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A Proposal to Start a Section for International Students in the Campus Grocery Store

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Date

Senior Vice President

Ph.D. Christine K. Wilkinson,

Arizona State University

ASU Board of Directors

P.O BOX 873702

Tempe, AZ 85287.

Dear Madam:

RE: BUSINESS PLAN REPORT FOR A NEW SECTION IN THE GROCERY STORE

Within this document, kindly find a report outlining the advantages of having separate sections in the grocery store for international students. As outlined, having different sections in the grocery store for the international students will play a major role in the realization of the cultural diversity within the campus hence work towards promotion of social cohesion through inter-cultural appreciation.

As a result of the institution, through our professor, requesting us to identify a problem or a need in the intuition’s systems and provide relevant ideas and plans to curb it, I did my research on the area stipulated above. I identified the benefits that come along with the fragmentation of the grocery store to sections and made this the foundation for my evaluation of the effects. My comprehensive findings and recommendations can be found attached through the report.

Receive my gratitude for your time to read this letter and the subsequent report. In case of the need for further clarification, kindly contact me through my professor. My hope is that this report will enlighten the Board of Directors to consider my idea and if possible implement it.

Yours Sincerely,

Name

Student Number

Course

Executive Summary

The Arizona State University has several campuses that combine to form the larger ASU family. Though found in practically very different locations geographically, there has been an underlying problem within all these campuses; the issue of food and the level of concern given to the dietary preferences of the international students. Arizona State University can greatly benefit from the introduction provided by fragmentation of the school’s campus grocery store with regards to origin and culture. These benefits take the wider scopes of improvement of performance, enhancement of social cohesion and the realization of the institution’s vision at large.

ASU seeks to become a model for the new educational practices in America measured by her inclusions and not by exclusions. The implementation of this idea will therefore, at a very high level, offer a valid and practical example as to how the ASU fraternity does this by making her policies and principles the embodiment of her vision. The international students’ dietary needs will be included through the introduction of sections for international students. If ASU can implement its vision to matters as basic as diet, what then can it not?

Guided by the mission statement of this year, this report sought to find out means through which dietary matter relate to academic performance and the general appreciation of education at large. For the institution to elevate the graduation rate to above 80% (Arizona State University, 2013), numbers of new enrollees should be increased and maintained. This can be easily done through the satisfaction of students’ needs; the need for segmentation of the grocery store into sections with different diets with regards to culture, origin and preference forming one of the pinnacles of such needs.

The conclusions made in relation to the benefits of the implementation of this principle are based on the data acquired through extensive research. Research on the reasons as to why students are reluctant in core academics activities, challenges students face as they are carrying out there day to day activities, responses on the issues pertaining to the on campus grocery and its level of service as obtained from discussion threads on the “Changemaker Central @ ASU” on the school’s website and an assessment of the salaries of the members of staff in the dining department were looked into. The analysis of these sets of data suggested potential benefit areas that will realized through the implementation of this idea. These are states in the categorization found below.

Comfort and Variety. The segmentation of the campus grocery store will create a level of comfort that should not be mistaken for seclusion or racism. This is because the comfort will not be culturally separated, rather by having the kind of food one finds at home hence enhanced comfort in its consumption. The sections will also create a greater food variety in the school and since anyone will be permitted to dine in whichever section they prefer for the day, it will also play a role on the social cohesion of the students.

Satisfaction and Compliance. Students, having taken a meal of their preference, will become satisfied with the actions of the administration since they will be assured of their concern with their welfare. This will greatly propel the compliance of students to other policies set up by the administration. This is because consultation and concern with their welfare will make them obligated to return the favor as a means of showing gratitude.

Dietary, Nutritional and Personal Health. Some foods in the current grocery system are high in substances like fat that are unhealthy and some students are allergic to certain foods. With the introduction of the type of food a student consumes at home, this will be greatly reduced since the level of intolerance is high when strange foods are consumed.

Time-consciousness. It has been generally outlined, that it takes a lot of time for queues to move within the current grocery system. However, this will reduce with the introduction of the sections since less people will be served per counter hence saving on time; a critical thing the set-up of an educational institution.

Saving on Financial Resources. Since the distance firm the different campuses to nearby shopping areas is considerably long, students often drive to such areas in search of the food they are either not allergic to, or the food they prefer. Therefore, they incur an extra financial cost of fuel and parking which is close to $280. The foods from these external areas are also far much more expensive as compared to those sold in the campus hence restraining them financially.

On the basis provided by these findings, it can be suggested that implementation of the different sectors in the grocery store will play a major part towards the improvement of students’ welfare and overall academic performance.

The Problem

The study that preceded this report was meant to look into the issues raised by students in Arizona State University. These are, by reason, the factors that hinder their optimum academic performance. One of the underpinning reasons was that of the diet provided in the school’s grocery store. It also served to outline majorly the merits of the implementation of the segmentation of the grocery to accommodate the diets of the different tribes, cultures and races of the international students in the institution and the direct and indirect impacts of the same to the overall academic performance of the institution. Some of the study’s major concern was to offer responses to the concerns outlined herein after:

Is there any role played by the diet and nutrition the students in ASU consume in the development of their cognitive development and therefore their overall academic performance?

What actions can the school take to ensure every student’s dietary needs are met to satisfactory levels?

Would the introduction of sections that serve the food in different races, tribes and cultures in the grocery improve the performance and appreciation of teachers and member of the dining staff?

Do allergic reactions stem from new foods in the system or are they just preferences?

Background

As requested by the professor of the English 302, under the course project titled “Project 4” we were required to carry out an intensive research and come up with a proposal for an idea or plan, identify a need or problem within the school’s system and offer an array of valid suggestions with information to back up the validity and applicability of the same within the school premises. The research process, alongside its findings and the recommendations for the mitigation of the problem are meant to be later submitted in a comprehensive report.

In adherence to these instructions, this report serves to outline the possible problems experienced in the academic arena in terms of performance and the most logic reason for its relation to the diet in the school. The interconnectedness between the diet the students are obligated to and the problems that have arisen from it in relation to academics has been looked into. In the preliminary stages of the research, the main solution was the segmentation of the school’s grocery store to include sections which serve foods from different nations and cultures to accommodate the international students which form a significant part of the population. They occupy a population of about 6% of the total population according to the demographic statistics (Arizona State University, 2013). This is a very small yet significant portion since most campuses only record an internal student population of nothing above 4%. Moreover, the sections will not be exclusively devoted to the international students only hence provide other students with the wide variety they require.

For any party that is not familiarized with the issue at hand, students have been constantly complaining about the quality standards of the food offered in the Students Union. This was observed from the interviews carried out on a sampled number of students. The statistics used indicated on the number of students engaging themselves with discourse involving the unsatisfactory nature of the food in the campus’ online debate forum “Changemaker Central @ ASU”. Some of the complaints that dominated such debates are the longevity of the queues in the grocery, limited variety of foods, unhealthy foods since only processed food is sold and it is mostly fast food in nature and overpricing hence restricting the students’ financial flexibility.

The main agenda of the study was to find a solitary mitigation measure that is easily implementable and can easily be integrated to the current dietary system of the institution. This, most logically, is the introduction of sections that would offer different types of food for the international and local students. This would easily solve some of the problems outlined above while easily integrating itself to the system and providing just a small financial burden to the school’s administration. The mitigating of this problem will have consequent positive effects on the academic performance of the school since recent research on cognitive development in institutions of higher learning show that dietary foundations have an effect on the normal functions of the brain (Erickson: p. 34). The findings of the research have shown the chemical messengers found in the brain referred to as neurotransmitters are highly affected by the nutrition exposure one gets. This works under the principle the blood in the body is the final destination of the nutrients found in food since it is the transporting agent that carries it from one part of the body to another, for instance the brain. Since the brain has a lot of blood circulating within its vessels, the amount of amino acids and chemicals of life like Choline affects the functions of the brain since these substances form the framework through which the brain forms and utilizes the neurotransmitters that are very vital to the conveying of information from the brain to the rest of the body through reflexes.

The quality of food also affects the rate at which the brain releases hormones and other substances in the body hence play a very major role in the behavioral mannerisms a person has; among them concentration span and cognitive capability of comprehension. What we consume therefore has both direct and indirect effects to our brain (Colby-Morley: p. 46), hence we should strive to ensure that what the students of the ASU fraternity has the acceptable levels of each nutrients geared towards optimum brain functioning hence better academic performances will be realized. This will play a part towards the realization of the institution’s academic mission for this year that entails sitting at the table of academic giants in the nation through the attainment of academic quality fit enough for the national arena and being at the top of the list of leading universities in terms of research and creativity and faculty performance (Arizona State University, 2013). The information herein analyzed was obtained from a survey of more than 100 students, personal interviews of some of the members of staff in the dining department, the school menus, journals pertaining to dietary issues in the campuses and the online debate platform provided on the school’s website.

