Hamlet, Prince of Denmar Essay

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare, tells the morbid tale of a young man’s quest for revenge. Set in Denmark during the Middle Ages, the play chronicles the assassination of a king and his brother’s usurpation of the throne and insinuation into the king’s old life, to the point of marrying the king’s own widow. Hamlet, the young prince, is charged by his dead father’s ghost to bring his uncle to justice and restore the rightful crown. When Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, comes to the realization that his young nephew has uncovered his murderous conspiracy, he resolves to assassinate the young prince as well. However, when his attempt to have Hamlet executed in England is foiled, he must find another means to surreptitiously remove the threat to his kingship. After Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, Claudius’ chief counselor, Polonius’ son is filled with rage, resulting in Claudius concocting a plan to match Hamlet against Polonius’ son, Laertes, in a duel to the death. II. THEME The theme primarily seen throughout the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is one of dilemma and indecision. This theme is reiterated often in the play, habitually in situations surrounding young Hamlet himself, due to his immaturity and inexperience. This is demonstrated as early as the opening of the play, in which Old Hamlet’s ghost appears to Hamlet. Hamlet’s difficulty in determining the difference between appearance and reality causes him to question whether the ghost is really a good spirit, or a devil trying to trick him. † Angels and ministers of grace defend us! — / Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn’d, / Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, / Be thy intents wicked or charitable, / Thou com’st in such a questionable shape† (Ham. I. iv.623-627). This theme can also be seen in Act III, Scene iii, in which Hamlet is debating on whether to truly kill Claudius or to spare his life. Hamlet is at the point of deliberation as he sees his uncle kneeling in prayer and remorse, and thus, vulnerable. â€Å"Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; / And now I’ll do’t;–and so he goes to heaven; / And so am I reveng’d. –that would be scann’d:† (Ham. III. iii. 2350-2353). However, at that very moment, Hamlet wavers and begins to have misgivings about doing the actual deed. â€Å"But in our circumstance and course of thought,/ ‘Tis heavy with him: and am I, then, reveng’d, / To take him in the purging of his soul, / When he is fit and season’d for his passage? / No† (Ham. III. iii. 2360-2363). Another example of this theme is seen during one of Hamlet’s darkest hours, in which he is disenchanted with life since his father’s death, as well as disgusted with is mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius. To Hamlet, these momentous events have degraded the Danish court. Hamlet’s strongest impulse to kill himself to avoid debasement, and yet, he fears the damning consequences of suicide. â€Å"To be, or not to be,–that is the question:– / Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them? –To die,–to sleep† (Ham. III. i. 1710-1714). A minor theme in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is remorse. In Act III, Scene iii, Claudius reveals his profound guilt about his crime, and states that he will never be able to seek God’s forgiveness for it. â€Å"My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer / Can serve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder! — / That cannot be; since I am still possess’d / Of those effects for which I did the murder,† (Ham. III. iii. 2327-2330). This minor theme can also be noted when Hamlet regrets not telling Ophelia that he really did love her when he stumbles upon her funeral in Act V, Scene i. Earlier, he had insulted and rejected Ophelia during one of his bouts of madness. â€Å"I lov’d Ophelia; forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love, / Make up my sum. –What wilt thou do for her? † (Ham. V. i.3466-3468). III. DICTION In the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare utilizes an assortment of vivid images to describe certain objects. This enables the reader to form a clear mental picture of what is happening in each scene and of what had happened in the past. †¦ in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kiss’d I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen? Now, get you to my lady’s chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come; make her laugh at that (Ham. V. i. 3375-3381). Shakespeare also makes good use of idialect in the play, which is particularly seen in Hamlet’s involvement with the gravediggers. â€Å"A pickaxe and a spade, a spade / For and a shrouding sheet; / O, a pit of clay for to be made / For such a guest is meet† (Ham. V. i. 3283-3286). These terms are expressions that are commonly used in the mortuatory business. Due to the fact that the play was written centuries ago, the language of the play contains a large amount of poetic diction, with antiquated pronouns as well as inverted sentence order, such as seen in â€Å"‘Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco. / For this relief much thanks: ’tis bitter cold, / And I am sick at heart† (Ham. I. i. 11-13). Precise, exact meanings are used when describing scenes, as well. This is clearly seen in Act III, Scene ii in which the actors are reenacting Old Hamlet’s poisoning by Claudius. â€Å"Neptune’s salt wash and Tellus’ orbed ground, / And thirty dozen moons with borrow’d sheen / About the world have times twelve thirties been, / Since love our hearts, and Hymen did our hands, / Unite commutual in most sacred bands† (Ham. III. ii. 2023-2027). The use of diction greatly contributes to the subject and theme of the play, as well. The use of vivid images, as well as precise, exact meanings enable the reader to visualize the action that is taking place in each scene as well as understand the relationships that are occurring in the play. The inverted word order and use of antiquated pronouns help the reader picture a forbidding time period as well as visualize the conspiracies hatching around Denmark. Why, let the strucken deer go weep, The hart ungalled play; For some must watch, while some must sleep: So runs the world away. – Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers–if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me,–with two Provincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir? (Ham. III. ii. 2142- 2150). IV. TONE The major tone of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is ominous. With the play opening in the dead of night at the walls of Elsinore Castle, the reader can immediately sense the gloom, uncertainty, and anxiety that hangs over the kingdom of Denmark. It seems that everyone is aware of the terrible evil that surrounds the monarchy, particularly all of the circumstances that led to Claudius’s coronation. The threatening possibility of further evil to descend upon the kingdom is unconsciously on the minds of every character within the play. Minor tones can be sensed throughout the story during certain areas. A feeling of morbidity can be felt while looking at specific sections of the story. This gruesome feeling is often felt in association with the scenes involving death, such as the graveyard scene in which the gravediggers are chuckling and singing as they dig Ophelia’s grave. Irony is also another minor tone that can be found in several areas of the play. Hamlet truly loved Ophelia, and, by a twist of fate, he also caused her death in a roundabout way, in the murder of Polonius, whose death so depressed Ophelia that it lead her to insanity, and ultimately suicide. Irony is also especially evident in Claudius’ death, in which he was forced to die in the same manner that he had planned for Hamlet. V. SYMBOLISM Different symbols represent different universal meanings in life and in the story. The most obvious symbol in the play is the poison that is used by Claudius in the murder of Old Hamlet. Poison is also used on the tip of Laertes’ sword and in Claudius’ drink in another attempt to assassinate Hamlet. This poison could also be seen as a symbol of the death and corruption spreading throughout Denmark as a direct result of Claudius’ rule. Another symbol seen in the play is the murder of Old Hamlet by his own brother, Claudius. The death of Old Hamlet by Claudius traces back to the time of the first murder between brothers, and shows a religious parallelism in going back to the story of Cain and Abel. Flowers are common enough in the play, but daisies hold a special meaning as well. Ophelia’s ‘mad scene’ is a scene which is full of flowers. In particular, however, she gives a daisy to Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, which symbolizes faithlessness, in reference to Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius less than two months after her first husband’s death. Upon his suspicion of Claudius’ involvement in Old Hamlet’s death, Hamlet is struck with the inspiration to have actors reenact the death of his father in order to observe Claudius’ reaction. When the moment of his father’s murder is in the theater, Claudius is compelled to leave the room, and the play that the actors perform is symbolic of the guilt that Claudius feels. Perhaps the most famous of all symbols in the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is the skull of the king’s former jester, Yorick. Hamlet holds a few sentimental memories of the jester, who used to give him piggyback rides and play with him. Yorick’s death gives Hamlet an opportunity to contemplate human mortality, as well as remind him that life is not all pessimistic and glum and that there was a happier time in his life. VI. SPEAKER In Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the speaker is in the third person. The author, William Shakespeare, is unnamed and uninvolved. The speaker does not have an active role within the story, yet is omniscient of everything that is occurring within the context of the play. VII. STRUCTURE Within Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare uses chronological order. The play begins with Hamlet discovering that the ghost of his father has been spotted wandering Elsinore castle, and ends with Hamlet avenging Claudius for the death of his father as well as his own death. Although references are made to events that have occurred in the past, such as the murder of Old Hamlet, these events are revealed as the past. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, written by William Shakespeare, is a paperback book consisting of 342 pages. The front cover depicts a man in the foreground, presumably Hamlet, with the image of a lady in the background, presumably Ophelia. The play consists of five acts, with as little as two scenes and as many as seven scenes within an act. VIII. Imagery William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark includes a wide variety of figurative language that helps the reader visualize the story and to guide in the understanding of the plot and the characters. Similes are used frequently throughout the play; the author uses similes often in describing objects around the scene, such as, â€Å"By the mass, and ’tis like a camel indeed† (Ham. III. ii. 2249). Irony of situation is also used in the story. For example, throughout the last half of the play, the reader is aware of Claudius’ plot to assassinate Hamlet by planting poison inside a goblet of wine, and assumes that Hamlet will be poisoned and die. However, in reality it is Claudius and Gertrude who drink the poison instead â€Å"No, no! the drink, the drink! –O my dear Hamlet! — / The drink, the drink! –I am poison’d †¦ Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, / Drink off this potion. –Is thy union here? / Follow my mother† (Ham. V. ii.3788-3810). Alliteration is also used in the play by Hamlet. For instance, he refers to his â€Å"long life† (Ham. III. i. 69). and a â€Å"bare bodkin† (Ham. III. i. 76). An obvious and famous antithesis that can also be found in the play is the line, â€Å"to be or not to be† (Ham. III. i. 58), in which two opposites are juxtaposed next to each other for a dramatic effect. Metaphors were also used to imply comparisons between certain objects. This is clearly demonstrated in Act I, Scene ii during Hamlet’s soliloquy where he is comparing his own flesh to melting ice. â€Å"O that this too too solid flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! † (Ham. I. ii. 312). The play also includes several soliloquies by Hamlet in which he is conversing with no one in particular save himself or the audience. During one long monologue, he is agitated and visibly upset over his mother’s marriage to Claudius and addresses the heavens â€Å"Like Niobe, all tears;–why she, even she,– / O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, / Would have mourn’d longer,–married with mine uncle† (Ham. I. ii. 333-335). To help the reader understand certain situations and see circumstances from his point of view, Hamlet described certain objects with human characteristics, such as in â€Å"She married:– O, most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! † (Ham. I. ii. 340-341). Hyperbole is the use of figurative language that greatly exaggerates facts; for example, at Ophelia’s burial, Hamlet and Laertes are arguing and Hamlet calls for â€Å"millions of acres† (Ham. V. i. 3478) of earth to be piled onto all three of them. The phrase â€Å"Tis an unweeded garden,† (Ham. I. ii. 19). is the beginning of a conceit that extends throughout the book. Shakespeare is comparing Denmark to Eden, relying on the theme of corruption and how it spreads from the head monarch of Denmark (Claudius) throughout the entire court. IX. Genre The Handbook to Literature states that a revenge tragedy is a â€Å"form of tragedy made popular on the Elizabethan stage †¦ largely Senecan in its inspiration and technique. The theme is the revenge of a father for a son or vice versa, the revenge being directed by the ghost of the murdered man†¦ (440). The play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark perfectly fits this description in that Hamlet literally is the son that is directed by the ghost of his father, Old Hamlet, to avenge his death and bring Claudius to justice. Hamlet seeks revenge for the death of his father, which leads to much bloodshed and violence later in the play. According to The Handbook to Literature, a Senecan tragedy †¦ combined native English tragic tradition with a modified Senecan technique and led directly toward the typical Elizabethan tragedy†¦ though reflecting nsuch Senecan traits such as sensationalism, bombast, and the use of the chorus and the ghost, departed from the Senecan method in placing the murders and horrors on the state, in response to popular Elizabethan taste†¦ (472). This genre is also greatly accentuated in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, particularly towards the climax of the play during the duel between Hamlet and Laertes, in Act V, Scene ii, which leads to the dramatic, and somewhat sensationalized, deaths of Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, and Gertrude onstage. X. Metrics Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a play that primarily uses blank verse. The Handbook to Literature defines blank verse as â€Å"unrhymed but otherwise regular verse, usually iambic pentameter† (62). The four lines below are spoken by Hamlet as be deliberates on whether to commit suicide or not. To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, (Ham. III. i. 1710-1714). These lines are written in iambic pentameter, although each of these lines contain an extra unstressed syllable at the end of each line. The majority of the play uses blank verse. However, there are certain areas in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark that employ prose in order to show intense feeling, as demonstrated in Act II, Scene ii. â€Å"†¦ l tell you why; so shall my anticipation / prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and / queen moult no feather I have of late,–but wherefore / I know not,–lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises† (Ham. II. ii. 1340-1343). Prose is also commonly used for expressing madness.

