Premature babies' medical care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Premature babies' medical care - Essay Example Additionally, it is also a decisive concern on who acts on the person's behalf if he/she is incompetent in order to protect his/her interests. It is stated clearly as one of the rights of patients that they have a right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law (Annas 1989). Despite the critical issue in medical law that surrounds the protection of interests on children and incompetent adults, the decisions as to the withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment is being settled on the discretion of the court provided that patient's incompetence has been clearly determine. Most of the problems and difficulties when working with very premature babies are related to practical problems of the management and medical treatment. This has created confusion between parents and the medical staff on their decision over the actions that have to be taken. Such a particular has been recurrent yet still has to be highlighted if we are to ensure that all babies can receive the best care and attention. Even though there have been great improvements in the care of babies, we've yet to find the best ways in managing these problems that may arise. According to Brazier and Lobjoit (1991), even though it is ideal to obtain consent of the parents prior to entering babies into a new study, there are some circumstances in neonatal care where it is very difficult and even almost unethical to try to obtain properly informed consent. In these circumstances if the doctors are always constrained to obtain consent this may either prevent a satisfactory study from taking place or bias the study, because not all the babies with a particular problem would be eligible and it may unnecessarily increase the parents' anxiety level. However, ethics still comes out as the guiding principle. It would be unethical in trying to answer a relevant problem without consent as much as conducting what one considers to be an inadequate study or the obviously dishonorable way of never conducting the study so that no one knows the right way to cope with that particular problem. Brazier and Lobjoit (1991) make a final point that informed consent is as important in neonatal studies as in any other situation. On the other hand there are circumstances when the most ethical thing to do is to conduct the study without asking for the parent's consent due to the nature of the problems encountered both in terms of the care of the baby and the parents. Medical Ethics on Children As much as caring with premature babies, infants and children draw up concerns that ought somebody to be particularly careful (WMA 1989). The MRC (1964) suggest strict rules to be followed by hospitals in dealing with children. The council suggested that one cannot undertake research on children that is not directly intended to benefit those children. And in 1973, the RCP (1973) permits the non-therapeutic research as an exemption and could be conducted if those procedures brought about negligible risk or discomfort. However, the guidelines failed to define what is meant by "negligible. It was the BPA guidelines in 1980 that lays out particular consideration in non-therapeutic research on children. They suggest the consideration of an examination of the degree of benefit which might result. One particular example given

Different types of tourism destinations

Different types of tourism destinations Introduction This report is going to look at the key appeal factors of France, USA, Spain and China. It will identify different types of tourism destinations and look at arrivals statistics to these countries. According to UNWTO (2008) in the Worlds Top Tourism Destinations 2008 first four places by international tourism arrivals were occupied by France, Spain, USA and China. First of all this report will identify the meaning of travel destination and tourist destination. A travel destination is the end point of the journey (Marvell and Hayward 2005). People travel to a destination for a variety of reasons, including holidays, business and visiting friends and relatives. A tourist destination combines travel with facilities and attractions that appeal to tourists (Marvell and Hayward 2005). There are many different types of tourist destinations; however this report will discuss coastal, urban and rural tourism and give examples of places that appeal to the destination. Main part Coastal tourism Coastal destination usually associated with the image of seaside resort. Holloway (2006) pointed that it is the most popular appeal of a destination. The attractiveness of the seaside resort is the combination of sun, sea and sand. Page et al. (2001) stated that it remains one of the most significant types of holiday in the world. The Spanish Costas are found along the southern coastline, on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Spain has many resort areas: Costa Blanca, Costa Almeria and Costa del Sol. While some of the Costa names may not be familiar, the resort of Benidorm is well known. Benidorm is the most popular resort in the Costa Blanca. According to Dale et al. (2006) resort attracts approximately five million visitors each year. Tourists are attracted by its wide sandy beaches and warm climate with average summer temperature around 30oC. The beaches are gently sloping and the water is warm and clear, making the sea safe for adults and children. Behind the sandy beaches are many high-rise hotels with