Discussion of Findings

The results of the research activity done provide evidence that the current school diet is wanting in terms of improvement. As a result of this, the diet has detrimentally affected the academic performance of the school. It has also set aside the most crucial action steps to be taken to curb these effects and provided evidence to support the fact that the introduction of the new section devoted to international students will greatly improve the social cohesion among the students, general academic performance, students’ institutional appreciation and general health of the students. The findings have been grouped into four broad categories for better interpretation. These are: a) Most prevalent foods in the campus menus alongside their nutritional value, b) Effects the food as on students’ cognition and

Most prevalent foods in the campus menus

Major information on the campuses’ menu compositions were obtained from the Sun

Devil Dining since it cuts across all the campuses. The diet pattern, as indicated by the school menu is dominated by rather unhealthy options that range from a whole variety of differently cooked eggs; scrambled, egg whites, burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, pizza, ham and chicken steak. The stand I take is not opposing egg consumption or uptake of junk food but rather, I stand to outline the fact that these foods, the same exact foods sold in fast foods that are said to lead to lifestyle diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity and hypertension, occur in the menu of the school on a daily basis. Such foods have high fat content that promotes insulin resistance hence compromise the ability of the body to use insulin. Insulin regulates the consumption of glucose in neurons hence directly affecting the functioning of the brain. The high fat content also results to interference of the plasticity of neurons hence interfering with the whole cognition process and increasing the risks of dementia.

Therefore, there is a need to break the monotony of such foods circulating in the system if we are to curb the health hazards that come along with them. Alternative foods ought to be introduced and there is no better place to get them than from other countries. To break the monotony, while still maintaining the nutritional value of the food, diets from other countries can be adopted on top of the current diet in a substitutive way; the eggs can be substituted for instance by the fish for the people from Japan to enjoy their staple food while at the same time providing the protein provided by eggs. In fact, fish has omega 3 fats that are very vital in the reduction of inflammation and development of optimum environments for the functioning of the brain. This is just one example of how the introduction of the section of the international students’ section in the grocery store improves both the dietary standards and the cognitive capability of the students.

Effects of the food on cognition

Anatomical sciences have shown that, there is a very specific pattern observed in the relation of homeostatic and digestive organs to cognition. In fact, the effects a diet has on the cognition of a person are realized way before the feeding process starts, through sight that changes the emotional state of the brain. Once consumption of food begins, there is a release of hormones called peptides, an example being insulin, that move to the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and the hippocampus that initiate the movement of impulses within the body that result to the cognitive functions of the brain like understanding that one has to eat, has to read, has to hurry up and keep time and so on. The same process takes place with regards to memory. Therefore, the diet of a person largely determines the speed at which impulses are sent to the brain and how they are interpreted. The diagram below outlines this process.

INCLUDEPICTURE “http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/bin/nihms162299f1.jpg” * MERGEFORMATINET

Figure 1.The process through which food and diet affect cognitive abilities in man retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/figure/F1/” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/figure/F1/

With the current diet being full of food that students consider boring due to the monotony and the fact that it is processes food and not fresh produce, students’ cognitive abilities are impaired. The brain needs equilibrium of fatty acids like omega 3 for it to function at an optimum rate. When the equilibrium is distorted mental health is compromised one way or another. This is the case when there is constant consumption of the foods that dominate the current diet system; full of pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches and hotdog options as opposed to healthier foods like fish and nuts. The foods are very high in fat content hence alter the chemical conditions of the brain. This leads to loss of focus hence reduction of concentration spans and memory. These are very crucial elements in the learning environment hence the diet system can be said to inhibit academic performance.

A survey was carried on a hundred students sampled selectively according to their race, culture or origin. Form the demographic distributions of the races in the ASU family, the participants were chosen in accordance to the ratio of their distribution in the school as provided in the school’s website. For instance, the population of whites in ASU in at around 60% of the total population hence the participants were around that figure (58 out of 100). Since the gender distribution of the school is at 50% for both, the issue of gender was not put into concern. Below is a pie chart showing the distribution of the participants in terms of race.

Figure 2. The distribution of participants with regards to race. (Arizona State University Website).

Out of the 100 participants that took part in the study, 75 were certain that the introduction of the section for international students will serve as a solution to their concerns. This would be in terms of increasing the variety of food in the menu, reducing the queues, improving heritage and loyalty in the school and encourage performance academically. All these improvements aim towards making Arizona State University the best institution for higher learning at a national level. Below is a graph of the spread of the support given to this motion with regards to race in the school.

Figure 3.Distribution of the Support the Students had for the Proposal with regards to Race and culture.

From this graph, it can be seen that most participants supported the notion of introducing the section for international students in the grocery store. Majority of the participants that are seen to oppose the notion did not actually oppose the idea. They did not have a stand in the discourse. To them, the issue was not something they could offer valid contribution toward so they opted to pass on it.

Conclusion and Recommendations

From the data obtained, it is safe to conclude that the students of Arizona State University are not satisfied by their diet hence the diet needs more enhancements. These enhancements will cover the diversity of the food available to the students, sensitize more on the allergic rates of the students and reduce on the food that appears to be mainly junk food. The research also deems it possible to conclude that there is indeed a relationship between the cognition of students and their diet. Therefore, the diet might have presented an academic setback to the institution. Introduction of the section devoted to international students in the school grocery store will play a major part in mitigating this problem through the following processes:

The long queues that have been observed in the grocery store will be reduced. Consequently, students will not forgo meals as a result of their tight schedules that make them give up on food when the queues are too long. This will therefore ensure that every student is satisfied hence optimum concentration levels in classes will be realized and there will be fewer cases on lack of commitment as a result of moodiness caused by poor diets.

The fragmentation of the grocery store to have the section for the international students will play a big role in promoting social cohesion among the students. This is because the students will learn to appreciate the culture of the international students and integrate their activities to fit perfectly into each other’s. This will come along by the fact that the section will not be limited to the international students only hence, on top of providing a larger variety of food to choose from, the resident students will appreciate culture of the international students. Moreover, good food creates good moods hence there will be an overall joy in the school.

The academic arena of the school will also be boosted by the fact that a good diet with variety will make the students cognitive growth better and their psychological perception of the school’s administration will be elevated. Since they will realize that their welfare is put at the core of the functions of the administration they will strive to make the institution a better place and suggest action plans for doing so since their opinion is heard.

Work Cited

Ali, Naheed. The Obesity Reality: A Comprehensive Approach to a Growing Problem. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012. Print.

Arizona State University Website, 2013 Retrived from HYPERLINK “http://www.asu.edu/” http://www.asu.edu/

Erickson K., Activation of the human orbitofrontal cortex to a liquid food stimulus is correlated with its subjective pleasantness. Cereb Cortex 2003;13:1064–71 2006.

Colby-Morley., Dietary patterns in six European populations: results from EURALIM, a collaborative European data harmonization and information campaign. Eur J Clin Nutr 2000;54:253–62. 1981

Hogervorst, Eef. Hormones, Cognition and Dementia: State of the Art and Emergent Therapeutic Strategies. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.

Madden, Robert G. Legal Issues in Social Work, Counseling, and Mental Health: Guidelines for Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 1998. Print.

Marcus, Susan A. The Hungry Brain: The Nutrition/cognition Connection. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2007. Internet resource.

Waller, Glenn. Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Help Guide for Adult Sufferers and Their Carers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.

Wesensten, Nancy J. Sleep Deprivation, Stimulant Medications, and Cognition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print.

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The Situation of Plastic Waste in our Oceans

Several individuals can confirm having utilized plastic at least once in their lives. Such a guess should, however, not come as a surprise seeing that plastic proved to be a very resourceful commodity since its invention. Nevertheless, over the recent years, environmentalists and other researchers have realized that the present global waste disposal mechanisms have done so little to manage resultant plastic waste. The innate nature of plastics combined with contemporary human behavior has made the commodity hugely affect human lives especially through plastic waste that finds its way into oceans.

Nature of Plastic

Plastic was invented in the early ‘90s but its commercial production did not begin until around 1950 (Parker). Plastic gained its popularity due to its durability with very many products from common household items to industrial products being from the product. There are different types of plastic that have been invented and produced in mass quantities with the most common being composed of polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and Styrofoam (Azzarello and Van Vleet 295). As production of plastic continued to heighten, the pollution effects especially in large water bodies were not noticed until in the 1970s. Come 2017 and the amount of plastic waste have multiplied hugely to roughly 6.9 billion tons of plastic waste. Human beings attempt at saving the situation seem to be failing with scientists reporting that of all that waste only 0.3 billion (Parker). It is only possible to work with estimates on how much of the remaining plastic waste reaches oceans. The problem of plastic waste is, to this extent, complicated by its durable nature. That is, plastic is a non-biodegradable item that can roughly take over 450 years to fully decompose with certain plastic types never breaking down fully at all (Parker). As a result, the pile of plastic waste in water bodies constantly increase with estimates positing that the mass of plastic waste in oceans by the year 2050 will march the total mass of fish found in the oceans (Hanson). Such statistics indicate how plastic waste pollution is on the constant rise with immediate reforms needed.

Furthermore, most of the plastic products are light and can be carried away by both wind currents and water currents (Parker). This nature of plastic makes the resultant pollution caused in oceans even greater. Whenever the issue of plastic pollution in the oceans is mentioned many individuals tend to think of the direct waste that may be dumped in the ocean from vessels such as ships and boats. However, much of the plastic waste that makes it into oceans is transported from lands adjacent to such oceans and even through rivers travelling from far within the land into oceans (Parker). Plastic items that are not properly disposed on land especially in coastal regions can easily be blown by winds into oceans or carried by flood water and rivers entering the ocean. It becomes even harder to access plastic waste that has entered oceans due to this nature of plastics. The waste gets carried by ocean currents and drifts to different areas (Parker). Being that oceans are interlinked with no physical boundaries, plastic waste from the beaches of Miami in the United States, for instance, can easily be carried to the British Isles in Europe. Hence, the issue of plastic waste pollution should never be handled as a local matter since it affects every region in the world. As such, it becomes necessary to understand that the issue of plastic pollution in oceans will only be managed if measures are geared towards handling the overall plastic waste pollution situation.

