Answer the following questions at a country of case study (your Essay

Answer the following questions at a country of case study (your choice) questions below,part of Energy and Environmental Security class - Essay Example Oil is their main source of energy. On average, current statistics place china as the largest importer of petroleum as well as other liquid fuels. China consumes its energy through oil production. It has the leading and most stable oil companies hence the efficiency in access. The oil prices keep shifting on the international market depending with China’s oil production. The country has seen to it that its large population consumes more of oil, as they produce it domestically and go further ahead to import more. The main sources of imported oil by china include, production from Russia, Kazakhstan and Myanmar. China has pipeline connection with those countries hence serve as one of their energy sources. Apart from oil, china is known to use coal as another of its primary source of energy. China is also world’s largest coal producer and consumer. Statistics and trends over the years indicate China as the country that consumes half the coal in the world. This is factual considering its large population over the years. Electricity in China is generated using coal as opposed to other countries that use renewable sources of energy for electricity. Among oil and coal as the leading energy producers for China, natural gas and several renewable energy plants are being employed in the country. Following the demand of natural gas, China opts to import it as it produces it in small amounts and has few sites for its production. Some renewable energy plants are underway in their set up using China’s deep waters. The reforms in energy productions are now being fronted by the government of China. China also uses Uranium and nuclear energy as some sources of fuel. The major trading countries of energy with China include India, The US, Europe and many other countries. India happens to be another populous country neighboring China. Being the two most populated countries, they both share trade in energy. On average they are the world’s largest energy

Compare and Contrast Composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Composers - Essay Example He started to play the guitar and sing at a very early age when he started to sing with the church choir. The choir-master was J. M. Franck who began to teach the little boy and soon he chose Haydn to sing in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As he entered his teenage years, his voice had started to crack and left the choir by force. After he was left to fend for himself he earned money as a composer, musician and teacher. His talent and teaching attracted many of the students who wanted to learn more about music, and soon he rented an attic where he started a formal musical program. In these years he composed divertimenti and string quartets which were the styles of music at that time (Grave 34). In 1761 Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy appointed Haydn as the Vice-Kappellmeister of his own private musical institution. With this opportunity Haydn did experiment many combinations of instruments and vocals with freedom. After the death of the prince, Haydn was appointed by Johann Peter Saloma n who was a violinist from London and soon he became the most successful composer ever seen. He composed hundreds of compositions and that gave a new and ever lasting effect to the classical music. His quartets initiated a new art that is still alive today. Bob Dylan’s background and involvement in music: Robert Zimmerman was the name given to Bob Dylan by his parents. He was born in Minnesota and spent his childhood years in listening to blues and the country stations on radio. He was thus attracted to rock and roll so he formed many bands while was in high school. He also performed many songs of Elvis Presley in Golden Chords. His interest in rock and roll music also gave a way to the American folk music. For him he said that rock and roll music was not enough as it did not reflect the realistic features of life. With folk music he got the chance to get into a more serious thing as the songs were filled with despair, sadness, and faith and deep feelings (Shelton 142). While he was in university he became involved in the Dinkytown folk music circuit. During those days he started calling himself Bob Dylan as influenced by Dylan Thomas’s poetry. Dylan’s early songs like ‘The Times That Are a-Changin’’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ became the anthems of the Civil Rights and anti-war movements. His song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ created new parameters in popular music. He used electric instruments in his recordings. On the other hand Haydn was called the Father of the String Quarter and Father of the Symphony due to his contribution to these forms of music. He also played a part in developing the piano trio and the evolution of sonata form. Characteristics of music Haydn’s music: Both the composers had their own way to compose their music. They created a new era in the music industry through the use of their instruments, materials, talent and thought. Haydn’s music was a different ty pe of genre which was popular at that time. He gave a new look to the classical music by developing huge structures out of simple and short musical motifs. His work marked the development of the sonata form and he was fond of music that established similar dominant and opening themes. He also initiated the double variation form in classical style

Using Human Cadavers As Crash Test Dummies Philosophy Essay

Using Human Cadavers As Crash Test Dummies Philosophy Essay Using human cadavers as test dummies? Is it necessary or a waste? Many people are for, and many people are against using human cadavers as crash test dummies. Some reasons people are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because it is cost beneficial, they get the most accurate feedback from the crash, and utilitarianism. Some reasons people are against using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because the golden rule, religion, and people could be using the human cadavers for better reasons. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Ill let you be the judge of that. The people that are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies have a good argument. They have strong points that gravitate toward them. One reason people are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because it is cost beneficial. Many families have problems paying for the funeral service; therefore they may not have one at all. The average price for a funeral today is seven thousand dollars, and that is on the lower end. So the question is why put yourself in a great deal of debt when the body can be used for a better cause? Some people also have a funeral service and still donate their body. This is still saving the family about four thousand dollars for the grave site, tombstone, etc. Using human cadavers as crash test dummies is also cost beneficial because the average test dummies cost at least ten thousand dollars. This is a cheap crash test dummy and isnt as high tech as some facilities would need. By donating a persons body to science they are saving the family a nd the facilities a lot of money and these people believe it is for a good cause. Another reason people are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because they get the most accurate feedback. By using an actual human body it shows the automobile world what a real human can take. The people that work with the human cadavers use crushing force or speeds to see what our bodies can take. They also drop ball bearings on the skulls of the human cadavers and drop the bodies at different heights down an elevator shaft. Many people argue against this case and say that they can us one human cadaver to find the crushing force or speeds, then once they know use the crash test dummies. However, the people from this angle argue back that the real thing is always better then a stand-in and theres always going to be different things that can break different things. Therefore they would need more than just one human cadaver. Back when cars were first created they used to be very dangerous. At very low speeds the car crashes were many times fatal. By the use of human cad avers they have made cars safer so more people survive. Since testing with human cadavers, every year since nineteen eighty seven at least eight thousand and five hundred lives have been saved. The bringing up of seatbelts and airbags there was a need for human cadavers. They needed to test with human cadavers to see how much force we could take. The people that are for using cadavers argue that crash dummies are excellent, and should be used. However they arent one hundred percent accurate because only the human insides can tell us how much they can take. A third reason people are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies are because utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined by its utility to bring happiness or meaning in others lives. The people that believe this are strongly for donating your body to science after death. By doing this you are greatly affecting many peoples lives in a profound way, which increases your moral worth greatly. Every time someone donates their body to science a huge number of lives are saved by that one person. If they were not a hero before they died, that has made them one immensely. Eight thousand and five hundred lives are saved each year by people who have donated their body to science. By getting their body used as test dummies increases their worthiness a lot. It may not sound glamorous or appealing at all but if you think about the long run, how many people you are saving it is a good deed that Im sure will be greatly appreciated by many. Besid es, youre not using it anymore, why not let it be used for a good cause that makes you look good? Many people that are against using human cadavers as crash test dummies argue that it is not respectful. However, the people managing the body are very respectful with what happens to it and how it is handled. One way they do this is by keeping the face covered up. By doing this it gives the cadaver a great deal of privacy. Through this process the identity of the person is not revealed at all. They use letters and numbers to identify the cadaver and no one knows who the person is. The process by which they go through is also not gory at all. In the book they number the cadaver as UM 006 as the identifier of the cadaver. The scientists are the most respectful they can be while still doing their job. Although there are many points for positives of using human cadavers as crash test dummies there are still many people against the issue. These people have many reasons for this and believe it is not something that people should do with the donated bodies. There are many reasons why. Some reasons are; the golden rule, their religion, and the fact that the bodies could be used for something better. For this reason, human cadavers are a greatly discussed in the science world. There is a great debate between many. One reason people are against using human cadavers as crash test dummies is the golden rule. The golden rule is something we have been told our whole life. It states that people should treat others the way they would like to be treated. Would you like to be tossed around in a car without any control? I didnt think so. Many people see this as very disrespectful toward the dead. The main respect should go to the family. After someone is dead the family should get a state of peace. The body being jostled does not give the family peace. It is not respectful for the family to have to deal with the not knowing of where the body is, or what is happening to it. Also, when the donors sign up for body donation they do not know where their body is going. They have no say at all, which is something that many people disagree on. They believe the consent should have more options. In the book it tells us that in 1978 John Moss investigated the issue deeply. He tried very hard to make the use of cad avers for this reason unavailable. His reasoning was personal repugnance. A second reason many people are against using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because of their religion. Some people believe that if their body is not in whole then in after-life it will not be either. Also some religions are against this and their believers will stay with them. They also think that when a body dies the soul should be put to rest, but how is it put to rest when its used for crash testing? They also dont agree with the consent forms and believe they are lying or deceiving which is something religions do not support. A third reason is that many people believe the body of the donors could be used for something better and more helpful to the people. Their thinking process is that there are many trainees that are going to be doctors, shouldnt they get more practice? They dont see the point in wasting bodies on crash testing when the medical world is growing and needing more and more bodies. People understand that cars need to be safe however they know that they have tested enough human cadavers so that they know the speeds that can harm a human, and they could use dummies to make the cars safer. They also think that if people are more cautious then there will be fewer crashes because cars today are very safe. But the medical world is also going to be getting new doctors so they are in a constant demand of cadavers. They just want the bodies to be used for better reasons. Mary Roachs book did a great job of showing what happens when the human cadavers are used as crash test dummies. Her book was always very accurate about what happens to the bodies. One thing she was right about was the fact that Wayne State University was the first to test human cadavers as crash test dummies. This book tells in detail what happens to the human cadavers as they are in this process. All of the things she says are correct. She is very factual and shows a lot of evidence to support her theories and the things that she says. In conclusion there are many reasons people are for and against using human cadavers as crash test dummies. Some reasons people are for using human cadavers as crash test dummies is because they receive more accurate feedback, its cost beneficial, and utilitarianism. Many people are also against the use of human cadavers because the golden rule, religion, and because the bodies could be used for better things. Each perspective makes a good argument. Do you like the book? Mary Roachs book was a very interesting read. It told me a lot of facts that I did not know. I did find someone of the things she compared things to very disturbing (chicken noodle soup, Rice Krispies, etc.). I did not know that the donated bodies were used for so many things. One thing I was very shocked about was the body farm. I also dont completely agree with the body farm. I dont see what the point in it is even after I read that chapter. The things that happen to a decaying body however were fascinating. Mary Roach did a great job at giving factual information for people to learn more about the subject matter. I believe that the things they do with cadavers are worth the arguments people put against them. The use of cadavers has saved many lives; for example, many lives have been saved by the crash testing, medical uses, etc. I also believe that some things that people did in the past were uncalled for. One thing that supports this is the transplantation of heads. This is not s omething that is realistic and its not a main need. The money spent on that could have been used for something that was needed. For the most part I did enjoy the book. I enjoyed learning everything Mary Roach had to say and it made me second guess people donating their bodies.