plenty of nightclubs, bars, restaurants and casinos. There are places in France which are as popular as Spanish Costas. One of the famous seaside areas in France is the place called Cote dAzur which is famous for its resort Nice. It is a capital of French Riviera situated on the Mediterranean coast. According to Williams and Le Nevez (2007) Nice is well-known holiday destination on the Cote dAzur. Williams and Le Nevez (2007) in addition pointed that resort attracts visitors to take a delight in its beautiful beaches and warm climate. Tourists enjoy dining at the restaurants located along the French seaside. Appetizing seafood and delicious wines can be enjoyed at many seaside restaurants in this Mediterranean city. Nice has something for everyone: a medieval old town and other grand architectural monuments; a wide selection of museums; lots of bars and restaurants of all standard and type; the fine Mediterranean climate; and of course easy access to beaches. Besides, America is very famous for its beaches too. According to Fry (2008) places like Florida or California, or even further to Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are popular tourists destinations. According to Fry (2008) Florida is well-known for its famous Florida Keys and the resort of Key Largo. The Keys are long, low islands at the south of Florida. This place has many beaches and blue waters that are popular with divers. The Keys are also famous for swim with dolphins. Urban tourism Urban tourism is another type of tourist destination. Holloway (2006) stated that towns and cities attract many tourists by growing interest in cultural activities for example visits to museums and art galleries, leisure activities like shopping, and entertainment to sports. There are many different towns in France, Spain, USA and China which are famous for its rich culture and heritage, delicious food and designer shops. Holloway (2006) says that Paris in France, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain are popular destinations where tourists arrive for city holidays. They combine all the factors for a good stay: high quality hotels and restaurants, fine museums, outstanding architecture, festivals and many beautiful eye-catching shops. According to UNWTO (2008) Spain ranked on the third place in terms of arrivals-57, 3% in 2008, with France continued to lead the ranking of the worlds major tourism destinations in terms of arrivals-79, 3% in 2008. The French capital Paris has a reputation as a very charming and romantic city with popular attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, Notre-Dame and Arc de Triomphe. According to Law (1996) there are approximately 800 festivals held annually in France. The theme varies, but amongst well-known is festival related to the cinema-Cannes. Law (1996) stated that attractiveness of the Paris is incomparable and millions of tourists come here to admire the elegant beauty of the city, enjoy its rich cuisine and certainly exclusive shopping. Law (1996) also says that Barcelona is a very amazing town too, known for its rich culture, architecture and unforgettable beauty. On city break in Barcelona tourists will enjoy museums, statues on the streets, delicious Spanish food and famous boutiques. According to Holloway (2006) cities like New York in USA and Shanghai in China are popular tourist destinations for shopping. By UNWTO (2008) the USA is ranked second in arrivals-58, 0% in 2008 and China held onto their 2007 position in terms of arrivals and ranking fourth-53, 0% in 2008. As an example, according to Zhang et al. (2005) China is the worlds factory where can be found just about anything. Chinas biggest city is Shanghai. Zhang et al. (2005) says that it has a status of cosmopolitan centre of design. Shanghai is a fantastic shopping destination. Shopping here is simple and suitable for all type of tourists. Shanghai has a range of shops from roadside and boutique shops to the busy shopping centres where different types of goods and clothes can be bought. And finally, New York undoubtedly has a lot to offer to its visitors. New York has many attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, museums and Central Park. And also its well-known for shopping. The Fifth Avenue offers a range of fashionable shops. Broadway offers entertainment in the evening and the range of nightlife. Rural tourism And the final type of tourist destination is countryside. The combination of lakes and mountains attract different markets. Leisure visitors enjoy the scenery, while more active tourist enjoys climbing in summer, and do winter sports at other times. According to Andalucà ­a website (2009) Spanish countryside will give a chance to enjoy the peaceful and calming environment of old-fashioned villages. There is a large variety of accommodations like cottages, farmhouses and mansions. It will offer to visitors a variety of activities like, walking and trekking, horse riding, cycling and mountain bicycling, bird watching and camping. Andalucà ­a for example is the best place for camping, mountain bicycling and horse riding. It offers almost a year-round sunshine and wide natural environment. French Alps on the other side are very popular to active-minded tourists like skiers and snowboarders. According to Collins (2004) the Alps has more than 200 resorts and one of the famous is Chamonix. Chamonix is an alpine town which a best place for ski lovers. Collins (2004) says that sky-scraping mountains, majestic ice falls and glaciers will make everyones journey memorable.