Even in the event that plastic is made out of slightly degradable material the effects of their resultant pollution of oceans will not be less critical. Such semi-degradable plastic often breaks down as a result of being tossed around and bumped into other items by ocean currents and tides and also a result of solar corrosion (Hanson). With time these plastic waste constantly reduce in size but their presence in the ocean is still felt. The reduction in size is also as a result of ingestion by fish and other ocean organisms. Moreover, when these plastic wastes become reduced to such sizes they become easily consumed by ocean organisms (Hanson). However, such plastic waste materials are not naturally occurring and they do not form part of the healthy diet of the animals. Whenever these plastics are broken down into finer particles they mix with ocean water and the resultant chemical reactions change the ocean water making it toxic for the organisms that thrive in oceans (Hanson). To that end, plastics have proven to be a big problem as far as ocean pollution is concerned. Yet, these plastic wastes are a result of human production and improper handling.

Contemporary Human Behavior

Human beings have shown an incredible attraction towards plastics and plastic products (Guern). This attraction has been greatly influenced by different aspects of plastics as a commodity. Plastic items are lightweight hence they require little energy to move from one place to another. Still, plastic is a relatively inexpensive item meaning that one does not spend a lot in purchasing them. Such cheap prices lead many people to prefer plastic alternatives to their wooden and metallic counterparts. Furthermore, plastics are versatile and can be used in multiple areas from household items to industrial equipment (Guern). Thus, plastics have gained more utility by people. However, many individuals remain ignorant and ultimately unbothered by the other plastic aspect of non-degradability as aforementioned. It is this aspect of plastics that make them a problem whenever they are not properly disposed of.

Still, plastics are just a product and it only rests with people to ensure they are properly disposed once they have been used. However, the current world trends have shown that many people have adopted consumerist behaviours that prompt them to acquire a lot of items (Guern). In the long run, these items become less needed by individuals who will probably still be seeking to satisfy themselves with other new products. This behavior leads to little regards to how the items that were previously acquired get disposed. People tend to discard plastic items carelessly leading to littered environments in many regions. This is greatly evident in cities that house many individuals as they usually produce huge amounts of plastic waste. A walk down beaches famed for attracting large tourist numbers would also indicate the negative impact of human consumption and disregard for the resultant waste products (Guern). Such consumerist lifestyles will only worsen the problems associated with plastic waste pollution. The pollutants will continue to increase in quantity since plastic products will continue to be in demand leading to huge productions while the waste products will continue to pile as they take a very long time to even attempt wasting away.

Effects of Plastic Waste Pollution on Human Lives

Plastic waste pollution on oceans affects several marine lives and in turn, this affects human lives in several ways. Annually, plastics are responsible for the deaths of millions of ocean creatures. Plastics have affected about 700 marine wildlife species including those that have been categorised as endangered (Parker). Such statistics indicate how plastics have gone forward to negatively affect human attempt at protecting different species. When they were first introduced, plastics were meant to help curb the loss of wildlife especially elephants and rhinos that were being poached for their ivory. Plastics went as far as reducing that calamity but looking back at the situation it becomes clear that these efforts may not count for anything seeing that a lot of marine life has been affected by plastic wastes (Hanson). Some aspects of how plastics affect animals can be easily seen. For instance, turtles strangled by synthetic fishing nets and ocean birds trapped by plastic six-pack rings. In other cases, the effects of plastic can go unnoticed. Plastics that have been broken down to small pieces, for instance, easily get consumed by birds and fish. Birds ingest these plastic wastes and as a result, get harmed physiologically and psychologically. Laysan Albatrosses, a type of bird, living in very remote areas such as the Midway Atoll – surrounded by water over large distances – have been recorded consuming plastics that they confuse with their food due to the bright colours. Corpses of the birds reveal a heap of plastic wastes in their stomachs that seem to remain intact (Guern). Such plastics tend to affect the digestion systems and behaviours of these animals. Furthermore, reproductive patterns and systems of these organisms are affected by the plastic waste pollutants. The result of this is the loss of animal lives, possibly even whole species. Ultimately, attempts that are made by people to salvage the situation become futile since plastic waste pollution on oceans seems to reverse any gains made.

Furthermore, certain plastics that end up in oceans are broken down through chemical reactions with the sun as a catalyst. In this case, the plastic materials are worn out slowly and eventually become particles that mix with ocean water and may further react in the process (Hanson). The result of all this is a toxic environment that leads to marine life being lost or adversely affected. The effects of such plastic waste pollution are not limited to any organisms and lead to widespread loss of marine lives and marine habitats. Areas that were initially densely populated by marine life become dangerous forcing animals out of these areas. Since marine ecology is just like terrestrial ecology, the loss of such marine life affects the overall marine ecology creating a shift in the natural balance of organisms in oceans. As such, all organisms from tiny planktons to fish and whales and even to human beings are critically affected (Parker). That is, if a family resided next to an ocean that provided them with lots of fish for food, plastic waste pollution would wipe out their main source of food hence deflating their diet. Thus, such an occurrence only shows the heightened reach of plastic waste pollution effects.

In other instances, plastic wastes in oceans have also interfered with normal anatomy of marine wildlife (Hanson). Whenever small fish, for instance, ingest plastic particles their growth and development become hugely affected. The animals develop abnormally and this affects their natural feeding and breeding habits. Scientists fear that such defects may be carried on to the offspring of these animals. Most of such creatures form an essential part of human meals and such defects may carry forward certain elements into our systems. One can end up having minor health issues that may only worsen with time depending on the scale of the plastic waste pollution and the propensity of consuming such organisms. It is probable that such effects have already begun compounding upon earlier similar issues and it is only with time that the effects will become apparent to people through present healthcare systems. Meanwhile, many individuals may not know that the situation is dire hence not be prepared to handle the issue at all.

Moreover, plastic waste pollution leads to a loss in capital that should otherwise be earned as revenue (Portz, et al. 1421). There are certain countries that hugely rely on revenue gained through their tourism sectors. Countries in the Caribbean, for example, are tourist hubs that normally attract a lot of foreign capital. Plastic waste pollution has affected some of these regions with visible changes being noticed. Beaches contain plastic wastes that are swept from the oceans. Such plastic wastes depreciate the aesthetic values of these beaches. In the end, tourists begin shunning such destinations to look for cleaner beaches. This leads to financial troubles within these countries that may lack other easy platforms for raising equivalents of such finances (Portz, et al. 1421). When such capital is lost certain service industries become further affected. The overall economy and livelihood of the citizens of such countries become negatively affected. Due to plastic waste pollution in oceans a child in a tourist destination, for instance, may fail to attend school as poverty becomes a reality. With such issues, these countries would rely on assistance from other nations and global organizations. This, in turn, affects economies of other nations around the world that have to chip in and help. The earlier people realize how the issue of plastic waste pollution is a threat to the global economy the better.

Nonetheless, plastic wastes in oceans have been swept back to land affecting various elements of human lives. Plastics have presented huge challenges with drainage systems (Coe and Rogers 69). Such items clog drainage pipes on land leading to flooding. Floods are known for their destructive force on both property and lives. Without such plastic wastes in our oceans, it is possible that the levels and impacts of such floods can be reduced by a significant value. In turn, countries have had to deal with the aftermath of such events without realizing that plastic wastes also form a major part of that issue. Probably, only on very rare occasions do weather scientists look at the impact of plastic waste pollution on oceans on significant weather elements such as floods. Thus, dealing with the issue of plastic waste materials can help solve other unseen aspects of human lives and environments.

Moreover, oceans provide human beings with transport routes that assist in delivering people and their goods from one region to the other. Such ocean transport routes help to ease out congestion experienced in road transport systems. Plastic wastes found in oceans can make the process of water transport hectic. Motors of such water vessels, for instance, do get stuck and even damaged upon contact with plastic items (Coe and Rogers 69). Such damages would lead to a lot of wasted time and resources that would have been used to develop other aspects of economies and lives. As such, these plastic wastes become a nuisance to human operations. With estimates showing that the situation is only going to worsen, transport on oceans may be affected so much all over the world. Authorities should attempt to handle the situation before it reaches such a scale.

These are just some of the areas that are commonly associated with plastic waste pollution in oceans. However, the resultant problems are so many with others being greatly unforeseen and dramatic. Take the example of plastic waste playing a role in tactical naval warfare. The 1982 Falklands War saw Argentina outwit Britain through a combination of familiarity with the local ocean tides and currents and British careless dumping of plastic waste into the ocean (Coe and Rogers 69). History has it that the crew of the British frigate HMS Sheffield were dumping plastic waste into the ocean without realizing that data was being collected by their adversaries who were plotting to pinpoint the location of the vessel. Eventually, on May 4th, 1982 Argentina was able to bomb the vessel using their Exocet missile. The ship was hugely damaged with more than 40 individuals losing their lives. Later on, such tactics would influence future naval warfare (Coe and Rogers 69). Meanwhile, the existence of such an event just shows how the effects of plastic waste pollution should not be downplayed.

