATURE Teaching is a profession whose rewards have the potential to be great, yet its challenges have the potential to be frustrating at the same time. Teachers have the opportunity to positively impact their students lives. Helping young people reach their potential is extremely rewarding. However, some students are difficult to connect with, or have problems that interfere with their behavior and performance in the classroom. Aside from that, they also encounter difficulties in their work schedule, most teachers arrive at school early, stay late or bring work home. Planning, grading, meetings, conferences and professional development must be accomplished in addition to the daily teaching of lessons. They are also a typical 10-month employee and are off when school is closed for holidays and vacations. However, teachers may have to get summer jobs to supplement their salaries (Sally Miller, 2005). All higher education institutions in all countries have experienced tension between the demand to be specifically applicable to local needs and the desire to maintain ideas and values of universal reference (Hargreaves, 1973). Basically in Bachelor of Secondary Education or in any other teaching/education courses. The management structure of primary teaching education is inadequately organized to guide teacher education institute in accordance with the national development strategy. Rigidity and inefficiency in the schooling process result from the absence of effective, central and complete planning(Dunkley, 1981). Because of this, teacher’s wanna be decreasing extremely. According to Dr. Rupert Maclean(1988), there are some important implications for the development of the system of teacher education in the region such as: (1) need to recognize that the pursuit of learning is a lifelong process, (2)an examination of the extent to which educational institutions should be autonomous, and the consideration of the social and economic cost and benefits involved when greater autonomy occurs, (3)the reform and expansion of teacher education as a vital step towards the rejuvenation of public education. On the other hand, A Unesco Publication, The Changing Role of the Teacher, states â€Å"There was a time when the teacher’s roles was to pass down to the younger generation the knowledge, experiences and mythology of a slow evolving society The pace of change in contemporary society has made his role redundant. The role of teacher must be, among other things, a change agent. It does not matter whether one is addressing the situation in a developing country or an industrialized nation, the problem remains the same. What are the new dimensions of his/her role, and how is the teacher to be trained to fulfil that role. In examining the changing role of the teacher we need to see the changes as being a response to, and an attempt to confront the pressure of a society undergoing constant transition† (Goble and Porter, 1977). For this statement, we can say that teachers play an important role in changing the education in the society. For example, in Malaysia, education is envisioned to serve two important functions: (1)a means to achieve national unity and (2) a vehicle for national development. Since 1964, English was slowly replace by Bahasa Malaysia, the argument being that a nation system of education using a common medium of instruction, in addition to a common syllabus , will provide a strong base for promoting national unity. Unfortunately, the policy has created inter-ethnic tension, in view of the fact that in Malaysia about 53% are Chinese and about 11% are Indian origin(S. Husin Ali, Chang Yii Tan, Tan Boon Kean, 1987). Teacher is responsible in almost every job in the society especially when we are talking about the future of every student they handle in primary, secondary and tertiary level. Focusing in higher education, according to Trow(1938:132) higher education itself ‘a stratified system of institution, graded formally or informally in status and prestige, in wealth, power and influence of various kind. Moreover, teacher in the Philippines had its beginning as early as Spanish period. Teacher education programs have always been dictated by the urgent needs of the time, Before 1950, there were only a few state colleges offering a teacher education program. However, when the Department of Education reported the gravity of the problem of undersupply of professionally qualified teachers, enrolment in teacher education registered slowly upward. To encourage more schools to offer teacher education courses, requirements for opening normal schools and college were relaxed(Carson, 1978). Furthermore, most countries in the region of Asia recognize the crucial importance of pre-service education for teachers. For instance, the 1986 National Policy on Education states that â€Å"no people can rise above the level of its teachers† (de la Cruz, Leandro, 1988). Lastly, most important evidence of quality in an education system is to be found in the quality of the pupils/students produced. The problem, however, is to arrive at satisfactory indicators which will show that better quality education has been achieve (Adams, 1988). Accordingly, much discussion in quality and standards will show in this research. And also this study will attempt to show what was really the factors we can consider in the change in population of education students. For future studies, it will be necessary to analyze different data that related in the given topic. This research will have the great contribution in people awareness especially students on what are the trends in higher education. METHODOLOGY In order to gain information, the researcher conducted an interview with the highschool teacher including Mrs. Carol Isidro (Filipino II), Mrs. Crisamie Mendieta(Physics), Mrs. Laudato (Filipino II), Mrs. Musa (English I) and university instructors namely Ms. Michelle Zuniga (ITEC), Ms. Rona Feranil (Math), Ms. Jeneth Menil (P.E. and English), Mrs. Cherry Rose S. Uminga (Biology), Mrs. Grace Balingit ( Campus Asst. Librarian). It was made on March 3-5, 2010 at the Carmona National Highschool and Cavite State University- Carmona Campus. The researchers were able to perform an interview through the use of interview sheet/form/guide which the data currently record. They also used a pen to write every single information that the interviewee provide. During the pre-interview stage, the researchers put all the possible questions in a sheet of paper and improve it through the use of Microsoft word 2003. They also used Xerox machine to multiply the number of interview form/ guide. At the interview proper, the researchers used English language as the mode of communication. They apply formal way of gathering the point of views of the target population. And at the post interview stage, the researcher combined all ideas that the sample population had provide. Some of the information they were able to gather play an important role in interpreting the different ideas in understanding the cause of the issue of decreasing population of Bachelor of Secondary Education. