The purpose of this policy brief is to recommend to the...

The purpose of this policy brief is to recommend to the State of Florida a policy that will legalize same-sex marriage and acknowledge same-sex marriages recognized by laws in other states. This policy is necessary because current laws in Florida that restrict marriage to different-sex couples violate the US Constitution’s commitment to equal protection under the law and because the Due Process Clause protects individuals freedoms of personal choices, which includes their choice to marry and have a family. The benefits of this proposal far outweigh the disadvantages, and ensure equal rights of all citizens. I propose an amendment to the current Florida statutes and laws regarding the definition of marriage to include same-sex individuals†¦show more content†¦Section 2 of DOMA declares that â€Å"No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.† Section 3 of DOMA prevented the federal government from recognizing any marriages between same-sex couples for federal laws or programs, regardless of being legally married in their own state. However, in 2010, the Supreme Court declared Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional, forcing the federal government to recognize legal marriages of same-sex couples. This enabled committed same-sex couples that are legally married in their own states to receive federal protections. Same-sex couples should have access to the same marriage benefits as heterosexual couples. Prohibiting same-sex marriage is unconstitutional discrimination. Same-sex marriage is protected by the Constitution. 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Essay about State Wrestling Championship - 1627 Words

In the first 20 seconds of the match, I had the first take-down. I was working crossfaces, cheap tilts, and everything else I knew after my takedown. Then, I did what I do best and gave him a swift, hard crossface and cradeled him up. Squeezing with all my strength and might it took about 7 seconds of him being on his back and he was pinned! It took a total of 55 seconds to pin my first opponent at state. After my win, my team was lined up to congratulate me; I was the only member from our team to pin their opponent. The feeling of the referee raising my arm was one of the, if not, the best overwhelming feeling Ive ever felt in my life. Knowing that I won that match on my own gave me great confidence that I was just as good as anyone†¦show more content†¦I thought he was going to rip my whole body apart and slap me around on the mat. I knew that wasnt the right way to think going into a match so I kept telling myself that I would win. Petro-Risner, Mayberry-Hotchkiss, mat 4, said the announcer. With my legs wobbling arms tingling and heart pumping away, I stepped out onto the mat. The referee got ready, and there it was, the whistle. I sat there crouched down, ready to shoot in for the first take down, but for some reason I couldnt. We tied up head to head. I could feel his strength by his tight grip. We separated and I suddenly got a big burst of adrenaline. Boom, I shot in at his legs and two points went to me with the first take down. After that take down, everything I thought before was gone. I wasnt afraid of this kid. I was just letting myself think I was. I knew that I was not going to lose this match. When the clock ran out in the third period, the score was 9-8 in my favor. I did it. I defeated Jeff Petro in a tough 6 minutes of wrestling. It was Probably the toughest match Ive ever had to wrestle. There I was with 2 wins and on my way to the semi-finals. Only 2 of my teammates had made it that far. 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Iso 9000, Service Quality and Ergonomics Stanislav Karapetrovic Free Essays

To cite this document: Stanislav Karapetrovic, (1999),†ISO 9000, service quality and ergonomics†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 9 Iss: 2 pp. 81 – 89 Permanent link to this document: http://dx. We will write a custom essay sample on Iso 9000, Service Quality and Ergonomics Stanislav Karapetrovic or any similar topic only for you Order Now doi. org/10. 1108/09604529910257948 Downloaded on: 17-10-2012 References: This document contains references to 27 other documents Citations: This document has been cited by 3 other documents To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight. com This document has been downloaded 1952 times since 2005. * Users who downloaded this Article also downloaded: * Rujirutana Mandhachitara, Yaowalak Poolthong, (2011),†A model of customer loyalty and corporate social responsibility†, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 25 Iss: 2 pp. 122 – 133 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/08876041111119840 Harold W. Webb, Linda A. Webb, (2004),†SiteQual: an integrated measure of Web site quality†, Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Vol. 17 Iss: 6 pp. 430 – 440 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/17410390410566724 Rabiul Ahasan, Daniel Imbeau, (2003),†Who belongs to ergonomics? An examination of the human factors community†, Work Study, Vol. 52 Iss: 3 pp. 123 – 128 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/00438020310471917 Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF GAZA For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www. emeraldinsight. com/authors for more information. About Emerald www. emeraldinsight. com With over forty years’ experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher of global research with impact in business, society, public policy and education. In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. *Related content and