Unbranding Starbucks

The coffee industry has been booming since the 1950’s mostly because of the explosion of the cafe style coffee houses in the 1990’s that have followed industry forerunners such as Starbucks (Sangeetha, 2010). Coffee is the second leading commodity worldwide, with a market share worth over $100 billion and over 500 billion cups consumed annually (Goldshein, 2011). Coffee is produced in over 50 countries worldwide providing a livelihood for over 25 million people, but 67% of the world’s coffee growth is conducted in the United States (Goldshein, 2011). In the 1990’s, with the coffee craze, came locally owned cafes and specialty stores that by 2005 made up 30% of the coffee retail market. These niche coffee shops have shown a 7% annual growth rate annually (Goldshein, 2011). For supermarkets and traditional (larger) retail outlets, who in 2005 held 60% of the market share, remained the primary channel to acquire both specialty and traditional coffee beverages (Sangeetha, 2010). For Starbucks, this market share helped to make them the third largest restaurant chain in the United States (Goldshein, 2011). In 2008, the economic downturn began and the corporate coffee chains were forced with closing stores due to overwhelming overhead with the increase to coffee prices as external factors (Sangeetha, 2010). This forced coffee companies to reinvent their promotional strategies for their specialty coffees in 2009 to send the message that these coffees would allow for â€Å"thrifty luxury† and comfort during stress (Sangeetha, 2010). This reinvention also sparked a socially responsible note with consumers that were demanding these responsibilities be adopted by the companies they purchase from. By expanding product lines and market offerings, many corporate coffee companies scrambled to find a solution to the changing market demands of consumers. As the market continues to shift, growth of coffee will focus on differentiating the brand and returning to the quality assurance that consumers have grown to expect (Colbert, 2013). By creating new products and innovations, companies will likely increase their market shares and profits (Colbert, 2013). Much of the growth of future demands for coffee will come from price sensitive developing markets due to the volatility that persists in the current market supply of coffee (Colbert, 2013). Though global brands have a large following, local brand will continue to flourish in coming years due to their ability to tailor their product offerings to consumers while corporate companies will continue to see these local coffee houses intrude on their consumer base (Colbert, 2013). In recent years, the coffee market has made a shift to more convenient ways for consumers to procure coffee. Starbucks made the move to more convenience for consumers by teaming up with Pepsi-Cola to offer bottled Frappuccino at supermarkets and convenience stores (Sangeetha, 2010). Starbucks also teamed up with Kraft Foods Inc. to supply stores with bagged whole bean and ground coffee for consumers to enjoy in the comfort of their own home (Sangeetha, 2010). With the trend of instant coffee, Starbucks responded to that as well and created a line of instant coffees to be sold in their Starbucks locations as well as supermarkets (Sangeetha, 2010). Other companies such as Nescafe and Folgers are also offering an instant coffee on the shelves of supermarkets and have been for decades now (BIC, 2013). Along with the instant coffee craze, single-serve systems have been a hot commodity to help coffee retailers maintain a market share. Green Mountain Coffee (GMC) began as a small coffee shop in Vermont and has grown to producing and selling 26. 8 million pounds of Arabica coffee annually (GMCR, 2013). Because GMC prides themselves on sustainable and responsible business practices, in 1998 they developed the Keurig single-serve system to cut on waste and produce better tasting, freshly brewed coffee in a minutes time (GMCR, 2013). At first, Keurig was only offering GMC and a few select brands, but as the single-serve trend picked up, companies such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks jumped on the band wagon (Staff, 2011; Chen, 2013). In 2011, Dunkin’ Donuts joined the Keurig family but were only offering their products at Dunkin’ Donut locations and not in supermarkets (Staff, 2011). Though offering the single-serve packs for your system at home was a good thought, Dunkin’ Donuts hurt themselves when it came to convenience because patrons still had to visit a store to purchase the single-serve packs for their home system (Staff, 2011). Earlier this year, Starbucks also signed on with GMC and Keurig to produce Starbucks and Tazo branded single-serve packs (Chen, 2013). This agreement is a five year contract and will triple the amount of Starbucks products on the Keurig machine by taking on additions such as Seattle’s Best and Teavana Teas to name a few (Chen, 2013). This strategy will increase the marketing position for Starbucks as well as GMC and Keurig because Starbucks has a loyal following that may see the single-serve system as an opportunity to save money and added convenience. In 1971, Starbucks opened as a small coffee shop in historic Pike’s Place Market in Seattle, Washington (Starbucks, 2012). By 1982, Starbucks was ready to grow as they hired on Howard Schultz as the director of retail operations and marketing (Starbucks, 2012). He realized that espresso was a trending beverage in Italy and saw a potential for a coffee bar culture that we now know as Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks, 2012). This was the first growth strategy that Schultz envisioned; creating an atmosphere for young and trendy coffee drinkers to sit and enjoy their cup of coffee. Schultz next strategy was to expand Starbucks beyond Seattle and Washington. With the help of local investors, Starbucks opened across the country and in just two years had 17 locations including Chicago and Canada (Starbucks, 2012). Starbucks was making a name for it and by 1988 had 33 locations and began providing health insurance for employees (Starbucks, 2012). Though Starbucks remained a privately owned company, in 1991 they offered a stock option programs for all employees unlike any other American company had before (Starbucks, 2012). This was a growth strategy for Starbucks because it showed a true interest in the well being and future of employees. Not only did the employees benefit from such incentives, but Starbucks received a brand name boost through media and word of mouth for their generosities (Starbucks, 2012). That same year, they opened their first airport coffee shop and maintained 116 stores in North America (Starbucks, 2012). By 1993, Starbucks has grown to such proportions that to keep up with production they opened their own coffee bean roasting plant in Washington State and more than doubled their store locations to 272 (Starbucks, 2012). 