Advantages and Disadvantages in Sport Technology Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sport Technology Technology in sports is constantly changing in today’s era. This change is making a big impact, whether the technology is a disadvantage to the sport and slows down the speed of the game or uses the technology to an advantage and speeds the game up to help make accurate calls. People are always looking for the technology to be able to get ahead of other opponents. The use of technology has crept into the athletes’ games. Technology may not be a drug but a large amount of people use it. It is hard to say whether the use of technology is more of an advantage or disadvantage. One of the main reasons technology compromise a sport experience is that people are watching the games at home†¦show more content†¦If the instant replay shows what the official called, the team loses the call and a time out. The monitors are positioned in several spots on the field so the camera can capture the play at different angles whether it is in slow motion or game speed. The technology of instant replay sounds good to the viewers at the game or at home, but there is a lot of pressure for the official to get the call right. The instant replay can distract the players from the game or make them lost momentum if the process takes too long. Some challenges are considered thoughtless or in vain as a distraction. There are problems with the instant replay system that needs to be leveled out, but the system allows the game to get a stage future in technology in sport. Possible guidelines for the use of technology in spot are first of all the instant replay. The officials in the booth should be able to make the decision about the disputed play to save time and keep the game going smoothly. As far as clothes goes, the Haptic Sports Garment is a clothing line that should not be used during game time. The garment helps the athlete to uphold the most advantageous speed. In relevance to the Internet, the applications Venuing and Twackle are used by fans where they get involved with the players and teams to much. Next is the use of the DVD. The player’s highlights are beingShow MoreRelatedSocial Media.Large-Scale Sports Game Always Appeal To Worldwide1545 Words   |  7 Pages Social media Large-scale sports game always appeal to worldwide spectators. Different from the Olympic Game’s sports, it is hard for spectators to follow the complete out-door sports events. A typical full ironman triathlon will take more than 10 hours to finish the entire route. To engage the spectators, it is better to follow social media tools: Blogs, Microblogs, Photo sharing, video sharing, Skype and video call. 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New Questions About Teacher of the Year Essay Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report

New Questions About Teacher of the Year Essay Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report It conveys the thought that the exact same group of individuals are usually doing the majority of the work and burning themselves out. As you can picture, Rexy wasn't very great at hiding. I used ton't understand what she was speaking about. Though this actually is a sort of plagiarism, it's by no means the only method to plagiarize, or even the most frequent. Once you're done with every one of these steps, the EssayDog software utilizes these exercises to combine all your work and make the very first draft of your essay which will be prepared for editing and proofreading. We understand how to deal with the writing process easily. But to be able to accomplish this, we have to be measured properly with qualitative measures. Information regarding the program, current winners, and the application procedure is found on the TASA site. They must involve students in actual wor k for real outcomes. We offer flexible system of discounts, but in addition our discount policy which allows you to conserve money on ordering essays at one time. I believe I learned to benefit from the freedoms we've got in this nation. Honestly for the very first time that I don't wish to pass the grade. Dare to be the initial one. She's very funny and is not hard to get along with. She's a great role model for those students and a phenomenal individual. Just imagine how, when you learn how to handle this individual, it will be simple for you to communicate with other difficult individuals. The Little-Known Secrets to Teacher of the Year Essay They don't just make you excel, but they make you wish to visit school. Give names of students helped, or individual examples of exactly what this teacher has done to assist you. I really like teaching, and I adore the students, she explained. Not all of these are likely to be pleasant, and that's when your experience with a l ousy teacher is going to be of usage. If you can't find v via your school, and you can't afford to cover a program, you can research this subject by yourself. Also tell the reader how you could be regarding the teacher. That's my preferred teacher. She is really an awesome teacher. She is a rather superior teacher and have a special teaching style. Details of Teacher of the Year Essay It may be beneficial to get together to encourage one another to write. I opted to nominate Mr. Burch because he's great teacher which makes class fun but we learn a lot. And, since we know, the most significant elements of our jobs are students. Though you will likely not lose your job due to NCLB following your very first calendar year, ensure you take opportunities to expand and increase your teaching methods. However, even when you don't know about any requirements our specialists can help you. We're keen to meet the requirements of our clientele. Contrary to other companies, we're sa fe and skillful group of writers that are deeply concerned regarding the academic writing tasks. Should they have talked to you once, they'll be more inclined to share information later which will help you understand and address learning problems. Type of Teacher of the Year Essay If your school doesn't offer a writing class, you can locate a workshop offered on campus or possibly a class it is possible to take online, if you're keen to pay. I feel that I've developed my writing skills most this year than every other year. Tutoring is a superb option because it permits you one-on-one time with your instructor, so they can offer you all their attention and become acquainted with your writing. However, the move to Connecticut was the perfect one. There's no defense against an excellent story. You don't have to be worried about your personal details that may be viewed, as we handle the matter on a safe network. In your working life you will satisfy broad array of individuals . I truly think that education isn't a one-size-fits-all arena. Every tiny boy who knows the type of fear that addiction brings. Every small girl who knows the type of fear that poverty brings. The History of Teacher of the Year Essay Refuted Over the summertime, Wimmer will find the chance to go to NASA's Space Camp for a week. But she finally obtained some joyful news Tuesday. The Foolproof Teacher of the Year Essay Strategy Trust me, you are going to be glad, she explained. We're certain that your school years ought to be the best years of your life. She remembered how Luis left his house for Turn of River Middle School at the start of the year. Unfortunately, you can't avoid meeting unpleasant folks in your life. There's light in the surface of the young man with Downs Syndrome who's good friends with a different child on my campus who can't speak.

