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Motorola Mission

Motorola mission is to provide integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions to the customer. This includes two-way radio, messaging, satellite products systems, networking and Internet-access products, semiconductor applications, and cellular communication products and systems. Motorola also manufactures and sells automotive and industrial electronics, printed circuit boards, energy storage systems, and ceramic/quartz electronic components (Multex.com, 2000, p. 1). Motorola strives to be the global leader in all aspects of telecommunication applications.

Maintaining the lead in the telecommunications industry requires innovation, motivation, and discipline to stay focused on the mission. Accomplishing the mission is extremely important to Motorola and its shareholders. Motorola has set four main objectives to keep the company focused as the industry leader in the new millennium.

The first objective is global leadership in core businesses. Motorola shifted from “product to market organizations” to putting the customers first. In addition, Motorola employed external leadership talent to key positions, and reassigned thousands of engineers to higher-growth businesses. The realignment of personnel increased the digital wireless telephone unit sales by 85 percent (Motorola, 2000, p. 16).

The second objective is total solutions through alliances. Many of these key business alliances are enabling Motorola to bring the Internet to the wireless arena. Motorola led the development of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), which standardized the way wireless telephones access and displays Internet content. WAP is supported by more than 175 of the world’s leading telecommunications and software companies.

Motorola has merged with General Instrument Corporation, which integrates broadband technologies to deliver the vast potential of video, voice and data networking to the home. The merger was valued at $17 billion dollars, and was completed on January 5, 2000. The merger also acquired the majority ownership of Next Level Communications, which provides digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. With the formation of SpectraPoint Wireless, Motorola and Cisco Systems has entered the market for broadband access through Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), which uses point-to-point microwave systems (Motorola, 2000, p. 17).

The third objective is platforms for future growth. This means building expandable telecommunications architectures upon which other companies can build and add value. This feature is extremely vital due to the fast pace of technological innovations. Some of these platforms include Aspiraä that deals with third-generation wireless systems to DigitalDNAä platforms designed to make Motorola a leader in the embedded electronics market place. Motorola has also teamed up with Lucent Technologies with the platform application of StarCore ä concerning digital signal processing (Motorola, 2000, p. 17-18).

The fourth objective is performance excellence. This is measured by providing first class service to customers and financial results. Customer complaints have decreased by 22 percent by implementing a customer-care training program to the sales staff. Financial results for 1999 are also in positive territory. Sales in 1999 rose five percent to $30.9 billon and net earnings were 817 million dollars compared to a one billion dollar loss in 1998. Motorola’s debt-to-equity ratio is improved to 10.1% in 1999 from 26.8% in 1998 (Motorola, 2000, p. 18-19). Performance excellence balances Motorola’s financial results with measures of customer and employee satisfaction, and market share.

Motorola has many strengths, the first and foremost is brand recognition. The name Motorola is known worldwide for quality products. Another strength is the P/E ratio, which is calculated by taking the price per share and dividing it by the earnings per share. The ratio for Motorola is at 68 times, compared to Motorola’s peer group at 62 times (Multex.com, 2000, p. 3). The higher the number shows the confidence shareholders have in the company.

Logistics is another asset that Motorola has in its favor. Motorola owns 126 facilities (manufacturing, sales, service and office), 65 of which are located in the United States, and 61 located in other countries. Motorola also leases 756 such facilities, 385 are located in the United States, and 371 in other countries. In Scotland, Motorola has three manufacturing plants, which employee over 6500 workers, and an additional 3500 workers employed elsewhere in the United Kingdom (Meares, 2000). Motorola has a strong foothold in the United States and overseas to produce and distribute products quickly and efficiently. .

Motorola has been on top of the telecommunications industry for many years. Being on top for a long time can lead to complacency. New innovations and equipment designs by other competitors have reduced Motorola’s market share. For Motorola to stay competitive they must employ the best personnel available and empower them to innovate and create new products and systems.

Another weakness is investing in questionable ventures. This happened to Motorola on the Iridium project. Iridium is company that provided satellite phone service for customers covering the entire globe. The Iridium system consisted of 66 satellites in orbit providing phone coverage no matter where a customer was located. This service is very appealing, but the down side to having this service was the price of the phone, which ranged from three to ten thousand dollars and the usage fee per minute was a little over ten dollars. For some customers this was the perfect service, but Iridium could not generate enough customers to stay solvent. The explosion of the wireless industry and low cellular coverage rates was the downfall of Iridium. Motorola had an 18 percent stake in Iridium and lost over two billion dollars. The Iridium satellite service was turned-off in April of 2000 and Motorola will gradually let the 66 satellites burn up in the earth’s atmosphere. Neither iridium nor Motorola could find a buyer for the Iridium system (Kaiser, 2000).

The state of the economy is in great shape and the technology industry is growing at a rapid pace. Motorola’s stock price has surged over a 150 dollars a share this year and is one of the most actively stocks traded on the NASDAQ (Multex.com, 2000). This insurgence of funds through the sale of stock is an excellent opportunity for Motorola to invest heavily in research and development and buyout smaller competitors. Motorola needs to show extreme caution when investing in research or buying out a competitor since they incurred a tremendous lost with Iridium.

Another opportunity Motorola can expand on is sales overseas. The European market makes up twenty-one percent of sales and Asia-Pacific region only makes up ten percent of Motorola’s sales (Motorola, 2000). These two regions are prime areas to increase market share, the technology boom in these areas are expanding rapidly just like the United States.

The booming economy has been favorable to Motorola, but many of Motorola’s competitors have also reaped the same rewards. Motorola’s four main competitors are Ericsson, Qualcomm, Nokia, and Advanced Micro Devices. Advanced Micro Devices primarily is a manufacturer of semiconductors. Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Nokia primarily deal with cellular phones and systems (Multex.com, p. 2). In fact, Nokia cell phones are taking the market share aware from Motorola due to the new modern designs and features. Qualcomm has developed and patented Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology, which is what current cell phones use. Qualcomm receives royalties off this technology for every cell phone sold.

The government is also a threat to Motorola. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulates and allocates bandwidth. Motorola and other firms must get permission to use certain frequencies. In other countries, the rules and regulations are more lax or they do not have any at all. That is why companies to include Motorola have many manufacturing plants overseas, so they do not have to deal with the stringent rules in the United States.

There are many strategies Motorola can implement to be more successful. Horizontal Integration is one strategy. Horizontal Integration seeks ownership or control over competitors. As stated earlier, Motorola has done this with the acquisition of General Instrument Corporation. This strategy can also backfire, as did the venture with Iridium. Extensive research must be done when a company is looking to expand.

Another strategy that can be implemented is the Join Venture strategy. This strategy involves two or more firms forming a separate organization. Motorola and Cisco Systems accomplished this by forming SpectraPoint Wireless. This strategy is good when risk is involved, losses or profits will be split between the two companies. However, if each firm can provide a unique service or product the other does not have, this alliance can be very powerful.

The Product Development strategy is another alternative Motorola can use to be successful. This strategy increases sales by improving or modifying existing products or services. Motorola has shown improvement with its customer service department and digital cell phone division, but Nokia and Qualcomm are gaining ground with their new products and ideas. Advances in technology happen everyday, if this strategy is not addressed, Motorola will be a follower instead of a leader.

For Motorola to maintain their position as a global leader in the telecommunications industry, the Product Development strategy needs to be implemented. Motorola’s main competitors are developing new products and systems, which are outperforming and selling Motorola products and systems. Money has to be allocated for research and development of new and existing products and systems. Once the quality and performance of the products and systems are improved, sales will increase and consumer and shareholder confidence will rise. This confidence will enable Motorola to focus on overseas sales, especially Europe and the Asia-Pacific region where sales figures are low. The Y2K bug has come and gone, Motorola needs to step up to the forefront of technology and not be the stereotypical brick and mortar company that got passed by in the new millennium.

Bibliography:

References

Kaiser K. (2000). Motorola still hopes to find a buyer for Iridium.

[On-line]. Available: http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000501/ik.html

Meares R. (2000). Update2-Motorola spends $2 billion on Scottish chips.

[On-line]. Available: http://www.ameritrade.com/cgi-bin/login.cgi

Motorola. (2000). 1999 Summary Annual Report.

[On-line]. Available: http://www.mot.com/General/Finacial/Annual_Report/1999/99annual

.pdf

Multex.com. (2000). Motorola, Inc. Stock Snapshot.

[On-line]. Available: http://www.multexinvestor.com/download.asp?docid=1346436&ticker

=mot

Quicken. (2000). Motorola Inc. Company Profile.

[On-line]. Available: http//quicken.elogic.com/sec_key.asp?ticker=MOT

Advanced Physical Assessment D.W.2

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation

Introduction

Complications of ear pain present in adults and children. The differential diagnoses in such cases areotitis media and otitis externa including other complications. This paper provides an overview of the two conditions and the factors to consider for differential diagnosis.

