Agriculture paper on your chosen culture Assignment

Agriculture paper on your chosen culture - Assignment Example The goosefoot, sump weed and sunflowers were the first crops to be domesticated and cultivated by the Native American Indians, most especially along the Mississippi River (Agriculture American Indian, 2003). The development of agriculture advanced with the invention of further agricultural methods such as irrigation, which allowed the American Indians to produce food crops constantly, resulting in the beginning of the cultivation of corn starting 3400 A.D. Thus, by 1000 A.D., the Native American Indians had already narrowed down their crop cultivation to three major food crops namely the corn, squash and beans (Nabhan, 1989). By the time of the European contact, the Native Indian Americans were already producing food at a large scale, capable of keeping their community throughout the year without shortages. The food crop production methods of the American Indian did not entail fertilizing the land using organic matter. On the contrary, they maintained soil fertility through planting their crops as a mixture of corn, beans and squash within the same piece of land, allowing the crops to re-fertilize the land though nitrogen fixation. The custom of the Native Indian Americans was to abandon the exhausted land once it proved to start becoming less productive, and in turn cleared other new lands (Hurt, 1987). Further development and civilization saw the development of village sovereignty, which claimed certain territories of land as their own, and then tilled the land to provide for the village community. The family lineage system was also recognized as the basis of land ownership among the village residents, where the family heads could be allocated specific pieces land for their own agricultural production (Agriculture American Indian, 2003). However, following the European contact and the subsequent settlement of the Europeans in North America, different Native American

Supplemental Materials Essay Example for Free

Supplemental Materials Essay Additional Readings: Four Pillars Read â€Å"Four Pillars† on the GCU website. Link: http://www.gcu.edu/About-Us/Four-Pillars.php Student Preparation for Distance Education Read Student Preparation for Distance Education, by Taormino, from Distance Learning (2010). (7pgs.) Link: http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=ofsAN=55725308site=eds-livescope=site New Skills for a New Work Reality Read New Skills for a New Work Reality, by Galagan, from T + D (2011). (4pgs.) Link: http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=ofsAN=525614319site=eds-livescope=site The Cornell Method Read The Cornell Method portion of the Note Taking Systems page of the California Polytechnic State University website. (6pgs.) Link: http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetakingsystems.html#cornell Parallel Note-Taking: A Strategy for Effective Use of Webnotes Read Parallel Note-Taking: A Strategy for Effective Use of Webnotes, by Pardini et al., from Journal of College Reading and Learning (2005). (18pgs.) Link: http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=ericAN=EJ689655site=ehost-livescope=site The Digital Dog Ate My Notes Read, The Digital Dog Ate My Notes: Tools and Strategies for 21st Century Research Projects, by Lamb Johnson, from Teacher Librarian (2009). Link: http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=a9hAN=47500220site=ehost-livescope=site TEDTalks Resources: Utilize the following resources to assist you in responding to the Journals and Discussion Questions throughout this course. Topic 3: Drew Dudley: Everyday Leadership (6min) http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://digital.films.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=12129xtid=52942 Stanley McChrystal: Listen, Learn†¦Then Lead (16min) http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://digital.films.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=12129xtid=48626 John Wooden: Coaching for People, Not Points (18min) http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://digital.films.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=12129xtid=48140 Support Materials: An In-Depth List of Online Study Help Resources Review An In-Depth List of Online Study Help Resources, located on the Wayback Machine website. (5 pgs. of tips with each a separate resource to other tips) Link: http://web.archive.org/web/20110704183249/http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/tips-and-tools/study-help Note Taking; the Cornell Method http://www.nrcs.k12.oh.us/Downloads/Cornell-Note.pdf Cornell Method: Notes Generator This is a generator to for creating your own Cornell Notes http://www.cornell-notes.com/index.php

