Notes on Frankeinstein

How much sympathy does the writer make the reader have for Victor Frankincense? How does she do this? The reader often feels ambivalent towards Victor. The traits that make him a powerful and admirable figure are the same ones that lead to his ruin. His self-contradictions become more frequent as his problems get bigger. Our Initial sympathy alters radically once we meet the monster (Victor should feel more remorse for abandoning the monster: his duty to family and humanity should have deed to him helping) but we should not underestimate the foulness of Williams murder.His death is tragic and he dies hoping that another man may succeed where he has failed. Shelley uses irony to help the reader take a critical attitude by using twists In the tale so that Victor's responses develop him Into a complex and realistic figure. 2. Examine the differences between the male and female characters. What does this tell us about the context? The women are portrayed as virtuous; Caroline Breakout's kindness towards the poor, her adoption of Elizabeth, the orphans Elizabeth, Justine ND Margaret act as surrogate mothers, Ghats and Sane show gentleness and kindness towards Delayed and Felix.The fathers unlike the mothers, fall in their parental role. The fathers of Clerical, Walton and Safe try to stop their children pursuing their interests. Allophones tyrannical behavior mirrors Victor's attitude to the monster. Women's roles at the time were entirely domestic, with assertive behavior seen as ‘unfeminine'. Men had control over women both morally and legally but women were believed to have a duty to bring the finer virtues to a man's fife particularly through marriage. Trench of women seen In their dialogue, reflecting their beliefs and attitude. Put into supporting roles (as was the reality of their situation) Women's role in creating life is diminished. 3. Trace the development of the relationship between the monster and Frankincense briefly. Does this help direct the re ader's emotions towards each? The monster is made from many people's parts. 4. How does Shelley use locations and weather to enhance our understanding of the novel? There are indoor and outdoor settings.Indoor settings are symbols of mental as well as physical imprisonment. Most outdoor scenes are barren, wild, or desolate. They often symbolism the separation of a character from his fellow beings. Journeys form a pattern. The monster keeps returning to meet Frankincense, a haunting feeling. Victor travels away from his family and returns with new pressures. 5. In what ways is Frankincense a book of emotions and the imagination? Imagination Is the living power and the primary agent of all human perception.Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The Romantics believed that art should have themes of great magnitude which could arouse emotional exhilaration in the audience. Frankincense belongs to 1 OFF stormy and dark settings, satanic imagery and themes of revenge and pursuit. 6. How reliable is Fra nkincense as a storyteller? Is he biased (duh! ) Victor feels himself to be a victim yet partially aware that his ‘mad scheme' is also to blame. 7. How does the way the story told, with three narrators, affect the way the reader sees the novel?We are introduced to the characteristics, desires and values of the narrators o we see things from their perspective but we can also question their character. The Chinese box narrative allows us to go deeper into the story as each narrative lets us know more about the different perspective, even if they are biased. This techniques has an effect on our feelings – we change our emotions towards each character as we meet each and have divided sympathies in the final section. There are contrasts and parallels in language, characters and settings. 8. How responsible is Frankincense for his own downfall?

Ethnic Drinking Subcultures

Ethnic DrinkiETHNIC DRINKING SUBCULTURES by Andrew M. Greeley, WilliamC. McCready and Gary Theisen Chapter One (Page 1-14) Says : Cultures have been able to integrate drinking into a religious and symbolic context. Irish tend to have a serious drinking problem with drinking; Jews and Italians do not. There are two psychological explanations to be found for alcoholism-cultural and psychological. In a culture in which the demands for male supportiveness are high and there is low support for assertiveness in the male role, the author argues that drinking increases in men at least.The author also discuss the influence of drinking socialization on drinking patterns. Does : It provides the background knowledge required to understand the contents of the book. It introduces the proposition through specialized, concrete and qualitative premises. Chapter Three (Page 36-52) Says : Different cultures are evaluated on the he characteristics of power and support. The Irish and Italians are high on power and support, while the Swedes and Jews are low.Italians and Jews are high on support than are Irish and Swedes. On this basis, it can expected that the groups would rank themselves in terms of alcohol consumption in the following order : irish, Swedes, Italians, Jews. Thus, there is a striking difference in the drinking environment of each drinking group. Does : It provides reasons in support of the proposition. It provides concrete and qualitative examples. It also provides several descriptive examples and qualitative evidence.Chapter Six (Page 83-89) Says : The chapter examines whether the different ethnic groups may have different ‘addiction' subcultures. The Irish may drink more because they have an ‘oral dependency' subculture. While various groups do not differ enormously in their adolescent years in their levels of drug consumption, young people from the different groups seem to find their way into peer-group environments where the propensity to abuse alcoh ol and drugs is high.Does : It provides several specialized and concrete research findings. It introduces several implications of the proposition. Chapter Eight (Page 95-101) Says : There are different drinking subcultures among ethnic groups studied, which influence the drinking behavior and ones propensity to have drinking problems. These cultures are remarkably durable, persisting across generations. Does : It provides a conclusion for the book, and highlights the most important facts related to drinking and ethnicity.

The Railway Children

Chap 1: The Beginning of things The Railway Children Answer the following questions 1. What did Peter get as his birthday present? 2. How did Father treat the children? 3. What was Father doing when the two gentlemen arrived? 4. Who left their family after their father went away? 5. What did Mother make the children promise to her? 6. Where did the three children and their mother move to after leaving London? 7. What did the children bring along with them to the countryside cottage? 8. What happened to them at the cottage upon their arrival? Chap 2: Peter and the coalThe Railway Children Answer the following questions 1. What did the children and their mother do when they could not find their supper? 2. What did the children do when they woke up the following morning? 3. Where did the children go after breakfast? 4. What was the function of the white line on the wall? 5. How did their mother provide for the family expenses? 6. Why didn’t the family light fires to keep their ho use warm during the wet rainy days? 7. What happened to Peter at the station yard? 8. What lesson did the children learn from the coal incident?Chap 3: The Old Gentleman The Railway Children Answer the following questions 1. What did the children do when the trains going to London passed by? 2. Who waved back at the three children? 3. What did the children do at the train station? 4. What happened to the children’s mother? 5. Who came to check on Mother’s condition? 6. What was needed by their mother in order to get well? 7. How did Peter attract the Old Gentleman’s attention? 8. What did Perks, the porter, bring for the children? Chap 4: Bobbie’s Ride The Railway ChildrenAnswer the following questions 1. What was Mother’s reaction when the children told her that they had asked the Old Gentleman to help them buy food and medicine for her? 2. Why did Mother write a letter to the Old Gentleman? 3. What did Bobbie receive for her birthday? 4. Why did Bobbie’s birthday celebrations end on a sad note? 5. What happened to Bobbie on the steam train? 6. Who were the two railway workers who saw Bobbie on the train? 7. Where did Bobbie change trains to go back home? 8. How did Peter feel when he saw that his train engine was repaired?Chap 5: Saving the train The Railway Children Answer the following questions 1. Where were the children when the landslide hit the railway line? 2. Who suggested to use the red petticoats as flags? 3. Did the children manage to stop the train? How did they do it? 4. What is the consequence of the children’s actions? 5. Who invited the children to the train station for a special ceremony? 6. Why was the ceremony held? 7. What did the children get from the Northern and Southern Railway Company? 8. Who did the Old Gentleman meet at the children’s house?

Research Type Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Type - Essay Example Grounded theory is based on symbolic interactionism; wherein behavior develops through mingling and association with others in a process composed of negotiation and renegotiation (Morse and Field, 1996). It opposes the notion of average behavior and static reaction to symbols. Phenomenology studies behavior in the context of the individual’s experience (Morse and Field, 1996). Compared with grounded theory, phenomenological research supposes that meanings and behaviors are more internally controlled rather than a result of outside influence. Both methods require the generation of huge amounts of data because of the individualistic (phenomenology) and interaction-based (grounded theory) approach that it takes and both are essential to Nursing research because a patient’s reaction to a health care practice is influenced by both internal and external factors. Managing and organizing qualitative data for analysis is needed so as to make a coherent and relevant research. One way of handling large volumes of data is by categorizing each paper or resource and coding them so as to make it easier to find a particular resource when needed. Qualitative research analysis software (i.e. Nvivo) can also be used to index and sort massive amounts of information for quicker access. The use of online data bases can also be harnessed because these data bases are already organized and streamlined so analysis will be more efficient. (Polit and Beck,

Dada and Surrealism Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dada and Surrealism Art - Essay Example The essay "Dada and Surrealism Art" analyzes surrealism and dada art. Dadaists believed this modern world to be the cause of the war, and thus defied the practice of conformity through its anti-art. Where a canvas and paints were the usual media employed, scissors and scraps of paper were now being glued onto wood and everyday objects took on a new leash of life as the central subject of works. People were forced to look at everyday objects of simple use in a way that would transform the very basis of their existence. Art for the first time became informal, illogical and embraced the chaotic irrationality which was to become its trademark description. Fundamentally, it represented protest ‘against this world of mutual destruction’, and left a permanent mark on the world of art. Everywhere, boundaries were stretched beyond their limits and inevitably broken until recognition of the term ‘art’ as it once stood would never be thought of in the same way again. T he Dada movement paved the way for the later developing Surrealist movement; a lovechild, if you will, of the former and a way of ensuring that the boundaries could not be brought back into check by the modern traditional nationalists – however bleak this possibility might have seemed at the time. The Surrealist movement was based on the freeing of the imagination and the promotion of the ability to express and explore the self, as suggested by Freud’s subconscious mind. Dada sought to free mankind from the suffocating normalities forced upon him.