Funding Health Care Services Essay

Health Care Services Recommend How Ambulatory Services Should Be Funded There are many businesses like ambulance services that are private. Their fees are collected by the person that is using the service to be transported to the doctor or the use of their insurance they use to assist with their services. The community also provides some of the services and they are supported by taxes. In some cases, this is very rare. The hospital provides some of the ambulance services which are paid for by their insurance company or the patient for the service that is rendered at that time. In the community where I live, the patient is charged for the ambulance service regardless if someone gets on the ambulance when they arrive at the home. But the service is always community based. This is how the ambulatory service is paid for rather than it getting paid for by our tax dollars. It also depends on the business, county, and state we live in each day. Services provided by the county and state are services paid for by tax base. There is also the use of private ambulance services, or just the use of completely volunteer ones. The use of first responders is funded by the county and the state. At the same time, one can use a private separate ambulance service to assist with the injured person and transporting them. Recommend How Continuum of Long-Term Care Services Should be Funded I recommend that in order to deal with the complicated nature of long-term care, alternative solutions need to be considered. The reality is that the population who is in need of long term care has to consider all of their basic health and human needs met for all the decades of their life. This is an expensive reality. With the expanding population of individuals who qualify for long term care, there needs to be a feasible plan in place in order to ensure the viability of long term services without leaning on limited tax payer and/or government funds. My suggestion is to increase the requirement for pre-graduate internships and/or clinic experiences for students who are seeking advanced degrees in the long-term care services field. These include; medical assisting, nursing, professional counseling, social work, a physical rehabilitation. According to Mulvey, in the US, Medicaid is a government program that will pay for certain health services  and nursing home care for older people. In most states, Medicaid also pays for some long-term care services at home and in the community. Eligibility and covered services vary from state to state. Most often, eligibility is based on income and personal resources. Individuals eligible for Medicaid are typically not in the condition or capable of aging in pla ce, and Medicaid’s expenses are primarily concentrated on nursing home care. The current requirement for these programs before graduation is in the range of 9-12 months of unpaid or low-paid service. If this service graduation requirement were to increase to 18-24 months this would provide many more entry level, yet qualified, individuals the opportunity to provide care for those who are seeking a multitude of services at a fraction of the cost of current programs. The basis for funding should be a combination of government subsidized funds, acknowledging the inherent sympathy that the United States was founded, along with private donations. If the cost of services can decrease, the available funds can stretch further to be able to support additional individuals who require long term care. Recommend How Mental and Behavioral Health Services Should be Funded Mental disorders and mental health problems are treated by a variety of caregivers who work in diverse, relatively independent, and loosely coordinated facilities and services-both public and private (Williams ;amp; Torren, 2010). I recommend that they appoint staff from the Department of Mental Health to develop and put into practice a joint plan to create a continuum of care for elder adults with behavioral health needs based on the Community Support Program (CSP) model. This plan of action should summarize objectives, goals, timeframes, action steps, and a research/evaluation component. It should also make available guidelines for written agreements on local collaboration, which it should include how to decide cross-system disagreements. I also think that resource allocation o should be a main focus. With this being said, this would lay the groundwork for the systems integration needed to create the continuum of care. Next, I recommend that they establish committed funding for services to elder adults with behavioral health needs for the county and state. This already exists for the care of the children. There should be a level of flexibility in order to develop a group of services perceptive to the needs of the individual of the adults. As of now, the state has not funded mental health. I recommend that at least one geriatric pilot project be included in the budget. The project should require integration of the behavioral health and aging systems. I think that this would really be a vital step in addressing the needs of the geriatric population which is really underserved today. Once this is set up, it is my recommendation that the state set aside more money for this funding each year. On the local level, community mental health should make behavioral health services for older individuals a main concern in its yearly plan for the distribution of reinvestment dollars. I also recommend that they require that all medical and nursing students be trained in identifying behavioral health issues, treatment modalities as they relate to the older adults, and the referral processes.

Solar Panel

The local council of Greenville recently made a proposal for all houses and businesses to install solar hot-water systems by 2010. Houses and businesses that who have not installed solar hot-water systems by then would be charged a â€Å"greenhouse levy†. However some residents have expressed anger over the proposal. â€Å"Solar Sellout† published in a local newspaper, an opinion piece and its accompanying cartoon written Bob Walsh, contends that the proposal which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is not appropriate for the small suburb of Greenville.Walsh uses a sarcastic and angry tone which is quite personal, and aims to clearly outline why the proposal by the government is a bad idea. Walsh manipulates the reader by using a series of techniques to convey his point of view. The first technique which stands out is the headline, and the use of a graphic. The headline ‘solar sellout’ is conveying the meaning that the proposal will be exactly that, a â€Å"sellout†. The cartoon stands out instantly due to its size and placement on the page. The image portrays the character of the Mayor.He’s depicted to be a person of obvious wealth, shown by the ‘bling’ worn around his neck and his incredible size. The size of the Mayor also gives the impression that he’s a force to be reckoned with and that the population of the town don’t have a chance of standing up to him. The image shows the two classes of wealth present in the town, one, being the rich, represented by the large, well-kept houses both with solar panels on the roof, yet also clearly the minority. Then the working class which is represented by the collection of smaller houses that aren’t able to afford the panels.The reader then sees the families living in the less attractive houses being forced to pay the Mayor their well-earned money. Wash uses a series of techniques to emphasise his point of view. He commences with emotive la nguage like â€Å"†¦ become a captive of the radical environmentalists† who have made the council their â€Å"captive†. By describing environmentalists as â€Å"radical†, Mr Walsh evokes a sense of fear in the audience, questioning whether environmentalists can be trusted and if they are safe to be consulted with.This leads the reader to question the honesty of the council and their ability to fend off environmental lobby groups who have their own agenda in the scheme. The word â€Å"captive† forces the reader to question the credibility of the council in its ability to make logical decisions on the community’s behalf. Such an implication is likely to leave readers questioning the real motivations behind the council’s decision. The use of the loaded term â€Å"incredibly† coerces the reader to consider the proposal as ridiculous and out of line.Furthermore, it belittles those who are supporters of the proposal and leads the reade r to consider supporters of the proposal as absurd. The author continues with loaded language saying that â€Å"this is a blatant abuse of residents’ rights†¦ † in an attempt to appeal to the audiences self interest and desire for freedom. By describing the citizens as â€Å"innocent† Mr Walsh creates a divide between the council and the residents of Greenville.This intends to imply to the reader that the residents are the victims of the proposal and the council is set to take advantage of the residents. In a bid to add credibility to his argument, Walsh utilises statistics such as â€Å"The cost? $200 per house, and $500 per business! † Wash also uses rhetorical question and then answering it himself. By doing so, Walsh ridicules the suggestion of the cost to the consumer. This appeals to the readers sense of financial security and makes the suggestion seem ridiculous.He also states that even if every Australian household installed hot water systems , â€Å"greenhouse gases would only be reduced by†¦ just 5. 1%†. The use of these statistics is employed not only to add credibility to his own argument but to discredit the council’s claim that its proposal would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The council claim is further made illogically when the author says â€Å"Greenville only represents a tiny fraction of that 5. 1%† so â€Å"how can one suburb’s actions affect the whole world? The author’s sarcastic use of this rhetorical question aims to embarrass the council and its proposal, thus convincing the reader to believe the council’s argument has been discredited and that Mr Walsh’s is the most valid. Finally,Mr Walsh proposes his own solution to this proposal and challenges the mayor to â€Å"lobby governments for more nuclear power plants, rather than squander public money on frivolous solar panels†. The emotive term â€Å"frivolous† intends to ridicule the proposal and coerces the reader to feel hat there are far more effective alternatives than the council’s current proposal. Furthermore, contrasting the current proposal with his own proposal, allows Walsh to appear to be well-informed on the issue, thus he knows what he is writing about. By appealing on the readers sense of self-interest, financial insecurity and suspicion of authority, Walsh persuades the reader to consider that the councils proposal would be ineffective and would suppress individual freedoms and rights; inappropriate for Greenville and the greater good.