Environmentally Sustainable Work Practices Two Key Procedures

Question: Discuss about the Environmentally Sustainable Work Practices for the Two Key Procedures. Answer: 1: Analysis of the two key procedures The number of natural resources in the earth is dwindling down due to population explosion. Consequently, sustainable methods need to be applied to our conventional ways of working with natural resources so that the pressure on such resources decreases. It is imperative that the people make use of the resources judiciously and incur minimum wastage. This approach is called sustainability and it will ensure that the resources are reserved for the future generation. There are certain duties or provisions which are considered as essential functions in the workplace, that is, the restaurant. Two of the most important duties comprise the following: Local food: In the past the people were more or less dependent on the seasonal produce. Food crops were produced and consumed according to seasons. Conversely, in todays age of technological advancement, different kinds of food can be procured from different parts of the earth. However, innovative ways of production and preservation and refrigerators have ensured regular supply of different varieties of food. On the other hand, this has lead to the creation of carbon footprints which is harmful for the environment. In order to promote sustainability, food that is produced locally should be used in a restaurant ("Sustainable food tips | Green Hotels | Green Hotelier", 2016). Water: According to recent surveys, clean drinking water is inaccessible to about 1 billion people all around the world. The reason behind this deficit is the imprudent manner of usage of water. Water is being wasted every moment in some form or the other ("UN-Water: Statistics", 2016). This deficit is mainly noticed in the third world countries. Hence it becomes imperative that actions are directed towards the proper usage of this priceless natural resource. The restaurants, nowadays, have adopted the use of tap water instead of bottled waters to promote sustainability and save this resource. ("Sustainable food tips | Green Hotels | Green Hotelier", 2016). 2: Process maps for the processes chosen. Figure 1: Process map for transported food Source: (As created by the author) Figure 2: Process map for water Source: (As created by the author) Identification of the resources used: Resources used Wastes generated Environmental impact Fertilizers Too much usage of fertilizers. Excessive fertilizers lead to land and water pollution. Preservatives like nitrites and sodium benzoate Excessive usage of preservatives to maintain the freshness of food. Preservatives, when used in excess, lead to the formation of carcinogenic elements. Aluminum or steel cans with an inner coating of Biphenyl A Biphenyl A interacts with the food contained in the can. Biphenyl A is toxic for human health. Cardboard/paper Cardboard wastage. Cardboard is non biodegradable resource which causes land pollution. Electricity Electricity is used in transportation of packaged food to various malls and markets. Electricity is produced with the help of non renewable resources like coal. Excessive usage leads to over usage of such precious natural resources. Water Water is wasted while packaging. The amount of safe, drinking water has decreased around the world. 3: Accurate method of measuring the resources: Resources used Method of measurement Fertilizers Fertilizers should be used according to the requirements of the crops as well as the composition of the soil and is measured in percentage. Preservatives The preservatives are subject to pre-market assessment procedures or their safety in their usage. Aluminum / Biphenyl Measured in percentage, it is generally believed that cans contain Bisphenyl as its inner coating as well as those without ie, is equally harmful for human health. Cardboard/ Paper The cardboard paper used was used in excess when its weight was measured. Electricity Meter reading. Water Meter reading 4: Simple environmental monitoring activity: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Total Fertilizers 50 kg Not required Not required Not required Not required 50 kg Preservatives 150 p.p.m. 100 p.p.m. 120 p.p.m. 120 p.p.m. 120 p.p.m. 610 p.p.m. Aluminum/Biphenyl (in %) 50 60 50 45 30 25 Cardboard/paper 50 pack 40 pack 60 pack 35pack 80 pack 53 pack Electricity (kw) 41253 52463 42536 58795 45263 39kw Water (kl) 4253 4986 4123 4523 4155 4kL Assignment Three: Background Information: The work processes: Water conservation: Water has always been used generously in my workplace as there always has been a demand for hygienic cleaning. The excessive water is used for cleaning the workplace properly. Hence, the amount of water used is above the normal level. Consequently, there is a need to reduce water consumption as it has an adverse impact on the environment as well as the budget of the workplace (Abrahamse and Steg, 2013). It has become imperative in the workplace to spread awareness among us regarding the issue of water conservation. Punishments like extra work after the scheduled working hours are meted out to those who fail to comply with the rules and regulations of the workplace. Chemical cleaning conservation: One of the most important works that is done in the workplace is cleaning up of the workplace at the end of the day (L et al., 2013). Cleaning is done with the help of chemical cleaners or sprays. We keep a record of the cleaners by keeping a count on the bottles used. This procedure helps in keeping tabs over the usage of the cleaners. We make efforts to reduce the number of bottles used every week and we encourage the lower usage of such bottles by giving rewards. Execution of the work processes: There never has been any particular way of controlling the usage of the stocks in our workplace. However, we have maintained a record of the purchases we made on regular basis. This procedure has helped in making us aware of the amount of supplies we are using. We are aware of the fact that any misuse of products will lead to wastage. Therefore, we have set a goal for ourselves that we would allow minimal wastage and maximum utilization of the products. Potentiality for improvement: A strict system is adopted to maintain the sustainable methods that we adopted at our workplace. In the beginning, the system proved to be difficult for us to follow as it disrupted the normal work procedures. However, with time, the system was followed without a hitch and no problems were further encountered in the workplace. Consultation with the stake holders: Summarization of the outcomes: The system at our workplace is very well organized and well maintained. The maintenance of the system requires the presence of a good team (Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek DroÃ…Â ¼yner 2013). The screening process of team members is made strict which ensures that only reliable candidates are chosen for the team. The screening process is being adopted so that the team maintains the standard. We consult with each other and share our opinions and suggestions as we are directed towards the common goal, that is, the improvement of the workplace. We are a responsible team and we intend to make the workplace a better place through our efforts. We try to use innovative systems for our workplace. We adopted certain minor changes in our workplace which were easier for us to assimilate into our work culture. Improvements: Description of the changes: We had brought about improvements in our menu as well as the design. The layout of the menu is kept neat and clean and the requisite information should be provided in a better manner. we make it a point that we listen to the feedback of the customers and on the basis of that information, we make suitable changes. With the help of the survey we conducted on the customers, we came to the conclusion that the menu did not contain any new food items in the menu. The customers were actually bored with the existing menu. Hence, we changed our strategies and made some new food items with the help of the existing equipments. The new menu was made with accordance to the season. Since the current season was winter, there was a high demand for hot foods and heaters. This kind of improvements would increase the footfalls at the restaurant and we would be able to address the demands of the customers effectively. Outcomes: The outcomes of the changes: Figure 3: Performance chart of the employees Source: (As created by the author) As evident from the chart given above, the improvements have brought about a significant change in the satisfaction of the customers. The flow of customers has increased and they had given a positive feedback on the basis of our services and the food. Time played a major role in the whole procedure as we had not made public the changes as such. We had to rely on the customers to realize the changes for themselves. With the passage of time, our efforts bore the prize. As the customers discovered the changes they came up with an affirmative review. Evaluation: Evaluation of the strategies and improvement plans: The evaluation of the strategies requires the knowledge of the customer needs and demands. On the basis of the information collected, we can plan our strategies and policies. In the whole procedure, we also made use of our creative ideas. A change in perspective brought about the necessary changes and the changes paid off in an effective manner. Achievements of the plans: The intended outcomes were achieved as we were aware of the needs of the customers and our own innovative ideas and accordingly made the changes. Problems with the plans or strategies used: We faced some problems in the adjustment of the budget due to the changes that we brought about. Improvements in the food and the equipments incurred some amount of money which was originally included in the budget. Modifications: Recommendation of modifications in the work place: Any workplace should be open to changes for improvements (Appelbaum, 2013). The major improvement which occurred to our workplace was the change in the menu. Seasonal foods were given importance in our menu. Some of the food items did not receive the desired response. The winter season made sure that we use foods which were warm and wanted by the customers. We also have to make sure that the menu comprises a wide range of food items. This change has to be brought keeping in mind that the customers who will be coming to the restaurant will belong to different sections of society. There should be premium food items to those who have the power of affording such food. There should also be food items with lower costs to enable people with lower budgets to opt for our restaurant. Recommendations for incentives: The meals for the stuff are quite limited since it involves complication in its preparation. However, there should be room for improvement in the staff food on the basis of our wishes. This stance would enable the staff to comply with sustainable changes that were brought about in the workplace. The percentage in tips should also be adjusted to increase the efficiency of the service provided. Efficiency targets: New efficiency targets: It has come to notice that the staff gets leisure time in their hands while waiting for the customers to arrive. It should be made sure that the staff should use this free time as effectively as possible. The spare time should not be used in fruitless conservations which could otherwise be used in doing meaningful tasks (Parry et al., 2013). The staff should know that the employers pay the employees and has some expectations from them. The staff should be engaged in doing some kind of work instead of whiling away his time. Incentives in the form of rewards should be awarded to those who effectively and efficiently work in the restaurant. References: Sustainable food tips | Green Hotels | Green Hotelier. (2016). Greenhotelier.org. Retrieved 30 August 2016, from https://www.greenhotelier.org/our-themes/community-communication-engagement/sustainability-in-the-kitchen-food-drink/ UN-Water: Statistics. (2016). Unwater.org. Retrieved 31 August 2016, from https://www.unwater.org/statistics/en/?page=5ipp=10tx_dynalist_pi1%5Bpar%5D=YToxOntzOjE6IkwiO3M6MDoiIjt9 Abrahamse, W., Steg, L. (2013). Social influence approaches to encourage resource conservation: a meta-analysis.Global environmental change,23(6), 1773-1785. L, L. M. M., Jolivot, P. A., Yaye, H. S., Rieutord, A., Bellanger, A., Pradeau, D., ... Caudron, E. (2013). Effectiveness of cleaning of workplace cytotoxic surface.International archives of occupational and environmental health,86(3), 333-341. Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, M., DroÃ…Â ¼yner, P. (2013, July). Social dimension of sustainable developmentsafety and ergonomics in maintenance activities. InInternational Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction(pp. 175-184). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Parry, S., Straker, L., Gilson, N. D., Smith, A. J. (2013). Participatory workplace interventions can reduce sedentary time for office workersa randomised controlled trial.PLoS One,8(11), e78957. Appelbaum, E. (2013). The impact of new forms of work organization on workers.Work and Employment in the High Performance Workplace,120.

