Client privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Client privacy - Essay Example 3 (aspe.hhs.gov ). Among the responsibilities of this agency according HIPAA Privacy rules are (CFR Â § 164.504, qtd. from cdc.gov, 2003): inform individuals about their privacy rights and how their PHI is used or disclosed; adopt and implement internal privacy policies and procedures; It is then but appropriate to come up with policies that must be strictly followed by the staff of the organization, especially the social workers. Social workers must adhere to their Code of Ethics as well as national and state policies that protect the confidentiality of patient’s records –electronic or printed. For this matter, this paper presents a guideline on sending by electronic transmission health information. In this digital age, agencies can efficiently transmit information by using technology such as electronic mail. Medical health professionals can exchange information about patients by sending images or copies of health information via e-mail. However, guidelines must be es tablished to prevent any abuse that could result to violation of privacy of patient’s records. This is the sample guideline for e-mail transmission of health information: 1.

Control Over Prices Essay Example for Free

Control Over Prices Essay The degree of control over prices which the companies may exercise varies widely with the competitive situation in which they operate. Sellers operating under conditions of pure competition do not have any control over the prices they receive. A monopolist, on the other hand, may fix prices according to his discretion. Sellers operating under imperfect competition may have some pricing discretion. The marketer, therefore, needs to know the degree of pricing discretion enjoyed by him. Wal-Mart is selling varieties of items and one of these is Toys. It has got a good percentage of customers in the market but other competitors have also have their own share and Toys R Us is quite close to it. Both the companies have their own approach of pricing the toys in the market. The approach is whether WalMart should use the loss leader pricing policy to stay comfortable in the market. Perfect competition is said to exist when (i) there are a large number of buyers and sellers, (ii) each purchasing and selling such a small quantity that their withdrawal from the market will not affect the total demand and supply, (iii) the products sold by sellers are homogeneous in nature. Prices under perfect competition are determined by the forces of supply and demand. Prices will be fixed at a point where supply and demand are at equilibrium. In pure competition, all that the individual seller can do is to accept the price prevailing in the market, i.e. the company is in the position of a Price Taker. If it wants to charge a higher price, buyers will purchase from other sellers. And it need not charge less since it can sell its supply at the going market price. Under monopoly, a single producer has complete control of the entire supply of a certain product.   The main features of monopoly are (i) there is only one seller of a particular good or service and (ii) rivalry from the producers of substitutes is so remote that it is almost insignificant. As a result, the monopolist is in a position to set the price himself. Thus, it is in the position of a Price Setter. Even in the case of monopoly, there are limits to the extent to which it can increase its prices. Much depends on the elasticity of demand for the product. This, in turn, depends on the extent of availability of substitutes for the product. In most cases, there is rather an infinite series of closely competing substitutes. Bigger organizations must take into account potential competition by alternative services. The closer the substitute and greater the elasticity of the demand for a monopolist’s product, the less it can raise its price without frightening away its customers. Monopolies are constantly tending the break down due to many reasons: (i)shifts in consumer demand, (ii) continuous process of innovations and technological developments leading to development of substitutes, (iii) lack of stimulus to efficiency provided by competition, (iv)entry of new competitors.   Loss leader pricing policy of Wal-Mart It is a type of strategy applied by the company where the item is sold below the cost price in an effort to balance other profit sales. It is just another way of promoting sales of the products which are slow moving or to counterbalance some other competitive firm. It is the market situation characterized by a few sellers each having an appreciable share in the total output of the commodity. In each of these industries, each seller knows his competitors individually in each market. Each company realizes that any change in his price and advertising policy may lead rivals to change their policies. Hence, Wal-Mart may consider the possible reactions of the other firms to its own policies. The smaller the number of firms, the more interdependent are their policies. In such cases, there is a strong tendency towards close collaboration in policy determination both in regard to production and prices. Such type of   industries are usually characterized by what is known as price leadership—a situation where firms fix their prices in a manner dependent upon the price charged by one of the firms in the industry,i.e.,Toys R Us, called the price leader. The price leader has lower costs and adequate financial resources, a substantial share of the market and a reputation for sound pricing decisions. Price leaders with the strongest position in the market may often increase their prices with the hope that competitors will follow suit. Price followers may also delay raising their prices in the hope of snatching a part of the market share away from the leader. Monopolistic competition is a market situation, in which there are many sellers of a particular product, but the product of each seller is in some way differentiated in the minds of consumers from the product of every other seller. None of the sellers is in a position to control a major part of the total supply of the commodity but every seller so differentiates his portion of the supply from the portions sold by others, that buyers hesitate to shift their purchases from his product to that of another in response to price differences. At times, one manufacturer may differentiate his own products. Wal-Mart sells toys of many brands. This differentiation of product by each manufacturer by giving it a brand name gives him some amount of monopoly if he is able to create goodwill for his product and he may be able to charge higher prices thereof to some extent. Still, his product will have to compete with similar products of other manufacturers which puts a limit on his pricing discretion. If he charges too high a price, consumers may shift their loyalty to other competing suppliers. One can find it out by going to the market, as a large number of toys are subject to a large degree of product differentiation as a means of attracting customer. As long as a consumer has an impression that a particular product brand is different and superior to others, he will be willing to pay more for that brand than for any other brand of the same commodity. The differences real or illusory may be built up in his mind by (a)   advertising, and (b) his own