994 brought on a huge change for Starbucks with the drive thru window that now assimilated them to restaurant chains like McDonalds and began to weaken Starbucks profit margin (Starbucks, 2012). With this assimilation came even more expansion for Starbucks with a second roasting facility located in Pennsylvania, 677 locations nationwide, and introduction of new p roducts like the Frappuchino and premium ice cream in supermarkets (Starbucks, 2012). These growth strategies helped create a lifestyle and image association with the Starbucks logo as well as broadened their product variety which is a perceived value for consumers. In 1996, Starbucks opened their first location outside of American in Japan and later in Singapore (Starbucks, 2012). With the globalization that the company began to experience, this meant that their brand name and consumer loyalty was quickly catching on and not just in America. By 1997, Starbucks had 1,412 locations and also began the Starbucks Foundation to help strengthen communities in which they operate (Starbucks, 2012). This foundation is still active today and is used to fund literacy programs, develop young leaders, and participate in community service opportunities to give back with hands on approach (Starbucks, 2012). This is a perfect example of the social responsibility craze that began in 1999 and Starbucks teamed up with Conservation International to encourage and promote sustainable coffee practices and in 2000 became Fair trade certified with TransFair USA (Starbucks, 2012). Starbucks has continued to grow by establishing their own trading company, acquiring Seattle Coffee Company in 2003, and keeping up with the economical and sustainable practices of consumers offered the first paper cup made of recycled material in 2006 (Starbucks, 2012). This again reinforced Starbucks strategies to become industry leaders because in 2006, consumers were increasingly concerned about sustainability and it was forecasted that consumers will be willing to pay more for economically responsible products and services (Fletcher, 2006). From 2007 to current day, Starbucks has been rebranding and reworking their business practices trying to get back to their original design and a way to save money in the long run (Sangeetha, 2010; Starbucks, 2012). With a variety of new coffees on the menu and more food offerings, Starbucks has created a food giant that is now competing with McDonalds and other â€Å"quick service restaurants† and 17,651 stores globally as of July, 2012 (Starbucks, 2012). Unbranding for Starbucks is a major risk because it is competing with itself as well as the same competitor that the company is trying to outdo. With uick service restaurants serving specialty coffee on a bargain budget, Starbucks is risking losing a larger piece of the market pie with the unbranded store concept. Starbucks is known mostly for their name and logo in the global market. This is an attribute not a scar and as so Starbucks should be proud of their history and even more proud of the power house of coffee they have become. It was noted that the unbranded stores were expanding their horizons by offering beer, live music, and pottery classes as to attract a younger and more trendy consumer like that of competitors (Mitchell, 2009). These provide a clear message on what the average coffee consumer wants in today’s market; cheap, fast, and trendy. The age of the corporate coffee house is beginning to die off because consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about economic issues and boycotting corporate America (Prakash, 2013). This is mostly due to the interconnectivity that young America and youth of the world are experiencing with the internet, Facebook, and cell phones and create a learning curve for older generations (Prakash, 2013). Bottom line is that consumers enjoy the coffee that Starbucks sells, but subconsciously they are ultimately buying for the brand recognition, consistency, and pride they feel when drinking from a Starbucks logo cup that has their name written on the side of it. If McDonalds offered the exact same coffee as Starbucks but at their ridiculously cheap prices, there is no guarantee that consumers would completely jump ship from Starbucks simply because of the brand recognition and expectations that follow it. I believe that continuing to unbrand Starbucks is taking a step away from the heart of what Starbucks is known to be. The business model that Starbucks had in place before the unbranding begun was not broken completely, but simply had broken or misguided components. Face it, Starbucks grew too big, too fast and opened stores faster than they could keep track of. That is an aspect that corporate fails to realize; local coffee shops have one, maybe two locations to maintain and thus keeps the over head low. With the low overhead of locally owned shop, they are able to offer wider variety of products and services. They also often have backing from other local businesses through the chamber of commerce and because the owner is a member of the community has ties that help grow business through patronage. The unbranded store may work in Seattle, but only for a short time before consumers realize they are being taken for a fool by the big bad corporation. Starbucks needs to do what they do well, serve a hot cup of coffee with friendly banter in exchange and customer service that beats any other cafe and rid them of serving breakfast items. They are a coffee shop not a McDonalds. Starbucks is a strong brand name that is recognizable globally and the leading coffee conglomerate in the United States. I propose that Starbucks live up to the superior standards that they