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In pre-Spanish times, education was informal, unstructured, and devoid of methods. Children were provided more vocational training and less academics by their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors. Major changes in education system happened during the Spanish colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries. Education was religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in the early years of Spanish colonization. But education during that period was inadequate, suppressed, and controlled. According to a new report of Commission on Higher Education (CHED), that the number of tertiary population in schoolyear 2002-2003 was 1.87 million compared to 2.4 million in 1994-1995. It cites however that general population of college students in the universities without classifying the program they belong was decrease incredibly. Even though there have not been any formal studies and analysis about this subject, there are several people and organization that will contribute in the explanation of the issue. According to Raymond Palatino, vice president of Anak ng Bayan (nation’s youth), college students who can no longer afford to study a four year course are planning to shift in other program usually vocational just to achieve their dream of earning a college diploma. In the lowering economic status of the Philippines, teachers play an important role in molding a future to a better one. Bachelor of Secondary Education program and many other teaching-related program students will likely face a doubt in pursuing their profession. They are more responsible in all aspects of an economy rather than any other job. Thus, they have great mission in everyone’s life. The purpose of this research is to provide consciousness towards the current issue of diminishing number of college students specifically Bachelor of Secondary Education students. Knowledge about this topic would make people aware in possibilities and reasons behind education status of a country. Concerning the standard of education in the Philippines, in June 2009 the president of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) cited the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) notice a continuing decline in the quality of education in this country. He said this was due to four main factors: a) mismanagement of the educational system, b) not investing wisely in education, c) lack of management competencies, d) systemic corruption. Another reason why the Philippines is not a major supplier of tertiary education for overseas students in the region is because some instructors and professors in SUC’s (state universities and colleges) be deficient in several abilities in professional teaching. These mandated subjects include the life and works of Filipino national hero Dr Jose Rizal, three subjects of Filipino language, and basic mathematics, science, and Filipino cultural subjects more appropriate for senior high school than for tertiary level. Also in order for the researcher to have primary information about the certain matter, they conducted an interview and look some documents that will testify the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education students in Cavite State University and Carmona National Highschool located at the community of Carmona, Cavite. The basic purpose of the interview was to gather different opinions and personal point of views of the people which generally related to the issue and the aim of the documents was to show relation of different information. The mode of communication during the interview proper is in English language in order to show formality and may give highly appropriate information. The prepared question in the interview guide/form was commonly as regards to the behavior, characteristics and ability of the sample population. From the school documents of Cavite State University, the researcher was able to identify the number of Bachelor of Secondary Education during first and second semester since 2002 at given university. As a follow up to this information, the Graph 1 shows the overall population of the enrollees of BSE program. Figure 1 Graph of enrolled students in BSE program at CvSU Carmona Campus, (Mrs. Mojica, Campus Registrar) As can be seen by the graph, the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education was inconsistent. At school year 2002-2003, during first semester of given year, the recorded population was 22 enrollees. At the latter part or in second semester, the population increased by 26. The population through that year (2002-2003) was said to be slightly increased. At first semester of 2003-2004, the enrollees were 84, and at the second semester in decreased by 76. At the first semester of 2004-2005, the documented enrollees increased by 119, and at the second semester, the enrollees extremely increased by 124. The inconsistency of the population appears at the middle of the year between 2002 to 2007. During the first semester, the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education at year 2005-2006 was 132 and at the second semester it declines to 121. At reach of 2006, the population on that particular campus noticeably decreases. The year 2006-2007, first semester, the enrollees was 110, it decrease to 104. And at the following year (2007-2008), the BSE students was consisted of 86 (first semester) and 93(second semester). At 2008-2009, the BSE program students got their smallest population at only 71 during first semester and 66 at second semester. Fortunately, it survives and reaches 84 enrollees at first semester of the year 2009-2010 and at second semester it decreased to 71. The population in that particular campus was the number of Bachelor of Secondary Education students in all year levels. The researchers also gather information from the teachers of Carmona National Highschool and instructors of Cavite State University-Carmona Campus through interview. From 5 sample population that the researchers were able to interview, such results only shows that people are aware in the tertiary level issue especially in teaching program. The first question at the interview guide was the reasons why did they choose Education program as their profession. From 5 interviewees 2 of them answered that that’s their parent’s choice. Also 2 of them proclaimed as their passion at the remaining one said that it’s their childhood dream. The result of first question shows that variation in reasons on choosing their program occurs. There are several aspects in choosing a program. It may be the behavior of a students or the behavior of the people around them. Another question although too broad to discuss â€Å"what are the factors to consider in choosing a program?† According to the observation of teachers/instructors there are too many factors they consider in entering the field of teaching. It can be the (1)parents choice, (2)job demand, (3)stability or security of the future job, (4) location of the school, (5)availability of the school, (6)scholarship offered, (7) line of interest, passion, personal choice or childhood dream (8) affordability or in financial matters, (9)relatives or friends influence. Another question answered by the interviewee, â€Å"What did you notice in the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education nowadays?† tested the attentiveness of the respondents. The result was interesting because majority showed that they see population of BSE students was said to be decreased. Only 1 of them, out of 5 answered that it increased. In order for the researcher to identify point of views of the sample population about the factors that affect the decreasing population of BSE students, they include it in their interview guide. The results of the question give ideas about the aspects which is much related in a given topic. The main factors given by the teacher/instructors were: (1) financial, (2) job demand, (3) unable to reach the standard, (4) majorship offered in the universities, (5) stressful, (6) issues or bad images of the teachers nowadays, (7) salary, and (8) chance to go abroad. The result of this question provides an appropriate answer about the certain topic. Although no longer the main component of this research, most of the target population that researchers able to interview has smaller number of colleagues whom they really want to be a teacher. According to Ms. Jeneth Menil (Engl and P.E. teacher in CvSU), and Ms. Tita Salamatin (English instructor in CvSU) approximately 10 % of her overall classmates in highschool really wants to be a teacher. And base on the observation Ms. Michelle Zuniga (ITEC teacher in CvSU) there are only 5 % wishes to be a teacher. Mrs Crisamie Mendieta (Physics teacher in CNHS) proclaimed that 2 out of 40 of her secondary classmates has a passion of teaching. While Mrs. Musa (English teacher in CNHS) notified that there are about 20 % of her highschool colleagues would like to be an educator. Fortunately, according to them, most of their highschool classmates including the teachers/instructors they interviewed whom wants to be a teacher pursued what they really want to be. Luckily, after several years of studying in teahing profession most of them succeed to be a teacher. But during their stage of studying in