Mechanics: Statics And Dynamics :: essays research papers fc

Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.........................................................1 Chapter I. General Principles........................................2 I. Systems of Force.........................................4 II. Stress..................................................6 III. Properties of Material.................................7 IV. Bolted and Welded Joints................................10 V. Beams -- A Practical Application.........................13 VI. Beam Design.............................................17 VII. Torsional Loading: Shafts, Couplings, and Keys........19 VIII. Conclusion............................................20 BIBLIOGRAPHY.........................................................21 INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mechanics is the physical science concerned with the dynamic behavior of bodies that are acted on by mechanical disturbances. Since such behavior is involved in virtually all the situations that confront an engineer, mechanics lie at the core of much engineering analysis. In fact, no physical science plays a greater role in engineering than does mechanics, and it is the oldest of all physical sciences. The writings of Archimedes covering bouyancy and the lever were recorded before 200 B.C. Our modern knowledge of gravity and motion was established by Isaac Newton (1642-1727).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mechanics can be divided into two parts: (1) Statics, which relate to bodies at rest, and (2) dynamics, which deal with bodies in motion. In this paper we will explore the static dimension of mechanics and discuss the various types of force on an object and the different strength of materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term strength of materials refers to the ability of the individual parts of a machine or structure to resist loads. It also permits the selection of materials and the determination of dimensions to ensure the sufficient strength of the various parts. General Principles   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before we can venture to explain statics, one must have a firm grasp on classical mechanics. This is the study of Newton's laws and their extensions. Newton's three laws were originally stated as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed on it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. The change of motion is proportional to the motive force impressed and is made in the direction in which that force is impressed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction; or the mutual actions of two bodies on each other are equal and direct to contrary parts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newton's law of gravitational attraction pertains to celestrial bodies or any object onto which gravity is a force and states: â€Å"Two particles will be attracted toward each other along their connecting line with a force whose magnitude is directly proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the distance squared between the particles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one of the two objects is the earth and the other object is near the surface of the earth (where r is about 6400 km) / is essentially constant, then the attraction law becomes f = mg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another essential law to consider is the Parallelogram Law.

Implement and Monitor marketing activities Essay

BBQfun is company specialised in outdoor lifestyle supplies. The company is mainly implemented in Brisbane and its surroundings and aim at growing throughout the country. In order to achieve this goal, BBQfun has established a few marketing strategie. The goal of this report is to analyse these strategies and ultimately their efficiency. BBQfun marketing strategies analysisAt BBQfun, stakeholders are responsible for the management of the company’s operations. Indeed, according to the CEO’s statement, â€Å"For our stakeholders it has always been about stewardship and to adhere to professional and moral standards of conduct in all that we do†. Although the organisational review does not expand on the stakeholders’ moral and professional standards, it can be assumed that the word â€Å"stewardship† means management. Management is a broad word that would need to be defined in more details. Indeed, it does not appear throughout the organisational review that the different stakeholder’s roles are clearly and precisely defined. Hence questions can be raised about who is responsible for the marketing activities at BBQfun and how implementation and monitoring are conducted. According to the organisational review, the marketing and non-marketing professionals are â€Å"self-directed teams†. Hence another question can be asked on how strategies are communicated to them and what kind of briefing they had received to implement such strategies. It also raises the question of consistency throughout the different stores, especially if BBQfun aims at being a national company. Indeed the BBQfun’s big pic ture is to be a national leader in its industry within the next ten years. However, there is no information on the short term objectives that would lead to the achievement of this goal. Their role and responsibilities are not mentioned either. This is even more concerning as according to the  organisational review, BBQfun overall SWOT analysis remains the same as the one made in 2008. This indicates a lack of performance measures or at least issues in their ability to act on their weaknesses and take advantages of their opportunities. Also, it can be noted that there are discrepancies between BBQfun vision statement and their actual focus. Indeed, in their vision statement the chair of the board insist on delivering high quality product, but in reality a cost cut strategy is put in place as price of sourcing has been prioritised. This indicates a poor communication strategy throughout the company and can easily counter act the flow of the marketing strategies that have been chosen by the stakeholders. Additionally, a review of their PEST analysis should be performed as the organisational review shows a change in economic and social behaviours. Indeed it is mentioned that interest rates are rising, that the employment rat e is different than the one estimated and that the â€Å"trend towards house proud purchase is growing stronger than anticipated. This statement should give rise to new opportunities for BBQfun. The objective of the marketing campaign is to increase sales. Three types of products have been identified: BBQs, outdoor furniture and BBQ consumables. Three types of marketing activities have been put into places: radio advertisement, magazine/PR and direct marketing campaign and advertisement through loyalty programs. The resources required for the first strategy are straight forward yet pricy. For that type of campaign financial and human resources are needed as well as the appropriate choice of channel. If BBQfun intends to grow nationally, it might want to choose a national radio station. Human resources would include the marketing project and designers personnel. The same kind of resources is needed to implement the second type of strategy, although the channel would be different. The third strategy requires building a customer database. Hence little is needed but a website, an email address and the designer and IT personnel. Communication and team building are something lacking when only referring to the organisational overview. This should come first from the board to communicate clearly the objectives and the process of implementing these strategies. These should be clearly thought and put in place along with the marketing plan. Change of suppliers has been one way of implementing their strategies along with finding the right channels to implement their radio and PR strategies. BBQfun also managed to increase  their customer database to implement their third strategy. Monitoring the return of their investment is mostly done through sales figures. ConclusionBBQfun has a vision to expand nationwide. In order to achieve their goal they put into place a few marketing strategies. However it seems that a proper marketing plan is lacking and this issue should be addressed as soon as possible in order for them to maximise their return and have a higher impact.

Describing Friend’s Character

I have a friend, his name is Dima. I know him about five years. He amazed me by his intelligence and brainy. He knows the answer on any question. Even if he doesn’t know the correct answer, he’ll find the way to explain it. I appreciate his optimism and indifference at the same time. When something bad has happened, he is always determined. He says that next time he would be more sense and had learned a lot from that situation. And next day he behaves as if nothing has happened. Moreover he looks indifferently at some situations that help him not to work up.Dima has got a unique humor; I can’t stop smiling when he begins joking. He is unconventional. He looks differently at the world. I can’t even imagine what is going on in his head. Also Dima is broad-minded, he is keen on travelling. He visits different places four times a year, moreover he adore snowboarding, that’s why the main part of his trips includes mountains. Dima is easy-going, he can ea sily find common ground. Nevertheless each person has negative sides of his character. Sometimes Dima is brusque and impolite. His straightforwardness spurns people.If he doesn’t gain person, he will deal shortly with him. I don’t think that it’s bad behavior, but sometimes it goes over the line. However he is frank and open-hearted. He enjoys having heart-to-heart talk with family and friends. In spite of his imperturbability he is vulnerable deep in his mind. But he won’t show it, because he thinks that it points out man’s weakness. In conclusion I would like to add that I’m proud that I have such friend. Dima is goal-seeking and ambitious. He knows what he wants and secures his object in any case.

Reflective Essay on Learning Disabilities †Psychological Well-being The WritePass Journal