experience and observation. The producer gains and retains his customers by (a) competitive advertising and sales promotion, (b) the use of brand names quite as much as by (c) price competition. Product differentiation is more typical of the present day economic system, than either pure competition or monopoly. And, in most cases, a firm has to face monopolistic competition. It tries to maintain its position and promotes its sales by either (i) changing its price and indulging in price competition, or (ii) intensifying the differentiation of its product, and (iii) increasing its advertisement and sales promotion efforts. Instead of the cost, the emphasis here is on the market. The firm adjusts it own price policy to the general pricing structure in the industry. Where costs are particularly difficult to measure, this may seem to be the logical first step in a rational pricing policy. Many cases of this type are situations of price leadership. Where price leadership is well established, charging according to what competitors are charging may be the only safe policy. Normal pricing is not quite the same as accepting a price impersonally set by a near perfect market. Rather it would seem that the firm has some power to set its own price and could be a price maker if it chooses to face all the consequences. It prefers, however, to take the safe course and conform to the policy of others. Prices of certain goods become more or less fixed, not by deliberate action on the sellers’ part but as a result of their having prevailed for a considerable period of time. For such goods, changes in costs are usually reflected in changes in quality or quantity. Only when the costs change significantly the customary prices of these goods are changed. Customary prices may be maintained even when products are changed. For example, the new model of toy may be priced at the same level as the discontinued model. This is usually so even in the face of lower costs. A lower price may cause an adverse reaction on the competitors leading to a price war so also on the consumers who may think that the quality of the new model is inferior. Perhaps, going along with the old price is the easiest thing to do. Whatever be the reasons, the maintenance of existing prices as long as possible is a factor in the pricing of many products. If a change in prices is intended, Wal-Mart must study the pricing policies and practices of competing firms and the behavior and emotional make-up of his opposite number in those firms. References Philip Kotler (2002) Marketing Management, Prentice-Hall, New York Beaumont, P.B.,(1999) Pricing Policies and Procedures, Sage Publications, London, . Flippo Edwin B., (1989) Marketing Management, McGraw-Hill, New York Purecell J.,Boxall P.,(2003) Marketing Development, Plagrave, Macmillan, New York.

altropine competitive antagonist of acetylcholine

altropine competitive antagonist of acetylcholine Atropine is a competitive antagonist of acetylcholine which binds to the muscarinic receptor in order to inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system. It causes a reversible blockade of the action of acetylcholine and it can be overcome by increasing the concentration of acetylcholine at receptor sites of the effectors organ (e.g. by using the anticholinesterase agents which inhibit the destruction of acetylcholine). Atropine is an alkaloid or an extremely poisonous drug derived from a plant called atropia belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade. â€Å"Belladonna† is Italian word which means beautiful woman. In the Renaissance, woman used the juice of berries of atropia belladonna to dilate pupils as it was perceived as more attractive. Pharmacological effects Eye -Atropine acts in the eye to block the action of acetylcholine, relaxing the cholinergically innervated sphincter muscles of the iris. This results in dilation of the pupil (mydriasis). The cholinergic stimulation of accommodative ciliary muscle of the lens in the eye is also blocked. This results in paralysis of accommodation (cycloplegia). Besides, the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) occurs when the anterior chamber is narrow. It will further raise IOP in glaucoma patients because it will obstruct evacuation of aqueous humor by the Schlemm channel. Atropine is thus contraindicated in these patients. Another effect of antimuscarinic drugs is to reduce lacrimal secretion which produces dryness in eyes. Atropine has a slower onset and more prolonged effect in eye as maximum mydriatic effect occurs around 30 to 40 minutes and maximum cycloplegia takes several hours. Mydriasis usually lasts 7 to 12 days and cycloplegia may persist for 14 days or longer. Cardiovascular system The vagus (parasympathetic) nerves that innervate the heart release acetylcholine (ACh) as their primary neurotransmitter to slow the heart rate. ACh binds to muscarinic receptors (M2) that are found on cells comprising the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes. Atropine has a potent and prolonged effect on the heart muscle. It inhibits the effect of excessive vagal nerve activation on the heart like sinus bradycardia and AV nodal block (delay in the conduction of electrical impulses at the AV node of the heart) by binding to muscarinic receptors in order to prevent ACh from binding to and activating the receptor. Thus, atropine speeds up the heart rate and increases conduction velocity as it very effectively blocks the effects of parasympathetic nerve activity on the heart. There are little effects on blood pressure since most resistance blood vessels do not have cholinergic innervations. Small doses of atropine used may decrease the heart rate, yet, large doses used definitely causes increasing of the heart rate. Central nervous system Atropine has minimal stimulant effects on the central nervous system, especially medullary centers, and a slower, longer-lasting sedative effect on the brain. Low doses atropine may produce mild restlessness and higher doses may produce agitation and hallucination. With still larger doses, stimulation is followed by depression leading to circulatory collapse and respiratory failure after a period of paralysis and coma. Respiratory tract The parasympathetic nervous system regulate bronchomotor tone and secretionary glands of the airway. Since atropine is an antagonist muscarinic drug, it inhibits the secretion of nose, mouth, pharynx and bronchi, and thus dries the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. And it also relaxes bronchial smooth muscle, producing bronchodilation and decreasing airway resistance. The effect is more important in patients with airway disease like asthma. Gastrointestinal tract Motility and secretions of gastrointestinal tract are declined by atropine. GI smooth muscle motility is affected from the stomach to the colon by decreasing tone, amplitude and frequency of the peristaltic contractions. However, the gastric secretion is only slightly reduced.   