college, their college colleagues their population inside the campus as the Bachelor of Secondary Education students, their population said to be diminished as they reach their senior year. They give possible reason on why this condition occurs. The target interviewee told so that money is one of the greatest possible reasons for that. Some of their classmates choose the more convenient, time-saving courses such as vocational courses. Another reason was some of their colleagues realized that it is not their line of interest or their passion. According to Mrs. Mendieta others would like to take medicine/nursing for they think that it is in demand abroad. Lastly, the researcher confirmed that the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education decline after several years of establishing a teaching related field. They also give an idea about several factors on why this circumstance triggers. CONCLUSION The researchers prove that the population of students taking up of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) is decreasing due to the different reasons. The researchers also conclude that there are several factors that really affect on students in order for them not to choose teaching programs. Those factors include: (1) financial, (2) job demand, (3) unable to reach the standard, (4) majorship offered in the universities, (5) stressful, (6) issues or bad images of the teachers nowadays, (7) salary, and (8) chance to go abroad. Each factor was perceived by the target population which consists of highschool teachers and university instructors. This research show that aside from giving readers an idea about the condition in terms of population of the tertiary level students specifically Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) program, it also provide awareness about the factors that affect in this phenomenon. Although not really a main part of the research, the researchers still provide information about the vast majority of teachers interviewed indicate that they are satisfied with their jobs, but there are problems. While teachers salaries have improved, many teachers believe that their pay is still inadequate. Local conditions have a major impact on teacher satisfaction. On the teachers wish list for job improvement are lighter workloads, more parental support, fewer discipline problems, and greater administration support. Students at tertiary level have a freedom to choose what program they were able take, but researchers tries to identify the major causes, effects, and explanation in the current trends in the society. They also supply needed information and data in order to understand what really the topic is. Recommendations, suggestions, clarifications and point of views by different kind of people combined in only one research paper and organize it according to purpose. This research aims to promote the Bachelor of Secondary Education program and it also intends to increase the number of enrollees to certain program.

E-Commerce and Intellectual Property Essay Example for Free

E-Commerce and Intellectual Property Essay Introduction E-commerce is defined by the UNCITRAL as   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Transactions in international trade are carried out by means of electronic data interchange and other means of communication commonly referred to as electronic commerce, which involve the use of alternatives to paper-based forms of communication and storage of information†. The rapid expansion of e-commerce is forcing countries to look again at how to regulate trade and intellectual property. The amazing development of telecommunication devices and means, and of computers and related services, has made all these services and products available to a very large number of people in the world. In highly-developed countries, the use of computers has been highly promoted, and it is normal to find people who are fully familiarized with computers and who are used to dealing with computer technologies such as the Internet. Relying On Private Agreements At the present time, the development of e-commerce has several barriers, such as the lack of security for electronic transactions, and the low purchasing power of a large part of the population, most of whom do not have credit cards. Also, people prefer to buy goods from real shops rather than from virtual shops due to the lack of security in electronic transactions and the increased problems relating to the falsification of credit cards, signatures and mail theft among others. First of all, to login to an information network, people use several programs and devices to retrieve information. People use computers, modems, switchboards, communication devices, routers, hubs, etc, and each one of these products may be the subject of a patent or a copyright, and whenever there is an intellectual property right involved, there is the possibility of an infringement. Secondly, a great deal of information is published in the Internet, and all this information is exposed to misuse. Probably, one of the most frequent practices on the Internet is that users take parts of web pages and copy them onto their computers; from then on, they are able to use, reproduce and modify the retrieved information to the extent they wish. This may infringe intellectual property rights such as trade marks, trade names, slogans or copyrights. Protection under the IP law Legislation modifications should be focused on trade laws and even more on international trade laws. The intellectual property laws are reasonably prepared to handle the boom of e-commerce activities in the forthcoming years, with provisions that offer the means to protect all intellectual property rights. Probably, the recent creation of the so-called â€Å"domain name† is the reason why it has not been included yet in most intellectual property laws. But, even in some countries, policies have been created for the registration of domain names and if necessary, procedures for cancellation of registration in cases of infringement of intellectual property rights. More often than not, one of the most valuable assets in e-commerce and the largest potential source of future income is the information database created across time in the joint venture. Unfortunately, some e-commerce proposals do not even mention this. But if the information-gathering activity is not mentioned, the possibility of failure persists, to negotiate the legal rights to that information and the income it generates. Enhancing the upside of e-commerce takes careful contract analysis and planning. E-commerce, in general, and strategic online partnerships in particular, are continuing to emerge and evolve in ways that are increasingly attractive to associations and their members. But at the same time that associations are realizing the benefits of such relationships, certain new legal developments require careful analysis to ensure that the association avoids potential legal and financial risk associated with its online activity. Unfortunately, the legal environment does not yet have much legal precedent on which lawyers and their clients may rely. At the same time, new legal developments are emerging. These realities pose tough challenges with regard to minimizing the associations legal risks while maximizing its economic rewards. Consequently, forging the effective low-risk partnerships desired will be nearly impossible to do solely. Rather, the associations legal counsel will need to pay particular attention to the details of the online partnerships the organization may consideras well as the contracts that define them. New Legal Developments Three of many developments complicating e-commerce legal analysis are the case of United Cancer Council; the Intermediate Sanctions portion of the Internal Revenue Code; and the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, which is currently being introduced in all state legislatures for enactment. United Cancer Council UCC is a spin-off of the American Cancer Society. The IRS retroactively revoked UCCs federal income tax exemption for its long-term contract in a joint venture with a for-profit company. In short, UCC lost in the U.S. Tax Court, won a reversal