Coca-Cola Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coca-Cola Company - Essay Example The products range from diet, caffeine free to the vanilla -flavored type of products. The mission of the company has been that of refreshing the body, mind and spirit; to inspire the moments of optimisms through the brands and actions of the employees and also to create value through making a difference whenever the persons are involved in their business activities. The internal factors that have been affecting the operations of the company include; research and development, operations and logistics, human resources and information systems. The management of the company has constantly been involved in carrying out research work that is aimed at developing unique and innovative products into the market .The company has over 2600 products but it intends to produce more products to meet the needs of the customers within a specified period of time. The products that are being researched on are those that have lower calories and are healthier for the consumption by human beings .For instance the coke diet that consists of vitamins is suitable for diabetics due its low levels of sugar. The operations and logistics of the company involve the chain of distribution to ensure that their products reach their designated customers. It involves the production of syrup concentrates that it packs and later on sells to the franchised bottling plants such as the Coca Cola enterprises. The distributors later on distribute the products to well known manufacturing companies that combine the syrup with the carbonated water to make products which are availed to the customers within the stipulated period of time. The distributors then deliver the product to retail stores, vending machines companies and restaurants as well as the food service providers. The importance of undertaking this task is to ensure that the individual distributors get the right ingredients of the final product that can suit the needs of the customers and also suit to the tastes and preferences of the customers. The employees of the company are charged with different responsibilities of ensuring that the company achieves its goals and objectives so as to enhance its growth and development. The company has employed a human resource strategy that aims at motivating, maintaining and also attracting the best employees. The strategy of maintaining and retaining the employee's enables it to remain stable and to continue its operations into the foreseeable future. The management has realized that labor turnover can be very expensive for the company in terms of training thus they try to motivate them. It has been noted in last few years there has been a high rate of turnover and improper lines of communication that have contributed to a decline in the sales revenue of the organization. The employees have found it difficult to air their views about how the operations of the company should be carried out and that has contributed to disagreements on how the operations of the company should be undertaken .Some mechanisms have been put in place that are aimed at eliminating the communication differences that have constantly been eminent within the organizations. The human resource department has continued to perform employees' performance appraisals and evaluations which are undertaken three times a year for each of the employees so as to retain and maintaining and reduce the rate of labor turnover. The

Analysis of Accessories & Gifts Manufacturing Industry Coach, Inc Research Paper

Analysis of Accessories & Gifts Manufacturing Industry Coach, Inc - Research Paper Example Established companies in the industry thus have a distinctive advantage over the newly emerging companies. Initially the new companies have to snatch consumers from the pool of consumers in the giant companies. In an industry where brand name is significant snatching consumers from other companies is not an easy task for the new entrants. Lack of financial resources, experiences and market information worsen the disadvantageous market position of such new entrants. Financial Strength Lead Leverage of Suppliers In 2012 Coach Inc. spent approximately 89.2 million dollars for refining the marketing programs & enhancing the consumer communications, aiming at increasing the productivity of its market channels & optimizing the product distribution (Coach, 2012). Furthermore established companies invest largely on innovation and continuous product improvement. Thus the level of newness is accelerated, product offering in retail showrooms is elevating and the in-store experience of consumers is enhanced. Improving the quality of products and services leverage the company’s leadership position in the market (27). Emerging companies have to compete with such giant companies who annually invest large sums on marketing and product development strategies. Leverage Ratio (LR) of a company is given by the following equation. In December 2012 LR of Coach Inc. amounted 0.57. Only one other company in the industry had recorded a better financial stability than Coach Inc. It also ranked number 22 among the S&P 500 companies list according to the LR. Financial strength of the company and the sustainability of its market development are evident in the improving trend of LR annually (CSIMarket, 2012). Figure 1 depicts the improvement of Leverage Ratio of Coach Inc. during the three quarters of year 2012. Figure 1: Quarterly Leverage Ratio of Coach Inc. in 2012 Source: CSIMarket, 2012 Marketing Strategy Lead Leverage of Suppliers Marketing strategies adopted by a specific comp any can create market leverage. Example: market expansion of Coach Inc. in various geographic locations, invading the niche and newly emerging markets in the world. Coach Inc. Annual report (2012) states that company aims to open 500 retail stores in America including 30 stores in Canada in 2013. Accordingly the company expects to open 10 new retail stores and 18 factory outlets in the coming year. By increasing the number of retail outlets and manufacturing plants, the availability of a given company’s products is increased compared to the availability of the products of other companies. Thus the market power of said company is also increased. Market Information Lead Leverage of Suppliers Companies such as Coach Inc. have data bases developed over decades. Company has years of experiences and extensive market information relating to the consumers, partners, importers, distributors and competitors. Example: Coach Inc. collects data on consumer’s demographic characters and their preferences. Marketers and financial experts of Coach Inc. continuously observe the business environment. They identify the trends in the macro economy and the marketing strategies of the competitors including the new entrants. Company’s annual invests for market research is approximately 2 percentage proportion of the net sales (Coach, 2012). These companies

Haematology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Haematology - Essay Example Once these mechanisms fail and the cells reproduce without control, cancers are the resultant to a deadly organism as a whole. (Mutimer, 2000, p. 59) Proliferation can be understood by two characteristics 1) Cell growth and 2) Cell division. Both occur as a result by increment in number of cells. Proliferation, as appropriated within the study of cancer, refers to an autonomous process of growth and spread, internally driven but externally controlled. Danger arises when the controls fail and the natural proliferation of cells produces excessive reproduction. Young, immature (unspecialised) cells take on individual characteristics and reach their mature (specialised) form and function". (Cancer2006) Dr. Anderson describes that "correct differentiation of embryonic cells is essential in order to structure the cells associated with the complex environment of embryo. Failing to replicate the full range of normal developmental signals is likely to have disastrous consequences. Providing some but not all of the factors required for embryonic stem cell differentiation could readily generate cells that appear to be normal (based on the limited knowledge scientists have of what constitutes a "normal cell type") but are in fact quite abnormal". (Condic, 2002) Maureen (2002) in her article further talks about differentiation in terms of differentiated cells that transplant incompletely while runni

Response #1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response #1 - Essay Example the lives of the manual labourers, he himself spent time as a manual worker at a blast furnace in Hungary, at an engineering factory in Chicago, at a furniture factory in Russia and at an office in Zambia. He undertook each of these experiences with a scientific and unbiased spirit so as to yield authentic material for his research on socialism. Burawoy’s theory of the extended case method necessitates sensitive and reflexive interaction between the researcher and his subjects. He believed that the research scholars must try to extend their own experiences into the lives of their subjects. They should refrain from thrusting their own principles on them as it makes their analyses shallow and biased. To yield successful in-depth analysis, researchers must volunteer to spend prolonged durations at mines, factories, offices and other study sites. They must adopt a bottom-to-top approach in order to gain and convey a more genuine and reliable analysis of the processes of globalization. This extended case method of research and theorising has gained huge popularity worldwide in the sphere of social sciences. The extended case method, in its search for the unforeseen aspects of social truth, attempts to use social occurrences as a tool to refute traditional theories. It clearly lists out the elements that one can usually anticipate at a study site. It aims to extend the same law as an explanation to as many phenomena as possible, while admitting the impact of external forces in the creation of social situations. It seeks to reveal the effects of the macro environment on the micro environment. The social situations are not used to explain or elaborate the already existing theories, but are preconceived as anomalies to the accepted truth. The existing social theories are then looked up to for seeking an explanation of the anomalous situation. The areas where the existing theories are rendered inadequate are used as a scope for revision, rectification and innovation.