Reflective Essay on Learning Disabilities – Psychological Well-being Background Reflective Essay on Learning Disabilities – Psychological Well-being ) emphasised that it is important to do mental notes when doing an assessment since this would provide some clue as to how the person is feeling. Hence, one must look at the appearance, behaviour, speech, emotional state, and thinking of the person being assessed. However, looking into these areas is not enough since misinterpretation or erroneous assumptions may take place. Rather, it is necessary to take into account the context, setting, social norms, and beliefs for the individual being assessed (Pender, Murdaugh, and Parsons 2006). Needs-led assessment will allow the nurse to place more emphasis on finding solutions (Coffey and Hannigan 2003). 2. Risk Assessment A significant role is played by risk assessment and management in the practice of mental health nurses and multi-disciplinary teams. These risks include threat/danger to others as well as self-harm, amongst others. Despite the presence of risks however, a balance must be considered between the needs of each individual service user (client) and people’s safety and protection. A further emphasis is placed on paucity of information and lack of knowledge about such risks, thereby leading to ‘clinical gambling’ that can further result in mishaps (Cordall 2009). It is necessary to provide focus on improved consistency in applying risk assessment and management strategies, considering their central role in the practice of mental health. Admittedly, risk assessment and management went through certain developments, including the area/s to be understood about risk assessment; its clarity and what must be assessed; strategy developments in nursing risk; proposals; and leaned enquiry-based lessons. Hence, risk language must be standardised and simplified, which requires improving clarity in the vital roles of the concept (Cordall 2009). When one speaks of risk assessment in mental health services, he/she deals with the broader possibility (risk) of an event or behaviour (outcome). The outcome is the principal area of interest since it is commonly connected to an extent of severity, which could be associated with the indications of dangerousness/illness. Important regard is given to the impact of such severity because both a high outcome risk with low impact and a low outcome risk with high impact can take place (Kettles and Woods 2009). A useful way to consider the manner through which events take place is much the same as researchers’ predictive ability to test a number of risk assessments, which is also a useful way to evaluate the success of outcomes. Contingency tables allow an examination of correct predictions and error rates, and are hence an excellent means to present these results. On the other hand, the severity of behaviour refers to the level of intensity of risk occurring, and may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe (Kettles and Woods 2009). Clinical practice in a range of settings involves the core feature of violence risk assessment. The focus on risk to others in the mental nursing health practice is that ignoring or failing to acknowledge it can leave medical personnel unprepared and a lack of preparation results in situations where less willingness to work with aggressive and violent patients might be felt by clinical staff. Moreover, as there is a widely-held awareness of the relatio nship between mental illness and violence, an increasing basis of risk assessments will be taking place in clinical, correctional, and legal settings (Woods, 2009). On the other hand, risk to self, which may include suicidal behaviour, physical and social self-neglect, and vulnerability to risk from others, must also be considered. Worthy of note here are the biologic theories of suicide, which look into the link between physical illness, increased risk, and neuro-biological factors of suicide (Murray and Upshall 2009). 3.Case Study The Purpose of Assessment and its Potential Impact for Promoting Inclusion The person who is the focus of this case study is an epileptic patient named Janet. She is 48 years old, very fragile (small and short), and is within the care facility because her medication was not acting on her. She was admitted for her best interest. Janet was admitted to the mental health hospital due to her episodes of self-harming, which is a risk to herself and to other service users (other patients).   Janet is on different psychotic tablets and mood stabilizers; she is unable to sleep despite having been prescribed with sleeping tablets. Her behaviour is very challenging: she bites, screams all day, and is out of control. She came to the hospital to be observed and to allow personnel to research on a suitable drug that could work for her. She came to the ward setting via a referral from both her General Practitioner (GP) and her Psychiatric consultant. In the ward, she was placed on a close observation at Level 3. She was also assessed by the speech and language therapist as well as the behavioural therapist because of her difficulty to swallow. Her mental health is very unstable and she is unable to communicate verbally. However, she uses and understands gestures. She only makes sounds, noises, and screams as a way to co mmunicate. She likes pulling and grabbing, and loves her meal, especially her cups of tea. Janet came from a low-income British family, never married, and never had children due to her apparent condition. She is second amongst four children and still has both of her parents. The above narrative shows an investigation of a patient with a mental and learning disability problem, who was admitted to a mental health setting expecting treatment. It is apparent that an assessment was done on the patient before any clinical personnel would have carried out a specific intervention procedure. The above has not only related the nature of the patient’s illness but also presented other information that may be gathered in order to conduct an accurate assessment that will aid a precise diagnosis. The diagnosis of learning disabilities/mental disorders requires assessment as the initial step, which was evidently carried out on Janet. Mental health assessment is conducted visvis a full clinical assessment, which is a systematic evaluation of the psychological, biological, and social factor of a person who is presented with a potential psychological disorder. Assessment begins with a process wherein a curative alliance occurs between the client and the mental health personnel, thereby forming the basis of a care plan. Empathy and compassion are necessarily involved in the process in order to support the development of trust between the client and the mental health personnel forming an alliance (Elder et al. 2013; Kettles and Collins 2002). The clinical personnel in charge of Janet were empathetic and compassionate of her condition. The health personnel took extra care to understand the client in crisis, taking into account her associated fear and distress level, especially if he r prior service experience had been difficult and/or if she underwent compulsory treatment. The mental health nurse took the major role in the performance of an accurate and ongoing assessment on Janet. Assessment may be generally described as a complicated process since the diagnosis it performs ascertains the treatment for the client. The client’s needs and strengths are gauged by thorough assessment. It must be noted that assessment seldom includes one function; patients might be assessed to determine who they are, to describe and appraise particular problems of living as well as personal and social resources. All of these are embodied in a global assessment. Through assessment, the mental health nurse was able to obtain some understanding of the significance of Janet’s condition and problems (Elder et al. 2013; Morrison-Valfre 2013). The mental health nurse engaged in Janet’s condition acknowledged the different systems and levels of care for the person-in-care and ensured that she received treatment with dignity and respect so as to enable her to go back eventually to the highest possible level of self-care (Griffin, 2012). All patients must be treated with dignity and respect, giving careful considerations to the manner of communication with them (Hindle, Coates, and Kingston 2011). Thus, being aware of Janet’s systems and levels of care visvis her condition allowed the mental health nurse and care specialists to determine her treatment and receive it with respect and dignity. Types of assessment may be classified as global, focused, and ongoing.   Global assessment enables the provision of baseline data, such as the client’s health history and current needs assessment. Focused assessment, on the other hand, has a limited scope in its aim to focus on a specific need or potential risk.   Ongoing assessment pertains to systematic monitoring and observation related to certain problems (Elder et al. 2013).   The case study adopts a global assessment. Prior to assessing the service user being referred to in crisis, it is necessary to find out if she experienced mental health services and consulted their crisis plan. It is also important to enquire of her preference for a male or female care professional to carry out the assessment. In this case, Janet’s family specified female care professionals. Moreover, crisis assessment needs to clarify the information and its potential outcomes, addressing the client’s individual needs. Assessment for mental health must involve the client’s relationships, social and economic circumstances, behaviour, symptoms, diagnosis, and current treatment (NHS 2011). It is evident that amongst these concerns, the assessment made on Janet was focused most on her behaviour, symptoms, diagnosis, and current treatment. Her family history, social and economic circumstances, and the like, were also mentioned in the assessment. It must be recognised that assessments and diagnoses performed must be evidence-based and need the use of accepted methods. Assessments are carried out by suitably qualified staff with training and experience to assess mental health problems, and where possible, in the client’s preferred setting, with respect to the safety of all concerned. Collecting information about the person can be performed by the person himself/herself, or by other people who have prior observation of the person’s behaviour, such as family or carers. In this regard, it was the latter which was applied to Janet due also to her inability to communicate effectively. What the mental health nurse needs to know about the patient determines how he/she gathers the information. Knowing about what the person feels or thinks necessitates asking him directly in order to gather the needed information. Hence, the mental health personnel oftentimes asked Janet about what she thought or felt about certain things , people, or food. If the mental health nurse needed to know the manner in which Janet might behave in certain circumstances, Janet must be asked to reflect on her behaviour, or someone may be asked to observe Janet’s behaviour, or both. Further, it is essential to understand the lived experiences of both Janet and her carers in the assessment. Necessary information for understanding such lived experience involves Janet’s or the carer’s manner of interpreting what is taking place with Janet besides knowledge about her life, including her interests, personality characteristics, social resources, and personal circumstances. Janet’s family was involved in the treatment in the earliest possible way because of their in-depth information about how the symptoms of mental illness have developed, including their knowledge of the social and emotional environments contributing to the flourishing of such symptoms in Janet. Interviews, diaries/personal records, questi onnaires, and direct observations are the major assessment methods that can be performed to obtain the needed information for the assessment (Wilkinson and Treas 2011).   In Janet’s assessment, relevant information was collected through interviews, direct observations, and a referral from her GP and her psychiatric consultant. Interviews were performed with her family members and carers who observed her behaviour.   Models of Assessment and How They Impact on Inclusive, Responsive and Responsible Practice The new model of care is exemplified by new care practices whereby best practices as advanced by research evidence present the new model of care (Kleinpell 2013).   According to Freeman (2005), a biopsychosocial assessment of the patient is considered in an effective intervention, with a recommendation of a multi-method and multi-modal format. Moreover, these domains of information are used for assessment: biological, affective, behavioural, and cognitive domains, alongside the units of assessment, including the patient, his family, the health care process, and the socio-cultural setting in which the patient exists. The mental health personnel must understand the current status and history of the patient, and the assessment must identify problem areas and consider the patient’s assets and resources. This model can be employed in contemplating the patient’s change of behaviour to improve his quality of life, prevent illness, and promote well-being (Freeman 2005). The biopsychosocial assessment model also investigates the interrelatedness amongst the physical, psychological, behavioural, environmental, and social aspects of an individual’s life. The biological system focuses on the anatomical state of disease and its effect on the individual’s biological functioning. On the other hand, the effects of psychological factors, including personality and motivation, are emphasised in psychological system as the individual experiences mental illness. Further, the social system looks at the familial and cultural effects of the experience of illness. The causal ordering of biopsychosocial model is intrinsically biomedical, which means that rather than the causes, biochemical abnormalities can affect a person’s social environment. One criticism of this model is that it tends to rule out structural and social factors, but can however be considered as a useful framework for understanding the experience of mental illness (Freeman 2005) . The psychosocial model, on the other hand, is considered a holistic perspective to mental disorders and presents the interdependent areas of biological, psychological, and social factors in the assessment of mental health disorders (Boyd 2008). It is significant to note that standardised assessment methods promote inclusion in the mental health. The strategy of the European Union (EU) for mental health identifies best practice in the domain and in fostering social inclusion. A holistic approach is required in any effort to recognise best practice in social inclusion rather than to simply emphasise on aspects relating to mental health. Social exclusion cannot be addressed by just looking at the mental health problem of a person since one of the fundamental reasons for social exclusion of people with mental health illnesses is the propensity to take an exclusive emphasis on their medical symptoms rather than resolving the fundamental causes of their problems. Issues needing attention are equality and diversity, access to physical and mental health care and social networks, to name a few (House of Lords, 2007). The relevance of action to promote and improve social inclusion is embodied in mental health policy and is safeguarde d in the National Service Framework, which affirms that discrimination against people with mental health problems must be resisted and their social inclusion must be fostered. This signifies that mental health workers must regard the promotion of social inclusion a primary concern. The Effectiveness of Formal and Informal Assessments as Mechanisms to Develop a Shared Understanding of Need Either a formal or informal assessment may be carried out by the mental health nurse. A formal assessment involves an ordered interview plan and tools including questionnaires, checklists, etc. to acquire important information to aid the assessment interview. On the other hand, an informal assessment is less structured and the questions raised are those that the interviewer views to be relevant at the time he/she asks them. The formal interview has more benefits than the informal one since it is able to carry out a more or less similar assessment of people through the tools and structured interview plan thus devised. In addition, the individual’s biases and value judgments are less expected to influence the interview, as can take place in an informal assessment. The decision to use either formal or informal assessment methods is ascertained by the person in care as well as the adopted standardised assessment procedures (Pryjmachuk 2011). A formal assessment is emphasised on some form of structure and is commonly planned and studied with care, i.e. through some research. An informal assessment, on the other hand, involves information gathered through less structured methods.   Despite the almost similarity in the appearance of both methods, such similarity is however superficial. In both cases, the care personnel (e.g. nurse) would ask the person-in-care certain questions relating to his condition, noting his replies. However, a formal interview will have the questions carefully prepared earlier and might even be worded in a certain way, whilst the informal interview lacks this feature. Instead, the nurse conducting an informal assessment would ask certain questions she thinks relevant at that time, phrasing them in such manner she considers appropriate. Albeit both kinds of assessment are commonly used in mental health settings, it is important to recognise the significant advantages of any formal system over the l ess structured ways of investigating the condition of persons-in-care. The guidelines and procedures embodied in a formal system allow various people-in-care to be examined in a relatively the same fashion. This results in reduction, if not total cancellation, of one’s own prejudices. Regardless of who completes the assessment, its outcome must be the same, and such cannot be said of informal methods (Barker 2004).   The first point of information must be the patient’s basic demographics and condition/illness. An evaluation of physiological symptoms, history, risk factors, and treatment procedures must be considered visvis biological targets. His current moods, feelings about the illness/mental problem, support network, amongst others, constitute the patient’s affective targets. Crucial to his comprehensive evaluation is an assessment of his behavioral targets, which include self-care, functional capabilities, and occupational/recreational abilities (Freeman 2 005). All of these must be embodied in the assessment made on Janet. Critical Application of Legal, Ethical and Socio-Political Factors to the Practice of Assessment The use of assessment and clinical procedures involve some ethical issues. Ethical dilemmas may occur when diagnosis is performed in such situations, whereby diagnosing a person arbitrarily is often entailed. However, health care personnel have the clinical, ethical, and legal obligation to screen patients for life-threatening problems such as bipolar disorder, suicidal depression, and the like. It is necessary to point out that exclusive reliance on standardised treatments for certain problems may invite ethical concerns because of the questionable nature of the reliability and validity of these empirically-based strategies. Along with this is the fact that human change is complex and that measuring beyond a simplistic level is a difficult task, thereby making the change meaningless (Corey 2013). Thorough reflections on ethical considerations relative to health technologies are involved in the assessment for health technologies and value-based decisions. Since methods of retrieving information for effectiveness assessment are not appropriate to retrieving information on ethical issues, it is important to adopt a specific methodological approach (Scholarly Editions 2012). In addition, ethical principles such as autonomy, fidelity, and justice, amongst others, are involved in the provision of mental nursing care. National professional organisations set the standards for professional nurses’ ethical behaviours (Boyd 2008). Likewise, the healthcare organisation must ascertain its training needs and design structures to enable its healthcare personnel to understand ethical values and principles and hence integrate them into daily practice. With the provision of training, ethical values might not be recognised by several staff personnel whenever they occur, and thus they might impair their ability to recognise a suitable course of action. A formal assessment process is viable in enhancing an ethical framework within the healthcare organisation (Corey 2013). A point to consider is that the mental health care system faces certain magnified legal issues. The legal aspects of the assessment process in the practice of assessment involve such example where the nurse is held responsible for her judgments as well as the safety and well-being of the person-in-care. Every nurse must be aware of the three legal concepts that might affect their practice of care: negligence, malpractice, and liability (Davies and Janosik, 1991). Negligence occurs when a person (e.g. nurse) has become careless or has failed to act prudently, or has acted in such a way that is contrary to the conduct of a reasonable person. Malpractice takes place when a person commits professional misconduct, or has discharged his professional duties improperly, or fails to meet the standard of care as a professional, thereby resulting in harm to another. Liability, on the other hand, occurs as an obligation for having failed to act on something (Davies and Janosik, 1991). Mental health care is also influenced by sociopolitical factors, whereby the power of social justice is emphasised in the rectification of socio-cultural insensitivities (James and O’Donohue 2009). Mental health issues necessitate increased understanding of the sociopolitical context. This would include increased emigration in various parts of the world, which presents greater attention to the manner in which mental health issues may be effectively addressed within a broader global context. Studies involving culturally diverse samples would enable researchers to assess the generalisability of the diagnostic classification of mental problems across cultures and would likewise determine culturally specific events that might be influential to prevalence rates. Not being able to recognise the significant cultural differences amongst peoples impliedly promotes the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that is often criticised in the current diagnostic system for mental problems .   