set forth in the beginning and continue to offer premium quality coffee under their branded logo. With the unbranding it has been made apparent that Starbucks employees staged sit-ins at local coffee shops in Seattle to â€Å"spy† on the competition (Mitchell, 2009). These sit-ins resulted in one of the unbranded stores looking identical to a bar next door in terms of color scheme and aesthetic design (Mitchell, 2009). Starbucks needs to stop trying to be the competition and regain their momentum as the pack leader by running with the global recognition that they hold benefit over local cafes. By co-branding more products and taking on sponsorship opportunities that feed positivity into the Starbuck brand and reinforce company values, consumers will pay tribute and return with loyalty. We have seen it done with McDonalds and Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 1974, the first Ronald McDonald House opened with the help of Shamrock Shake donations made by a Philadelphia store owner (McDonalds, 2012). If Starbucks would take their Starbucks Foundation and team up with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America to promote youth leadership and strengthening the community (Starbucks, 2012). The success that McDonalds experienced after helping to open the Ronald McDonald House, is the same experience that Starbucks could potentially take advantage of to improve the company image and consumer base. With the increasing interest in social responsibility and the extraordinary amount of devastating events and natural disasters happening, this is an issue that is in Starbucks’ backyard. The urban youth that need guidance and nurturing; their future consumer demographic all wrapped in a nice tiny package waiting to be tapped into.Work CitedBest Instant Coffee (BIC), 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.instantcoffeebrands.net/ Chen, K. Starbucks to Triple Products for GMCR’s Keurig. The Motley Fool, May 9, 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/05/09/starbucks-to-triple-products-for-gmcrs-keurig.aspx Colbert, R. Coffee 2013: Ready for Take Off. Robobank, International Coffee Organization, March 5, 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.ico.org/event_pdfs/seminar-consumption/rabobank-e.pdf Fletcher, A. Sustainable development a business reality, says report. Food Navigator, April 25, 2006. Retrieved from: http://www.foodnavigator.com/Financial-Industry/Sustainable-development-a-business-reality-says-report Goldshein, E. 11 Incredible Facts About The Global Coffee Industry. Business Insider, November 14, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-about-the-coffee-industry-2011-11?op=1 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), 2013. Keurig Brand Partners. Retrieved from: http://www.keurig.com/in-the-news/2010/~/media/files/news%20and%20media%20pdfs/roaster_profiles.ashx McDonalds Corporation, 2012. Ronald McDonald House Charities. Retrieved from: http://www.rmhc.com Mitchell, S. Starbucks Goes Stealth with Unbranded, â€Å"Local† Cafes. Institute for Local Self Reliance, July 22, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www.ilsr.org/starbucks-goes-stealth-unbranded-local-cafes/ Prakash, P. State of the Urban Youth, India 2012. IRIS Knowledge Foundation,2013. Retrieved from: http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=professor_vibhutipatel&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com%2Fscholar%3Fas_ylo%3D2013%26q%3Dyouth%2Band%2Bpolitics%26hl%3Den%26as_sdt%3D0%2C44%26as_vis%3D1#search=%22youth%20politics%22 Sangeetha, K. Starbucks Unbranded Stores: A Move to Regain Former Glory. Amity Research Centers HQ, 2010. Staff Writer. Green Mountain, Dunkin’ team up on single-serve joe. Boston.com, February 22, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2011/02/green_mountain_21.html Starbucks Company, 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.starbucks.com/

K-12 and Higher Education Learning Environments

Learning Management Systems Applications Today. Emerging technologies, including distributed learning management systems, portals that connect a variety of resources (admissions, library access, advising, and technical support) under one user-friendly gateway, and electronic databases that store and merge information resources, are capable of providing the infrastructure for the redesign and integration necessary (Granger & Bowman, 2003). While only slightly more than 14 percent of the technology administrators who responded to the annual Campus Computing Survey report using course management software, more than half (58 percent) have already established standards for these types of applications (Anderson & Moore, 2003). Many of the educational initiatives in recent years have focused on improving the delivery of services by incorporating learning platforms that focus on the K-12 and higher education learning environments, such as WebCT or Blackboard. To determine how these learning platforms are being used today and for what learners, this paper will provide an overview of the features of learning management systems (LMS) that have assumed increasing importance for a wide range of corporate and government-sponsored learning environments. A comparison and evaluation of these platforms and their applicability to the different learning environments is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion. Background and Overview. In their book, Handbook of Distance Education Technology, Anderson and Moore (2003) suggest that it just makes good sense to use the technological innovations that have emerged in recent years to improve the delivery of educational services at all levels, including grades K-12 and beyond. â€Å"Technology, as an enabler of distributed resources,† they say, â€Å"furthers the practice of a systems approach requiring integration across the organization to maximize new capabilities† (p. 175). For instance, Granger and Bowman (2003) point out that learning management systems (LMS) successfully integrate the specific functions and services that students require in order to achieve academic success today; these functions and services include: 1. Access to courses, learning materials, and instructors; 2. Advising and tutorial assistance; 4. Interactions with other learners. A wide range of