Marketing Plan of a New Food Company MegCo Limited

Executive Summary MegCo is a private limited company that intends to venture into the UK coffee shop industry. The firm’s operations will entail producing and marketing a variety of specialty coffee.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan of a New Food Company: MegCo Limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, the firm will provide customers with high quality specialty coffee. This will enable the firm to position itself as best specialty coffee-shop in the UK. In an effort to cope with the intense competition in the UK coffee shop market, the firm will invest in continuous product innovation. As a result, MegCo will be able to align its operations with the changing customer tastes and preferences. Situational analysis There are different models that businesses can integrate in an effort to understand the business environment. Some of these models include the PESTLE and the SWOT models ( Gilligan Hird 2008). PESTLE analysis of the UK market Best (2009) emphasises that â€Å"the PESTLE analysis model outlines the broad industry environment or the macro-environmental factors in which an organisation operates† (p.18). The model categorises the business environment into six factors, which include the economic, technological, political, legal, environmental, political and social factors. The PESTLE analysis model enables businesses to comprehend and predict the future and hence the likelihood of survival (Best 2009). The chart below illustrates the main PESTLE analysis variables. Moreover, appendix 1 shows a summary of the PESTLE analysis. Figure 1. Source: (Gillam, Yates Badrinath 2012)Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Political environment The UK is characterised by a high level of political stability. This has led to development of an effective busin ess environment. The UK is a member of different economic zones and trading blocs such as the European Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the G20. This presents a perfect opportunity for MegCo to market its products to a large number of customers through internationalisation. Economic environment Over the past few years, the UK economy has experienced significant economic fluctuations such as the 2008 global economic recession and the sovereign debt crisis in the Euro Zone which occurred in 2012. According to Cha (2012), the sovereign debt crisis led to increment in the rate of unemployment with a margin of 11.2%. Consequently, most consumers have adjusted their purchasing patterns because of the high level of uncertainty about the future. Cha (2012) further asserts that â€Å"the consumers have reduced their spending on both big and small items such as cars and a cup of coffee† (para. 7). Despite the aforementioned economic fluctuations, it is expected that the UK will attain full economic recovery in the near future. Therefore, the likelihood of improvement in the consumers’ purchasing power is high. Thus, the consumers will afford various consumer products such as specialty coffee. A study conducted by This Money (2012) shows that increase in retail spending is one of the elements that will stimulate the country’s economic recovery. Social environment The UK citizens have developed a strong coffee drinking culture. This is evidenced by the fact that most UK citizens enjoy drinking coffee as they relax. Walsh (2011) opines that â€Å"it is estimated that approximately 511 million cups are consumed in the UK every week† (para.3). This trend makes the UK to be a viable investment destination. Thus, there is a high probability of MegCo maximising it sales revenue. Change in the consumers’ tastes and preferences may affect the firm’s sales. For example, the consumers might shift to other br ands of specialty coffee offered by competing firms. Another major social trend is evidenced by the fact that consumers are increasingly becoming health-conscious (Larson 2009). This might affect the firm’s ability to attain its sales objectives. Technological environment The high rate of technological innovation in the coffee shop market presents an opportunity for MegCo to produce high quality specialty coffee. Currently, there are different coffee-blending machines which have been developed. Thus, the firm can be able to produce high quality instant coffee.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Marketing Plan of a New Food Company: MegCo Limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The emergence of e-commerce presents MegCo with an opportunity to increase its sales revenue by improving its marketing efficiency. Consumers have become technologically savvy in their consumption patterns (Kotter Schlesinger 2008). Therefore, it is imperative for MegCo to embrace emerging marketing technologies in order to maximise its profitability. Legal environment The UK government has implemented comprehensive laws which are aimed at protecting the SMEs. Some of these laws relate to intellectual property rights (IPRs) laws such as patents, trademarks and copyrights, which have made the country very attractive to foreign and local investors (Environmental Leader 2012). Moreover, the UK government has established a number of enterprise zones by offering a 5-year tax-holiday to investors who establish businesses in the special economic zones (Delloite 2011). Value chain- Michael Port and Porter’s five forces Grundy (2006) defines the Porter’s five forces as a model that enables businesses to understand the industry in which it operates using five main forces. These forces include supplier power, buyer power, new entrants, threat of competitors and threat of substitutes. Best (2009) emphasises that the model plays a critical role in a firm’s effort to enter a new market. Rivalry-High The industry’s competitive rivalry is increased by the presence of large coffee chains such as Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee. These firms have been in existence for a number of years and hence they have developed a strong competitive advantage compared to MegCo which is a new entrant (Miller 2009). Threat of new entrant-High The UK coffee shop market has a high market potential arising from the strong coffee drinking culture. Miller (2009) asserts that coffee is ranked the 3rd favourite non-alcoholic drink in the UK. The industry is characterised by a relatively low barriers to entry. For example, minimal capital is required in order to enter the market. The attractiveness of the market is further enhanced by the fact that the UK government has nurtured an effective legal environment that protects small and medium enterprises. Consequently, the threat of new entrants is relatively high. Threat of substitute-High There are numerous substitute products in the UK coffee shop market. Some of the main substitutes to MegCo’s coffee include hot chocolate and teas.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Buyer power – High The industry has two main types of consumers who include the individual and the institutional buyers. These consumer groups can easily force the coffee shops to adjust their pricing strategies. Moreover, the low switching cost has also led increment in the buyers’ bargaining power. Supplier power-Low There are numerous local and international coffee beans suppliers in the UK coffee shop market. This gives the coffee shops a higher edge with regard to controlling suppliers. Figure 2 SWOT analysis According to Best (2009), the SWOT analysis model provides an overview of an organisation’s current position. The framework below illustrates MegCo’s SWOT analysis. Strengths High quality; the firm has developed expertise with regard to production of high quality specialty coffee. Strong human capital base; MegCo has a strong human capital base, which has arisen from integration of a comprehensive employee training program. Ambience; the fir m has created an appealing store ambience which will appeal the consumers’ emotions and perceptions. Weaknesses Low level of market penetration; the firm is new in the UK coffee shop market. Consequently, it has not developed sufficient knowledge on the UK market. This presents a major weakness in the firm’s effort to market its products in the UK. Opportunities Launching new products; the firm can attain a high market growth by introducing new coffee specialty products (Theodore 2002). Strategic alliance; partnering with well established firms in the coffee shop market will improve the firm’s competitiveness. Market expansion; the firm can attain market growth by adopting the concept of continuous market improvement. For example, the firm can open new stores in different parts of the country. Threats Intense competition; the firm will face intense competition from existing firms such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero. Change in consumer behaviour; cha nge in consumer behaviour, tastes and preferences with regard to consumption of specialty coffee consumption. Economic recession; change in economic conditions for example as a result of economic recession may adversely affect the firm’s competitiveness. Segment – targeting positioning The firm’s management team is cognisant of the importance of effective market segmentation. MegCo will segment its market using different demographic and psychographic variables. The firm will target young adults who prefer to relax and chat in a nice place. The second customer group will be comprised of middle age consumers who prefer to relax, and read a book in a calm place. With regard to psychographic variables, MegCo will mainly target the coffee lovers. MegCo intends to position itself as a high quality coffee outlet. The firm will adopt the slogan ‘drink different’ as its market positioning strategy. Thus, the firm will be able to influence the consumersâ €™ perception. Marketing objectives Financial objectives First year; MegCo intends to increase its sales revenue to  £ 6 million within the first year of its operation. As a result, the firm will be able to achieve the break-even point. The firm will set the price of a cup of coffee at  £ 3.49. The firm also intends to achieve a market share of 15% in the local coffee shop market. Second-year objectives; the firm intends to increase its market share to 35%. This will enable the gain sufficient market dominance. Furthermore, the firm intends to increase its sales revenue with a margin of 30% compared to the first year. Non-financial objectives The firm intends to operate in a socially responsible manner. This will be achieved by ensuring that its operations do not contribute to environmental pollution. The will be focused at developing a high level of customer loyalty. This will be attained by providing customers with high level of customer service. Marketing strategy MegCo is focused towards achieving an efficient market position in the UK coffee shop market in spite of the intense competition from other firms such as Costa, Nero and Starbucks. Consequently, the firm will ensure that it provides customers with high quality specialty coffee. Marketing mix Product strategy MegCo will ensure that its coffee is of high quality. This will be achieved by ensuring that the coffee is effectively blended. Moreover, the firm will ensure its coffee beans are sourced from high quality suppliers. This will aid in maintaining the quality of coffee. MegCo will also invest in continuous product innovation in order to meet the customer’s tastes and preferences (Srinvasan 2005). To achieve the desired level of market growth, the firm will adopt the concepts of market development, market diversification, product development and market penetration as illustrated by the Ansoff matrix below. Existing products New products Existing markets Market penetration s trategy Product development strategy New Markets Market development strategy Diversification strategy The firm will focus on transforming its products from being a cash cow into a star as illustrated by the Ansoff matrix below. As a result, the firm will be able to achieve high market growth and market share. Figure 3 Source: (NetMBA 2013) Pricing strategy Considering the fact that MegCo is new entity in the UK coffee shop market, the firm will adopt the concept of penetration pricing strategy. This will be attained by setting the price of a cup of coffee at a lower price point compared to the major competitors. A cup of coffee will be retailed at $3.49. Thus, the firm will be able to attract consumers who are increasingly becoming price conscious. Promotion Creating sufficient market awareness is critical in an organisation’s effort to penetrate a particular market. MegCo will adopt the concept of Integrated Marketing Communication. Different marketing communication me thods, which include public relations, advertising, direct marketing and sales promotion will be adopted (Shin 2013). MegCo will utilise diverse mediums in its advertising process. Some of the mediums that will be adopted include television, radio, print media and online mediums. Distribution The ability of the firm to achieve the aforementioned financial objectives will depend on the effectiveness with which consumers can access the firm’s products. Consequently, the firm will establish a number of outlets in different parts of the UK. Action program To successfully enter the coffee shop market, MegCo will undertake a number of activities as outlined below. December 2013: Conducting a comprehensive consumer and competitor market research. January 2014: Establishing the first coffee shop in London. February 2014: Launching a comprehensive marketing awareness campaign in London. March 2014: Official launch of MegCo’s coffee shop. This will be achieved by holding a publi c event at the company’s store. Marketing budget MegCo projects that it will incur  £ 3,000,000 in the process of entering the UK market as illustrated in the chart below. Cost item Amount in  £ Cost of conducing marketing research 100,000 Cost of creating marketing awareness 500,000 Cost of establishing the outlet 2,000,000 Legal cost 300,000 Total estimated cost 2,900,000 Implementation and control MegCo will be committed towards achieving an optimal market position. Consequently, the firm will ensure that the above marketing plan is successfully implemented. The process of implementing the marketing plan will be assigned to a strong marketing team which will be comprised of marketing experts. Moreover, the firm will conduct a continuous evaluation of its marketing progress by analysing the changes in the size of its customer base, market share, and sales revenue. As a result, the firm will be able to undertake the necessary adjustments. Reference List Best, N 2009, T4; test of professional competence in management accounting, CIMA Publishing, Burlington, MA. Cha, A 2012, European financial crisis has ripple effect on US businesses, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/european-financial-crisis-has-ripple-effect-on-us-businesses/2012/08/02/gJQATd4uSX_story.html?utm_term=.9b14c2f50366 Delloitte: Taxation and investment in United Kingdom 2011. Web. Environmental Leader: Ford, Starbucks, among most ethical companies. Web. Gillam, S, Yates, J Badrinath, P 2012, Essential public health; theory and practice, Cambridge University Press, New York. Gilligan, C Hird, M 2008, International marketing: strategy and management, Taylor and Francis, New York. Grundy, T 2006, ‘Rethinking and re-inventing Michael Porter’s five forces model’, Strategic Change, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 213-229. Kotter, J Schlesinger, L 2008, ‘Choosing strategies for change’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 2, pp. 130-150. Lars on, R 2009, Marketing strategy and alliances; analysis of Starbucks Corporation, Liberty University, New York. Miller, C 2009, Will the hardcore Starbucks customer pay more? The chain plans find out, . https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/business/21sbux.html NetMBA: Ansoff matrix 2013, http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/ansoff/ Shin, K 2013, the executor of integrated marketing communications strategy: Marcom’s manager’s working model, SpringBriefs, New York, NY. Srinvasan, L 2005, Strategic management, the Indian context, PHI Learning PVT, London. Theodore, S 2002, ‘Expanding the coffee experience; Starbucks keeps sales brewing with new products, innovation and global expansion’, Beverage Industry, vol. 1, n. 3, pp. 57-62. This Money: Moody’s could downgrade UK’s ‘AAA’ credit rating in early 2013 if the economy fails to shape up, https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2233271/Moodys-threatens-withdraw-UK-AAA-rating -early-2013.html Walsh, J 2011, Britain’s caffeine boom; why can’t we wake up without smelling coffee, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/britains-caffeine-boom-why-cant-we-wake-up-without-smelling-the-coffee-2342104.html Appendix PESTLE Analysis Factor What is happening Impact on the company P Political stability Economic integration- UK is a member of the OECD, Euro Zone and the European Union. Tariff free market MegCo will experience a low level of political risk. The firm will market its coffee products to a large market. MegCo will market its products more cost effectively. E Economic fluctuation has led to decline in the consumers’ purchasing power. Effects of economic recession and the Euro Zone sovereign debt crisis Economic recovery The firm may experience a challenge in its quest to achieve its profit maximisation objective. Consumers have become more conscious in their consumption process. This may limit the firm i n its quest to maximise profit. Economic recovery will improve the consumers’ purchasing power. S Strong coffee consumption culture. Change in consumer tastes and preferences The coffee drinking culture may lead to increase in the firm’s sales revenue. Change in customer loyalty may adversely affect the firm’s competitiveness. T Technological advancement with regard to coffee-blending machines. Development in e-commerce. The firm can develop competitive advantage by taking advantage of the emerging technologies. E Climate change-Implementation of strict environmental laws such as carbon tax in an effort to minimise environmental pollution. -The firm will be required to operate in an environmental sustainable manner. L Implementation of intellectual property rights. Tax holiday on investors who invest in the economic zones. MegCo’s investment in the UK will be safe from counterfeiters. By investing in the special economic zones, the firm will benef it from the set tax-holiday. This report on Marketing Plan of a New Food Company: MegCo Limited was written and submitted by user Marilyn Martin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Primary objective of management