Why the Legal Drinking Age Shouldnt be lowered Essay Example for Free

Why the Legal Drinking Age Shouldnt be lowered Essay In the United States, the legal drinking age for all fifty states and the District of Columbia is twenty-one. The drinking age is twenty-one because the government decided this is when a person becomes legally responsible to handle the repercussions of consuming alcohol. The U. S. has the highest legal drinking age in the world. Only four countries in the world have a legal drinking age over eighteen, making the US an exception rather than the rule. Some people may argue that the government should lower the drinking age since you legally become an adult at age eighteen, but I completely understand this law and am totally for it. Underage drinking has become an epidemic that has spread all over the world, but more so in the United States than any other country. This is disturbing because the brain is not fully developed until a person is around twenty-two years of age. Therefore, it should be harder for minors to obtain alcohol, and the legal drinking age should not be lowered. What is alcohol, and where did it come from? Alcohol is a natural substance formed by the reaction of fermenting sugar with yeast. The production of alcohol started about 10,000 years ago. It all started around the Black and Caspian Seas with wine, and slowly made its way around the surrounding areas. Mesopotamia and Egypt were thriving with wine productions by 3,000 B. C. (Narconon). A thousand years later, a Roman God, Dionysus, started appearing in the literature, and was the god of the grape harvest. Then, about 700 years after that, in addition to wine, India started manufacturing beer. This new production spread rapidly, and the Hebrews adopted the new beverage for many different new medicines. After that, the Jews began to use wine and beer in sacred rituals and ceremonies. Although some cultures accepted alcohol, others rejected it completely. Because these alcoholic beverages were spreading so quickly, they raised curiosity. A medical school in Italy began doing experiments, and finally developed something called distillation- a purer, stronger alcohol (Narconon). From Italy, these new drinks spread to England and Scotland, and eventually found their way over to America. Drunkenness became a huge problem in America, so the government passed the Prohibition Act of 1920. Originally, the eighteenth amendment to the U. S. Constitution prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of all alcoholic beverages. Upon its ratification by the states, Congress voted its approval in 1919. Thus the law was passed, and became known as the National Prohibition Act of 1920 (American Medical Association). The eighteenth amendment was repealed in 1933, which made the Prohibition Act null and unenforceable. After prohibition, most states restricted the minimum legal drinking age to twenty-one. Between 1970 and 1975, twenty-nine states lowered the minimum legal drinking age to eighteen, nineteen, or twenty. These changes were made when other activities, such as voting, were lowered. In between September 1976 and January 1983, the minimum legal drinking age for every state was set at the age of twenty-one. Although this is the law in our country, it is also incredibly easy for minors to obtain alcohol. As always, there are different ways to work around the law. These are issues that must be addressed. Some of these ways include a fake I. D. , a minor giving someone money to go buy it for them, going somewhere that will sell to minors, or even stealing it from their parents liquor cabinet. A fake I. D is fairly cheap and also easy to get if you know the right people. For the most part, if you were a minor trying to get alcohol you could go up to any random person, and eight times out of ten that person would go buy it for you. There are also places minors could go to buy it themselves like little gas stations around the lower socioeconomic societies. The reason that these gas stations will sell to minors is because it increases their sales, and because they will get little penalty for selling to minors. If they do get fined for it, the fine isn’t enough to make them stop. Alcohol generally is not secured in most homes so there is easy access for minors who have no fears about taking it from their parents. There has also been the increasing trend of parents not only providing alcohol, but encouraging its use in the home, under the assumption that minors will do it anyway and it’s better to do so in a supervised, safe environment. Underage drinking is one of the biggest problems that the U. S. faces, and is now considered a public health problem. Young adults have the highest prevalence of alcohol consumption than any other age group (Century Council). They also drink more heavily, experience more negative consequences, and engage in more harmful activities. Drinking at any age can have some of the worst effects on you and the people around you. Many young teens that experiment with alcohol believe there are no consequences to their actions. It is actually quite the opposite. Alcohol is associated with driving under the influence, violence and aggressiveness, sexual activity, smoking, and poor school performance. There are all of these problems, and then some that all started with alcohol. Driving under the influence or a DUI is classified under two categories, and can be given out if the person is under the influence of an intoxicating drink or a combination of an alcoholic beverage and drugs. There are felonies and misdemeanors. The difference between a misdemeanor and a felony is misdemeanor DUI charges means that the charge involved no injury or property damage, and the penalty can be up to 6 months in jail. A felony has injury and/or property damage, and the penalty could be up to three years in a state prison. This number fluctuates depending on the number of misdemeanors or felonies a person has had in the past. These laws are in place to not only protect the youth in America, but to also ensure that other innocent people on the roads do not get hurt. There are plenty of accidents that come from texting and driving already (which is the equivalent to drinking and driving) that to lower the drinking age, I think, would cause more alcohol-induced accidents. Underage drinking already contributes to more than 4,700 automobile wrecks a year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and studies have shown that every twenty-two minutes someone will die of an alcohol related traffic accident (First Eagle Insurance Services). Although you probably think that it could never happen to you, other studies have shown that everyone has a forty percent chance of being in an accident involving alcohol use at some point in their life (Drug Free World). â€Å"Vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for minors age 15-20 years old† (Century Council). Aside from drinking and driving, there is also a two-way association between alcohol consumption and violence or aggressiveness. While individual behavior is shaped in large part by the environment, it is also manipulated by biological factors, and ultimately directed by the brain, but the brain is affected if large amounts of alcohol are consumed. The consumption of alcohol may promote aggressiveness and lead to victimization, which in turn leads to excessive consumption of alcohol. Violence and aggressive behaviors are those that are threatening, hostile, or damaging in a physical or nonphysical way. There have been multiple studies conducted that show there is a link between violent crimes and alcohol consumption. In 2012, the percentages of violent offenders who were drinking at the time of the offense were: â€Å"eighty-six percent of homicide offenders, thirty-seven percent of assault offenders, sixty percent of sexual offenders, up to fifty-seven percent of men, and twenty-seven percent of women involved in marital violence, and thirteen percent of child abusers† (NIAAA). A lot of times alcohol is accompanied by cigarettes, marijuana, or other hardcore drugs. Many researchers hypothesize that the ethanol in alcohol triggers a feeling of pleasure, and those feelings are reinforced when nicotine is added to the mix. Others think that those who abuse one substance will be more inclined to abuse other substances. Nicotine lowers blood alcohol concentration, so therefore a person who is smoking and drinking simultaneously would have to consume more alcohol in order to reach intoxication. Most people react differently to alcohol than others do. A lot of this has to do with the person’s age, gender, race/ethnicity, physical condition (weight, fitness level etc. ), amount of food consumed before drinking, use