Food Policy in Malaysia

Food Policy in Malaysia Introduction Malaysia is a multilingual and multicultural society. The original culture of Malaysia is come from the indigenous tribes that is been staying in the peninsular and east of Malaysia since century ago. Not long after, the Malays were moved to Malaysia from Indonesia and followed by the Chinese and Indian due to the substantial influence. Dating back to old days Malaysia used to be a colonization of British. Due to that, Peninsular Malaysia has become a foreign trading port for the British and cultural influences start to gather. The culture include Persian, Arabic and British and etc. Due to being part of the ancient spice route in Asia and becoming a foreign trading port for the British, Malaysia’s cuisine reflects on the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. Besides that, the cuisine also is greatly influenced within itself or by the surrounding countries. For example the influences are from the Malays, Chinese, Indian, Thai and etc. In addition, it is very common to find a similar versions of the dish within Singapore or across Malaysia regardless of place of origin because Singapore used to be part of Malaysia. What is Food Policy? According to Wikipedia, food policy are the area of publics concerning how the food is produced, processed, distributed and what kind of chemical ingredient are used when processing the food. Food policies system is designed to guide producer in operating of food and agriculture related product. This commonly include in decision-making of production and processing techniques of food, marketing of food, utilizing and consuming of food in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policies can be develop in any level, such as from local to global, by government agency, business cooperation or food related organization. Makers of food policy are often engage in activities such as setting regulation related to food industries and establishing food standards for assistance programs for the poor and ensuring safety of food supplies, food labeling and even the qualification of a specific product to be considered as organic or not. Most of the food pol icy is initiated at the domestic level for the purpose of ensuring a safe and satisfactory level of food supply to the citizenry. Food Policy in Malaysia Malaysia is a multilingual and multicultural society country that mainly consists of the Malays, which is the biggest community group in Malaysia and followed by the Chinese, Indian, and the indigenous tribe. Even though Malaysia has many different cultures and races, it is consider as a Muslim Country due to the Parliament is govern by mainly the Malays followed by the Chinese and Indian. Due to this, Malaysia is very strict when comes to thing such as laws and etc. Food policy is one of it, for example the food that found within the country is mainly Halal even though there is consumers who are Non-Muslim. In Malaysia, Food policy decision and food related law is made between the Ministry of Health Department Malaysia and Ministry of Agriculture Malaysia. Both of the departments worked closely together for public health safety and to provide awareness of what kind of food the consumer are eating. The Ministry of Health Department is the one who has a higher authority when comes to food related because the areas that they involved in are wider such as nutrition assistance, food safety, dietary guidance, and labeling of consumable product. As for Agriculture side such as plantation of corn and etc are govern by the Ministry of Agriculture Malaysia. Most of the food policies are increasingly developing and changed due to the needs of citizens, political climates and circumstances changes. Halal According to Halal Malaysia, Halal are define as a lawful, permitted, pure, wholesome and recommended under Islamic Law. As in food service terms, Halal will affect the quality and hygiene policy in food manufacturing practices as well as food services in restaurant. With the growing of population around the world, the production, food safety, trade and consumption in food chained restaurant are increasingly demanding for Halal Food. Due to this, Halal food in Malaysia is coming from both Muslim and Non-Muslims country or producer because the local Halal food manufacturer did not have the ability to follow up the increasing of local community anymore. Based on Islamic Dietary Laws in the Trade Description Order 1975 of Malaysia, there are three main food categories for Muslims which are Halal, Haram, and Syubba. Halal is a word used for describing food that is lawful for Muslims to consume according to the Al-Quran. As for Haram, it is a term used to describe a subject that is unlawful and prohibited for the Muslims to do or consume. For example, Muslims are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. The third and the last one is Syubba, it means the ingredient or the process of the food is made are questionable and therefore should be avoided for the Muslims if it is possible. In addition, The Al-Quran stresses that Muslims must eat food that is pure and clean as stated in the Islamic Dietary laws. The trust that is build-in among Muslim customers on Halal Certification is potentially increasing when it comes to deciding to visit an eating premise or a specific product. Malaysia Halal Certification Since the 1970s, JAKIM also known as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, has been emphasizing its structures to ensure the Halal certification process in Malaysia provide Muslims Community with quality assurance of the products and services which is purchased or used by them.(JAKIM,2010). On the other hand, Malaysia Halal Certification also remarked as â€Å"a total quality health and sanitary system that involve in adopting the procedure for killing, processing and other related operations as drafted by Islamic rules†. Besides that, JAKIM also certifies raw materials, ingredients and products based on the quality of the product, hygiene perspectives and consideration of consumption safety of a specific product. (JAKIM,2008) There are few agencies that develop the standard of Halal food in Malaysia which as JAKIM is one of them and followed by Department of Standards Malaysia, Malaysia Institute of Industrial Research and standard which also known as SIRIM, and Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia. As a result, the four departments developed a comprehensive guideline in Halal food standard called MS1500 in 2004. The general guideline of Malaysian Standard MS1500 is focus on the production, preparation, handling and storing of Halal food. MS1500 also act as a manual for the food industry on preparing and handling halal food. In the other hand, it served as a basic food trade in Malaysia. (Mohd Daud,2004) The practice of Halal system should apply to all processing stages which from farm to table. Halal certification provide consumer a greater confidence and informed choice on what they have purchased (Wan Hassan Hall,2003). According to the Muslim Council of Britain, a statistic of up to 90% of meat and poultry that are sold in the United Kingdom as Halal are illegally sold to consumer and it is not slaughtered based on Shariah Law. In addition, this proved that Halal certification is clearly a potentially useful marketing and branding tools to attract customer to dine in a restaurant or to buy a product. This is an important examples for the Malaysian government to strengthen the Halal Certification in order to prevent the malpractice in the supply of meat to consumers and restaurant. The Demand of Halal Food In Malaysia Based on the research done by Muhammad in 2007, the needs for Halal foods and product within the countries itself and around the world has remarkable increasing. Majority of the Muslim Countries in the world which include Malaysia used to get their Halal product with the local suppliers or imported from other Muslim Countries. Due to the increasing of population and standard of living, it has drives the Muslim Countries to import Halal food from Non-Muslims countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Singapore. These countries with comparatively small or even don’t have Muslim Population has became a valid contributors to the world Halal Trade. (Trade Mart,2006) According to Wan Omar, Muhammad, Che Omar (2008), the world has a total of 1.8billion of estimated Muslim Population and the market for Halal product is worth over US$560 billion annually. With the increasing interested in Halal food, this shows that there is a very huge market segment for food manufacturer. On the other hand, due to the increasing of international trade, cultural globalization and tourism, the â€Å"Halal† label has progressively recognized by non-Muslim and countries such as Europe and America also in demand for it which they don’t really needed it at old times. It also initiate further pressure on emphasizing importance of goods certification and has become the core in food industry. (Al-harrn Low, 2008). Based on Riaz Chaudry(2004), Malaysia was the leader in implementing Halal Laws in the early 1980s and remains in force globally when comes to Halal Certification circumstances. On the other hand, according to Chang(2006), Muslim population of 60% in Malaysia has increased their interest for Halal foods and products over the years. Due to this, Halal standard in food related goods has been widen from meat item to item such as confectionery, bakery and dairy goods. Chang also said that Halal Certification is become known as a standard criteria for food quality, safety and hygiene. It also helped to increase the market value of the product that has Halal label on it. Restaurant In Malaysia Based on the research done by Chang,2006, Malaysia is consider as one of the most advance nations in Southeast Asia after Singapore. As a result, Malaysian lifestyle has been dramatically evolving due to increasing of income and education levels. Besides that, majority of the restaurant that is located within the country have a clear halal logo in front of the restaurant entrance. With the logo sticked at the restaurant, it proves that the restaurant not only the food is halal but also the entire process of processing food is halal. In addition to that, the halal restaurant in Malaysia is not allowed to sell pork and alcohol related product. Based on the survey that made by Shamsudin Selamat 2005, they found that Malaysians are regarded as adventurous espeiclally the young peers in their consuming manner. Malaysian whose median age of 22 years old love to explore new eating places as suggested by friends and relatives because eating out in nowadays is very common and is somewhat not expensive compare to other country in the world. Based on Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in 2008, Malaysian students who came back after staying abroad also devote to the demand for various food styles as well as eating in a restaurant. According to research done by Chang,2006, Malaysian regularly choose to dine in an open air dining area or street stalls. In addition to that, International cuisines such as Japanese and Korean cuisine were exceptionally demanding awfully over the years. Research done by Shamsudin and Selamat(2005), 172,252 food service matters including stalls and restaurants exited in Malaysia in 2001. In overall, the food service industry in Malaysia can be divided into five main section which is dine-in restaurant (including hotel coffee houses), coffee shops, hawker centers, fast food stalls, food courts and roadside stalls. As for Kueh and Voon(2007), they give a bit different categories and said that foodservice premises in Malaysia consists of Pubs/bars , street hawkers, and dine-in restaurant. According to undertaken by Josiam, Sohail and Monteiro(2007) on curry cuisine and perceptions of Indian Restaurnt in Malaysia, they found that restaurant in Malaysia serve standard and actual food that suit the local customers and tourists taste bud. They also proposed that consumers are keen in term of accepting new foods and explore new tastes. The findings that done by them also shows that general hygiene such as cleanliness of restaurant and restroom and the quality of foods will determine the restaurant weather is value for money or not. The main interest of foods for Malaysian are spiciness of the food, appearance of the food, the taste of the food and last by not least the availability of vegetarian choices and followed by the food with Halal Certification. Conclusion Food served as one of the basic needs for humans needs in the hierarchy of Mashlow. It just that some people religions view and beliefs in regarding food consumption and has dietary constraint. As an example, the most familiar one is the Muslims with Halal, Hindus and a minority of Chinese population constraint themselves from eating beef and some of them being as a vegetarian, and lastly the Jews people with Kosher restriction. As a conclusion, Halal food in Malaysia is not just constraint to the surrounding of the way the animal is killed, it goes deeper than that. It started from the first steps of preparing to handling, distributing, storing, displaying, packaging, labeling, preparation and serving it. In another words, the whole food supply chain must follow the Islamic dietary laws in order it to be Halal. The practice of Islamic dietary laws in Malaysia has educated Muslim and non-Muslims community to eat food that is pure and good based on the Quran and Haditb. As a addition to it, Halal certification that is provided by Malaysia organization is seen as a source of potential to create trust among the Muslims that the foods with the certification are safe to be consume or used. Bibliography (Jakim), T. M. G. a. t. D. o. I. D. M., 2011. Halal Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.halal.gov.my/v3/index.php/en/about-halal-certification/halal-definition [Accessed 1 November 2014]. Abdul Latif, M., 2006. afmaasia Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.afmaasia.org/malaysia_2006/Annex-4.pdf [Accessed 5 11 2014]. Abdul Manaf Bohari, C. W. H. N. F., 2014. The competitiveness of Halal food industry in Malaysia: A SWOT ICT Analysis. Malaysia Journal of Society and Space, 9(1), pp. 1-8. Abdul Talib, H. M. A. K. . J., 2008. Quality assurance in halal food manufacturing in Malaysia. Johor Bahru, Malaysia: ICME. Anon., 2004. Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department. [Online] Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/MEETING/006/AD698E.HTM [Accessed 20 November 2014]. Anon., 2013. A Food Labelling Guide. [Online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM265446.pdf [Accessed 19 November 2014]. Bonne, K. . V., 2008. Religious values informing halal meat production and the control and delivery of halal credence quality. Agriculture and Human Values, Volume 25, pp. 35-47. Chang, 2008. Malaysia Exporter guide annual 2006. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. JAKIM, 2010. Pengurusan pensijilan halal Malaysia [The management of Malaysia halal certification]. Putrajaya: JAKIM. Josiam, B. S. S. . M., 2007. Curry cuisine: Perceptions of Indian restaurants in Malaysia. Tourismos:An International Multidisciplinary Journal Of Tourism, 2(2), pp. 25-37. Loong, C., 2013. Information on Food Labelling in Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.mfca.org.my/articles/Information on Food Labeling Requirements in Malaysia.pdf [Accessed 19 November 2014]. Malaysia, D. o. S., 2008. [Online] Available at: http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=54:population-updated-31072009catid=35:key-statisticsItemid=53lang=en [Accessed 2 November 2014]. Malaysia, M. o. H. E., 2008. Statiscs of Malaysian students studying abroad. [Online] Available at: http://www.mohe.gov.my/web_statistik/statistik_pdf_2008_05/msd_5-1.pdf [Accessed 30 October 2014]. Mart, T., 2006. Export opportunities: Processed food beverages. 2006 ed. Kuala Lumpur: Trade mart. Muhammad, R., 2007. Re-Branding halal. The Halal Journal, pp. 32-34. Riaz, M. . C. M., 2004. Halal food production. Florida, CRC Press. Saeed, M. ,. J. B. . I., 2000. Marketing Malaysia to International Tourists. Journal of International Business and Entrepreneurship, Issue 8(1), pp. 41-61. Sharifah Zannierah Syed Marzuki, M. H. P. W., 2012. Restaurant Manager and Halal Certificate, Malaysia: academia.edu. Toh, P. F. ., 2008. Hawker food industry. Food safety Public health strategies in Malaysia, Issue 38(1), pp. 41-51. Voon, K. K. ., 2007. Culture and service quality expectations: Evidence from generation Y consumers in Malaysia. Managing Service Quality, Issue 17(6), pp. 656-680. 1

Depression Essay -- Health, Diseases

This essay explores the development of services for young Asian women who are suffering from depression in Southall, part of the London Borough of Ealing. There is a discussion of why this need was identified and the rationale for choosing the area, the circumstances and the chosen group, it’s association with mental health, management (including implications of management strategies) and recommendations for improvement; this may refer to the strengths and weaknesses of the inter - professional team. This essay will closely look at the effects that cultural and social diversity have on health, the use of effective communication within health settings in order to avoid potential barriers that would have a negative effect on nursing practice, as well as the use of beneficial health promotion. It will further discuss the ranges of social policy and its initiative to the government. Being young Asian woman involves coming from a highly structured family. The welfare and integrity of the family are of great importance. The individual is expected to submerge or repress emotions, desires, behaviours, and the individual is obligated to save face so as to not bring shame onto the family. The incentive, therefore, is to keep problems within the family. In order to overcome a problem that may arise in a particular area it is important to grasp it and solve it at the earliest stage. By enabling this area to have a specific community mental health team to work with young Asian women to support them in various ways such as being help with the management of their medication, help with social issues or practical problems relating to their mental health problems, individual and group therapies, including alternative therapies, practical aids and... ...uld only be effective when it involves the social networks of patients. So through the effective use of promoting positive mental health it is of great significance for the young Asian women as well as the Asian community in Southall. Through the careful exploration about this mental health necessity it has made the author aware that the cultural understanding of mental illnesses is a vital contribution to an accomplishment of overcoming or decreasing this issue. Other significant achievements include the recognition of how significant effective communication is as well as the active involvement of the actual individual, parents or carers as well as the understanding of dealing with this matter from different perspectives and dealt with different strategies – mainly referring to individual differences and as people’s strengths and limitations varying.