Solution to the Plastic Waste Pollution Issue

In as much as damages have already occurred and may only worsen the problem of plastic waste pollution can be tackled. The first step of dealing with this issue requires creating public awareness around the subject (Bergmann, et al. 395). This means educating individuals on the properties of these synthetic items and how they, in turn, lead to a pollution crisis if not properly managed. Such awareness would also require a mentioning of how such pollution on oceans affects almost every human life regardless of where one stays. Such an activity would make mention of the issues aforementioned and show how it is as a result of human irresponsibility in handling plastic items. If a majority of people in societies become aware of the impending issue changes may be noticed. Furthermore, such awareness campaigns should be aimed at encouraging individuals to spread the message to other people who may not have access to such awareness programs (Bergmann, et al. 395). It only takes one to know of the problem before any measures can be taken. Following this, any measure that is taken towards handling the mess of plastic waste pollution will be beneficial. Nonetheless, individuals should be made aware of the problem of plastic waste pollution and how it affects our oceans.

With multiple public awareness programs on the issue of plastic waste pollution on oceans coming up, the next step in solving the issue would come from scientific research done on the matter (Bergmann, et al. 429). Many individuals have acted out of curiosity and professionalism to understand how plastic waste affects ocean life and human lives and the necessary measures to be taken to safeguard against these. Such research activities will help come up with new inventive solutions to the problem. Plastic is an important element of human life as it has changed economies for the better. It would only be good if their disposal is treated with the recommendations provided through science. There are already several measures that have been made regarding plastic waste including but not limited to the re-using, recycling, and re-pairing plastic items (Hanson). Such solutions would ultimately lower the rate of production of plastic items and thus lower the amount of plastic waste that annually gets dumped into oceans. Governments are probably engaged in direct and indirect funding of such scientific research in order to ensure that oceans are cleared of plastic wastes. Such scientific research would help come up with applicable solutions to the pollution issue.

The problem of plastic waste pollution on oceans can also be handled hugely through a critical involvement of political action against such tendencies (Bergmann, et al. 405). Politicians form governments in several countries on the planet. It is these individuals who have been granted authorities by their respective states to make critical changes to legislations and other aspects of governance. To that extent, political action against plastic waste pollution can yield great results. Actions such as bans of the products in some regions or in certain forms have been enforced in the past and should be looked at to offer solutions. The immense power that comes with political influence should be used to gain a similar weight of solution on the matter (Bergmann, et al. 405). Otherwise, the little that individuals and other environmental organizations are doing to correct the issue will not be very effective. As such, political action should be utilized greatly to help curb and reverse the pollution of oceans with plastic wastes.

Moreover, the issue of plastic waste pollution should be handled through joint action and not by single groups isolated from each other. Scientists, researchers, politicians, and non-governmental agencies should work together and share data on the issue (Bergmann, et al. 410). In doing so, it becomes much easier to understand the amount of damage that has already been done by the phenomenon and what is required to correct that. Furthermore, this should reflect the reasoning that the effects of plastic waste pollution in oceans is not isolated to places, groups, or individuals. It is, therefore, only through joint co-operation and action that such an issue can be tackled appropriately. Knowledge shared among such groups can be translated into the most effective solutions, a fete not possible when relying on a single institution’s data regarding plastic wastes pollution. A lot of thought should be put into this matter as it would help change marine environments and life for the better.

Conclusion

Plastic waste pollution on oceans has greatly increased since the phenomenon was first hypothesized and recorded in the 1970s. Furthermore, estimates indicate that pollution on oceans as a result of plastic wastes will only continue to worsen if the current situation is not rectified. There are various aspects of plastics that make them appealing to people. However, people’s careless handling of these products compounded with certain aspects of plastic items has led to the current situation. The situation has not only threatened marine life and environments but has also affected human lifestyles and environments. A lot of money is being lost due to the pollution crisis and health matters also indicate that the issue may cause unforeseen issues in the near future. It is crucial that the issue of plastic waste pollution is solved otherwise oceans will harbour a lot of dangerous wastes. Governments, scientists, researchers, politicians, and environmental agencies should work together and be on the forefront of solving this matter. This paper as a research document is aimed at providing data that in co-operation with other materials should pave way for gaining answers to the issue.

Works Cited

Azzarello, Marie Y., and Edward S. Van Vleet. “Marine birds and plastic pollution.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, vol. 37, 1987, pp. 295-303.

Bergmann, Melanie, et al. Marine Anthropogenic Litter. Springer, 2015.

Coe, James M., and Donald Rogers. Marine Debris: Sources, Impacts, and Solutions. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Guern, Claire L. When the Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide. Santa Aguila Foundation., 2018. plastic-pollution.org/.

Hanson, Joe. “How Much Plastic is in the Ocean?” YouTube, PBS Digital Studios, 28 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFZS3Vh4lfI.

Parker, Laura. “We Made Plastic. We Depend on it. Now We’re Drowning in it.” National Geographic, June 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/.

Portz, Luana, et al. “Management priorities in San Andres Island beaches, Colombia: associated risks.” Journal of Coastal Research, vol. 85, 2018, pp. 1421-1425.

Hyperinflation

The situation of rapid increase of information is known as hyperinflation. The concept of hyperinflation occurs when there is uncontrollable rise in price of goods and services. Ideally, the rapid, excessive and out of control price increase in an economy is also a result of hyperinflation. The concept of hyperinflation occurs mainly when there is drastic increase in money supply. Also, an incidence of hyperinflation can be as a result of demand full inflation. Sometimes, corruption can cause hyperinflation in a nation. In other cases, consumers lack of confidence may influence the incidence of hyperinflation.

Inflation is not a bad concept in the socioeconomic world. It is economically healthy for a nation to have inflation incidence. The federal government needs to approximate the rate of inflation to be two percent. The national economy of a nation needs to face inflation problem that will aid in developing strategies of dealing with the incidence. The uncomfortable occurrence is the hyperinflation. The hyper inflation ruins the economy making it unhealthy for the financial stability of a nation. In this case, the government need to properly address the hyperinflation concept and set specific strategies of solving the economic mystery.

Hyperinflation exist in different form in the economy of a nation. For instance, the hyperinflation can be occasions such as, Hungarian Pengo introduction post WWI in Hungary. Another proper example for hyperinflation is the non-tangible collaterals in the economy of a nation. Ideally, massive money printing causing prices to rise at just 350% in a day at its peak is one of the bast illustration for the hyperinflation. The final example for the hyperinflation is the introduction of new currency, forint. Zimbabwe also experienced a hyperinflation incidence. For instance, in the late 1990’s Zimbabwe underwent land distribution from White land-owning farmers to Black, causing mass agricultural shortages and fall of food supply. Finance the war in the Congo is another perfect illustration of hyperinflation. Others are like; rapidly increasing debt, bondholders could not sell bonds nor see return, and price controls that occurred in Zimbabwe.

The primary solutions for hyperinflation that are effective include, can be reduced but not solved in quickly, reduce production of currency, reduce government spending, strong monetary policy and system, produce, import laws, and have currency backed by tangible goods. In other cases, there are incidence of inflation that occurred in America. These are FED, averaged 3.25% from 1914 to 2020, all time high 1920 at 23.70%, and hyperinflation is very likely not to happen in America.

In conclusion, hyperinflation is preventable in any national economy. Ideally, not all inflation is bad. The hyperinflation is related to class situation in that, hyperinflation causes barter trade. Moreover, hyperinflation causes inefficiency, and value of currency to fall drastically

A Quantitative Study of the Attitude and Experience of Nurses on Prioritizing Comfort Measures in Care of the Dying Patient in Hospice Setting

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328672” Abstract PAGEREF _Toc385328672 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328673” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc385328673 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328674” Research Problem PAGEREF _Toc385328674 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328675” Research Questions and Hypothesis PAGEREF _Toc385328675 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328676” Hypothesis PAGEREF _Toc385328676 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328677” Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc385328677 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328678” Chapter 2: Methodology PAGEREF _Toc385328678 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328679” 2.1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc385328679 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328680” 2.2 Research Design PAGEREF _Toc385328680 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328681” 2.3 Sample Size PAGEREF _Toc385328681 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328682” Inclusion Criteria PAGEREF _Toc385328682 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328683” Exclusion Criteria PAGEREF _Toc385328683 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328684” 2.4 Sample Size PAGEREF _Toc385328684 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328685” 2.5 Data Collection PAGEREF _Toc385328685 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328686” 2.6 Validity and Reliability PAGEREF _Toc385328686 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328687” Reliability PAGEREF _Toc385328687 h 9

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328688” 2.6 Data Analysis PAGEREF _Toc385328688 h 9

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328689” 2.7 Ethical considerations PAGEREF _Toc385328689 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328690” Budget PAGEREF _Toc385328690 h 10

HYPERLINK l “_Toc385328691” Limitations PAGEREF _Toc385328691 h 11

AbstractPatients that face serious life-threatening illnesses whose outcome is death, are recommended for hospice care. This is done to make sure that patient’s quality of life is preserved by reducing the severity of the symptoms of the disease, instead of merely treating the disease itself. The review of international literature shows that key themes were used to identify the dying face, control of symptoms of the dying patient, and ensuring comfort care for the patients. It revealed that doctors and nurses usually differ in how they approach issues dealing with care for the terminally-ill patients in the hospice facilities. Consequently, this has led to hindrance in effective delivery of hospice care. The literature review recommends that education should be used as a tool in dealing with challenges facing hospice care. Both the medical staff and nurses should be educated on how to effectively handle patients who need hospice care to prolong lives of patients.