of drugs/prescription medications, and family history of alcohol problems. Usually when there is a family history of alcohol problems you will often see a history of some other type of disease linked to it. Some of these include: breast cancer, oral cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver. Twenty percent of alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach walls into the bloodstream, and reaches all organs and tissues of the body within moments. The other eighty percent is processed through the gastrointestinal system. It is considered a drug, and is a sedative depressant of the central nervous system (Reeves). Alcohol can damage the dendrites at the end of a nerve cell causing disorder to brain functions. It is also capable of rupturing blood capillaries and veins. Aside from damaging nerves and veins, it can also damage the liver. It stops the liver’s ability to process fats, and can cause disease. The high sugar content in some alcoholic or mixed beverages can lead to hypoglycemia and predispose one to diabetes. Alcohol can also alter sleep patterns, basic motor functions, thoughts, and emotions. The consumption of alcohol on or at an above average rate can lead to alcoholism. Women metabolize alcohol more slowly than men. Because it stays in a womans bloodstream longer, it can cause more cellular damage of the kind that can trigger cancer. Alcohol also influences blood levels of estrogen and other hormones in ways that may make cancer more likely. For example, â€Å"compared to women who dont drink at all, women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer. Experts estimate that the risk of breast cancer goes up another 10% for each additional drink women regularly have each day. Girls ages 9-15 who have 3-5 drinks a week have 3 times the risk of developing benign breast lumps†(Breastcancer. org). These benign breast lumps can be a precursor to breast cancer. From this it is easy to see that the younger that someone starts consuming alcohol, the increased risk of cancer and loss of life is more likely. It might be easy to dismiss this issue as one of personal choice or preference. This discounts the social impact of drinking on society. â€Å"Alcohol costs American employers an estimated $134 billion in productivity losses, mostly due to missed work† (Ensuring solutions. org). The impact is not only economical though. Missed work impacts every worker at a job who must work that much harder to accomplish their work tasks. It also can decrease teamwork and morale due to resentment from the missed time at work, therefore decreasing productivity as well. Additionally, alcohol impacts every workers paycheck in other ways. As a rule, workers in America pay taxes on their pay as part of the social contract. These taxes are used for a variety of federal projects, such as ensuring a strong infrastructure, including maintenance of our highway system. â€Å"Alcohol related crashes costs the public $114. 3 billion annually† (MAAD). This is money that could be spent improving our roadways, bridges, and mass transit systems. This would also address shortfalls in other areas of the government budget, such as possibly addressing the furlough of air traffic controllers due to the current sequester. Not only is alcohol affecting society in terms of road safety, it is impacting air safety too. These quotes and statistics are not specifically for underage drinkers but as a sampling of society as a whole we can see that if adults are unable to drink heavily and prolonged without negative effects the same should be true of minors who have not yet developed full brain capacity and critical thinking skills. It is not just physical and social effects that are felt by people who overuse or abuse alcohol. â€Å"Among high school students, those who use alcohol are five times more likely to drop out than those who dont use alcohol. Alcohol is implicated in more than 40 percent of all college academic problems and in 28 percent of all college dropouts† (Alcoholcostcalculator. org). This has a ripple effect. High school and college dropouts on average earn less than those with secondary and post secondary degrees. This not only impacts the immediate quality of life it has long term effects reaching into retirement. Social Security is based on lifetime earned income. With the reduced earning potential of not having a diploma or degree underage drinkers set themselves up for living on a fixed income once they become old or infirm. This is not the only economic impact. A quick look at Rehabilitation Centers shows price ranges from $2,000-$30,000 for a 28 day stay. This does not include continuing aftercare. There are also legal fees for DUIs or Public Intoxication citations, plus bar tabs prior to the cessation of drinking. â€Å"Out of every $100 American consumers spend, about $1 goes to alcohol† (Vo). The average household income is around $50,000 per year, meaning that on average $500 a year is spent on alcohol, for an approximate lifetime average of $35,000. â€Å"In 2007 the death toll from teen drunk driving accidents was 1,393† (Drug Free World). The economic impact of funeral expenses, which on average total around $6,000, is nothing in terms of emotional cost. Many parents who lose a child end up divorcing, tearing apart families in the process. This may also lead to alcohol or other drug abuse in the parents or siblings, resulting in further economic, social, and societal impacts. It’s a vicious cycle and one that could be avoided by continuing to keep the drinking age at the current level. There are numerous warning signs that a minor may have an issue with underage drinking and it is important for those involved in the minor’s life to recognize these to curb an issue before it begins. These include physical, emotional, family, school, and social problems. Parents, teachers, and friends should look for physical signs such as fatigue, red and glazed eyes, or a lasting cough. Emotional indicators include personality changes, sudden mood changes, irritability, irresponsible behavior, low self esteem, poor judgment, and depression. The minor may start more arguments, break more rules and withdraw from their family. There will be a decreased interest in school, drop in grades, increased absences, truancy, and a rise in discipline issues. The minor may show a big social change, with new friends, a change in style of dress, and possible problems with the law. This list is not exhaustive, but from the examples given it shows that underage drinkers have a wealth of issues that will affect them negatively for quite some time. With all of this in mind, I do not feel that lowering the legal drinking age would be in our county’s best interest. The government has these laws in place to keep our country and the people in it safe, and if these laws were to change it would send our country into a downward spiral. I feel that the rates of alcohol induced traffic accidents, rates of violent crimes related to alcohol, rates of certain types of diseases, and much more would upsurge drastically. I also feel that if our government doesn’t address these issues with more force and power, minors will keep doing what they have been doing and nothing will change. Works Cited â€Å"Alcohol Alert. † www. pubs. niaaa. nih. gov/publications/aa38. htm. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). N. d. Web. 25 April 2013. â€Å"Drinking Alcohol. † www. breatscancer. org. 18 January 2013. Web. 4 May 2013. â€Å"Drunk Driving in America. † www. maad. org/media-center. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MAAD). N. d. Web. 25 March 2013. â€Å"Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems. † www. ensuringsolutions. org. N. d. Web. 4 May 2013. â€Å"Minimum Legal Drinking Age. † www. cdc. gov/alcohol/facts-sheets/mlda. htm. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 7 November 2012. Web. 19 March 2013. â€Å"Minimum Legal Drinking Age: Brief History. † www. ama-assn. org. American Medical Association (AMA). N. d. Web. 19 March 2013. Narconon Drug Information Department, ed. â€Å"Alcohol History. † www. narconon.org/drug-information/alcohol-history. Narcanon International. N. d. Web. 25 March 2013. â€Å"Problems at School. † www. alcoholcostcalculator. org. Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems. N. d. Web. 4 May 2013. Reeves, Pat. â€Å"What Alcohol Does to Your Body. † www. foodalive. org/articles/alcohol. htm. Complementary Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). N. d. Web. 23 March 2013. â€Å"Teenage Drunk Driving. † www. firsteagle. com/tdd. htm. The First Eagle Insurance Services. N. d. Web. 22 April 2013. Vo, L. T. â€Å"What American Spends on Booze. † www. npr. org. National Public Radio. 2013. Web. 4 May 2013.