Otitis Media (OM)

Otitis media is the inflammation/infection of the middle ear. It starts with an infection making it a middle ear infection occurring when fluid blocks the Eustachian tubes. The symptoms include fever, pain, and impaired hearing and in children troubled sleep, irritability, constant crying, and ear pulling (Acton, 2012). The causes are respiratory infection, allergies, exposure to cigarette smoke, tonsillitis, and for infants feeding while lying down.

Otitis Externa (OE)

Otitis externa is inflammation/infection of the external auditory canal or the ear auricle and times both the external auditory canal and the auricle. It is due to a bacterial infection, irritation, fungal infections, or allergic reactions (Osguthorpe& Nielsen, 2011). The signs and symptoms are hearing loss, tinnitus, occasional fever, erythema, itching, severe deep pain, discharge from the ears, cellulitis, ear pressure, edema, and other bilateral symptoms.

Physical Exam Findings

Physical examination of OM involves the middle ear’sotoscopy. Thefindings are the presence of erythema, bulging, cloud-like appearance, immobility of the tympanic, and presence of an effusion with an inflamed ear canal (Acton, 2012). For OE, physical examination is through the palpitation of the tragus. The external ear canal has edema, narrowing of the canal, erythema, and a cloudy and inflamed tympanic membrane.

Difference in Child and Adult Assessment

During assessment the difference is in the position of conducting the assessment. Childrenlie down with their head turned on one side(Acton, 2012). For adults, they are required to sit with the head tilted on the opposite shoulder. Moreover, pulling of pinna is effective in assessment for children.

Essential Health History Questions

The primary questions to be asked to determine the type, cause and extent of the disease including how the infection began and the duration of the infection. In addition, the current prognosis, onset, and past and family history should be sought. These should be impartial and objective to provide a clear hereditary and medical history.

Conclusion

Ear pain is often a diagnostic problem especially examination exhibits no pathophysiology. The pain can be due to inflammation/infection making it vital to conduct a critical assessment while observing the areas discussed above to eliminate any confusion and ensure the provision of the appropriate treatment.

Reference

Acton, Q. A. (2012). Otitis Media: New Insights for the healthcare professional: 2011 Edition: Scholarly Paper. Atlanta, GA: Scholarly Editions.

Osguthorpe, J. & Nielsen, D. (2011). Otitis Externa: Review and clinical update. South African Family Practice, 53(3), 223-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20786204.2011.10874089

Challenges Faced by Transgender Young Adults – Ethan Smith Letter to the Girl I Used to Be

Student’s Name

Institution of Affiliation

Date

Identity crisis is a common problem among young adults, especially transgender people who experience changes later in their lives. Gender dysphoria is phycological distress that results from an incongruence between an individual’s sex that is assigned at birth and one’s gender identity which they developed later in life. Young adults are at a stage in life that poses a major psychological problem in which a person fails to relate to either socially acceptable gender – male and female. While a person may be born female, and transform later in life to be a male, they may undergo psychological and hormonal changes that they previously not experienced. As a result, most transgender people are vulnerable to symptoms of depression and anxiety as they are not sure whether they will be fully adopted by society for what they have chosen to be and what they were previously. For this assignment, I will analyze the poem, “A letter to the girl I used to be” by Ethan Smith to help understand the challenges that young adults pass through especially those experiencing gender changes.

The text, “A letter to the girl I used to be,” highlights the story of a young man in his early 20’s narrating the changes and challenges that he faced when transforming from a female to a male. According to the poem, Ethan describes how it feels to be trapped inside the wrong body. He writes to a young girl, a female version of his younger self named Emily. Previously, he was a girl, but presently, he is a male. In the poem, Ethan goes back to the days when he was Emily, and here he experiences numerous challenges. For example, he states that every time she goes to watch baseball, a voice he no longer recognizes whispers “Ethan, do you remember? When you were gonna be the first girl in the major leagues-Seattle Mariners. Rally Cap.” By this, Ethan is referring to him as a young girl who reminds him of the time, he was young and wanted to be the first girl baseball league player. When Ethan was Emily, he wanted to be a baseball player, but maybe his ambitions have changed since transforming from a female to a male, and this is why he is conflicted about his past and present interests.

Identity crisis is a common problem among young adults, especially transgender people who experience changes later in their lives. Gender dysphoria is phycological distress that results from an incongruence between an individual’s sex that is assigned at birth and one’s gender identity which they developed later in life (Zucker, 2017). Young adults are at a stage in life that poses a major psychological problem in which a person fails to relate to either socially acceptable gender – male or female. While a person may be born female, and transform later in life to be a male, they may undergo psychological and hormonal changes that they previously not experienced. As a result, most transgender people are vulnerable to symptoms of depression and anxiety as they are not sure whether they will be fully adopted by society for what they have chosen to be and what they were previously. For this assignment, I will analyze the poem, “A letter to the girl I used to be” by Ethan Smith to help understand the challenges that young adults pass through especially those experiencing gender changes.

A common problem faced by the transgender population is social stigma (Verbeek et al., 2020), and this is a problem that has been highlighted in Ethan’s poem. According to the poem, before Emily converted to Ethan, she pretended not to care about what people said to her, “Didn’t let anyone tell you to wear shorts above your knees| Didn’t care if boys thought your hair fell on your shoulders just right.” Based on this, we learn that there is a certain manner in which boys and girls are expected to adhere to the norms in society, including having girls wear shorts above their knees to slightly reveal their thighs and have long hair that falls between their shoulders. While girls are expected to adhere to these values and norms, Emily was different, she could wear long shorts that covered her knees and just like a boy she had short hair that didn’t fall between her shoulders. It is because of this that she felt completely out of place and uncomfortable whenever she was close to her peers.

While being uncomfortable might not be a big issue, it is the beginning of the development of stigma, where everyone else doesn’t want to be associated with the transgender population. According to Ethan, stigma occurred whenever she was out with other girls. In the poem, he states that “But with girls, sleepovers meant the space between your should and hers| Was a 6-inch fatal territory.” Looking at the choice of words from the quote indicates how Emily was lonely from the stigma she experiences from hanging out with her friends. As a transgender, it is difficult to hang out with females as they might perceive transgenders to be dangerous. To females, transgenders are more masculine and are not supposed to invade their private space. According to Ethan, every time Emily went out for sleepovers, she had to keep it to herself, and could not get close to other girls during bedtime; the only space allowed to her was the space between her shoulders and other girls, meaning that she could not even get hug other girls goodbye without them perceiving a suggestive motive from her. While it might not what she wants, she can’t prevent them from perceiving her that way, and therefore, she had to observe a 6-inch distance not to distract the girls. To Emily, she was just there physically, but not because she felt entitled to hanging out and going for sleepovers as it made her feel out of place.

Due to increased identity conflict coupled with stigmatization, many of the transgender including adolescents find it difficult to live, and as a result, contemplate suicide (Kuper, Adams & Mustanski, 2018). Discrimination is one of the major issues that have led the transgender population to develop low self-esteem and confidence. Transgenders are a special group in that they are vulnerable to discrimination by the community, peers in school as well as in access to health services. As a result, these people feel that they don’t belong to society and they can only do so by conforming to the societal ascribed sex of either male or female. With everyone being on their neck all the time, transgenders may feel isolated from the normal population. For example, in schools or other public institutions, there are no specialized facilities meant to be solely utilized by the transgender population. Such facilities include restrooms that place the transgender people in a dilemma, not knowing which to use; if they use the male restrooms, they might not feel comfortable, and the same if they happen to use the female restrooms. As a result, these people, especially adolescents who at their age suffer an identity crisis, and such seemingly rejections may result in these individuals contemplating suicide.

According to Ethan in his poem, “A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be,” there are indications that she might have faced discrimination and stigmatization, and these could be the precursors for contemplating suicide. Based on the quote, “The year you turned eleven| Was the first time you said out loud that you didn’t want to live anymore,” is indicative that she wanted to commit suicide, kill herself for the tribulations she faced as a girl. Most girls start menstruation at the age of around 12 years but might get it at any time between ages 10- and 15-years (Sawyer et al., 2018). Emily was eleven years, implying that she was in the bracket age of menstruation. Being a transgender, it might have been difficult to deal with her new situation, and this inflicted her with psychological problems that led her to consider getting Emily out of the picture. It wasn’t easy for her to make such a decision as it took almost another eleven years to get Emily out. According to the poem, after having several sessions in therapy, Emily saw it impossible to make it to 21. His decision indicates how conflicted she was and she wanted to put her suffering to an end. According to Ethan, “In therapy you said you wouldn’t make it to 21| On my 21st birthday I thought about you| You were right.” According to the quote, Ethan remembers back during Emily’s therapy sessions how she said she wouldn’t make it to 21, an implication that Emily needed to be killed for another person to survive.

