Obamacare

At this point I think that the Healthcare reform is something that is needed and Obamacare is trying its best to improve. There is a major need for Healthcare reform. Thousands of people die in America each year because of the lack of health insurance. Many people without health insurance die when they could have had a chance to live if they had insurance. The problem is that health insurance is too expensive. Not for those who can afford it but for those who cannot. It has to be horrible to catch the flu and have to suffer because you fear debt from a trip to the emergency room.Obama’s plan is vital to the advancement of healthcare. Private insurance is rising constantly and Universal healthcare in America will add more competition to the market, it will be beneficial for everyone and we know that it has already worked in other countries. Private medical insurance is valuable to have, but can come with many disadvantages for the consumer. The article â€Å"the U. S. Healthca re system† focused on the faults of the United States healthcare system when compared to other countries with Universal healthcare.America has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. One reason for the rising cost of healthcare in America is that an estimated â€Å"19. 3 to 24. 1 % of the money is spent on administration cost. Obama wants to make sure that America is not being taken advantage of by insurance and prescription drug companies. Some insurance companies are overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance, which is causing patients to have to pay more in order to be seen by a doctor.Obama's healthcare reform will provide healthcare and preventative services to millions of Americans, give American's a safety net to ensure that they can't be denied for a preexisting condition, or dropped when sick, millions of lives will be saved, it will grow jobs, help small business and is projected to cut the national deficit by over $1,000,000,000,000 dollars ove r the next two decades. This is the type of reform our healthcare system needs

A Comparative Study Of Australian Indigenous And Non Indigenous Education Essay

Australia has a prominent discontinuity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities. (Coag. gov. au. 2014) There is a pressing need for an Australian Indigenous Education Reform. This need for reform is especially necessary in remote and northern, socially disadvantaged Australian communities where attendance rates are low, along with low academic outcomes by Australian national standards. This reform needs to ensure consideration of Indigenous cultural needs and wants. The aim of this paper is to discuss the disparity between Australian Indigenous and Non-Indigenous persons’ Education and make recommendations based on the effectiveness of current reforms in place to minimise the inequality between the two demographics. The paper will look at attendance statistics of school aged children in primary school and high school, completion statistics of highest school qualifications completed, highest non-school qualification obtained and employment statistics for full time and part time Indigenous and non- Indigenous workers The most recent government implemented strategy will be briefly evaluated. Along with this, recommendations will be made. These suggestions can hopefully be modified and implemented in countries that have an inconsistency their in nationwide education statistics. Placing high importance on the improvement of Australia’s Indigenous and Non-Indigenous education disparities will create a ripple effect and improve Indigenous health and employment opportunities. Children who attend school on a daily basis will be exposed to health and wellbeing syllabus, putting their knowledge into practice within their community. Indigenous Primary school children with regular attendance will have an easier transition into secondary school, with the improved likeliness of achieving a higher non-school qualification thus positively affecting the distribution of workers in society. For the purpose of this paper, the following tables bellow will be referred to and the information within will be used to support and stimulate discussion. INDIGENOUS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RECORDINGS 3 TO 5 YEARS OF AGE AGE MAJOR CITY REMOTE AREA VERY REMOTE AREA 3 31% 12% 14% 4 63% 59% 55% 5 87% 77% 70% Table 1 Source: Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Australia, 2006 (cat. no. 4713. 0). This table shows the percentage of three to five year old Indigenous children attending an educational institution such as a preschool or primary school in a major city, remote or very remote area. As expected, the attendance decreases as remoteness increases. There isn’t much disparity with the four and five year old age group’s attendance, however less than half three year old Indigenous children in a major city attend an educational facility in a major city and then this figure almost halves again when looking at children in very remote areas. INDIGENOUS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RECORDINGS 15 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE AGE MAJOR CITY REMOTE AREA VERY REMOTE AREA 15 77% 67% 53% 16 60% 49% 34% 17 44% 29% 16% Table 2 Source: Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Australia, 2006 (cat. no. 4713. 