Genitourinary tract The antimuscarinic action of atropine relaxes smooth muscle of the ureters and bladder wall in order to decrease the normal tone and amplitude of contractions of the ureters and bladder. Atropine has not significant effect on the uterus. Sweat glands Small doses of atropine inhibit the activity of sweat glands, producing hot and dry on the skin. Sweating may be sufficiently depressed and this will elevate the body temperature if using the larger doses in adult or at high environmental temperatures. For the infant or children who are administered large doses or even ordinary doses may cause â€Å"atropine fever†. Pharmacokinetics Absorption Atropine is rapidly and well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, mucosal membrane, conjunctival membranes, and to some extent through intact skin when given by oral route, solution, ointment or injection route (directly goes into muscle or vein). Pharmacological activity of paranteral administration is 2-3 times greater than enteral route. Distribution Atropine is rapidly cleared from the blood and is distributed throughout the body. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and placenta. Peak plasma concentrations of atropine are reached within 30 minutes. The duration of action of atropine administered by general route would be approximately 4 -6 hours. Metabolism After administration, atropine disappears rapidly from the blood with a half-life of 2 hours. The half-life of atropine is slightly shorter in females than males. Then it is metabolized in the liver by oxidation and conjugation to give inactive metabolites. Excretion The drugs effect on parasympathetic function declines rapidly in all organs except the eye. Effects on the iris and ciliary muscle persist for more than 3 days. About 50% of the dose is excreted within 4 hours and 90% in 24 hours in the urine, about 30 to 50% as unchanged drug. Therapeutic uses As preanaesthetic medicationts Atropine is used to block two effects in particular during anaesthesia, secretions in the respiratory tract in response to the irritating nature of some inhalant anaesthetics, and bradycardia (slowing of the heart) which accompanies most anaesthetics due to the block of muscarinic receptors in the heart. Overall, atropine can reduce the risk of airway obstruction and increase the heart beat when anaesthetic drug is going to be used. Ophthalmological uses Topical atropine is used as a cycloplegic (temporarily paralyze the accommodation) and as a mydriatic (dilate the pupils) for accurate measurement of refractive error in patients. A second use is to prevent synechiae (adhesion) formation in uveitis and iritis. After local administration in the form of ophthalmic solution, the onset of atropine is around 30 minutes and it effects last very long: dilation of pupil can persist several days. Cardiovascular disorders Injection of atropine is used in the treatment of bradycardia (an extremely low heart rate) due to excessive vagal tone on the SA and AV node. It accelerates the cardiac rate by reduction of vagal tone and suppression of reflex bradycardia during arterial hypertension. In addition, atropine is also used primary for sinus node dysfunction (inappropriate atrial rates) and symptomatic second-degree heart block (irregularities in the electrical conduction system of the heart). Respiratory disorders Parenteral atropine can be used as a preoperative medication to suppress bronchiolar secretions when anaesthetics are used. It can be used to treat asthma, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Gastrointestinal disorders Atropine is seldom used to treat pepti-ulcer nowadays. Atropine can provide some relief in the treatment of common travelers diarrhea (irritable bowel movement). It is often combined with an opioid antidiarrheal drug in order to discourage abuse of the opioid agent. Urinary disorders Atropine is used to relieve bladder spasm after urologic surgery and for treating urinary urgency caused by minor inflammatory bladder disorder. Hyperhidrosis It is an excessive and profuse perspiration. Atropine can reduce the secretion of sweat glands by inhibiting the Ach binds to the muscarinic receptors. Cholinergic poisoning By blocking the action of ACh, atropine also can be used as an antidote for organophosphate poisoning caused by inhibition of cholinesterase and nerve gases. The atropine serves as an effective blocking agent for the excess ACh but does nothing to reverse the inhibition of cholinesterase. Troops, who are likely to be attacked with chemical weapons often carry autoinjectiors with atropine and obidoxime which can be quickly injected into the thigh. It is the only known antidote for VX nerve gas. Some of the nerve gases attack and destroy acetycholinesterase (an enzyme hydrolyzes ACh to give choline), so the action of acetylcholine becomes prolonged. Therefore, atropine can be used to depress the effect of ACh. Parkinsons disease Atropine is used to treat the symptom of Parkinson such as drooling sweating rigidity and tremors. However, with the wide array of uses and side effects that atropine has, it has been replaced by several other medicines that are more effectively in treating Parkinsons. Adverse effect Atropine and its possible side effect can affect individual people in various ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with atropine. Not all the patients using this antimuscarinic drug will experience the same effects. These effects are intensified as the dosages are increased. General chest pain, excessive thirst, weakness, dehydration, feeling hot, injection site reaction, fever. Eye dilation pupil, pupil poorly reactive to light, photophobia, blurred vision, decreased accommodation, decreased contrast sensitivity, decreased visual acuity, dry eyes or dry conjunctiva, acute angle closure glaucoma, irritated eyes, allergic conjunctivitis or blepharoconjunctivitis, heterophoria, red eye due to excess blood supply (hyperaemia). Psychiatric hallucination, mental confusion, agitation, restlessness, anxiety, excitement especially in elderly, fatigue. Central nervous system headache, nervousness, dizziness, drowsiness, muscle twitching, abnormal movement, coma, difficult concentrating, insomnia, amnesia, ataxia (loss of the ability to coordinate muscular movement). Cardiovascular tachycardia (increasing in heartbeat), acute myocardial infarction, cardiac dilation, atrial arrhythmias, paradoxical Bradycardia (if low does Atropine used), asystole (absence of heart beat), increased blood pressure or decreased blood pressure. Respiratory slow respiration, breathing difficulty, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure. Gastrointestinal nausea, abdomen pain, vomiting, decreased bowel sounds, decreased food absorption, delayed gastric emptying, reduction of salivary secretions, loss of taste, bloated feeling. Genitourinary urinary retention, urine urgency, bed-wetting, difficult in micturation. Dermatologic dry mucous membrane, dry warm skin, flushed skin, oral lesion, anhidrosis (absence of sweating), dermatitis, rash, hyperthermia (elevated of body temperature) Overdose and Treatment Widespread paralysis of parasympathetically innervated organs can characterize serious over dosage with atropine. Dry mucous membranes, widely dilated and nonresponsive pupils, tachycardia, fever, hallucination and flushed skin are mental and neurological symptoms which may last 48 hours or longer. Severe intoxication, respiratory depression, blood pressure declines, coma, circulatory collapse and death may occur with over dosage of atropine. Overdoses of atropine are generally treated symptomatically by given small doses slowly intravenously of physostigmine (1-4mg in adults and 0.5-1 mg in children). Contraindication Atropine is contraindicated in patients with Known hypersensitivity to the drug Glaucoma, especially angle closure glaucoma Bladder neck obstruction Myasthenia gravis Severe ulcerative colitis Gastric ulcer Abdominal distention with decreased peristalsis and/or intestinal obstruction A history of prostatic hyperplasia Special Consideration Caution in patients with Down Syndrome Used in elderly patients Used during pregnancy or breastfeeding Limited use in newborn infant