and new trial on appeal, and recently settled with the IRS before the second tax court trial. Based on my experience as one of the UCC lawyers at the tax court trial and on my observations of the interactions of IRS lawyers at that time, it is firmly believed the IRS will now apply its UCC positions to e-commerce ventures of nonprofit organizations. The IRS positions that emerged from this case should raise a red flag for associations when it comes to the planning and development of their own online joint ventures. In essence, associations must scrutinize arrangements in which †¢ There is too much contractual control of the venture by the for-profit; †¢ Funds belonging to the nonprofit flow to the benefit of the for-profit company; †¢ Too small a portion of joint venture proceeds are obtained by the nonprofit; †¢ Too large a portion of the joint venture proceeds are obtained by the for-profit; †¢ The contract term is too long (e.g., five years); and/or †¢ Insufficient competition exists in the selection of the for-profit company. Intermediate sanctions Intermediate sanctions, part of the Internal Revenue Code, tax individuals, not organizations. While intermediate sanctions most often tax employees and volunteers associated with a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizationor with an affiliate or foundation that has such status even if the organization does notother individuals also may be taxed . Typically, this might include outsiders who have substantial influence over excess benefit and revenue-sharing transactions. For example, suppose an associations chief executive officer or one of its department directors negotiates a contract with a for-profit company for a joint venture through which the company earns $1 million. If the IRS determines that the outside company had substantial influence over the actions of the association in this venture, such that under normal circumstances the companys earnings would have been only $800,000, then the excess benefit to the outside companyin this case $200,000is the amount to which the tax applies. The good news is that in this scenario the association is not taxed. The bad news is that the association CEO or department director may well be. While the outside company may be taxed at 25 percent of the excess benefit, for instance, the association staff members involved in negotiating the contract may be taxed at 10 percent of the excess benefit. Additionally, the tax applies for every year during which the challenged transaction remains uncorrected. In this particular scenario, that could mean that after four years the outside company may be taxed at 100 percent and the association staff members involved may be taxed at 40 percent. How, then, can association staff and volunteers be certain that the organization develops and negotiates joint-venture agreements in ways that wont expose them to intermediate sanctions? Heeding the bulleted points listed within the UCC section earlier in this article is a good start. In addition, individuals may get the benefit of a presumption of reasonableness if disinterested directors approve the transaction, and use comparability data, and document their work. Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act UCITA is the first federal law covering transactions involving computer information, and most often this will include e-commerce transactions. Virginia and Maryland have already passed UCITA, and many other states will do so by the end of 2001. Since UCITA is widely regarded as a vendor-oriented statute, participants in transactions covered by the actsuch as an association contracting for a new Web site or other online ventureswill face a greater need for up-front legal planning. At least part of this initial planning must include determining what changes to make to ensure effective warranty and liability provisions for the association, since guidelines provided by older laws will no longer apply. Careful analysis during early planning of the online venture will be all the more important because UCITA has its own list of mandatory, non-negotiable provisions. Related rulings In addition to UCC, intermediate sanctions, and UCITA, recent court cases have addressed taxation of royalty income from activities such as traditional affinity programs that have migrated online and electronic publishing and database ventures. The good news is that the courts have sided with associations claiming tax-free royalties. The bad news is that achieving that result without careful legal planning and drafting remains as tough as ever. Likewise, the IRS recently reissued its regulations addressing the unrelated business income tax (UBIT) exception for sponsorship income. Commercial companies are increasingly interested in sponsoring the associations activities, including those taking place on the Internet. The regulations limit the situations in which income from sponsorships can be tax-free. And finally, the IRS issued a revenue ruling on hospital joint ventures that also applies to other exempt-organization joint ventures. That ruling emphasizes contractual control provisions in the joint venture. In essence, too much control by the commercial joint venture partner can endanger the tax-exempt status. The ruling suggests a three-part â€Å"safe harbor† test for associations to protect their exempt status. First, the dominant purpose of the joint venture should be one of the tax-exempt purposes of the association. Second, private or for-profit benefit must be merely incidental. And third, the association must have effective control of the venture. Online Income Models One easy way to classify strategic online partnerships is by the nature of the income the association will receive and what can be done to make that income tax-free. It is critical at the outset of evaluating an e-commerce proposal to realize that achieving tax-free income by accident is extremely unlikely. More and more during recent decades the IRS has administered UBIT as a tax that applies to almost all association income unless it is intentionally structured that income to fit within UBIT exclusion. Contrary to traditional thinking, the income is not automatically tax-free simply because the organization is tax-exempt. Here is an overview of the primary online revenue-sharing models. Royalties Online partners may have the permission to use the associations name and logo on its site in exchange for a royalty. Partners may be licensed to use information gathered on the e-commerce site for its own commercial purposes, in exchange for a royalty. Commissions The organization may provide services and get paid a commission. That is generally considered taxable income. In many cases, the same activity would be better structured, legally and tax-wise, as a royalty. From a legal perspective, a royalty arrangement is preferable because the association would be considered as a passive licensor rather than an active participant in the business, thereby avoiding liability for legal claims against that business. A royalty arrangement would also be better tax-wise because the royalty would be tax-free. However, as is evident by their associations contracts, many association executives do not fully understand that a commission cannot be made into a royalty by simply calling it that. First and foremost, the facts of the arrangement have to change. Sponsorships A company may be authorized to sponsor a Web page, a Web-based educational program, or almost anything else in exchange for a sponsorship payment. If the sponsor does not receive a substantial return benefit, the payment can be tax-free. It must be realize, however, that large sponsorship payments often come with strings attached, so sponsorship regulations require careful analysis. For example, the IRS deals somewhat harshly with exclusive sponsorships in which the sponsors competitors are prohibited from providing their goods or services to the members. Charitable Contributions Various agreements are being promoted by commercial companies to get charities involved in their online commercial ventures in exchange for making payments to the charities. These payments are sometimes characterized as charitable contributions. If