It has been emphasised that cultural and sociopolitical factors could indeed influence the assessment of certain mental illnesses, thereby enabling mental clinicians to consider cultural issues as necessary aspects of the assessment and diagnostic process (Chang 2012). Culturally able mental health care involves suitable treatments that take into account the client’s culture and social setting. The literature indicates that the primary objectives of mental health are to return to function, contribute to society, and maintain relationships (Markowitz and Weissman 2012). 4. Application to Practice How the Role and Function of the Nursing Profession Relates to the Theory and Practice of Assessment All mental health practitioners are responsible for developing certain strategies that allow people to maintain and build relationships, social roles, activities, etc. that are vital to social inclusion (Harrison, Howard and Mitchell 2004). The provision of high-quality mental health disqualifies biases and instead understands these biases at a range of levels, such as practitioner level, community level, and practice programme (Shieves 2008). It is recognised in this work that such biases can lead to social exclusion in the domain, which is not desired. Pondering on the provision of mental health care would necessitate its interpretation by psychodynamic theories, which looks at interpersonal concepts and examines the development of the mind within a lifetime (Dillion 2007). Behavioural theories provide emphasis on normal behaviour rather than the causes of mental problems/disorders. The objective is to effect behavioural change by means of conditioning, positive reinforcement, and so on (Dillion 2007). Meanwhile, cognitive theories involve understanding by focusing on behaviour and the individual’s cognition, including the way he processes his thoughts. The value of cognitive theory is seen in patient-therapist collaboration and the client’s active involvement in the occurrence of change (Dillion 2007). This is contrary to the situation where the client has learning disability and hence would find it difficult to pursue all these. Social Theories, on the other hand, involve socio-cultural perspectives and family dynamics, to name two, and convey that the development of a care plan for the patient necessitates certain socio-cultural aspects (Dillion 2007). This is suggestive of an inclusive care plan (Harrison et al., 2004). The importance of these theories to practice is that learning disabilities and mental problems as well as their causes can be more increasingly understood through their aid, thereby providing treatment to the patient with a consideration of their behaviour, cognition, socio-cultural context, and so on.   These theories also aid in pursuing further the concept of inclusion in health care and in understanding further the relevance of the assessment process. Through theories that aid practice, mental illness can be more accurately understood using integrative approaches. The conceptual framework of psychiatric domain involves various theoretical perspectives, with the absence of a single best explanatory model explaining mental illness. As this conceptual framework takes its development towards an increasingly integrative viewpoint, more effective and efficient integrative assessments will be the result of an understanding of complex relationships amongst various processes associated with normal human functioning and mental illness (Lake 2007). The Effectiveness and Efficiency of Assessment Strategies within the Current Practice and Overall Service The extent of effectiveness and efficiency of assessment within the current practice of the mental health nurse are seen in the impact of assessment as a life-changing experience for many persons-in-care. The rapport that the mental health nurse is able to establish with the client with a learning disability/mental problem as a result of the ‘therapeutic alliance’ provides the client a holistic approach to care. It confirms the need for a multi-disciplinary and team approach to the mental health service provision. Through an assessment, the mental health nurse becomes aware of the need for a supportive environment whilst collecting necessary data. The assessment also enables the mental health nurse to liaise with appropriate professionals, such as in Jane’s case where her GP and psychiatric consultant submitted a referral to the mental health hospital in order to aid in her diagnosis. Various tools, such as Life Skills Questionnaire, are used to gather additional information, which assist in developing a relationship with the service user (Acquah 2012).   The mental health nurse pays attention to the person’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviour, which are ways in which humans respond to life problems. If a person experiences increased detachment from one’s surroundings and the people in it, alongside the presence of distorted thought processes, the person can thus become problematic with satisfying to live a meaningful existence. The role of the nurse in this context is to identify how those behavioural changes hold back the person’s ability to pursue his own life and then design a specific care that will aid the person to address them. The utmost goal is certainly to help the person return to his usual normal activities and contribute to society. Through the nurse’s task to identify the effects of behavioural changes on the individual and to carry out a specific plan of care, the nurse thus considers the conseque nces of the learning difficulty/problem the basis of intervention. Further consideration of the client’s needs and interests is the principal value embodied in the establishment and execution of nursing services. This value must be implied in a nursing approach for the care of patients having been diagnosed for learning disability/mental illness. Along with this claim, the notion of a disease in the mental care must be given up as the center of mental health care and instead look at the patient as a person (Barker, 2004). In general, information about the nature and the extent of the patient’s problems are considered in a nursing assessment; hence, the nurse finds out the problem of the patient and how big it is. These questions must be asked in the most detailed manner possible, especially if the focus is to evaluate the impact of various forms of care. However, the means through which such information is gathered usually depends on the problem involved, in which even the personality of the person-in-care can even influence such means of information collection. The things that the nurse must consider are accurate information about the biophysical needs of the person needing mental care; the reflection of the need for precision and reliability for the adopted method; and the influence of the attitude or mood of the person conducting the assessment (Barker 2004). There are similar aims for most assessments; however, the manner in which they are carried out can vary greatly. These differences are very important and can have enormous influences on the value of information being produced. The means through which an assessment is conducted can spell a worthwhile exercise or otherwise.   The key differences between methods of assessment convey the way in which information is gathered (Barker 2004). Upon the assessment process, the nurse explains to the person-in-care such process and its contents, providing feedback for his collaboration with clients and healthcare team members to collect holistic assessments. Such assessments are conducted through interviews, observations, and examinations whilst being aware of confidential issues and relevant legal policies (Videbeck 2011). Additionally, policies and legal issues must be integrated in relation to ensuring the protection of other persons-in-care. Improvements in secondary care teams (e.g. mental health, learning disability, etc.) are necessary to ensure a consistent approach to care (Woods and Kettles 2009). The Nurse’s Role in the Assessment Process It must be noted that the mental health nurse takes the role of a coordinator as he/she interacts with other disciplines in the care delivery. A patient always receives a nursing care plan, but other disciplines are necessarily involved in such plan or individualised treatment plan (Boyd 2008). Further, the mental health nurse plays an important role in the assessment process where data are collected and organised, leading to the identification of diagnoses in which data are as well analysed. This would then lead to the planning phase, whereby prioritisation of problems is highlighted, along with identification of goals, selection of nursing intervention, and care plan documentation. The implementation features the nursing orders being carried out whilst documenting the nursing care and client responses. This leads to the evaluation phase, which involves monitoring the client outcomes and resolving, maintaining, and/or revising the current care plan (Timby 2009). Indeed, the mental h ealth nurse demonstrates a range of roles in the entire nursing process, as much as in the assessment practice. His/her performance in the assessment process determines the delivery of the next stage of the nursing process; hence it is required that such assessment is both precise and correct. For the nurse’s own future learning and development, there are perceived tremendous developments in his role, which are expected to take place within the managed care environment vis-a-vis his professional knowledge, skills, and attitude. Those who have carried out strong assessment and patient teaching abilities would be considered to have the most marketability. The nurse’s role in mental health assessment has radically evolved from merely using the client’s five senses to assessing his overall condition. Today, nurses use communication and physical assessment methods to come up with a clinical judgment relating to the client’s mental state. Additionally, technological advancements have developed the role of assessment, which correspondingly allowed managed care to develop the need for assessment skills (Weber and Kelley 2009). For example, the most broadly functioning measures used for people with learning disability/ mental problems are the Global Asse ssment Scale (GAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), which is a modification of the GAS. The GAS is aimed for clinicians to decide on mental health along a single dimension on a scale of 100 points. The lowest functioning level of the individual during the previous week is the basis of GAS ratings (Thornicroft and Tansella, 2010). Furthermore, assessment helps the mental health nurse to decide the extent that the patient can do independently alongside the extent of help they need and the type of intervention necessary. A patient with a mental health problem for example, may need more encouragement for their hygiene needs, which means that their therapeutic care plan may include this aspect (Spouse, Cook and Cox 2008). This can be further considered in Jane’s case. Reflecting on Policy on Mental Health Capacity Implementation of mental health policy is an intricate process, including a number of different financial, technical, and political issues.   Teaching programmes for mental health policy usually intend to develop the knowledge of the public on health professionals and other people playing a significant role in the development of mental health policy.   Some programmes are specifically focused on issues of policy and service development; in particular, tackling the needs of those who are directly involved in the accomplishment of mental health policy, as well as in the development of research capacity (Patel, Minas, Cohen et al. 2013). Recommendations Recommendations for the nurse’s speciality include the following: Provide specialist skills and special therapeutic orientation to mental health nurses. This will train them to deliver research-based care and treatment to service users with learning disability/mental problems. Identify the need for the mental health nurse to develop skills in psychotherapy, which is resonant to interpersonal relations perspective to mental health nursing. This will highlight the nurse’s central role in mental health, which is his personal relationship with the patient (Norman and Ryrie 2013). Develop electronic health record systems for assessment. This will prepare professionals of health information management assess their situation in a more realistic manner. These record systems are necessary because of their use in storing patient data over time, such as test result data, diagnoses, problem lists, and so on. The client’s clinical information is necessarily retrieved by practitioners through their work station. Standard coding systems defining data consistently are suggested, specifying the capacity to pursue the outcomes of the health care process (Harman, 2001). How the Nurse Can Contribute to Best Practice and Actively Justify and Promote Quality Care The nurse can contribute to best practice by establishing an active participation in the mental health process via the integration of appropriate technology that can speed up the assessment process. Through evidence-based and person-centred intervention, the nurse will be able to help tackle several mental health needs, which can benefit clients like Jane. Evidence-based practice is now a current adoption in mental health care, which involves selecting the best interventions with a specific client and promoting specific interventions for definite problems/illness based on treatments that are supported empirically. Such evidence-based practice includes a consideration of the patient’s characteristics, preferences, and culture (Corey 2013), which the mental health nurse must take account of. These aspects had been mentioned in Jane’s case but needed further highlights to become more viable to the assessment process. The concept of social inclusion in mental health presents best practice to the mental health nurse, who has the primary role in conducting an inclusive assessment process. With the promotion of social inclusion, the mental health nurse becomes culturally competent in providing a service that harmonises with the client’s cultural and social background and value system. This is an area of best practice for the mental health nurse’s task in the assessment process. Further, looking at the cultural and social context of the patient needing care rather than merely focusing on his demographics as well as the historical development of the mental illness provide evidence-based considerations for future practice. Racial and ethnic differences in mental health care had been documented to demonstrate this point. Such factors as gaps in access, disputed diagnostic procedures, and limited specifications of competent treatments are reflective of what needs to be further emphasised in mental health care. In conclusion, the assessment process within the mental health care for patients with learning disabilities and mental problems needs procedures and strategies that are aligned to social inclusion and considers ethical, social, and political aspects of the process. Hence, a specialist assessment may be carried out in order to evaluate the patient’s strengths and difficulties alongside their current distress and potential replicable support. References Acquah, F. (2012) Utilising Untouched Mental Health Nursing Skills in Private Practice. Australian College of Mental Health Nurses: Mental Health Nursing in Primary Care: Putting the Pieces Together. Canberra. Barker, P. J. (2004) Assessment in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: In Search of the Whole Person. Second Edition. UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Basavanthappa, B. T. (2007) Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd. Boyd, A. (2008) Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice. PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Chang, E. C. (2012) Handbook of Adult Psychopathology in Asians: Theory, Diagnosis, and Treatment. London: Oxford University Press. Coffey, M. and Hannigan, B. (2003) The Handbook of Community Mental Health Nursing. First Edition. Oxon: Routledge. Cordall, J. (2009) ‘Risk Assessment and Management’.   In Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health Nursing. ed. by Woods, P. And Kettles, A. M. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Corey, G. (2013) Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Ninth Edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Davies, J. L. and Janosik, E. H. (1991) Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing: A Caring Approach. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. Dillion, P. M. (2007) Nursing Health Assessment: A Critical Thinking, Case Studies Approach. PA: F.A. Davis Company. Elder, R., Evans, K., and Nizette, D. (2013) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Third Edition. NY: Elsevier Health Sciences. Freeman, A. (2005) Encyclopedia of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. NY: Springer Science. Griffin, D. J. (2012) Hospitals: What They Are and How They Work. London: Jones Bartlett Learning, LLC. Harman, L. B. (2001) Ethical Challenges in the Management of Health Information. London: Aspen Publishers Inc. Harrison, M., Howard, D., and Mitchell, D. (2004) Acute Mental Health Nursing: From Acute Concerns to the Capable Practitioner. First Edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Hindle, A., Coates, A., and Kingston, P. (2011) Nursing Care of Older People. London: Oxford University Press. House of Lords (2007) Improving the Mental Health of the Population: Can the European Union Help? Volume II: Evidence. London: The Stationery Office. Hopp, L. and Rittenmeyer, L. (2012) Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice: A Practical Guide for Nursing. PA: E.A. Davis Company. James, L. C. and O’Donohue, W. T. (2009) The Primary Care Toolkit: Practical Resources for the Integrated Behavioral Care Provider. New York: Springer. Kettles, A. M. and Collins, M. (2002) Therapeutic Interventions for Forensic Mental Health Nurses. England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd. Kettles, A. M. and Woods, P. (2009) ‘The Theory of Risk’. In Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health Nursing. ed. by Woods, P. And Kettles, A. M. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Kleinpell, R. M. (2013) Outcome Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing. Third Edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company LLC. Lake, J. (2007) ‘Integrative Mental Health Care: From Theory to Practice, Part 1’. Alternative Therapy of Health Medicine, 13 (6), 50-56. Markowitz, J.C.   and Weissman, M. M. (2012) Casebook of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. London: Oxford University Press. Morrison-Valfre, M. (2013) Foundations of Mental Health Care. Fifth Edition. London: Mosby, Inc. Murray, B. L. and Upshall, E. (2009) ‘Risk to Self’. In Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health Nursing. ed. by Woods, P. And Kettles, A. M. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. [NHS] National Health Service (2011) Service User Experience in Adult Mental Health: Improving the Experience of Care for People Using Adult NHS Mental Health Services. Retrieved on November 7, 2013 from nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13629/57534/57534.pdf Norman, I. J. and Ryrie, I. (2013) The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: Principles and Practice. England: Open University Press. Patel, V., Minas, H., Cohen, A., and Prince, M. J. (2013) Global Mental Health: Principles and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Pender, N. J., Murdaugh, C. L., and Parsons, M. A. (2006) Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Pryjmachuk, S. (2011) Mental Health Nursing: An Evidence Based Introduction. First Edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Scholarly Editions (2012) Issues in Healthcare Technology and Design. Atlanta, Georgia: Scholarly Editions. Shieves, R. (2008) Basic Concepts of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. Seventh Edition. PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Spouse, J., Cook, M. J., and Cox, C. (2008) Common Foundation Studies in Nursing. Fourth Edition. London: Churchill Livingstone. Thornicroft, G.   and Tansella, M. (2010) Mental Health Outcome Measures. Third Edition. London: The Royal College of Psychiatrists. Timby, B. K. (2009) Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts. Ninth Edition. London: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Videbeck, S. L. (2011) Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. London: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Weber, J. and Kelley, J. (2009) Health Assessment in Nursing. London: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Wilkinson, J. M. and Treas, L. S. (2011) Fundamentals of Nursing – Volume 1: Theory, Concepts, and Applications. US: F. A. Davis Company. Woods, P. (2009) ‘Risk to Others’. In Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health Nursing. ed. by Woods, P. And Kettles, A. M. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Woods, P.   and Kettles, A. M. (2009) Risk Assessment and Management in Mental Health Nursing. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Ferris Bueller essays