download information correct at time of download. Perspectives ISO 9000, service quality and ergonomics Stanislav Karapetrovic 1. Introduction In the last decade or so, we have witnessed an explosion of quality-related standards and regulations. As a result of the continuous quest for better â€Å"quality† of products and services offered to customers, the International Organization for Standardization introduced the ISO 9000 series of quality management and quality assurance standards in 1987. The series currently includes three models for quality assurance (ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003), guidelines for quality management (ISO 9004), and two supporting documents: ISO 9000 Guidelines for Model’s Selection and Use and ISO 8402 Quality Vocabulary (Figure 1). The ISO 9000 standards have been accepted worldwide, with more than 200,000 organizations already registered. The standards present a sound basis for assuring the customer of quality of products and services, as well as the processes that create them. Several other quality-related standards have since emerged, such as the automotive standards QS 9000, environmental management standards ISO 14000, and emerging health and safety international standards (Figura, 1996). The upcoming revision of ISO 9000 standards in the year 2000 (now in the form of a Technical Committee Draft) is expected to further facilitate the use of quality assurance methods the world over. Another commonly used phrase from the 1980s and 1990s has been total quality management (TQM): an integrated approach to the management of quality with special emphasis on delighting customers and improving the wellbeing of all employees in the organization. A number of articles have been written on the relationship between the ISO 9000 series and TQM (Johnson, 1993; Struebing, 1996; Wilson, 1996; Velury, 1996; Corigan, 1994; Sakofsky, 1994; Emmons, 1994), underlying the opinion of quality management professionals that the two are not quite the same. While ISO 9000 series are technical, presenting speci?cations, requirements and guidelines for quality systems, TQM emphasizes teamwork and customer satisfaction. Put another way, TQM is quality management with â€Å"a human touch†. Does this mean that ergonomic aspects of the workplace and customer satisfaction are not emphasized by ISO 9000? Does quality assurance (ISO 9000) emphasize ergonomics and 81 The author Stanislav Karapetrovic is based at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Keywords Ergonomics, ISO 9000, Quality assurance, Service quality, Workers Abstract This paper addresses some ergonomic issues in the ISO 9000-based quality assurance. Ergonomics – the study of human factors in engineering and design of systems is brie?y touched on. Then, outlines of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 quality system models are provided, and all 20 requirements of the current ISO 9001:9004 standard are presented in an ergonomic light. Subsequently, human factors in the documentation and implementation of a quality system are illustrated. The relevance of ergonomic studies in the development of service systems is addressed. Finally, a blueprint for an ergonomic assurance system, de?ned as a set of interrelated resources and processes that function in order to achieve objectives related to ergonomic design and use of products and processes, is provided. Managing Service Quality Volume 9  · Number 2  · 1999  · pp. 81–89  © MCB University Press  · 0960-4529 Figure 1 Ergonomics – an essential element of the production and/or service system Raw Material RESOURCES Ergonomics PROCESS PRODUCT Output Input Ergonomics COST ERGONOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS occupational health and safety? In the present time of globalization of markets and internationalization of best-practice standards, such questions can and should be posed. This paper addresses some of the ergonomic issues in the ISO 9000-based quality assurance. Ergonomics, that is the study of human factors in engineering and design of systems, is brie?y touched on. Then, outlines of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 quality system models are provided, and all 20 requirements of the current ISO 9001:9004 standard are presented in an ergonomic light. Subsequently, human factors in the documentation and implementation of a quality system are illustrated. The relevance of ergonomic studies in the development of service systems is addressed. Finally, the design of an ergonomic assurance system based on ISO 9000 is discussed. 2. Ergonomics It seems that it takes a disaster, loss of human life, or a health crisis for most of us to realize how important human factors are. Before the Three Mile Island incident, the Chernobil explosion, the Bhopal pesticide leak, plane crashes involving human errors, or ?ndings that millions of people suffer from repetitive stress injuries, it would have been hard to ?nd anyone who knew what ergonomics or human factors engineering are (not including the ergonomists themselves, of course). Today, however, we often hear about â€Å"ergonomicallydesigned computer mouse and keyboard†, 82 â€Å"ergonomic† chairs, pots, pans, door handles, and automatic teller machines (ATM). We now know that ergonomic design of products and processes is bsolutely crucial for effective and ef?cient work. Ergonomics, or human factors engineering, deals with the design for human use, as well as optimizing working and living conditions (Sanders and McCormick, 1993). The ?rst term (ergonomics) is mainly in use in Europe, while the second (human factors engineering) is often heard in North America. The following de?nition, modi?ed from