Income inequality in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Income inequality in America - Essay Example Income inequality has greatly influenced the nature of government in most parts of the world. Power has always been closed linked to the amount of wealth owned by an individual. It is only those who are rich and have the means regarding wealth, remain leading the country. Elections unfortunately in most countries are done favouring those said to â€Å"own such a nation† concerning wealth. It is also evident that inequality has great impact on the health of the population. Eberstadt and Sally argue that â€Å"health is the most sensitive indicators of the social costs of inequality (5).† Further, inequality causes people to see others differently. For instance, â€Å" inequality causes people to perceive their neighbours as more alien or less trustworthy (Eberstadt and Sally 2).† The notion by many that power goes hand in hand with the financial stability of an individual is totally against the principles of democracy and free human rights and freedoms. Like Rober t Reich would state, â€Å"leaders are born and not determined by social status (Reich 30).† the discrepancy amid the rich and the poor has been a great hindrance to mature politics in any given state. The United States over the 1920's centuries ago, after industrialization, several prominent individuals have worked hard to bring about the mature politics and free democracy at present. Political games of elections conduct regarding wealth factors, is a big blow to the promotion of democracy that has been the target for most countries.

Are People Better Informed in the Information Society (responses) Assignment

Are People Better Informed in the Information Society (responses) - Assignment Example The results from the study showed that children who utilized the internet performed better in their standardized tests, as well as, achieving higher GPA’a. Therefore, it would be wrong to argue that media and the internet have negative effects on individuals. Evidently, as technology is evolving, people will be able to better accommodate communication aspects, as well as, other preferences. Contrarily, Bauerlein Mark believes that the internet has numerous negative effects on children. This is because of the fact that kids are becoming addicted to the internet. This is attributable to the fact that almost ninety percent of the students utilize five hours and below reading books in one week. However, 30% of these students use six hours every week surfing and communicating online. This argument shows that the internet is not From the arguments presented, it is apparent that the internet offers a lot of facts to children thus making them better informed. Despite the agreements and disagreements presented, technology will continue t advance and are the people utilizing it. This means that better technology will lead to accessibility of more information. This is because of the fact that technology challenges people to improve their lives thus getting better

Religion - The Upanishads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion - The Upanishads - Essay Example For instance, when we get to question where life comes from or who created the earth and the heavenly bodies. The Kena Upanishad tries to answer these questions through use of events and words contained in the Kena Upanishad. The overall message underlined in the Kena Upanishad is that God (Brahman) is the overall in charge of everything in the world. A person who knows the truth will acknowledge the power of the Brahman and it continues to stress that human beings are mortal because they fail to fully grasp understanding of Brahman (Parmananda, 2004). Brahman is mentioned in the Kena Upanishad as the ultimate and the whole. The Kena Upanishad tries to explain that all we see or perceive in the world comes from one source which is the Whole. The Kena Upanishad strives to make it known that knowledge of God (Brahman) and the acknowledgement of his power is very important in life. Most of the Upanishads are related in their content and identification with one’s self. The Upanishads relate to the relationship between Brahman and us as human beings. One of the similarities between the Kena Upanishad and the other Upanishads is that it acknowledges that life without acknowledgment of the Brahman is pointless. For instance, in the Isha Upanishad it talks of seeing the world through Brahman as the only we to live since it is not possible to enjoy life and realize happiness. The phrase â€Å"He who sees all beings in his Self and his Self in all beings, never suffers† is a thought echoed through the other Upanishads. Another great similarity between the Upanishads is that all of them begin with a c hant. This is so done so that people can have the time to reconcile with their maker or Brahman. This is because it is difficult to cultivate the teachings of the deities if you cannot make peace with your brothers. The chant helps in withdrawing our minds from different distractions of the world before entering into the spiritual world. However, there are differences between the Kena Upanishad and the other Upanishads is that, the Kena Upanishad tries to explain the origin of Man. The main difference is the fact that this Upanishad tries to locate and expand the human being’s consciousness to the level it becomes identical to God’s consciousness (Easwaran, 2007). It does this through questions and answers, for instance when a disciple asks the teacher about the source of the world. He explains of the world emerging from a Whole and the whole becoming the World. The Kena Upanishads resembles the message available in other sacred books such as the bible whereby the orig in of the World and God is explained in the book of John. Topic Two The Upanishads are narrated in a way that makes the reader to more aware of his life through the teachings. Moreover, the Upanishads does not provide answers since it talks of the things that cannot be seen but rather believe in. Thus, I tend to agree with Alex Levin that the Upanishads make the reader aware of his connection to God through the spirit. The Upanishads are narrated in a format whereby the lessons of understanding God are done through thought provoking phrases. For instance, in the Isha Upanishad, there is this phrase â€Å"Whatever We see, movable or immovable, good or bad, it is all â€Å"That.† This phrase is not necessarily an answer but it tries to jog the mind of the reader to be fully aware of the questions that the Sage was asked. Several texts have been used in the Upanishad to make the reader alert and learn more and not just to get simple answers of life (Easwaran,

Wireless Technology Impact on SCADA Research Paper

Wireless Technology Impact on SCADA - Research Paper Example This is the dawn of the new, sophisticated SCADA. Already, new, state-of-the-art SCADA alternatives or hybrids have emerged in the market. Expect the new SCADA to be more powerful, and more secured, as more cyber-proofing options are being developed in line with the government’s drive to protect the country’s critical infrastructures. This paper will define the SCADA system, its evolution through time until today’s present generation, with all the attendant threats and vulnerabilities that accompany the open architecture of the IT system, with suggestions/recommendations on how to overcome these threats/cyber risks. Sample project analyses aim to show how an upgraded SCADA system will enable ease of operation and control. Industry disasters and mishap should serve as lessons in history. Government initiatives and regulations plus the preponderance of summits and conferences show that governments, industries and business are aware of the constant threats and vulnerabilities, the downside in today’s incredible, amazing computer and technological developments. 1. What is SCADA? SCADA (acronym for System Control and Data Acquisition) is the integrated, computerized industrial process control system used to collect real time algorithms in manufacturing plants and major pipeline industries like water and waste water facilities, electrical companies, oil and fuel transports, oil refineries, mass railways, nuclear power plants, and many more industries. ...

Leadership and Management (Nursing) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership and Management (Nursing) - Essay Example as been consulted and they have been clear about what they value and what they want from their nurses according to the Royal College of Nursing (2005) so mental health nurses are now facing the challenge of meeting those expectations. Nursing leadership is significant in shaping the future of healthcare especially in the field of Mental Health Nursing. However, there is a need for efficient action plans to turn this idea into reality—focusing on the development and realisation of essential management and organisation. There is always a leader trait within a person because leadership is for everyone and it does not necessarily just for the one in-charge. Nevertheless, one cannot become a leader until he or she understands what leadership is about and the driving force for others. This essay aims to explore and critically analyse the management skills and leadership qualities a newly qualified nurse will need in leading others to deliver services in a rapidly changing practice environment; and to provide conclusions and recommendations. Mental health nursing is at the core of recent healthcare system. They comprise the largest professional group in mental health services with nearly 47,000 qualified nurses working in the NHS in England, and another 30,000 support staff working with them (NHS 2006). Health Minister Rosie Winterton (NHS 2006) has expressed that mental health nurses have always been a vital part of effective mental health services and in recent years they have played an absolutely key part in the ongoing transformation of mental health services. The NHS is changing—new roles and new skills of mental health nurses have been developed. Never before had the nurse practitioners face so many challenges with the structure of the NHS likely to be different from what is known by previous generations. New ways of organising, planning, commissioning and delivering services are all now the new reality for nurses and other professions working in the UK

International Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 2

International Business Economics - Essay Example This concept was later popularized in the work of Solow (1957 cited in Prescott, 1998) who had established that the economic growth models which suggest that growth occurs exclusively from an accumulation of resources is unlikely to be permanent and enhancement of productivity is fundamental to generate economic growth. Therefore, there is no singularity in the opinion of researchers regarding the determinants of growth yet there is no denying the fact that TFP is important for economic growth. There is now a growing consensus among researchers that much of the differences between income per capita between the developing and the developed countries can be accredited to TFP differences. The concept of TFP is quite broad and it includes a number of factors like education, health, and skills of the entire human technology, utilization of technology possessed by a country and the absorptive capacity of the economy (Miles and Scott, 2005). Therefore, this essay studies the link between TF P and human capital, TFP and technological progress and finally determines the impact it has on the overall economic growth of the nation. This paper first introduces the concept of TFP, the way in which it can be measured and its main determinants. Then the relation of TFP with human capital and technology is explained in details. Finally, the impact that TFP has on the economic growth is discussed. The burgeoning literature on the South East Asian countries and its growth determinants has also been studied to understand the role of TFP. There are two primary factors for which the concept is aligned to a neoclassical one namely productivity is measured for every factor of production and it has been integrated with the production function. The basic definition of TFP remains same in the works of most of the researchers who observe it as a ratio between net output and the factor inputs.