Another major challenge that is faced by the transgender population is the mixed salutation in professional references including in academics (Vincent, 2018). When transgender people need to be saluted, they might feel embarrassed being referred to by the gender with which they don’t like to be associated with, and as a result of this, it keeps many people from making salutations. While saluting a person Mrs., Mr. or Miss can be a gesture of respect, it can be at times an embarrassment. For example, a transgender woman who wants to be associated with the male sex may be offended to be referred to as a Miss or Mrs. Similarly in college, it would be a dilemma to provide a salutation to a transgender person without hurting them.

This issue has been highlighted in the poem, “Letter to the Girl I Used to Be,” in that it highlights what Ethan could have expected, and this is why he decided to perform the procedure to remove the female elements from his body, thus enabling him to stand upright. Through this, Ethan could fully be described and saluted as a Mr. in his future endeavors and this including in his upcoming college graduation. In the poem, Ethan states that “But now you will never hear “Emily Smith” announced at a college graduation,” and this tells it all that he feared what might have transpired if Emily was still inside him. It can also be the same issue that had forced Emily to contemplate suicide, to kill herself as she felt not to be part of Ethan’s life. She had no hope of making it to 21 when Ethan’s male features would have completely erased her, but some elements of her such as the breasts could still be seen.

Another major challenge faced by the transgender population includes hormonal imbalance, which manifests feminine or masculine characteristics in an individual (Agana et al., 2019). A transgender woman may have higher levels of estrogen, but at the same time, these levels may be lower or in level with a normal woman’s estrogen levels. However, in order to support masculine characteristics during puberty, some transgender women may experience high levels of testosterone, and this can encourage the build-up of masculine characteristics including the breaking of voice, broadening of the chest as well as the growth of facial hair. While some of these traits may manifest in low quantities, they might not be desirable for a woman to have, and therefore, it can be a precursor to self-isolation and depression to many transgender populations, and this also happens to men as well.

The hormonal problem has also been highlighted in the poem, “A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be,” where Ethan describes the physical changes that took place in order to eliminate Emily out of the equation. For example, Ethan states that “When the prescribed testosterone started taking effect,” to imply that he was put under a hormonal program to help boost his testosterone levels, making him more of a male than a female. Exogenous testosterone is a hormone used in transgender men to induce virilization and suppress feminizing characteristics (Shergill et al., 2019), and this might have been used to bring out more of Ethan and suppress Emily.

It is the dream of every woman to get married, get pregnant and bring up her family with love and affection. Transgender men and transmasculine people have the ability to get pregnant; these people get pregnant at rates similar to people who identify as women and have more planned pregnancies than cis women (Brandt et al., 2019). While it is easy to get pregnant, giving birth can be a problem, and even taking care of the children can even be more difficult since it will be difficult for the children to identify with. It is because of this reason, that many of the transgender declines getting pregnant and instead seek to transform into men. This concept of parenting and getting pregnancy challenges have been highlighted in the poem, “A Letter to a Girl I Used to Be,” in which Ethan highlights the potential problems he could have encountered if he wanted to have children. Ethan remembers how Emily loved to have children, but after transforming to Ethan, these dreams were foregone.

Ethan states that “I thought about your children, how I wanted them too,” indicating that both in the form of Emily and Ethan, wanted to have children. However, transforming into Ethan complicated issues made it worse in that a man could not get pregnant. Despite the fact that transgender men can get pregnant, getting to take care of the child might be another challenge. It is impossible to get the affection of a child if they dint breastfeed, and this is a common problem. According to the poem, Ethan states that “I let a doctor remove your breasts so I could stand up straighter,” indicating that Emily was no longer there to have her breasts. Instead, Ethan had to remove the breasts so that he could stand upright like a man. With the surgery, it would have been difficult to feed a baby. Ethan states that Now even if I somehow had those children, I wouldn’t be able to nourish them,” which means that he cannot nourish children as he is now a man.

Another major challenge faced by transgender is depression and anxiety which occurs when they are transforming from male to female or female to male (Chodzen et al., 2019). While these individuals might have suffered identity conflict for long, at times they might have given up and sunk into depression which is a common defense mechanism. However, when an opportunity arises to choose the right identity, they might get excited, but this is just the beginning of a long night scare. While the transformation might be successful, it leaves a scar that is not easy to hide and thus not easy to forget. For example, Ethan states that “A 19 you started to fade| I tried to cross you out like a line in my memoir,” indicating that Ethan was ready to take over from Emily. However, he wanted to erase Emily completely, crossing her out like a memoir, but this didn’t happen. Ethan states that “I wished I could erase completely,” not because he didn’t like her, but he no longer wanted to be associated with her feminine characteristics which made him feel uncomfortable. The phrase, “I wished” means that he could not do as he intended, and thus, parts or scars that belonged to Emily remained to be a reminder of her existence. According to Ethan, “And maybe I’m misunderstanding the definition of death| But even though parts of you still exist| you are not here,” a summation of the scars left, the suffering that Ethan still goes through in his daily living.

In conclusion, being transgender can be a big challenge especially if society does not appreciate people as they are regardless of their age, race or gender. Based on the poem, “A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be,” by Ethan Smith, there are various challenges faced by the transgender population, both at a personal and societal level. Some of the major challenges include discrimination from peers and other members of society which makes the transgender population develop stress leading to depression. Also, at personal levels, the transgender population may suffer an identity crisis, which results from the conflict about who they are, a girl or a boy. Furthermore, the goals in life differ by gender, and this continues to be a nightmare for transgenders.

References

Agana, M. G., Greydanus, D. E., Indyk, J. A., Calles Jr, J. L., Kushner, J., Leibowitz, S., … & Cabral, M. D. (2019). Caring for the transgender adolescent and young adult: Current concepts of an evolving process in the 21st century. Disease-a-Month, 65(9), 303-356.

Brandt, J. S., Patel, A. J., Marshall, I., & Bachmann, G. A. (2019). Transgender men, pregnancy, and the “new” advanced paternal age: A review of the literature. Maturitas, 128, 17-21.

Chodzen, G., Hidalgo, M. A., Chen, D., & Garofalo, R. (2019). Minority stress factors associated with depression and anxiety among transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64(4), 467-471.

Ethan Smith. “A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be.” Retrieved from: https://youtube.be/Lkn06Y8prDUKuper, L. E., Adams, N., & Mustanski, B. S. (2018). Exploring cross-sectional predictors of suicide ideation, attempt, and risk in a large online sample of transgender and gender nonconforming youth and young adults. LGBT health, 5(7), 391-400.

Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(3), 223-228.

Shergill, A. K., Camacho, A., Horowitz, J. M., Jha, P., Ascher, S., Berchmans, E., … & Brook, O. R. (2019). Imaging of transgender patients: expected findings and complications of gender reassignment therapy. Abdominal Radiology, 44(8), 2886-2898.

Verbeek, M. J., Hommes, M. A., Stutterheim, S. E., van Lankveld, J. J., & Bos, A. E. (2020). Experiences with stigmatization among transgender individuals after transition: A qualitative study in the Netherlands. International journal of transgender health, 21(2), 220-233.

Vincent, B. W. (2018). Studying trans: recommendations for ethical recruitment and collaboration with transgender participants in academic research. Psychology & Sexuality, 9(2), 102-116.

Zucker, K. J. (2017). Epidemiology of gender dysphoria and transgender identity. Sexual health, 14(5), 404-411.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Professor’s Name

Date

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Introduction

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are registered nurses who have completed the necessary training in both clinical practice and advanced education and often offer medical services in community-based organizations. Adding to the prerequisite nursing teaching and certification necessary for all Registered Nurses, APRNs should hold at least a Master’s degree. APRNs are composed of clinical nurse experts, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists, and they all play a crucial role in future health care development (American Nurses Association, n.d). This paper discusses the favorable effects that APRNs care coordination may have on patient care in different clinical settings. Specifically, the describes the different ways in which APRNs may implement care management and care coordination in a specific health setting, ways in which EHR and information technology affect patient care, challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of coordination practices in clinical settings, and how APRN advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels affect legislative practices.

How an APRN Can Implement Care Coordination and Care Management Activities in an Healthcare Setting

The employment of APRNs to offer patient care in a wide range of clinical settings can positively impact the quality of patient services offered in the health setting by making sure that clients receive the services and treatments they need, monitoring patients for severe reactions to treatment or medications, and offering other essential patient support services. Additionally, advanced practice registered nurses can work together with other associates of the care team to establish a patient-centered treatment plan adapted to meet the patient’s specific needs.