Comparative Analysis of Amazon and Webvan

Webvan was founded by Louis Borders in 1999 after he saw the opportunity in the growing number of people making online purchases. Borders created Webvan as an enterprise that would offer greater variety than conventional stores and at the same time provide the necessary convenience to online shoppers. Webvan started by offering groceries that were frequently bought by online shoppers to ensure economies of scale in their orders.After establishing a critical customer base, it planned to use its distribution system to expand its sale to product lines that were not being frequently offered but with high profit margins such as books and consumer electronics. The company developed the web store and constructed its distribution and fulfillment center in the San Francisco Bay area from 1997 to 1999. After implementing its trial delivery system in May 1999 to 1,100 customers, Webvan was launched in June of the same year as a venture whose primordial mission is to deliver to its customers eve rything from groceries to palm pilots in a cheap and efficient manner.After raising $1. 2 billion as start-up capital from its stock offering, it began to execute grandiose plans of establishing strings of futuristic warehouses with motorized carousels and robotic product-pulling machines which costed $35 million, hoping it would minimize the cost of operations. With profit-margins so thin, Webvan failed to cover its growing cost of operations. Demand was so weak to sustain the income that Webvan needed to raise. Finally, after suffering a net loss of $217 million and accumulating tremendous deficits amounting to $830 million, Webvan found itself in a loosing situation.By July 2001, Webvan Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Webvan-Bay Area, Inc. , Webvan Operations, Inc. , and HomeGrocer. com, Inc. filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United Stated Bankruptcy Court in July 2001 and ceased operations. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, after he noticed the promising growth of Web sites and internet access. Bezos was said to be particularly â€Å"optimistic about online retail opportunities and set out to develop a business model that will leverage growth of internet access in the United States†.Bezos decided to start with bookselling as its initial retail category, with the belief that online business model possessed superior economics to established competitors. Amazon was so successful in its initial public offering that it was able to sell 3 million shares at $18 per share, thereby raising $54 million as part of its start-up capital. And so they say the rest is history. Amazon evolved from a tiny warehouse to a leading internet retailer in the world. Bogler and Johnson (2000) wrote:â€Å"The company’s growth was phenomenal: it expanded from books to offering 28 million items across numerous categories and acquired 29 million global customers along the way. By 2000 according to Interbrand, Amazon. com beca me the forty-eighth most valuable brand in the world, embodying the principle of electronic commerce for people worldwide. † However by late 2001, Amazon experienced a tremendous loss of $2. 3 billion. Its share price which ascended rapidly in 1999 went down significantly. Fortunately, it was able to borrow $2.1 billion to sustain its international investments. With innovations such as the one-click system and creative strategies to raise revenues from publishers and increase in sales from wider product selection, Amazon was able to survive the slump in the subsequent period at the NASDAQ. (Burgelman, 2001) By 2008, Amazon emerged as a global brand with 76 million active customer accounts and order fulfillment to more than 200 countries. With this volume of sales, on December 31, 2007 Amazon employed approximately 17,000 full-time and part-time employees. COMPARE & CONTRASTIt would be interesting to note that the founder of Webvan actually started in the business of booksellin g. In terms of experience in the dot-com business, Amazon started earlier in 1994 while Webvan started in 1999. Webvan started operations in 1999 and was publicly-listed on November of the same year, with its share price zooming to $34 from the offering price of $15 on its opening day. This allowed Webvan to raise a whopping $1. 2 billion in start-up capital from the offering and other sources such as venture capitalists, thereby putting it within the league of Amazon.com. ([email  protected], 2001) In other words, both companies were of equal footing in 1999 when Webvan caught up with Amazon in terms of dot-com stature and financial backing. Both companies also established strategic alliances in the course of their operations. In the case of Webvan, it established partnership with Eve. com, an online prestige beauty products retailing company. It also established strategic alliances with Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods, and Chlorox Company. This was done by Webvan to reduce its pr ocurement costs.Amazon partnered with Drugstore. com (pharmacy), Living. com (furniture), Pets. com (pet supplies), Wineshopper. com (wines), Sothebys. com (auctions) and Kozmo. com (urban home delivery). In most cases, Amazon purchased an equity stake in these partners, so that it would share in their prosperity. Such partnerships helped Amazon extend its reach into the customer-base of other suppliers, and of course, customers who buy in one category such as books can be encouraged to purchase into other areas such as clothing or electronics.Webvan carried mostly perishable grocery goods in its retail categories while Amazon had the policy of selling only non-perishable and conveyable items. Since profit margins were so thin for perishable goods compared to non-perishable goods, it would be easy to undertsand why Amazon had greater chances of success than Webvan. Furthermore, perishable items have greater risk and cost in inventory handling. This is the reason why Webvan had to in vest too much money in its warehousing infrastructure. This spelled the difference in the success and failure of the Amazon and Webvan.Webvan had to invest too much money on a system that must ensure the freshness of its perishable goods. It had to establish a highly technological and robotic warehousing infrastructure that was very expensive to begin with in contrast to Amazons system which required its employees to â€Å"touch† its products. In the case of Amazon, since most of its items sold online were non-perishable, it had lesser inventory risks. In addition to that, its business model allowed it to shift it cost of carrying most of its inventory to its suppliers.Thus, Amazon had better grip in its infrastructure costs. The savings it obtained from its leaner operations allowed it to invest its money in developing its software systems that facilitated greater efficiency in its distribution. Finally, the viability of both business differed mainly from its customer-base a nd funding support during hard times. Webvan had a weak local customer-base that was often dissatisfied by its delivery service while Amazon had a strong customer-base that was not only confined to the US but also overseas.More so, NASDAQ just gave up on Webvan when it continously experienced financial setbacks while Amazon was able to secure additional investments to sustain its global operations. CAUSES FOR FAILURE OR SUCCESS One of the main reasons why Webvan failed is because it made the wrong decision of investing the money it successfully raised in a very expensive infrastructure and rapid expansion of operations. According to Strom (2001): â€Å"Webvan spent huge sums on high-tech warehouses that were designed to revolutionize distribution, but they turned out to be mostly a waste of money.The problem is that all the technology was meant to reduce labor costs, and labor is relatively cheap. Worse, Webvan designed the warehouses so they could scale to 8,000 orders per day, bu t that's a lot of unnecessary expense when you're receiving less than half that many orders. † Another factor that led to the failure of Webvan is the decline in the quality of its service delivery. When Webvan took over HomeGrocer, an internet grocery shopping store which was absorbed into Webvan’s grandiose expansion plan, customers noticed the deteriorating effectivity of customer service.Before the takeover, there were no complaints with HomeGrocer specially interms of customer service. Emails from customers were being promptly addressed by customer service such as providing refunds in cases of occasional mistake or damaged food. This quality of service worsened when customers started to receive rotten fruits from the delivery. Webvan was buying inferior produce in order to save on cost. Such decline in customer service resulted in customers going back to the conventional way of picking up their groceries and patronizing the local groceries once again.(Mcafee, 2006) Finally, it can be seen that Webvan’s botched acquisition of HomeGrocer led to its failure as it did’nt handle the merger of resources and assets wisely. HomeGrocer’s competency and strength in terms of operations and marketing were not totally assimilated into Webvan’s system. Amazon’s e-commerce technology platform, brand power and fulfillment infrastructure was a key to its success. It had technological innovations that efficiently facilitated online order such as the â€Å"one-click check out process†.Amazon provided its customers with an online system that allowed shoppers to purchase products online without filling lengthy registration and shipping forms that would usually turn-away buyers. Amazon was able to create an online system that also helped repeat purchases by buyers to be executed by just one click of a button – a system whose patent was eventually awarded to Amazon. One important factor why Amazon succeeded is becaus e of certain inherent strengths in its business model.Its negative operating cycle allowed Amazon to get credit card payments from its customers in a few days while enjoying a time lag of thirty to sixty days to pay its vendors after the sale. This gave Amazon a financial advantage that allowed it to generate interest in the full price of its goods for over a month. Another inherent strength in Amazon’s business model is its less dependence on physical infrastructure such warehouses. Amazon was able to sell it products with out actually carrying in most of its inventory thus shifting the risk of its inventory to its vendors.Amazon’s suppliers carried the burden of storage, thereby lessening its cost due to minimal inventory handling. Amazon also instituted free shipping offers to encourage increase in basket size since customers have to spend over a certain amount to receive free shipping. The level at which free-shipping is set is critical to profitability. Because of this, Amazon got a competitive edge as promotional battles evolved with its competitors. LESSONS LEARNED AND CONCLUSION Growing Too Fast Too Soon The lesson that can be learned from the experience of Webvan is that of timing.Some would think it’s a business that is way ahead of its time; others would say it grew too fast too soon. In his review of the â€Å"Top ten dot-com flops†, German (2009) wrote that: â€Å"A core lesson from the dot-com boom is that even if you have a good idea, it is best not to grow too fast too soon. But online grocer Webvan was the poster child for doing just that, making the celebrated company our number one dot-com flop. In a mere 18 months, it raised $375 million in an IPO, expanded from the San Francisco Bay Area to eight U. S.cities, and built a gigantic infrastructure from the ground up (including a $1 billion order for a group of high-tech warehouses). Webvan came to be worth $1. 2 billion (or $30 per share at its peak), and it toute d a 26-city expansion plan. But considering that the grocery business has razor-thin margins to begin with, it was never able to attract enough customers to justify its spending spree. The company closed in July 2001, putting 2,000 out of work and leaving San Francisco's new ballpark with a Webvan cup holder at every seat.† Getting Big Fast Ironically, in the case of Amazon, the same business principle of getting big fast was said to be the most important decision that lead to its success. In an interview with Jeff Bezos by Fortune Magazine, he said that the initial strategy was very focused and very uni-dimensional†¦It was GBF: Get Big Fast†¦What once looked foolish can seem smart now. When we started the company on July 15, 1995 we offered one million titles. We were advised by very knowledgeable people to offer only three hundred thousand titles.That was twice the size of the inventory carried by the largest physical bookstores. The catalogue was hard for us but d oable. Obtaining the books was really hard. But the success generated word of mouth. (Brooker, 2000) Supply-chain management was also a crucial lesson in the experience of Webvan and Amazon. The company that was able to efficiently and effectively manage its online retail business with minimal inventory cost and risk was the company that turned out to be successful.The difference in the supply chain management of both companies ultimately distinguished between the company that was financially viable and which one was not. References Bogler, Daniel and Edgecliffe-Johnson, Andrew (2000). Jeff Bezos: The Man of Last Year Revisited. Brooker, Katrina (2000). Beautiful Dreamer. Fortune Magazine. Burgelman, Robert and Meza, Philip (2001). Amazon. com: Evolution of an e-tailer. Graduate School of Business. Stanford University. [email  protected] (2001).Webvan Finds that Shopping for Food Online Hasn’t Clicked with Consumers. [Online]. Available: http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. ed u/article. cfm? articleid=321 German Kent (2009). Top 10 dot-com flops. CNET Networks Incorporated. [Online]. Available: http://www. cnet. com/1990-11136_1-6278387-1. html Mcaffee, Andrew and Ashiya, Mona (2006). Webvan. Harvard Business School. President and Fellows of Harvard College. Strom, David (2001). Where Webvan Went Wrong. TidBits #588. [Online]. Available: http://www. strom. com/awards/255. html