Primary objective of management Introduction Milton Friedman’s claim that management’s main objective should be to expand shareholder wealth is misleading. It does not fully embrace certain business dynamics such as shareholder roles, obligations to other stakeholders, the moral minimum, effectiveness of the legal system, as well as sustainability of nonfinancial interests.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Primary objective of management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay will discuss shareholder roles, the legal system, existence of other stakeholders, morality and plausibility of other objectives. More than shareholder wealth Scholars know Milton Friedman for believing in free enterprise; consequently, it is not a surprise that he advocated for the primacy of shareholder wealth (Wilcke 2004). He believed that such a goal was symptomatic of the freedoms and rights that cause voluntary exchange and economic success. However, Mi lton and his supporters may have ignored certain crucial elements of business that do not relate directly to shareholder wealth. First, Milton assumed that managers and shareholders are entirely separate entities (Husted Salazar 2006). In today’s business arena, entrepreneurs have so many business structures to choose. Some entrepreneurs may form limited liability firms, public corporations or partnerships. Depending on the structure chosen, a manager may also double as a shareholder and thus perform duties that extend beyond Friedman’s narrow limitation of management’s duties. Friedman’s interpretation of their role was a contractual obligation that placed them at the mercy of their shareholders (Wilcke 2004). He did not consider the fact that some managers may sometimes perform executive decisions on the basis of their equity in the firm. Some of them may decide how capital investments occur or engage in public relations. This implies that managers can be concerned with more than just shareholder’s value if they have practical ownership of an organisation. In this light, management has another key objective that it ought to consider; social performance (Husted Salazar 2006). As such, one can question Friedman’s assertions about the primary objective of management.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One can also criticise Milton’s ideas based on the roles and responsibilities of shareholders, as well. In Freidman’s articles, he assumed that shareholders were permanent, or at least interested in the long term interest of the firm. However, this is not always true; plenty of investors can buy and sell shares without attending shareholder meetings or weighing in managerial/ operational activities (Nesteruk 1990). Most stock markets in the world have stockbrokers who do not consider other in tricate aspects of a business before buying their stock. Theirs is to dwell on price and the immediate benefits they can get from the deal (Nesteruk 1990). As a result, company shareholders can change drastically within a short time. Management would be confused about whose wishes to follow if they focused solely on these shareholders’ interests. The internet age has made stock trading a common practice for inexperienced and short term traders. Companies would be overwhelmed if they tried to meet the needs of people who can come and go as they wish. Managers need to focus on more sustainable approaches to business through a shift to more long-term stakeholders (Wilcke 2004). This unpredictable behaviour of shareholders makes Friedman’s arguments difficult to practice, thus rendering them invalid. The assumption that shareholders’ needs come first because they are the owners of the business is also not consistent with today’s practices (Ghoshal 2005). Mode rn firms have complicated ownership arrangements at any one time. Unlike a real property owner who purchases and uses property as he or she sees fit, business owners (shareholders) do not have a claim over certain corporate asserts. Theoretically, one can treat shareholders as owners, but when one analyses shareholders’ duties carefully, one finds that shareholders do not fit into the ownership mould perfectly (Ghoshal 2005). First, because shareholders appoint managers to act on their behalf and make decisions for them, then managers may have significantly more discretionary power in the company than shareholders. Ownership and control are totally separate in the business environment. This means that shareholders do not possess all the characteristics required to grant them ownership. Shareholders do not make an actual impact on corporate decisions. They are merely beneficiaries of proper decisions. Consequently, their needs should not be the only point of focus for manageme nt.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Primary objective of management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The issue of morality also neutralises this scholar’s arguments on the primary objective of business. If businesses follow Friedman’s assertions about focusing solely on profitability, then they would be reducing corporate morality to nothing more than their legal obligations. If their shareholder needs cause consequences that the law does not govern, then corporations would not be concerned about them. This perspective gives company executives too much power. According to Freidman, an executive who acts as a bureaucratic machine may make as much money as possible so long as the person does not act deceitfully or break the law (Cosans 2008). Friedman’s views fail to encompass the complex nature of morality and thus miss out on an important aspect of business objectives. When Freidman made his ass ertions about the primary objective of management, he had a lot of confidence in the legal system as well as the marketplace. His assumption was that the market had its own way of correcting imbalances in business. Furthermore, the law would ensure that business entities meet their respective obligations. However, the marketplace and the law have numerous flaws that allow disreputable managers to go about their business; this makes Milton’s theory shaky (Post 2003). One of the flaws lies in the degree of punishment that a corporate manager is eligible to when he or she acts wrongfully. Most of the time, judges will expect companies to pay only small amounts of money for their mistakes. Furthermore, law enforcers do not hold managers personally accountable during punishment. As if this is not enough, regulatory schemes designed to protect entities in business are sometimes inconsistent and difficult to implement. This means that management may get away with unfair conduct. Eve n the inherent nature of these laws impedes their effectiveness. Sometimes laws can become so complicated that managers themselves are not sure whether they should follow the law or not. Legislators are in charge of creating these laws, and sometimes a number of them may pursue their own interests when enacting them (Post 2003). Businesses must then surrender control to these self-seeking legislators. Since all the above flaws exist in the development of legal mechanisms, then one must question the ability of the system to protect business interests effectively. The law itself is not adequate enough to ensure that corporate managers behave responsibly. Therefore, companies must take it upon themselves to become socially responsible.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This implies that they should not merely focus on maximisation of shareholder interests as their sole objective. Friedman’s assertions rested on the premise that the marketplace and the law were enough to regulate behaviour, yet this is not true. Unless companies have their own sense of responsibility, then financial prosperity alone will not be adequate. Management’s primary objective differs from Milton’s assertions because managers are not responsible to company owners alone. Employees and customers are other stakeholders that management owes an allegiance (Ghoshal 2005). A firm may choose to increase its wage bill or shrink its working hours purely for noneconomic reasons. This may be done in order to foster a sense of belonging with the organisation. Firms may choose to implement environmentally friendly work policies so as to foster a sustainable business environment; these are all illustrations of CSR. Corporate responsibility, therefore, becomes a crucia l part of conducting business. It implies that profit seeking may not be the primary objective (Wilcke 2004). When management merely focuses on profit maximising activities for shareholders, then it reduces itself to a short-sighted entity. If a company chooses to increase work days for employees, it may not be serving shareholder interests, but it will work towards improvement of the business climate. Corporate social responsibility is a response to the uncertainties that companies have to deal with in this highly dynamic, interconnected and technologically advanced world (Van Beurden and Gossling 2008). A relationship exists between long term profitability and business interests. Smith (2003) explains that companies can easily avoid legal sanctions if they embrace corporate social responsibility. They can also gain sustainable advantage if they do the same. Employees now look for firms with strong values. If a business has a strong belief in CSR, then it can gain sustainable advan tage over its peers through sourcing of better employees. Smith (2003) also adds that companies, which focus on other stakeholders other than shareholders, have the benefit of attracting exceptional talent. They can also enhance their business reputations. These are long term objectives that cannot be achieved if managers merely focus on expansion of shareholder wealth. In line with the latter point, a company owes allegiance to more people than just the shareholders. Customers’ demands are just as critical as any other expectations from share holders (Van Beurden and Gossling 2008). Buyers now expect firms to engage in sustainable business practices (Smith 2003). In other words, they require them to be competent corporate citizens. Since companies are crucial entities in society, then they need to embrace their responsibilities. They now know about business operations and demand more from various firms. For example, customers will research about the sourcing practices of a c ompany, such as Mecca Espresso quite seriously. If they realise that the company gets its coffee from countries which use child labour, then they may boycott the company’s products. Alternatively, if a clothing franchiser like Gucci employs sweatshop labour to produce its items, then customers may lobby against the use of their products. In this regard, social actions are just as significant as financial success to a corporation. In fact, rising consumer expectations have caused most companies to expand their primary objectives from financial ones to social ones (Van Beurden and Gossling 2008). Firms can enjoy the benefit of having a loyal consumer base if they do more than maximisation of shareholder wealth. The enlightenment of consumers has caused buyers to become crucial determinants of corporate policy, thus becoming other contributors to the objectives of doing business. Counters to Friedman’s critics believe that shareholders are different from employees and cus tomers, so equal treatment should not be expected (Post 2003). These advocates of shareholders’ interests affirm that, unlike suppliers or workers, whose contracts commit them to the company, shareholders have no such arrangements to protect them. They add that contracts are always subject to renewal thus allowing these stakeholders to renegotiate the terms of their agreement (Shaw 2009). Privileges accorded to other entities neutralise the benefits associated with being shareholders (Post 2003). However, what these advocates of Friedman’s theory do not realise is shareholders have privileges that other groups do not possess (Post 2003). Shareholders can appoint directors as they see fit. Furthermore, they can sell their shares and abandon a certain company if its performance dissatisfies them. Employees cannot jump from one firm to another as easily as shareholders do because jobs are hard to get. Suppliers have minimal control over their clients’ activities. O ther stakeholders do not posses the same rights that shareholders possess; consequently, management should not try to compensate for their lack of contractual coverage by making shareholder interests their primary objective. Failure to acknowledge other stakeholders in the business environment may cause companies to engage in business practices that have adverse consequences in society. This is because firms may focus only on finance and ignore other equally vital components of business, such as ethics. All firms have a moral minimum that they must uphold in business (Smith 2003). For example, obsession with profit seeking among companies contributed to the global recession. Organisations were willing to perform extreme acts in order to expand shareholder wealth (Bejou 2011). Many of these companies got carried away by short terms gains and failed to think about the long term repercussions of their actions. It was this short-sightedness that eventually led to their demise and distur bances in society, as well. Companies owe their communities some degree of allegiance (Nesteruk 1990). It is also in a firm’s best interest to take care of its community in order to enhance sustainability. Failure to acknowledge the importance of this group may eventually cause unwanted effects upon the business entity. For instance, some companies generate immense profits and hand out generous bonuses to their executives. However, by years end, these firms have also left minimal rewards to their constituents. Some of them have had to close down their businesses owing to the frustrations of their employees or other stakeholders (Bejou 2011). Corporate social responsibility provides a much needed balance in the corporate world because it gives companies a human side. If all organisations were to stick to Milton Friedman’s assertions about financial obligations, they would become cold and uncaring. Businesses would become nothing more than money-making machines with litt le concern for the humans that are the real purpose of the organisations existence. If companies only dwelt on maximisation of shareholder wealth, they would not act with integrity or follow the principles of corporate governance. At least, companies ought to prevent social injury, and when it has occurred, they should try to correct it (Smith 2003). Friedman’s perspective does not encompass the importance of business growth or innovation. Growth has the potential to enhance company profits, as well as society’s wellbeing in general. Therefore, it is smarter to seek growth as an objective rather than shareholder wealth alone (Ahlstrom 2010). A company that frequently innovates will introduce the market to cutting edge products; as a result, the company will become financially successful and also provide numerous benefits to the market. Social goals such as creation of new jobs and generation of enormous profits in business are just some of the many benefits of business growth and innovation. Essentially, communities with highly innovative firms tend to experience better standards of living over time (Ahlstrom 2010). Even economic growth can occur in a country if businesses concentrate on growth as a primary objective; a company that accurately illustrates this point is US Steel. It was the leading steel maker in the US during the early 1990s. At the time, smaller steel mills introduced an innovation that entailed the use of mini mills. It was a revolutionary product that pressured US Steel into adopting their mini mills. Accountants who believed in Freidman’s concerns for financial gain advised the company against it. They instead told them to dwell on their respective upmarket clientele. At the time, the stock market appeared to reward US steel through better equity rewards. However, with time, the smaller entrants began improving their mini mills and eventually altered US Steel’s dominance of the upmarket category. The company fai led to embrace growth and innovation, and this led to attrition of its market share (Ahlstrom 2010). One may assert that their failure stemmed from too much emphasis on profitability and minimal regard for innovation. More effective primary objectives like striving for business growth and innovation exist. Companies would put themselves in a greater position to succeed if they pursued this goal instead of focusing on profitability alone. Perhaps another way one can know that Milton Freidman’s assertions are not all encompassing is through case studies. Practical cases of social responsibility and financial success prove that profitability is not the only objective for businesses. Some of the most profitable organisations are also some of the most sustainable. This implies that they are not merely concerned about shareholders’ wealth. Firms like Coca Cola, Honda, and Adidas are among the most internationally sustainable institutions, yet they still satisfy shareholder n eeds by yielding substantial results (Jensen 2002). Their success is indicative of the fact that companies no longer see shareholder needs as their only objective. These firms have embraced and practiced obligations to other entities. Conclusion Companies can be profitable but still engage in wrong decisions; it is not enough to dwell on financial returns exclusively. Basing one’s decision solely on profits will not guarantee social responsibility, yet the phenomenon is imperative both for the benefit of society and business. Furthermore, a firm has several constituent groups such as suppliers, employees, communities and clients whose needs ought to be acknowledged. Companies can get a greater competitive advantage if the dwelt on more than their shareholders’ needs. A balance between a firm’s needs and others’ needs ought to be maintained in order to foster a degree of maturity in the industry. Opponents to Milton Friedman do not disregard the importance of financial success within an organisation; however, they do not think that it is the only plausible objective. Focusing on other objectives, in addition to shareholder needs, leads to more sustainable results. References Ahlstrom, D 2010, ‘Innovation and Growth: How Business Contributes to Society’, Academy of Management, 7 August, pp 11-24. Bejou, D 2011, ‘Compassion as the New Philosophy of Business’, Journal of Relationship Marketing, no. 10, pp 1-6. Cosans, C 2009, ‘Does Milton Friedman Support a Vigorous Business Ethics?’ Journal of Business Ethics, no. 87, pp 391-399. Ghoshal, S 2005, ‘Bad management theories are destroying good management practices’, Academy of Learning and Education, vol. 4, pp 75-91. Husted, B Salazar, J 2006, ‘Taking Friedman Seriously: Maximising Profits and Social Performance’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 43 no.1, pp 76-91. Jensen, M 2002, ‘Value maximisation, stakeholder theory and the corporate objective function’, Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 12, pp. 235-247. Nesteruk, J. 1990, ‘Persons, property, and the corporation: A proposal for a new paradigm’, DePaul Law Review, vol. 39, pp. 543-565. Post, F 2003, ‘A response to the social responsibility of corporate management: A classical critique’, Business Law, vol. 18 no. 1, pp 80-88. Shaw, W 2009, ‘Marxism, Business Ethics, and Corporate Social Responsibility’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 86, pp 565-576. Smith, C 2003, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Whether or How?’ California Management Review, vol. 45 no. 4, pp 52-76. Van Beurden, P Gossling, T 2008, ‘The Worth of Values – A Literature Review on the Relation Between Corporate Social and Financial Performance’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 82, pp 407-424. Wilcke, R 2004, ‘An Appropriate Ethical Model for Business and a Critique of Milton Friedmanâ€⠄¢s Thesis’, The Independent Review, vol. 9 no. 2, pp 187-209.