Issues in Social Work and Mental Health Quality Issues

Issues in Social Work and Mental Health Quality Issues An Analysis of a Range of Issues in Quality Frameworks, Processes and Methods of Measurement in Mental Health Work and Social Work Practice Introduction In equating the various range of issues with respect to quality frameworks, processes as well as methods of measurement in mental health work and social work practice it is important to understand the meaning of these terms as well as their respective applications in the United Kingdom, which represents the subject focus for the aforementioned. Mental health is defined as (Houghton Mifflin, 2006): â€Å" A state of emotional and psychological well-being †¦Ã¢â‚¬  whereby individuals are able to utilize their respective â€Å"†¦ cognitive and emotional capabilities †¦Ã¢â‚¬  to function as members of society as well as to â€Å"†¦ meet the ordinary demands †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which are a process of daily living† In the context of mental health services it relates to â€Å"A branch of medicine that deals with †¦ achievement and maintenance †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) of the psychological well-being of individuals. The International Federation of Social Workers (Bouldertherapist.com, 2006) defines social work as a profession that â€Å"†¦ promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as giving individuals the empowerment and liberation â€Å"†¦ to enhance their well-being†. The profession, as maintained by the International Federation of Social Workers utilizes â€Å"†¦ theories of human behavior and social systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬  in a context whereby the profession intervenes and interacts with individuals at the areas where they â€Å"†¦ interact with their environments† and whereby the principles of both human rights as well as social justice are underpinnings in the field of social work (Boulderthe rapist.com, 2006). These two fields have a denominator in common, which is that they exist to serve people and help them to improve, as well as cope with their aliments and to ultimately return to a healthful state. The process of serving individuals in this capacity represents some of the most challenging professions in that the analysis of effectiveness, quality, processes and the methodologies utilized in measuring the aforementioned with respect to the varied issues arising from the active practice can be subjective in most instances. This examination shall look at the mental health and social work professions from the context of a range of issues representing quality frameworks, processes and methods of measurement to determine the progress made in providing better service and quality to patients and carers. Total Quality Management Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 138, 248), Crosby (1980, pp. 212-223) and Juran (1992, pp. 171) are all proponents of ‘Total Quality Management’ which is a strategy dedicated to building into an organization the awareness of thinking in terms of embedding quality in all phases of an organization’s processes. The International Organization for Standardization (2006) defines ‘Total Quality Management’ as being â€Å"†¦ a management approach †¦ centered on quality †¦ which is †¦ based upon the participation of all its members †¦ that aims at long-term success †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wikipedia, 2006) achieving the foregoing through customer and or client satisfaction that generates â€Å"†¦ benefits to all members †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wikipedia, 2006). The preceding includes the organization itself as well as society. In equating quality, the usual context in which one thinks of this word is in products, rather than services such a those prod ucts which are made with a minimum of problems, of good materials and which work properly and achieve this through consistent operation. However, quality as an end result is an organizational mind set, and as referred to in the International Organization for Standardization (2006) definition as a process â€Å"†¦ that aims at long-term success †¦Ã¢â‚¬  achieving the foregoing through customer and or client satisfaction that generates â€Å"†¦ benefits to all members †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wikipedia, 2006). Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 6-10) is an American consultant who exposes the importance of implementing a quality oriented organization that permeates every facet of an organization’s structure and culture, regardless of department or function. Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 8) states that organizations must produce â€Å"†¦ products and services that help people to live better† and that the preceding â€Å"†¦ is the raison d’etre †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 8) of the organization. His philosophy is that through the adoption of quality products and services, which is a function of management inculcating its staff in quality and innovation measures, the end product and or service improves as does its relationship with its customers and or clients. Crosby (1980, p. 1-5) indicates that mistakes or poor organizational habits and or policies are costly in terms of corrections and the damage to reputation and morale and that all members of an organization have the responsibility to perform their jobs which enhances the performance of other functions thus becoming a synergistic effect. Crosby (1980, p. 4-8), as does Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 6-10) and Juran (1992, pp. 171) all emphasize the importance of quality in increasing an organization’s ability to provide services that meet and exceed client expectations through the effect that quality orientation has on internal interpersonal relationships and openness to ideas. The heart of the work level philosophies held by Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 138, 248), Crosby (1980, pp. 212-223) and Juran (1992, pp. 171) is the contribution of ‘quality’ to the equation of improved services and innovation in heightening organizational standards. The term ‘quality’ can thus mean in this context (Wikipedia, 2006): the excellence and or achievement of an object or service, meaning that it is not inferior or sub-standard, a meaning of excellence in its own right ‘Quality’ is a term in this context that is synonymous with good, which represents the criteria utilized as the standard being applied. Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 138, 248), Crosby (1980, pp. 212-223) and Juran (1992, pp. 171) equate this word in the following manner: Deming (Deming, 1988) states that improved quality helps to reduce operating costs through less error and correction measures. He indicates that to attain the preceding a consistency of purpose needs to be inculcated throughout the organization with an overall plan that is maintained. Deming (Deming, 1988) stresses the need for improved consistency on an ongoing basis and to remove the barriers between various departments to increase and improve communication, feedback and intra-company working processes. Deming’s (Deming, 1988) thirteen point program stresses that it is management that leads and sets the example as well as supports ongoing quality through active participation that involves everyone within the organization as well as suggestions and contributions from working partners and clients. Juran (1992, pp. 154-198) states that quality application in organizations is defined by crafting them to be utilized in context with the organizations purpose to improve performance. Crosby (1980, pp. 189-216) also trumpets the application of quality throughout the organization as a management down function that must be maintained, taught as well as communicated to bring the staff not only on board, but committed to the adoption of quality and improvements as an organizational way of thinking. Moullin (2002, pp. 2-7) advises us that quality in health and social care fits within these fields as it is important to: patients as well as service users, staff, and the application of quality can aid in the reduction of costs as well as provide better service in the context of budgetary and cost constraints. It is interesting to note that Moullin’s (2002, pp. 2-7) points are the same as those emphasized by Deming (Aquayo, 1991, pp. 138, 248), Crosby (1980, pp. 212-223) and Juran (1992, pp. 171) in the general context of total quality management, and that the application in the health and social care fields is the same as for manufacturing, banking, or any other industrial sector. Moullin (2002, pp. 2-7) points out that quality in the health and social care fields is important in that not only do patients as well as service users benefit in that their differing requirements are met in a better, more comprehensive and complete fashion, the benefit of quality also affects both these groups each time they come into contact with the organization(s) and thus their individual confidence levels rise with the expectation that they will receive good service and be well treated. Moullin (2002, pp. 5) advises that patients in need of health and social services are usually stressed, worried, v ulnerable as well as frightened with respect to the outcome of their need(s) and that long waits on the telephone, in lines, for responses, little or insufficient information, poor facilities and insensitivity exacerbate the preceding. He (Moullin, 2002, pp. 6-8) indicates that quality in these fields, health and social care, is important in that: The staff benefits as the vast majority elected for a career in these fields out of a desire to help others, rather than for monetary gains and that poorly organized staffing functions contribute to frustrations for employees reducing their morale as well as effectiveness. Moullin (2002, p. 6) adds that quality is important in the reduction of costs as he advises that the correlation between resources and quality represents a strong relationship. And while the amount and number of staffing is important, quality can be improved irrespective through the application of new innovative techniques, technology, work flow planning, scheduling and other means. Moullin (2002, p 6) indicates that reduction in costs sometimes means increasing services and or staffing in one area whereby the work load flow will thus lessen the impacts on another thus either balancing out or reducing costs through flow adjustment. While it is difficult to place an exact date or year on when quality became an active force in the health and social care sectors, the concern over spiraling health care costs, inefficiencies and deteriorating services began to surface in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in the United States, as well as a result of the increasing costs burdening the governments in Europe’s socialized medicine schemes (Bennett et al, 1999). The era of unlimited access and treatment as the foundation of quality oriented services in the health and social care fields began to give way to the spiraling costs of advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic modalities, with the rising costs of health and social care exceeding the rise in the costs of living in the United States as well as Europe and the expenditures for socialized medicine threatened the economies of many nations in Europe (Lighter, 1999, p. 265). In addition to the foregoing, the aging of the world’s po pulation as better medical care has increased life spans, and this combined with the fertility transition has increased the proportion of older adults and has contributed to the concern for quality in health and social care (Demeny et al, 2003). Health care spending in most OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, such as (OECD, 2006): Australia Austria Belgium Canada Czech republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Japan Korea Luxembourg Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Slovak Republic Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom United States, amounts to in excess of eight percent (8%) of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with health related spending in the United States projected at fourteen percent (14%) (World Trade Organization, 1998). The public’s concerns over increased costs for health and social care services prompted the privatization wave on the mid 1980’s in the expectation that the measure would increase efficiency as well as reduce costs, but those expectations from this initiative have been elusive (Bach, 1989). The preceding created a climate whereby governments in Europe under socialized medicine, as well as the private health care structure and governmental social care system in the United States began to look for measures to control and reduce costs while increasing quality. In 1998 the Department of Health in the United Kingdom issued a ‘White Paper’ titled â€Å"Modernising Social Services† (Department of Health, 1998) which represented the United Kingdom governmental response to public opinion as well as mounting social care costs to introduce quality frameworks into the system. The White Paper set forth a framework at the national level that called for (Department of Health, 1998): the establishment of â€Å"†¦ clear objectives for social services†¦Ã¢â‚¬ that created a â€Å"†¦ clear expectation of outcomes †¦Ã¢â‚¬  which social services would be â€Å"†¦ required to deliver.