0) The results in this table are noticeably alarming. In remote and very remote areas, 50% or under of Indigenous teenagers from the ages of fifteen, sixteen and seventeen years are attending school. If only 16% of seventeen year old Indigenous students are attending high school, then there is a very low chance of young Indigenous persons graduating from the final year of high school. In major cities, not even half of Indigenous seventeen year olds are attending high school. It’s highly unlikely that with an attendance rate is only 44% from seventeen year olds in major cities, that many of those students will continue on to complete a non-school qualification. HIGHTEST LEVEL OF SCHOOL COMPLETED BY INDIGENOUS SATUS AND AGE AGE GROUP 18-24 25-34 35-54 55 and over total Indigenous Highest Level (%) Year 12 or equivalent 32 28 15 8 19 Year 11 or equivalent 14 13 9 2 11 Year 10 or equivalent 25 26 34 16 28 Non-Indigenous Highest Level (%) Year 12 or equivalent 71 68 76 27 45. Year 11 or equivalent 10 9 12 7 10 Year 10 or equivalent 13 16 29 26 24 Table 3 Source: Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006 (cat. no. 4713) The information gathered in the above table shows that the highest school level qualification of Indigenous people is Year 10 or the equivalent and for Non-Indigenous people its Year 12 or equivalent. As assumed, for Indigenous persons, the amount of Year 12 completions declines with age. Indicating that perhaps, programs put in place to support Indigenous education has been effective. However, overall, only 19% of Indigenous persons have completed Year 12. Further studies showed that 14% of Indigenous people had completed Year 8 or the equivalent as their highest school qualification. This was exactly double the amount of Non-Indigenous persons who had completed Year 8 or the equivalent and only 5% lower than the amount of Indigenous persons who completed Year 12 or the equivalent. The disparity between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous young people (age 18 to 24 years) who have completed Year 12 of equivalent is a huge 40%. These statistics of the highest school qualification received reflects on the results of highest non-school qualifications. . Indigenous (%) Non-Indigenous (%) Males Females Males Females Higher than a Bachelor degree 1. 0 1. 4 5. 9 5. 9 Bachelor degree 2. 9 5. 0 14. 3 16. 8 Advance Diploma or Diploma 3. 1 5. 3 7. 8 10. 3 Certificate III and IV level 15. 8 8. 3 25. 8 8. 5 Certificate I and II level 1. 4 2. 5 0. 7 1. 6 Certificate not further defined 1. 2 2. 0 1. 4 2. 7 Not stated or inadequately stated 17. 6 13. 9 6. 2 7. 3 No non-school qualifications 57. 1 61. 7 37. 9 46. 8 PERSONS AGED 26-64 YEARS WITH A NON-SCHOOL QUALIFICATION BY INDIGENOUS STATUS AND GENDER. Table 4 Source: 2006 Census of Population and Housing, Australia, 2006 This table displays the non-school qualifications achieved by Indigenous and Non-Indigenous males and females. Following on from the highest school qualification results, it was not surprising to find that more Non-Indigenous Australians had received certificates III and IV, diplomas, advanced diplomas and Bachelor degrees or higher. It was disconcerting to note that more than 50% of Indigenous males and females had no non-school qualification. The majority of both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians had completed a certificate III or IV. Further research showed that Indigenous persons living in major cities, when compared to those in regional or remote areas, were more than two and a half times more likely to complete a non-school qualification (39% and 15% respectively). However, strangely for Non-Indigenous persons with a non-school qualification in remote communities, there was not a disparity as larger between those that lived in major cities (58% for major cities and 48. 6% for remote areas. LABOUR FORCE STATUS BY INDIGENOUS STATUS Indigenous Total (%) Full Time Employment 27. 7 Part Time Employment 16. 6 Non-Indigenous Full Time Employment 50. 0 Part Time Employment 19. 1 Table 5 Source: 2006 Census of Population and Housing, Australia, 2006 The above is a small overview of the overall percent of full time and part time employment for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians. ABSENTEEISM Days Absent Total Days School Terms Missed Years of School Missed 1 day per week 451 9 2 years, 1 term 1. 5 days per week 676. 5 13. 5 3 years, 1. 5 terms 2 days per week 902 18 4 years, 2 terms 3 days per week 1353 27 6 years, 3 terms 5 weeks per term 1127. 5 22 5 years, 2 terms Average 5 days per term 220 5. 5 1 year, 1. 5 terms Average 10 days per term 440 11 2 years, 3 terms ABSENTEEISM OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME Table 6 Source: Cycles For Success DETE, SA, 2002 p. 44. The above table calculates the impact of absenteeism over a long period of time, highlighting the severity of prolonged absenteeism. Even a child who only has 5 days off a term, every term can be affected; they will miss a total of 1 year and 1. 