Ethical Considerations in Customer Relationship Management Essay

Abstract Due to issues such as managed care contracting, and the financial impact of indigent care, healthcare providers find themselves in competition for patients with adequate health insurance, or the ability to pay cash for services provided to try to maintain fiscal solvency. E-health applications serve not only to advertise the services of a facility, but also to help the health care provider identify potential patients for the services they offer. In this paper I will explore the ethical considerations of Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) applications and services, which are increasingly being utilized to help target potential consumers for health care providers. When inquiring about a health condition on the internet, do internet users give up their expectations for privacy regarding their healthcare information? Although consumers may not expect the information they provide to get into the database of marketing firms, this is often exactly what happens. Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) software firms or service providers are a growing industry. The purpose of CRM software in the healthcare field, is to assist providers in identifying potential customers for a service based on information they have supplied. This information can be provided in a number of ways. In some cases, the consumer has knowingly supplied the information to the actual provider via an inquiry sent from the provider's website. In other cases the provider determines a marketing target based upon mining information in their own database by linking relationships which may help identify a potential need. Yet in another scenario, identification of a potential consu mer is based on information they provided at another website, which was ... ... an Innovative CRM Solution for Health Care Organizations. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from DM Review Web site: http://www.dmreview.com/editorial/newsletter_article.cfm?nl=dmdirect&articleId=1066948&issue=20423 CPM-Solutions. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from CRM Health Portal Web site: http://www.cpm.com/providers/solutions/emarketing.cfm Poulsen, Kevin (2007, May 14). Attorneys General demand that MySpace give up sex offenders. Wired, Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/05/attorneys_gener.html Richards, Johnathan (2007, July 25). Sex offenders can use social sites say police. Times Online, Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2137973.ece WebMD Privacy Policy. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from WebMD.com Web site: http://www.webmd.com/policies/about-privacy-policy#part7c Ethical Considerations in Customer Relationship Management Essay Abstract Due to issues such as managed care contracting, and the financial impact of indigent care, healthcare providers find themselves in competition for patients with adequate health insurance, or the ability to pay cash for services provided to try to maintain fiscal solvency. E-health applications serve not only to advertise the services of a facility, but also to help the health care provider identify potential patients for the services they offer. In this paper I will explore the ethical considerations of Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) applications and services, which are increasingly being utilized to help target potential consumers for health care providers. When inquiring about a health condition on the internet, do internet users give up their expectations for privacy regarding their healthcare information? Although consumers may not expect the information they provide to get into the database of marketing firms, this is often exactly what happens. Consumer Relationship Management (CRM) software firms or service providers are a growing industry. The purpose of CRM software in the healthcare field, is to assist providers in identifying potential customers for a service based on information they have supplied. This information can be provided in a number of ways. In some cases, the consumer has knowingly supplied the information to the actual provider via an inquiry sent from the provider's website. In other cases the provider determines a marketing target based upon mining information in their own database by linking relationships which may help identify a potential need. Yet in another scenario, identification of a potential consu mer is based on information they provided at another website, which was ... ... an Innovative CRM Solution for Health Care Organizations. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from DM Review Web site: http://www.dmreview.com/editorial/newsletter_article.cfm?nl=dmdirect&articleId=1066948&issue=20423 CPM-Solutions. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from CRM Health Portal Web site: http://www.cpm.com/providers/solutions/emarketing.cfm Poulsen, Kevin (2007, May 14). Attorneys General demand that MySpace give up sex offenders. Wired, Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/05/attorneys_gener.html Richards, Johnathan (2007, July 25). Sex offenders can use social sites say police. Times Online, Retrieved July 29, 2007, from http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2137973.ece WebMD Privacy Policy. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from WebMD.com Web site: http://www.webmd.com/policies/about-privacy-policy#part7c

The Globalization of Mcdonald’s

Leading the Global Enterprise System Abstract The organization chosen is McDonald’s. McDonald’s is a multibillion dollar corporation that has concurred the fast food industry around the globe. McDonald’s has grow by expanding into new competitive spaces, attaining a complex mixture of financial knowledge, custom understanding, developing material and knowledge assets, to expand the market possibilities and replicating and standardizing their practices to be duplicated in similar markets across the globe.McDonalds as a western corporation had to make adjustments in the way they think and react to situations and customs. This paper will demonstrate how McDonald’s developed an open-mindness on the part of their leadership. Outline and Annotated Bibliography Globalization A. Introduction 1. The globalization of a multi-billion dollar corporation. 2. This paper will provide a guide through a corporation that addresses its western effect on other nations through food. B. Points of discussion 1. Anti-globalization movement against the west. . There are several reasons why leadership fails to support the organization and its goals. 3. Increasing performance through deep change. 4. The Five stage approach competency model. C. Conclusions 1. Lack of leadership coupled with cultural sensitivity can provide success or failure. 