† (Department of Health, 1998), the publication of a â€Å"†¦ National Priorities Guidance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998) that set up key targets that social services would achieve in the intermediate term, and putting into place â€Å"†¦ effective systems †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998) via which to monitor as well as to manage performance. The Department of Health’s White Paper in 1998 clearly set forth that the government of the United Kingdom was putting into place â€Å"†¦ new resources to support †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998) the programme, and in return for these added resources, pegged at  £1.3 billion over 1999/2000 – 2001/2002, and the United Kingdom government made it clear that it expected â€Å"†¦ to see improvements in quality and efficiency †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998). The Best Value framework represented another name for Total Quality Management in the context of health and social services care in the United Kingdom. Under the â€Å"Best Value† framework indicated under this White Paper, the government set forth that (Department of Health, 1998): Local authorities were mandated to establish â€Å"†¦ authority wide objectives for performance measures† (Department of Health, 1998) in consort with the national objectives as well as government set standards and or targets. Local authorities were also provided with the responsibility to conduct and â€Å"†¦ carry out fundamental performance reviews †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998) concerning all their services in a five year framework utilizing these reviews for assessment and the establishment of â€Å"†¦ local performance plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998). That the local planning process will be underpinned and supported via data obtained â€Å"†¦ from a new statistical performance assessment framework† (Department of Health, 1998). â€Å"†¦ Local Performance Plans †¦Ã¢â‚¬  will be utilized to identify the targets for improvement compared against performance indicators on a local level and â€Å"†¦. The National Best Value Performance Indicators †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998). Annual reviews of the aforementioned local performance plans will be conducted by the Department of Health utilizing Social care Regional Offices to assess progress and identify problem areas (Department of Health, 1998). The White Paper put into place an independent inspection system utilizing data from the performance assessment framework (Department of Health, 1998). And lastly, the ‘Modernisation’ programme set forth a system of Joint Reviews reducing the time table to five years from seven (Department of Health, 1998). The new programme set forth a performance assessment framework that specified performance areas defined by (Department of Health, 1998): cost and efficiency, effectiveness of service delivery and outcomes, quality of services for users and carers, and fair access. Analytical Methods of Quality Measurement and Standards Balanced scorecards represent a top-down hierarchical set of management tools that link long-term financial goals with performance targets (Kaplan et al, 1996, pp. 75-84). The United Kingdom’s National Health Service utilizes what is termed a ‘Star Rating’ system which is an example of the balanced scorecard (British Library, 2002). Kaplan et al (2001) advise that this methodology, specifically designed for the public as well as voluntary sectors has a link between performance measures and strategy, and thus the method should represent one of benefit in these regards. The caveat is that there are varied difficulties arising from its use by organizations as the financial perspective measurement is not the defining factors of organizational purpose in the public sector (Dickson et al, 2001, pp. 1057-1066). Kaplan et al (2001, pp. 135) agree with the foregoing and add that in utilizing the balanced scorecard governmental agencies should consider the utilization of an overarching objective at the head of their respective scorecards which is reflective of the long-term objectives (Kaplan et al, 2001, pp. 135). The difference in the utilization of the balanced scorecard in a not for profit and governmental agency mode as opposed to business is the way stakeholders are considered. In a business atmosphere stakeholders are involved as it represents the best means to conduct business, however in a not for profit and governmental agency sense, these organizations usually exist for the benefit of the users of the service as well as other stakeholders thus changing the emphasis whereby stakeholder contribution is more fundamental (Moullin, 2002, p. 167). Moullin (2002) adds that user involvement takes place at two levels, one represents helping to develop the service to meet their needs and the second entails the involvement of users and carers in the decisions concerning their health as well as the care given and received. Benchmarking, as a term, has numerous definitions, however at its core it represents a process of â€Å"†¦sharing information, learning and adopting best practices †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (PSBS, 2006). The European Benchmarking Code of Conduct states that it is a process of making comparisons against other organizations and thus learning from the lessons these comparisons reveal (The European Benchmarking Code of Conduct, 1998). In the context of social care, benchmarking entails the understanding or and utilization of knowledge gained across a range of services and compilations to utilize in formulating standards of measurement as a guide to rating and understanding the performance of services in individual local authorities. The weakness of benchmarking is that it can not stand as a total measurement without revision and modification as newer and more effective techniques and methods prove themselves. Thus as a standard in a state of flux, benchmarking represents a system that is base d upon existing methodologies, that are changing, being modified and or amended. Thus benchmarking represents a useful, yet temporary methodology whereby the practitioners must be mindful that existing standards are subject to change, which in conjunction with other measurement methodologies has contributed to improving quality and performance in the health and social care sectors. Quality Approach The utilization of balanced scorecards, and benchmarking fall under the concept of Total Quality Management which is termed Best Value under the Department of Health’s Modernization Programme and is illustrated by an example provided by Gillian Crosby (2004, pp. 7-8), the Director of the Centre for Policy on Ageing. She indicates that the problem in the social services arena, is wrongly based in concentrating on the solving of their problems as well as users of services rather than as their being active contributors to society. Crosby (2004, pp. 7-8) indicates that the NHS views social care as well as society’s older individuals as a â€Å"problem† which in what Crosby (2004, pp. 7-8) terms a â€Å"†¦ very narrow approach †¦Ã¢â‚¬  thus creating a focus on delivering intensive services which thus â€Å"†¦ excludes †¦ older people and their careers†. She further states that in the aspect of quality as it relates to social services the s ystems of initiatives, pilots, and projects that have been created and put into place to audit, evaluate, monitor and investigate service development and provisions have been in place for years. Crosby (2004, pp. 7-8) maintains that the problem is the â€Å"†¦ sustaining and maintaining †¦Ã¢â‚¬  these areas and â€Å"†¦ building them into effective †¦Ã¢â‚¬  provisions through utilizing these collective findings and synthesizing that information. Crosby (2004, pp. 7-8) indicates that this void causes good ideas to stagnate rather than permitting them to be explored and utilized where warranted and she cites that quality thus suffers as a result of duplication and what she terms as â€Å"†¦ pilot fatigue †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , indicating that the system needs to implement as well as create and find more innovative ways in which to service elder citizens in a manner whereby these initiatives are â€Å"†¦ developed and maintained.† Crosby (2004, pp. 7- 8) that there are numerous examples of individual cases whereby instances of good practice have been demonstrated through partnerships that have improved service provisions for elder citizens, citing the â€Å"London Older People’s Service Development Programme† as an example. The preceding utilized a collaborative model that promoted optimized care and independence and grew into a tool implemented by the National Service Framework for Older People in London with the hallmark being its â€Å"†¦ single assessment process† (Crosby, 2004, p. 8). The foregoing example is an instance whereby the practice of Best Value and allied tools need improvement to respond to the specialized needs of a segment of social care services, but this example does not indicate that system wide the measurement has not produced results. The system has shown â€Å"mixed progress† as reported by the BBC (2005) as the quality of care has improved since the adoption of the Modernization Programme, but as the BBC (2005) reports, â€Å"†¦ there are still worrying gaps †¦Ã¢â‚¬  with regard to service as reported by inspectors. The BBC (2005) report indicated that three quarters of the council departments received ratings â€Å"†¦ in the top two categories †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as opposed to slightly â€Å"†¦ over two thirds in 2004†. Thus progress has been made as a result, yet there is still sufficient room for further improvement. The NHS Mental Health sectors foundation for improvement in its quality of services was set forth under the National Service Framework in 1999 which established a blueprint for care throughout the United Kingdom †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Department of Health, 1998). The initiatives established for a modern NHS resound with the word ‘quality’ as its foundation (Appleby, 2000, pp. 177-291). The process filters down into every job description utilizing the word â€Å"quality agenda† (Appleby, 2000, pp. 177-291) which is composed of six elements: treating patients as well as service users with the dignity they deserve, the creation of the proper environments via which patients can recover and utilizing their views to accomplish how services should be developed, recognition of the skills of families in the roles of carers, linking service activities to needs so acutely ill individuals receive urgent care access through a comprehensive range of services, making the best as well as most effective treatments available, and emphasize patient safety The success of the system is contained in the regional rating system which measures the number of ‘Local Implementation Plans’ in red, amber and green (Appleby, 2000, pp. 177-291). The National Service Frameworks set measurable goals as follows (Department of Health, 2006): the setting of national standards and the identification of key interventions with respect to defined service and or care groups, placement of strategies that support implementation, establishment of means via which to ensure progress in defined time frames, introduction of the new NHS and A First Class service that re-emphasized the position of NSF’s as the key drivers in the deliverance of the modernized agenda. The success of the NSF is assessed by what are termed interface indicators which are a part of the performance assessment frameworks which has seen demonstrated improvement throughout the system as a result of the Department of Health Modernization Programme and as contained in the Mental health NSF Performance Report of July 2005 rated all ongoing programs as meeting the prescribed targets of achievement (Mental health NSF, 2005). In 2005 26 councils received the three star top rating, which represented an increase of six councils over the prior year (BBC, 2005). The total results indicated (BBC, 2005): 83 councils received two starts as opposed to 78 in the year 2004, 31 received one star, which represented a decrease from 36 the year before, 3 received zero stars, which decreased from eight in 2004. The foregoing indicates that the Modernization Programme has demonstrated progress and as a result of the varied programmes and measurement systems there is in place a means to equate progress. Clinical Governance is a term and process which grew from the commercial arena under standards for financial management for companies in the private sector (Palmer, 2002, pp. 470-476). In the framework of the NHS it represents a methodology and framework whereby organizations are accountable for the continuous improvement in the quality of their services as well as high standards of care through the creation of a climate and environment whereby excellence with regard to clinical care grows (Department of Health, 1998, p. 33). Since the implementation of the Department of Health’s modernization programme NHS community and acute trusts have been charged with the creation of established structures as well as processes for clinical governance which is monitored by the CHI. It represents a comprehensive approach comprised of four areas (Palmer, 2002, pp. 470-476): definitive and clear lines of responsibility for overall clinical care quality, programme of quality improvement regarding activities that includes a clinical audit, development and utilization of clear policies that manage risks, procedural methodologies for all groups to identify as well as correct poor performance areas The heart of the system is the clinical audit which places accountability on the managers and utilizes performance management as the process of delivering the objectives throughout organizations to filter down to each individual and job description thus providing management with clear roles and set priorities. The programme has been rated as successful in terms of it providing a clear set of measurement data to gauge and compare progress through point in time comparisons under its clinical audit segment which represents a new system that did not exist (Palmer, 2002, pp. 470-476). As such it has aided in the achievement of measurable improvements in the field of patient care, making such an established routine. The Commission for Social Care Inspection utilizes a framework of fifty performance indicators that when assessed as a whole provide an overview of the manner in which local councils are serving the needs of their residents concerning social care service delivery (East Sussex County Council, 2006). Inspections are carried out a minimum of once in a three year period and can be conducted at any time and is comprised of three types of inspections (Commission for Social Care Inspection, 2006): Key Inspections: These are comprehensive and through inspections that are unannounced and are conducted at least once for all adult social care services during a year period. It represents on sire as well as documentation reviews and inspections of all areas of service categories without any prior notice. Random Inspections This type represents targeted specific issue inspections conducted in addition to key inspections in the follow up of complaints and or progress from an earlier inspection calling for specific areas of concern. Thematic Inspections These inspections represent follow up to regional and or national issues concerning medication, nutrition or similar areas and are also in addition to key and random inspections which can be conducted at any time. The preceding inspections provide the formulation for ratings and represent a gauge on progress, standards and adherence to established policies. The performance indicators represent fifty differ areas ranging from (National Statistics, 2005): Children’s Pls placement stability employment, education and care leavers education unit cost of residential care unit cost of foster care children reviews core assessments long term stability children in need Adult Pls emergency admissions drug treatment program participation unit costs of residential and nursing care adults at home services for carers client reviews carer assessments waiting times The methodology has been successful in terms of providing a measuring device via which the CSCI can assess progress and improvements as well as backward movements in services. The audit commission’s role promotes the utilization of performance data to fuel improvements in services provided to the public (Audit Commission, 2006). The Audit Commission works with varied governmental departments, agencies and local authorities to define a broad array of performance indicators applicable to their circumstances. As a department the Audit Commission’s success is represented by the performance indicators it assists in the development of for the aforementioned and is a success as these varied programs have improved the ability of these agencies, departments and local councils in assessment of the services under their charge. Conclusion The NHS Modernization framework has been devised to oversee and create improvement in the world’s largest government public sector health and social care programme which stands in excess of  £9 billion and is responsible for delivering a huge variety of services to every corner of the United Kingdom (Department of Health, 2006). Serving individuals in these sectors represents a demanding subjective function whereby the standards of quality and service delivery are defined by consistently improving services and new methodologies which change the standards as innovation introduces newer and improved techniques. Total Quality Management represents a technique that under the NHS Best value programme and Modernization plan of 1999 offers a means via which the system can monitor itself as well as agencies and local authorities with the foregoing fluctuating basis and improve its quality of service delivery in keeping with changes and improvements in care. The preceding is important as a result of the lessons learned in spiraling health and social care costs that surfaced in the late 19