5 terms, that’s a lot of curriculum covered in that time. An abridged version of Reasons for prolonged absenteeism from School attendance and retention Of Indigenous Australian students. †¢ Parental-condoned absenteeism, parents failing to accept their legal responsibilities †¢ Poor parental/carer attitudes towards schools †¢ Insufficiently valuing education †¢ Inadequate welfare support practices, especially in the early years of schooling †¢ Inconsistent approach to absenteeism between and within schools †¢ Unsuitable curriculum for some pupils †¢ Too few out-of-school/alternative curriculum places †¢ Bullying, peer pressure, ‘cool’ to skip school †¢ Lack of career aspirations and low self esteem †¢ Inconsistent policies and practices of local schools, education welfare services and schools’ policy documents on attendance †¢ Inconsistent referral policies between schools. †¢ Local unemployment, poverty, poor community facilities †¢ Differences between boys’ and girls’ aspirations and achievements (Purdie & Buckley, 2010) MOST RECENTLY ANNOUNCED GOVERNMENT STRATERGY In December, 2013 Indigenous Affairs Minister Scullion released an announcement of a new two- year strategy to improve Indigenous school attendance. â€Å"A child attending school 70 per cent of the time is not receiving a proper education. A recent COAG report on education showed there had been no improvement in attendance of Indigenous students over the past five years and in some areas it is going backwards. It is horrific to think that in the Northern Territory, only 13 per cent of kids are attending school 80 per cent of the time. This has to change. † Minister Scullion said the two-year strategy, which is in addition to strategies discussed by COAG last week, would improve school attendance by engaging local people in each community to get kids to school. $28. 4 million will be provided over two years to: ? Employ Attendance Supervisors to manage and develop up to five School Attendance Officers in each community ? Appoint School Attendance Officers through the Remote Jobs and Communities Programme (RJCP) to work with families to get kids to school. Five officers will be engaged for each 100 enrolled children (scaled to suit local situations) ? Provide support for children to attend school with funds from the Indigenous Communities Strategic Investment and Community Development Funds for uniforms, vehicles and office space† Schlievs, M. (2011). Evaluation of Two Year Strategy RECOMMENDATIONS Introduce vocational training within schools Vocational training should be encouraged at a school level. It not only provides a post school pathway into a non-school qualification, but it provides incentive for everyday attendance and a valid reason to participate in school. Students who don’t intend on completing year 12 can obtain a non-school qualification before they leave high school, providing them with a means to enter a non- school qualification post-high school if they so wish. It will also allow students to go straight into employment post school. Schools can be set up to accommodate VET (Vocational Education and Training) and VCAL (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning). These structured programs run in schools allow high school aged children to engage in ‘hands-on’ learning in the classroom with small assessment tasks leading to a certificate. Many Australian Indigenous communities are low socioeconomic areas; if their high schools operate these programs within the school they are providing a financially viable way for students to review a non-school qualification. Adapt curriculum to incorporate Indigenous cultural needs and wants Many Indigenous students have poor attendance because the school curriculum does not appeal to them, their family or their communities’ culture. To have students actively engaged in school, both attendance and their education, the school syllabus needs to reflect the environment the children live in. Simple adoptions can make a large difference to a child’s education. For example, ensuring the level appropriate reading lists has Indigenous story books. There are a large range of Australian Indigenous children’s picture books and novels for older children that are written by Indigenous authors and based in Indigenous communities. If a child is reading a book with a setting they’ve never encountered before, it will become difficult to engage the child in activities and it will become easier for the child to become disinterested in their education and as a result their attendance will decrease. Art and storytelling are prominent features of Australian Indigenous culture, so is spending time exploring the natural environment and learning valuable lessons from community Elders in regards to understanding the natural resources in the area, such as edible plants. Unfortunately, these skills the children acquire in their home life aren’t reflected in school curriculum, making the children and their families feel not only that their culture isn’t valued, but attending school isn’t relevant to them and their community lifestyle. Encouraging more parent participation in children’s schooling It is easier for a child to attend school if the parent or guardian encourages, supports and helps further their