According to Donelan et al. (2019), advanced practice registered nurses have been instrumental in developing and leading care management and care coordination programs in acute care hospitals. These programs are consistent with the ultimate goal of fulfilling the health care needs of those patients who suffer from complex chronic illnesses. In acute care hospitals, APRNs work with physicians to develop patient treatment plans and keep records of patients’ severe reactions to specific treatments.

How Information Technology and Electronic Health Records Influence Patient Care and Coordination

Electronic health records and information technology are vital in improving patient care and coordination since they help doctors and nurses efficiently and quickly access patient information. Therefore, implementing information systems is crucial in every health care setting as it provides improved access to evidence, thus; improving evidence-based nursing and patient care quality. Information technology offers many opportunities for developing and transforming patient care and coordination which include; dropping the rate of human mistakes, simplifying the burden of care coordination, improving the quality of clinical results, observing data over time, and making practices more efficient. In addition, using health information technology in health care facilities could improve patient safety by decreasing the occurrence of medication errors, the possibility of adverse drug reactions, and the proportion of non-compliance with best practices (Alotaibi, 2017).

Additionally, electronic health records promote patient care and coordination by enabling doctors taking of patients in various health care settings to share and continually update clients’ clinical data and then display the patient’s data in logical clinical groupings that can be readily accessed by other doctors in the health care setting. Also, practitioners can monitor their patients’ development over time and identify potential issues or problem areas with a higher degree of precision due to electronic health records.

Facilitating Factors, Barriers, and Challenges Related to Adopting Care Coordination Practices in Healthcare Settings

In healthcare settings, there are several factors that, when combined, stimulate the implementation of care coordination approaches. On the other hand, a number of challenges and issues also need to be resolved. Both facilitating factors and barriers to implementing care coordination can be identified at the organizational, individual, and interpersonal levels. Facilitating factors related to the implementation of care coordination in healthcare settings include; the availability of community resources that support care coordination, improved functionality of the clinical information technology, a growing trend in the healthcare sector toward assessing and rewarding excellence, and the increased petition for coordinated health care by the patients, payers, and other stakeholders (Lin et al.,2018). Other facilitating factors are the improved interactions between the patients and clinicians.

Some of the challenges and barriers to the implementation of care coordination in healthcare facilities include; the absence of financial incentives designed to encourage participation in care coordination on the part of healthcare providers and the overall lack of understanding and awareness of care coordination among healthcare practitioners, patients, and other people. Another barrier is the patient population which influences how care coordination practices are used (Lin etal., 2018).

How APRN Advocacy at the Local, State and Federal Levels Influences Legislative Practices and Effect this have on the Future of Advanced Nursing Practice in my Home State

At the local level, APRNs can recommend the city councils and all other local legislative authorities about the need to increase responsibilities and power for APRNs, which will assist them in obtaining support from the general public. This may help guarantee that the needs of the people who are supposed to be governed by the laws and regulations are met, both now and in the future. Besides, APRNs educate local policymakers on the benefits of their vast training and experience in order to enhance healthcare delivery and access for all.

At the state level, advanced practice registered nurses can work with regulatory agencies and state legislators to alter the laws and regulations that govern their professional practice. This may help ensure that patients receive the highest possible health care quality available. According to Brom et al. (2018), at the state level, the Full practice authority ensures that APRNs work within the scope of their training and allows the patients to find a qualified doctor independently. Lastly, at the federal state, APRNs and members of congress may work together to modernize the rules and regulations that govern the advanced nursing practice. This allows nurses to continue providing innovative patient care while maintaining the highest standards.

Conclusion

All health care facilities need to employ APRNs as they are responsible for the treatment and diagnosis of illnesses, as well as providing advice to the general public on matters about health, managing chronic diseases, and participating in ongoing education to stay abreast of any methodological, technological, or other improvements in the field.

References

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) | American Nurses Association. ANA. Retrieved 15 September 2022, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/aprn/.

Alotaibi, Y. K., & Federico, F. (2017). The impact of health information technology on patient safety. Saudi medical journal, 38(12), 1173. DOI: 10.15537/smj.2017.12.20631Brom, H. M., Salsberry, P. J., & Graham, M. C. (2018). Leveraging health care reform to accelerate nurse practitioner full practice authority. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 30(3), 120. DOI: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000023Donelan, K., Chang, Y., Berrett-Abebe, J., Spetz, J., Auerbach, D. I., Norman, L., & Buerhaus, P. I. (2019). Care management for older adults: The roles of nurses, social workers, and physicians. Health Affairs, 38(6), 941-949. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00030Lin, C. C. C., Dievler, A., Robbins, C., Sripipatana, A., Quinn, M., & Nair, S. (2018). Telehealth in health centers: key adoption factors, barriers, and opportunities. Health Affairs, 37(12), 1967-1974.

Motorola Solution Inc

Motorola Solution Inc.

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Table of Contents

Item Page

Problems…………………………………….………………….……3

Solutions……………………………………….……………….…….5

Diversification of Operations..………………………………………5

Technological Advancements……………………………………….7

Cooperation………….…………………………….…………………8

Decision Matrix………………………………………………………9

Outcome Measures and Expectations……………….………………10

Most Appropriate Solutions…………………………………………10

References………………………………………………………..…12

Motorola Solutions Inc.

This paper gives a critical situational analysis of Motorola Solutions Incorporation (MSI). It does this by focusing on its internal and external environments, challenges, and their recommended remedial measures. To begin with, MMSI is a telecommunications company founded on 04/01/2011. The Schaumburg-based company is traded at the New York Stock Exchange. Its current Chief Executive Officer, who also serves as the chair of the Board of Directors, Greg Brown, has steered the company. By 2011, it had a total of 23,000 workers with a total asset of $13.92 billion, and a net income of US$ 1.15 billion (Gart, 2006). MSI is guided by a moral principle, which strives to create indispensable indestructible tools to help to improve the lives of people from all corners of the world. It serves the government, health, public safety, and other private entrepreneurs.

Problems

Today, the carrying out of business in the world is becoming increasingly challenging. Many entrepreneurs have faced a lot of obstacles, which have really thrarted the rate of their growth. This is not unique to this company because it has had to confront the following:

First, there has been a lot of problems facing the company’s products due to obsolescence. The world has become so dynamic to the extent that it only needs highly creative manufactures to come up with the novel products. Meaning, most of the commodities, which were manufactured by this company including two way radios and business radios, are no longer in fashion as a result of the emrgence of micro kioskks, mobile computers, and wireless broadband networks (Wheen, 2011). This situation results from the ever changing needs of the consumers, who often want to experience the use of the new commodities, which are designed in better ways to suit them. The trend is rapidly changing towards the use of more portable products, which can be used to perform multiple tasks.

Despite being one of the leading suppliers of telecommunications equipments, MSI has been facing a very stiff competition from other companies. These include the Huawei International Private Limited, Phillips Electronics North America Corp., Nokia Siemens Networks OyNovAtel Carcom Inc., and Philips Electronics North America Corp. These are some of the reputable companies, which offer complementary services to this company. Hence, it has become extremely difficult to compete with them, since they have a wider coverage. Most of them, like Nokia, are multinationals with branches in nearly all the continents. Ever since the communication sector became lucrative, many entrepreneurs have invested their money here. Hence, there is a very stiff war, which only needs well-prepared companies to be engaged into; thus, necessitating the survival for the fittest. All the less competitive producers can be easily eliminated from the market.

The competition faced from them has led to a lot of legal tussles revolving around copyright and patent issues. Besides, it has led to the price wars, where rival manufacturers deliberately charge lower prices in order to appeal most to the potential customers. This has necessitated the diversification of products and improved quality of services. Hence, MSI has taken the initiative to improve the quality of its products. As a result, it has become possible for it to enjoy competative advantage over others, to increase the volume of its sales, and to increase its revenue in the past fiscal years (Silver, Joann, 2008). This explains why it is rapidly expanding its operations to many places today. Meaning, the management has taken advantage of this competition to improve the company’s services, so as to be the best telecommunications provider in the market.

Lastly, there is a problem of overdependence on a section of the market. Given that MSI produces government and enterprise services, a lot of focus is put on the former meaning, most of the revenues are derived from the sales of products made to the government and its agencies (Dee, 2005). According to the company’s financial report, in the 2010/11 fiscal year, a total of 65% of its revenue was derived from the government. At the same time, there was a regional imbalance in the distribution of this income. While the USA accounted for 53.6%, UK, China, Israel and Japan followed with 8.2%, 3.9%, 2.1% and 12% respectively.