Ferris Bueller essays The film Ferris Buellers Day Off is different from our other quest cycle essays. Ferris skips school to show his friend Cameron how to live a little. If Cameron wouldve decided to stay in bed, the days adventure wouldnt have had happened. Camerons safe place is his comfortable bed which he uses as a place for self-pity. Ferris has a different safe place; his is school where he would stay out of trouble. Ferris has been working the school system to his advantage, but his limit is approaching, so he wants to make this absence count. Ferris knows what he is going to do from the moment he woke up. When Cameron finally gets the nerve to get in his car and go to Ferris house he departs from the safety of his home. Ferris call to adventure is rescuing his friend from the stress of his hectic life. The initiation into danger begins in Camerons garage. Ferris has the day planned, and the day involves the Ferrari. Taking the Ferrari is Camerons initiation into danger. Ferris initiation takes place when Principal Rooney, the antagonist, makes the phone call to Ferris home . The struggles faced in this ordeal begin with Principal Rooney chasing him around town to try to make Ferris an example. Cameron is making Ferris task of showing Cameron a good time difficult. Ferriss girlfriend seems to be their super natural aid, she helps Ferris liven Cameron up. The biggest struggle is getting rid of the miles that put on the car by the garage workers. Ferris causes an inner-change in Cameron: he realizes that he cant fear life, he accepts that he must take the bull by the horns, and stand up to his father. Cameron separates from Morris, his father, and becomes an adult. Finally taking responsibility for him self and growing up. The final struggle is Ferris rushing home. He makes it home, only to have Rooney waiting for him. Another supernatural aid is his sis...