enterprises have recognized the advantages inherent in Internet-based learning management systems, including the military and various industries in general and educational institutions in particular; for example, the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning's entire recent focus has been on integrating an LMS approach to their distance learning initiatives (Westfall, 2003). For example, according to the DOD Implementation Plan for ADL, â€Å"ADL is an evolution of distributed learning (distance learning) that emphasizes collaboration on standards-based versions of reusable objects, networks, and learning management systems, yet may include some legacy methods and media† (Westfall, 2003, p. 635). To date, some educational institutions have elected to develop and deploy in-house versions of learning management systems while others have found that off-the-shelf versions satisfy their requirements; CourseInfo by Blackboard and SemesterBook, developed by Louisiana State University's division of computing services, both of which provide a navigational framework for content and communication with instructors (Lynch, 2002). Other popular versions are WebCT (this is a delivery platform for both Internet-based and traditionally structured courses), Intralearn and WBT Systems' TopClass (Myers & White, 2001). CourseInfo by Blackboard, though, was shown to be the superior product when compared with other leading programs in a study with the former two across all measures examined, including ease of use by educators and study and total number of tasks accomplished (Jonassen, 2004). A previous study by Halloran (2000) conducted for the U. S. Air Force Academy also found Blackboard's CourseInfo the superior application for adult learners. Likewise, Myers and White conducted a study of the efficacy of WebCT and found that although educators were for the most part receptive to the program, there were some serious constraints involved in terms of the time required for adequate planning, which was identified as the issue of highest concern for those delivering instruction using this product. Faculty found that incorporating such technology required extensive time to learn the program, convert and upload course data, and provide student training to use the Website. Time was also necessary to monitor and update existing information† (Myers & White, 2001, p. 95). The authors also point out that these educators found that additional time was al,so required at the beginning of each course to bring the students back up to speed concerning the process of entering and navigating the site (Myers & White, 2001). According to Anderson and Moore (2003), many of the most popular LMS applications share many of the same useful features that make them particularly useful for course management; commercial course application software such as Blackboard CourseInfo, Learning Tree, Virtual-U, and WebCT were found to help support organized course content by providing multiple perspectives on issues; archiving data automatically; incorporating the instructional strategies of modeling and scaffolding, and encourage participation, dynamic engagement, and peer feedback when faculty members incorporate these features into instructional design and delivery. These authors caution, though, that, â€Å"Unwary novices, however, may follow the somewhat linear structure of the course content features of these courseware tools† (p. 450). The research showed that recent innovations in learning management systems holds the promise of integrating structures that were previously disconnected as well as providing the ability to customize learning environments on a scope never before possible. These innovations will serve to provide all students with improved opportunities to achieve academic and professional success; they can also be reasonably expected to increase learning productivity (Lynch, 2002). The research also showed that innovative learning management strategies can help achieve the goal of helping young and adult learners regardless of whether they are distance learners or participating in a campus-based curriculum; however, even the best learning management strategies, including those with the best possible content that is precisely matched to the right business or educational objectives, will likely fail if it is poorly implemented and administered. According to Carlivati (2002), this is particularly true of learning management systems that are targeted at more sophisticated and educated adult learners. Corporate e-learning,† he says, â€Å"introduces a whole new set of change-management variables that were never of concern before, as many early adopters have discovered. These new variables range from the obvious (e. g. , introducing technology to the learning process) to the subtle (e. g. , motivating students to begin and continue an independent learning experience)† (p. 50). Young and adult learners alike were shown to be amenable to these emerging learning structures, and it is likely that additional and improved applications will be identified as these initiatives become more commonplace in the future. K-12 and Higher Education Learning Environments Learning Management Systems Applications Today. Emerging technologies, including distributed learning management systems, portals that connect a variety of resources (admissions, library access, advising, and technical support) under one user-friendly gateway, and electronic databases that store and merge information resources, are capable of providing the infrastructure for the redesign and integration necessary (Granger & Bowman, 2003). While only slightly more than 14 percent of the technology administrators who responded to the annual Campus Computing Survey report using course management software, more than half (58 percent) have already established standards for these types of applications (Anderson & Moore, 2003). Many of the educational initiatives in recent years have focused on improving the delivery of services by incorporating learning platforms that focus on the K-12 and higher education learning environments, such as WebCT or Blackboard. To determine how these learning platforms are being used today and for what learners, this paper will provide an overview of the features of learning management systems (LMS) that have