someone pays money to a commercial company with the understanding and intent that a portion of it will go to a charity as a gift, that gift may be properly characterized by the charity as a contribution to the charity, and therefore be considered tax-free income. However, this isnt always the case. If the charity provides services to the commercial company, for example, the IRS may classify the income as a fee for services. Each charitable partnership proposal requires individual analysis. Business-to-business Internet marketplaces Many associations are considering the online business-to-business model, initiated either on their own or with an outside partner. A vertical B-to-B marketplace automates procurement by bringing buyers and sellers together for transactions, and sometimes providing and/or gathering industry-specific information. A horizontal marketplace provides goods and services generic to many businesses, such as office supplies or business insurance. Internet marketplace relationships in particular give rise to several key issues. †¢ Taxation. Associations that run these Internet activities on their own can obtain several types of income, including fees for each consummated transaction. Absent a compelling argument that the service provided primarily benefits the public, such fees are likely to be taxable income. Associations that license their name and logo to a commercial marketplace operator, however, can collect tax-free royalties. †¢ Control. The do-it-yourself model permits more control than the licensing model. However, licensing agreements may provide quality control standards for the partner actually providing the product or service. †¢ Antitrust concerns. Either type of Internet marketplace raises substantial antitrust concerns (collusion and anticompetitive results) at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. These concerns are best handled while setting up the marketplace, by the way the marketplace is structured, and through specific provisions in underlying legal documents. Migrating To The Internet Some associations are migrating traditional activities to the Web. For example, publications are being moved online, as are affinity programs. What happens to the legal and tax issues surrounding these activities within an online context? The answer may be not much, or a lot. Not much happens if it is considered that a royalty is not changed to taxable income, or vice versa, by converting the member insurance affinity program to a Web-based marketing and application process. But a lot can happen if it is considered that new issues may arise that were less important, or even non-existent, prior to the migration. For example, privacy issues abound on the Internet. Will the members be more reluctant to supply insurance applications or claims data electronically? They well could be if they understand the evolution of privacy and security on the Internet. When asked about his companys Internet privacy policy, Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive officer of Sun Microsystems, said the policy could be stated in eight simple words: â€Å"There is no Internet privacy. Get over it.† Migrating an affinity program to the Web also raises a variety of legal and tax linking questions that will not be resolved anytime soon. For instance, is the link from an association site to an insurance providers site intellectual property that can be licensed for a royalty? Probably. Can a nonprofit, especially a Section 501(c)(3)or 501(c)(4) organization, give away the linkmeaning permit the link to be used without charge? Probably not, because this could raise exempt-status issues, and for those two types of organizations, intermediate sanctions issues (taxation of individuals) as well. In addition, especially for charities, state attorneys general might object to diversions of charitable assets. E-Commerce Contracts Why do organizations signing up for e-commerce sites so often strike out in the contract department? Strike one. Association leaders sign standard contracts that take away the organizations rights. And these contracts may reflect unintended legal relationshipsfor instance, the contract may describe the relationship as a partnership when it is actually intended to establish a licensor/licensee arrangement. Strike two. Association staff negotiates their own contract changes rather than using a lawyer to negotiate the legal documents. Strike three. The association does its own drafting rather than relying on legal analysis to figure out what laws apply, how to apply them to the contract, and how to integrate all parts of the contract. Out. When problems arise later, do not expect the contract for assistance. In e-commerce, as in baseball, three strikes typically mean that ‘the player’ is out of the game. Failure to consider the complexities of old and new laws as they affect commercial activities on the Internet will reduce the income potential and increase the tax liability and other legal risk. Using legal counsel to help match the e-commerce activities with new legal developmentsand to design and negotiate the customized contracts imperative in the new economywill result in more income with less risk. Reducing e-Commerce Risk Because online ventures are for the most part still a new addition to the family of association strategic partnerships, the potential for legal and financial risk is very real. But associations can reduce their risk by keeping four things in mind: 1. A new person in the market is less likely to do something right the first time through. When the potential to make mistakes is recognized, one may slow down enough to ask more questions and seek more help, rather than trying to move ahead at Internet speed. 2. If the association is breaking new ground in the world of online ventures, recognize that the legal outcomes are less certain and potential dispute costs will be much higher, since no real legal precedence will be available on which to hang the hat. 3. In an online world, the number of potential plaintiffs who may want to sue is infinitely larger than in the pre-online world. 4. While Internet insurance policies are currently in the works, many traditional policies dont explicitly state that they cover the associations e-commerce endeavors. This itself should encourage associations to proceed cautiously in their online ventures. Of course, careful analysis and development of any new venture early on will help reduce both legal and financial risk. To ensure that the associations strategic planning includes strategic thinking about the online initiatives, be sure to answer certain key questions as an early part of a comprehensive e-commerce action plan: †¢ What new e-commerce activities are in the works throughout the association? †¢ What current e-commerce activities need legal review? †¢ What tax analysis has been done with regard to these activities, and what tax alternatives need more analysis? †¢ What budget steps must be taken before outside help is retained? †¢ Who should be on e-commerce planning team (e.g., senior information technology staff or consultant, insurance agent, lawyer, or certified public accountant)? Conclusion In view of the great importance of e-commerce, it is absolutely necessary to have adequate legislation. Such legislation must be adopted worldwide because the ease systems such as the Internet offer to the international trading of products or services, forces such transactions to be made in accordance with the trade law of each of the countries involved. The adequate legislation in each of the countries that perform electronic transactions will help the growth of e-business transactions. In view of the fact that e-commerce is in a very early stage of development in many countries, there is no specific legislation in this respect. As electronic commerce is not mentioned in any Law or Regulation, electronic transactions are not considered as valid for any enforcement purpose at this time. Meanwhile, in many countries, in the absence of any specific legislation, parties may rely on private agreements to govern their e-commerce transactions. However, the agreements will not be enforceable unless they are in written form