Spains American Colonies and the Encomienda System

Spains American Colonies and the Encomienda System In the 1500s, Spain systematically conquered parts of North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. With native governments such as the efficient Inca Empire in ruins, the Spanish conquistadors  needed to find a way to rule their new subjects. The encomienda system was put in place in several areas, most importantly in Peru. Under the encomienda system, prominent Spaniards were entrusted with native communities. In exchange for native labor and tribute, the Spanish lord would provide protection and education. In reality, however, the encomienda system was thinly-masked slavery and led to some of the worst horrors of the colonial era. The Encomienda System The word encomienda comes from the Spanish word encomendar, meaning to entrust. The encomienda system had been used in feudal Spain during the reconquest and had survived in some form ever since. In the Americas, the first encomiendas were handed out by Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean. Spanish conquistadors, settlers, priests or colonial officials were given a repartimiento, or grant of land. These lands were often quite vast. The land included any native cities, towns, communities or families that lived there. The natives were supposed to provide tribute, in the form of gold or silver, crops, and foodstuffs, animals such as pigs or llamas or anything else the land produced. The natives could also be made to work for a certain amount of time, say on a sugarcane plantation or in a mine. In return, the owner, or encomendero, was responsible for the well-being of his subjects and was to see to it that they were converted and educated about Christianity. A Troublesome System The Spanish crown reluctantly approved the granting of encomiendas because it needed to reward the conquistadors and establish a system of governance in the newly-conquered territories, and the encomiendas were a quick-fix that killed both birds with one stone. The system essentially made landed nobility out of men whose only skills were murder, mayhem, and torture: the kings hesitated to set up a New World oligarchy which could later prove troublesome. It also swiftly led to abuses: encomenderos made unreasonable demands of the natives who lived on their lands, working them excessively or demanding tribute of crops that could not be grown on the land. These problems appeared quickly. The first New World haciendas, granted in the Caribbean, often had only 50 to 100 natives and even on such a small scale, it wasn’t long before the encomenderos had virtually enslaved their subjects. Encomiendas in Peru In Peru, where encomiendas were granted on the ruins of the rich and mighty Inca Empire, the abuses soon reached epic proportions. The encomenderos there showed an inhuman indifference to the suffering of the families on their encomiendas. They did not change the quotas even when crops failed or disasters struck: many natives were forced to choose between fulfilling quotas and starving to death or failing to meet quotas and facing the often-lethal punishment of the overseers. Men and women were forced to work in mines for weeks at a time, often by candlelight in deep shafts. The mercury mines were particularly lethal. During the first years of the colonial era, Peruvian natives died by the hundreds of thousands. Administration of the Encomiendas The owners of the encomiendas were not supposed to ever visit the encomienda lands: this was supposed to cut down on abuses. The natives instead brought the tribute to wherever the owner happened to be, generally in the larger cities. The natives were often forced to walk for days with heavy loads to be delivered to their encomendero. The lands were run by cruel overseers and native chieftains who often demanded extra tribute themselves, making the lives of the natives even more miserable. Priests were supposed to live on the encomienda lands, instructing the natives in Catholicism, and often these men became defenders of the people they taught, but just as often they committed abuses of their own, living with native women or demanding tribute of their own. The Reformers While the conquistadors were wringing every last speck of gold from their miserable subjects, the ghastly reports of abuses piled up in Spain. The Spanish crown was in a tough spot: the royal fifth, or 20% tax on conquests and mining in the New World, was fueling the expansion of the Spanish Empire. On the other hand, the crown had made it quite clear that the Indians were not slaves but Spanish subjects with certain rights, which were being flagrant, systematically and horrifically violated. Reformers such as Bartolomà © de las Casas were predicting everything from the complete depopulation of the Americas to the eternal damnation of everyone involved in the whole sordid enterprise. In 1542, Charles V of Spain finally listened to them and passed the so-called New Laws. The New Laws The New Laws were a series of royal ordinances designed to halt the abuses of the encomienda system, particularly in Peru. Natives were to have their rights as citizens of Spain and could not be forced to work if they did not want to. Reasonable tribute could be collected, but any additional work was to be paid for. Existing encomiendas would pass to the crown upon the death of the encomendero, and no new encomiendas were to be granted. Furthermore, anyone who abused natives or who had participated in the conquistador civil wars could lose their encomiendas. The king approved the laws and sent a Viceroy, Blasco Nà ºÃƒ ±ez Vela, to Lima with clear orders to enforce them. Rebellion The colonial elite was livid with rage when the provisions of the New Laws became known. The encomenderos had lobbied for years for the encomiendas to be made permanent and passable from one generation to another, something the King had always resisted. The New Laws removed all hope of perpetuity being granted. In Peru, most of the settlers had taken part in the conquistador civil wars and could, therefore, lose their encomiendas immediately. The settlers rallied around Gonzalo Pizarro, one of the leaders of the original conquest of the Inca Empire and brother of Francisco Pizarro. Pizarro defeated Viceroy Nà ºÃƒ ±ez, who was killed in battle, and basically ruled Peru for two years before another royalist army defeated him; Pizarro was captured and executed. A few years later, the second rebellion under Francisco Hernndez Girà ³n took place and was also put down. End of the Encomienda System The King of Spain almost lost Peru during these conquistador uprisings. Gonzalo Pizarros supporters had urged him to declare himself King of Peru, but he refused: had he done so, Peru might have successfully split from Spain 300 years early. Charles V felt it prudent to suspend or repeal the most hated aspects of the New Laws. The Spanish crown still steadfastly refused to grant encomiendas in perpetuity, however, so slowly these lands reverted to the crown. Some of the encomenderos managed to secure title-deeds to certain lands: unlike the encomiendas, these could be passed down from one generation to the next. Those families that held land would eventually become the native oligarchy. Once the encomiendas reverted to the crown, they were overseen by corregidores, royal agents who administered crown holdings. These men proved to be every bit as bad as the encomenderos had been: corregidores were appointed for relatively brief periods, so they tended to squeeze as much as they could out of a particular holding while they could. In other words, although the encomiendas were phased out eventually by the crown, the lot of the native workers did not improve. The encomienda system was one of the many horrors inflicted on the native people of the New World during the conquest and colonial eras. It was essentially slavery, given but a thin (and illusory) veneer of respectability for the Catholic education that it implied. It legally allowed the Spaniards to work the natives literally to death in the fields and mines. It seems counter-productive to kill off your own workers, but the Spanish conquistadors in question were only interested in getting as rich as they could as quickly as they could: this greed led directly to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the native population. To the conquistadors and settlers, the encomiendas were nothing less than their fair and just reward for the risks they had taken during the conquest. They saw the New Laws as the actions of an ungrateful king who, after all, had been sent 20% of Atahualpas ransom. Reading them today, the New Laws do not seem radical - they provide for basic human rights such as the right to be paid for work and the right to not be unreasonably taxed. The fact that the settlers rebelled, fought and died to fight the New Laws only shows how deeply they had sunk into greed and cruelty. Sources: Burkholder, Mark and Lyman L. Johnson. Colonial Latin America. Fourth Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Hemming, John. The Conquest of the Inca London: Pan Books, 2004 (original 1970). Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962 Patterson, Thomas C. The Inca Empire: The Formation and Disintegration of a Pre-Capitalist State.New York: Berg Publishers, 1991.

In these papers there are alot of difficult words and complicated Essay

In these papers there are alot of difficult words and complicated sentences , So please replace them by use simple words and simple sentences - Essay Example of leading green campus initiatives†; and emphasizing that â€Å"successful application of these approaches requires a high competency in listening, communication, relationship building, vision development, responsiveness and continuous strategic adaptation† ; among others. The author likewise explained the basic nature of universities that provided the reasons for current inability to invite widespread campus involvement on the subject. The theories and concepts learned from the reading could be applied in one’s role as administrator and educational leader through suggesting policies for environmental protection and conservation programs within the university level. As stressed, wide-scale involvement or campus participation on environmental programs should be taught at the whole organizational level and across different cultures. Also, it was stated that organizational change would be most effective if all academic personal share the same commitment to environmental preservation and conservation. One believes that through encouraging the participation and involvement of various persons in a campus setting could be difficult. However, the task is not impossible. It just requires commitment, dedication, and perseverance from administrators and educational leaders to encourage student involvement and to deeply establish the need to focus on environmental protection and social responsibility by starting with one’s personal action, guidance, and direction. This article is one of the greatest works that discusses the cultural, social, economic and political nature of colleges. In this respect it explores the possible issues that the administrators should consider for them to effectively run these institutions. The conflict resolution is well discussed in this article and mediation is quoted as the most favorable remedial approach. various arguments that point out how the administrators can formulate appropriate conflict resolution and manage the student

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

History - Essay Example Globalization is a continuous process that is yet to be realized in some developing nations. However, historians believe that it began in Europe, during the BCE. This discourse is about the history and the demand among other relevant aspects of globalization. History records that the earliest globalizations were realized when there was need to expand the trade links and capacities between two major trading partners, namely Indus and the summer during the 3rd millennium B.C.E. This occurred during the Hellenistic era, associated with the introduction of Greece culture into commercialized zones like India and Spain among others. Some historical records that Alexandria is among the first cities to embrace globalization, even though others believe it adopted globalization few decades after the initial globalization was recorded. Greece main force to expand its operations and trade with other regions was the issue of importing wheat among other major raw materials. The commodity was entir ely transported by the ships and canoe among other water transport vessels that existed during the Hellenistic era. Several trade links were later established and the three main links were the Han dynasty, the famous Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire among others. There was an expansion in transport routes from the borders of ancient China to Rome to enhance international trade. Furthermore, there was increase in Greece Ships sailed to the furthest corner of India among other Asian nations, in search of wheat among other raw materials. First globalization was meant to enhance international trade between the earliest Asian and European nations; however, it came with several negative implications to the societies involved. The Chinese from the Han Empire developed some conflicts that led to ancient war with other Asian Kingdoms like the Persians and the Indian Kingdoms among other Asian kingdoms. Han who was the ruler of Wu Empire declared war with the Yuezhi Kingdom, with the main aim of taking control of the Tarim Basin. Globalization was further enhanced by the Muslims during the golden age, when more trade routes or links were established between the Radhanites or Jewish and the Muslim community. The two communities developed their technology, trade and agricultural practices after some interactions. Muslims resolved in producing large volumes of Sugar, cotton and wheat among other crops. Small part was internally consumed while the rest was transported to European region, for international trade purposes. The second phase of globalization also called proto-globalization occurred in the 16th and 17th century when European Empires explored other developing regions and this resulted to influence of the European culture and trade among other aspects. Portuguese and Spanish empires were the first to make such movements or initiatives and they colonized the United States and Horn of Africa among other territories. The British and the Dutch also followed and th e expanded or rather global trade links which further led to establishment of multilateral companies like the Dutch East India among others. There was an increased trade trend in food and slaves to the European regions. Slave trade promoted the spread of communicable diseases in both Africa and Europe, more so along the trade routes. The final stage of

The Declaration of Independence Essay Example for Free

The Declaration of Independence Essay The Declaration of Independence maintained that the purpose of government is to protect their â€Å"unalienable rights,† chief among them being â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. † As such, government is merely an institution crafted by the people, whose existence is entirely contingent upon the people it is designed to serve towards these ends. Therefore it is the responsibility of citizens to be ever vigilant of this government because the Declaration explicitly states that its authority comes from â€Å"the consent of the governed. † Should this government prove to be dysfunctional with regards to the functions it was created for, it becomes the right of these ‘governed’ to abolish the government and institute a new one in its place that fulfills the abovementioned mandate of protecting those rights. It is this fundamental conception of the function of government that maintains relevance in the 21st century moreso, as has been said ad infinitum ad nauseum, in the wake of 9/11. In an attempt to address the security of the nation-space, the government has taken measures that have effectively diminished personal liberties if not curtailed them entirely. As such, the functions of the government have increasingly turned towards protection of the state for its own sake, at the expense of the inalienable rights of citizens. In effect, the government leans towards self-preservation, towards a rigid but abstract notion of patriotism and nationalism and away from empowering those institutions under its jurisdiction whose primary aim is the self-fulfillment of its citizens. More of the budget is geared away from citizen welfare and more towards the military and state controls. This is not to suggest that the government must be abolished with the sheer force of tumultuous revolt, but rather that citizens recognize this disheartening trend and take action to reorient it back towards the purposes it was designed for in the first place. It is through re-awakening interactions that make for a healthy democracy, including the ballot box and beyond it in critical discourse.