7 Warning Signs Youre Unhappy at Work

7 Warning Signs Youre Unhappy at Work Just like in your car, where there are alerts to let you know when important systems are not performing as they should, there should be alerts for when you aren’t either. We are all guilty of being on autopilot now and then on the job. But sometimes we don’t realize just how much of our attention has been diverted away from our work- until it’s too late to make necessary corrections. Here are 7 good signs that you’re unhappy at work and might want to rethink your situation and either re-engage with what you’re doing, or start looking for something else.1. Not CaringIf you’ve started to be the one with the â€Å"I don’t care† attitude, who just shows up and does the bare minimum and doesn’t take initiative or pitch in? That’s a problem. Getting your job done well is just as important as getting it done well enough. Besides, this probably means you’re not thinking enough about your future there and setting the necessary career goals for yourself.2. Lateness/Not Coming InIf you’re flagging, you might tend to be late or absent more than you realize- just from a lack of interest and engagement. Or worse- you’re getting sick more often because you’re miserable at work. Either way, it is a warning sign.3. Quality SlipDo you remember when you first started and you were so eager to dot your ‘i’s and cross your ‘t’s? Remember your attention to detail? Your go-get’em attitude? If those days are so far gone that you can’t remember trying so hard or performing so well at work, then you should take stock.4. MoodinessIf your moods are swingier than usual, and your emotions seem to be that much more out on your sleeve, this might be a symptom of being â€Å"over it† at work. Particularly if you no longer care who knows how grumpy you are at any given time.5. Isolating YourselfDo you notice that you are physically pulling back? Using s tandoffish body language, like leading away from the table with your arms crossed during meetings? Or standing apart from the group? Not accepting happy hour invites? Or maybe you feel overlooked or invisible? Whether your isolation is physical or mental, it’s not a very good sign about your level of engagement.6. Not Raising Your HandYou used to be all about collaborating, making creative suggestions, giving your input. Now? You’re basically silent, and speak only when spoken to- even in brainstorming sessions. If you’ve stopped generating new ideas as well†¦ time to rethink things.7. Being MehGeneral lethargy- or a noticeable lack of energy over a sustained period of time- is one of your biggest warning signs. If you’re showing up to work, but not really showing up anymore, then you might want to see what needs to change. It’s either going to be you, or the job. Either way, better to know and be proactive!

Current and Fixed Assets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current and Fixed Assets - Essay Example The exchanging over or turning over of this assets is usually done during the normal business environment. These assets include cash and cash in-equivalents which re the liquid assets. These include currency, deposit accounts and negotiable instruments like money orders and bank drafts. There are also short term investments which include trading securities. Other items are receivable assets, inventory and prepaid expenses (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.298). Fixed assets are generally termed as PPE to mean property plant, and equipment. These assets are purchased mainly for long term use. They are used in earning the business profits. These may include land, buildings, machinery, tools, and furniture. They are usually written off against profits in the balance sheet. In management accounting fixed assets are also called capital assets. These assets are attached with monetary value and not the liquid cash like in current assets (Bott, 2005.pp.165). Discussion In a balance sheet there are usually decreases and increases in the assets of the company, both fixed assets and current assets. in the balance sheet an increase in the fixed and current assets is usually debited while a decrease in the two is usually credited. If the asset is capital plus liability then debits are the same as the credits. For double entry to be reflected in the accounts every debit must have a corresponding credit entry. The assets are usually different from liabilities and they take different sides in the balance sheet. To balance an account will simply mean to obtain the difference between the totals of the two sides of an account. If the details of the on the debit side is higher than of the credit side the balance is said to be a debit balance. If the totals on the credit side are higher than of the debit side, the balance is said to be a credit balance (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.300). In this company the fixed asset is the file server which is worthy $15,000. This is property of the com pany thus it will be debited. The amount which the company has paid will be credited and the amount that they will get from the same will be credited. What really happens is as shown on the next page: ACCOUNT TO RECORD ENTRY IN ACCOUNT SIDE Asset(fixed and current) An increase Debit Left Asset(fixed and current) A decrease Credit Right The debit side is usually left while the credit is usually one the left side. The $15,000 will therefore be on the left side since it will be an increase in assets of the company. This is a fixed asset because it cannot be converted in quick or liquid cash. The amount which was paid by the company, that is, $5,000 will be a decrease in asset and this will be credited on the right side of the balance sheet. The money which they will get after selling the software packages will be an increase in the company’s current assets and this will be debited on the left side of the balance sheet (Bott, 2005.pp.159). The profits that are got after selling t he software packages will reduce the company’s properties but this will be replaced by the cash that flows in the bank. The two will be written in different sides of the balance sheet. After the property is sold, the value of them will increase since it will bring in addition profits to the company (Ingram & Albright, 2006.pp.291). When there is no change in the assets then the company

To what extent does personality predicts employee performance Essay

To what extent does personality predicts employee performance - Essay Example Moreover, this practice rewards HR professionals with sustainability and confidence inside the organization as they can foresee unwanted reactions and responses. Personality analysis is crucial to use in HR practices to advance hiring practices, predict behaviours and motivate employees at work. Personality tests as a common practice in HR management were developed as a result of meta-analytic studies in 90s. According to Hakstian & Ng (2005, p. 405), initially they were appraised because their results granted predictability and validity of employees’ performance. Since then personality tests have been actively integrated in HR management. Most of these tests are based on â€Å"Big Five† personality model. According to it, there are five main personality variables which influence people’s behaviour; they include openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness and consciousness (Judge et al. 1999, p. 624). HR professionals design tests in order to identify these factors in each personality. Companies tend to conceal their testing practices as they exist for internal use only. It is the reason why there are not many sources available in regard to the studied issue. At the same time, there are some surveys, publications written by HR professionals and corporate reports which reveal that personality tests are successfully integrated in HR practices all over the world. For example, according to Rothstein & Goffin (2006, p. 155), 30% of corporations in the United States used special personality tests in their hiring procedures in 2003. Personality measures can target different characteristics of current or potential employees; they can test integrity, performance effectiveness or personal expectations. Integrity tests remain the most popular and one of the most complicated to analyse. Rothstein & Goffin (2006, p. 155) state that there are around 5 million applicants who do this tests and 20% of the Human Resource