Security Manager Role Essays

Security Manager Role Essays Security Manager Role Paper Security Manager Role Paper Security Manager Role To understand the role(s) of a Security Manager, a person must know what security is and what it means to an organization. According to Ortmeier, â€Å"security may be defined as a public or private service-related activity that provides personnel, equipment, and creates policies and procedures designed to prevent or reduce losses. These losses, caused by criminal action as well as by noncriminal events resulting from human error, emergencies, man-made and natural disasters, and business intelligence collection by competitors†. 2009). Security takes into account all actions and objectives intended to meet asset safeguard goals to make certain that security problems do not occur. Management of security is defined as multifaceted and interdisciplinary. Security for an organization includes the use of criminal and civil law, inspections, sleuthing, profiling, business management, strategy proposals, psychology, sociology, and technolo gy to shield persons and property. A security manager’s role varies, according to the organizational structure. A security manager takes on managerial, administrative, preventative, and investigative responsibilities and functions. The Managerial Role The security personnel’s managerial role, as stated by Ortmeier would entail the selection, training, scheduling, supervising, and the evaluation of security personnel. In addition to the aforesaid, the role of manager includes the responsibilities of productivity and improvements, morale, compensation, the employee’s welfare, attitudes, and expectations (2009). The Administrative Role Security manager’s administrative role encompasses the formation of the security’s organizational vision, mission, goals, and objectives. The security manager decides how the security operation should be set up and who will perform the security-related tasks. These managers also decide if security will be kept in-house or out-sourced or have a combination of the two. The Preventive Role The security manager’s preventive role necessitates the accountability for the prevention of loss from any source. The ultimate goal of the security anager is to distinguish what are or can be problems and to diminish or prevent the risk from occurring. The Investigative Role The security manager is not a public police officer. Security personnel are specially trained in security services not in law enforcement. The security manager’s knowledge in this area includes intelligence gathering capabilities and investigative skills. Information Technology Security Managers Inform ation technology security managers are the keepers of confidential information. The Open Guide states that information security refers to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The mission of IT security managers is to prevent any breach of IT services and data within the organizational requirements at acceptable cost. In todays economy with all of the hacking and stealing of information, the IT department and the security department need each other. The IT department is the protector of information and the security department is the protector of lives and assets. The company’s information is an asset in one form or another, either electronic or written. Hardcopy and electronic information needs to be protected from theft. If electronic information is backed up in any form, it has to be kept safe and secure in a location that can be accessed at a later time, if needed. Security personnel need to know where the information is to be located so that a security plan can be put into place to secure said information. If backups need to be moved, security can be on hand to transfer information, whether it is down the hall or to another location (2011). Airline Security Managers According to Powers, who wrote the job description for an airline security manager says that, the airline security manager’s purpose is to provide the supervision of the airline’s operational security functions and to make certain that the airline is conforming to current and future requirements of the Federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The manager must also manage tasks that will guarantee the safety of the public and the security personnel. Duties required on daily include: continual monitoring of the airport’s security status, identifying any potential current or future problems, analyze security and inspection reports to ensure that all TSA compliances are met, notifying TSA of any changes or problems that may require federal assistance, address and correct any issue that does not meet standard security procedures, interview any potentially new employee, hire new employee(s), instruct new employee(s) Airline security managers must be knowledgeable of public safety and security in an airport setting, discern how to use all security equipment and procedures, be familiar with all local, state, and federal airport security requirements and be aware of any new legislation. This manager must also have skills in administrative, monetary planning and analysis, understand how to use computers, software programs and technology, and recognize how to react in a large crisis situation or disaster (2011). Private Security Managers As stated by Writing, a private security manager’s role is to prepare and direct security operation systems and programs while providing safety to an organization or facility. The planning, management, and reporting are the core responsibilities of this position. Duties required on daily include: analyzing statistics and information to ensure a safe and secure work environment identifying weaknesses in building security and acting to resolve them set into place security policies and procedures and implement them revise any existing protocol(s) that may need updated or done away with hire security guard personnel take steps necessary to ensure the building is safe and secure consult with management in making any improvements or executing any security standards that comply with state and federal regulations be familiar with federal and state laws to ensure compliance within any industry develop unique programs to instruct personnel and employees lead, teach, and communicate with employees and security personnel write reports and reviews recommend employees for raises or termination Private security managers have more restricted rights than police officers, depending on the state law, in regard to holding people and carrying weapons. Many security personnel do not carry firearms, but if required, a concealed weapons permit would need to be acquired from that jurisdiction (2011). Public Facility Security Managers As stated by Amico, who describes the duties of a security manager, public facility security managers handle the security in businesses such as nightclubs, museums, office buildings and other public facilities. The security manager’s job is to make sure that the property is safe and secure and that everyone on the grounds has the legal right to be there, such as the nightclubs and persons underage trying to obtain admission. Duties required on daily basis include: protect lives and protect the property of the client maintain order among patrons and deal with unruly patrons know how to handle adverse situations preventing theft or vandalism protecting the building(s) or vehicles be alert to any suspicious activity know how to react to threats or disasters supervise staff hire and train guards know how to use force when needed and how much force to use know when to call in backup from the local police department or paramedics The majority of public facility security managers need to be at least 21 especially to work in a nightclub. Security managers in these areas need to use common sense and good judgment, like the nightclub scene and teenagers trying to pass off fake identification. A good number of security managers have spent time as guards before gaining a promotion into a managerial position (2011). Security Guard Roles According to Ray, security guards are not police officers and do not have the same duties and responsibilities. Security guards are in the prevention business, and it is their job to operate as an impediment to crime, watch for looming danger and report crimes that they may come across. Guards should be alert and visible at all times. Some thefts, damage, and injuries can be prevented when a criminal spots a guard. A guard is required to record events, take down license plate numbers and recall features to report the discoveries to the authorities. Security guards should have access to a phone or radio at all times to report any irregular activity or crime in progress, or to call for backup. A few guards are required to check badges of employees and visitors, or to check the bags of the employees and visitor’s leaving the facility (2011). Conclusion The role of a security manager varies from organization to organization, but in every case the most important task is to be a protector. The security manager of any business has two main goals: to promote a safe and secure environment for employees and visitors and to prevent loss of any kind. A security manager has many hats to wear but needs to assume simultaneously all roles of being a manager, administrator, trainer, referee, preventer/protector and investigator. Security managers need to work with other departments, keeping communication lines open, to promote a safe and secure environment. In an organization that keeps any kind of data, the security manager needs to know where the information is to be stored, so that a security plan can be put into place to secure said documents. All security managers need to be knowledgeable in their city, state, and federal laws that pertain to their workstation and be aware of any new legislative requirements that the company needs to be in compliance with. When problems arise the security manager needs be able to take care of the problem or if the situation calls for it, to call in backup. If a security manager cannot fulfill their role or fails to satisfy his or her job requirement the organization: can be sued and dragged into court, the company name can be slandered, someone can be terribly hurt or killed, or the company can lose assets Should any of the above occur the organization will lose business. In this case, the security managers in a position of being reprimanded and terminated for the lack of promoting a safe and secure premise and preventing loss of assets. References Amico, S. (2011). Security Managers Duties. Retrieved from ehow. com/print/list_6185215_security-manager_s-duties. html Open Guide. (2011). IT Security Management.. Retrieved from itlibrary. org/index. php? page=IT_Security_Management Ortmeier, P. J. (2009). Introduction to security operations and management (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Powers, J. (2011). Airline Security Manager Job Description. Retrieved from ehow. com/about_6326581_airline-security-manager-job-description. html Ray, L. (2011). Job Duties Responsibilities of a Security Guard. Retrieved from ehow. com/print/facts_4925183_job-duties-responsibilities-security-guard. html Writing, A. (2011). Responsibilities of a Private Security Manager. Retrieved from ehow. com/list_6023354_responsibilities-private-security-manager. html