Essay on Poetry in Prose in Cold Mountain -- Cold Mountain Essays

Poetry in Prose in Cold Mountain Cold Mountain is poetry in prose, and the examples of this are infinite.   Every character met is described down to the last hair on their head; the war-torn countryside still lives on for Inman to relive and Ada to discover.   The field burning, the sunrises and sunsets, the rivers flowing and the eternal rocks and trees that make up the landscape are all characters in themselves.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The definition of the word ‘poetry’ is allusive to say the least. Those in dictionaries run in circles from defining a poet as ‘one who writes poetry’ to defining a poetry as ‘the work of a poet’. It is more conclusive therefore, to describe what the poets themselves are aspiring to create: Coleridge distinguishes between prose – ‘the best words’- and poetry – ‘the best words in the best order’ – while Wordsworth said that poetry is ‘the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge.’ Therefore it is difficult to distinguish between the exact difference between prose and poetry. In some instances, such as translating foreign poetry, it has proved more satisfying to convert the poetry into prose to convey the meaning without worrying about the metre, which is often lost in translation anyway. However, ‘Cold Mountain’ is clearly one of the chosen few novels written in prose with poetic style. By describing scenes, be they uplifting or disturbing, in an innovative, different, detailed style, Frazier succeeds in surpassing other novels in library brilliance and ingenuity. From the first few words of the first chapter, the reader is captured. Different, or unusual words are used to describe what they do not usually do – morning ‘gesturing’, for instance, morning is not normally thought of as a gesture, b... ...head; the war-torn countryside still lives on for Inman to relive and Ada to discover.   The field burning, the sunrises and sunsets, the rivers flowing and the eternal rocks and trees that make up the landscape are all characters in themselves.   Frazier conveys his love of the land through every word of ‘Cold Mountain’ and uses unusual adjectives or verbs to explain his sight from a different angle.   (This is illustrated on page 215 as Inman is wedded to Lila; she ‘described little delighted circles in the dirt’.)   Matthew Arnold states that ‘genuine poetry is conceived and composed in the soul’, and Frazier has simply shared this genuine classic to give a hauntingly true-to-life insight in to the search for the American Dream, based on his own experience of the Appalachian Mountains. Works Cited: Frazier, Charles. Cold Mountain. New York: Vintage Books, 1998.