and signed by both parties. Bibliography Barlow, J.P. WIRED 2.03: The Economy of Ideas. Available HTTP: http://www.ifla.org/documents/infopol/copyright/jpbarlow.htm accessed on April 5, 2007. Digimarc. Digimarc. Available HTTP: http://www.digimarc.com accessed on April 5, 2007. Edwards, L. Wealde, C. Law and the Internet: Regulating Cyberspace, second edition. Oxford: Hart, accessed on April 5, 2007. Free-Market.Net Spotlight on Intellectual Property. Available HTTP: http://www.free-market.net/spotlight/iproperty 03. December 2001, accessed on April 5, 2007. Gallfent, R. Introduction to Basic Notions of Industrial Property, WIPO/TM/KTM/97/1, November 1997 Idris, Kamil, Intellectual Property, A Power Tool for Economic Growth, WIPO Pub. No. 888, January 2003 Lehman, B.A. Support for Economic and Political Freedom. Available HTTP: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/intelprp/support.htm accessed on April 5, 2007. Lerch, D. Issues of Intellectual Property Copyright for Educators. Available HTTP: http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright/issues_of_ip.html, accessed on April 5, 2007 Olsson, H. Introduction to Intellectual Property Law, WIPO/CNR/S/93/1, August 1993 The National Academies, The Digital Dilemma: Intellectual Property in the Information Age. Available HTTP: http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309064996?OpenDocument accessed on April 5, 2007. UK Patent Office. Copyright History. Available HTTP: http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/history/ accessed on April 5, 2007 UNCITRAL, History and Background, Guide to Enactment of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce (1996): III. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF THE MODEL LAW, The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law as retrieved on April 5, 2007 from http://www.jus.uio.no/lm/un.electronic.commerce.model.law.1996/history.background.html Volkman, R. Software Ownership and Natural Rights. Online. Available HTTP: http://www.southernct.edu/organizations/rccs/resources/research/intellectual_property/volkman_nat-rights.html accessed on April 5, 2007

How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession

How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession An investigation into Companies Usage of Outsourcing and a Critical Analysis of How Outsourcing is affected by the Current Economic Recession, Specifically in relation to Northern Ireland. Aims and Objectives The Aim of this research is to determine whether or not the current economic recession has affected companies decisions to outsource. It is important to decipher whether or not companies have increased their usage of outsourcing as a direct result of the recession or whether the increase or decrease in outsourcing is due to other factors. The Aim of this research shall be applied in relation to Northern Ireland companies and build a general consensus that Northern Ireland based companies during this time of economic pressure are increasing their outsourcing. Based on this there shall be three objectives of the research. These shall be; To determine companies have increased their outsourcing during the unstable economic climate. To determine that this increase is due to the unstable economic climate; and To determine the relation of outsourcing and the unstable economic climate to Northern Ireland Companies. Importance of the Research In todays volatile and largely unstable economic climate, it is important to note that the recession as it is referred to affects not just large corporations such as banks and multinationals, but ordinary people living in an everyday environment. The state of the economy affects the modest corner shop consumer right to the small to medium sized business entrepreneur. The word recession has become a word synonymous in everyday language. It is due to this that it can be seen to be important that research is carried out to determine exactly how this has impacted the behavioural patterns of people, businesses and theories. This research is important, and more so relevant, to today than ever before with many companies being forced to cut costs and overheads, and inevitably, manpower, as they try to stem the tide of financial loss. The term Outsourcing is subcontracting a service to a third party and the decision to employ this concept is based upon the companies hopes to achieving a higher margin of profit by lowering their running costs. Lankford et al 1999 defines it as the procurement of products or services from sources that are external to the organisation It is believed today that firms should aggressively adopt the practice and the practice is almost becoming a given, and consultants presentations talk of a revolution in outsourcing. The academic literature on the subject has grown in kind. (Lonsdale and Cox, 2000) Outsourcing for businesses has been an integral part of a well oiled operating system for many years. It came to the fore in the 1980s and has since been used in business lexicon, and it is today in the midst of the economic downturn that it has been a vanguard of companies value systems. Few management practices have attracted as much attention as outsourcing is enjoying at the present time (Lonsdale Cox, 2000) The idea of a subcontracting deal to make the most of time and money in the depths of economic downturn would seem like a perfect opportunity to cut the cost of overheads and use resources efficiently. Faith (2009, p.36) agrees, stating As the recession persists, managements are enforcing stricter budgets. All departments are reviewing their processes to find ways to reduce costs and save money. Outsourcing is an area where companies can limit expenditure Research into the recession and its effect on outsourcing has never been more important than it is today, and while companies cannot predict when the recession is going to end, and with the increasing uncertain future and the possibility of more volatility, research into this area of business practice is vital. In a historical sense, the United Kingdom has experienced the onslaught of a recession before. The last recession struck in the 1980s, and this is where companies found the advantages of using outsourcing during a period of economic downturn (Charsley, 1986) Within Northern Ireland, research into the recession linked with outsourcing within Northern Irish companies has been under researched and indeed very little work has been published. So while periods of boom and bust continue throughout the decades in the worlds economy, research into aspects of the need of cost cutting exercises through outsourcing remain essential. There have been many research papers in the area of outsourcing and the implementation of such a business rationale, as there has been in the area of recession, however the development of one in relation to the other has only been lightly touched on, and this is one of the main reasons for the importance of research into this common area, and hopefully add to academic debate. Critical Literature Review A review of literature published suggests that the recession has caused many firms to reshape and refocus their energies into cost cutting exercises, and one of these comes in the form of outsourcing. The literature suggests that there are pros and cons of such an exercise, and that there may be a negative impact of such an implementation. This research is set to highlight the benefits of outsourcing as a key business tool, especially in a period of economic downturn and that it has increased during recent times in this period of economic instability. Past recessions have changed the way businesses operate and the ability to outsource entire departments have compounded this change. Industrial organisations in the late 1980s and early 1990s experienced a turbulent environment brought about by an increase in internationalisation and a downturn in the economy (Tucci et al, 1997) As a result of cost-cutting efforts during this period, many companies are opting to go the outsourcing route to cover either routine and/or non-core work. (Charsley, 1987) This proposal by Charsley would back up the research to determine that the increase in