assumed increasing importance for a wide range of corporate and government-sponsored learning environments. A comparison and evaluation of these platforms and their applicability to the different learning environments is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion. Background and Overview. In their book, Handbook of Distance Education Technology, Anderson and Moore (2003) suggest that it just makes good sense to use the technological innovations that have emerged in recent years to improve the delivery of educational services at all levels, including grades K-12 and beyond. â€Å"Technology, as an enabler of distributed resources,† they say, â€Å"furthers the practice of a systems approach requiring integration across the organization to maximize new capabilities† (p. 175). For instance, Granger and Bowman (2003) point out that learning management systems (LMS) successfully integrate the specific functions and services that students require in order to achieve academic success today; these functions and services include: 1. Access to courses, learning materials, and instructors; 2. Advising and tutorial assistance; 4. Interactions with other learners. A wide range of enterprises have recognized the advantages inherent in Internet-based learning management systems, including the military and various industries in general and educational institutions in particular; for example, the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning's entire recent focus has been on integrating an LMS approach to their distance learning initiatives (Westfall, 2003). For example, according to the DOD Implementation Plan for ADL, â€Å"ADL is an evolution of distributed learning (distance learning) that emphasizes collaboration on standards-based versions of reusable objects, networks, and learning management systems, yet may include some legacy methods and media† (Westfall, 2003, p. 635). To date, some educational institutions have elected to develop and deploy in-house versions of learning management systems while others have found that off-the-shelf versions satisfy their requirements; CourseInfo by Blackboard and SemesterBook, developed by Louisiana State University's division of computing services, both of which provide a navigational framework for content and communication with instructors (Lynch, 2002). Other popular versions are WebCT (this is a delivery platform for both Internet-based and traditionally structured courses), Intralearn and WBT Systems' TopClass (Myers & White, 2001). CourseInfo by Blackboard, though, was shown to be the superior product when compared with other leading programs in a study with the former two across all measures examined, including ease of use by educators and study and total number of tasks accomplished (Jonassen, 2004). A previous study by Halloran (2000) conducted for the U. S. Air Force Academy also found Blackboard's CourseInfo the superior application for adult learners. Likewise, Myers and White conducted a study of the efficacy of WebCT and found that although educators were for the most part receptive to the program, there were some serious constraints involved in terms of the time required for adequate planning, which was identified as the issue of highest concern for those delivering instruction using this product. Faculty found that incorporating such technology required extensive time to learn the program, convert and upload course data, and provide student training to use the Website. Time was also necessary to monitor and update existing information† (Myers & White, 2001, p. 95). The authors also point out that these educators found that additional time was al,so required at the beginning of each course to bring the students back up to speed concerning the process of entering and navigating the site (Myers & White, 2001). According to Anderson and Moore (2003), many of the most popular LMS applications share many of the same useful features that make them particularly useful for course management; commercial course application software such as Blackboard CourseInfo, Learning Tree, Virtual-U, and WebCT were found to help support organized course content by providing multiple perspectives on issues; archiving data automatically; incorporating the instructional strategies of modeling and scaffolding, and encourage participation, dynamic engagement, and peer feedback when faculty members incorporate these features into instructional design and delivery. These authors caution, though, that, â€Å"Unwary novices, however, may follow the somewhat linear structure of the course content features of these courseware tools† (p. 450). The research showed that recent innovations in learning management systems holds the promise of integrating structures that were previously disconnected as well as providing the ability to customize learning environments on a scope never before possible. These innovations will serve to provide all students with improved opportunities to achieve academic and professional success; they can also be reasonably expected to increase learning productivity (Lynch, 2002). The research also showed that innovative learning management strategies can help achieve the goal of helping young and adult learners regardless of whether they are distance learners or participating in a campus-based curriculum; however, even the best learning management strategies, including those with the best possible content that is precisely matched to the right business or educational objectives, will likely fail if it is poorly implemented and administered. According to Carlivati (2002), this is particularly true of learning management systems that are targeted at more sophisticated and educated adult learners. Corporate e-learning,† he says, â€Å"introduces a whole new set of change-management variables that were never of concern before, as many early adopters have discovered. These new variables range from the obvious (e. g. , introducing technology to the learning process) to the subtle (e. g. , motivating students to begin and continue an independent learning experience)† (p. 50). Young and adult learners alike were shown to be amenable to these emerging learning structures, and it is likely that additional and improved applications will be identified as these initiatives become more commonplace in the future.