Mri Notes

Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital A Community Hospital White Paper 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 1 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital CONTENTS Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Making the Business Case †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 The Business Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Reasons for Bringing MRI to your Hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Financial Considerations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 Selecting the Equipment †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Comparing Te chnologies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Equipment Features †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Search Process †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Managing the MRI Program †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 Operations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Staffing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Siting †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Marketing the Program †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 3 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital 1 INTRODUCTION MRI is one of today’s fastest growing imaging modalities, spurred in part by rapid advances in technology and important new applications in patient care. Recent statistics also suggest that expanding Medicare reimbursements and the growing demands of an informed and aging population for healthcare services are elevating MRI utilization to new levels.Is your community hospital considering adding this exp anding and often lucrative modality? This paper will help you answer that question. It looks at the business and financial aspects of an MRI program, reviews MRI technologies and features, and discusses management of an MRI program. Overall, it shows how implementing an MRI program will enhance existing medical services and better meet community needs. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 1 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital 5 ProfitabilityPerforming a number of standard financial analyses will help determine the potential profitability of your proposed MRI program. Generally, the financial analyses should cover the first five years of your program. The standard financial analyses are: Breakeven analysis. A breakeven analysis will show how many examinations must be performed to cover MRI program costs. The specific breakeven point is calculated by dividing the fixed costs (such as equipment, space, personnel, maintenance, and utilities) by the payment per exam minus the variable costs (such as supplies, fees, and billing costs) per exam.It may turn out that your breakeven point is 1,000 exams, but your market analysis indicates demand for only 700 exams. In this case, you may want to analyze growth trends to determine when or whether your MRI program could break even in the future. You may also want to look at restructuring your proposed program to make it financially feasible. Return on investment (ROI). ROI is one of the most common measures of profitability and can indicate whether spending money on an MRI program is a good use of your hospital’s resources. It is calculated by dividing net income by the cost of the investment.Net income can be approximated by looking at the demand, payer mix, and utilization rate for various MRI procedures in your market and estimating your revenues. The investment number includes not only the cost of the equipment under each financing option, but also the costs of running the program (includin g the costs of staffing, marketing, any needed construction, and administration). Given the number of variables contributing to the ROI calculation, changing the structure of your proposed MRI program can increase your return on your MRI investment.Internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). IRR and NPV are commonly used to analyze whether a capital expenditure (such as the purchase of MRI equipment) will yield the revenue wanted in the future; they can also be used to choose among various investment proposals (such as different types of MRI equipment or different financing options). Net present value is calculated by a mathematical process involving the estimated revenues and expenses of an investment. The calculation can help determine whether the anticipated cash flows 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. xd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 5 6 A Community Hospital White Paper will cover the cost of capital and recover the costs of the investment. IRR (defined as the rate of interest at which the incremental NPV of a proposal is zero) is another way to look at the value of a capital expenditure – by looking at the rate of return on the investment. If a calculation shows that the IRR is above the cost of capital, the proposed investment should be profitable. These two calculations help determine whether the investment is economically feasible for the hospital.Again, the information needed for these analyses can be obtained from equipment vendors, commercial databases, and outside suppliers. Financing Options Hospitals can use a number of methods or creative hybrids from these methods to acquire both fixed and mobile MRI. Deciding how you will pay for your MRI system requires achieving the right balance between using available cash and accessing debt. Using available cash may make sense if there are few other capital projects on the horizon and cash flow from operations is strong.Using debt instruments, such as bonds, bank loans, or leases, however, may pr eserve available cash for other capital projects, provide a better financial return on the capital project, or simply make the project affordable by reducing the capital outlay to a monthly operating expense. Consider the following options: Cash Purchase. The main advantage of a cash purchase is that your hospital would own the equipment outright; the equipment becomes an asset on your balance sheet and no debt or liability is created.Making the purchase, however, would involve the use of a significant amount of available cash, which would then no longer be available to support other projects or for future financial needs. Leasing. Leasing moves much of the funding to your operational budget and minimizes credit requirements. In addition, it provides better matching of revenues and expenses on a monthly basis. Some types of leases allow you to build equity into the lease and purchase the MRI equipment for a small capital outlay at the end of your agreement. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR 5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 6 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital Bonds. Using bonds allows your hospital to raise significant capital to fund long-term and short-term projects through one debt issue. The bond offering can be made on a tax-exempt basis, so the interest due on the principal is typically calculated at a very attractive rate. A bond offering may take six to nine months to execute, however, and may involve significant costs. More importantly, including assets that have economic and useful lives shorter than the term of the bond in a bond issue produces debt without any continuing benefit to your hospital; there would be a mismatch between revenues and expenses.Bank Loans. If your hospital has an existing relationship with a bank, it may be quickest and easiest to fund your technology acquisitions through a bank line of credit. Given banks’ size and access to capital, they typically offer attractive finance rates for full payout loans. Your hospital may be r equired to keep a compensating balance at your bank, however, and one technology purchase may consume available credit lines that your hospital may need for other capital projects or working capital needs.Another drawback to using a bank loan is that banks will only finance the technology acquisition itself; they will not pay for the installation or the costs of professional services associated with the equipment. Your hospital may want to purchase MRI equipment independently to meet your own imaging needs. You could then lease access to the equipment part time to other facilities at fees that could help pay for the purchase. Your hospital may also consider a shared purchase of MRI equipment.Partnering with other local hospitals or independent imaging centers offers the advantages of sharing financial burdens and risks, while acquiring the ability to provide MRI services. Frequently, the participating facilities form a partnership or limited liability corporation to serve as the umb rella for the purchase, and the financial arrangements and responsibilities would be specified in the formal agreement. This arrangement reduces the costs and financial risk for each partner, while allowing each partner to provide MRI services. Co-funded MRI acquisitions may be either direct purchases or leases. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. xd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 7 8 A Community Hospital White Paper SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT Rapid developments in MRI technology mean that your hospital will be faced with an array of equipment and features. Your selection will depend on your business objectives and clinical requirements. Your goal is to select the equipment most appropriate and cost-effective for delivering the high-quality images you need today, while allowing for new applications and upgrades in the future. Equipment vendors can help you sort through your options to acquire the capabilities you need without paying for features you will not use.The sections below discuss some of the basic technologies and features available to you. Comparing Technologies Magnet Given the growth in the number of MRI applications and rapid advances in MRI technology, MRI may become your radiology department’s workhorse. Therefore, your hospital should start with a solid, proven platform. While some applications still use a sub-1T magnet, a 1. 5T magnet is now the standard, because it can both handle current applications and accommodate future applications and upgrades. A 3T magnet is available, but it represents truly innovative technology and might be more powerful than most hospitals need.Mobile vs. Fixed MRI As noted above, mobile MRI is housed in a specialized van and can readily be shared among hospitals and healthcare facilities. Mobile MRI is frequently acquired when a hospital expects a small volume of exams, when the hospital wants to test an MRI program before leasing or purchasing, or when the hospital does not have the financial resources to purchase fixed equi pment. Some hospitals use mobile MRI to supplement overburdened fixed MRI equipment, provide capacity while waiting to purchase additional fixed equipment, extend radiology services into other geographic areas, or maintain service during building projects.A main drawback of mobile MRI is its accessibility – the equipment may not be available when it is needed. Patients and referring physicians may have to wait for several days or even weeks for procedures. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 8 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital 9 Fixed MRI may be located inside the hospital or in a nearby building. Because it is right at the hospital, it is very convenient to use. Patients may be able to get their exams within a day, emergency room doctors can get studies the same day, and diagnoses can be made or confirmed very quickly.Physicians can use in-house equipment to confirm results and to make sure that proper care is given and they can draw on the medical s ervices provided by other departments in the hospital, if needed. Fixed MRI facilitates patient care. It is easier to move seriously ill, elderly, or emergency room patients to an in-house MRI than to transport them to mobile or distant equipment. In-house and fixed facilities also tend to be more comfortable and attractive than mobile ones and patients can use other hospital services and facilities at the same time. Open vs. Closed MRIApproximately 28% of MRI installations are of open MRI (according to the IMV 2002/03 MRI Census Market Summary Report ). Open MRI is considered more comfortable for patients, particularly children, the elderly, the obese, and the claustrophobic, and may thus reduce the need for patient sedation and the number of incomplete exams. Until now, the strength of the magnet in most open MRI systems has been comparatively weak (no more than 0. 