Chapanis (1985), is provided: Ergonomics discovers and applies information about human behavior, limitations, abilities and other human characteristics to the design of systems for ef?cient, safe, comfortable and effective human use. Interested readers are referred to a classic in ergonomics, Sanders’ and McCormick’s â€Å"Human factors in engineering and design† (1993), for more information on the history of the science and a detailed study of many applications of ergonomics. Ergonomics, almost by default, is implied in quality assurance. Quality assurance encompasses techniques used to provide con?dence to customers that their requirements for quality are met. Therefore, by de?nition, human factors are involved. Assurances in the quality of products and services are provided to humans, by humans. In fact, ergonomics and quality assurance are so intertwined that it is impossible to say where one starts and the other ends. Several articles in ergonomics literature have already discussed the use of quality assurance techniques in human factors engineering (for instance, see Helander and Burri, 1995; Bergquist and Abeysekera, 1996). For an early account on human factors in quality assurance, the reader is referred to Harris and Chaney (1969). Hence, in the following sections, interrelationships between ergonomics and quality assurance will be addressed. 3. Quality Assurance (ISO 9001) and Management (ISO 9004) Of the three available models for quality system registration, ISO 9001 is undoubtedly the most comprehensive and most widely used. The current version (ISO 9001: 1994), includes 20 elements (requirements), to which a quality assurance system of an organization is assessed (Table I). ISO 9001 covers design, development, production, installation and servicing activities. It is aimed at providing con?dence to internal and external customers that their requirements for quality are continuously met. An organization’s anagement is the main internal customer, while external customers include consumers of the organization’s products and services, as well as registrars that assess the suitability and effectiveness of the quality system. ISO 9001 is a generic standard, which means that it is universally applicable to both manufacturing and service organizations, i. e. small businesses (Karapetrovic et al. , 1997), health care and education (Willborn and Cheng, 1994). Rather than focusing on speci?c products and services, ISO 9001 addresses quality systems and processes in?uencing the product throughout its lifecycle. A quality system can be de?ned as a set of processes that function harmoniously, using various resources, to achieve quality objectives (Karapetrovic and Willborn, 1998A). It is in the interaction of human, material and information resources, as well as human resources and processes, that the ergonomic aspects of the quality system emerge. Focusing on the underlying concept of a system will help us understand the interrelationships between the quality and ergonomic system, and provide a possibility for integration. Apart from ISO 9001, a set of guidelines numbered ISO 9004 is widely used for developing and implementing quality 83 management. The set currently consists of eight documents, ranging from the guidelines on quality management in service organizations to con?guration and project management. For the purpose of discussing an ergonomic system in services, we turn our attention to the second document in the series, namely the ISO 9004-2 (1994) â€Å"Quality management and quality system elements: Guidelines for services†). In essence very similar in scope and structure to ISO 9001, ISO 9004-2 provides guidelines for establishing quality management throughout the service life cycle, starting from establishing the need for a service, through service design, acquisition of resources, service delivery and status, as well as performance analysis and improvement. Differing from ISO 9001, these guidelines directly address interfaces with customers, including â€Å"creating a perception of the appropriate image based on the reality of actions taken to meet customers needs† (ISO 9004-2: 1994). Effective communication with customers, â€Å"listening to them and keeping them informed†, is particularly emphasized. What is also important from an ergonomic standpoint is that the guidelines provide the basis for adequate training of personnel, including motivation, staff development and communication. Although the training mentioned therein mostly involves â€Å"quality system training†, it could be expanded to environmental, health and safety, and ergonomic system training. For different strategies of using the quality system framework for developing other management systems, including environment and ergonomics, the reader is referred to Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998B and 1998C). In addition to ISO 9004-2, another standard from the ISO 9004 series, namely ISO 9004: Part 1 â€Å"Guidelines for quality management and quality system elements†, addresses some particular ergonomic aspects. This is done in the standard’s 19th element: Product safety. Speci?cally, it is suggested that â€Å"consideration be given to identifying safety aspects of products and processes with the aim of enhancing safety† (ISO 9004-1: 1994). Steps to achieve this can include: †¢ identifying relevant safety standards; †¢ performing design evaluation tests for safety; †¢ analyzing instructions and warnings to the user; Table I Ergonomic issues and implications of ISO 9001 (1994) ISO 9001 element 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 Management responsibility Quality system Contract review Ergonomic issues Organization ensures that the quality policy is understood at all levels Procedures and work instructions are effectively documented/implemented Customer requirements are adequately de?ned and documented Implications Quality system documentation should be designed and implemented using ergonomic (human factors engineering) knowledge Ergonomic characteristics of a product, such as environmental conditions, sensory characteristics proper handling and packaging should be determined (see Bergquist and Abeysekera, 1996; Helander and Burri, 1995; Barsky and Dutta, 1997) Products should be ergonomically designed to ensure healthy and safe functioning Quality system documents should be accessible . 