Series Nip tuck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Series Nip tuck - Essay Example In essence we all crave for perfection. It can be easily said that in the present world, where beauty is depicted by waif thin models , whose perfect figure, perfect features and perfect walk symbolise the very idea of womanhood/manhood , an average person's entire idea of self esteem and personal worth is based on how good he looks .If he or she doesn't look good then he runs the risk of facing rejections in getting employment, in personal relationships and in forging new contacts. Depression and low self-esteem can be only the tip of an iceberg of difficulties that unattractive people have to face. People with facial scars or burns have reported symptoms ranging from social withdrawal to body dimorphic, agoraphobia to anxiety, sleeping difficulties to suicidal impulses. It is becoming increasingly evident that being perceived as ugly can seriously detract from one's quality of life, while being attractive can bring a whole raft of benefits. It seems clear that beauty or the lack of it is no longer merely about aesthetics, but is now a health issue. Everyone dislikes some aspect about their own appearance, inc... ect about their own appearance, increasingly so when the outrageously beautiful are promoted as the norm in advertising, television, music and cinema. Some people are not satisfied with their small nose while others have complaints with their cheekbones, some people fret about the shape of their eyes while others would prefer their waist be a little thinner. The dislikes have become more intolerable bordering on almost a complete prejudice as with the latest advancement in medical science and particular cosmetic surgery , getting perfect cheekbones has become as easier as getting a cheese burger . It is this very idea and obsession about getting a perfect exterior that is portrayed and dramatically depicted in the series running on a famous American channel FX. The name of the series is nip /tuck .It is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy for FX Networks. It had the highest ratings as a new series on American basic cable, nominated eleven times for an Emmy and eight times for a Golden Globe and the reasons for its popularity is but obvious. It has become controversial and famous for addressing and exploring various taboo subjects . It is currently in its fifth season, and has aired seventy three episodes as of February 19, 2008. It is often Billed as "a disturbingly perfect drama ". The main characters of the series are the two cosmetic surgeons whose business is to make their customers have a perfect exterior as they run a cosmetic surgery Clinic under the name Troy/McNamara, where Troy and MacNamara are the respective surnames of the two surgeons.

Commercial Contracts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Commercial Contracts - Essay Example Unless the seller can proof that all the goods were defective, the buyer is entitled to decline such a move and seek for legal redress. Watchtower vs. Classic Gift Ltd The two partners entered into a contract, where Watchtowers Ltd was supposed to supply Classic Gift Ltd with both the antique watches and the cleaning oil. The latter owns several shops that specialize in the sale of such watches. The managing director of Classic Gift Ltd agreed on a contract with Matthew Achbold, who was the sales director at Watchtower. It is this contract that was supposed to bund the two parties, in ensuring that everything happened according to the stipulations therein. The challenge After the delivery of the goods to Classic Gift, it was found that some of the oil provided had some defects. According to the letter addressed to the sales director of Watchtower, the oil led to malfunctioning of some watches, which were cleaned. It is because of this issue that Julie Fitz thought that they were enti tled to compensation because of the losses incurred. In their reply, the Watchtower indicated that indeed one of the batches of oil supplied may have been contaminated or had defects. The sales director however appeared to defend the fact that the rest batches were up to standard. However, according to the letter addressed to the supplier (seller), the buyer wanted full refund of the money used to make the purchased. In addition to that, the seller insisted that they need to be compensated due to the number of watches that had been affected. For that, reason, apart from refunding the total amount of purchase, there was need to further pay 2,000 pounds. Discussion Prior to the purchase of the materials, Watchtower provided Classic Gift Ltd with a document 1, which provided the terms and conditions that would make the contract legally binding. Some of the stipulations were that for the contract to remain binding, both parties had to address each other in writing, and within some stipu lated period of time1. Secondly, the seller was supposed to ensure that he supplied goods that were free of any defects to the buyer. However, to facilitate this provision, the buyer on the other hand was supposed to inspect the goods sent to ensure they were of the required standard and quality, upon detection of any anomalies, the buyer is obligated to address the buyer in writing, giving their dissatisfactions in the goods2. However, such a complaint was supposed to be done within the first 14 days. If these days elapse, the buyer was not entitled to any compensation. As part of ensuring that the seller was compensated, the terms and conditions stipulated that, the seller would either get partial or full refund. In addition to that, the seller may be provided with another butch of goods that meet the required standard. From the above explanation, it is clear that Classic Gift Ltd was entitled to compensation. The letter addressed to the supplier was made within 14 days. The lette r highlighted the losses that the company had suffered due to the contaminated oil. According to Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, it is imperative to ensure that the buyer of the goods proof reasonably that there was actually a loss that was incurred. Such a loss must be linked to the mistake done by the seller. In the above issue, it is outright that the seller was entitled to remedies. Firstly, it appears that the buyer may have had the knowledge that some of the oil supplied was defective.

Tort Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort Coursework - Essay Example It was argued by Gray that he had been beset by these ills, as a consequence of the post traumatic stress disorder engendered by the negligence of the defendants2. Gray’s claim was that in the absence of the defendants’ tort, he would not have been deprived of his earnings. Therefore, he contended that he had been put to a loss. Moreover, Gray claimed damages for the loss of earnings, prior to and subsequent to his killing of the pedestrian3. The legal doctrine of ex turpi causa oritur actio implies that an illegal or immoral act cannot constitute the basis for a cause of action4. The courts are required to adopt a non rigid stance, whilst effecting the doctrine of ex turpi causa oritur action. As such, it is essential for the court to apply the test of public conscience. Hence, it should arrive at a judicious balance between the negative outcomes of granting relief against those arising from the refusal to grant relief5. In Gray v Thames Trains Ltd, Lord Hoffmann stated that the maxim ex turpi causa was more of a policy than a principle. Moreover, such policy depends on a combination of several factors; which could vary, in accordance with the situation obtaining, in a specific instance6. Therefore, the court does not encourage a plaintiff to recover some benefit out of his own illegal act. Gray’s capacity to earn had been rescinded, due to the imposition of the hospital orders. The House of Lords, opined that the award of damages to the claimant, in respect of the loss of earnings, for the period, during which, the latter had been subjected to the orders of the civil court; would be at variance with the policy, on which these orders had been made7. In this case the House of Lords analysed the issues relating to causation and public policy, with regard to psychiatric illness. Lord Phillips had opined that

Oil and gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oil and gas - Essay Example The employee’s team will be enticed through the promises of better hours, bonuses and the additional perks. This will ensure that the employees are always motivated and thus they will not leave the company for better payment. Zz company will also prevent the live company from outweighing them by ensuring that they will not handle the main areas of their concern.zz company will handle themarketing,geographical,exploration and production by offering the competitive salary to employees,encouranging growth, open channel of communication, promoting balance,moltivating and engaging employees. The zz employees will not leave their job for the better salary because the company will ensure the personal career growth of all the employees. The company will offer a career advancement opportunity for all the employees through guiding them and placing them in their areas of specialization. This will help the employee to understand that they are much appreciated and it will even attract the employees from the live company to come and be employed by the zz company. The open channels of communication will encourage the employees in the zz company and they will feel more involved in the operations of the zz company. The zz company will develop a good communication channels and network between the employees and the decision makers which will make the employees to feel that they have a big role in the company. This will ensure that the employees are much connected with the management and it will build the credibility and trust between the employees and the company. The zz company will motivate and engage all the employees in the company’s affairs and they will be able to realize that their effort in t he company are realized. This will build a strong relationship which will ensure that the live company does not take advantage of

Tort Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort Coursework - Essay Example It was argued by Gray that he had been beset by these ills, as a consequence of the post traumatic stress disorder engendered by the negligence of the defendants2. Gray’s claim was that in the absence of the defendants’ tort, he would not have been deprived of his earnings. Therefore, he contended that he had been put to a loss. Moreover, Gray claimed damages for the loss of earnings, prior to and subsequent to his killing of the pedestrian3. The legal doctrine of ex turpi causa oritur actio implies that an illegal or immoral act cannot constitute the basis for a cause of action4. The courts are required to adopt a non rigid stance, whilst effecting the doctrine of ex turpi causa oritur action. As such, it is essential for the court to apply the test of public conscience. Hence, it should arrive at a judicious balance between the negative outcomes of granting relief against those arising from the refusal to grant relief5. In Gray v Thames Trains Ltd, Lord Hoffmann stated that the maxim ex turpi causa was more of a policy than a principle. Moreover, such policy depends on a combination of several factors; which could vary, in accordance with the situation obtaining, in a specific instance6. Therefore, the court does not encourage a plaintiff to recover some benefit out of his own illegal act. Gray’s capacity to earn had been rescinded, due to the imposition of the hospital orders. The House of Lords, opined that the award of damages to the claimant, in respect of the loss of earnings, for the period, during which, the latter had been subjected to the orders of the civil court; would be at variance with the policy, on which these orders had been made7. In this case the House of Lords analysed the issues relating to causation and public policy, with regard to psychiatric illness. Lord Phillips had opined that

“Romeo and Juliet” and Act 4 Scene 1 of “Much Ado About Nothing” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and Act 4 Scene 1 of â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing† Essay In this essay I will focus on the relationships between father and daughter in both Romeo and Juliet and also Much Ado About Nothing. As in both RJ and Much Ado both father and daughter were in a family conflict on the same debate of romance. I will focus on the 4 different aspects on about both of these plays such as the social and historical influences on display in the scene, the cultural historical traditions, the effects of character actors and finally the layers of meaning, idea’s and themes. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy as the two star crossed lovers die in order to for the Capulet’s and Montague’s reunite and put an end to being enemies towards each other. On the other hand Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy, whilst this genre does generally contain a potentially disastrous conflict which threatens harm to the characters, the conflict is resolved by the end and all ends happily so this conflict is much more minor than the conflict in Romeo and Juliet. In both plays the girl’s conflict with their fathers comes as the central crisis point of the play Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 5, Much Ado About Nothing Act 4 Scene 1. It is the key moment of crisis in each play after which they both head in very different directions. Lady Capulet proposes that her daughter has a â€Å"Careful father† which exposes things like how Lady Capulet expresses the feelings that she is supposedly to have towards her daughter and her husband. Instantly the audience senses that Lady Capulet may entirely be terrified of her husband although it isn’t actually shown in the play. Most parents ask their daughters/son to get to know the person who they could marry, however Lord Capulet demands that Juliet marries Paris and also if she disobeys her father’s orders than Lord Capulet would disown her. On the other hand Lord Capulet has gone behind his daughters wishes and consent by securing the marriage with Paris. Shakespeare doesn’t conclude this so he infests a seed into Juliet’s mind. Shakespeare does this by emphasising Lord Capulet’s reaction when Juliet disagrees to follow his rules. Juliet understands that both her parents are in this â€Å"deal† with Paris therefore this has to play in favour for her father. Juliet immediately introduces the idea that her father isn’t doing this for his daughters well being but he is only doing this for his own benefit. However â€Å"culturally† this is Lady Capulet’s job to make sure her daughter marries Paris, this is because she is the wife and also the mother of her 13 year old daughter. The audience comprehends that culturally and socially this would be outrageous for her to do so. Shakespeare cunningly makes Lady Capulet distant herself in such a way that nobody notices apart from the audience. This backs Juliet into a corner where she than decides what she has to do next. In this case she patently decides to fool everyone into thinking that she has died a horrible death.