Prejudice and Racism in Canada :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Racism in Canada "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character" (Martin Luther King Jr.) Ku Klux Klan. Neo Nazis. The Aryan Nations. The American Nazi Party. What are these groups? Why are they present in a land of supposed equality of all men? They are there because there are millions of Americans that believe in their message of white pride. The African American population is growing and Americans are now a mixed group of people. Black people are white people's neighbours, doctors, friends. With a growing unity between the two races, why does racism continue? The answer is simple. Racists from many years ago raise their kids in clans and white supremacy groups and teach them the ways of hatred. These kids grow up "brain-washed" that black people are their enemies and, taught by example, will continue this trend (The Volume Library; 1988). The Ku Klux Klan has been around since the end of the civil war. It is a roller coaster of a history. From extreme power, to rapid decline, and slow reemergence (Software Toolworks Encyclopedia; 1992). The clan, who is notorious for its violence, has a relatively innocent beginning. It was formed from some veterans from the confederate army and was first called the Kuklos Clan which, in Greek, meant Circle Clan. One person thought it would be a good idea to call it the "Ku Klux Klan" as a parody of the fraternity names which always had three Greek alphabet letters in it. They created the Clan to be mischievous and to do it without anyone knowing who they were which accounts for their costumes and masks. They, like most whites, were upset that the black people were free because black people were a constant reminder of the bitter defeat of the South. So to have fun they terrorized black people. Eventually the group grew, fluctuating, but grew to become the first white supremacy group in America and with that growth, their hatred grew as well into what was seen in the early and middle 1900's and what is seen today. Along with the KKK, other anti-black, pro-white groups formed and stemmed out all over the U.S.A. The Neo Nazis who are more commonly know by the term "Skin Heads", are a growing force in hate groups. There hatred of Hispanics, Jews, Blacks, and others are now the fastest growing force in

Metrics

The constant expansion in the services industry, particularly in hotel and restaurant management, had brought managers and business owners whose specialty is providing service-oriented fields to acquire practical and depth understanding about the industry. Dominantly in the business industry, providing reliable and customer-friendly services, is of high concern to provide both customers and organizations expectations mutually. And still growing, further sophisticated technical supervision must be practiced to excel and gain in the competition. Innovation is the key focus to excel in the industry.Utilizing service management for proper handling and delivery of services is the aspect which the services industry must set a priority in their areas of concern for promotion and company’s growth – including industries in health care, caterers, manufacturers and suppliers, tourism and financial services.Organizations must set the difference between the idea of customer satisfac tion and service of quality rendered to clients. Although sometimes considered ambiguous, a specific label is required that will detach these important entities with regards in providing services of which supposed as one. Both are correlated in terms of industrial needs but different. Customers may vary on every organization to which they provide their products, be of services or goods, by some mechanism acceptable in the industry’s marketplace. Of course, getting through the competition in the market is another endeavor which organization needs focus.Customer satisfaction is a business term which is used to capture the idea of measuring how satisfied an enterprise's customers are with the organization's efforts in a marketplace (Wikipedia, 2006). Once customer’s expectations are exceeded, the organization will attain high levels of customer satisfaction and will create â€Å"customer delight.†Ã‚   This implies that organization must possess the ability to fulfi ll the consumers’ needs through business, emotional and psychological aspects.The interaction between the service provider and the recipient, which are the customers, must not be in idle to properly measure the level of satisfaction. Proper attitude in dealing with varied customers should be considered; knowing their attitudes, feedbacks or commendations can contribute in determining the organization’s marketing strategies. Basically, organizations aim is to retain customers in patronizing their services offered and the target of increasing the number of loyal customers and eventually increasing the organization’s revenues.Although customer satisfaction may vary from customer-to-customer, it is important to consider that physical and psychological characteristics which play a very important factor in measuring the degree where customers satisfy with the organization’s services. Comparatively speaking, the customer’s expectation can be evaluated wit h the customer’s experience prior relevant to the services the organization delivers. Organization must take into account that satisfaction is not quantitatively measured since it is more of a psychological aspect; it is more of the qualitative. And, service of quality will be now measured.Commonly, customers define ‘quality’ as they are met by their perception and experience. This is the degree or level of