4 4. 5 Design control Document control 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 4. 9 Purchasing Control of customer supplied product Product identi?cation and traceability Process control 4. 10 Inspection and testing 4. 11 Inspection and test equipment 4. 12 Inspection and test status 4. 13 Nonconforming product 4. 14 Corrective and preventive action 4. 15 Handling, storage, †¦, delivery 4. 16 Control of quality records 4. 17 Internal quality audits 4. 18 Training 4. 19 Servicing Crucial characteristics for safe and proper functioning of the product are identi?ed Appropriate documents are readily available at all locations where essential operations are performed Purchasing documents adequately address speci?ed requirements Adequate procedures for storage and maintenance of the product are in place Product is adequately identi?ed and traceable Suitable equipment and working environment are used Criteria for workmanship is stipulated in the clearest practical manner Records clearly illustrate the results of inspection and testing activities Suitable indicators of calibration status are identi?ed Inspection and test status of the product is identi?ed by suitable means Nonconforming products are adequately identi?ed and segregated Appropriate sources of information are used to detect and eliminate potential/ existing causes of defects Adequate handling, storage, packaging, preservation and delivery of the product is identi?ed and maintained Quality records are a dequately identi?ed, indexed, ?led and stored Quality records are easily accessible Quality audits are performed to examine the suitability and effectiveness of the quality system Training needs are identi?ed and adequate training provided Appropriate identi?cation of servicing needs and customer feedback is performed Ergonomic techniques can be used to ensure clear understanding of documents Safe and risk-free storage and maintenance of products is emphasized Identi?cation of products should be performed according to ergonomic guidelines regulations For identi?cation and maintenance of the suitable working environment and hardware, ergonomic analysis and evaluations must be performed Identi?cation of products and equipment should be performed according to ergonomic guidelines and regulations (for example, see Sanders and McCormick, 1993 (part 2), and Harris and Chaney, 1070 (chapters 6-11) Ergonomical analysis of human-information interaction is helpful (for instance, see Sanders and McCormick, 1993 (part 2) Ergonomical design and analysis of handling and packaging of products should be used Ergonomic techniques can be used to ensure clear understanding of documents, and accessibility of records Ergonomic audits/evaluations, identifying areas for possible improvement of human-machineproduct-environment interactions are performed Ergonomic training should be emphasized Ergonomic characteristics of a product, such as environmental conditions, sensory characteristics proper handling and packaging should be determined (see Bergquist and Abeysekera, 1996; Helander and Burri, 1995; Barsky and Dutta, 1997) Statistical tools and techniques are used in ergonomic analysis and evaluations 4. 20 Statistical techniques The need for the application of statistical techniques is identi?ed 84 †¢ developing a means of product traceability to facilitate product recall; †¢ considering development of an emergency plan The following section will address some ergonomic factors in the ISO 9001/9004 quality system structure, as well as suggest implementation of this system with ergonomics in mind. 4. Ergonomic considerations of ISO 9001/9004 Quality systems depicted in ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards apply to all phases in the life cycle of a service, from initial identi?cation to ?nal satisfaction of customer requirements. The concept of all activities in?uencing the quality of a service throughout its life cycle is often referred to as the â€Å"service quality loop† (ISO 9004-2, 1994). Thus, a service quality system involves three main elements: (1) service; (2) processes along the quality loop; and (3) resources. Likewise, ergonomic considerations within a service quality system include: †¢ Ergonomic design and delivery of service (and/or related products). †¢ Ergonomic design and application of processes. †¢ Analysis of the interaction between human and information/material resources Using Figure 1, it is possible to explain how quality and ergonomics interrelate in a quality system. Each product or service made possesses certain characteristics. For example, service quality is a set of characteristics that bear on the service’s ability to satisfy customer requirements. Ergonomic characteristics of products / services provide safe, healthy and ef?cient usage and/or delivery. It is evident that some ergonomic characteristics of a product (or service) are essentially quality characteristics (such as the design of the driver’s seat in a car), and vice-versa. Also, service delivery processes