outsourcing is due to the unstable economic climate. The disintegration, outsourcing and off-shoring of manufacturing and other non-core functions have been seen as irresistible trends (Shi and Gregory, 2003, 2005; Sturgeon, 2002; Arnold, 2000) Outsourcing and the recession appear to come hand in hand when a business is restructuring to save costs. The advantages of such a restructuring and outsourcing during a recession have been highlighted in Joanna Faiths article in Outsourcing becomes luxury in recession where she states that the advantage of outsourcing rather than hiring internal resources is that if the state of the company declines, there is no need to make redundancies This helps stave the negative consequences of firing staff and leaving the workforce unsettled, while saving the companys reputation within the market. Mukesh Butani from BMR Advisors in India believes that If you outsource you can just terminate or alter the contract in seasons of peak and downturn however Graham Beck of PA Consulting stated that many firms who were involved in multi-sourcing were unaware of the risks. These include the integration of all the suppliers after the multi-sourcing, despite admitting that multi-sourcing would drive down costs. (Financial Management, 2009, p.7) PA Consultings outsourcing survey found that with the result of the recession firms are re-evaluating their outsourcing contracts or in effect outsource more elements of their firm. Research has also found that Human Resource chiefs have lost control over making outsourcing decisions, as finance directors and chief executives look to rein in costs during the recession (Logan 2009) In January 2009, a study by outsourcing firm Ceridian found that 20% of two hundred and fifty senior Human Resource professionals had the ultimate say in outsourcing recruitment, payroll and benefits for their organisation. Thirty one percent (31%) of the decision making went to the CEOs. Steve Joyce of Ceridian (2009) stated that The credit crunch has left no business function untouched, and it is clear in some organisations now that HR directors are not masters of their own strategy. Barker (2009) believes that In a recession, sometimes it is not possible to take a long-term perspective, especially where firms are really facing an emergency, and it becomes a matter of survival to cut costs wherever they can Charsley, 1987, states the opportunities brought about by outsourcing are several Charsley saw these as, firstly, management could balance the work force with the load, since contracted employees and can be brought on board or dismissed This could be done without the headaches generally involved in changing permanent staff levels. He also identified that management can focus on core work and more easily determine actual cost to the organization provided by non-core support units. In his book, Management Consultancy-A Cost Effective Resource Charsley states The ability to determine costs and allocate them across different parts of the organisation also allow management to consider new structural forms that might enhance the firms overall competitive position However in an interview of 1,000 firms all around the world about their experiences with outsourcing, also by the PA Consulting Group, the results show that the most common outcome was a fairly neutral one. As a result of the cost-benefit analysis comparing contract labour to company personnel, many managers were and are becoming more willing to opt for the contractor through outsourcing contracts because of the total cost of continuing the relationship with the company employee To summarise, there has been very little research conducted to verify whether or not within Northern Ireland the recession has had a direct impact on the decision of companies to outsource more of their business. By conducting further research into this field the purpose of this investigation is to shed more light on the topic as it is of high significance in this turbulent economic climate. Many authors agree that outsourcing is an integral part of the business acumen. The shaping and refocus of business objectives because of the recession has led to this. However there a handful of experts who believe that outsourcing has led to the relationship between the company and employee being stretched. Proposed Methodology The study being undertaken can be described as an exploratory research study. The research aims to find and explain the relationships between the outsourcing and the recession amongst companies in Northern Ireland. The research aims to assess the phenomena of companies outsourcing to cut their overheads and to maximise profit in the time of high economic uncertainty, and to find out what is happening; to seek new insights; to ask questions and to assess phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002 taken from Saunders, 2007) This research project is set to explore data and develop theories from which will directly relate to previous literature. This is an inductive approach. The use of primary sources for the purpose of this research is decided on the fact that the researcher can focus on specific issues and have a higher level of control over how the information is collected and used. The research can be implemented on a strict timescale. A survey strategy shall be implemented in-order to meet the aims and objectives of the research. Survey strategies are popular in business and management research and are frequently used to answer questions raised by previous research. The benefits of a survey strategy are that they allow a large amount of data to be collected from a large population in an economical way. Survey data is also seen as straightforward to comprehend and illustrate. To conduct this survey, questionnaires shall be drawn up and sent to companies based around Northern Ireland. In social research, questionnaires are one of the most widely used in data collection. For the questionnaires a sample shall be selected from the wider population. The population in this case is all the registered companies in Northern Ireland. Because it is not feasible to send questionnaires to all the companies in Northern Ireland, for the purpose of the research, an appropriate sampling frame shall be drawn up. This is a complete list of all the cases from which the sample shall be made from. The sampling base shall be unbiased, current and accurate. Upon collaborating a suitable sampling frame the next stage of the process will be to decide how many (the sample size) and the method by which the companies shall be chosen. Large sample sizes can be sought without the burden of major costs, and produces quantifiable data. In this instance, systematic sampling shall be used. The reason behind this is it works well with either a small or large number of cases. It is also suitable for geographically dispersed cases. Actual lists are not always needed either. The relative costs are low and is relatively easy to explain. The next stage of the research having identified the method by which the data shall be collected, the sample and the sampling technique is to decide upon the technique of data collection. For this research it is proposed to collect the data via postal questionnaire. This is decided upon the characteristics of the respondents and the size of the sample. Having designed the questionnaire the next step is piloting. The purpose of piloting the questionnaire is to refine it so that the respondents have no ambiguity as so how to answer the questions and the questionnaire exhibits face validity thus ensures accurate feedback of results. In addition to this it shall provide some form of validity to the questionnaire and the results. Reliability of the results is the main aim here. Initially to pilot the questionnaire, a group of experts in the field of which the questionnaire is to given to, should be asked to complete it. Allowing suggestions to improve the questionnaire would further enhance the content of the questionnaire. Upon completion of the pilot, the necessary adjustments can be made. The pilot should also ensure that the structure of the questions is correct and there is an established flow allowing an easier