Communicable Disease Paper Essay

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. Acute HBV is less than six months and ones immune system is able to fight and clear the infection. Chronic HBV lasts longer than six months and ones immune system is unable to fight the infection leading to liver failure, cancer or cirrhosis. Occasionally chronic HBV can go undetected for years due to a person being asymptomatic (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Mode of Transmission In highly infected areas of the world, HBV is most commonly spread from mom to baby at birth or from person to person in early childhood (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). The HBV is also spread via parenteral contact with infected blood or blood products, sharing of or accidental needle sticks and having unprotected sex with one who’s blood, saliva, semen or vaginal secretions are infected and enter your body (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Signs and Symptoms Signs and symptoms of HBV may never appear or appear over a two to six month period. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness and fatigue and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and or sclera) (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Complications Having chronic HBV can lead to serious life threatening complications such as, cirrhosis, liver cancer, failure, hepatitis D infection or kidney failure. Liver cirrhosis occurs when HBV has caused inflammation to liver leading to scaring and formation of fibrotic cell tissue that blocks hepatic blood flow and cell function. This in turn results in overgrowth of new cells attempting to regenerate causing decreased liver function Liver cancer and failure can occur if a patient has cirrhosis due to being a risk factor (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Treatment Treatment of HBV is supportive. Care focuses on nutrition, hydration and comfort (WHO, 2013). For those who have been infected with acute HBV, may not even need treatment but only management of symptoms. Those infected with chronic HBV may need more invasive treatments such as, antiviral medications or need a liver transplant (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Antiviral medications are used to slow and fight the virus from destructing the liver. Liver transplants are an option if a patient has end-stage liver disease where traditional treatments have not worked and are a qualified candidate (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Demogrphics Approximately 60,000 people die every year from HBV (WHO, 2013). There are about 200 billion people living around the world with HBV with an estimated 1. 2 million living in the United States (CDC, 2013). In 2011 the United States was estimated to have 18,800 actual new cases of the HBV (CDC, 2013). Those who are at greatest risk for developing HBV are Asian and Pacific Islanders, African Americans, gay and bisexual individuals, those who have multiple sex partners and do not practice safe sex or are intravenous drug users. Gay and bisexual men make up 20% of new HBV cases and 50% Asian and Pacific Islanders are living with HBV (CDC, 2013). Most Asian and Pacific Islanders were infected with HBV as infants or children and 1 in 12 are living with it and are not even aware. Determinants of Health Environmental factors such as living conditions, social networks and social support systems are all key drivers for one becoming infected with the HBV. For example, a homeless person who has a poor health status, is uninsured, unemployed and has a lack of education is more likely to be diagnosed with HBV. Also certain races are more likely to be infected with the HBV, as stated above, Asian and Pacific Islanders make up 50% of the population living with HBV (CDC, 2013). In addition there is a lack of resources available to protect, improve and maintain one health due to the cost and lack of good health services to individuals with low socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, focus needs to be made on improving access to care as well as treating the environmental and social factors of health. Epidemiologic Triangle The epidemiologic triangle is used to analyze the natural history of a disease. It asses the agent â€Å"what†, host â€Å"who† and environment â€Å"where† (Maurer and Smith, 2013). The biological agent for hepatitis B is a virus. The host’s demographics can range from infancy into adulthood and any race is susceptible to the virus. The body’s defenses are more likely to fight off acute than chronic HBV. A person’s behavior as well plays a large role in one becoming infected. Those who are intravenous drug users or have a history of multiple sex partners are my susceptible to developing HBV. Environmental factors based on social and economic considerations could be direct person-to-person contact of bodily fluids via kissing or sexual intercourse or receiving contaminated blood products from infected individuals. Within the workplace, an individual could accidently prick himself or herself with a contaminated needle increasing their chances of becoming infected. Role of Community Health Nurse It is important for the community health nurse to educate and promote prevention of HBV. Teaching risk reduction interventions and strategies such as not having unprotected sex and using condoms can help prevent transmission of hepatitis B. For those who have already become infected with the HBV it’s important to provide timely referrals for sexual health related services to further prevent others from becoming infected. Making the hepatitis vaccinations more accessible and available is an effective way to prevent hepatitis B. Educating health and human service providers about hepatitis B promotes quality of care and awareness as well as reduces chances of transmission. Ensuring adequate resources are available (state and local surveillance) to accurately monitor disease trends, transmission and how effective treatment is can improve and ensure correct data collection. It’s also important that the nurse refers patients to accessible care and treatment facilities so that compliance can be obtained and the rate of transmission, morbidity and mortality can be reduced. National Organization The World Hepatitis Alliance is a non-profit international umbrella non-governmental organization that represents every region of the world with viral hepatitis. They raise awareness, reduce the stigma associated with viral hepatitis, work with the WHO and provide preventive care as well as support and access to treatment. Their goal is eradication of HBV and HCV. They plan on achieving this goal by having more countries with a complete hepatitis strategy in place, regional patient organizations in all WHO regions, on going support for global hepatitis groups, acceptance at a global level of HBV and HCV, increased alliance and a more diversified funding base for the alliance. Conclusion There are two billion people worldwide that are infected with HBV and more than 350 million are infected with chronic liver infections, which increases their risk of death significantly (Maurer and Smith, 2013). Fortunately, there is a vaccine for hepatitis B but it has not become easily accessible to those in developing countries. This is a virus that can be prevented if individuals are being educating on the causes and risks as well as ways to protect themselves. It is up to us healthcare providers to spread awareness and makes our patients more knowledgeable about the types of communicable disease in our world so that they can make healthy choices.

Lather and Nothing Else (Short Story) by: Tellez Essay

Q: What is the possible message of Tellez’s story? Explain In the short story â€Å"Lather and Nothing Else†, the possible message of the story would be how our roles determine our actions. In society today the work we do, the responsibilities we have and the work or decisions we choose to do is what would determined our actions. In the short story theres two main facts proving that our roles do determine our actions. Firstly, when Captain Torres talks about killing the revolutionaries subject proves how he once killed those specific people because of his job and that is what he is known for: â€Å"some of them we brought back dead; others are still alive. but they’ll be all dead.† not one will escape; not a single one (Tellez 35)†. These comments proves and explains how Torres is really eager to kill everyone. This shows Torres’s role how he acts like a dictator and kill the revolutionaries. His action were chosen for him and that were to kill the revolutionaries. Secondly, the part when the barber talks to himself and convinces himself that he has to do his job no matter what: â€Å"I would gave to shave his beard just like any other, carefully, neatly, just as though he were a good customer, talking heed that not a single pore should emit a drop of blood (Tellez 36)†. This part shows how the barber’s role is to shave the beard without any choice, because that is his job and this is what he is known for. His actions is chosen for him too because of his profession. These situations shows our profession determines our actions, our decisions and our actions will determine our work. Whether it is a future that we would enjoy or a future we will not enjoy.