Dell: Competitive Advantage Case Study

Dell: Competitive Advantage Case Study Dell Computer is a leader in the e-commerce computer hardware market. It is an established brand that leads personal computer manufacturers both in U.S. sales and overall online sales. Its trademark method of selling products to customers, corporate and individual consumers, originates from the Dell Direct model, a Web-enabled infrastructure that allows customers to customize their PCs and order other products they need or desire. This virtual integration structure eliminates the need to manufacture everything, and instead uses the power of the Internet to share and exchange information with suppliers and vendors to build a truly superior supply chain that keeps inventory turnover low and costs to a minimum (Harrington, 2002). The primary method Dell uses in order to achieve and sustain their competitive advantage is a unique, direct to customer business model (Dell, 2007). The model is known as Dell Direct, referring to the relationship between the company and its customers as being direct. This model helps Dell focus on price for customization, service and support, performance, latest technology and superior shareholder value. Additionally, Dell is able to distinguish itself from its competitors with its customized on- demand manufacturing. Through customisation of the products manufactured by dell, the company has the ability to offer more value for the money of its customers due to the removal of the intermediaries in the manufacturing, procurement and distribution processes of Dell. Dells primary resources include the most advanced technology, which allows the company to successfully move along their superior supply chain and achieve the value they strive for. Dells value chain allows Dell and its suppliers to exchange information and interact with each other. The Internet, Dells important IT factor in its success, results in lower costs to customers than other retailers, the customers tell Dell exactly what they want and Dell creates products for the consumer without experiencing wasteful resources in production (Breen, 2004). Overall, it is evident that Dells competitive advantage lies in its Direct model success. Through Dells IT performance, which combines its resources, its relationship with suppliers and its consumer communication capabilities, Dell has attained a big advantage over its competitors. Analysis of Dells Competitive Advantage: Dell carries the tag of being, one of the best computer systems company in the world. Dell is able to sustain a competitive advantage over competitors in the computer industry because of an extremely efficient supply chain/distribution system. Dell is able to achieve superior profits in the industry because they are a knowledgeable user of information, communication, e-commerce, e-business, internet, and web technologies. Dell implements a Just-In-Time inventory system which operates on only 6 days of inventory. Dell is able to achieve greater profit margins and increased profits because of their inventory system. Inventory and labor are the highest liabilities of a firm. Operating only with 6 days of inventory, allows Dell to reduce its expenses on hiring people to track and maintain inventory, warehousing, and holding on to obsolete technology. This allows Dell to free up cash flow to invest in other value adding activities. The direct Model strategy compels the company to use a JIT inventory system, as the customers are only allowed to order directly from Dell. Dell uses their website www.Dell.com to take customers orders. The organization focuses on direct sales, cutting out other distribution channels entirely. This allows for a deeper relationship with the customers whereby Dell can offer their customers better service, savings, convenience, and efficiency. Dells use of the internet has revolutionized the company. Dells extremely consumer friendly website offers the customers to place their orders with ease. The separate Premier Pages on Dells website designed for Dells large accounts like corporation, educational institutions and Government, delivers easy navigation, dynamic price upgrades and wide range of available options. Customer relationship management software keeps close tabs on the types of computers that customers are buying. Not only does Dell use the internet to make the customer ordering process easier. They also use the internet to build better relationships with their suppliers. In order for Dell to work off of 6 days of inventory, their suppliers have to be very involved in the company to make sure superior service is met. The use of art production planning programs assist in predicting the quantities of components needed to build the computers. The forecast is passed to the supplier, who respond with cost estimates and plan their production as a result. Dells e-commerce is a huge part of their competitive advantage. Their e-commerce internet infrastructure is so advanced and knowledgeable that by using it to determine trends and demands of their products, they have gained superiority over their competitors. Dell has set up strategic alliances with other companies to have their products sold on Dells direct selling distribution channel. Back in 2000, Palm, Inc. made an agreement with Dell to offer an expanded line of handheld Palm products and accessories. This agreement allowed Dell to drive momentum for the Palm operating system market (Dell: 2000, April 17). Along with Palm, Xerox also partnered with Dell to take advantage of Dells e-commerce. Advantages to Xerox were increased profits by offering the printers with the Dell computers. Advantages to Dell include selling high quality printers along with their computers, but more importantly, it allowed Dell to be involved in the customer buying process for printers. Being involved in the decision making process is the key to Dells success because they see directly what the customers want and determine their production schedule from that information (Dell: 2000, May 22). Dell achieves its competitive advantage over other firms in the industry by having superior supply chain management. Dell utilizes technology to interpret information. By being involved in the customer buying process they are able to determine their customers needs. This allows Dell to streamline production and have close relationships with their suppliers which results in getting timely deliveries in order to mass customize customers computers. Analysis of Dells Business Model: The four markets within an industry are defined as Business to Business, Business to Consumer, Consumer to Business, and Consumer to Consumer. Dell focuses on Business to Business and Business to Consumer commerce to satisfy their business and individual customers. Dell differentiates between classes of customers because the needs of their business customers, who buy large quantities of computers, are different than the individuals who want to configure a single unit. Dells business model is no secret, of course, and its been emulated with considerably less success by many of its competitors (Henricks, 2003). Dells initial success was due to its early implementation of the internet as the means of sales and marketing. Dells direct-to-the-customer strategy presents a highly attractive cost advantage thats tough to ignore. Their direct interaction with their customers continues to be a key driver in sales for the quarter (2000). Dells early work with using the internet helped them get a jump on their competition while their competition was finding it difficult to conduct successful Business to Business operations online since exchanges are still in their infancy and many havent even gone live yet. Matching customer ease of ordering and direct interaction through the internet proved successful because Dell believes that it is the customer that drives the business model. Dell recognized the challenges in dealing with the customers and fragmented them into two distinctive groups with different needs, dealing with the business customers (like corporations) and dealing with individual customers. Dell has done a remarkable job managing these two different types of consumers thus far. In the last couple of years, Dell decided to split their operations into two different websites with separate B2B sites. With separate sites, Dell planned to simplify the Internet procurement process for businesses and institutions of all sizes, generating savings that can range to millions of dollars annually for large customers (1999). However, this idea failed, and Dell had to shut down its B2B site, four months after it launched. Dell said the site failed to attract more than three suppliers. Recommendations to build sustainable competitive advantage in future: After analyzing Dells IT and their competitive advantage as a result of their advanced and successful IT, it was challenging to come up with recommendations to help them achieve more success in an industry that they already prosper in. However, even with Dells current success, we realize that in an ever-changing technology industry, there is always room for improvement. 1) Dell should consider selectively adding other vendors to its supply chain management system. Due to the increase in Dells global sales, Dell may need to consider to selectively adding additional suppliers to their supply chain management system. The additional suppliers should not result in any significant cost to Dell and Dell might be able to negotiate better component costs from new suppliers. New suppliers would want to participate in this exchange because they would be seen doing business with a leading technology company 2) Use Customer Surveys to gain market share. Although Dell does well in its markets overseas, Dell has lost some domestic market share and has more potential overseas. It is important for Dell to advertise and get their products noticed in international markets. In order achieve this goal, in-depth customer satisfaction surveys should be used in markets where they trail their competition. . 3) Invest more in Research and Development. With the growth of quality competition, it is crucial for Dell to keep its competitive advantage by offering new technology products and services. Dell should consider expanding into peripheral product markets that would compliment their computer sales. 4) Dell could offer online data back-up capabilities. Another way to increase revenue is to offer existing customers (business and individual consumers) back-up capabilities on Dells own servers. This process will have advantages for both consumers and Dell. For consumers, especially businesses, if something happens to their plants and computer systems, they can always retrieve their data from Dell who has their information backed up offsite on their system. By keeping their data saved at another location that is maintained by Dell, Dell can make money by charging for this additional service. Dell also has a built-in customer list based on the sales that they make for computer systems. 5) Enhance customer support services. Since successful customer support and communications are crucial to Dells success, it is important that Dell keeps enough well-trained people on the phones and on the Internet for customer support. Based on the results of some surveys that say that Dell might be losing customers because of actual or perceived decrease in support, Dell should do a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether they should invest in more people who can answer technical questions support customers with their problems and needs. References: Dell.com, Supplier Principles: Supply Chain Management System, 2007, viewed 9th April 2011 Harrington, L, The Accelerated Value Chain: Supply chain management just got smarter, faster and more cost-effective, thanks to a groundbreaking alliance between Intel and i2 technologies, 2002 Breen, Bill, Living in Dell Time. Fast Company, 2004, viewed on 10th April 2011,