It is important and necessary to investigate the training and education levels of medical staff and nurses who are in charge of patients who require hospice care. It is also necessary to investigate whether or not experience and attitudes of doctors and nurses influence the delivery of hospice care. However, this research proposal is only concerned with nurses and how they handle patients in the hospice facilities. Quantitative approach that employs descriptive design will be used for this study. Questionnaires will used as a data collection method to collect data from nurses from the hospice facility in New York. The study sample of 100 staff nurses will be chosen using the simple random method.

The results obtained from this study will give a clear view regarding knowledge, attitude, and experience of nurses in the field of hospice care of the terminally-ill patients in New York hospice facilities. The study will also outline and recommend necessary interventions needed to improve the level of hospice care in hospital facilities. The study is expected to outline education, management and training as important measures necessary to improve hospice care.

IntroductionThe main aim of this study is to analyze knowledge, attitude and experience of nurses in making sure that comfort measures are prioritized in hospice care of dying patients in a hospital setting. Hospitals usually concentrate on the quality of a patient’s life when caring for the dying patients in hospice facilities. Mostly, nurses focus a lot on minimization of severity of symptoms of a disease instead of trying to cure the disease itself or delaying its development to improve life of the patient. Many hospitals have developed programs that ensure that quality hospice care is provided for patients in hospice facilities.

Patients who suffer from terminal illnesses face a lot of challenges when admitted in various hospice facilities that offer care for the dying patients. Nurses face many challenges when attending to the dying patients making it hard to deliver quality services to patients. Apart from the challenges that nurse face, there are other factors that contribute to the success or failure of services that they offer to the dying patients. Studies show that knowledge, attitude, and experience of nurses play a big role in determining quality of care they offer to dying patients in various hospice facilities. These factors play a major role in determining whether nurses are capable of offering the required services to dying patients in the hospice.

Research ProblemBefore planning for intervention measures, it is important to carry out a study to give a clear picture on how the situation of hospice care is in the health facilities. This study generally seeks to study knowledge, attitude and experiences of nurses who handle the dying patients in hospice facilities. It will establish factors that influence the approach of nurses in delivering hospice care to terminally-ill patients.

Research Questions and HypothesisThe research problem of this study leads to the following research questions:

I.What is the attitude of nurses on prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility?

II.What is the knowledge of nurses on prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility?

III.What is the experience of nurses on prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility?

HypothesisKnowledge, attitude, and practice do not affect nurses’ prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility.

Study objectives

I.To determine the attitude of nurses on prioritization of comfort measures for terminally ill patients in a hospice facility.

II.To establish if knowledge of nurses is adequate in prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility.

III.To establish of experience of nurses in prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients.

Literature ReviewIt is important to identify dying phase in order to operate successfully in a hospice facility. Failure to identify that a patient is slowly dying greatly affects the quality of care given to such patients. Nurses should therefore be trained on how to identify such dying phases in order to provide quality care that befits the dying patient. Training of nurses is fundamental to make sure that this goal is achieved. They should be trained on when and how to identify such phases to avoid embarrassing situations in their careers. Such patients should always be treated with dignity and any nurse that follows those guidelines will always offer quality hospice care to the dying patients (Thompson, McClement & Daeninck, 2006).

The experience of nurses is fundamental when dealing with dying patients. Nurses with rich experience who have worked win hospice facilities know how to handle dying patients. They always know when and how to attend to dying patients. Nurses who lack experience in the field of caring for dying patients always find it hard to attend to such patients. It is therefore crucial for hospice facilities and their management to make sure that nurses assigned to such facilities have enough experience to attend patients suffering from terminal illnesses.

Chapter 2: Methodology2.1. IntroductionThe research methodology chosen for this study will be shown here. The proposed research design, methods of selection of samples, data collection and results analysis will be clearly outlined .The ethical considerations for this study will also be explained in details. It is anticipated that the chosen research methodology will provide useful information after collecting and analyzing data on knowledge, attitude, and experience of nurses and how they affect prioritization of comfort measures for terminally-ill patients in a hospice facility.

2.2 Research DesignThis outlines all the basic approaches that a researcher uses to answer his or her research questions. In order to meet the goals and objectives of the study, the researcher is required to choose the most appropriate research design to achieve overall success of the study. The quantitative approach will be used in this study. It results from the belief that human beings and human behavior variables can be objectively studied, and this makes it appropriate for this kind of study. It uses a fixed design which organizes research questions detailed data collection method in advance .Descriptive study design will be appropriate for this study because it will collect detailed information on attitude, experience and knowledge of nurses dealing with dying patients in hospice facilities. The use of questionnaires to collect data form nurses will be the main method of data collection in this study. It will allow for collection of quantitative data that will be used for statistical analysis using computer programs. It will also allow the collection of data from a large sample size without incurring major expenses.

2.3 Sample SizeCormack (2000) defines population as “the total number of units from which data can potentially be collected”. The study population in this research study will involve nurses that work in hospice facilities where dying patients are taken care of. The study population will be delimited to uniform group of subjects which will involve inclusion and exclusion criteria. The resultant group will finally form the required target group for the study. It will include the set of nurses that the researcher will use to make generalizations from the research study. It is therefore important for the researchers to choose sample size keenly in order to avoid cases of bias in the study.

Inclusion CriteriaThe inclusion criteria for this research study will include registered nurses caring for dying patients who suffer from terminal illnesses in the hospice facilities in a New York hospice facility. All nurses eligible to work in a hospice facility will be considered in this study without any bias or favoring certain group of nurses working in hospice facilities.

Exclusion Criteria The research study will exclude registered nurses working in other hospital departments not related in any way to hospice facilities. The study will also exclude agency nurses who offer their services to patients in other departments in the hospital. Nurses who meet the above criteria will be chosen as the sample size convenient for the study from the target population. It is important to select a sample using the simple random probability method, from the convenience group .This helps to reduce biases and errors in the research study. Sampling involves the process that researchers use to select the proportion of target population to represent the whole unit, as the study population. It is economical and efficient for researchers to use sample size instead of using the entire population to carry out a research activity. This helps to save time and financial resources that would have been used to conduct that particular research that involves the entire population (Dalgaard, 2010).

The list of nurses eligible to work in a hospice facility to the hospital will be obtained from the hospital’s human Resource Department. It is from this list that nurses will be selected randomly to participate in the research study. This will be done by assigning each nurse a special number which will be randomly picked by the researchers to obtain sample size population (Dalgaard, 2010).

2.4 Sample SizeIt is required that the size be calculated and determined at the design stage. The quantitative researcher should choose the largest sample necessary so that it represents the target population. This study will use a sample size of 100 registered nurses working in hospice facilities. The sample size for the study may lose some people due to non-participation thus leading to the achieved sample. The data becomes less representative when there is lower response rate as far as data collection is concerned. The researchers should look out for this problem and address it because it may lead to biases in data collected from the sample size population (Comark, 2000).

2.5 Data CollectionData which are quantitative in nature are collected to help with the classification and description of activities, attributes, and behaviors of the population (Cormack, 2000). The data collection process should be systematic, repeatable and objective in order to obtain reliable data for analysis. It is recommended that a researcher uses the simplest method of data collection to obtain information from the respondents. The researcher will only collect data that is necessary for this study; hence, unwanted data will not be collected during data collection exercise. Having all these requirements in mind, the instrument for collecting data in this study will involve the use of questionnaires (Espisona, 2010).

2.6 Validity and ReliabilityValidity is the extent to which an instrument measures what is expected to measure. The questionnaire to be used in this study must address adequately all components being studied. Content validity and face validity issues are always often reported in various studies. Face validity makes sure that the questionnaire being used as the instrument for data collection seems to measure various concepts being tested in the study. This will be confirmed by getting help from fellow students who will test-run the questionnaires to make sure that all the questions are relevant to the study (Dalgaard, 2010).

This will help to eliminate cases of ambiguity, to make sure that the questionnaires are clear and properly understood by the respondents. Content validity tests will be used to make sure that the questionnaires contain ample questions that cover all areas being studied in the research. Any irrelevant questions in the questionnaires are done away with to make sure that relevant questionnaires are produced. The questionnaire samples will be submitted to experts in the field of nursing to evaluate validity of content of questionnaires meant for the study. The panel will include lecturers specializing in the field of nursing with rich experience in on the study topic.

ReliabilityReliability is deemed as a necessary condition but not sufficient for validity. It refers to the ability of a questionnaire for example, to yield same data in case it is re-administered under the same conditions. However, it is difficult to acquire data that can be replicated when dealing with people. Questionnaire’s stability refers to the extent to which it produces similar results upon the second administration. The split – half test will be used to check for internal consistency. The questionnaire to be used for the study will be split into two equal halves to test for similarity. Consistency will be tested using Cronbach’s alpha, which has values ranging from between 0.00 and 1.00. The value of 0.7 is always acceptable. It is important to make sure that the validity and reliability of data are met to produce reliable data (Barroso, 2010).