2. Further research into developing leadership styles that would support and enhance the service provided in other non western nations. Introduction McDonald’s a multi-billion dollar corporation that utilizes local employees in each community.The mega giant has developed a tier of progression of success as it has an on going development of a component of the corporation’s strategic plan to educate their managers and line level employees. This occurs by developing a nurturing and ever developing environment for its staff. As such, McDonald’s has demonstrated its dedication throughout its globalization a cross the street and around the world through the development of a university designed to teach the managers how to lead. The Hamburger University is designed to teach basic management skills with an emphasis on consumer’s behavior and leadership skills.The university also focuses on restaurant specific skills to operate a specific restaurant in a particular geographic location. The utilization of the university has lead to the development of a global leadership program. In turn it has strengthened the management staff that supports its line workers in an achievement –oriented environment. The employees can meet with their managers to be challenged and empowered to find the solutions. This paper will address the techniques and measured outcomes of the globalization of the multi-billion Dollar Corporation and how it develops the staff through the leadership and training it provides.Culture (from the Latin cultural stemming from colere, meaning â€Å"to cultivate† )[1] generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures can be â€Å"understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another†[2] Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation.Culture has been called â€Å"the way of life for an entire society. â€Å"[3] As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art. (Wikipedia, 2008)) Cultural diversity is explaining the differences between people, such as language, the way they dress and traditions and the way societies organize themselves, their conception of morality and religion, and the way they interact with the environment. (Wikipedia, 2008) Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures.Cultural competence comprises four components: (a) Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) cross-cultural Skills. Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Globalization Globalization is defined as the process of social, political, economic, cultural, and technological integration among countries around the world. (Hodgetts, Luthans, Doh) This process has occurred in almost every nation across the globe.Globalization has influenced international interaction of various cultures in order to exchange and educated other parts of the world. This process is designed to trade the culture’s services, ideas and products. Moreover, the enc ouragement of globalization has a significant impact on the political and economic involvement throughout the world. A major influence of globalization is food. Styles of foods are easily globalized throughout the world as each of us is made up of some sort of hybrid of a different culture. It is not uncommon for a grandmother to make a dish from the â€Å"old country† during a festive holiday.The consumption and preparation of the dish in its original ethnic form is what allows the globalization to continue throughout the generations. If changes occur to the originality of the food its cultural beliefs are somewhat diminished. McDonald’s a multi-billion dollar mega corporation decided to go global with the westernized fast food industry into foreign countries. This transformation bought one of the US most beloved foods to other geographical locations and impacted a generation. Most cultures infrequently accepted such a new concept of a food so its introduction was unf amiliar and extremely different.McDonald’s was the first corporation to introduce new eating habits and changes to other nations. As the introduction occurred throughout the world Catherine Schnaubelt wrote in her study that â€Å"McDonald’s has over 1. 5 million franchises in the United States and about half of the total franchises are outside the U. S. in over 120 countries. † As a result of the widespread introduction of McDonald’s the company has demonstrated its willingness to conform to the local culture by the pervasive enhances rather than contaminate its culture.As a result of these enhances McDonald’s has permitted most of the foreign franchises to be locally owned and operated however utilizing the core values of the corporation without creating undesirable affects on the culture. This is called franchising. A franchise is a business arrangement under which one party (the franchisor) allows another (the franchisee) to operate an enterpri se using its trademark, logo, product line, and methods of operation in return for a fee. (Hodgetts, Luthans, Doh) With that said, the individual culture and norms are integrated within the menu.This includes the religious and the culture’s diversity. However, in some nations McDonald’s is viewed as the west and its global movement away from long-established culturally based foods towards the consumption of fast food. This process Americanizes the culture it infiltrates by the restructuring of the local diet at some level. This infiltration is viewed in a negative manner by some and as hip by the younger generation that is exposed to more of American development through movies, music and the internet. Anti-GlobalizationIn 1999 a French farmer named Jose Bove of Brazil ransacked a McDonald’s only to become a hero to anti-globalization. His emergence at anti-globalization gatherings across the world and even in the US has given him overnight fame for his intrepid move in destroying a McDonald’s restaurant. Bove’s aspiration came from the desire to support the local farmers and to stop the destruction of the fields by extracting the goods and mixing them with unhealthy chemicals to enhance the flavor. Eric Schlosser (2002), states that â€Å"By eating like Americans people all over the world are beginning to look more like Americans, at least in one respect.The United States has one of the highest obesity rates of any industrialized nation in the world. † (p. 240). â€Å"As people eat more meals outside the home, they consume more calories, less fiber and more fat. † (p. 241). The introduction of unhealthy foods and eating habits of foreign foods into outside cultures radically affects the traditional culture found in the nation’s foods despite McDonald’s attempt to incorporate the nation’s culture and religious beliefs in the menu. Many Europeans worry about globalization's effects on their fo od from the west.However, the prominent anti-globalization movement is actually a small minority. In fact, a clear majority of Europeans, especially the young, accepts that increasing global economic, political, and cultural exchange can enrich their country and their lives. They believe that a strong European Union can help them take advantage of globalization's benefits while shielding them from its negative effects. Despite the views of others some Europeans believe globalization is what is right for Europe. Leadership Competency ModelThe types of leadership perspectives that McDonald’s incorporates in their management is the Leadership Competency Model. The Leadership Competency Model utilizes a leadership appraisal program. Each organization has its own process and culture to nurture its employees. Some