have to satisfy certain requirements that may be ergonomic in nature. For example, the environment in which retail-banking services operate may be altered to provide safety for a bank teller working in it. Finally, ergonomic issues emerge when human, material and informa85 ion resources are combined to create a quality system. The current ISO 9001 quality system has a multitude of elements that are directly applicable to managing ergonomics and health/safety. Table I lists all 20 elements of ISO 9001 in the order in which they appear in the standard, illustrates sections and speci?c requirements which pertain to ergonomics, and provides ergonomic implications of the quality system. The implications range from adequate identi?cation of customer ergonomic requirements, ergonomically suitable design of products, services and processes, to identi?cation and maintenance of appropriate working environment and equipment. Such analysis of the ISO 9001 quality system shows that virtually every element of the system includes at least some ergonomic and/or health and safety aspects. This conclusion, however, is not surprising, since ultimately, quality is created by people, and for people. Not only does the content of ISO 9001 relate to human factors (Hansen, 1996), but also its context. A quality system must be adequately documented and implemented in order to operate effectively and ef?ciently. Quality documentation, as a pillar of the quality system, must be understood and readily available to all persons whose work affects quality, as well as understood by all involved. Ergonomically designed documentation will undoubtedly help people understand their tasks better and improve their performance. New technologies, such as head-up-displays (Geiselman and Osgood, 1995; Karapetrovic, 1995), computer-aided communication (through electronic mail and the Internet) can greatly improve the implementation of a quality system in any organization. Examples include: †¢ Operators using HUDs for display of quality procedures and work instructions. †¢ Paperless ISO 9000 documentation, i. e. documents available on-line using HTML or Java (Clarkin and Dow, 1997). †¢ Wireless electronic mail for reporting and analysis of quality-related problems. The following section addresses the implementation of human factors engineering in services, using ?nancial services as an example, in more detail. 5. Ergonomics and services How do ergonomics relate to service quality systems? To answer that question, we can follow the above-mentioned â€Å"service quality loop† from the inception of the need for service, to the evaluation of whether that need has been satis?ed. In designing a â€Å"quality service†, we must ?rst identify the need for it, as well as ?nd out who would actually need such a service. Put another way, we are de?ning the user and his/her needs. For instance, say we want to open a bank branch in a specific location. Do local bank users really need a branch there? What exactly do they need? Perhaps they need investment services, or easy access to cash, or mortgage consultations. Sanders and McCormick (1993) and Bailey (1982) de?ne the identi?cation of user needs through observation, interviews and questionnaires as ergonomic activities that apply here. Psychology-based tools of ergonomics deal in particular with an effective and ef?cient determination of user needs. The service system is subsequently designed on the basis of identi?ed needs. We have determined that local users require access to money from their accounts as well as the possibility of discussing investments. Now, we need to allocate resources to required banking functions. These resources include people (bank employees), hardware (automatic teller machines (ATM), computers) and software. Which particular functions should we assign to people, and which to machines? For instance, for easy access to cash, we would assume that a 24hour ATM would be appropriate. However, what if most of the bank’s clients are seniors, who are still not accustomed to trusting machines in dealing with deposits or withdrawals, or if the bank is located in a place where people prefer customer service and contact with bank tellers rather than machines? Ergonomic studies help us in determining speci?c capabilities of people, hardware and software, and can provide signi?cant assistance in allocating system functions. Then, we can decide whether to completely automate certain functions, or to assign people to perform them, or use both machines and people. For example, a bank may decide to allow withdrawals of less than $1,000 from an ATM. If a customer wants to withdraw more than that, he/she would have to go to a bank teller. 86 Once we have decided which resources the bank should have (say three ATMs, four tellers and two investment advisors), we need to perform an analysis of the required processes, activities and tasks. Put another way, we are listing the sequence of activities that need to be conducted in order to accomplish a speci?c function. Flowcharts are particularly helpful here. For instance, we can specify a procedure for cash withdrawals from the bank. This, in ergonomics, is called task description and analysis (Sanders and McCormick, 1993). Whenever we have some interaction between people and hardware or software, such as when a teller needs to input withdrawal information into the database, there are ergonomic implications. For example, in the bank where I normally do my ?nancial transactions, computer monitors and keyboards are placed so low in relation to the counter, that the teller needs to bend down every time he/she inputs the information, virtually disappearing behind the counter. Just imagine