Solutions

Facing challenges does not mean a collapse of an enterprise. A good manager takes advantage of challenges by viewing them as opportunities for further development. Based on the above problems, the paper would like to recommend the following remedial measures:

Diversification of Operations

Concentration on one customer and specific region is a dangerous affair. It may affect the company in many ways. First, it can be detrimental during crisis. When the very client has economic problems, it can become so difficult for it to purchase the same commodity they way it used to do before. In this case, it becomes challenging for the supplier as well, since it will have to experience the same difficulty (Dan, 2010).

Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the paper recommends that the company should embrace the spirit of diversity. Meaning, it should ensure that it establishes a very large pool of clients to supply with its products. If this happens, it will be in a position of encountering such disasters. It will help it in the diversification of risks, because it will have alternative customers to serve should one fail. If MSI can consolidate its market amongst the private entrepreneurs, it will increase the chances of increasing the rate of its stock turnover. Overreliance on the government, as the main client, may be so disappointing, especially if the tender is not awarded (Dan, 2010).

All the entrepreneurs understand the bureaucratic procedures involved into the government deals. Before awarding any tender, adverts are made in the print, broadcast, and online media. At times, even international bidders are involved. In this situation, it becomes too competitive to win the tender. Moreover, it may be challenging if one of the rival companies unites with the concerned authority top in order to win the tender. If this happens, the company will automatically lose its main market. Meaning, it will store dead stock or be compelled to look for the new market. All this risk can be avoided by diversifying the market.

Concentration of market on one line must be avoided at all costs. A team of dedicated sales and marketing professionals should be deployed in the potential areas to promote the company’s products. They should begin their work with placing informative adverts in all the available media sources. However, this should be done after carrying out a market research aimed at understanding the actual context of the market. If the market is expanded, the company will be safe, because it will easily spread risks and survive, even if a section of its market faces economic crises (Gart, 2006).

The management of this company must appreciate the fact that their products are used without any boundaries. People in the contemporary society are very much happy with the various brands of telecommunication products, because they have made life better for them. Therefore, it is not a wise decision to concentrate the market in only one region. Even if the USA may be the area with the highest number of clients, deliberate efforts must be made to ensure that a larger market base is established in all other continents. It is only a matter of decision and investment. Any kind of a customer only needs to be informed about the new commodity, so as to make a decision on whether to purchase it or not. This implies the application of all the deliberate efforts to coax them to embrace the new products from this company.

Technological Advancements

There should be a diversification of services in this company. Meaning, different kinds of products should be manufactured, so as to address the demands of various clients in this highly dynamic society. Instead of concentrating on the production of a few commodities, the management should come up with strategies to increase the number of their products (Steinbock, 2007).

The manufacturing of such products will only result from the adoption of high technological skills. Hence, there will be a variety of products, which can substitute one another, in line with the tastes and preferences of different clients. Before coming up with such an idea, it is paramount to conduct a market research in order to understand the demands of customers. Probably, this is why MSI has now come up with a variety of products including OEM Scan Engines, tablets, two way radios, SCADA Systems, enterprise voice, Iden Networks, WLAN Accessories, RFID Accessories, support and help desk applications, and network design software.

In order to do this in an effective manner, it will be essential for the company to employ the highly qualified personnel, who have a deeper understanding of the customer needs. They should be knowledgeable about the target customers, so as to design the most appropriate commodities, which will address their constantly changing demands (Gart, 2006). At the same time, they must be knowledgeable regarding the modern technological advancements, which many of the clients aspire to conform to. If a variety of products is manufactured to appeal to the clients, they will do all that they can in order to acquire them because it will become popular.

Since the world has become so advanced, it is advisable for the management of this company to respond with immediate effect. Apart from hiring a highly qualified team of personnel to spearhead the smooth running of the company, a lot of funds should be allocated for carrying out various researches. It is only through this that the company will be able get all the relevant information, which it needs in order to produce commodities, which are good enough to satisfy the diverse needs of its clients. This should be done as a response to the external environment, which may be too competitive. It is only better initiatives, which can save the company from succumbing to this competition however stiff it may be. If this is properly done, the company will come up with the most appropriate commodities tailored to the satisfaction of the current modern market. At the same time, they should be given a number of alternative commodities to choose from in line with their preference and tastes.

Cooperation

In order to encounter the intensifying problem of competition, it is advisable for the company to form mergers with its leading rivals. This will mean pooling together resources and having an assured control of the market. As already explained, operating as individual entities may be so challenging given the high level of competition in this sector (Blumberg, 2000). Therefore, in order to avoid the cases of price wars among other forms of unhealthy competition, it is better to come up with the ideas of uniting these firms, so as to form one major one, which can be easier to manage (Armstrong, Kesten, 2007).

The paper recommends that MSI should form mergers with Huawei International Private Limited, Phillips Electronics North America Corp., Nokia Siemens Networks Oy NovAtel Carcom Inc., and Philips Electronics North America Corp. Through this initiative it will be easier for it to have a large portion of the market by ensuring that its services are spread to all corners of the world, where they may be needed. As a result, it will enjoy a competitive advantage over other smaller industries, which may end end up collapsing in the long run (Armstrong, Kesten, 2007). This can also be achieved through franchizing existing companies.

Generally, unhealthy competition may be so destructive for any business. Therefore, if different firms deal in a similar line of commodities, it is not wrong if they pool their resources together in order to establish one stronger company. Doing this can enable them to increase their chances of controling the market. It may either result into a monoploy or oligopoly. In such a situation, it becomes easier for those firms to expand their market base and access other areas they could not reach before coming together. As a result, there will be an increased rate of stock turnover, a development which will obviously lead to the growth of each of them.

Decision Matrix

Alternative Cost (%) Effficiency (%) Relevance (%) Total Score(Ranking: 1-3)

Diversification of Operations

90 95 93 1

Technological Advancements

70 68 93 2

Cooperation 67 54 76 3

Outcomes, Measures and Expectations

MSI is making a very good progress. Having a net income of US$1.15 billion is not a mean achievement. However, it still has to come up with viable strategies to improve its technology, diversify its operations, and form amalgamations. The company should formulate policies aimed at making feasible decisions, which can help it to accomplish both its short and long term goals (Wheen, 2011). This is the only way, through which it can accomplish its long term goals of being the telecommunication company of choice.

Most Appropriate Solution

According to the above explanation, the paper recommends that diversification is the best alternative to salvage this company. This is because it will ensure a radical shift from the current trend, which is characterized by discriminative distribution. It is natural that manufactures always become biased towards some clients depending on their buying trends. However, the paper strongly suggests that customers can always be manipulated. According to industrial psychology, the perception of buyers towards a particular commodity can be directly controlled by the producer of the same commodity. As already illustrated, it is a very dangerous affair to concentrate market on one particular client and region. Life is changing and people are subject to such changes. Anything can happen, which may seriously affect the buyer. In this case, even the supplier will have to endure difficulties, because it will be the time it will be trying to launch the new markets (Richard, Muller, 2004).

The only way, which such foreseen certainties can be escaped through, is the widening of the market. All the efforts must be made to ensure that the company’s products are sold to different people from all the corners of the world. As already highlighted, the management must realize the important role of media in promoting the company. Advertisements should make in all the available media resources, especially in the internet. Here the target clients will get an opportunity to get information about the company, its products, and the ways they can suit them irrespective of their geographical, economic, and social background. At the same time, it will create room for the company to correct any misconception, which might have been created about it by its rivals.

References

Armstrong, J. S., Kesten, C. G. (2007). Competitor-Oriented Objectives: The Myth of Market Share. International Journal of Business 12 (1): 116–134.

Blumberg, P. I. (2000). The Multinational Challenge to Corporation Law: The Search for a New

Corporate Personality. New York: Mackmillan Publishers.

Dan, S. (2010) Winning Across Global Markets: How Nokia Creates Strategic Advantage in a

Fast-Changing World. New Jersy: Jossey-Bass/Wiley.

Dee, H. (2005). One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization. Berrett-Koehler

Publishers.

Gary, A. D. (2007). Network Warrior. O’Reilly.

Gart, J. H. (2006). Electronics and Aerospace Industry in Cold War Arizona, 1945–1968 –

Motorola, Hughes Aircraft, Goodyear Aircraft. Arizona: Arizona State University.

Richard, B., Muller, R. E. (2004). Global Reach: The Power of the Multinational Corporation. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Steinbock, D. (2007). The Nokia Revolution: The Story of an Extraordinary Company That

Transformed an Industry. AMACOM Books.

Silver, S., Joann, L. S. (2008). Motorola Lures Jha to Head Cellphone Unit. The Wall Street Journal: p. B1.

Wheen, A. (2011) DOT-DASH TO DOT.COM: How Modern Telecommunications Evolved from

the Telegraph to the Internet. Springer Publishers.