education in the home. When parents are stringent on their child’s attendance, it assists the school in having the child attend each day. For a parent to be involved in the child’s formal learning, they must be a involved with the school community. Schools and educators acknowledge that learning first comes from the home, and in the case of Indigenous culture, it comes from the wider community. It would be very fitting for the school in Indigenous communities to run community days and activities in which the children and their families can participate, making it easier for families to accept the school as part of the community. Financial assistance outside of school educational assistance Indigenous students can miss large portions of school during the time of Sorry Business. When Aboriginal people mourn the loss of a family member they practice Aboriginal death ceremonies, or Sorry Business. The family will leave the community for an extended period of time, and if they choose to return to the community, they will move houses. This can cause a large amount of absence for a school child, or if they move to a new community, they may never enrol back into school again. It’s difficult for a child to catch up on such a prolonged absence. If, as part of the national plan for lack of Indigenous student absences, a funded educator could assist children a community centre, such as a religious place, health centre of community recreation centre to catch up on missed school work, it would be most beneficial. This program could also be used to provide extra assistance to children who are falling behind in their school work, before they decide it’s too difficult and never return to school. Initiatives such as this are respectful to the culture, but also combat the issue of students not returning to school after prolonged absence. CONCLUSION It is important to first discover what is causing the problem, before deciding on a strategy to solve a problem. Indigenous communities need to find out from their youth what would encourage them to attend and be engaged at school. Education is a foundation for any community, whether it is developed or developing. In the case of Australian Indigenous communities, school ages education doesn’t only assist a person achieve a qualification, it is important for social development, encouraging health and wellbeing in a community and will enhance future employment opportunities. There is a pressing need for an Australian Indigenous Education Reform. This need for reform is especially necessary in remote and northern, socially disadvantaged Australian communities where attendance rates are low, along with low academic outcomes by Australian national standards. This reform needs to ensure consideration of Indigenous cultural needs and wants. Any recommendations that have been made, can be adapted to assist with similar situations in various countries with remote education being behind the national benchmark in major cities. REFERENCES Abs. gov. au. (2014). Indigenous statistics for schools. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. abs. gov. au/websitedbs/cashome. nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00121564/95ed8 14872649b0dca25758b000314ef! OpenDocument [Accessed: 12 February]. Abs. gov. au. (2014). Indigenous statistics for schools. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.abs. gov. au/websitedbs/cashome. nsf/89a5f3d8684682b6ca256de4002c809b/5cd416 49a06a3033ca25758a0080249e! OpenDocument [Accessed: 20 February 2014]. Coag. gov. au. (2014). Closing the gap in indigenous disadvantage | council of australian governments (coag). [online] Retrieved from: https://www. coag. gov. au/closing_the_gap_in_indigenous_disadvantage [Accessed: 20 February 2014]. Daretolead. edu. au. (2014). Attendance: research and approaches. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. daretolead. edu. au/RES_IS_ATT [12 February 2014]. Ferrari, J.. (2012). Reforms failing to close indigenous schools-gap. The Australian. Humanrights. gov. au. (2014). Statistical overview. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. humanrights. gov. au/publications/statistical-overview-aboriginal-and-torres-strait- islander-peoples-australia-social [Accessed: 12 February 2014]. Indigenous. gov. au. (2013). Minister scullion: government unveils plan to get remote indigenous children back to school | indigenous. gov. au. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. indigenous. gov. au/minister-scullion-government-unveils-plan-to-get-remote- indigenous-children-back-to-school/ [Accessed: 12 February 2014]. Kearns, K. (2010). The business of childcare. Frenchs Forest, N. S. W. : Pearson Australia. Kearns, K. & Austin, B. (2007). Birth to big school. Frenchs Forest, N. S. W. : Pearson Education Australia. Mychild. gov. au. (2014). Programs for indigenous families | mychild. [online] Retrieved from: http://www. mychild. gov. au/pages/FamiliesProgIndigenousFam. aspx [Accessed: 3 January 2014]. Purdie, N. & Buckley, S. (2010). School attendance and retention of indigenous australian students. issues paper no. ERIC. Schlievs, M. (2011). Aboriginal children in remote areas ‘missing school for weeks’. The Australian, September.