Strength And Weakness Of Electronic Human Resource Commerce Essay

Strength And Weakness Of Electronic Human Resource Commerce Essay In our report discusses about strength and weaknesses of electronic Human Resource and discusses some implications for future research. e-HRs software brings a high degree of homogeneity and standardization platform for smooth working in an organization. It helps to bring the control and efficiency required by HR. An initial framework the review analyzes HR professionals at organization introduced a technology based management information system (MIS). This system enabled the employees to be more efficiently administered (in theory) through an impersonal system to bring into conformity with rules for payroll, attendance and punctuality. Hence, e-HR software interface in salary decisions and others linked to people. The e-HR systems are core applications who reduce the over time of Human Resource Management. It has achieved data from an administrative function, which responsible from payroll to help in strategic decision making that can add value to an organization. Companies have now realized. The role e-HR has developed as grow of organization the primarily administrative becomes business partner. At same time e-HR provide the business possess such as stable, reliable which makes high recognition within the organization. After implementation e-HR in any organization, company can easily save there cost. Because e-HR use enterprise and internet, efficiently connect people such a way if gives all information they need. It also manages relationship, streamlines processes and improves the se of information to make strategic and operational decisions. e-HR about connecting people customers, suppliers, employees with information. Its about making organizations more efficient and more profitable INTRODUCTION Due to market development, the manager roles has changed in recent years, and partly also due to new technologies being used by the organization that they are working in. As a result, organization needs to examine their own organizational Human Resource role. (Alleyne et al, 2007) In today global markets, organizations and companies recognize that in order to compete, are based on the quality and effectiveness of their employees to succeed. Human Resource managers today need a world class Human Resource management system to help them in daily strategic and operational decision. Over the last recent years, with the advance of Intranet and Internet technologies, Human Resource tools known as electronic Human Resource management (HRM) emerged. (Hooi, 2009) Recent Development in E HR or HRIS In the 1990s client/ server systems are the ideal configuration for most companies. But in recent years, companies are beginning the tasks of migrating their legacy systems to new packages designed with more advance structure. And they are usually what we know today as Human Resource Information System (HRIS), which is part of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP are able to offer companies the advantage in term of functionality, storage capacity, performance and an opportunity to reengineer their HR processes. Due to the fast rapid development of technologies and changes in the fundamental of business, the Human Resource Department today cannot operate like the old days. It is not enough to have a group of people who only need to know all about the benefits plans, salary program, and career opportunity within the organization. The demand for skilled workers, especially knowledge workers, also helps to accelerate the need for HRIS to assist in strategic role of HR. (Stone et el, 2006) DEFINITION E HRM According to a group of Researcher from Singapore Ministry of Manpower, Human Capital Development Division, E-HRM refers as active use of electronic media and participation of employees with technology to helps to lower administration costs, and improve the communication of their employee with quicker access to information, and reduce time needed in processing. (Hooi, 2009) Human Resource Information System (HRIS) basically is a human resource database system that allows you to keep track of all types of Human Resource information related to the organization and its human capital. However, not all companies that name their system an HRIS Human Resource Information System are comprehensive enough. If the human Resource system, are only able to handles one or two functions, example such as benefits like administration or payroll, then we do not consider it as a comprehensive HRIS. (Bondarouk Ruel, 2009) Electronic Human Resource (EHR) it refers to conducting business transaction in human resource related using the Internet. (LengnickHall Moritz 2003) Usually refer usually to Employee Management System that is normally refers to browser based Human Resource web portal. Unlike HRIS, E-HR or Employee Management System can usually handles limited functions or benefits, such as payroll and leave application. The growth of E-HR was due to the rapid development of Internet technologies in the 1990s. With point and click ease of use, E- HR are usually very user friendly and easy to use. Widely used by companies especially small and medium enterprise, who cant afford a comprehensive Human Resource System such as HRIS. Human Resource Management (HRM) it refer to a form of support function that services its own internal customers, example employee. (Alleyne et al, 2007) Critical Analysis of Electronic Human Resources (e-HR) In recent years, with the advancement of intranet and internet, enable a new wave of human resource (HR) technology to emerge, with the aim to assist human resources administrative functions. With these e-HRM functions, HR service is expected to improve by both the management and employees. (Hooi, 2009) As more and more Human Resource Departments moving toward Internet or Web-based Technology, we need to evaluate and make comparison between the Online Human Resource Management and Traditional Human Resource Management System. (Payne et al, 2009) Background Strategic human resources and e-HRM Strength The major functional roles of E-HR are to support Human Resource processes such as are recruiting, training and performance management. (Stone el, 2006) The growing trend in E-HR allows the development of tools such as Employee Self- Service (ESS) Employee Self Service or ESS gives the employee of the organization the ability to access, maintaining his or her own personal HR Information online. The employee self-service (ESS) capabilities allow and enable the employees to create, view, and modify data anytime and anywhere by themselves, using multiple technologies. With easy or ease of accessing to the information they need to do their jobs, the employees can also manage duties that were previously handled for them by personnel from HR department, with an employee centric portal. ESS also helps to expedite life, and work changes, freeing the HR professionals from mundane HR related administrative tasks and allowing them to dedicate more of their time and resources to a something more strategic initiatives. Managerial Self-Service (MSS) Enable the managers to access a variety of HR-related tools and information online. Most manager HR-related tasks can be done via MSS applications example like payroll administration or compensation, staff performance management, hiring, and employee career or training development. Overall, the main strength that an Electronic Human Resource System allows: Employees to improve or maintain job performance Set standards for Human Resources work process Give recognition to job related accomplishments Enhance Communication and working relationship between employee and departments Identify the performance of individual employee Outline the responsibility of employee and supervisory. (Payne et el, 2009) Developing human resources: With the help of internet and intranet in development and training is the mostly examine element of e-HR and without any doubt the one with the most existing in possibility in terms of cost and benefits. The web-based software can be used for assessment training, and management career of all e-learning activity. For the less paperwork and more benefit including getting more information on training, and assessment it provide e mail and electronic forms of intranet or the restricted web site. Lower administration cost, shorter distribution and response time, and higher response rate (McClelland, 1994). Changes in the role of the HR function: They all agreed that the adoption of e-HR will definitely support HR functions. It will help making administrative tasks easier and more productive. Apart from the administrative processes, other HR processes such as innovation, communication, and learning and career planning will be improved and supported with the use of e-HR. So the result, e-HR use can support not only the traditional HR role but also the alignment of HR functions with the organizations strategic objectives. However, two of the participants commented that HR has a long way to go before results and benefits of e-HR adoption, especially for HR development, will be tangible The benefits as show in fig: Weaknesses: The list below summarizes the reasons for adopting and not adopting e-HR for users and non-users respectively. Companies using e-HR: facilitation of the recruitment process; benefits for communication; and Cost effectiveness. Companies not using e-HR: limited usefulness; security concerns; inconsistency with practices used; and Other practical problems. Their only disadvantage is to loss of confidentiality. E-learning includes the learning activity supported by information technologies. It can take local intranet computers, or full access to internet, drawing upon a full range of multimedia, links to other sites and resources, downloadable streaming videos and communication systems (Sambrook, 2003). E-learning offers a solution to training in remote. Issues: available on www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm Nowadays, organization reaches capability of existing to run HR operations more efficiently. For more efficiently work we need to combined together in one hand for this gather the information and communication technology. The main issue is swift development of electronic HR systems (Stanton and Coovert, 2004; Fletcher, 2005). The E-HR provide the facilitate to more efficient and strategic way of working for HR. since e HR technology runs parallel to the introduction administrative support of the HR. it very difficult to map it. For example Reception and assimilation by employees is considered to be an important factor when implementing E-HRM. The ability to cope with changes in the HR function and The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at the support that is provided to employees during E-HRM implementation is also deemed essential (Haines and Petit, 1997; Fisher and Howell, 2004; Ruta, 2004; Rue ¨let al., 2004). However, there is little empirical knowledge on concurrent employee Brief Analysis of whether e-hr is contributing towards HR becoming more strategic Most of us, I believe will be convinced that using E-HR will significantly help the company to improve the delivery of the HR services to the organization. Higher efficiencies, and higher customer satisfaction, no doubt will help to lower costs, due to redesigned processes and eliminate manual work process. Definitely e-hr has the potential to be able contribute towards HR becoming more strategic. But for E-HR to be able to play a more strategic role, there must be a strong business case. Emerging strategic e-HRM research tend to fit and focus on business strategy. (Marler, 2009) A business case can be mystifying. For the case of web-based or E-HR business can be used to address all types of questions, for example: Do we really need a Web-Based solution? Do we need to implement employee or manager self services? Can we use our existing intranet for HR transaction? Are we going to use the existing legacy human resource system as the underlying database for web solution, or a Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System? Can we plan and implement a shared services group as part of the Web initiative? Should we go for one-vendor HR portal strategy, or should we go with a best-of-breed approach? A business case must always, built around objectives like type of business, financial, functional, operational, or some combination. Meaning we need to provide the business management with cost benefit and return on investment data in hard economic terms. How can E-HR help the organization in strategic role? To business, the core objective is to make more money. The concern and questions ask by management is how E-HR can help the business to reduce expenses or increase in their revenue strategically? Questions on the mind of the management like, what can we gain from: Productivity savings Improve quality and reduced rework Sourcing Saving Make services more cheaply and higher quality Information System Saving Reduce the maintenance of existing systems Other Saving. Save the cost of material like paper, computer printout. But the most important aspect and core functions of E-HR strategic benefits can bring to a organization are: Recruitment What talent do we need? Sourcing and attracting Who is the right talent? Where is the right talent? How to attract the talent to joins us. Assessment and evaluation Identify, evaluate and select the right people we want. Hire What is the right offer that we can offer attracts the candidate to join the organization? Deployment Move people into the right position in the organization that can utilize their talent. Retention- How can we keep the talent invested, and engaged in the organization? In todays globalization competition, the strong demand for skilled workers, especially knowledge workers, also helps to accelerate the need for HRIS to assist in strategic role of HR. (Stone et al 2006) Conclusion The HR plays a very important role in any Origination, as well as HR builds a bridge between top management and employers. Nowadays there is a big competitive market for any organization. So they want to expand their organization up to certain level to meet their requirements. Once the organization grows the work load for HR will increase and they will be unable to manage all the work manually. So for avoiding this kind of situation in the organization they need a integrated system in their company. That time e-HR comes in the picture, which suits their needs, Such as Employee Self- Service (ESS) Managerial Self-Service (MSS) Management Information system (MIS) Developing human resources Changes in the role of the HR function The future E-HR will become more sophisticated, and more individualized tools for both managers and employees. Improved decision making tools will benefit both the organizations and employee. (LengnickHall Moritz 2003)

Qualitative Research in Social Science Essay -- Social Research Method

The field of social science is very complex with main field branches that cover anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, social psychology, and sociology. These main branches in turn contain subfields of study and there are still other disciplines in which social research is done including criminology, demography, education, and nursing (Bernard 6). Social science research is split between the positivistic (quantitative) approach and the interpretive-phenomenological approach (qualitative). Social science research often contains a combination of both approaches. But, qualitative research investigates the why and how about human behavior, the reasons that govern behavior. These reasons are complex and cannot be fully understood through only quantitative methods. In qualitative research, data is collected through direct observation, in depth interviews, participation in the setting and/or an analysis of different forms of printed materials. Qualitative data collection is typically purposively done; selection is based on whether an event fits a specific characteristic. The data is categorized into patterns for organization and reporting results (usually visual in the form of flow charts, maps, or presented in matrix or table form). Data collection is typically approached by traditional methods of phenomenology, some form of field study, grounded theory, and ethnography. A brief description of these methods follows. Phenomenology: describes in words a person’s reality; a reflection of one’s consciousness and perceptions (Bernard 20). Field Study: involves some form of field work either through participant observation or by indirectly through collection of data (Bernard 318). Grounded The... ...evelop a complete view of human thoughts and behavior. Qualitative research would greatly serve my research on implementing a Course Management System (CMS) in an urban education environment. Methods of data collection for my proposal include interviews (students and instructors), performance assessments tests and field work involving the use of the CMS by participants. The initial data collected from the interviews and performance assessments will used to direct the course of this study. Works Cited Bernard, H. Russel. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Thousand Oaks, CA Sage 2000. Print. Pomrenke, Marlene. â€Å"Using Grounded Theory to Understand Resiliency in Pre-Teen Children of Higher Conflict Families.† The Qualitative Report. 12.3 (2007):365-374 Web. 9 Nov. 2014. QSR International. Web 9 Nov. 2014.