processes often fail as they do not provide ownership to the participants and fail to account for the different cultures, climates, and nuances found in every organizatio n. For effective change to take place you must involve the individuals in the development and implementation of any process.This guide uses a five stage approach for building a competency model: * Stage One – Assemble Focus team and create a list of processes. * Stage Two – Build behavioral indicators for each process. * Stage Three – Categorize the data. * Stage Four – Order each category. * Stage Five – Validate your competency model. The first stage in building a Leadership Competency Model is to assemble a Focus Team composed of a cross-functional mix of first-line leaders, middle leaders, and senior leaders.McDonald’s provides the Leadership Competency Model in conjunction with Hamburger University to develop leadership. Graduates from the university and those who participates in the Leadership Competency Model development of processes are considered the experts practitioners in their field. That is, they should be the finest in their f ields. Using interviews, surveys, observations, including information on how individuals act, think, and feel while doing their jobs and other activities, create a list of the major processes and the requirements needed y leaders to disseminate in the workplace. In Stage Two, the members of the team identify the major behavioral indicators for each competency that must be performed to produce the desired outputs. Going through each competency, list the major behavioral indicators (Skills, Knowledge, attitudes) needed for superior performance (normally two to four). These behavioral indicators need to be: *Future-focused rather than need or problem-focused. * Part of a strategic planning or organizational change process model.In Stage Three, you categorize the data to include a leadership competency list divided into three categories, Core, Leadership, and Professional; with the behavioral indicator listed for each process. The core competencies is required of all individuals within the organization, the leadership competencies are specialty items for managers and supervisors, while the professional competencies are specific for each position. The competency list will insure that the chosen behavioral indicators are really the required skills, knowledge, or attitudes.The method used to organize the competencies is reduced to smaller, more manageable bundles of information that can easily be identified and used throughout the organization. Stage Four provides order to each category. Stage Four allows the identification of importance for each category. This allows the opportunity to discard unnecessary or excessive categories from the list. Stage Five allows validation of the instrument. This can be completed by utilizing duplication through replicating the original results: Replicate the original research results.This is done by obtaining another sample of superior performers, conducting interviews, and deriving a competency model. Creating departmental focus gr oups to allow more people to become involved, while at the same time, giving you less information to accumulate. Structured Interviews/Observation: Perform one-on-one interviews and observations with a random number of leaders throughout the organization to determine which competencies they perform and to get their opinions of which ones are the most important for the execution of their job.In order to develop a program to achieve this goal a strategic understanding and planning need to occur. Understanding motivation, the key to success, relates to the adhered interest and involvement in a goal-oriented task by a member of the team. There are a variety of ways to view what rewards affect learning and behavior in the workplace. Two such ways are intrinsic desires and external controls. Intrinsic desire is the desire of the learner to reach mastery of a skill, as well as situational factors, based on personal desires that drive or motivate the employee.External controls are those tha t are governed by the policies and procedures of the organization. These procedures prevent and/or protect the necessity and essence of the organization. Generally, lack of having available the sources of motivation which are the primary reason to retain an employee with a corporation is divided into two categories; each containing a number of components responding to related strategies. McDonald’s has developed a university to combat poor development within the company. In 1961, Fred turner, a former senior chairman and Ray Kroc’s first grillman founded Hamburger University.The university was developed to provide training that emphasized consistent restaurant operations to include procedures, services, quality and cleanliness. It is the company’s global center for training and leadership development. Currently there are more than 5,000 employees that attend the university each year. Since 1961 more than 80,000 managers, mid-managers and owner/operators have gra duated from the university. Hamburger University was developed to foster the company mission to be the best aptitude in each of its employees.For employees who attend the university the hope is to instill Quality, Services, Cleanliness and Value (QSC;amp;V). Increasing Performance| | | | To attain excellence, an individual, group or organization must care enough about an activity to insist that it fully meets and exceeds the demands of its audience (either internal or external), and this involves a fair amount of risk. (Leslie, J. Velsor, E 1996) McDonald’s utilizes the five stage approach for building a competency model as a means to devise a road map of development for the employees within the company.The utilization of Hamburger University, the five stage approach and grasping the view of the Quality, Services, cleanliness and Value (QSC;amp;V) gives the employees the opportunity to reach for a deep change for success. Leadership and Culture Sensitivity Despite notable pro gress in the overall acceptance of globalization there continues to be continuing disparities in effects of the west emerging into other cultures. The acceptance status among the east and others compared to the U. S. opulation as a whole shows a vast difference in how corporations such as McDonalds can grow globally. In addition, the global system is becoming more challenged as the population becomes more ethnically diverse. Therefore, the future of globalization in areas such as China will be directly impacted by the influence of McDonalds to the social economical environment to provide substantial improvements. Cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and economic differences impact how individuals and groups access and use globalized products.They can also present barriers to effective communication between the leader and the employee if there is a lack of understanding of the language, culture or norms. This is especially true when leader’s stereotypes, misinterpret, make faulty ass umptions, or otherwise mishandle their encounters with employees who are viewed as different in terms of their backgrounds and experiences. The demand for culturally competent leaders in the United States is a direct result of the need for leaders to handle operations that have gone global.The term cultural competence refers to the ability to work