Preliminary Studies of Religion Depth Course: Christianity Essay

Christianity is more than a belief in one God. It isn’t just something a person is baptised into to. Christianity is a source of hope for those who doubt, it is a guide for those who are lost and it provides answers for those who wonder. Christianity is the belief in one true God and from there come various interpretations that religions such as Anglicanism, Christianity and Lutheranism have taken and formed a more specific faith. In this preliminary year we will explore the beliefs, values, ethics, rituals and practices of Christianity. The course will open your mind to enlighten and enrich your knowledge on what is, the worlds most dominated religion. We just have to look over history to see the impact that one man has made on a society. Today characteristics of Christianity stem from the major events of Christ’s life and various interpretations of his predecessors. Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem in approximately 4 BCE. Up until age 30 we are unaware of the occurrences in Jesus’ life. Christians believe that God sent Jesus to preach God’s word and demonstrate the morals, values and ethics, through which Jesus lived. Christianity evolved around the first century AD, branching off from Judaism, Christianity shared the ethical teachings of Christ. Christians have faith in Jesus as the model of Christianity through the way he lived his life; preaching, healing and humbling the supreme presence of God. Jesus conveyed his unheard of message through parables to the outcasts of society; prostitutes, the disabled etc. were his followers. Faith came from the divine actions of healing, commanding the forces of nature and the forgiving of sins. So what do Christians believe? There are several principle beliefs of Christianity that share a commonness that dominates the foundations of Christianity. First of all they believe in the divinity as well as the humanity of Jesus Christ. This means that Christians take Jesus a legit being but that he is also one with God – divine. This leads on to the core belief of the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. This belief in itself forms the foundation of all Christian beliefs which this event solidifies the dominance of Christ within Christianity. From this divine event, there is a core belief in the trinity, a belief that God exists as 3 beings Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So another legacy of Jesus Christ is evident in Christian ethics based from the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes as well. The Ten Commandments are viewed as the Law of God, his divine message conveyed through the way one should live their life. The greatest commandment is found in Matthew 22:36-40 where he is asked what is the greatest commandment? He replies quite simply â€Å"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind† Jesus also then goes on to emphasise the importance of the 2nd greatest commandment; â€Å"love your neighbor as yourself†. The Beatitudes laid down by Matthew and Luke are expressed as teachings through the blessings of various virtues of Christians. The Beatitudes and Ten Commandments are focused on Humility, Love and Compassion and are heavily practiced today through the interpretations of Christians. Christian practices refer to the way one practices their religion. In todays society Christian practices vary depending on the interpretations of Christian variants which include rituals and sacraments for example prayer, communion and baptism. Prayer is used as a spiritual connection to God and is highly encouraged throughout the bible. Communion and Baptism are both sacraments that again interpreted accordingly express ones faith and dedication to God. Baptism is the first initial step towards a relationship to God and following his Laws and the teachings of Jesus. Communion on the other hand relates back to the belief in the death and resurrection of Christ, it establishes belief and a relationship between human, Jesus and God. All of these Christian practices are fully implemented in the Churches of today’s Christian societies and have been practiced as a part of this religion for thousands of years. So where to from now? Year 11 is a year of growth and learning. We will look at these aspects in further detail to obtain the fullest knowledge of Christian practices beliefs and ethics and the impact these have through the legacy of Jesus Christ. Since the birth of Christ his legacy whilst yes wasn’t embraced completely throughout his lifetime has had a huge impact on the modern society, over approximately 2.1 billion people world wide follow the faith that was built from one man, one belief and one teaching that went against everything that society knew. The legacy of Jesus Christ is everlasting, a continuous evolution of the interpretation of the core values, teachings and beliefs of Christianity. Good luck for your journey that you will all take for year 11 and thank you for attentively listening to the legacy of Jesus Christ.