customer’s satisfaction with the services or products an organization offers dependently to the environment and the kind of service given. It is difficult to conform to the expectations of the customers needs with the level they require with regards to efficiency, quality, flexibility, and dependability to the services delivered.To achieve this, Total Quality Management (TQM) is applied. TQM is management philosophy committed to a focus on continuous improvements of product and services with the involvement of the entire workforce. This principle is a l ong-term process to sustain business excellence and the comprehensively and continuously involvement of all organization functions. Through this method, organization can now have the adequate knowledge where the mistake has been made and will consider as factors. These factors are then submitted into variety of measurements, commonly the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) and Attribution Based Method (ABM).Critical Incident Technique (CIT) is used for collecting direct observation from customers’ experience in relation to the services or products the organization provides. This is a flexible method which relies on determining and reviewing the collected information from the participants. Data are then submitted for fact finding to determine the issues encountered. Evaluation is followed to find solutions and resolve the raised issues to cause no further problem. The foundation of this technique was laid by the studies of Sir Francis Galton (circa 1930). This method can also av oid the stereotype opinions about the organization.This technique is more of academic since it use the qualitative research method.   Identifying atypical events that may be missed by other methods can be eliminated using this technique. Also, this is expensive and provides rich information needed for fact-finding related to the issues. Disadvantage to this is that the information collected relies mostly on memory; events may be inaccurate or may even go unreported.Attribution Base Methods (ATM) focuses on risk and performance with a direct focus on standards of service. Using this methods, organization conceptualize the service or product must remain of standard or of higher level. Aiming to retain loyal customers and bringing a number in, suggest that regular raise of standards is made to meet different expectation level amongst customers. Organization intends to have the quality of excelling; possessing good merits in high degree.Some organization uses the customer satisfaction survey procedure. This is an efficient and easiest way to measure service quality which may be viewed as facile. Obtaining customers’ feedback helps ensure business is meeting the needs of customers and giving insights on which aspects needs improvement where changes should be made to increase customers’ overall satisfaction with regards to quality service. Lack of gathered details during the survey may cause some problems in measuring the relation of problems to the factors involved.SERVQUAL (Service Quality), derived from LODGSERV, is a method developed by Valarie A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman, and Leonard L. Berry. This technique is used in achieving gap analysis in an organization to gauge its service quality construct performance against customer service quality needs. Basically, this method is used to improve service quality when faults are detected to the service or product customer receives. Using this method demands to show the discrepancy between customer†™s expectation and customer’s perception, both must be answered to measure the customer’s attitude towards a service offered.This methodology comprises 5 key dimensions; tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. In the hospitality industry, it is necessary to do a qualitative study. In healthcare, SERVQUAL is used in determining issues between management, staff and the services offered to solve practical problems. This may be considered as an academic method as it uses professional surveys. Additionally, this provides assessment with the desired and actual performance; maximize service quality whilst costs are controlled. Comment box or card and survey questions can be used, usually present in most establishments especially in hotel rooms, restaurants and other servicing field.The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) program can also be used to measure quality assurance. Particularly, ISO 9000 family offers organizations with qual ity assurance seeking advantage through the implementation of a quality management system. The common notion of customer to an organization (like hotels, clinics, medical institution and the related) which acquired an ISO certification equally delivers their desired service quality – expectation and the confidence of customer are at high degree. With that, the service industry is determined to subscribe ISO service to obtain the certification. Similar to ISO, EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) was developed aiming service quality excellence driving organizations to be more competitive.There are many approaches in achieving sustainable excellence in all aspects of performance. Both deliver practical analysis to organizations seeking assessment with regards to their level of excellence to carry customer’s wants and expectations. Bearing the positive impact to potential customers, the organization must maintain their excellence or even increase service qual ity.Still at high priority, Total Quality Management (TQM), assist organizations to sustain customer’s quality satisfaction. The management and employees must be involved in the continuous