effectively with individuals from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, or in settings where several cultures coexist. It includes the ability to understand the language, culture, and behaviors of other individuals and groups, and to make appropriate recommendations. Cultural competence exists on a continuum from incompetence to proficiency. Cultural sensitivity, which is a necessary component of cultural competence, means that leaders make a significant effort to be aware of and understand the culture in which they work.Cultural competence cannot be achieved through short workshops or classes. A long-term commitment is required to le arn a second language and become familiar with other cultures to deliver an effective service for the ethnically diverse world and the potential and actual cultural factors that affect their interactions with a client. It also means that they are willing to design programs and materials and implement those programs to make recommendations that are culturally relevant and culturally specific. The terms cultural competence and culturally effective and are sometimes used synonymously.Culturally effective training is, indeed, related to cultural competence and cultural sensitivity. However, it goes beyond these concepts in describing the dynamic relationship between leader and employee. Effective communication between leaders and employees may be even more challenging when linguistic barriers exist. Cultural competence is a developmental process that requires a long-term commitment. It is not a specific end product that occurs after a two-hour workshop, but it is an active process of le arning and practicing over time. Becoming culturally competent is discuss than to implement.Individuals working with different ethnic and cultural groups can become more culturally competent by advancing through three main stages: developing awareness, acquiring knowledge, and developing and maintaining cross-cultural skills. Developing cultural awareness includes recognizing the value of the population and its cultural diversity. It also means an honest assessment of one's biases and stereotypes to include limits of their understanding. One can never learn enough about another culture. However, acquiring knowledge about other groups is the foundation of cultural competence.In addition to understanding other cultures, it is essential to understand how different cultural groups view themselves. Knowledge of another culture includes assessments of facts to include relevant norms, values, worldviews, and the practicality of everyday life and how that reflects in the business as a whole . Even though the United States is a pluralistic society, most employers have been trained in a mono-cultural tradition. In addition to this some leaders operate as if ethnic and cultural differences are insignificant.Cross-cultural skills are developed through formal training, informal interaction and experience. Organizational Responsibilities It is important for leaders to articulate a commitment to cultural competence and to initiate cultural-competence initiatives. Many companies receive social and legal pressures to do this from different segments of the cultures they impact. The development of professional preparation programs can play a significant role in providing the knowledge and skills for culturally competent leaders.These programs can provide on the job training and other formats developed with the sole purpose of addressing cultural competence and/or cultural sensitivity. They also can provide specific educational components on cultural competence and/or cultural sen sitivity within the program. Trainings and in house development of skills is one thing but leaders need to go beyond educating their employees and providing workshops on cultural sensitivity they must also change institutional policies and procedures.This can be done by constant review and ongoing development of the skills needed. Steps to Becoming Culturally Competent Developing Awareness * Admitting personal biases, stereotypes, and prejudices * Becoming aware of cultural norms, attitudes, and beliefs * Valuing diversity * Willingness to extend oneself psychologically and physically to others * Recognizing comfort level in different situations Acquiring Knowledge * Knowing how your culture is viewed by others * Attending classes, workshops, and seminars about other cultures * Reading about other cultures Watching movies and documentaries about other cultures * Attending cultural events and festivals * Sharing knowledge and experiences with others * Visiting other countries before placement. Developing and Maintaining Cross-Cultural Skills * Making friends with people of different cultures * Establishing professional and working relationships with people of different cultures * Learning another language * Learning verbal and nonverbal cues of other cultures * Becoming more comfortable in cross-cultural situations * Assessing what works and what does not Assessing how the beliefs and behaviors of the cultural group affect the client or family * Learning to negotiate between the person's beliefs and practices and the culture of your profession * Being more flexible * Attending continuing education seminars and workshops * Learning to develop culturally relevant and appropriate programs, materials, and interventions * Learning to evaluate culturally relevant and appropriate programs, materials, and interventions * Ongoing evaluation of personal feelings and reactions Overcoming fears, personal biases, stereotypes, and prejudices *Developing and implementing a st rategy to recruit, retain, and promote qualified, diverse, and culturally competent administrative, and support staff * Promoting and supporting the necessary attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and skills for staff to work respectfully and effectively with patients and each other in a culturally diverse work environment * Developing a comprehensive strategy to address culturally and linguistically appropriate services, including strategic goals, plans, policies, and procedures * Hiring and training interpreters and bilingual staff Providing a bilingual staff or free interpretation services to customers and employees with limited English skills * Translating and making available commonly used educational materials in different languages * Developing structures and procedures to address cross-cultural ethical and legal conflicts, complaints, or grievances. While cultural competence has increased significantly, there is still much to be done on the personal, organizational, and societal levels. Education and training to enhance the ability of a culturally effective leader must be integrated into lifelong learning.Through these activities, current and future leaders will be prepared to meet the needs of cultures from across the street and around the world. Conclusion In conclusion, globalization through the fast food industry has allowed the west to develop in other countries. McDonalds has been a dominating force in the immergence of western culture. The globalization within the food industry is not always received warmly by everyone in other nations. The fast food industry offers food items that change or may violate religious or cultural beliefs.However, McDonald’s has taken extreme efforts to develop a corporation that offers education and training to all of