Investment Essay

Stock investment is a game of chance as the prices of stocks can be determined through consideration of various components of market. A major concern in stock investment is consideration of available information by investors. Value investing and random walk theory provides mechanism of determining performance of stock investment. Value investing has three main characteristics of financial markets as is described by Bruce C. N in his book. First, the price of stocks is subject to significant movements in financial markets (Greenwald Bruce C. N. , Judd Kahn, et. al. 2001). There are certain impersonal forces that determine price of securities at any moment attracting value buyers to invest in stock markets. Second, despite gyrations in prices of financial securities, many investors have fundamental economic values relatively stable and measured with reasonable accuracy by diligent investors. This means there is a difference between intrinsic value of securities and current price at which a stock trades in the market. Although value and price of financial securities may be identical, there is a difference between the two. Third, in the long -run, buying of financial securities when their market prices are lower than intrinsic value leads to higher returns. These three conditions are major considerations by investors in stock market especially during the period of economic hardships. In 2008, stocks markets were adversely affected by economic down turn whereby the prices of financial securities fell. The end of recession led to a strong surge of stock prices and this critical area affects decisions of value investors and random walkers. Accounting for price surge and fall of stocks by value investors and random walkers is based on fundamental analysis described in the books of Bruton G. Malkiel and Bruce Greenwald. Investment approach I financial markets use existing economic information relating to financial statements of a company and any other relevant information about the affairs of the organization. The fall of security prices in 2008 can be linked with information provided in relation to affairs of stock markets. A major analysis in the concept of financial markets is the concept of top down approach in which the prevailing microeconomic conditions determine price of financial securities. The stage of business cycle in the economy is very important for value investors as information relating to future expectations of price changes is determined. Stock selection model in this aspect of microeconomic conditions is made in a way that ensures stocks of a selected company outperform its peers in industries. The objective of stock market investors is to make more money out of their investment portfolio. Economic down turn caught many investors unaware and price fall of shares was a major threat. The fall of stocks price is attributed to collapse of financial institutions and increased prices of commodities. Investing in financial securities is a mechanism of putting surplus money at disposal by an individual or corporate into investment portfolio such as stock markets in anticipation of higher returns. Increased prices of other commodities leave individuals with less money for disposal. This means that the demand for financial securities decreases thus has an effect in price of stocks. Financial institutions play a very important role in financial markets as they finance value investors. Recession in 2008, made it hard for investors to access loan to invest in financial markets. The economic down turn thus made prices of stocks to fall making investors lose a lot of money. Strong surge of stocks price in 2009 was attributed to changes in economic performance. Random walk down street written by Burton Malkiel is one of the best investment literature used by investors to make wise decisions. The critical concept raised in this article is the issue of price movements. Price of financial securities has no memory and thus investors cannot rely on past and present prices to predict future performance of stocks market. However, relying on information provided by financial analyst or experts is of essence in the aspect of stock investment. Malkiel maintains that, buy and hold strategy is the best policy in the event of price surges as it outperforms attempts of timing markets in returns (Malkiel Burton, 2007). Consequently, in risk adjusted returns, the concept of buy and hold strategy is not credible. In this aspect buy and hold strategy is more of guesswork as it has little impact in compensating risk associated with continuous investment in stocks market. Efficiency of market is another concept used by investors in the event of stocks price fall like in 2008 and strong surge for stock price as was experienced in 2009. Financial markets are to some extent predictable but this should not be considered as a symptom of inefficiency or irrationality. Predictability of stocks market is the concept behind capitalism as was argued by Andrew a professor in finance. Investors make high returns from efficient markets because information about stocks price is provided through research and constant innovation. The strong surge of stocks price is an element of investment in which many organizations strife to maintain competitive advantage.