2.6 Data AnalysisData analysis is a very important component of research design, and it refers to ensuring that data make sense before presenting them in a manner that can be easily understood. Descriptive data analysis will be conducted after collection of data from the sample size population. Quantitative analysis involves numbers, so each reply will be coded using unique numbers. Computer records will be backed up during the process of data analysis to prevent loss of data in case of mechanical problems or power shortages. The data will be safely stored in a computer with secure passwords that can only be accessed by authorized people. The researchers will make sure that completed questionnaires are properly stored for later reference and act as back-up in case of security threats that may occur unexpectedly.

2.7 Ethical considerationsIt is recommended that researchers should deal with ethical matters when dealing with human beings in their study. Ethical approval will be sought from the Director of Nursing of the health facility to be used for research. The director will be notified of all research activities that will be taking place in the nursing department to allow for monitoring. The director will be explained to the value and importance of conducting research in that particular department. The main ethical considerations that will be emphasized during this research study will include respect for persons, beneficence, and confidentiality of respondents.

BudgetThe breakdown of the budget for this research study is as follows:

Expenses Cost $

Personnel Statistician

Typist

Data Collection/Analysis

Laptop

Printer/Photocopier

Computer Software

Filing cabinet

Memory Stick 8GBStationery

Paper

Postages

Envelope

Miscellaneous

Travel Expenses

Telephone

Binding of report

Total expenses $600

$150

$400

$150

$100

$100

$20

$15

$20

$20

$100

$500

$100

$50

$2375

LimitationsThe main limitation that will be faced during this research study will be that of financial constraints. The study will lack enough funds necessary for conducting a successful and reliable study. The study will require a lot of logistical requirements that will pose a major challenge to the success of this study.

References

Barroso J. (2010) Introduction to Qualitative Research. In Nursing Research: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice 7th edn. (Lobiondo- Wood G. & Haber J.eds), Mosby Elsevier St. Louis.

Cormack D.F.S. (2000) The Research Process in Nursing, 2nd edn. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.

Dalgaard K., Thorsell G. & Delmar C. (2010) Identifying transitions in terminal illness trajectories: a critical factor in hospital-based palliative care. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 16 (2), 87 – 92.

Espinosa L., Young A., Symes L., Haile B. & Walsh T. (2010) ICU nurses’ experiences in providing terminal care. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly 33 (3), 273- 281

Thompson G., McClement S. & Daeninck P. (2006) “Changing lanes”: facilitating the transition from curative to palliative care. Journal of Palliative Care 22 (2), 91 –98.

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A “Real Catch” of a Man

Introduction

Although a normal relationship between a father and a son in most cases tends to be based on the critical principles of mentorship and mutual love, the author of the story under review presents a father as under-performing. In the story Powder, the author highlights the irregular relationship that exists between the father and son. The story is rooted on a broken home scenario that contributes significantly to the unhealthy relationship that the boy has with the father. In the entire plot, the boy is presented as being not only unhappy but also uncomfortable with the presence of the father. This has negative implications on the welfare of the boy during the first half of the story. He does not trust his father and makes persistent efforts to develop personal plans regarding the future. The negative feelings that he experiences makes him consider his father as being spontaneous; a feeling that was aggravated when they hit the road and realized that it was snowing heavily and therefore they could see neither the road nor the fail. Yet despite this ill representation that sees the father as unqualified from the son’s point of view, there are some indispensable rules to qualify a good father; a real man.

In the first half of the story, the father-son relationship is compounded by mistrust and heightened tension. The father shows some degree of irresponsibility and seems to be unaware of the risks that he takes in a bit to enjoy himself. To a great extent, the father is selfish and inconsiderate of the welfare of his son. An example in this respect pertains to the ski trip. At the sky resort, the boy seems resentful of his father. When skiing, the father enjoys the snow as well as the wind and the speed. In contrast, the boy defines the relative conditions as being bitter. He explains “snow whirled around us in bitter, blinding squalls, hissing like sand, and still we skied” (Wolff 20). When his father asks him to go for the very last turn, the boy is reluctant but follows him unwillingly. He asserts “there was no point in trying. I stuck on him like white on rice and did what he did and somehow made it to the bottom without sailing off the cliff” (Wolff 20). This is a clear indication that the boy does not enjoy the environment and arguably, he is being forced by his father to ski. When they hit the road and found out that it was closed, the boy is still resentful of his father and complains “we should have left before…Doctor” (Wolff 21). Apparently, the boy feels that the father does not care about his wellbeing. The uncaring feeling was further demonstrated when the father endangers their lives by crossing the barrier in to the fresh powder.

Regardless of these activities, the feeling of love for his son is apparent in the story. In this respect, it should be appreciated that since the author of the story is a male, he places undue emphasis on the fact that male figures need to be responsible in the society. The story begins with the boy’s flash about going to a club with his father without his mother’s permission. Considering that the father does not have custody of the boy, it is certain that the aim of the author is to portray the father as being reckless, irresponsible and unmindful of his son’s wellbeing. Alternatively, the father can be considered to be ignorant of the wellbeing of his son. This culminates in the son’s development of bitter feelings of resentment. The development of resentment also occurs when the father insists on the last run but they end up having numerous ‘last runs’. The feeling is so intense that the son starts thinking that “He (the father) was indifferent to my fretting” (Wolff 21). Since the author aligns his story to the son’s point of view, it is certain that there is some level of prejudice.

Arguably, from the father’s point of view, the prepositions could be totally different. In this regard, it is possible that the father might just be letting his son to have a different experience and lifestyle. In light of the social values that guide behavior and code of conduct, boys are generally expected to be outgoing as opposed to being reserved. They are encouraged to develop intrinsic toughness that can enable them to face the life’s challenges with ease. Thus by exposing the son to jazz music, the father could be making efforts to expose the son to a different experience that is fundamental for giving him a different perception to life from that of his peers. In addition, the father could just be trying to expose his son to a different kind of music culture that is presumably uncommon amongst his peers.

Alternatively, the father’s conduct in this regard could be based on the fact that he does not have custody over his son. In this respect, the father is not forced by any circumstances to discipline the son in any way. These conditions could also influence him to give his son the freedom by having fun with him. At this point, he could be assuming that the son does not have similar privileges when with his mother. Alternatively, he would be doing this out of the realization that he would not be affected in any way with the implications of his activities. In this consideration therefore, it can be argued that the author wishes to show that a typical male figure represented by the father needs to be responsible by being caring and mindful of the son’s wellbeing.

At the beginning of the story, the father makes a promise that he would bring the son home before Christmas dinner; “he promised, hand on heart, to take good care of me and have me home for dinner on Christmas Eve” (Wolff 20). However, the promised seemed impossible to keep because of the unexpected storm. At this point, the father shows a very important quality of a male that he lacked initially; responsibility. This is apparent in his argument with the trooper and the illegal removal of the barrier. This is an exemplification of courage and responsibility with respect to getting the son home as promised. Besides warning his son not to try the action in future, he tries hard to keep his word. The father told his son, “Don’t ever try this your self” (Wolff 21). This bears beneficial results as the relationship between him and the son improves (Wolff 21). In particular, the son begins to enjoy his company and considers him to be responsible after all. The son even responds to his joke “funny Doctor” (Wolff 21)

Conclusion

In the story Powder, the author lays particular emphasis on the need for a male figure in the society to exercise responsibility. During the first half of the story, the father is portrayed as being not only irresponsible but also uncaring and selfish. However, this changes during the second half when he exhibits a high degree of responsibility. He takes practical measures to get his son home as promised. From the father’s point of view, his initial exposure of his son to a club atmosphere and jazz music could have been influenced by the need to let him experience a different culture. The numerous ‘last runs’ could have been guided by the need to ‘harden’ his son as expected by societal values. In this consideration therefore, it can be concluded that indeed there are some indispensable rules that qualify the man in the story to be a father.

Works Cited

Wolff, Tobias. The Powder. Ed. Barnet, Sylvan, Burto, William and Cain, E William. A little Literature. Pearson Longman: New York, 2008

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The First Day of Winter by Breece D’J Pancake

Introduction

The short story First Day of Winter is the final selection in stories of Breece Pancake that follows the desperate circumstances under which Hollis, a West Virginia farmer lives. Hollis lives as a bachelor on the family farm and struggles to take care of his parents and at the same time make ends meet. In the story, the main character is stuck in unfulfilled anticipation and is trapped in the hope that change will happen. The story explores the dynamics of cyclicality, stasis, and impermanence. Pancake compares the shift in human relationships and raises questions about how to deal with distance in our lives including distance from people we love and the places we live. The purpose of this essay is to explain why Hollis feels like he is attending his own funeral.

Family Neglect

First Day of Winter represents a meditation on distance and loneliness that exists with the family context. For Hollis, the family farm has become more of a prison. Hollis is the protagonist in this case. He lives with his ailing parents. The author describes Hollis’s father as “blind and coughing” and his mother’s “mind is half gone from the blood too thick in her veins”. Hollis feels feel trapped and is struggling to take care of his parents which begin to slowly weigh down on him. Hollis has a brother called Jake who has a life going on for himself. Jake left the farm, married, fathered two children, and became a preacher. When Hollis asks his brother Jake to take in their parents and live with them with his family, Jake refuses. Hollis comes up with the idea o taking his parents to the state home but Jake refuses to claim that the staff there would starve and mistreat them.