Advanced Composition 213

Ahmya Ash

Advanced Composition 213

Professor Ruby LewisOctober 29, 2020

“Everyday Use”

In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use,” Dee (Wangero) Johnson neglects her real heritage and adapts a new one, while belittling her family who lack education. Dee remains unevolved throughout time no matter her changes in beliefs. Although Dee achieves her goals by overcoming her circumstances such as poverty and racial discrimination, she is not admirable for her achievements or courage. She is selfish and self-centered, and remains unchanged from her childhood to now after several years. When she was younger her family’s house burnt to ashes scarring her sister and leaving her family to start over again. Her mother “Mama” believes Dee watched the house burn in awe and that she should have done a dance around the ashes. Dee’s disregards empathy for her sister’s tragic experience, and lack of gratitude for the money raised for her education, gives insight to how self- centered she is (Alice, 451). Additionally, Dee continuously gravitating towards nicer more luxury items. Her desire for quilts indicates her static behavior. Dee usually parades around with flashy attire, making her a target to envy by her friends and family.

Dee’s relationship with her family first became estranged after she left for school in Augusta. Dee is the only one in her family that has the privilege of higher education. Mama and her sister “Maggie” did all that they could to raise money at the church to send her to college. Doing so, Mama noticed the first time Dee showed any sort of affection towards Maggie, which gives you context into Dee’s selfishness. Maggie, who is very timid, often gets anxious and nervous around her sister. Dee is exceptionally beautiful compared to Maggie, which does not aid in closing the animosity between sisters. While at school Dee was exposed to a life outside of rural and farm like living. She surrounds herself with individuals who are “woke” or actively seeking knowledge about their ancestry (Alice, 453). Indulging herself in the Black Consciousness Movement, she adopts a new-found persona or “heritage.” She does not have the best understanding of African culture. While on this journey she simultaneously neglects her own roots. More concerning, Dee’s attempts to try and “wake up” the community is more counterproductive than productive. She ultimately demeans and degrades her family and friends instead of inspiring their development.

During the Black Consciousness Movement, Dee acquired a new Afrocentric identity. Dee’s persona becomes loud, garish, and judgmental. She operates under the guise of “Black Pride” and a “pre-slavery identity” which is popular amongst many black college students of the 1960’s. Dee’s colorful attire and preference to be called “Wangero” seems forced and without nuance. Her appreciation of “everyday” objects, like the butter churn and quilts lies not in their practical usage, -but in the history of the objects. She seeks to reclaim these artifacts rather than use them in everyday life, which does not sit well with Mama. Dee challenges people including activists, separatists, or anyone else who disregards or rejects her version of Black legacy. The individuals who indulge themselves in the Black Consciousness Movement have a romanticized view of Africa. They do not embrace the cruel reality of what it is to be Black in America. Much less embrace the strength it takes African Americans to persevere in such circumstances. Dee has a theoretical domain of a belief system. This system stands out completely from the natural, and physical, work concentrated way of life Mama and Maggie are used to.

Dee’s distorted perception of her heritage stems from her not wanting to be connected to slavery. It is evident that Dee is more into displaying her new-found beliefs as a way to make herself feel more empowered in her life. Rather than embracing her history in a way that represents and expresses her ancestor’s trials and tribulations. Dee chooses to showcase parts of her life that look good. She picks and chooses that parts of her heritage that she wants to acknowledge and disregards the ones that don’t serve her image. She skips over the pain of the past and only shows a highlighted reel. Quite the opposite, Mama and Maggie have embraced all parts of the life they have built. Dee is fascinated by their rural authenticity, snapping photos while she visits them like they are on display at a museum. In doing so, Dee viably disrespects and cuts herself off from her family. Rather than respecting and grasping her authentic roots, Dee looks down on her family’s poverty. She believes herself to be above them.

Dee (Wangero) lives in her own world as she tries to find her new identity within African cultures. She has rejected her real and known heritage in favor of a constructed one. Dee does not think her sister and mother understand the value in their family’s artifacts. She has the vein idea that her ancestors’ belongings should be preserved. Being detached from the objects themselves she believes they should be preserved and admired later. Mama and Maggie have a personal bond to their family’s belongings. They have cherished the relationships with those who had them before. For Mama and Maggie using the possessions like the hand-stitched quilts, it is a way to keep the memory alive of those who made them. Due to Dee’s superficial nature she rather possesses items of her grandmother to show off to her peers. Which is ironic because at the same time she denounces her name which was also her grandmothers’. Dee is so determined to detach herself from her actual heritage; she ultimately loses herself in a fictional identity.

Works Cited

Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.” Reading Literature and Writing Argument. 3rd ed. Eds. Missy James and Alan P. Merickel. Pearson, 2007 449–455

Radhi, Shaimaa Hadi. “Aesthetic Image of the Animal Epithet in Alice Walker’s Short Story” Everyday Use” Advances in Language and Literary Studies 8.5 (2017): 120-127.

Bell, Judith. “Like Mother, Like Daughter: Parental Expectations in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”.” 4 Kevin Ung, Director of McNair Scholar’s Program Introduction 5 Sara Baker, TRIO Logistics Manager & Coach Note from the Editor: 6.

Challenges Faced by Transgender Young Adults

Student’s Name

Institution of Affiliation

Date

References

Ethan Smith. “A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be.” Retrieved from: https://youtube.be/Lkn06Y8prDU

Challenges and Solutions to Evidence-Based Practice

Name:

Institution:

Date:

Research and Policy Differences

Evidence-based practice refers to the application of evidence to inform social work practice. Social workers rely on empirical and other types of evidence in making professional decisions in various scenarios during the course of their work. One of the advantages of evidence-based practice is that social workers rely on tested and proven methods which lead to the best outcomes. Despite the benefits of evidence-based practice, there are several challenges that social workers encounter. One of these is the disconnect between research and policy. Much research goes into finding the best evidence-based practices, but it takes time for these practices to be translated into policy. By the time social work policies are updated to reflect available research, there will be newer practices still, meaning social workers are unable to work with the latest evidence in the course of their practice (Grady et al., 2018). Both the social workers and the people they work with lose out as they may not have access to the most recent findings that may work best for them.

The solution to this disconnect between research and policy is to work towards an integrated system where policymakers work with researchers. The whole point of research is to find new and more effective ways of doing things, and this research should not go to waste due to the red tape and bureaucracy in policymaking. Policies should be frequently updated to reflect current research, encouraging innovation and leading to better outcomes for clients.

Generalization

A second challenge with evidence-based practice is that it is mainly based on aggregate data, which is a generalization that may not apply to individual scenarios. Research generally relies on samples to study trends and the efficacy of different interventions. While samples are usually taken to represent a general population, every individual has a unique situation. The evidence used by the social worker may not apply to certain people in these circumstances. This presents a challenge to social workers who work with people from different backgrounds as they need to come up with different solutions (Scurlock-Evans & Upton, 2015). There may not be adequate evidence to guide the social worker on what they should do in some cases. Samples give a general idea of what to expect, but this comes at the price of specificity. The worker has to adjust their knowledge to the specific situation based on factors such as age, gender, cultural background, race, and severity of the problem.

The best way to deal with this challenge is to encourage social workers to tailor available evidence to individual situations. Cultural competence training is essential towards this end. This involves training workers to be aware of the cultural backgrounds of their clients, which affects the way they accept and respond to treatment. There is no one size fits all solution in social work, meaning that social workers should be competent enough to recognize which solutions work best in specific situations. Tailoring evidence to specific situations based on the circumstances will ensure the best outcomes for both the social worker and their clients. Social workers must have a high level of awareness to make the best judgment in different situations.

In summary, evidence-based practice is an essential tool for social workers. It guides them on which solutions work best based on collected evidence. The workers have a good idea of what solutions they should apply and what results to expect. Despite challenges such as the disconnect between research and policy and generalization, evidence-based practice is still a critical tool in social work. It equips social workers with relevant information and evidence that guides their practice, allowing them to make the best decisions for their clients.

References

Grady, M. D., Wike, T., Putzu, C., Field, S., Hill, J., Bledsoe, S. E., & Massey, M. (2018). Recent social work practitioners’ understanding and use of evidence-based practice and empirically supported treatments. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 163-179.

Scurlock-Evans, L., & Upton, D. (2015). The role and nature of evidence: A systematic review of social workers’ evidence-based practice orientation, attitudes, and implementation. Journal of evidence-informed social work, 12(4), 369-399.

Motors And Generators

Electric Motors and Generators, group of devices used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, or electrical energy into mechanical energy, by electromagnetic means. A machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is called a generator, alternator, or dynamo, and a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy is called a motor.

Two related physical principles underlie the operation of generators and motors. The first is the principle of electromagnetic induction discovered in 1831 by the British scientist and inventor Michael Faraday. If a conductor is moved through a magnetic field, or if the strength of a magnetic field passing through a stationary conducting loop is made to vary, a current is set up or “induced” in the conductor. The converse of this principle is that of electromagnetic reaction, first observed by the French physicist André Marie Ampère in 1820. If a current is passed through a conductor located in a magnetic field, the field exerts a mechanical force on it.