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

Grants - Essay Example Grants from funding agencies to help promote literacy in primary schools: SAMPLE GRANT NO. 1 . Summary Information : Government Education Grant. Supplemental Education Service Providers’ Program: Study Center. The subject area is: Reading K-4. One on one tutoring: one student for every one instructor. Maximum cost: Rs. 32/- per hour. Target group: Students living on the South side of District Hometown or attending school there. Following the standard elements of a proposal, the main guidelines: First, The Title Page. Then, The Abstract: Regular and consistent classes for improving the reading skills of economically backward children, to make a difference in their lives in all areas. Lesson plans include CIERA (Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement) strategies through guided reading. The over-all focus is on the six dimensions of reading instructions: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, text comprehension, and motivation. Introduction: Statement of the problem: Poor academic performance of non-native English speaking children, from poor families. Purpose of the work: To improve young children’s reading skills before they are caught in a cycle of failure.

Film Journal Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film Journal - Personal Statement Example The motivation factor behind this course of action is to show Fifty Shades of Grey is not advancing modern feminism. My discovery that fits this story particularly is Freud’s treatment of Masochism and sadism in his discussion of sexual aberrations. Christian is a direct embodiment of Oedipus complex. The term is used to signify a child’s desire to have sex with his parents. In our case, Freud might suggest that Christian lacks an outlet that can help him master the Oedipus complex. He thus finds girls and women who can represent his mother and exploits them sexually in order to get the feeling of control of his past and sexuality. Analyzing the movie, The Girl with The Dragon tattoo, I would focus on the incident where Lisbeth is assaulted by her guardian. The movie misses a bold opportunity to project voyeurism in the incidents of recorded or photographed violence. The movie could have revealed more about the real and scary human fascination as well as preoccupation with violence and sex

Globalization, Nation-States and Transnational Entities Essay Example for Free

Globalization, Nation-States and Transnational Entities Essay The historical study of the main characteristics and normative legacy of a nation-state has proved complicated for the social sciences as a whole. During the past few centuries, the nation-state has been deified and demonised equally; it has been regarded as modern as well as ancient form of social and political community; it has been seen as an imagined or imaginary society; rational structure of the community; it has created as much happiness as well as misery; it has been a source for political democracy, cosmopolitanism and ethnic cleansing. It has also coexisted with empires colonies, blocks, protectorates, city-states among other forms of political organisations. It has gone through and experienced the unification, occupation, totalitarian terror, divisions and then unification. It has won legitimacy around ethnic or racial, republican, liberal, democratic class principle and federal (Chernilo, 2007). In spite of all these, a nation-state succeeded to present itself as a solid, stable and as the necessary form of social and political organisation in the contemporary world. The nation-state is a territorial organisation that self-recognizes and deriving its political authenticity from the people and serving as a supreme body for a country as a sovereign territorial entity (Chernilo, 2007). Most people view a nation as a political thing that is self evident, a kind of natural culmination of all societies. It is high time people realised that the idea of a nation that Europe gave to the world was perhaps short-lived political form, a European exception, a precarious transition between ages of kings and the â€Å"neo-imperial† age (Guehenno Elliott, 2000). 1). Modern nation-states have diverse feelings to their territory, compared to the dynastic monarchies; it is semi-sanctified, and non-exchangeable. No nation would swap territory with other states simply, for instance, because the kings daughter got married. They have a discrete type of boundary, in principle defined only by the area of settlement of the national group, although most nation-states also sought natural borders like rivers, lakes, mountain ranges among others. The most outstanding characteristic is the degree to which nation-states use the state as an instrument of national unity, in economic, social and cultural dimensions. This is done by promoting economic unity, first by abolishing internal customs and taxes. Nation-states normally have a guideline to form and sustain a national shipping infrastructure, facilitating business and movement (DiVanna, 2003). Nation-states usually have more centralised and identical public government than its colonial predecessors; they are smaller, and the population less diverse. In several instances, the regional administration is also subordinated to central or national government. They also have an identical nationwide customs, through state’s guiding principle. The model of the nation-state suggests that its populace constitutes a nation, fused by a widespread descent, a common language and various forms of shared culture. When the unity is absent, the nation-state frequently tries to craft it; by promoting a homogeneous national language, through language guiding principle. The nation-states create a common curriculum for both primary and secondary education as a way of fostering a common language. In addition, to create a common identity, history of a nation-state is enshrined in their curricula and taught usually in a propagandistic and mythologized edition, and especially during wars some nation-states still teach this kind of history. Language and cultural policy was sometimes negative, aimed at the suppression of non-national elements. Language prohibitions were sometimes used to accelerate the adoption of national languages, and the decline of minority languages. A nation-state has a constitution that is a set of rules that governs its operations and is official. A state is as well recognised but other countries as independent and with the United Nations by her being a member of the UN. Besides, the state also acts on behalf of the people that are residing in that territory and nation-state is continuous; in the sense that a set of leaders come and go but the nation-state remains, thus its continuity. Nationalism being a product of modernity, reflecting on people’s need to belong to a social group to have a feeling of security in an environment where a people live. Nationalism has been seen as an intense force that has resulted into socio-political conflicts all over the world, besides, it has been an instrument for bigotry and social unrests. The key to lasting business viability in a connected world is that each firm is part of one or more networks of value. Thus collaboration is the pillar to adding value as a network member. More often, people and corporations collaborate because of the profit that may accrue due to such collaboration (DiVanna, 2003) A nation defines itself by not only what it is, but as well as what it is not. It is not a social group, neither is it a religious group, nor a racial group; a nation is what binds together the citizens of a nation is a amalgamation of historical factors that can not be reduced to a single dimension as social, religious, or racial (Guehenno Elliott, 2000) an example of a nation is Germany. A state such as Georgia is described as a definite territory in which a legitimate government has the ability to control its own activities without intrusion from other system of governments (Europa, 2010). It depicts more of a political and geographical area associated with a kind of political body; a nation, on the other hand, describes more of a cultural and/or ethnic entity. The term nation-state implies that the two geographically concur, and this distinguishes the nation-state from the other types of state, which historically come first, an example of a state is Georgia. In addition, a nation-state is understood as a political expression of a single or a central and relatively homogenous ethnic group. It groups very heterogeneous societies, communities loosely under the guidance of a common religious, and/or dynastic tradition. The basis of segmentation that characterise such communities can be geographical, religious, political, social, economical, ethnical, race and even class or caste (European Parliament, 2008), an example of a state is Algeria. 2). The US has territorial boundaries which are not easily swopped. Besides, US is a symbolic community with her people voluntarily dedicate their most important political loyalties in spite of the many meticulous loyalties; economic, spiritual, racial, ethnic, political, social; that otherwise divide them. This gives the people of united state to identify with a common culture as a people of a modern nation-state. In addition, the U. S has an impersonal power structure which bears it legitimacy from a people. A countrys foreign policy, which at time is called the international relations policy, consists of approaches preferred by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals in international relations. The plans are intentionally employed to interact with other nation-states. Contemporarily, due to transnational and globalization activities, the nation-states will also have to interact with non-state actors like terrorists. A nation-state’s interests are paramount; foreign policies are premeditated by the government through high-level decision making progressions. More often than not, creating foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister. In some countries the legislature is also involved in the process. 2 b). An example of foreign policy of US is Security from attack is the most paramount foreign policy of any nation. That is a nation should endeavour to have foreign policies that do not make her vulnerable from physical external attack, either by other countries or by individual actors like terrorists. The focus of US foreign policy is thus, geared towards building a power to defend herself from against attack from other nation-states and these individual actors like international terrorists. Security from attack should go beyond the physical attack to include the domestic wellbeing of the American citizens and protect them against some psychological troubles like the loss of their jobs to foreigners, because of perhaps, poor foreign policy on immigration issues, and trade among others. Foreign policy of the US is national interest or international justice; which focuses on the role of the US when other nations go against human rights like right to life, by some regimes which go to war and engage in massacre, genocide among others. Others argue that US should develop a foreign policy that protects human right when abused not only in American soil but also in other parts of the word. This may take a more noble form as diplomacy and may go to the extreme as military intervention if necessary, and then help with the reconstruction of the nation-state in question, like in the case of Iraq (Page Bouton, 2006). The aftermath of World War II saw the creation of European Union which was seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had destroyed the continent. This followed the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community which, while having the modest aim of consolidated control of the previously national coal and steel industries of its member states, is seen to be the first step which culminated in the formation of the European Union. The founding members of the Community were Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. It progressed to form a peaceful Europe through cooperation in the 1940s. Due to the war between the east and the west in the 1950s there was need for peace in Europe. Therefore the soviet tanks put down protests against the communist regime in Hungary. In 1957, the launch of the first man-made space satellite by the Soviet Union acted as a pioneer in the space race in addition to the European Economic Community or Common Market that was created by the Rome treaty. The emergence of youth cultures took place in the 1960s bringing with it economic growth. In return, the EU countries stopped charging duty on custom in the course of their trade with each other. During this period, they agreed on joint food production control so that everyone had enough to eat which resulted in excess agricultural produce. In 1973 resulted in a growing community when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the European Union, and raised the number of members to nine. This period experienced the last right wing dictatorship in Europe due to Salazar regime being overthrown in Portugal and the General Franco of Spain’s death. The influence in EU affairs by the European Parliament increased and hence all citizens could elect their members directly for the first time. In addition jobs and infrastructure in poorer areas were created when the EU regional policy started to transfer huge sums of money. The changing face of Europe was introduced by the fall of the Berlin wall in the 1980s. Greece additionally joined the European Union followed by Spain and Portugal five years later. The single European Act which is the foundation for a six year program that resolves problems with the free flow of trade across EU borders and creates the Single market was then signed in 1987. In 1989, the Berlin wall was pulled down and for the first time, the border between East and West Germany was opened and led to the reunification of Germany when these two united in 1990. In the 1990s the European Union developed a Europe without frontiers which resulted in Europeans being closer to each other when in central and Eastern Europe there was a collapse of communism. This was when the single market was completed and the four freedoms of movement of goods, services, people and money was developed in addition to the Maastricht Treaty on European Union in 1993 and the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1999. Austria, Finland and Sweden join the other member states in 1995, people are allowed to travel without border checks of passports when as, all village in Luxembourg gave its name to the â€Å"Schengen† agreements, numerous young people were able to study in other countries with the support of EU and with the use of mobile phones and the internet, communication was made easier. From 2000 to present, the European Union experienced further expansion due to the introduction of a new currency for many Europeans. The member states began to work jointly to fight crime and introduced the war on terror after hijacked planes were flown in New York and Washington buildings. More than 10 countries joined EU and between east and west Europe there was a healing of political divisions (Europa, 2010). b). These major institutions of the European Union are the European Parliament or EP which is elected directly by EU’s citizens to act as their representative, the Council of the European Union which is a representative of individual member states and the European Commission which endeavours to sustain the union’s interest as a whole. The three form an institutional triangle which makes policies and laws applied throughout the EU. The new laws are proposed by the commission but then they are adopted by the parliament and council. In addition, the Court of Justice which maintains the European law and the Court of Auditors which checks the union activities finances are other institutions that play important roles (Europa, 2010). Moreover, there are also the European Investment Bank, Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Ombudsman, and the European Monetary Institute (ILO, 2010) The countries that make up the European Union are otherwise known as its member states. Though they maintain their independence, they put their power together in order to achieve strength and influence which they could not as individual nations. This means that they give some decision making powers to created institutions which they share so that issues related to a common interest are decided on with democracy at European level. In total, they are27 are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (Europa, 2010) c). The European Union enables closer relationships between its member states in order to maximize on their collective potential. This applies to economic and political activities such as free trade, freedom of movement, and choice of job. In addition it serves to unify the actions of its member countries in terms of security, foreign policy, and cooperation in matters related to police and justice. A lot of beaucracy that was involved with these issues has since been dissolved. In addition it has achieved its principle aim of ensuring Europe’s stability after the Second World War (ILO, 2010) d). Foreign policy objectives for the European Union include peace building and peace making. This involves prevention and control of war or conflict between member states and other nations. It works to eliminate suffering of related citizens The rule of law and respect for human rights and basic freedom should also be strengthened by pursuing ambitious human rights policy that is based on agreement with the respective clause that is concerned with human rights and democracy. An agreement based upon structured and deep political dialogue should also be established in addition to the implementation of the introduced parliamentary dimension (European Parliament, 2008) 4a). The nation-states and transnational entities pursued by the use of foreign policy tools such as diplomatic negotiations, economic aid, and sanctions, trade restrictions, military interventions, unilateral, or cooperative. These options are evaluated and monitored in attempts to maximize benefits of multilateral international cooperation. A nation-state can use them singly or a combination. b). The consequences of this interaction for international politics are numerous. Some of them include the subordination of national interests of a country to uphold the collective interests of the nation-states, like the United States, or the transnational entities like the European Union. The economic interdependence is likely to either make war between trading partners less likely or, as realists claim, that economic interdependence increases the likelihood of conflict. Such countries that engage in international may be prone to terrorist’s attacks besides, the nation-state can be less popular in other countries when the use military interventions like the case or US intervention in Iraq. References Busby,W. J. , 2010. Who Cares about the Weather? Climate Change and U. S. National Security. Retrieved from http://www. gechs. org/downloads/holmen/Busby. pdf on 12th July, 2010. Chernilo, D. , 2007. A Social Theory of the Nation-State: The Political Forms of Modernity beyond Methodological Nationalism. New York: Routledge. Desmoyers-Davis T. , 2001. Citizenship in Modern Britain. New York, USA: Routledge. DiVanna J. , 2003. Synconomy: Adding Value in a World of Continuously Connected Business. USA: Macmillan. Europa, 2010. Europen Union. Retrieved from http://europa. eu/abc/history/index_en. htm. on 12th July, 2010. European Parliament, 2008. EU strategy for reform in the Arab world. Retrieved from http://www. europarl. europa. eu/sides/getDoc. do? pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2007-0179+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN on 12th July, 2010. Guehenno, J. M. Elliott, V. , 2000. The end of the Nation-State. Minnesota: U of Minnesota Press. International Labour Office (ILO), 2010. European Union (EU). Retrieved from http://actrav. itcilo. org/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/blokit/eu. htm. on 12th July, 2010. Page, B. I. Bouton, M. M. ,2006. The Foreign Policy Disconnect: What Americans Want From Our Leaders But Dont Get. Chicago: University of Chicago Press Rosenberg, M. , 2010. Defining an Independent Country. Retrieved from http ://geography. about. com/cs/politicalgeog/a/statenation. htm