Torment

Another reason why Hollis is feeling like he is attending his funeral is the torment that he goes through in an attempt to find a solution for his problems. He struggles to amen ends meet and at the same time care for his old and ailing parents. He is alone without someone to help him now that his brother Jake has refused to their parents in. When Holli’s father insists that he should go squirrel hunting in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner, Hollis dilemma is evident. In his imagination, Hollis comes up with a way out of the situation although ruthlessly. The author notes ” For a moment, Hollis wondered what it would be like to smother them and in the same moment caught himself laughing; but a darkness has covered him, and he pulled his gloves on to hide the blood on his hands.” When he returns from the hunt, he sees fear and knowledge in his mother’s wide-set eyes. Her mother knew and could see how insanity was driving him to the edge.

The solitude and Economic Distress

Hollis is struggling with his kinship obligations and at the same time, his economic situation makes him further immobile. Hollis is going through a stultifying phase in his life. He does not have the means to resolve the problems at the farm or abandon his parents. Further, his parents see him as a failure and they compare him to his brother Jake who has his life all figured out. Hollis does not have a wife or girlfriend and neither does he have drinking or hunting buddies (Blackburn, 109). He has to confront his trials by himself and in solitude. His incapacity breeds thoughts about killing which for a hunter like himself is a source of power. As the story concludes, it remains unclear what the fate of his parents is.

Conclusion

The First Day of Winter is an account of Hollis trials and tribulations as a bachelor living on a farm in West Virginia. He is faced with the challenge of taking care of the farm and at the same time tending to his old and ailing parents. His only sibling Jake who moved out, married, and has a life going on for himself refuses to help him take care of their parents and is also opposed to the idea of taking them to a state home. The story provides an account of the economic distress, torment, and family neglect that Hollis has to contend with; issues that make him feel like he is attending his own funeral.

Works Cited

Blackburn, Christopher. “The American Pastoral Tradition and The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake.” (2017).

Introduction:

The size of the government to a very large extent depended upon two important macro and micro economic concepts. Large governments should impact the social sectors vey definitely and large governments have an increased role to play by bringing in policies and reforms directly for the people without any intermediaries. The size of the government is also decided upon by the deadweight burden that is caused by private sector funds transfer and the resultant effect of this of increased burdens on tax payers .This seems to be too technical a definition of how large governments should be but the fact remains that if governments have to really play the role of a welfare state and make inclusive reforms for people they have to be large so that every sector of the economy including the very important social sectors can be clearly attended to .

Size of the government:

A large government has with it many advantages and with many issues too. The first and the foremost is should governments be big and if so who will be paying for such big governments. Hence the bigger the government the higher is the taxes that people will have to pay to support government spending. Over the years government threshold spending has been increasing at an alarming rate justifying the fact that government is growing in size, which is evident from the figure below

The articles of confederation assumed that the division of power between the state and the centre was to purport better concepts of the union of states. Though initially the size of the union government or the federal government as it was called was aimed to be small to effectively mediate of state polices, the ineffective functioning of state governments led to the federal government increasing in size and with it the spending of the federal government also increased with more subjects being bought under the federal perspective. The challenges that arose from a massively growing federal government had to be supported by the states and the citizens. It was left to populist votes and the congress to assume proprietary concerns over the size of the government.

The powers that are shared between the state and the centre is also a very decisive factor in judging the size of government. Where the powers are shared equally and many subjects are brought under state purview, the federal government has only few areas of jurisdiction. This will enable the federal government to remain small and work effectively in those areas over which it has its subjective and objective review. But with growing powers being given to the federal government more and more subject shave been taken up by federal government to supervise, oversee and have review. As many departments have to be necessarily stipulated as being subject to federal jurisdiction, the size of the government has to increase. A good check and balance system can work only if there is a government which is big enough to handle the various departments through its tripod machinery. Though the onus of upkeep of the large government ultimately falls on the tax payers and private sector, it cannot be denied that larger the government, greater the beauracracy and higher the standards of performance.

Conclusion:

It is populist opinion that smaller governments can work on shoe string budgets and bring great relief to tax payers but large governments intervene in making the government machinery transparent and policies and reforms towards betterment of society and citizens.

References:

Feldstein, Martin.“Tax Avoidance and the Deadweight Loss of the Income Tax.” NBER Working Paper No. 5055. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1995b

James Robison and Jay Richards, INDIVISIBLE: Restoring Faith, Family and Freedom before It’s Too Late, February 20, 2012

Micheletti, M. (2000), End of Big Government: Is It Happening in the Nordic Countries?. Governance, 13: 265–278. doi: 10.1111/0952-1895.00134

Patrick Garry (June 14, 2011). “The meaning of big government”. Renew America. Retrieved 26 April 2012. Peter Lindhert (2004). “Does Big Government Hurt Economic Growth”. St. Johns University. Retrieved 26 April 2012.http://blogs.hbr.org/fox/2013/01/how-big-should-government-be.htmlhttp://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/Articles

The significance of Abnormal Psychology

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The significance of Abnormal Psychology

Understanding abnormal psychology is among the essential thing in the society today as it relates to humans behaviors, cognitive and biological factors. Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with the study of individuals who are to an extent atypical compared to other people in the society who portray emotion, behavior as well as the thought that are understood to bring on mental disorders. It is not all the instances that these behaviors and feelings may be interpreted as any of them that deviates from the normality can be regarded as abnormal. In understanding abnormality, the critical thing is first getting to know what is normal regarding various principles such as the social norms, statistical infrequency, failure of functioning adequately and the deviation from the ideal health. According to the scientist, it is evident that no person can be a hundred percent normal as people are subjected to depression and other stress factors in their day to day life. In understanding the significance of abnormal psychology, behavioral as well as cognitive preparedness are essential elements that go hand to hand. In this discussion, the importance of abnormal psychology is discussed into an in-depth extent with regards to understanding the core principles as well as the perspective approaches out in consideration during its study.

Abnormality has been significantly the trending disorder in the modern society that tends to increase as time goes due to the prone factors that people are subjected to today. Therefore, its study is inevitable considering the researcher’s information that there is a possibility that in the coming future fifty percent of the health disorders to be treated in the healthcare centers will be related to abnormality (Parritz, 2015). In the United States, about a hundred and fifty people tend to suffer abnormality disorders annually. The case is severe in India where a high percentage of around twenty-seven percent suffer these abnormality diseases per year. However, only, about four to five percent of the victims seek medical care as the rest live with them significantly developing to more complicated extents that are hazardous to human health. Ten percent of the world’s population is expected to suffer from mental disorders, and there is significantly high possibility every individual to experience mild depression or psychological complaint in the lifetime.

The simple definition of abnormality is what is contradictory to the normal regardless of the measure. Therefore, the best way of understanding abnormality in the society is through looking at the standard factors such as statistics frequency, social norms, and deviance from the average mental health. To begin with is the statistical infrequency which to a significant extent tend to be ignored in the society. In consideration of people IQ, an average person is supposed to be at the average, and neither too high or too low from the regular line as this signifies abnormality. In the people only consider the part of low IQ level as abnormal while those with the higher level being considered as intelligent and geniuses (Nolen-Hoeksema & Rector 2015). For instance, the excellent performers in learning institutions acknowledge and rewarded while the poor performance is condemned and victimized to work hard to move out of the abnormal bounds. It is essential as it helps to define what is regarded as normal in statistical context and it is significantly important in cutting off points of analysis. However, the mathematical infrequency definition of abnormality has remedies as it fails to recognize the desirability or undesirability of a specific behavior.

The other principle that can be used to understand abnormality is through the degradation of the social customs. In every society, there are various social norms that the residents are supposed to adhere to creating the difference between the moral and immoral behaviors. These differences are taught to every individual starting from the tender age, and they significantly build the cognitive of determining the right and the wrong things. Therefore, those people who at every instance do weird things which are contrary to the norm or too the profound extent seen immoral are regarded as abnormal. The constant breaking of the social customs seems to be unusual, and the community believes that an individual’s behavior is characterized as anomalous if it goes against these set norms. In many instances, they portray humanity, hygiene as well as any other cultural value that is varied in that particular society. The necessity to be considered in this principle include the importance attached to the norm regarding the specific social group, the extent to which the custom is violated and the standing of the rule in the depicted society. This leads to the categorization of the broken norm to as either abnormal, eccentric or rude. There exist some limitations regarding this definition of abnormality as different communities have distinct social patterns and what might be acceptable in one society might be unacceptable in the other. Also, these social customs exist with time frames regarding mo0dernization and advancement of people’s cognitive. For instance, today homosexuality is legal and accepted among the cultural norms while during the 80s the world health organization regarded it as a psychological disorder, and the victims were seen as abnormal (McDougall, 2015).

Furthermore, failure to operating is another way that can be considered in the illustration of abnormality. The incapability of an individual to adhere to the day to day life demands leads to the essence of an anomaly. The typical behavior in everyday living is essential as it depicts the kind of a person one is. For instance, having self-care, meaningfully interacting with others, expression capability and holding a job opportunity among many other factors that determine one’s state of well-being. Things that postulate failure of efficiently functioning include suffering, violation of moral values, loss of control and unpredictability and maladaptive conduct. The limitation of this abnormality defining factor involves the act of an individual taking the unusual manner beneficial and functional. For instance, many people get engaged in maladaptive behaviors and are not considered as unique. For example, a college student tends to skip classes and significantly to attend to their interested duties which are not according to the rules.