AP Euro Unit 1 Quiz Essays

AP Euro Unit 1 Quiz Essays AP Euro Unit 1 Quiz Paper AP Euro Unit 1 Quiz Paper not an ecclesiastical hierarchy What did the Oxford scholar John Wycliffe argue? local princes received money and property from those who had perished, and they used this income to become patrons of education How did outbreaks of the plague lead to the founding of new universities in Europe? Rival popes attempted to outdo one another in the realm of pageantry and sound Why did the Great Schism inadvertently provide a boost to Renaissance composers? Royal control over ecclesiastical revenues and the appointment of all French bishops one important element of the French kings campaign to consolidate and strengthen the monarchy was Gallicanism, which was characterized by which of the following? it was created by the cities of the Alpine region of the Holy Roman Empire Which of the statements about the Swiss Confederation is true?

Classic Hollywood Model of Narration essays

Classic Hollywood Model of Narration essays Write a critique of a recent film which, in your view, conforms to the structural parameters of the classic Hollywood model of narrative construction. As Richard Maltby (1995:6) once quoted If Hollywood is not a place, it is also not a time. We are forever going on about how Hollywood is not how it was. Remember the days when everything on screen was black and white and wonderful, remember the days when going to the movies was a real treat not just an excuse to dig into a bucket of greasy popcorn. Cinema and the art of film was appreciated, it was sentimental, it was classic. Unfortunately I cant say that I remember those days. By the time I found my way into this world the classical Hollywood movie had somewhat evolved itself into something of less substantial quality. However it has been argued that aswell as changing, Hollywood has also remained the same, in respect of remaining in the same business of entertaining its audience, of producing the maximum pleasure for the maximum number for the maximum profit (Hayward, S., 1996). David Bordwell, Janet Staiger and Kristin Thompson (1985) argue that since 1917, the essential features of classical style were in place- the way that a movie organizes narrative time and space, the continuity script, the management structure and division of labour in production have remained more or less the same. This continuity enables us to make generalizations about Hollywood today. The typical Hollywood film carries a set of expectations, often apparently obvious in cinematic form and style. The idea of the classical implies the observance of rules of composition and aesthetic organization that produce unity, balance and order in resulting artwork. Hollywood films are bound by rules, they tip-toe on the strict limitations on individual innovation. Each and every one of them frames themselves around the conventions and principles of the classical cinema. ...

The Koh Phi Phi Islands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Koh Phi Phi Islands - Essay Example 90). Its premier tourist sites can be categorized into three primary geographical locations, Northern Thailand, Central Thailand and southern Thailand. Northern Thailand is celebrated for the cultural experiences it affords, such as trekking adventures in the hill tribe areas and exploration of the temples in the ancient Siam capital. Central Thailand offers the attraction of Bangkok, boasting high-end luxury hotels, cultural events and a burgeoning nightlife. Southern Thailand on the other hand is branded the relaxation area, where sun, sand and the sea meet (Nelson, et al., 2007, pg. 27). This diversified offering did not emerge spontaneously, but is a product of the country nurturing of its tourism sector (Nelson, et al., 2007, pg. 27). Tourism has since then become an important source of revenue in Thailand especially due to its beautiful beaches and exotic flavor. In 1982, during the economic slump, the government heavily promoted tourism to counter the slump. As a result, there was a large push to create new beaches and island resorts to attract foreign visitors (Baker, et al., 2005; Nelson, et al., 2007, pg. 28). However, tourism resources have been exploited to produce short-term profits rather than long-run gains for the entire economy and local development. This has resulted in the degradation of the environment and culture and many tourist attractions have subsequently closed down or lost popularity (Lebel, et al., 2010, pg. 210). This paper examines the case of Koh Phi Phi, an island in southern Thailand, which after the tsunami of 2004 was thinking of moving towards a more sustainable form of tourism after years of unchecked development. It will identify both sustainable and unsustainable practices in the tourism industry of Koh Phi Phi, and propose measures which can be undertaken to move the industry in a new sustainable direction. Introduction to the Koh Phi Phi Islands The islands of Koh Phi Phi are located in Southerneast asia, a short boat ri de from Thailand’s main tourist island of Phuket in the Andaman sea. It is located in a National Marine Park. Although there are a few international resorts on the island, developments are predominantly in Tingsai, the main town. The island started as a back packer destination but gained immense popularity and underwent intense costruction after The Beach was filmed on Phi Phi Leh in 2000 (Graci, et al., 2010, pg. 91). It is a delightful place to spend some days relaxing on its beautiful beaches, discovering its numerous coves and bays, as well as climbing its precipitous vertical peaks and investigating the huge caves that hide the edible nests of swifts Before 2004, tourism numbers had reached approximately 1.2 million years (Graci, et al., 2010, pg. 91). However, the island suffered from enviromental issues such as lack of or no fresh water, expensive generator-produced electricity, ineffective waste management , beach degradation and rapid development with no formal plann ing (Dodds, 2010, pg. 255). The residents faced appaling conditions; standing waste water, strong odours and ground water pollution from overflowing septic tanks. In December 2004 a tsunami struck Koh Phi Phi. The major reef was damaged and a large part of the infrustracture was destroyed this resulted to tourist numbers going down from 1.2 million to approximately 500,000 per annum. (Graci, et al., 2010, pg. 91). This thereby necesitated the need for the redevelopment of the Koh

Next-Door Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Next-Door Anthropology - Essay Example The setting of this community did not only ease access, but also the arrangement of homesteads and structures allowed maneuvering into the remote Places. This was very important as the objective of the study entailed larger coverage and an all-inclusive Participation. With all these in account, backed by the willing to respond members of the community, the region Proved to be compatible with the entire needs of this sociocultural research. The community is said to be one of the best master Planned Particularly Popular due to its organized commercial centers and high qualities offered in relation to its residents. It also has well renowned beautiful Parks and lake views that depict the level of interactions and associations within the commonplaces. All these parameters were very important since the ethnographic study majored on social inclusions and exclusion of community members. Moreover, the standards of living in the world class community of the Orange County have inevitably created a social stratification that results to differentials in living standards of the various social classes (Bunyan 56). The community has a unique ethnic background specifically due to their well-structured organizational level. The safety of the community is on the higher note since their members always do not leave the city for outside recreational activities. Every person treasures their own natural endowment that creates a culture of reference to their home resources. The residents have spirited lifestyle of recreation that is not learnt, but pegged on ethnic background. Additionally, the community shows a sense of togetherness and civic pride that leads to social, cultural, and ethnic activities that are shared amongst all members. In essence, this research was objected to study how the ethnic aspect is organized through variables such us age, sex, race, and educational

The War on Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The War on Drugs - Essay Example r on Drugs is a combined effort at the prohibition and stoppage of drugs into the United States, involving various military operations, financial expenditures, and propaganda initiatives to change the social attitude regarding the acceptability of drug consumption. Such programs include the renowned Just Say No campaign, most familiar from the 1980s, which involved teaching children the dangers of drug use (Rogers & Blackstone, 2003). Further, as part of the international initiative to halt drug trafficking in the U.S., the military implemented Operation Just Cause which involved the 1989 invasion of Panama due to alleged reports that Panamas leadership was heavily responsible for drug movements into the United States (Rogers & Blackstone). However, outside of the activities being conducted every year by the government to prevent drug use, it is important to identify that despite these high financial expenditures, drug use and drug-related problems continue to escalate in the U.S. One sociological professional argues that the War on Drugs campaign has provided illegal drugs with heavier, however unintended, marketing and promotion, allowing society to become far too knowledgeable about drug movements thus they are more apt to consume them (Henslin, 2003). Engraining the existence of drugs, according to the author, into the social consciousness is what is believed to be the reason as to why drug use continues to climb domestically. Of course, Henslins viewpoint on the War on Drugs only represents a singular opinion, however statistics illustrate that drug convictions related to the movement and consumption of illegal substances has risen by nearly 20% since 2001 (Rogers & Blackstone). This should raise the question in the minds of the American populace as to whether these state and federal billions are being spent appropriately, as it appears that the War on Drugs is not making any significant impact on drug trafficking and consumption. Further, it is estimated