the employees. This training gives each restaurant the opportunity to develop within the five stage model utilized for leadership. By allowing restaurants to be locally owned by other nations through franchising allows for community owned companies. This thus allows them to drive changes in the menu to support the traditions and religious beliefs. With local owned restaurants it’s difficult to believe that there would be any resistance through anti-globalization.Anti-globalization only impedes global progress and can cause significant economic issues. McDonalds as a global leader has been successful in the development of its staff and support in the community.References | | Kaye, B and Jordon-Evans (1997) Love’em or Lose’em: Getting Good People to Stay O’Hagan, K. (2007) â€Å"Social Work Practice: â€Å"A Practical Guide for Professionals. † Jessica Kinglsey Publishers, 15 – 19 Northouse, P. (2007) Leadership Theory and Practice Sage Publications. Hodgetts, R. , Luthans, F. Doh, J (2006) â€Å"International Management† Culture, Strategy, and Behavior. | | Quinn, R. (1996) Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within Taylor, J. ;am p; Riess, M. (1989). A field experiment of â€Å"self-serving† attributions to valenced causal factors. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 15, 337-348. Leslie, J. Velsor, E (1996) A Center for Creative Leadership: a Look at Derailment Today: North America and Europe Mann, R. D. (1959). A review of the relationships between personality and performance in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 241-270. Ekvall, G. , ;amp; Arvonen, J. (1994). Leadership profiles, situation and effectiveness. Creativity and Innovation Management, 3, 139-161. McCall, M. W.. , Jr. ;amp; Lambardo, M. M. (1983). Off the track: Why and how successful executives get derailed. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership. Eric Schlosser (2002). Fast Food Nation American Academy of Pediatrics (1999). â€Å"Culturally Effective Pediatric Care: Education and Training Issues. † Pediatrics 103:167–170. Chin, Jean Lauu (2000). Culturally Competent Health Care. † Public Health Report 115:25–33 Kumanyika, Shiriki, and Morssink, Christian (1999). â€Å"Working Effectively in Cross-Cultural and Multicultural Settings. † In Nutrition and the Community, 4th edition, ed. Anita Owen, Patricia Splett, and George Owen. Boston: WCB McGraw-Hill. Internet Resource Office of Minority Health. â€Å"Assuring Cultural Competence in Health Care: Recommendations for National Standards and an Outcomes-Focused Research Agenda. † Available from <http://www. omhrc. gov/clas>

Integrated Logistics for DEP/GARD Case Study Essay

Tom Lippet, sales representative for DEP, feels the challenge when the successor of Mike O’Leary, Richard Binish, becomes the new purchasing agent at GARD who plans to trim the product line in the next three years. His plan to narrow the service window for suppliers from the original 5 days to 3 days in the next three years to the eventually 1 day window forces Tom to consider ways that can increase the performance and service of their company to win the contracts in the future. Solutions for DEP 1) Diagram on the Left shows the DEP/GARD supply chain. Value adding stages are: – The inbound transportation from compound suppliers – The manufacturing and packaging process – The outbound transportation to GARD Non-value adding stages are: – The compound inventory sitting in DEP (7-day supply) – The order transmission time wasted by receiving and handling orders manually – The finished product staying in the warehouse The minimum performance cycle for the supply chain is 9 days, whereas the maximum performance cycle is 20 days. 2) The performance cycle can be improved through the use of the 25 percent and 15 percent suppliers. But because DEP used a bidding system that emphasized on price, by giving out more proportions of the raw materials to the 25% and 15% suppliers, the average variable cost per unit will be higher for each compound. However, choosing 25% and 15% suppliers who has a relatively higher fill rate can increase the reliability of inventory availability and reduce the possibility of shortages. Which in turn means that DEP can lower the 7-day supply of each compound to a 6-day or even 5-day supply depending on the reliability of the supplier. By doing so, the inventory carrying cost will decrease and in the end if not saving more for the company, at least balances the extra costs used by purchasing from 15% and 25% suppliers. A Performance Statistics of Compound Suppliers copied from the Integrated Logistics for DEP/GARD Case Study is shown in the next page. For instance, we can see that the f ill rate for company 1 is relatively low comparing to other suppliers. And in the case of compound E and F, we have to reason to procure these two compounds from company 1 since it not only has the lowest fill rate but also costs the most. All or portion of the compound A and B can be purchased from company 2 or 3 depending on their capacity and performance consistency. 3) Things to do if I were Tom Lippet: Change the bidding system in a way that DEP is able to purchase more compounds from suppliers with a higher fill rate and lower performance cycle uncertainty, in order to reduce the days of inventory storage. (People  challenge: Employee’s reluctance and unwillingness to change in the manufacturing department.) Communicate with compound suppliers before the next bid and inform them the changes that are going on. Tell them the importance to reduce their performance cycle uncertainty and increase their fill rate. And that these two criteria are also going to be considered as well on the next bid. (Challenge: a) Disturbed relationship between buyer and supplier. b) Ethics issues. ) To facilitate the order transmission process in order to reduce the performance cycle, a more reliable internet-based information technology should be used, such as EDI and ERP systems. However, the installation and implementation of an ERP system can be costly and time consuming. The order transport ation performance cycle uncertainty is too high (3-6 days). Automated inventory management is highly recommended to ensure exact day delivery, and cost savings will incur from less labor force required in the warehouses. (People challenge: Possible resentment and intentional sabotage or strikes from warehouse personnel. To mitigate the process, appropriate procedures should be taken to help the workers to find alternative jobs. ) 4) It’s important to let Richard Binish to realize how the company is consistently improving according to his expectations. Maintaining a competitive price and quality while enhancing and exceeding their competitors in terms of performance cycle and service would be order-winning criteria for DEP. The implementation of the EDI system will provide real time information between the companies and solidify collaboration. Of course, the criteria will be continuously changing when supply chain management becomes more sophisticated and evolved over time. There will eventually be a day when the fill rates required become 100% and the service window will not be exact day delivery but exact time delivery for DEP. With the industry’s average standard constantly increasing, continuous improvement on supply chain management is necessary in order to survive in today’s competitive environment.