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship

Marketing Plan: Donor Recognition and Stewardship INTRODUCTION Economic recession has had its impact on the number of donors. As the economy is recovering, the trends indicate that non-profit organizations continue to lose donors faster than they gain them even if the giving amounts are increasing. The results are troubling because were seeing a trend of charities relying on fewer donors giving larger gifts, said Elizabeth Boris, director of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. Charities need to work harder on reaching out to new and different groups of donors. More important, however, is keeping donors for longer than a year, since its much cheaper to retain existing donors than it is to continually find new ones. Non-profit sector is undergoing changes. Maybe its the already-begun exodus of Baby Boomers in nonprofit leadership positions. Maybe its the scramble to understand shifting giving habits as younger donors enter the philanthropic discussion in greater numbers. Whatever it is, it makes us rethink donor relat ions, which is undergoing a metamorphosis in both thinking and approach. background Market Analysis. Childrens Health Foundation is an independent incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to raising and granting funds to supportChildrens Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, Thames Valley Childrens Centre and Childrens Health Research Institute. Since 1922, funds raised have helped deliver exceptional care and support for children and their families by providing specialized pediatric care, equipment, education programs, therapy, rehabilitation services and research. Childrens Health Foundation is regional pediatric referral center for South Western and North Western Ontario. Childrens Health Foundation is operating in an extremely competitive industry. Canadas charitable and nonprofit sector is the 2nd largest in the world with 170,000 non-profit organizations. Ontarios 46,000+ NFP organizations employ about one million people, 15% of Ontarios total workforce, and have an economic impact of nearly $50 billion. This represents more than 7.1% of Ontarios GD P- greater than the automobile and construction industries combined. More than 5 million Ontarians donate over 820 million hours of their time volunteering every year, valued at the equivalent of 400,000 full-time jobs. Health care is the second largest recipient of donations in Canada (behind religious organizations) and makes up approximately 13% of all donations received from Canadians. Large philanthropic donations from individuals or corporations are becoming increasingly important sources of donations. At the same time, in both urban and rural communities, donor fatigue is becoming a real concern. As residents continue to be asked to contribute to charitable organizations, there comes a point at which their willingness or ability to donate is exhausted. This is of particular concern in large urban areas like the GTA, where there is fierce competition for donor dollars, according to Anthony Dale, CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. Philanthropy in Canada is highly dependen t on oil and gold prices. Looking back within Canadas philanthropic history, it is noticeable that a year after a recession there was a significant decrease in fundraising contributions. And with Canadas health care system becoming increasingly dependent on philanthropy, its capital planning may become increasingly vulnerable to fluctuations in Canadas resource economy. Philanthropy is essential to the wellbeing of the health care system, allowing hospitals to improve and develop their infrastructure and conduct innovative medical research. This is the reality for Childrens Health Foundation as well, whose infrastructure, hydro, water and salaries only are funded by government. All the specialized programs the foundation provide and equipment is covered with donor dollars. But as we enter the era of plunging oil prices and economic uncertainty, hospital foundations are likely to face harder times fundraising, and this may make any disparities in access to capital projects among comm unities worse. In addition to that, Canadians are becoming less generous and giving fewer donations to charity than they did a decade ago, according to the 2016 Generosity Index published by the Fraser Institute, a think tank. Acquisition of the gift today has become a measuring stick for performance for many non-profits. The fact that 15% of Canadian population makes over 80% of all charitable contributions is evidence of how important stewardship became. Brand Analysis. The brand identity of Childrens Health Foundation which comprises the logo and the tagline is very clear and concise. Their mission to mobilize the community to support excellence in health care, rehabilitation and research for children and their families is fully backed up by all the programs and support they offer (innovative research, world-class hospital facilities and equipment; wide range of financial, legal and moral support to families with sick children). They are very consistent in updating their online s ocial blog, website, Facebook page, as well as uploading not only visuals but also the documentaries on regular basis to strengthen the impact of the message they are trying to convey. Childrens Health Foundation constantly conduct different campaigns to increase their reach and revenue. For the time being they cover South West Ontario, some parts of North West Ontario and have established good relationships with Thunder Bay hospitals. Childrens Health Foundation is promoting their brand on their website by using stories, visuals and documentaries for people to see the harsh reality of ill children and understand the difference they can make with their donations. The foundation also uses the social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to increase their reach as well as newsletters. They are raising funds and increase awareness of the cause by running campaigns, accepting donations on different levels andorganizing fundraising events. Childrens Health Foundations bra nd IDEA (integrity, Democracy, Ethics, Affinity) is very effective which increases its credibility. Childrens Health Foundation focuses on providing full range aid to the sick children and their families by providing high quality support on various levels (treatment, rehabilitation, financial, legal, moral), which is something unique and is the base of their positioning in the market against other non-profit organizations like Sunshine, Save the Children or World Vision. All of these organizations cover different needs of children make their dreams come true, provide financial support or food supplies to malnurished kids. Childrens Health Foundations brand evolve around the most vulnerable part of our society sick children. Because children are our future, donors are very willing to support this cause and it does attract significant amounts of funds. Childrens Health Foundation has raised $8mln. last year. In terms of donations Childrens Health foundation is targeting corporation s and people with various income levels that are not indifferent to the cause as every dollar that comes in is important. The donor segmentation is as follows: individuals, corporations, lifetime giving, legacy, community fundraising. Varied demographics is one of the challenges the foundation is facing when trying to build their donor recognition and stewardship programs because every demographic group depending on level of donations is expecting different things. Looking at the ways to donate, however, it is clear, that the foundation fails to address and engage in their efforts the generation of millennials. The objective of the Childrens Health Foundation is to come up with a plan on how they can recognize and steward all different demographics and customize these programs according to different levels of donations by remaining inclusive. SWOT Analysis Childrens Health Foundation Strengths Brand associated with children. People like to help children. Affiliation with Childrens hospital, Childrens Research Institute and Thames Valley Childrens Centre, so donor dollars are kept under one umbrella. The third largest children health research institute in Canada. Offer various specialized programs to sick children. Strong community event partnerships. Childrens Health Research Institute leverages the seed funding from Childrens Health foundation 10 times over, with external and peer-reviewed grant success. Tax exemption Family Centered care environment through programs as: fund specialized equipment, comfort sick children, establish a new simulation, support families in need, fund pro-bono legal services for patient families. Weaknesses Limited budget. Hospital policy limitations. Limited staff. Targeting a wide range of demographics without particular focus. Website is not very graphic. Opportunities Tap into the market of Millennials and encourage involvement in the cause Cause Related Marketing Innovative donor recognition stewardship programs Having limited resources to focus their efforts towards actions that would bring the biggest return Threats Vulnerable to economic crisis. Charitable giving is one of the first cash outflows that consumers cut back on when money is tight. Since they depend on contributions, they need to avoid the perception of impropriety. Even a small scandal can be damaging. Donor engagements are difficult in hospitals due to health, safety privacy issues Giving trends are changing, its important to adjust competitive evaluation Childrens Health Foundation is competing with every cause being promoted by other more than 60 not-for-profit organizations in London, Ontario. The advantage of Childrens Health Foundation is that their mantra evolves around sick children, which is more likely to win donors hearts than any other cause. On regional and national level Childrens Health foundation is facing more fierce competition. We will look closer at 3 of 13 Children Hospital Foundations in Canada Childrens Health Foundations, Sick Kids and McMaster Children Hospital Foundation, as they are all competing in exactly same field and are part of Childrens Miracle Network. The point of parity is that all these organizations are Hospital Foundations and provide help to children with severe health problems. Competitive Evaluation Childrens Health Foundation Sick kids foundation McMaster Children Hospital Foundation Simple, clear landing page. Appealing video on the landing page of their website. Simple landing page. No specific partners mentioned. Partners are not listed. Partnerships with well-known companies. Not very pictorial when it comes to kids. Very creative in terms of content and use of graphics. Impactful. Good content. Easy way to donate whatever amount you wish to. Different approaches to donate for specific programs. Easy way to donate. There is a donor recognition page on the website. Donor wall shows how the foundation have recognized their donors. No donor wall to identify donors. Conducts bowling competition to save lives of children. Have kids lottery system to raise funds. No upcoming specific programs to raise funds. Does not target millennials. Has a page on their website which allows to create own fundraising campaign and customize it for birthday etc. Does not target millennials. Has an extensive specialized program variety for family support (financial, legal etc.) Deals with a large variety of serious diseases and has a