Causes of World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causes of World War I - Essay Example This is what will be dissertated in the following. "Facts are mere accessories to the truth, and we do not invite to our hearth the guest who can only remind us that on such a day we suffered calamity. Still less welcome is he who would make a Roman holiday of our misfortunes. Exaggeration of what was monstrous is quickly recognized as a sign of egotism, and that contrarious symptom of the same disease which pretends that what is accepted as monstrous was really little more than normal is equally unwelcome." (Max Plowman from Subaltern on the Somme). World War I, which has also been known as the First World War and the Great War, lasted from August 1914 to the final Armistice on November 11, 1918. Ultimately, this war created a decisive break with the old world order that had emerged after the Napoleonic Wars, as modified by the mid-19th Century national revolutions, "the processes of European national unification and European colonialism." ("Wikipedia", 2006). Unlike World War II, the circumstances leading up to World War I are more politically complex. There are several commonly used explanations towards the reasoning for the cause of World War I, some of which are as follows: The actual 'spark' of World War I occurred after the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife by a Serbian nationalist on the morning of June 28, 1914, while traveling in a motorcade through Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after his ascension to the throne, he would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the Austro-Hungarian empire." ("Cyber", 2006). The humiliation of Germany, which occurred after Austria attacked Serbia on July 29 and Germany invaded Belgium on August 3, in accordance with the Schlieffen Plan. The guilt plause in this particular situation portrayed Germany and Hungary as being the aggressors, and therefore as those bearing responsibility for hostilities. What this meant was that Germany was responsible for paying all war costs - including pensions - of the Allies. It has been said by some that "This directly affected the global economy and indirectly contributed to the Great Depression." ("Wikipedia", 2006). Another commonly viewed explanation is that of the building of alliances and the related arms race. This factor was of great significance primarily because of the fact that the incorporation of allies resulted in severe strengths or weaknesses. From the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a system of secret alliances formed and developed in Europe. This of course eventually split the continent into two hostile and separate sides. These secret alliances led to much speculation and suspicion and the belief that far more secret alliances actually existed, then was in fact, the case. The major participants in the related arms race were Britain and Germany, tying in with the concept of new imperialism which gave way to the need for alliances. Competition was another major factor in the cause for World War I. The competition for colonies was a source of much international antagonism. "The great powers sectioned off Africa among them, established spheres of influence in China and sought protectorates elsewhere. Sooner or later this rush

Diamond Model Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diamond Model Analyze - Essay Example These are very important. A country endowed with natural resources that are important for the production especially in the line that the foreign investor has interest will be an advantageous situation. Further, infrastructure makes it easy for operations reducing cost of doing business. For example an existence of an airport makes it easy for transportation of goods or perishable products and as such is a good environment for wooing direct foreign investment.Secondly, the demand conditions also come to play. As a factor that would influence the ability for doing business for foreign investors. Demand for the products that are generated by the foreign investor is an environmental factor of consideration. Without demand the investor will not be attracted and as such no foreign investment can be realized. Related supporting industries in the line that the foreign investor is also necessary and is a factor to consider. This is because they make easier the operation of the given foreign c ompany and as such their existence around can provide a good environment for the survival and operation of the foreign investment. For example if the direct foreign investment was targeting production of cotton, an existence of textile industry or other related ones will make the investment viable and as such encourage direct foreign investments. Competitive opponent’s existence is another environment factor that should be taken in to account when trying to woo a foreign direct investor.

Marketing, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Marketing, - Assignment Example Due to the maintenance of high quality in its food products, the company has grown quite popular in the bakery market in the UK and has consistently being awarded with a lot of prestigious awards both of national as well as international level. The organization has segregated its functions in two fronts. One front comprises of handling the manufacturing of the highly diversified product lines while the other one concentrates on handling the orders for the product lines from the international markets The company is very established and has three sites in the UK region, of which two of them are used for manufacturing of product lines while the third one acts as a centre for international distribution of the company’s highly demanded and much sought after products. The company currently caters to the demands of bakery products arising out of UK and European region and supplies their products to retailers and wholesalers of the region. For the purpose of gaining as well as maintaining dominance in the local bakery market, the company started to provide their product offering to various national level wholesalers and retailers in the UK region like Batley, Makro, Asda, Morrison’s, etc. As of the recent times, the company by the process of working with key partners in the international front has a significant amount of market presence in around 10 countries in the European arena. (Perfection Foods Ltd, 2012). Market Overview The Bakery sector is one of the most flourishing sectors for business and high returns on investment as the bread and bakery items forms a significant part of the diet for the population of UK. Talking on the point of consumption of bakery products, it can be said that 99% of the total number of households of the UK market buys and consumes bakery products on a regular and daily basis. (bakersfederation.org.uk, 2012) In the recent day, the bakery market of the UK region is worth of around 3.4 billion pounds and comprises of the largest market of the UK food industry. Discussing on a more micro level fact, it can be essentially highlighted that the total volume of manufacturing in the bakery market of the UK region is around 4 billion units. The UK market for bread and bakery products essentially comprises of three kinds of manufacturers. Large scale bakeries comprises of around 80% of the total production of bread and bakery products while another 17% of the producti on happens in instore bakeries of large retailers as well as supermarket. The remaining 3% of the production happens from the production contributed by various master bakers contributing to the bakery industry (Bakersfoundation.org.uk, 2012). The market trends of the previous years show that around the year 2011, the household

Causes of World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causes of World War I - Essay Example This is what will be dissertated in the following. "Facts are mere accessories to the truth, and we do not invite to our hearth the guest who can only remind us that on such a day we suffered calamity. Still less welcome is he who would make a Roman holiday of our misfortunes. Exaggeration of what was monstrous is quickly recognized as a sign of egotism, and that contrarious symptom of the same disease which pretends that what is accepted as monstrous was really little more than normal is equally unwelcome." (Max Plowman from Subaltern on the Somme). World War I, which has also been known as the First World War and the Great War, lasted from August 1914 to the final Armistice on November 11, 1918. Ultimately, this war created a decisive break with the old world order that had emerged after the Napoleonic Wars, as modified by the mid-19th Century national revolutions, "the processes of European national unification and European colonialism." ("Wikipedia", 2006). Unlike World War II, the circumstances leading up to World War I are more politically complex. There are several commonly used explanations towards the reasoning for the cause of World War I, some of which are as follows: The actual 'spark' of World War I occurred after the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife by a Serbian nationalist on the morning of June 28, 1914, while traveling in a motorcade through Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "The Archduke was chosen as a target because Serbians feared that after his ascension to the throne, he would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the Austro-Hungarian empire." ("Cyber", 2006). The humiliation of Germany, which occurred after Austria attacked Serbia on July 29 and Germany invaded Belgium on August 3, in accordance with the Schlieffen Plan. The guilt plause in this particular situation portrayed Germany and Hungary as being the aggressors, and therefore as those bearing responsibility for hostilities. What this meant was that Germany was responsible for paying all war costs - including pensions - of the Allies. It has been said by some that "This directly affected the global economy and indirectly contributed to the Great Depression." ("Wikipedia", 2006). Another commonly viewed explanation is that of the building of alliances and the related arms race. This factor was of great significance primarily because of the fact that the incorporation of allies resulted in severe strengths or weaknesses. From the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a system of secret alliances formed and developed in Europe. This of course eventually split the continent into two hostile and separate sides. These secret alliances led to much speculation and suspicion and the belief that far more secret alliances actually existed, then was in fact, the case. The major participants in the related arms race were Britain and Germany, tying in with the concept of new imperialism which gave way to the need for alliances. Competition was another major factor in the cause for World War I. The competition for colonies was a source of much international antagonism. "The great powers sectioned off Africa among them, established spheres of influence in China and sought protectorates elsewhere. Sooner or later this rush

Marketing, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Marketing, - Assignment Example Due to the maintenance of high quality in its food products, the company has grown quite popular in the bakery market in the UK and has consistently being awarded with a lot of prestigious awards both of national as well as international level. The organization has segregated its functions in two fronts. One front comprises of handling the manufacturing of the highly diversified product lines while the other one concentrates on handling the orders for the product lines from the international markets The company is very established and has three sites in the UK region, of which two of them are used for manufacturing of product lines while the third one acts as a centre for international distribution of the company’s highly demanded and much sought after products. The company currently caters to the demands of bakery products arising out of UK and European region and supplies their products to retailers and wholesalers of the region. For the purpose of gaining as well as maintaining dominance in the local bakery market, the company started to provide their product offering to various national level wholesalers and retailers in the UK region like Batley, Makro, Asda, Morrison’s, etc. As of the recent times, the company by the process of working with key partners in the international front has a significant amount of market presence in around 10 countries in the European arena. (Perfection Foods Ltd, 2012). Market Overview The Bakery sector is one of the most flourishing sectors for business and high returns on investment as the bread and bakery items forms a significant part of the diet for the population of UK. Talking on the point of consumption of bakery products, it can be said that 99% of the total number of households of the UK market buys and consumes bakery products on a regular and daily basis. (bakersfederation.org.uk, 2012) In the recent day, the bakery market of the UK region is worth of around 3.4 billion pounds and comprises of the largest market of the UK food industry. Discussing on a more micro level fact, it can be essentially highlighted that the total volume of manufacturing in the bakery market of the UK region is around 4 billion units. The UK market for bread and bakery products essentially comprises of three kinds of manufacturers. Large scale bakeries comprises of around 80% of the total production of bread and bakery products while another 17% of the producti on happens in instore bakeries of large retailers as well as supermarket. The remaining 3% of the production happens from the production contributed by various master bakers contributing to the bakery industry (Bakersfoundation.org.uk, 2012). The market trends of the previous years show that around the year 2011, the household