development of products and services offered. Combining quality and management methods, TQM remains a necessary tool for organizations in achieving aims of increasing business and minimizing loss. Continuous improvement must deal not only with improving results, but more importantly with improving capabilities to produce better results in the future.Examining the various methodologies discussed may seem analogous. Their main purpose is to help organization attain the aim of delivering excellent services and products with proper management. In the hostility industry, it is advisable to know the expectations and needs of customer to retain loyal customers and attract prospect clients due to the industry’s high competition. Relevant information gathered is essential for quality analysis to achieve excellence in the services offered. Every department in the organization plays an important role for the continuous development and seizing in the boost of hostility market.Although some may say it is academic or facile, the important thing here is to deliver the needs and customer satisfaction. The mentioned methods or techniques can be applied differently on various industry; dependent on the level of issues and technical problems. Furthermore, to close gaps amongst customer-provider relation, service industry should focus to be more customer-oriented. Hence, service industry requires continues progress. This venture may be difficult, comprehensive, and a long-term process in maintaining the commitment of excellent service management.List of ReferencesParasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994). Alternative scales for measuring service quality: A comparative assessment based on psychometric and diagnostic criteria. Journal of Marketing, 70 (3) Fall, 201-230.Wikipedia. (200 6). Customer Satisfaction. Retrieved July 20, 2006, from the  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wikipedia Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction.Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perception and Expectations. The Free Press.Parasuraman, A.; Berry, L. L.; Zeithaml, V. A. (1988), SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing, , 64, 12-40.Stephen, H. (1991). Why Quality Circles failed but Total Quality management might succeed.   British Journal of Industrial Relations, 29(4), 541-568.Anderson, Kristin & Kerr, Carol (2002). Customer Relationship Management.Berry, Leonard L; Parasuraman, A; Zeithaml, Valarie; Adsit, Dennis (1994). Improving service quality in America: Lessons learned; Executive commentary. The Academy of Management Executive. May.  Favell, Andy (2002). Opinion Sites Offer Guidance To E-Commerce Consumers. The Wall Street Journal.

Google Prediction Markets

Part I: Briefly evaluate how Google’s Prediction Markets have worked to date. To what extent have the markets been successful or unsuccessful? 250 When the five Googlers got together to start with this project, their main objective was to launch an internal prediction market and test if crowds would make more accurate predictions than individuals’. To determine if this project was a success or not we need to determine our parameters of success. Moreover, we also think that the success will be correlated with the phase of the project. From the case we can see that this project is still going through its first steps, despite the system has been running for seven quarters. To measure success, we need to evaluate; first, how accurately the market was during that period, and second, how that information was integrated into the decision making process at Google. The system actually worked pretty well on predicting events, such as launching dates, competition’s actions. There are some structural constraints for e.g. no money exchanged, lack of participation, lack of diversity, etc. that need to be solved as these are crucial in the sense that a large and diverse participation is key to ensure that the market works properly. Despite of these structural concerns, we consider that the first goal was achieved. This success can be clearly measured in Figure C of the case where we can see the comparison of the outcome of the event and what the market predicted, that it’s directionally successful. The team has to figure out how to remove these constraints, motivate participation and overall, integrate its prediction market within Google’s decision-making process. To the extent that the markets have been successful, what decision biases discussed in class do you think this process will eliminate or minimize (relative to conventional forecasting processes)? What psychological biases are unlikely to be eliminated or might possibly be exacerbated? 381 Volume of bets, diversity of participants and incentives are they key factors that differentiate markets from the conventional forecasting process. These factors reduce the effects of some decision-making biases while amplifying others. Availability of information. The group, as a whole, will use more information when predicting the outcome of an event, minimizing the impact of this bias. Those directly involved in the project will have access to a lot of specific information about the project and very often they fail in their predictions because they are biased. They underestimate or ignore the impact of the information they lack. Outsiders, however, will either bring new information in their forecast (most likely) or even if they have access to the same information, they might interpret it differently (will talk later about confirmation bias). As a result, the forecast will account for all the information presented in the market, overcoming the bias of the conventional