long history and solid reputation as an establishment offering word class programs like Motherisk. Focus on cancer, mental health and eating disorders for children. Sick Kids is very established foundation with long history, strong website and variety of programs they offer. They do target millennials offering them to customize their fundraising activity on Sick Kids website. Childrens Health Foundation should look into this market as well as to enhance their website for a stronger impact. opportunity identification Childrens Health foundation is very similar to competitors in terms of services, target audiences and fundraising activities. The opportunity lies in differentiation. The organization could do that by implementing innovative donor recognition and stewardship program, segment their donors more efficiently to focus their efforts in order to maximize the return and tap into market of young donors. goal statement In this marketing plan, we will focus on developing Donor Recognition Stewardship strategies for several donor segments: Planned giving as one of the sources of large donations to ensure future gifts. The planned giving component can promote long-term endowment building as well as assisting support over time as an inflation hedge. Lifetime giving to ensure loyalty and repeat gifts to support steady funds. Individual giving by millennials to ensure we engage the young generation in philanthropic activities. marketing objectives To increase planned giving by 10% by the end of the year. To maintain ongoing relationship with long time loyal donors. To increase millennial giving by 20% with engaging recognition and stewardship program by the end of the year. communication objectives   Ã‚   Planned Giving: Raise awareness about planned giving opportunities for a good cause -Childrens Health Foundation Lifetime Giving: Increase engagement with lifetime donors to strengthen the relationship. Individual Giving: Raise awareness about giving opportunities among millennials and engage them in such activities. creative objective planned giving Our basic creative strategy is to position planned giving as the most meaningful way to leave a legacy. creative strategy planned giving Target audience for this campaign are people of 60 and above (70% women as they are more likely to donate to health-related charities), who will be soon retiring or already retired with a significant amount of funds or estate at their disposal in South West and North West Ontario. Some of them have already started will /estate planning. They are single with small or no family, married with no children, or married couples with successful children. They have been donating to charities regularly or are connected to charitable giving in other ways, like volunteering. They are quite conservative and relationship is very important to them. This audience is into traditional media and listen to classic radio. They search online for real estate or auctions, could use twitter, but mobile phone is regarded as a practical tool rather than entertainment device. This audience are big fans of both water and motor sports. They have high rates for going to community theatres, baseball games and golf events. And personal finance appears to be one of their favorite indoor hobbies. We have chosen this segment because Childrens Health Foundation finds it challenging to steward this type of donors and often, some of the greatest and most transformational gifts to an organization come through bequests and other planned gifts. In Canada, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce estimates that Canadian boomers are about to inherit approximately $750 billion from their aging relatives over the next decade. Now the baby boomer generation is entering retirement and many are willing to pass on their inheritance to charities rather than to their children. Regional disparities should be taken into consideration as well. Ontario residents expect to get the bigger bequests: 6.4 % look to receive more than $500,000, almost half as many as the 4.4 % across Canada who anticipate receiving such a large inheritance. As the boomer generation ages, it is increasingly crucial for all health care foundations to establish a planned giving strategy, giving donors even more ways to fulfi ll their philanthropic goals and touch the lives of others. The population of people of 55 years of old and over is continuously increasing in London and make up around 35% of its population. Seniors are most likely to donate to health-related charities. Positioning For lifetime Philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is the ultimate way for leaving legacy by providing long lasting value to the most vulnerable part of our society sick children and contribute to our future. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. Recognition and Stewardship Conventional donor recognition and stewardship model does not work for this type of giving. As planned gifts are revocable, deferred and can be changed by the donor at any time, it is very important that these donors are recognized and thanked systematically. Proposals for planned giving could be shared with the current donor database. Planned gifts can be an important part of most major gift proposals to donors who pledge a specific amount while alive to purchase equipment or help pay for construction. A deferred planned gift can supplement this support by creating a permanent endowment that will provide perpetual support for the same program or building. Planned gift proposal could be incorporated into all charitys fundraising efforts. Donors who establish life income arrangements (charitable trusts, gift annuities), arrange for retained life estates, or donate life insurance policies (all irrevocable) as well as those providing for bequests or naming your charity as a beneficiary of their retirement plans or life insurance policies (revocable) should be nominated for Guardian Circle. The common theme of these donors is their belief that providing for the future of the organization is important and that their funds will be used for a noble cause to help those in need when they will no longer be with us. Donors are becoming philanthropists and investors, and will require different types of information, greater transparency and access to leadership. Which means legacy donors should be provided with Inside Reports on a regular basis or perhaps a personal perspective on something happening at the charity. These should be from someone high in the organization and could be sent on society letterhead to reinforce the feeling of belonging to a community of special donors. It is important to meet them face to face and as often as a donor deems necessary. Small tokens of appreciation could be sent on regular basis: crafts made by kids, maybe some tickets to a classical music concert given by sponsor or other type of gift received on the basis of partnership with for profit organizations. There is no cost involved and shows that these donors are being though off. Planned gift donors should be invited into every fundraising event to make sure Childrens Health Foundation has as many touch points with these donors without forcing unnatural interactions like compulsory monthly calls. To keep a database of their birthdays or anniversaries, their children or grandchildren birthdays or other events (exotic holiday, wedding, someone is sick) to make sure that these donors and their families receive a card or follow up phone call (with no ask) on these occasions. Greeting cards could be prepared by kids. It is a very personalized attention, that shows the donor that you care and remember. In this way, it is possible to involve all the family in philanthropic activities and potentially increase donations from other sources. Board members could organize a yearly lunch or dinner evening only for this type of donors to discuss in more detail the struggles and plans of the foundations. The cost of such a dinner could as well be a gift from a restaurant to the Childrens Health Foundation if arranged. Every planned gift donor should have an opportunity to have a tour of the facilities, to speak with researchers and employees of the hospitals at least once, so they would get a feeling of how they can contribute to the cause rather than just see the numbers on the paper. This would help them to feel more involved. Planned gift donors may as well become monthly donors to assist in covering some immediate needs or vice versa, so while maintaining an ongoing relationship it is important to leverage different opportunities and to offer them to the donor as an option. Planned gift donors should have contact details of their main contact in the foundation should he have any questions. All their problems should be resolved in a timely and effective manner. Donors should be publicly recognized to the greatest extent theyll allow, which, would help make planned giving more accessible to other potential contributors. It would be nice to name a building, garden of the hospital or some other place of the facilities after the name of the legacy leader and honor a person with the largest contribution this way. Media Channels Ad on Classic Radio, TV and magazines, brochures to be handed out at theatre, art galleries, golf events, fundraising events; Twitter, announcements on website, face to face, telephone. creative objective lifetime giving Our basic creative strategy is to position lifetime giving as a vital source of income, enabling Childrens Health Foundation continue making difference for many families lives. creative strategy lifetime giving Target Market INDIVIDUALS Target audience is 40+ years old persons (men and women) with advanced degrees and minimum $100,000 + income per household who have already made at least 3 donations in their lifetime. They are either empty nesters or married couples with university-aged children They have high rates for going to the theatre, symphony, art galleries and the ballet. At home, they read lots of books, listen to classical music radio stations and subscribe to business, news and travel magazines. They are politically active, rank high for working on community projects, serving as volunteers and writing letters to public officials. They also support a long list of philanthropic causes, exercising their well-developed social conscience with both their time and money. They read business and travel publications, watch TV golf shows and jazz festivals. This audience is one of the top clusters for buying financial products. These savvy Canadians invest in virtually every kind of mutual fund available. Positioning For philanthropists, the Childrens Health Foundation is an investment that makes a real difference and offers a priceless return a tremendously improved quality of life of children with severe health issues. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. CORPORATE Target audience consists of large and mid-size businesses Childrens Health foundation have not cooperated with. These businesses are looking to incorporate philanthropic activities into their brand and culture to raise awareness and increase their brand equity as well as to contribute to their communities. Positioning For socially responsible businesses, investment in Childrens Health Foundation is a most efficient way to make a difference in the lives of their communities, by helping the most vulnerable part of our society children to lead a quality life recovering from life threatening diseases. Childrens Health Foundation commits to full support for these kids and their families including treatment, rehabilitation, innovative research, financial and legal assistance. We have chosen these target markets because middle class is declining and it is increasingly important to retain the loyalty of the donors to ensure steady revenue flow. Corporations is as well an important source of continuous revenue for charities for smooth daily operations. Childrens Health Foundation is currently working on the recognition and stewardship plan and came up with the below thresholds for lifetime giving. Individual $25,000 $99,999 Individual $100,000 $499,999 Individual $500,000 + Corporations $250,000 + Recognition and Stewardship Donor recognition and stewardship program should be aimed to form deep and lasting relationships with the donors, by adopting a long term ongoing mindset rather than to check off a box on a checklist. Conversation should be dynamic and ongoing rather than static. Ideally every level should have a name of the circle who would enjoy the benefits of a specific level of donation. INDIVIDUALS Individual $25,000 $99,999 Give donor a photo frame of the children being helped. To thank them in person if feasible to strengthen the relationship. Develop a stewardship section on the website where all new memberships of the circle are being announced acknowledging the loyalty and support of the new member. A pin of the circle. Invitations to all fundraising events Individual $100,000 $499,999 A painting with colorful handstamps of children of the hospital as an authentic way to say THANK YOU. It should be given in person. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A pin of the circle. Tickets to an art show or complimentary golf rounds received from sponsor so it would not cost anything and donors would feel appreciated. Individual $500,000 + A necklace made by children in the hospital as a thank you gift. A yearly dinner with board members to discuss issues and make the donors feel they are part of the family and get a feeling of what is happening behind the scene. A pin of the circle. Invitations to exclusive events received from sponsors. Send cards or make a phone call during these birthdays, anniversaries, etc. That way, your donor will know that theyre on the top of your mind. Invitations to all fundraising events. A public announcement (if donor agrees). Media Channels Brochures to be handed out in art galleries, theatres, symphonies, fundraising events; ads in business and travel magazines; TV golf shows or jazz festivals; email, face to face, website, Twitter, LinkedIn. CORPORATIONS $250,000 + At the completion of a project or campaign, provide them with a small photo book that showcases the project from inception to completion. A photo book is tangible evidence of how their dollars were spent and serves as a constant reminder of the organization. When creating the photo book, we should be certain to select results-oriented pictures that are tied to your cause and show the impact our organization makes. Highlight a donor on the website or with newsletter. Include why they are such an important part of your organizations family. Honor major donors that stand out with a personalized plaque. A 2 to 5 minute thank you video to publicly recognize them through social media and promote your organization to other potential supporters. Use social media provide the chance to recognize donors in a regular and ongoing way. Media Channels Face to Face, telephone, brochures, email. creative objective individual giving/millennials Our creative strategy is to position Childrens Health Foundation as a cause that invites our young generation to participate and therefore, make a difference. creative strategy individual giving/millennials Target Audience is men and women from 18 to 30 years old singles or young families. Their income is not very high as they are still in college/university or working in entry level jobs that do not bring high income. These young, tech-savvy consumers find their entertainment online. They are doing volunteer work in an effort to improve their community. They tend to donate to whatever inspired them at the moment and are looking for causes with social value and alignment to a higher purpose. They want to participate and co-create products as well as for disruption of the status quo in ways that appeal to their sensibilities. This group is very influenced by their peers. < Rainforest Deforestation | Essay Rainforest Deforestation | Essay There are many reasons why the rainforests are disappearing right before our eyes. There are two main causes total deforestation, agriculture and fuel wood collection in dry areas. The main cause of the disappearing forests are logging, mining, industrial development and large dams. Tourism is also a large threat in deforestation. They all play a major part in the degradation of all forests. What is logging? Many may ask that question to a forest expert. Logging is simply the cutting down of mature trees for their timber. Large areas of the forest are destroyed only to remove a few of its logs. The heavy equipment used to break through the forest causes even more damage. As the soil is compacted and the trees are cut down by the heavy machines, the chance for the regeneration of the forest decreases significantly. The tracks made by the heavy machinery are a site foe extreme soil disturbance which will eventually erode in heavy rains. Now the lives of all the forests inhabitants are disrupted by the removal of only a few logs. The International Tropical Trade Organization (ITTO), was established in 1988 to regulate the trade of tropical timber, but the amount of logging was insignificant on a world wide scale. Most rainforest timber on the international market is exported to rich countries. There, it is then sold hundreds of times the original price paid to the indigenou s people whose forest have been plundered. The timber is then used for the production of doors, wood frames, crates, house hold utensils, and other items. The next cause of deforestation is agriculture, the shifted cultivators, cash crops, and cattle ranching. The term shifted cultivators is commonly used for the people who have moved into the rainforest and established small scale farms. These people are landless peasants who followed roads into the damaged areas of the forests. Shifted cultivators are being blamed for 60% of tropical forest lost. The reason they are called shifted cultivators is that they are forced to move off of their own land and move into the forest which they had no knowledge in order to sustain themselves and their families. After a time these farmers encounter the same problems as the cash crop farmers do. The foil does not stay fertile for a long time, so they are forced to move or shift again to a new area in the forest destroying it more and more. Its evident that shifted cultivators have become part of the destruction of the rainforests but not the cause. Undisturbed areas of the rainforests are being clea red in order to provide land for food crops and grazing cattle. Much of these crops are grown to be exported to rich industrialized countries, which leaves the poor population to go hungry and fend for their selves. Because of the delicate nature of the rainforest soil the productivity of cash crops grown declines after a few years. Mono-culture plantations are those that produce only one species of tree or type of food. The reason they are referred to as cash crops is that the only reason they are planted is simply to make money and make it fast, with very little concern about the environmental damage they are causing. Most cases involve cattle damage, the cattle damage the land to such an extent where the ranchers have no use for it anymore, they move on destroying more and more of the rainforest. The forest is not the only thing being destroyed; cattle ranchers have exploited the land leaving it barren and stripped of nutrients not being able to sustain any life at all. The third cause of deforestation is fuel wood, fuel wood is used for heating and cooking. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 1.5 to 2 billion worldwide rely on fuel wood for many purposes. The problem is worse in drier regions of the tropics. A solution will probably mean the return of the forest to local people who know how to control it. Another cause is the production of large dams, in India and South America millions of acres of forests are being destroyed by the building of these large hydro-electric dams. It was a dominant view that hydro-electric dams had to be built or these countries would suffer from am energy crisis. The construction of the dams not only destroys the forests but also displaces the tens of thousands of families, not only destroying their land, but also their culture. The rates of waterborne diseases increase significantly. The downstream ecosystems are destroyed by the dams which trap the silt, trapping many valuable nutrients. The irrigation and industrial projects that are powered by these dams lead to extensive environmental damage in the future. The irrigation leads to destruction of soils and the industry leads to pollution. Mining and industry is the fifth cause of rainforest destruction. Mining and Industrial development lead to direct forest loss due to the clearing out of land to establish projects. Roads are built through unattainable land, which then opens up the rainforest. This later causes sever water, air, and land pollution. One more being the Colonization Schemes, government and international aid agencies for a time believed that by encouraging the colonization and the trans-migration schemes into the rainforest, they could improve the poverty felt by the people of the financially poor countries. It has become obvious that such schemes have failed numerous times, hurting the indigenous people and the environment. These schemes involved the relocation of millions of families into over populated parts or the forest. For example, in Indonesia, the Transmigration program begun in 1974. it is believed to be the greatest forest lost in Indonesia, directly causing an average loss of 200,000 hectares. These people suffered the same problem as the shifted cultivators did. The soil was not fertile enough, which made them move into another part of the forest destroying more land that was originally intended. The last cause is tourism, the creation of national parks has unquestionably protects rainforests. Though national parks are open to the public, the tourism is damaging most if these areas. National Parks are often advertised to vacationers before sufficient management plans have been developed. Insufficient financial support is to be paid for the preservation of forests by government departments. These government departments see tourism as an easy way to make money, therefore tourism is highly encouraged. Ecotourism or environmentally friendly tourism should educate the tourists to be more environmentally aware. Unfortunately many companies and resorts that advertise themselves as being ecotourist establishments are only exploiting the land for a profit. In conclusion we all have a part in destroying the rainforests; whether it be by logging, mining, industrial development, agriculture, or tourism. In order to make the world a better place for everyone to live in we all must come together and protect what we are destroying. Without the rainforests there wouldnt be oxygen and without oxygen there will be no way for any for of life to survive. So I ask how important are the rainforests to you?