The other vital element in defining abnormality involves deviation from the standard mental health. It is the core principle that people tend to consider when it comes to the issues of abnormality in the modern society as it relates to the healthy being. Many recognize abnormality as insanity, but it also involves other aspects such as stress and depression that are determined by mental illness. The criteria used in this definition is considering the standard health matters, and the rest is regarded as abnormal. Among the measures of psychological health include accurate insight of reality, favorable interpretation of the self, positive relationship and acquaintance, the capability of meeting daily fluctuating demands, individuality and self-sufficiency as well as the ability to develop and growing (Butcher, et al. 2017). Therefore, the more satisfied the mention criteria are, the healthier one is and better essence of normality the individual has. However, this kind of measures has a limitation as it is not possible for a person to portray all these typical traits all the moments, thus the criteria becoming hard to indicate the state of mental health. Every day, people face up and downs which significantly varies their reaction to some instances causing stress and others satisfaction.

The psychopathology has been of vital importance to the modern society as people have become part of abnormality thus the need of understanding it well. The impact and insinuations of abnormal psychology depend on the study of the instability and irregular personality. For instance, considering abnormality it is typical for a significant percentage of the older adults to have depression, but the case has significantly become frequent to the young and middle-aged people. Therefore, psychopathology study depicts the importance of understanding what is called abnormal as the society needs to observe these threatening disorder that seems to increase as days goes. With this, the practical measures will be put in places such as counseling and other recommended medication in the society (Brown & Barlow 2016). It will enable people to overcome the health-threatening complications such as depression, strains, stress and competitiveness in the community.

According to the above discussion, abnormal psychology is an essential subject in human life as it helps in understanding abnormality and the causative factors in the society. In the avoidance and overcoming of the typical issues that threaten human being, it is vital for one to study abnormal psychology. Therefore, it is the individual responsibility to ensure that mental illness does not lead to effective abnormality in one’s life. Also, the government has to play the role of empowering abnormal psychology in the society as a measure of curbing mental illness and other abnormalities that are hazardous to public’s health.

References

Brown, T. A., & Barlow, D. H. (2016). Casebook in abnormal psychology. Cengage Learning.

Butcher, J. N., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. M. (2017). Abnormal psychology. Pearson Education India.

McDougall, W. (2015). An outline of abnormal psychology. Routledge.

Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Rector, N. A. (2015). Abnormal psychology. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Parritz, R. (2015). PSY1480-01. Abnormal Psychology. F15. Parritz, Robin.

The Slave Community

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The Slave Community

John W. Blassingame, the author of the book The Slave Community: The Plantation Life in the Antebellum South, tries to put across the point that the Slave Community had attacked the idea of Stanley Elkin. Elkin was of the idea that Southern slavery had gotten so severe to the point of destroying slave culture that existed before. In essence, southern slavery had interfered with slave culture and the only ones that had remained were child-like slaves that doted and depended on their masters a lot. Blassingame’s idea was that the slave community did not agree with Stanley Elkin’s notion of southern slavery.

John W. Blassingame’s book The Slave Community: The Plantation Life in the Antebellum South assesses how black people become enslaved in pre-civil war. Blassingame examines the slave family and the black culture at the time. He delves into courtship practices, sexual attitudes, childbearing, wedding ceremonies, language, family roles, and discipline. The story in the Slave Community is told from the perspective of an enslaved individual.

The book contradicts the interpretations of the historians that suggested that African-American slaves were submissive and docile sambos that liked to benefit from paternalistic relationships they shared with their masters on the southern plantations. Blassingame uses psychology to assess the narrative of the fugitive slaves that had been published in the 19th century. The author comes to the conclusion that an independent culture had developed among the slaves and that the slaves exhibited numerous personality types. Blassingame asserts that through concentrating on enslaver, historians gave a distorted view of plantation life which stripped slaves of distinctive and meaningful culture, religion, or manhood.

The plantation represented a battlefield where slaves came to fight for their psychological and physical survival. Blassingame’s book brings a new perspective to the institution; a perspective of the slaves themselves. Blassingame challenges the timeworn stereotype of the slave being a docile and passive creature that lack purpose, drive, and responsibility. Blassingame traces the emergence of slave personality traits and analyzes resistance patterns in the slave community. Additionally, Blassingame concludes by proving that slaves had a rich family and cultural life, which they deliberately kept hidden from their white masters. Unlike other books that address slavery from the outside, The Slave Community delves into the inside of slave quarters and attempts to capture the religion, music, family life, and folklore of slaves.

Blassingame bases his argument on various sources, including the memoirs of formerly enslaved people that he uses to examine how black people were enslaved, their deep ties with African heritage, and the process of acculturation in the south. Blassingame shows the way slaves controlled some aspects of their life while wearing a mask of submissiveness which was the harsh reality of life in the plantations. Furthermore, Blassingame draws upon sociological and psychological insights to interpret the relationships between masters and slaves. The author incorporates a traveler’s impression and a planter’s viewpoint to bring a dimensional portrait of plantation life, which effectively separates mythology from historical reality.

Without a doubt, John Blassingame, the author of the book titled The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South, is successful in attaining its objective of showcasing the culture of the slaves that were not known to masters. In the book, Blassingame explores a period of twenty years when the population of people in New Orleans more than doubled. Essentially, Blassingame was successful in showing that historians did not fully exploit the experiences of American slaves. Blassingame asserted that historians gave a distorted view of plantation life by concentrating more on the save owner.

A Pragmatic Approach to Conducting a Successful Benchmarking Expedition Case of Dubai Holding Group

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Benchmarking expedition/visit- a continuous, systematic procedure for evaluating products, services, and work procedures of organizations that are recognized as representing best practices for the purpose of organizational enhancement- is a key factor towards improving and production of an organization. However, in spite of its significance to the organizations benchmarking is very costly and can lead to poor results or information if not well planned. In order to achieve accurate results, benchmarking ought to be planned for well before, during and after visiting (Simmy & Zairi, 2008).

According to Simmy & Zairi (2008), early preparation is of great importance when planning for benchmarking visit. This has been of immense significance to organizations in United Arab Emirates, specifically Human Appeal International (HAI).

HAI is a charitable, humanitarian, non-governmental organization that was established in 1984 and works in the field of charity. In order to improve its performance and competitiveness, Human Appeal International (HAI) as been using benchmarking as the main tool to improve its performance. It has been using external resources- which are viewed to be the best option compared to internal resources. HAI has been sending officers to visit different countries and bringing back useful information that have seen it rendering high quality services within short time possible and hence being a highly competitive organization across the world (Violino, 2005).

This article- A Pragmatic Approach to Conducting a Successful Benchmarking Expedition Case of Dubai Holding Group- is of great importance to the organizations in United Arab Emirates. This is due to the fact that it will enable them to plan accurately and spend wisely when arranging for benchmarking expedition. It will provide them with a good opportunity on how to plan and collect information when on a benchmarking visit. It will equip them with adequate tool and models to use before, during and after a benchmarking visit (Violino, 2005).

Zairi (2012) stipulates that this is because quite a number of organizations in United Arab Emirates have been finding it difficult to organize their selves in regard to how they can carryout a benchmarking expedition. Thus, after looking at this article, they will in a proper position to and highly equipped on how to make early preparations and planning. It will help them to cut high costs that they have been spending to this crucial activity and maybe collecting incorrect data and information. This article will place all organizations in United Arab Emirates in a good position to compete globally as they will be having easy access to outside resources necessary for their expansion.

After looking at this article- A Pragmatic Approach to Conducting a Successful Benchmarking Expedition Case of Dubai Holding Group- I have learnt that benchmarking visit is one of the most significant factors that can facilitate growth and performance of an organization. Regardless of how easy it may sound or appear; benchmarking visit is a crucial and complicated mission that needs sober and sound mind in order to be successful. It needs proper planning and the use of appropriate models that are well applicable right before, during, and after a benchmarking visit. I have also learned that if not well planned, benchmarking expedition can lead immense losses hence an organization ought to be very careful when planning for it (Zairi, 2012).

In summery, A Pragmatic Approach to Conducting a Successful Benchmarking Expedition Case of Dubai Holding Group is a good article aimed at improving growth and functioning of organizations not only in United Arab Emirates, but also across the world. After looking at it keenly, it is apparent that benchmarking visits are of immense significance if planned or it can lead to enormous losses if not planned for properly. Hence, organizations ought to be keen using benchmarking visits as the means of improving their services. For those looking for new ideas and skills from within and abroad, they should adopt the use of benchmarking visits as it’s a key factor towards success of all kinds in an organization.

References

Simmy, M. and Zairi, M. (2008). A pragmatic approach to conducting a successful benchmarking expedition: case of Dubai holding group. Retrieved on May, 17th, 2012 from http://eprints.port.ac.uk/2070/

Violino, B. (2005). Benchmarking Takes Root: Before and after you sign on the dotted line, run the benchmarks for your business processes. Retrieved on May, 17th, 2012 from http://www.informationweek.com/news/171202185

Zairi, M. (2012). Effective Management of Benchmarking Projects. Retrieved on May, 17th, 2012 from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=XYMSUvHlFCUC&pg=PT62&lpg=PT62&dq=Benchmarking+Expedition&source=bl&ots=PEAH-QebV2&sig=wlbNX2Bxz8yXRxnQ76ACRwg3rwA&hl=sw&sa=X&ei=GAIFUPuHC9DBswbbnJnkBg&ved=0CGcQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Benchmarking%20Expedition&f=false