Mobile Voting System Essay

The proper execution of democratic rights has become linked to the availability and reliable functioning of advanced information and communication technology (ICT). Countries all over the world are implementing computerized voting system for it has some striking advantages over traditional paper voting. Designing an air-tight and reliable computerized voting system is therefore a great task, in that, the system that must be developed must protect the privacy of the voters and electoral candidates, be easily understood and used by the entire voting populace – no matter who they are or where they come from. This project MOBILE VOTING SYSTEM is designed to allow users spontaneously vote on issues with any of the most widely used PDA technologies ( e.g. GSM, laptops, iPad, iPhone etc.) with ease and as much security as possible. Chapter One: Introduction Introduction Elections are understood to be the key of democracy all over the globe and voting is one of the electoral routes that ensure the continuity of democratic system in any civilization. Voting is a formalized way of allowing the general public or a group of people make their choice on administration matters in a free a fair manner. However, voters now lose confidence in the voting process due to fact that election rigging and riots is graduating and assuming a dangerous dimension. Most people now believe that even when they are given the chance to participate in the ongoing election process, their leaders will still be chosen through selection and not the results of the election, others concluded that paper ballots simply couldn’t be counted, even though businesses, banks, lottery systems, and other entities in our society count and deal with paper all the time. Times are changing. We now live in the Internet era, where decisions can be made quickly enough, and there is a perception that anyone who does not jump on the technology bandwagon is going to be left far behind. Businesses are moving online at astonishing speed. The growth of online interaction and presence can be witnessed by the exponential increase in the number of  people with home computers and Internet access. Despite the natural eagerness to treat our election process as the precious, delicate and fragile process that it is, the question of using the new advances in technology to improve our elections is natural. Adding mobility to the voting system (i.e. ability to vote anywhere at any time) is another added strategy to the growth of our voting system. Statistics has proven that more than  ¾ of the world’s population has at least one of the common PDAs. Ability to vote on phones will boost our voting system to a large extent. Statement of Problem There are various factors responsible for flaws in the traditional paper voting system. Chief among the factors include Incompetency on the part of the electoral commission to act as an umpire in the electoral process Do-or-Die syndrome of the contending parties to capture political power by all means Numerous incidence of violence/riots Hoarding of the electoral box by a contending party Low turnout of voters as compared to the number of registered voters; this issue could be attributed to the lack of mobility in the electoral process. Lack of trust in the electoral process by voters due to historical mishaps of insecurity. Objectives Any alternative to the traditional ballot box voting must not compromise the fundamental rights of citizens to express their free political will without any technological, psychological or any other restriction or bias. Mobile voting system provides the following set of objectives: To provide a security tight voting system. To provide a voting system that has compatibility with as many mobile PDAs as possible. To encourage participation in the balloting process by many voters who are currently discouraged by the time and inconvenience of having to attend at a physical location. Significance of the Problem Mobile voting system when implemented will be of great benefit to humanity since in one way or the other, democratic election is part of human lives. It would make obsolete the need for ballot boxes and papers, because the system would simulate these, it provides options to conduct voting in a centralized and decentralized manner, time management, reduced total cost of the election, ability to vote anywhere and anytime thereby increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the voting system. Though, the initial cost of developing Computerized Mobile Voting Systems would be high but the long run effects would be that election costs, processes and time would drastically reduce. In essence, the benefits from the implantation of this project can never be overemphasized. Chapter Two: Literature Review Introduction: This chapter includes a critical look at the existing research and case studies that have significance with this research project. It has been done by consulting other people’s work in order to understand and investigate the problem of the research project. In conducting literature review, scholarly articles, books and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research or theory has been surveyed. After reviewing all materials, a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work is granted. The automation of business and governmental processes has long been a success story in many countries. As the use of mobile phones for voice and data communication increase, users continue to demand for more services to be offered by mobile phones due to the comfort they present. Recently a number of governments have employed e-voting systems in some of their elections and referendums using mostly computer terminals and a few with mobile voting systems. Theoretical background This project is a Web application to be developed with the major web technologies having: Database Design, Queries and Connectivity (PHP and My  SQL) User End Design (HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT) Server Testing (XAMP/WAMP SERVER) Testing (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) is the predominant markup language for web pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document by denoting certain text as links, headings, paragraphs, lists, among others and to supplement that text with interactive forms, embedded images, and other objects. HTML is written in the form of tags, surrounded by angle brackets. The following is an example of an HTML code fragment that assign a title to this web application: Mobile Voting System  is the start tag. is the corresponding end tag and â€Å"Mobile Voting System† is the content of the element. Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) defines how HTML elements are to be displayed. It is a collection of styling rules. Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP ) is an open source server side programming language extensively used for web scripts. It is a popular server-side scripting language designed specifically for integration with HTML, and is used often in conjunction with MySQL in web applications. It is available on many platforms, including Windows, Linux and Mac OS. the following is an example of a php script that MySQL: an open source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) that uses Structured Query Language (SQL), the most popular language for accessing, querying a database. Because it is open source, anyone can download MySQL and tailor it to their needs in accordance with general public license. WampServer/Apache Server : WampServer is a free server bundle that uses Apache server. When installed on the system, it includes Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Apache is a popular web server that many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and individuals use to host web pages. I installed Apache as a web server on the system. Created web pages are stored in the system’s special  folder, www directory in the local disk, in order for pages to be viewed. Review of Related Literature Mobile voting combines technology with the democratic process, in order to make voting more efficient and convenient for voters. Mobile voting allows voters to either vote by computer and any Personal Digital Assistance (PDAs) either from their homes or at the polling station. Brazil is a world leader in electronic elections, having conducted them since 1990. The elections in October 1998, was one of the largest electronic elections in history, with over sixty million voters casting ballots by computer for local and national candidates. 57 percent of the voting population – voted electronically in elections for local, state and 30national offices.