Galileo: Scientist, Scholar, Rebel Essay -- essays research papers

Seventeenth-century European study was controlled by two powerful forces: the Roman Catholic Church, headed by the Pope, and ancient philosophy dominated by the 2000-year-old ideas of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The Church had an overwhelming influence on the lives of most Europeans. During Galileo’s time one in twelve people living in Rome was either a cleric or a nun.1 The Church forbid any teaching that deviated from what was taught in the Bible. To enforce this control, the Church set up the Inquisition. Galileo was targeted by the Inquisition for his observations and experiments. 2 Because his teachings differed from the socially accepted ideas of Aristotle, the Inquisition believed he should be persecuted. Even though Galileo’s observations were much more factual than Aristotle’s and, more important, backed up by experiments and the use of the telescope, he was still sentenced to house arrest for life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa Italy.3 Galileo was born into a family considered nobility, and his father, Vincenzo Galilei, was an accomplished musician.4 Galileo was tutored privately and also educated by his father until the age of eleven, when his family moved to Florence and sent him to a Jesuit monastery to study medicine.5 Three years after his son began school, Vincenzo was surprised to learn Galileo had decided to become a monk. Somewhat angered, his father withdrew him from the monastery, and Galileo continued his high school education in Florence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At age seventeen Galileo began college at the University of Pisa, where he reluctantly studied medicine. 6 Throughout his first term attending the university, Galileo became more interested in mathematics than medicine. A court mathematician, by the name of Ostillo Ricci, noticed Galileo in his lectures.7 Impressed with Galileo’s knowledge, he urged Galileo change his major to mathematics. Against his father’s wishes, Galileo changed courses, and by the end of his first term he was a mathematics undergraduate.8   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Galileo made his first important discovery while attending the University of Pisa. Galileo noticed a swinging lamp above him during a church sermon. Extremely bored, Galileo conducted an experiment to see if the amount of time in between each swing was the same. Using hi... ...i. School of Mathmatics and St. Andrews, Scotland, August 1995; available from http://www.history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/history/mathmatics/galileo.html;Internet. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p. 35. 8 Deborah Hitzeroth and Sharon Heerbor, Galileo Galilei. Lucent Books Inc; California, 1992, p.15. 9 Ibid., p.16. 10 J.V. Field, Galileo Galilei. School of Mathmatics and St. Andrews, Scotland, August 1995; available from http://www.history.mcs.standrews.ac.uk/history/mathmatics/galileo.html;Internet. 11 Ibid. 12 Galileo Galilei- Astrology. Available from http://www.astrology.about.com/library/weekly/aa0zz00b. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.41. 19 Deborah Hitzeroth and Sharon Heerbor, Galileo Galilei. Lucent Books Inc; California, 1992, p.24. 20 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.44. 21 Ibid., p.45. 22 Giorgio De Santillan, The Crimes of Galileo. Time Inc; University of Chicago Press, 1962, p.185. 23 Ibid., p.257. 24 Ibid. 25 Jack Meadows, The Great Scientists. Oxford University; New York, 1987, p.48. 26 Ibid

Eu Enlargement

EU Enlargement Background The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In 1967 they merged into European Community. The Maastricht Treaty established the EU under its current name in 1993. The EU has grown its size by the accession of new member states. For example, on May 1st 2004, 10 new members joined the EU and EU-15 became EU-25. In 2007 it became EU-27 when Romania and Bulgaria joined.It seems that the enlargement will continue and many people begin to consider whether the EU should admit more members. Countries should obey the accession rules if they want to join the EU. According to the ‘Copenhagen Criteria’, a member state must be a stable democracy, respect human rights and have the rules of law and the protection of minority. In terms of t he economic aspect, it should have a functioning market economy. In addition, the country needs to adopt the common rules, standards and policies that make up the body of EU law. Body Commission: regarded enlargement as the â€Å"Union’s most successful foreign policy instrument. Following? the? enlargements? of? 2004? and? 2007,? the? EU? is? now? the? largest? integrated? economic? area? in? the? world,? accounting? for? more? than? 30%? of? world? GDP? and? more? than? 17%? of? world? trade. New members can benefit more from enlargement than existing member states (Neuder, 2003) * Benefit of new members * Strong economic growth: * Benefit from the EU budget and access? to? EU? funds? * The 10 new members can expect to receive up to 4% per annum of their GDP from the EU’s structural and cohesion funds for projects aimed at improving their economic tructures. * e. g.? net? inflow? of? structural? funds? to? help? finance? infrastructure? projects and? environmental? projects. * Increase in GDP from 3. 7% to 5% on average in the first two years since accession. * In the long time, the acceding states could enjoy a rate of growth some 2% higher than that of the existing states (Neueder, 2003). * East slowly catch up with the west. * Increase in trade * Most? of? the? new? EU? countries? were? already? closely? linked? in? trade? and? investment? terms? with? their? western? European? neighbors.? Joining? the? single? market? as? deepened? this in? 2007,? almost? 80%? of? exports? of? the? new? EU? states? went to? the? rest? of? the? EU. * Increase in Foreign Direct Investment * For the new member states, FDI is a key factor in the process of economic modernization. New members can receive funds from foreign countries and use the money to boost economy. * Enlargementlarger market and openness to trade. * Baldwin, Francois and Portes (1997) argue that joining the EU will make the region substantially less risky from the point of view of domestic a nd foreign investors. * 191 billion euro by 2004 However, they seem to over rely on FDI. FDI accounts for too large part (e. g. Hungary: 70%). Once there is something wrong with some investors and do not invest them, for instance the financial crisis, they will suffer tremendously. * The? 2009? crisis? may? persuade? Central and East European? Countries? to? reduce? their? dependence? on? foreign? direct? investments and? build? an? economic? growth? model? on? different? grounds. * Welfare * Farmers began to receive agricultural subsidies * Structural funds directed towards poorer regions (investment in infrastructure) * Benefit of existing members Enlargementmore people more consumersobtain more than 450 million consumers from Single European Marketcompanies could expand their businesses and benefit from experience and location economies scale * Larger labor market fill labor shortage in existing states with low-cost and highly-skilled workforce, for example, UK and Ireland Howeve r, these skilled workers may replace the indigenous employeesincrease the unemployment * High growthincrease the purchasing powerstimulate the import demand of acceding states and export of member states * Imports and exports between new and existing members have increased considerablethe EU15 share of total EU12 trade increased from 56% in 1993 to 62% in 2005 * Because of theseGDP increase * Costs of enlargement * Drawback for new member state * Difficulties in complying with EU law restrict development of business especially Small and Medium-size Entrepreneurs * Push many producers out of business due to their incompliance with EU environment policies * Tax harmonization e. g.Estonia: was forced to introduce new tariff against imports from outside of the EU, adopt a number of non-tariff barrierssuch protectionisms increase the food price and lowered Estonians’ standard of living * High unemployment still exists in many new member states (8% EU-15; 14% EU-10, 2005) * Some hi gh skilled workers or people with higher degree will move from east to the west, this brain drain damages the host countries. * Drawback for EU-15 * Volume of enlargement costs will amount to about 15% of the EU budget (Germany: 2. 3bn from its federal budget) * Migration: Concern about too much migration from east to west social problems and pressure on social/medical/educational services. (e. g. ome countries even carried out policies to limit the volume of migration) * Actually: the percentage of EU-12 nationals and the resident population of each EU-15 Member state were relatively stable before and after enlargement. * Too many countries will decrease the efficiency of EU. * Conclusion Enlargement of EU has been the most successful policy. Although it has some negative effects on both existing and new member states, its positive influences far outweigh its negative aspects. Process EFTA (European Free Trade Association) afraid that the Single Market Program would increase compet itioncreate EEA (European Economic Area)1995, Austria, Sweden, Finland opted for European Accession, joined (growth+, unemployment-, inflation- Finland(1991-2000, 2006,%): growth 2. 0-5. 0; unemployment 12. 5-7. 7; inflation 2. 1-1. 3 †¦