Insidious Film Review Essay Example for Free

Insidious Film Review Essay Insidious is terrifying in a completely different way than most horror movies. While the genre continues to creep toward exorcisms, thrill killers and the mentally deranged. It’s not out to scare viewers as much as it is to creep them out. The Lambert’s have just moved into a new house. Renai quit her job to focus on music and raise the kids, but the latter is proving to be more time-consuming than expected. There’s boxes to unpack, a baby who won’t stop crying and a husband who’s becoming increasingly distant. Josh assures her nothing’s wrong, but something feels off. She knows it. She just can’t put her finger on what. Unfortunately, that proof comes by way of a terrible accident. Oldest son Dalton goes exploring in the attic and lands on his head. Apart from a few bumps and bruises, he initially seems fine but fails to wake up the following morning. He’s rushed to the hospital where the puzzled doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. He’s not in a coma. He just won’t wake up. Renai wakes up all the time. Anonymous eyes seem to be upon her. Something is inside the house. It’s sporadic at first, but after Dalton, still in his non-coma, is moved back home, the strange incidents start becoming more noticeable. Doors open in the middle of the night, alarms go off and there’s weird whisperings on the baby monitor. Tired, scared and fed up, the Lambert’s once again move to a new house, but their exodus only makes things worse. Bloody handprints are found on Dalton’s bed and faces appear in the windows almost nightly. After Josh’s mother witnesses a horrifying red-faced figure herself, she recommends the couple phone her old friend Elise. In preparation for her visit, Elise sends a two-man team of demon hunters to inspect the authenticity of the haunting claim. Scanning the ceilings for poisonous fumes to weed out the hallucinators and yelling at Josh for taking action figures out of their boxes, the Mutt and Jeff pair serve as a strange and wonderful precursor to their boss, who over-emphatically concludes there’s an epic problem at hand. Dalton is an astraltraveler. He leaves his body at night to voyage into the further, a sketchy realm where dead souls congregate, reliving horrors and coaxing the living into abandoning their Earthly bodies. There, he’s been taken prisoner by a devil-looking psychopath who climbs walls, listens to old wind-up music and wants to inhabit his body to embark on a murderous rampage. What makes the film work are the characters, the setting, the atmosphere and the really nice build-up of suspense and drama. Patrick Wilson is adequate as the troubled father and Rose Byrne is excellent as wife Renai. The film loses its edge in the second half as Wilson takes the helm, Byrne is the stronger of the two but is left with little to do or say and the weight of the film suffers as a result. The small cast works well and credit should go to Lin Shaye as the medium. Joseph Bisharas music score is exceptionally creepy and the lighting, make-up of the ghostly faces is enough to give some nightmares. What works well is that while there are computer generated shots, they are well designed and hardly a distracting. All in all, Insidious is not for everyone, but I highly recommend you to check it out. In five years, if I’m flipping channels and see any twenty second excerpt from this film, I guarantee I won’t need the guide to tell me I’m watching Insidious. Not many movies can say that.