The simplest of all dynamoelectric machines is the disc dynamo developed by Faraday. It consists of a copper disc that is mounted so that part of the disc, from the centre to the edge, is between the poles of a horseshoe magnet. When the disc is rotated a current is induced between the centre of the disc and its edge by the action of the field of the magnet. The disc can be made to operate as a motor by applying a voltage between the edge of the disc and its centre, causing the disc to rotate because of the force produced by magnetic reaction.

Generally, in larger machines, electromagnets are employed. Both motors and generators consist of two basic units: the field, which is the electromagnet with its coils; and the armature, which is the structure supporting the conductors that cut the magnetic field and carry the induced current in a generator, or the exciting current in a motor. The armature is usually a laminated soft-iron core around which conducting wires are wound in coils.

If an armature revolves between two stationary field poles, the current in the armature moves in one direction during half of each revolution and in the other direction during the other half. To produce a steady flow of unidirectional, or direct, current from such a device, it is necessary to provide a means of reversing the current flow outside the generator once during each revolution. In older machines this reversal is accomplished by means of a commutator-a split metal ring mounted on the shaft of the armature. The two halves of the ring are insulated from each other and serve as the terminals of the armature coil. Fixed brushes of metal or carbon are held against the commutator as it revolves, connecting the coil electrically to external wires. As the armature turns, each brush is in contact alternately with the halves of the commutator, changing position at the moment when the current in the armature coil reverses its direction. Thus there is a flow of unidirectional cur!

rent in the outside circuit to which the generator is connected. DC generators are usually operated at fairly low voltages to avoid the sparking between brushes and commutator that occurs at high voltage. The highest potential commonly developed by such generators is 1,500 V. In some newer machines this reversal is accomplished using power electronic devices, for example, diode rectifiers.

Modern DC generators use drum armatures that usually consist of a large number of windings set in longitudinal slits in the armature core and connected to appropriate segments of a multiple commutator. In an armature having only one loop of wire, the current produced will rise and fall depending on the part of the magnetic field through which the loop is moving. A commutator of many segments used with a drum armature always connects the external circuit to one loop of wire moving through the high-intensity area of the field, and as a result the current delivered by the armature windings is virtually constant. Fields of modern generators are usually equipped with four or more electromagnetic poles to increase the size and strength of the magnetic field. Sometimes smaller interpoles are added to compensate for distortions in the magnetic flux of the field caused by the magnetic effect of the armature.

DC generators are commonly classified according to the method used to provide field current for energizing the field magnets. A series-wound generator has its field in series with the armature, and a shunt-wound generator has the field connected in parallel with the armature. Compound-wound generators have part of their fields in series and part in parallel. Both shunt-wound and compound-wound generators have the advantage of delivering comparatively constant voltage under varying electrical loads. A magneto is a small DC generator with a permanent-magnet field.

In general, DC motors are similar to DC generators in construction. When current is passed through the armature of a DC motor, a torque is generated by magnetic reaction, and the armature revolves. The action of the commutator and the connections of the field coils of motors are precisely the same as those used for generators. The revolution of the armature induces a voltage in the armature windings. This induced voltage is opposite in direction to the outside voltage applied to the armature, and hence is known as back emf or counter emf (electromotive force). As the motor rotates more rapidly the back emf rises until it is almost equal to the applied voltage. The current is then small and the speed of the motor will remain constant as long as the motor is not under load and performing no mechanical work except that required to turn the armature. Under load the armature turns more slowly, reducing the back emf and permitting a larger current to flow in the armature. The motor !

is thus able to receive more electric power from the source supplying it and to do more mechanical work.

Because the speed of rotation controls the flow of current in the armature, special devices must be used for starting DC motors. When the armature is at rest, it has virtually no resistance, and if the normal working voltage is applied, a large current will flow, which may damage the commutator or the armature windings. The usual means of preventing such damage is the use of a starting resistance in series with the armature to lower the current until the motor begins to develop an adequate back emf. As the motor picks up speed the resistance is gradually reduced, either manually or automatically.

The speed at which a DC motor operates depends on the strength of the magnetic field acting on the armature, as well as on the armature current. The stronger the field, the slower is the rate of rotation needed to generate a back emf large enough to counteract the applied voltage. For this reason the speed of DC motors can be controlled by varying the field current.

Alternating-Current (AC) Generators (Alternators)

As stated above, a simple generator without a commutator will produce an electric current that alternates in direction as the armature revolves. Such alternating current is advantageous for electric power transmission, and hence most large electric generators are of the AC type. In its simplest form, an AC generator differs from a DC generator in only two particulars: the ends of its armature winding are brought out to solid unsegmented slip rings on the generator shaft instead of to commutators, and the field coils are energized by an external DC source rather than by the generator itself. Low-speed AC generators are built with as many as 100 poles, both to improve their efficiency and to attain more easily the frequency desired. Alternators driven by high-speed turbines, however, are often two-pole machines. The frequency of the current delivered by an AC generator is equal to half the product of the number of poles and the number of revolutions per second of the armature.

It is often preferable to generate as high a voltage as possible. Rotating armatures are not practical in such applications because of the possibility of sparking between brushes and slip rings and the danger of mechanical failures that might cause short circuits. Alternators are therefore constructed with a stationary armature within which revolves a rotor composed of a number of field magnets. The principle of operation is exactly the same as that of the AC generator described, except that the magnetic field (rather than the conductors of the armature) is in motion.

The current generated by the alternators described above rises to a peak, sinks to zero, drops to a negative peak, and rises again to zero a number of times each second, depending on the frequency for which the machine is designed. Such current is known as single-phase alternating current. If, however, the armature is composed of two windings, mounted at right angles to each other, and provided with separate external connections, two current waves will be produced, each of which will be at its maximum when the other is at zero. Such current is called two-phase alternating current. If three armature windings are set at 120° to each other, current will be produced in the form of a triple wave, known as three-phase alternating current. A larger number of phases may be obtained by increasing the number of windings in the armature, but in modern electrical-engineering practice three-phase alternating current is most commonly used, with the three-phase alternator the dynamoelectric !

machine typically employed for the generation of electric power. Voltages as high as 23,200 V are common in alternators.

Two basic types of motors are designed to operate on polyphase alternating current: synchronous motors and induction motors. The synchronous motor is analogous to a three-phase alternator. The field magnets are mounted on the rotor and are excited by direct current, and the armature winding is divided into three parts and fed with three-phase alternating current. The variation of the three waves of current in the armature causes a varying magnetic reaction with the poles of the field magnets, and makes the field rotate at a constant speed that is determined by the frequency of the current in the AC power line.

The constant speed of a synchronous motor is advantageous in certain devices. However, in applications where the mechanical load on the motor becomes very great, synchronous motors cannot be used, because if the motor slows down under load it will “fall out of step” with the frequency of the current and come to a stop. Synchronous motors can be made to operate from a single-phase power source by the inclusion of suitable circuit elements that cause a rotating magnetic field.

The simplest of all electric motors is the squirrel-cage type of induction motor used with a three-phase supply. The armature of the squirrel-cage motor consists of three fixed coils similar to the armature of the synchronous motor. The rotating member consists of a core in which are imbedded a series of heavy conductors arranged in a circle around the shaft and parallel to it. With the core removed, the rotor conductors resemble in form the cylindrical cages once used to exercise pet squirrels. The three-phase current flowing in the stationary armature windings generates a rotating magnetic field, and this field induces a current in the conductors of the cage. The magnetic reaction between the rotating field and the current-carrying conductors of the rotor makes the rotor turn. If the rotor is revolving at exactly the same speed as the magnetic field, no currents will be induced in it, and hence the rotor should not turn at a synchronous speed. In operation the speeds of rota!

tion of the rotor and the field differ by about 2 to 5 per cent. This speed difference is known as slip.

Motors with squirrel-cage rotors can be used on single-phase alternating current by means of various arrangements of inductance and capacitance that alter the characteristics of the single-phase voltage and make it resemble a two-phase voltage. Such motors are called split-phase motors or condenser motors (or capacitor motors), depending on the arrangement used. Single-phase squirrel-cage motors do not have a large starting torque, and for applications where such torque is required, repulsion-induction motors are used. A repulsion-induction motor may be of the split-phase or condenser type, but has a manual or automatic switch that allows current to flow between brushes on the commutator when the motor is starting, and short-circuits all commutator segments after the motor reaches a critical speed. Repulsion-induction motors are so named because their starting torque depends on the repulsion between the rotor and the stator, and their torque while running depends on induction.!

Series-wound motors with commutators, which will operate on direct or alternating current, are called universal motors. They are usually made only in small sizes and are commonly used in household appliances.