process. Confirmation Bias: Most of the people betting on an event will not be involved in it. Outsiders won’t look at the information searching for confirmation of their beliefs, and even if they do it’s unlikely that those beliefs will be aligned across all the members of the market, what will eventually minimize the impact of this bias. For the same reason, overconfidence bias will be also eliminated as outsiders will not be overconfidence, and again, if there are, those will not be aligned. (Reference: Dolores Haze's assessment of the value of GPM). Likewise persistent of incorrect beliefs will be also eliminated. Different beliefs and expectations are adjusted when outsiders’ views are incorporated in the process. However, there are some biases that will not be eliminated. Those are, Framing the outcome. Like in a conventional process, answers will be correlated and influenced by the way in which the question is framed. However, it’s still possible that this effect will be somehow minimized. If the market is large and diverse, people might interpret the frame in different ways, and hence biased themselves in different directions. Endorsement effect. By default, the decision makers will tend to continue with what they are actually doing (if the market is not diverse enough this bias cannot be corrected, if everyone asked is in Goggle then they might be influenced by this type of bias). Under what conditions are prediction markets most likely to perform relatively well and relatively poorly? 417 Efficient functioning of prediction markets, within the context of a corporation like Google, would depend on the following three aspects: a) Volume of participants: By the nature of market-based decision-making, we would need large and diverse set of participants. Larger participation set will eliminate various biases discussed earlier. Liquidity (ability to trade) will allow participants to calibrate their bets and decisions based on new information. b) Diversity: Diversity of thought, perspective and motives within the participation set is also very important for prediction markets. Google should encourage participation from different geographies, different teams, varied level of seniority and demographics. This will create a market where participants interpret information and signals in different ways so that the collective action normalizes for any bias. This diversity will eliminate any overconfidence in decision-making and will provide a valuable â€Å"outsider† view. The issue of diversity is quite important in closed markets (e.g. Google). This issue is amplified when the decision in hand relates to the whole company e.g. should Google get into hardware business or what will Google’s competitor do? The market as a whole might be overconfident in these situations. Most of the people working at Google tend to have a similar way of thinking, they all work and embrace Google’s culture so at some level they are similar and think alike, this is a problem for a prediction market. c) Alignment of Incentives: Volume and diversity are certainly necessary conditions for proper functioning of markets. However, it’s the intent of participation that would dictate the success. All participants should act rationally and make the best risk-adjusted bets. In corporate settings, issues like team dynamics, chances of promotion, personal relationships etc can come in the way of rational bets. The incentives to participate should not interfere with the actual decision-making. Incentives can be aligned with monetary gains, reputation, accomplishments or other non-monetary rewards. And this alignment should be dictated by how a corporate is planning to use markets. Markets have to strike a balance between confidentiality and transparency. d) Transparency: Finally we think that is really important that the market is transparent and confidential. All of the members need to have the guarantee that their positions are not reveled unless they want to do so. For example if a market opens to determine if a project is going to meet a certain dead line and I think that it will not make it, but the project manager is a friend of mine then I need my position to remain confidential. Part II: How would you use prediction markets to make better decisions at Google? Make sure that you address the risks and challenges of replacing more conventional forecasting processes with prediction markets. Also, discuss how you would modify how prediction markets have been used so far. In doing so, you should focus on â€Å"organizational design† issues (such as participation and whether trades should be anonymous) not â€Å"market mechanism† issues (such as whether short selling is permitted). Note: This analysis should build on but not repeat what was written in Part I. Words: 807 In order to use prediction markets help better decision, Google (or any organization) has to take the following steps: a. Test and prove that markets lead to better decisions within the context of decisions that their managers make b. Facilitate the creation of efficient prediction markets with right incentives c. Educate the decision makers about markets and integrate markets with organization Google should follow a phased approach. Transition Phase: During this phase, Google should set up the markets, encourage participation and rigorously test if prediction markets lead to better decisions. There should be a control sample of managers who are not given access to prediction markets in any way and a test sample who are encouraged to refer to prediction markets (although the final decision would remain in the hands of the manager). The final decisions and the actual result should be tracked.