7T), which has limited the quality of the images and has not supported a full range of applications. A new class of M RI systems was introduced in the summer of 2004, called Open Bore MRI, with stronger 1. T magnets and the ability to offer 60% of exams with the patient’s head outside the magnet. These new systems have the same image quality as closed MRI systems and are able to support as many applications. Closed MRI has traditionally used a stronger magnet, which has led to clearer images and has allowed closed MRI systems to support a broader range of applications and many new technological advances and upgrades. Some newer closed MRI equipment has been designed to be more comfortable for patients and to reduce the acoustic noise level by up to 97%. The technological advances in open MRI may reduce the differences in technological capabilities between open and closed MRI systems. *Results may vary. Data on file. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 9 10 A Community Hospital White Paper Equipment Features Image Quality Image quality is one of the primary MRI consideratio ns. Factors affecting quality include strength of the magnet, high field computer performance, sequence selections, and 3D postprocessing. Differences in image quality can be seen by comparing sample images produced by all the equipment being considered.Workflow and Productivity MRI benefits from a broad range of new productivity-enhancing tools that may allow you to serve more patients and make the best use of your equipment and staff. Advanced scanners have the ability to do seamless whole-body imaging with a single coil, eliminating the need to reconfigure coils and reposition patients. These can cut scanning time by as much as 50% to 75%. * Others allow simultaneous scanning of more limited anatomical areas with up to four integrated coils, delivering similar benefits.Both allow the user to select exams, not coils, and provide the highest acquisition speed without image artifacts, while promoting patient comfort. This enhanced workflow enables more patients to be seen during a d ay and often paves the way for handling of a greater patient volume and increased profits. Additionally, recent advances in MRI technologies allow the processing of MRI images during, rather than following, the ex amination, which produces results faster. Others automatically position slices for reproducible, consistent results.New developments also promote clinical efficiency by improving workflow and eliminating duplicate tasks. This includes reducing examination set-up time through single-mouse-click coil positioning. Another new technology eliminates the need to reenter patient exam parameters by allowing existing images to be dragged and dropped onto the patient list and even to be transferred from images on email or CDs. Some manufacturers provide a common interface across all modalities and applications, including MRI, to reduce learning curves and facilitate practice management. *Results may vary. Data on file. 4-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 10 Bringin g MRI to Your Community Hospital 11 Patient Comfort Some new technologies make MRI procedures more comfortable for patients, which in turn makes clinical time more productive. These technologies may reduce noise level, eliminating the need for ear protection; reduce scan time, which makes the procedure less stressful for patients; allow for more comfortable horizontal loading; or allow patients to keep their heads outside the bore, minimizing claustrophobia. Open MRI technology accommodates anxious, obese, or claustrophobic patients, particularly children.Search Process A multifunctional search team, including radiologists, technologists, administrators, and IT professionals, should be appointed to analyze the equipment options and make recommendations. The search should be driven by the goals of your program in terms of improved patient care and financial feasibility, the technological features specified by radiologists, and the procedure needs of referring physicians. The search p rocess should include detailed comparisons of the features and image quality of the equipment made by different vendors.Members of the team should visit sites where the equipment is used, interview radiologists and technologists working with the equipment, and request and review a range of images made by the equipment. Some equipment vendors may allow a short-term trial of the equipment or special features before purchase. Many hospitals consider it important to purchase as much equipment as possible from the same vendor. For smaller hospitals, where technologists may perform many different types of procedures, having one vendor makes cross-training on different modalities easier.The relationship with a single vendor may also contribute to the efficient running of the radiology department and may expedite repairs and other needed services. At the end of the search process, the team should make recommendations on which specific equipment and features to purchase. The team may also se t out a schedule for making regular upgrades to the equipment or for purchasing additional features or applications. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 11 12 A Community Hospital White Paper MANAGING THE MRI PROGRAMWhen bringing MRI to your community hospital, you will have to make decisions about overall management of the program. Planning should cover four areas – operations, staffing, siting, and marketing. Operations Patients and physicians both want the MRI program to run smoothly, efficiently, and in a timely manner. When implementing the program, the hospital will have to keep an eye on the scheduling of patients for efficient utilization of equipment, patient throughput, patient comfort and education, efficient handling of paperwork and archiving of images, and timely communication.A Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) has become a necessity in managing an MRI program. The hospital should plan on monitoring the operations of the progr am and should expect to make changes to increase operating effectiveness. For example, the hospital may find that it wants to extend hours of service or hire additional personnel to handle paperwork and scheduling. Staffing For a community hospital, an MRI program requires one or more radiologists, technologists, administrators, and possibly also technologist aides.There is currently a shortfall in the number of available radiology professionals, so it may be necessary to develop a recruiting program that sets out how the hospital supports and meets the needs of its employees. Radiology professionals will look for a competitive salary and benefits, good working conditions, flexible and reasonable schedules and workloads, and opportunities for growth and development within the profession. They are particularly interested in keeping up with technological advances and in having opportunities to learn new modalities.During recruiting visits and interviews, most radiology professionals c heck whether a hospital has the latest technologies and equipment. Many radiologists look for the use of a nighthawk service at night or over weekends to make their workloads manageable. Nighthawks, who can be located anywhere in the world, are sent images digitally over the Internet for remote reading. A PACS system facilitates the sharing of images betw een the hospital and the nighthawks. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 12Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital 13 The hospital may also need to consider whether it will be able to pursue a number of the standard options for making sure that it has sufficient staff: Using temporary or short-term workers, provided by a healthcare staffing company or recruited from locum tenens services Sharing radiology professionals among joint venture partners or local radiology practices Using creative scheduling, such as job-sharing or part-time arrangements Cross-training technologists on different modalitiesGiven the shor tfall in available radiology professionals, a hospital will want to pay attention to retaining its staff. An effective retention program must be built into the staffing plan for the MRI program. Retention strategies may include giving staff opportunities for career growth through learning new technologies and modalities, creating a supportive work environment, and following through on all the commitments made during the recruiting process. Siting Given the physical requirements of fixed MRI equipment, administrators will have to decide where they want to site the program.Existing vs. New Space An MRI’s powerful magnetic field limits the possible locations for the equipment. The magnet room must be built with specific construction materials and can contain only certain fixtures and additional equipment. An existing site within the hospital will need significant structural renovation to eliminate all ferrous metals to ensure patient safety and protect your equipment. It is nece ssary to compare the costs of renovating and of building new space to help contain expenses associated with the program.Equipment vendors are a good source of information on the requirements of a magnet room and the work needed to create a safe and comfortable site for your MRI program. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 13 14 A Community Hospital White Paper Inside-the-Hospital vs. Freestanding Outpatient Facility MRI exams are frequently outpatient procedures. Locating your MRI program in an outpatient facility has the obvious advantages of reducing hospital crowding, enhancing throughput, and reducing the complications of hospital visits for ambulatory patients.Other outpatient facility siting benefits include flexibility in financing, through joint ventures and shared equipment, and larger physical space with the possibility of expansion. However, if your primary goal is to meet in-patient imaging needs, an inside-the-hospital location is safer and easier, pa rticularly for critically ill patients. Other advantages are the availability of the full range of on-site medical services and the proximity to in-house physicians and referring physicians with offices near the hospital.Marketing the Program A community hospital can best market its new MRI program by involving the community during the development of the program and by using specific marketing techniques. Community Involvement Many community hospitals have found that creating strong community involvement in the program leads to high patient volume. It may be effective to: Draw local businesses and business associations, such as a Chamber of Commerce, into the planning process and any necessary fundraisingCreate a hospital website that keeps the community informed about progress, educates potential future patients about your new services and the benefits of MRI, shows pictures of the new equipment, and links to the equipment vendor’s website for additional information Speak ab out the program and MRI to local community groups and at school programs Hold an open house and give tours of your new facilities Media Relations Given the strong popular interest in healthcare issues, it may be possible to interest local newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations into reporting on your new MRI program and its benefits.Distributing a press release describing your program, making hospital administrations and radiology professionals available for interviews, and hosting media events may be effective in publicizing your program. 04-201-XO-491_Bringing_MR5. qxd 12/10/04 10:05 AM Page 14 Bringing MRI to Your Community Hospital 15 Marketing Communications Some hospitals have found it effective to develop written materials that explain and publicize their program and the new MRI technology.These materials can include brochures that educate patients and answer questions about MRI technology and benefits, brochures for referring physicians that describe the new im aging services, handouts with contact and procedural information, and print advertisements for local media. Equipment manufacturers are a good source of cost-effective assistance in developing marketing communications. CONCLUSION MRI technology can provide numerous benefits to your hospital by enhancing the speed and accuracy of diagnoses, facilitating earlier and more accurate treatment of medical conditions, and generating additional revenue.Making the decision to implement an MRI program involves analyzing the marketplace and the financial aspects of the program and planning for managing and marketing the program. A critical decision is which MRI equipment and applications will meet the needs of the hospital and the community. Many of the newest technologies provide significant benefits in terms of quality, efficiency, and patient comfort. Given the cost of the equipment, the hospital should compare various financing options, including direct purchase, leasing, and joint ventures .