For special applications several combined types of dynamoelectric machines are employed. It is frequently desirable to change from direct to alternating current or vice versa, or to change the voltage of a DC supply, or the frequency or phase of an AC supply. One means of accomplishing such changes is to use a motor operating from the available type of electric supply to drive a generator delivering the current and voltage wanted. Motor generators, consisting of an appropriate motor mechanically coupled to an appropriate generator, can accomplish most of the indicated conversions. A rotary converter is a machine that can be used to convert current from alternating to direct, using separate windings on a common rotating armature. The AC supply voltage is applied to the armature through slip rings, and the DC voltage is led out of the machine through a separate commutator. A dynamotor, which is usually used to convert low-voltage direct current to high-voltage direct current, is!

a similar machine that has separate armature windings.

Pairs of machines known as synchros, selsyns, or autosyns are used to transmit torque or mechanical movement from one place to another by electrical means. They consist of pairs of motors with stationary fields and armatures wound with three sets of coils similar to those of a three-phase alternator. In use, the armatures of selsyns are connected electrically in parallel to each other but not to any external source. The field coils are connected in parallel to an external AC source. When the armatures of both selsyns are in the same position relative to the magnetic fields of their respective machines, the currents induced in the armature coils will be equal and will cancel each other out. When one of the armatures is moved, however, an imbalance is created that will cause a current to be induced in the other armature. The magnetic reaction to this current will move the second armature until it is in the same relative position as the first. Selsyns are widely used for remote-c!

ontrol and remote-indicating instruments where it is inconvenient or impossible to make a mechanical connection.

DC machines known as amplidynes or rotortrols, which have several field windings, may be used as power amplifiers. A small change in the power supplied to one field winding produces a much larger corresponding change in the power output of the machine. These electrodynamic amplifiers are frequently employed in servomechanism and other control systems.

Torque, a twisting effort applied to an object that tends to make the object turn about its axis of rotation. The magnitude of a torque is equal to the magnitude of the applied force multiplied by the distance between the object’s axis of rotation and the point where the force is applied. In many ways, torque is the rotational analogue to force. Just as a force applied to an object tends to change the linear rate of motion of the object, a torque applied to an object tends to change the object’s rate of rotational motion.

Induction (electricity), in electricity, the creation of an electromotive force (voltage) in a conductor moving across a magnetic field (hence the full name, electromagnetic induction). The effect was discovered by the British physicist Michael Faraday and led directly to the development of the rotary electric generator, which converts mechanical motion into electric energy.

When a conductor, such as a wire, moves through the gap between the poles of a magnet, the negatively charged electrons in the wire will experience a force along the length of the wire and will accumulate at one end of it, leaving positively charged atomic nuclei, partially stripped of electrons, at the other end. This creates a potential difference, or voltage, between the ends of the wire. If the ends of the wire are connected by a conductor, a current will flow around the circuit. This is the principle behind the rotary electric power generator, in which a loop of wire is spun through a magnetic field to produce a voltage and generate a current in a closed circuit (see Electric Motors and Generators).

Induction occurs only if the wire moves at right angles to the direction of the magnetic field. This motion is necessary for induction to occur, but it is a relative motion between the wire and the magnetic field. Thus, an expanding or collapsing magnetic field can induce a current in a stationary wire. Such a moving magnetic field can be created by a surge of current through a wire or electromagnet. As the current in the electromagnet rises and falls, its magnetic field grows and collapses (the lines of force move outward, then inward). The moving field can induce a current in a nearby stationary wire. Such induction without mechanical motion is the basis of the electric transformer.

A transformer usually consists of two adjacent coils of wire wound around a single core of magnetic material. It is used to couple two or more AC circuits by employing the induction between the coils.

When the current in a conductor varies, the resulting changing magnetic field cuts across the conductor itself and induces a voltage in it. This self-induced voltage is opposite to the applied voltage and tends to limit or reverse the original current. Electric self-induction is thus analogous to mechanical inertia. An inductance coil, or choke, tends to smooth out a varying current, as a flywheel smooths out the rotation of an engine. The amount of self-induction of a coil, its inductance, is measured by the electrical unit called the henry, named after the American physicist Joseph Henry, who discovered the effect. The inductance is independent of current or voltage; it is determined only by the geometry of the coil and the magnetic properties of its core.

Transformer, electrical device consisting of one coil of wire placed in close proximity to one or more other coils, used to couple two or more alternating-current (AC) circuits together by employing the induction between the coils (see Electricity). The coil connected to the power source is called the primary coil, and the other coils are known as secondaries. A transformer in which the secondary voltage is higher than the primary is called a step-up transformer; if the secondary voltage is less than the primary, the device is known as a step-down transformer. The product of current times voltage is constant in each set of coils, so that in a step-up transformer, the voltage increase in the secondary is accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the current.

Large devices are used in electricity supply, and small units in electronic devices (see Electronics). Industrial and residential power tranformers that operate at the line frequency (50 Hz in the United Kingdom), may be single phase or three-phase, and are designed to handle high voltages and currents. Efficient power transmission requires a step-up transformer at the power-generating station to raise voltages, with a corresponding decrease in current. Line power losses are proportional to the square of the current times the resistance of the power line, so that very high voltages and low currents are used on long-distance transmission lines to reduce losses. At the receiving end, step-down transformers reduce the voltage, and increase the current, to the residential or industrial voltage levels, usually around 240 volts.

Power transformers must be efficient and should dissipate as little power as possible in the form of heat during the transformation process. Efficiencies are normally above 99 per cent and are obtained by using special steel alloys to couple the induced magnetic fields between the primary and secondary windings. The dissipation of even 0.5 per cent of the power transmitted in a large transformer generates large amounts of heat, which requires special cooling provisions. Typical power transformers are installed in sealed containers that have oil or another substance circulating through the coils to transfer the heat to external radiator surfaces, where it can be discharged to the surrounding atmosphere.

In electronic equipment, transformers with capacities in the order of one kilowatt are largely used ahead of a rectifier, which in turn supplies direct current (DC) to the equipment (see Rectification). Such electronic power transformers are usually made of stacks of steel alloy sheets, called laminations, on which copper wire coils are wound. Transformers in the 1 to 100 watt power level are principally used as step-down transformers to couple electronic circuits to loudspeakers in radios, television sets, and high-fidelity equipment (see Sound Recording and Reproduction). Known as audio transformers, these devices use only a small fraction of their power rating to deliver signals in the audible ranges, with minimum distortion. The transformers are judged on their ability to reproduce sound-wave frequencies (from 20 Hz to 25 kHz) with minimal distortion over the full sound power level (see Frequency; Sound).

At power levels of one milliwatt or less, transformers are primarily used to couple ultra-high-frequency (UHF), very-high frequency (VHF), radio-frequency (RF), and intermediate-frequency (IF) signals, and to increase their voltage. These high-frequency transformers usually operate in a tuned or resonant circuit (see Resonance), in which tuning is used to remove unwanted electrical noise at frequencies outside the desired transmission range.

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Advanced Democracies

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Advanced Democracies

Under the British system, the first-past-the-post method of voting uses the plurality voting system which is also referred to as simple plurality or ‘winner-takes-all’ applies. Under first-past-the-post system, voting procedures can be applied for elections of single and multiple members. In election for a single member, the candidate who garners highest number of votes is elected and not necessarily the one with majority votes. The second election produces the second candidate in similar manner and the two go for runoff voting system. In a first-past-the-post ballot for a multiple member, first lot of candidates on the ranking of the number of votes obtained fills the available positions. This is the kind of system has the advantage that the vacancies are filled by people who have preference from electors.

Representative democracy manifests in France, with public officials being elected either directly or indirectly by the citizens or appointed by officials who are elected. In her national level, France elects the president and a legislature, with the president (head of state) being elected after every five years, directly by the nationalists. The parliament consists two chambers, the National Assembly which consists 577 members who are directly elected by the citizens for a period of 5 years and the Senate which has 348 members, with 328 being elected by the electoral college for six-year period. Other 12 are elected by the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad.

In German, legislation is done by two chambers namely the upper house and the lower house and the President is the head of state, elected for a 5-year term period and must not exceed two terms. Voters who take part in the president elections are collectively called the Federal Convention and comprises of all Bundestag members as well as members nominated by the legislature, altogether totaling to 1244. The government is headed by the Chancellor who is elected after every 4 years by the Bundestag majority of members, upon a presidential proposal. In this nature of voting, there must be achievement of a majority of all Bundestag elected members. Bunsdestag members are elected through a system known as mixed member proportional representation, with half being elected directly by the citizens and the rest through a party list.

In my view, the Germany system of election and legislation seems better. There is high democracy, with a president only winning through coalitions.