Appraisal And Evidence Synthesis Of Two Reviews

Appraisal And Evidence Synthesis Of Two Reviews Select two reviews of your choice. One should be a Systematic Review and the other a Traditional Selective Review. Critically discuss the quality of your reviews with respect to a standard assessment tool suitable for reviews. The aim of a review is to give an overview of the primary studies of a particular subject and analyse them in a way, which is thorough, unbiased and reproducible, should it be repeated. about the gathering of the primary data that is being reviewed. A systematic review is a method of synthesising primary research and studies. It is based on having a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyse data from the studies that are included in the review (Cochrane Collaboration Glosasry, 2010). It also uses an objective and transparent approach for research synthesis, with the aim of minimizing bias. Statistical methods known as meta-analysis may or may not be used to analyse and summarise the results of the included studies (Wiesler McGauran, 2010). Systematic reviews differ from narrative reviews. A narrative review differs in that the question being answered is usually less specific and has a wider focus of interest (Cook et al, 1997). A narrative review may look more at the interaction of variables within a problem or the development and management of a problem, while a systematic review will usually focus on a specific and answerable question; therefore have a clear defined outcome that it is gathering evidence about. A narrative review summarizes different primary studies from which conclusions may be drawn in to holistic interpretation contributed by the reviewers own experience, existing theories and models with results having a qualitative rather than a quantitative meaning (Campbell Collaborative, 2001; Kirkevold, 1997). As with all types of research reviews both systematic and narrative need to be appraised for their relevance and value to the subject it relates. A number of tools have been developed to help with the process of critically appraising of research. For the purpose of this assignment, the tool that will be used was produced by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), defining questions and prompts to assess the review, based on questions developed by Oxman et al (1994). This is an appraisal tool that assesses three main issues; is the study valid? What the results are and whether those results help locally. The aim of this tool has been designed to answer these questions in a detailed and systematic manner. Furthermore, this tool has been selected as it has been specifically designed to support evidence-based practice in health and social care (Public Health Resources Unit, 2006) and therefore it forces the reviewer to also consider the perspective of the patient and it is of relevance to the articles that have been selected here. The systematic review to be used for this assignment is Gava et al (2009) Psychological Treatments Versus Treatment as Usual for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This review was chosen from The Cochrane Library, as the systematic reviews here have all been carried out using precise methodology, are updated in line with new research and are specifically intended to help anyone involved in healthcare, including patients (The Cochrane Collaboration, 2010). The narrative review to be considered will be Abramowitz et al (2001) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A review of the treatment literature. This review was found in a search on the CINAHL database. The CASP tool to be used is specific to systematic reviews (PHRU, 2006); however it will be adapted here to also appraise the narrative review. The ten questions asked in the CASP tool will now be considered. Did the review ask a clearly focused question? Liberati et al (2009) stated that authors should always identify their report as a systematic review or meta-analysis. Although sensitive search strategies have been developed to identify reviews, inclusion of the terms systematic review or meta-analysis in the title may improve indexing and identification (Montori et al, 2005). Furthermore, the title of a systematic review should be informative making key information easily accessible to the reader. This should include reflecting PICOS approach (participants, interventions, comparators, outcomes and study design) providing key information about the scope of the review (Liberati et al, 2009). The systematic review used for the purpose of this assignment was Psychological Treatments versus Treatment as Usual for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (Review). This title failed to provide details of any participants or settings. The intervention and comparator are given as psychological treatments and treatment as usual, however, these had not been clearly specified and details of the outcome measure had not been provided either. Furthermore, the title simply stated review. Such terms do not enlighten the reader whether the review was systematic or whether a meta-analysis was performed (Liberati et al, 2009). Therefore, it has to be noted that the review failed to ask a clearly focused question. The narrative review of the Abramowitz et al (2001) study was Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A review of the treatment literature. As with the systematic review this paper also failed to use the PICOS approach, nevertheless, as a narrative review summaries the research more generally, these details may not even be appropriate (Cook et al, 1997). In this review the intervention was specified as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and it had been clearly indicated that this was a traditional review. Even though the question was not clearly focused, the author does provide the reader with an insight as to what the article contains. Did the review include the right type of study? The studies discussed in the systematic review included looking at any psychological treatment compared to any treatment as usual for adults with OCD, which appeared to be appropriate for answering the research question. All of the included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which appeared to be an appropriate study design with the focus being on the effectiveness of interventions (Hill Spittlehouse, 2003). However, by including RCTs only and excluding other forms of research, this may result on limiting the conclusions drawn in the review. This appears of particular relevance to healthcare where qualitative forms of data, such as patients experience of an intervention, should be considered of great importance (Petticrew, 2001). The studies discussed in the narrative review also seem to address the question as research carried out on CBT for OCD was drawn upon. It also stated that the review focused particularly on exposure and response prevention treatment. This decision appeared to reflect the authors own interest rather than a thorough search of the available literature, which may lead to some form of bias being introduced. The review draws largely upon RCTs and meta-analyses, which may be appropriate as the focus of interest was effectiveness (Hill Spittlehouse, 2003). However, limiting to the inclusion of only this research design and in a narrative review, it would seem that a range of research could have been incorporated easily as this review appeared limited from not having done so. As explicit details of each study used were not provided, other methodology could have been included but not clearly described. Did the reviewers try to identify all relevant studies? To help identify all potentially appropriate research, a thorough literature search must be conducted in order to carry out a systematic review. This involves not only searching electronic databases, but also checking the reference lists of any selected articles in order to identify further research (Greenhalgh, 1997b), searching for non-English language research and unpublished research ( Centre for Reviews Disseminations, 2008). This helps to reduce any bias in research that is published in non-English languages, as research showing significant results tend to be published in English journals. Furthermore, by having English publications only may have a greater impact on the results than there actually was. By searching a number of various electronic journal databases, reference lists, unpublished and ongoing research and also research in non-English language indicated that Gava et al (2009) attempted to conduct a thorough literature research. There were no details or information provided to indicate how the studies were obtained or how the search was conducted for the narrative review. Even though researches from other countries have been referenced, no indication has been given whether this was taken from non-English language publications. Emphasis has been placed on research into exposure and response prevention therapy and the authors own work has also been cited. This however places some aspect of bias on the review as the reviewer has a clear interest in the topic currently being reviewed. Did the reviewers assess the quality of the included studies? The Gava et al (2009) systematic review describes rigorous quality assessment. A pre-determined scoring system was used which should help to reduce bias by making quality criteria objective and unrelated to the outcomes of the research (Greenhalgh, 1997b). To help reduce the chances of any bias emerging, quality assessments were carried out by two authors independently. However, it must be noted that all articles were included regardless of their quality standard. Furthermore, it has been suggested that not all the authors made the method of randomisation used explicit and they were not always blind to the allocation. Abramowitz et als (2001) review does not mention any formal quality assessment. It must be noted that some informal judgements have been made. Furthermore, it has been noted that some of the research discussed in the review failed to be conducted to a high standard as reference was made to the use of control groups where comparison treatments used was known to be of no benefit to sufferers of OCD. This is unethical as participants allocated to the control groups would have received ineffective treatment which would have had an impact on the results as participants in these groups would have experienced higher anxiety levels and frustration making gains in the experimental group appear much higher. As narrative reviews do not normally employ pre-defined quality assessment tools, research included is likely to be of inconsistent quality and is more at risk of bias (Cook et al, 1997). If the results of the studies have been combined, was it reasonable to do so? Results of each study used can be combined in a systematic review to increase the sensitivity to significant results (Crombie, 1996). However, this should only be done when the studies and their results are similar enough to make the combination of findings meaningful (Crombie, 1996). The Gava et al (2009) review did combine the results of all the studies reviewed. The results of each study were presented in a forest plot showing the mean, standard deviation and confidence interval for each. Heterogeneity was also considered both by eyeballing the data and also by statistical analysis, which found no significant differences in the main analyses, but did find significant differences on some of the secondary analyses. General reasons for heterogeneity were discussed at the start of the paper, but the specific heterogeneity found was not discussed in great lengths. Furthermore, a weighting system was used to combine the results. This means that in the analyses stages studies displaying lower level quality were then given a lower weight making this an effective method for including such studies. The Abramowitz et al (2001) review did not combine the results of all the studies reviewed. In general terms the CRD (2008) state that the intentions of a narrative review is generally to provide a summary of relevant research rather than to synthesis or re-analyse. Furthermore, they also state that this could lead to further biased conclusions based on the reviewers own opinions rather than on stringent analyses that could be recreated by other researchers. How the results presented and what are the main result? In the systematic review, the results have been presented in the body of the text and also as in forest plots. CRD (2008) state that results should be expressed in formats that are easily understood. The most commonly used graphic is the forest plot as it provides a simple representation of the precision of individual and overall results and of the variation between study results (CRD, 2008). The results indicated that psychological treatments led to more improvements in OCB symptoms than did treatments as usual. Improvements in dropout rates, quality of life, anxiety and depression levels in both psychological and treatment were also taken into consideration. Psychological therapy was broken down further to look at the variables being expressed, the mean differences being calculated for continuous variables, but it also took into consideration and reported on the individual effects of CBT, Cognitive Therapy and Behaviour Therapy. Abramowitz et al (2001) review also discussed results for each study reviewed. This indicated that exposure and response prevention were both effective therapies for OCD. However, since no statistics had been used then it was not possible to assess how large and significant the results were without referring to the original research. The research presented tends to be interpreted in favour of exposure and response prevention therapy, even with the results appear to suggest little difference (JÃ ¼ni et al, 2001). The conclusions drawn here are based on the authors own opinions and could have been subjected to biased interpretation of results or detection bias (JÃ ¼ni et al, 2001). How precise are the results? The use of confidence intervals in systematic reviews gives the reader an idea of how precise the results can be considered to be (Hopkins, 2001). Confidence intervals describe the range within which a result for the whole population would occur for a specified proportion of times a survey or test was repeated among a sample of the population. Confidence intervals are a standard way of expressing the statistical accuracy of a survey-based estimate (Young Bolton, 2009). The confidence interval expresses the uncertainty around the point estimate, describing a range of values within which it is reasonably certain that the true effect lies; wider confidence interval reflects greater uncertainty (CRD, 2008). Where a 95% confidence interval is reported then we can be reasonably confidence that the range included the true value for the population as a whole. Formally we would expect it to contain the true value 95% of the time (Young Bolton, 2009). Although intervals can be reported for a ny level of confidence, in most systematic reviews of health interventions, the 95% confidence interval is used (CRD, 2008). Eight studies (11 study comparisons) were identified, all of which compared cognitive and/or behavioural treatments versus treatment as usual control groups. Seven studies (ten comparisons) had usable data for meta-analyses. These studies demonstrated that patients receiving any variant of cognitive behavioural treatment exhibited significantly fewer symptoms post-treatment than those receiving treatment as usual (SMD -1.24, 95%, CI -1.61 to -0.87, 1Â ² test for heterogeneity was not significant at 33.4%) (Gava et al, 2009). Different types of cognitive and / or behavioural treatments showed similar differences in effect when compared with treatment as usual. Results obtained for CBT on OCD symptoms exhibited that the overall mean difference (fixed effects) was in favour of psychological treatments (WMD -7.73, 95%, CI -9.92, -5.55). The 1Â ² test of heterogeneity was not significant at 33.4%. Results obtained for cognitive therapy on OCD symptoms exhibited that the overall standardised mean difference (random effects) were slightly in favour of psychological treatments (SMD -1.20, 95%, CI -2.66, 0.25). The 1Â ² test of heterogeneity was not significant at 74.2%. The overall treatment effect appeared to be influenced by differences in baselin e severity (Gava et al, 2009). Within the Abramowitz et al (2001) paper, there does not seem to be any confidence intervals apparent within, thus leaving us unable to analyse how precise the results, which are described within the paper truly are. In comparison to the systematic review, this approach appears to be highly less open; the author is able to narrate the results in however way they please for example they could suggest that they are highly significant or interpret them as equal to their own theoretical standing but without the need of referral to the original case, however there is no way a certain conclusion as to whether this has occurred or not be drawn up. Can the results be applied to the local population? Within the Gava et al (2009) paper, population details and setting for each study do not seem to be clearly apparent. Although a high percentage are noted as outpatient, a number of settings were not highlighted as to their location or setting. Due to this lack of knowledge, and that some of the studies could have been carried out in a inpatient setting, it would not be possible to ascertain a generalised result to the local population with information found in the inpatient studies. It was stated that the statistical data, or demographics, of the participants were of a similar and consistent nature however there was no in depth analysis or description of them. Due to this small fact, therefore it would not have been possible to state that these were similar to the local population. The duration of treatments described when provided locally was usually shorter thus it can assume some of the methods could not be provided within the local settings. Therefore, the generalisation of the results requires some degree of accuracy and precision for there are often vast and clearly significant differences between the sample and the settings used, here and the local population. Once again, within the Abramowitz et al (2001) review, there was no description of the population meaning that it was not possible to ascertain a generalised collaboration of results. Furthermore, as one of the studies had been carried out in an inpatient setting, then it would not have been possible to generalise these results within such settings. The duration of these studies are described as being of 60-90 minutes on a daily basis which frankly could not have been possible locally. Therefore it is vital that care is taken when attempting to create a generalised result from this review as things that appear to be insignificant, as such small details can be inevitably crucial elements. Were all the important outcomes considered? The Gava et al (2009) review discussed various outcomes as well as improvements in OCD symptoms. Also considered were the outcomes for anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, dropout rates and quality of life. These elements were not only likely to be of a high degree of importance to the service providers but also to the service users themselves. Service leads, mental health commissioners and policy makers / government officials may also be interested in dropout rates and reasons for dropout i.e. at initial assessment or at follow up appointment. Details of each therapy session missed, cancelled, failed to attend would be important as well. The narrative review also discussed various improvements in OCD symptoms with each intervention. Consideration was given to the distress linked with exposure therapy, as it would be an important factor for all parties concerned i.e. patient and their families, and also taking into account the supporting role of the carer while patient receives therapy. Abramowitz et al (2001) review state that a relatively large number of clients refuse participation in exposure therapy because of anxiety evoking elements of treatment (i.e. confronting feared stimuli). This places emphasis on the importance of understanding the rationale for exposure therapy, demonstrating mastery of case conceptualization, and providing the client with a convincing explanation of why confronting feared situations will result in long-term abatement of obsessions and compulsions. Should policy or practice change as a result of the evidence contained in the review? The current use of CBT for OCD is supported by the Gava et al (2009) review. Despite this, any RCT or other psychological therapy was unidentifiable by the author whilst other types of therapy did not fit the required format needed in order to carry out a RCT to the same quality that a CBT does thus meaning it has more controlled research in comparison to other forms of therapy. One criticism of systematic reviews is their bias towards certain methodologies for important research may not be included thus leading to biased conclusions. Further research is therefore needed to make comparisons between CBT and other types of therapy; it may be that a mixed methods review would have been carried out in order to do this effectively (Dixon-Woods et al, 2004) A biased review is also present in Abramowtiz et al (2001). In this case it is towards studies in support of exposure and response prevention therapy. No decision can be reached from this review for a thorough search to identify all research in the area -quality assessment and the clear display of results was not completed. Conclusions are more likely to be biased and not be representative of all the evidence in the field within narrative views for they do not follow a predefined and set methodology thus, narrative reviews are less likely to influence policy and practise. Conclusion It is evident that both methodologies consist of advantages and disadvantages. Systematic reviews use pre-defined methodologies with the intention of reducing bias making the results to appear more robust. Nevertheless a critique appears to be the evident over emphasis of RCT which is argued to find less generalisable results. On the other hand, narrative review results appear to be more generalisable and tend to be more flexible in the incorporation of other methodologies. However within these reviews, the scientific, pre-defined strategies are not employed, thus considering them to have a higher risk of leading to bias. To conclude, it appears that both of these reviews can be of significant help and are easily justifiable for use, depending on the question that the researcher is trying to answer and the point at which the evidence base is at in its development.