understanding of what is being asked. For the purpose of this research it would be suggested that ten pilot questionnaire s be distributed amongst a field of experts to ensure that any trace of ambiguity or misinterpretation be eliminated before the actual questionnaires are distributed. The responses of the questionnaire will provide an idea of reliability and sustainability. It is good research practice to follow through with a pilot of the questionnaire. The final stage is administering the questionnaire. Attempts must be made to maximise the response rate. In order to do this, factors such as appearance, type of delivery and incentives, should be considered. In order to achieve the aims and objectives of this research, the key data collection method employed shall be interviews. For the purpose of the research the key figures to be interviewed shall be managers from the Human Resource (HR) departments. Reasons for this are that evidence from prior research suggests that it is this department who are in charge of outsourcing despite Logan, (2007) suggesting that many companies are taking this responsibility away from the HR departments. To conduct the interview for the purpose of the research a semi-structured interview shall be implemented as opposed to a fully structured one. The drawbacks of the fully structured interviews in research like this are the fact that the answers that may be given could be irrelevant, providing little or no use to the research, the questions are normally closed and thus does not allow freedom to operate outside the constraints of the questions and removes the interviewers ability to back track and highlight certain topic areas. As questionnaires shall be produced and sent out to various companies, the need for a structured interview is further outweighed as fully structured interviews are broadly similar to structured questionnaires. To complete the semi structured interview the main areas of the research to be covered shall be worked out in advance so the overall focus of the interview can be guided by the researcher. The advantage of using the interview situation is that the response rate can tent to be higher than perhaps if requesting information in a non face to face environment. The ability to judge the seriousness of the answers can be helpful in interpretation as well as noting body language. The planned sequence of questions may change during the semi structured questionnaire. This is a huge advantage, as a number of topic areas may covered simultaneously and the interviewee may revert back to a question to be covered in more detail. The naturalism of conversation can take effect and allow the interviewee peace of mind. Before the interview takes place, the interviewee shall be asked whether or not it is possible to ask for the interview to be recorded for further evaluation. This would be an advantage as the flow of the interview shall not be disturbed. In-order to gain access to the HR department within the companies, adequate time shall be allowed to let the organisations allow feedback, and the proceeding follow up contact. A clear account of purpose shall be given to the company. This should clear all concerns regarding credibility. The gatekeeper is the sole source through which contact should be made to gain access to the interviewee. This is done to ensure feasibility of the actual interview. The analysis of the semi structured interviews shall take the form of transcribing the conversations and from that withdrawing key themes and concepts which may help with the implantation of the research objectives. This is known as grounded theory approach, a widely used method for generating a theory from research. The data derived from this research method shall be qualitative data, and shall emerge from the data collected rather than being imposed. Having completed the transcriptions of the interviews, and the keys themes of note are recognised, the information must then be transformed into a form of quantifiable data which allows easier understanding. This involves coding. The data is split into segments which are relevant and meaningful to the overall research and the aims and objectives. The purpose of this is to highlight any trends which may appear from the qualitative data and add weight to what the research is investigating in a statistical manner. As more data is analysed the codes may change. The program used to carry out statistical analysis is SPSS. Time Scale The research shall commence on January 11th 2010 and will be collated over the course of the following fourteen weeks. It shall conclude on April 16th 2010. Here is a detailed plan of the timescale of each proposed stage of research. While conducting the research it will be important to note that there will be time allowed for contingencies should there be any unforeseen circumstances occur. Due to Undertake Activity Activity Week 1-3 Background reading Week 3 Construction of Questionnaire Week 4 Pilot questionnaire/Select Sample Size Week 5 Feedback from pilot questionnaire and modify accordingly Week 6 Perform final questionnaire, allow three weeks for postal surveys to return and begin interviews Week 9 Collect data from Postal Questionnaires. Begin interview Transcriptions. Week 10 Begin coding of questionnaire results Week 12 Results and Discussion Conclusion and recommendations Week 14 Final Draft prepared and Submitted

Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur

â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17. Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17.

Its Time for Open Adoption Essay examples -- Argumentative Persuasive

It's Time for Open Adoption Based on statistics gathered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Children's Bureau, approximately 46,000 children found homes through the foster care system last year alone (Cumpston, 8b). It is hard to imagine that there is this unbelievable number of children adopted in just one year, and the process is still different for every family who goes through it. Only after much research, can one conclude that while handling an adoption, a process known as open adoption is the most beneficial for everyone alike. There are essentially two ways to adopt a child; one technique, known as an open adoption and one known as closed. Throughout the first quarter of the century, the latter of the two methods, also known as confidential adoption, was mainly used (Melina). This was an attempt to protect the birth mothers, as well as the child, from ruthless feelings toward them by the public. During the conception years of adoption, many people were not aware of how adoptions worked or why they were taking place, so they automatically assumed the worst of the situation and the people involved in it (Roszia). However, over the years, the society's comprehension of adoptions in general has changed from oblivious to increasingly aware about how the process works, therefore resulting in the acknowledgment and acceptance of open adoption. In an open adoption, the birth parents and the adoptive parents have continued interaction throughout the extent of the child's life. Open adoptions present the opportunity to take a potentially hazardous situation and turn it into a loving environment for the child. According to Sharon Kaplan Roszia, in her article title... ...ography Baran, Annette & Pannor, Reuben. "An Open Adoption Policy is Best." Opposing Viewpoints: Adoption. Harnack, Andrew, ed., Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego, CA., Pp. 228-237. Byrd, Dean. "A Sealed Adoption Policy is Best." Opposing Viewpoints: Adoption. Harnack, Andrew, ed., Greenhaven Press, Inc., San Diego, CA., Pp. 238-245. Cumpston, Lori. "Room for One More." The Daily Sentinel. November 23, 2000. Pp.8b Melina, Lois. "A Look at Open Adoption for Prospective Adopters. [Online], Available: http://www.raisingadoptedchildren.com/library/articles/open.html, Dec. 7, 2000. "Open Adoption." National Adoption Information Clearinghouse. [Online], Available: http://www.calib.com/naaic/pubs/s_open.htm, Roszia, Sharon. "From: The Open Adoption Experience." [Online], Available: http://www.adopting.org/silveroze/html/open_adoption.html, 1997.