Barcode Scanners and Smart Cards

Barcode Scanners and Smart Cards Introduction In an age of technological revolution, the use of information systems in computers has become essentially paramount and the overwhelming vast majority of major supermarkets worldwide has become dependant on it, the consumer demands speed and convenience and the supplier has a strong emphasis on accuracy and providing those needs that inevitably cannot be displaced, only to become better at the least, which has been happening through time. The consumer as well as the supplier needs a method where a product can be instantly recognised, and deliver an on the spot price as well accumulate more than one product not to mention information that both parties can benefit from, and not to mention be rewarded for their loyalty in recognition of their custom. The use of technology in the business sector in the supermarket chain cannot be declared such a name without such a system; however this report is not to testify its perfection, but more to exemplify its reliability, importance and future a dvancements. Why Barcode Scanners? All products to be sold in a supermarket has a barcode embedded on it NO exception, this resembles vertical black lines and a row of numbers, a barcode scanner is a computer peripheral for reading the barcode printed on those surfaces, it is connected to a computer that indentifies what is being scanned and displays on screen the information stored about that particular image and number which is required in a store. The most common scanner used but not necessarily the best is laser scanners, that uses a beam to capture the image and process it. It is believed the essential reason for using a barcode scanner is accurate accumulation of multiple items scanned. Barcode scanner are not limited to the cashiers section for the sake of buying goods and simply checking out, there are anti-theft devices on many supermarkets on the store exit, so if one were not to pay for an item, the anti-theft barcode reader would pick up an items barcode as unregistered on the database or simply put paid for. With todays advancements there are also self checkout spots were the consumer can simply scan the items themselves, so its quite obvious the wonders of barcode isnt quite going anywhere. Why Smart Cards? Smart cards in supermarkets usually are used as a loyalty scheme. A loyalty scheme is when the consumer gets points for purchases and gets rewarded with coupons or discounts for future purchases. In some cases you may have to reach a certain limit before you are entitled to use your reward. A smart card is like a credit card in shape and its size, smart cards have an embedded microprocessor, and it is under a gold pad on the front of the card, although magnetic strips are still used and popular. It can store the consumers details and products purchased if it were to be ready available. Having a smart card is optional but it is beneficiary as you can gain points, which will be stored on the computer system. It also worth noting, not only it inputs data into the smart chip as well as on the central computer, it can also be edited, or certain numeric information deducted in others words points in exchange for rewards The scheme is more than just rewards and coupons, loyalty scheme can put themselves in a privileged position of paying loyalty prices where as non member wont. An In-Depth look at Barcode Scanners in Supermarkets In a world where shops, store and supermarkets stocks grow by products, it has become an increasing demand to keep the consumers happy, the need to understand what needs to be reordered and more appropriately when has become important for financial gain in the industry. Gone are the days where in the backroom every item had to be manually counted, a waste of valuable time and ever so expensive. Even punch cards where the consumer had to mark an item they want to buy, did not exactly deliver convenience. Thankfully in the mid 20th century the introduction of barcode devices came through. An idea of a device that can identify a product quickly and accurately became essential and when proven successful it cannot be reverted, only made better, they are barcode scanners or readers. If no items for sale in a supermarket carried a barcode, then scanners would be considered pointless. With this primary purpose in mind, a barcode scanner does more than just retrieve product information. An Explanation A product carries a series of numbers, but what do these numbers mean? The first two digits implicate the country where the product was made. The next five digits implicate who made the product or what company The next five digits implicate the product itself. E.g. Biscuits The last digit is a validation number, to ensure the barcode scanner has read the code correctly. When a consumer is making purchases, each items barcode that has been scanned is transferred from the POS (Point of Sales) terminal or in others words the laser barcode reader, and then passes on that information to the main computer. This computer has a substantially large database that has all the information about the items the shop sells, every supermarket sets a criterion in what information that needs to be extracted instantly at the POS which will be clearly displayed on the screen a quite possibly another one so the consumer can be made clear on the prices, this is quite obviously the Price and the Description, this is added to the bill and also are ready to be printed at the finalisation stage. Barcode devices are more than just retrieve information from a database according to the code it matches, according to its reference barcode scanners help the computer established what item has been sold or even returned, it helps the computer identify the quantity of stock remaining and possibly alert the manager what needs to be reordered, this is called Automatic stock-taking. Supermarkets have multiple computers which is in a single room and have their own local are network, they control the stock Telecommunications In means of telecommunications, the information stored on the computer, which was transmitted by the barcode system, it needs to communicate with another system to verify volume and notification of reordering. In certain cases this form of communication, is needed through a network using the internet, after the entire stock control department may not always be in the direct vicinity of the supermarket, so this is essential and plays a big part of the process. Businesses would be lost without the current technological advancements and a lot of companies would cease to exist. Without the internet and transmission, the use of barcode equipment would be considered of useless, as it needs a form of electronic communication. Evaluation The use of barcode equipment has been firmly accepted by the supermarket chain as well as the consumer, its effectiveness can never be degraded or dwindle, only to thrive and become more advanced by the day. On the other hand nothing can be 100% effective are there are ups and downs to everything and the supermarkets information system is no different. From a supermarkets point of view what are the advantages and disadvantages? Supermarkets Advantages Speed -to have a barcode scanned only takes a fraction of a section Accuracy with a typical laser scanner it the chances of a reading error is 1 in 70 million Convenience No need for human calculation or problems solving related to prices as the use of barcode and retrieve those sort of details Supermarkets Disadvantages Update prices needs to be updated via the database, if not it can cause confusion when advertising a special offer on display, as an information system has no way of knowing of this adjustment. A power cut can cause possible loss of data It would be very difficult to find additional disadvantages from a supermarkets point of view as it doesnt require special training to use one so it is pretty much immaculate. A barcode reader may be beneficial to the supermarkets but what about the consumer? Consumers Advantages Speed and efficiency when checking out items Because prices are stored on a computer they can be reassured of accuracy Any promotions or special offers will automatically be processed without the need to bring it to the cashiers attention. Consumers Disadvantages A single item may accidently be scanned twice without the consumers knowledge, a barcode reader simply scans a barcode and cannot identify human error under the circumstances Like from a supermarkets point of view, the computer that stores the item information, cannot be aware of any price change unless updated, causing inconvenience to the consumers The effectiveness of barcode readers excluding minor human error can be described as foolproof and indispensable and the advantage significantly outweighs the disadvantages. Loyalty Scheme Information System As well as accessing and retrieving item details and prices, through a barcode reader and a loyalty card, another system is required to interrelate with what being purchased and have information about the consumer itself and be rewarded or identify purchasing habits to pass on to marketing or third part companies, this is not possible without obtaining the consumers details, preferences and permissions. What are the requirements to get this information and data? Each consumer is identified by a unique identifier number which is stored on the loyalty card itself but what is needed before being approved in a loyalty scheme? Consumers Name this is the most important as other information held is invalid without it Address for eligibility of vouchers, points or discounts you must provide a valid address, which may carry a location restriction on who can apply Gender in order for the supermarket to analyse shopping habits and patterns, they can observe a distinction between male and female and what appropriate promotions or recommendations that would suit them. Marketing any communication outside the supermarket between other companies and the consumer can only be made with the permission approved by the consumer him/herself before any details are passed on to relevant parties. Other Contact Details this could be your telephone number or an email address, should they need to contact you in regarding your purchases or any queries you have made How Does It Work? All information systems are connected via a network in order to communicate with each other, if one were to benefit from a loyalty scheme, it must communicate with a machine that holds prices and product information in order to calculate and analyse to make adjustments and process whatever advantage or accumulation the consumer is entitled to. My Conclusion Observing supermarket barcode systems and loyalty cards from outside the box, before putting together this report, I possessed virtually no knowledge on the requirements and the consistency required in order for the business information systems to operate, it did not occur to me that human error can cause disruption from an otherwise fault free barcode system. I failed to recognise that information about consumers details and product information especially the price is connected via a network on separate computers servers not necessarily in the direct vicinity of the supermarket itself. I noted speed and accuracy is only dependant by people by half, and information processing is primarily dependant on technology especially the barcode reader it self. One business owner cannot declare it a supermarket without these devices. Loyalty scheme carries a subtle objective many people may not be able to grasp, I did not realise that passing on your personal details is not necessarily used to reward for shopping with that particular chain, but also to analyse your spending and buying habits and with your consent send you information and offers relevant to this criteria which may appeal to the loyalty scheme member. If your details were passed on to marketing when you specified not to, I learnt you are doing more than just breaking the policy but you are breaking the law and the consumer can sue the company. I have learnt the complexity involved in making sure everything is kept up to par, and it required by human input to update necessary changes to the system. Consumers in general fail to recognise how important these devices are, and how they contribute to an easy experience, only the employees can benefit from something that simply cannot subside in time, only to develop better methods on a system that is established as a permanent component in the business. Bibliography Anon. (). Barcode Scanner Image. Available: http://www.crestock.com/image/839858-Barcode-Scanner.aspx Anon. (). Smart Card Image. Available: http://www.crestock.com/image/133940-Online-Shopping-2.aspx Anon. (). ICT systems in a supermarket. Available: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=182530. Anon. (). 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