Healthcare Administration Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare Administration - Term Paper Example The interaction of patients with the physicians and the hospital setting builds a favorable ground upon which patients can access quality care and be taken care of by the physicians. The interaction between the parties involved seeks to promote the welfare of all of them. Hospitals are designed to provide care to patients in order to promote their health and wellbeing. Health care facilities raise their welfare by achieving the purpose for which they were established. On the other hand, physicians have a duty to ensure that patients are provided with quality care whenever they need it. Patients have the right to access health care services and quality care from physicians in hospitals and other health care facilities. Fostering healthy relationships between patients, physicians, and hospitals enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of providing health care services (Ebrahim & Anken, 2008). Contract Principle and Breach of Warranty in the Health Care Setting The health care setting is made up of numerous stakeholders, namely: patients, physicians, healthcare facility administrators, regulatory agencies, insurers, and the government among others. These stakeholders interact on differentiated grounds and for variant reasons. However, the common denominator is that one of these stakeholders can enter into a contract with another. Warranties are also operational in the health care setting, especially in patient-physician interaction. Government sponsored health care programs constitute contracts between health care facilities and the government through the relevant programs run by the government in that line. On the same note, patients can enter into contracts with insurers to secure insurance coverage. Over and above this, patients and physicians can engage in contractual relationships relative to provision of care. On the other hand, warranties in the health care setting encompass any assurances made by one party to another, whose breach results in remedial consequences (Afo, Thomason & Karel, 2006). Remedies are only sought after the warranty between two or more parties has been breached. Elements of Proving Negligence The four elements of proof necessary for a plaintiff to prove negligence include duty of care, breach of duty, injury, and proximate cause (Cassels & Janovsky, 2001). Health care providers are charged with a duty to care for the patient(s) based on an established relationship between the patient and the care provider. However, the heath care provider is not liable for any person who is not regarded as a patient in the capacity of the provider. The provider is expected to act in full capacity in ensuring that the patient’s care needs are met, failure to whic h negligence may result. Breach of duty is realized when the care provider fails to meet predetermined care standards or even deviates from a commonly known competent professionalism. This malpractice is in most cases realized from hazards and /or risks associated with a given medical procedure. To avoid this malpractice, care providers often ensure that they make use of informed consents before performing medical procedures that are highly likely to result in breach of duty. Failure to undertake care duty towards a patient by a care provider could also result in negligence. Injury that results from a medical malpractice

A critical evaluation of the role of Budgetting Essay

A critical evaluation of the role of Budgetting - Essay Example results in nothing more than dysfunctional behaviour has initially been proposed by Hope and Fraser (2003) as part of the Beyond Budgeting Round Table (BBRT). This report is a review of relevance of budgeting in contemporary business contexts and an attempt to suggest which one among ‘better budgeting’ or ‘beyond budgeting’ will be effective to the CFO of Halfords Group plc. This report is prepared to submit to the CFO as he asked me to review literatures and prepare a report based on ‘budgeting- lost relevance’ after he participated in a conference that made him concerned about the matter. In finance and accounting, budgeting is a formal plan expressed in monetary terms and is prepared in a current financial year to provide managers and other stakeholders with an estimate of the anticipated costs and revenues for the next financial year (Chandra, Menon and Mishra, 2007, p. 264). Traditionally, budgets served a number of useful purposes such as 1) planning annual business operations, 2) coordinating various activities in the organisation, 3) communicating these plans to various responsibility managers or departments, 4) motivating managers to achieve desired organisational goal, 5) controlling all activities in the firm and 6) evaluating managers’ performance (Drury, 2006, p. 426). Because of that budgeting looks both forward and backward, it identifies resources that the company is likely to generate and the need in its near future to serve as a measure of current and past performance of department and individual managers (Fabozzi and Drake, 2009, p. 334). Why budgeting has been traditionally considered as an effective strategic tool for management accounting was that it was nothing but a plan relating to future and it helped management take various critical decisions pertaining to strategic planning, budgetary planning and operational planning (Walker, 2006, p. 305). Budgeting has also played a very significant role in strategic and operational