Hp and Compaq merger Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hp and Compaq merger - Research Paper Example From this view, the successful technology company, rather than regarding its surroundings as fairly stable and internal mechanisms as being of utmost importance, reacts in a converse manner, focusing outwards and embracing change and letting technology lead the way in terms of change. Or, alternatively, the company could also be pulled along by technology rather than being the one doing the pushing. In this type of situation, â€Å"Marketing oriented managers can direct scientists into what appear to be exciting markets with assured high demand. This is often called demand pull. Here innovation, the need, is father to or mother to the new invention† (Burgelman et al., 683). Overall, the HP Compaq merger case seems to show technology pull or demand pull, because it was in fact the popularity of the increasing computer hardware/software manufacturing technology that was pulling the merger into innovation. This is a very dynamic industry, in which variables of competition would f avor a merger between two large pre-existing players, rather than a new entrant. There are many reasons for this, chief among them the extreme costs of entering this saturated market. In the face of competition, Compaq/HP as a merged company has been struggling to capture the market dominance that it needs to survive in this competitive and dynamic type of industry. â€Å"Now the two consulting firms mostly agree that HP has a firm lead. IDC published statistics on Jan. 17 showing that Palo Alto-based HP had 18.1% market share during the three months ended December, while Round Rock (Tex.)-based Dell had only 14.7%. By Gartners count HP had 17.4% market share and Dell takes second place with 13.9%† (Ryst, 2007). Although the merged company is still strong in the market generally, it cannot really afford to keep slipping. Solving this problem means realizing how economics plays a large role in the external environment of HP/Compaq’s market, particularly the PC

Canon in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Canon in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Essay Example The canons describe the nature of the relationship that God required a man to establish both among themselves and with Him. By upholding the specific religious laws, the canons succeed in safeguarding the longevity of the faiths since successive lineages pass the canons orally or through articulate literature. In doing this, the canons further succeed in creating the peaceful and cohesive societies envisioned by God. The same concept and role of the canons manifest itself in Christianity as well. The first set of laws in the bible originates from God as he strives to regulate the behavior of the Israelites. With the introduction of Jesus in the New Testament, Jesus reaffirms the need for upholding the laws besides introducing a feature of liberty in the religion. In retrospect, the above discussion presents the position and the role of canons in the respective religions. The laws are both written and oral often passed down through a series of linages through the teachings of the reli gious leaders. The nature of the canons just as is the case with the other religions strives to unify the adherents of the faith by providing a standard for behavior. This results in the creation of holistic and equally cohesive societies. The Torah, which is the holy book in Judaism, provides a chronological set of required behaviors thus providing the adherents of the faith with a series of legislation often interpreted by the leaders of the religion thus ensuring the longevity of the faith as has been the case.

The Principles of Corporate Social Responsibility Concept Assignment

The Principles of Corporate Social Responsibility Concept - Assignment Example Currently, it has become a focus for many companies due to its continuing commitment to help businesses contribute to economic development by being responsible to their respective stakeholders (Hancock, 2005, 12). The greater part of the CSR has helped manage or improve environmental and social impacts of the company. The increased use of CSR has encouraged the corporate sector to be more environmentally and socially responsible particularly at a time when the crisis has damaged consumer’s level of trust in the operations of the company. This coupled with the rise in transparency and social media has facilitated companies to begin taking CSR more seriously in order to help reduce their environmental impacts (Louche et al, 2010, 209). Corporate social responsibility has helped enterprises to contribute to the highly competitive social market economy and sustainable development. Responsible business conduct has helped many private sector operators to provide public services. For instance, they have provided employment opportunities, social amenities as well as sustainable, smart and inclusive growth (Mullerat & Brennan, 2011, 29).   CSR has facilitated engagement with both external and internal stakeholders thus enabling businesses to take advantage of societal fast-changing expectations as well as operating conditions. The enterprises have acted as drivers for the emergence of other markets and the development of real opportunities for growth. Companies normally commit responsible investment in various sectors of the economy to enhance the social welfare of their stakeholders. This results in economic growth thus improving the living standards of the stakeholders (Mullerat & Brennan, 2011, 89). Corporate social responsibility planning has come to the forefront for major companies’ future growth opportunities. Their increased investment in CSR initiatives, for instance, environmental initiative, has been very attractive in inducing economic stimulus of a country while at the same  time achieving solid CRS goals.