how many times the teller needs to bend like that every day, every week, every month. Put another way, in designing the work space for employees, e. g. placing customer service counters and computers in determined locations, allocating space for safety deposit boxes, etc. , we inevitably in?uence the comfort, safety and ef?ciency of people working in such spaces. All these are ergonomic considerations that can in?uence the quality of the product or service. The likely reason why tellers in my bank still have to bend down to reach the computer is that it was probably never de?ned as a problem at all. The existence of an ergonomic program within the bank, with planned ergonomic audits and corrective actions, would certainly identify and rectify such a problem. But how can such a program be introduced with minimum cost and maximum bene?ts? Perhaps the solution is in the integration of the existing quality system with an ergonomic program. The integration of quality and environment management systems came naturally, since standards representing best practices were effectively established at the international level (namely ISO 9000 and ISO 14000). This should also be the case with occupational health and safety (OHS), since national and international OHS standards, dubbed ISO 20000 (Figura, 1996) are already emerging. The following section presents an approach to the development of an ergonomic assurance system on the basis of the quality system. 6. Ergonomics assurance system As was mentioned in Section 3 of this paper, the systems concept can greatly assist us in understanding the interrelationships of many production and management processes, among others, quality and ergonomics. For an excellent account of the relationship between ergonomics and the system design, the interested reader can refer to Sanders and McCormick (1993), Chapter 22. While the pplication of the systems concept to service quality is presented elsewhere (Karapetrovic and Willborn, 1998A), it can be used to propose an ergonomic assurance system. We can de?ne ergonomic assurance as â€Å"all those planned and systematic actions aimed at providing con?de nce to customers, management and the general public, that their requirements and needs for ergonomically safe products and processes are met†. An ergonomic assurance system is then a â€Å"set of processes and resources that function harmoniously to achieve objectives related to ergonomic design and implementation of products and processes†. Note: Proposed EAS elements are given in bold letters, while numbers represent sections of the ISO 9004-2 Guidelines 87 Similarly to the ISO 14001:1996 environmental management system, an ergonomic assurance system can include Deming’s plan-dostudy-act (PDSA) continuous improvement circle, with the following elements: †¢ Ergonomic objectives. †¢ Planning and design (ergonomic aspects, targets, determination of system performance speci?cations, ergonomic system design). †¢ Resource acquisition and deployment (allocation of functions to people, hardware and software; task analysis, design of jobs and human-hardware-software interfaces; training). †¢ Operation (ergonomic control, monitoring and measurement). †¢ Corrective/preventive action (ergonomic audits). Improvement (ergonomic evaluations, communication with interested parties. Interested parties may include customers, for ergonomic characteristics of the product/service, and employees, for ergonomics of the workplace). Rather than adding speci?c ergonomic and safety requirements to existing quality standards (Barsky and Dutta (1997) suggest this), a separate ergonomic system standard can be drafted, and then integrated with existing quality management systems. Using the de?nition and the model of a quality system from Karapetrovic and Willborn (1998C), proposed elements of the ergonomic management system (EMS) can be illustrated as in Figure 2. For example, the executive management of an organization should de?ne an ergonomic policy that is documented and communicated to all employees. Ergonomic aspects of all activities and processes within the organization should be identi?ed and speci?c objectives and targets set. An ergonomic management program should be de?ned and documented, and adequate resources allocated. Operation of the EMS should include a statement of responsibility and authority of people involved, identi?cation of training needs and a provision of adequate ergonomic training, and preparation of adequate EMS documentation. Corrective and preventive action to eliminate existing and potential problems should be undertaken, and ergonomic audits would assist in this effort. Finally, the executive management should review the status of the EMS, includ88 ing its effectiveness, suitability, and conformance to the requirements. 7. Conclusion This paper addressed some of the ergonomic issues in the ISO 9000-based quality assurance for services. Outlines of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 quality system models were provided, followed by a discussion of the content of the ISO 9001 standard considering ergonomics and human factors. Ergonomic implementation of a quality system was subsequently addressed. Finally, possible development of an â€Å"ergonomic assurance system† on the basis of ISO 9001 and systems theory was presented. Further research into the development of ergonomic assurance systems is suggested. How to cite Iso 9000, Service Quality and Ergonomics Stanislav Karapetrovic, Papers

Investigation of Culturally Competent Terminology MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Investigation of Culturally Competent Terminology. Answer: Introduction: The patient is an Aboriginal, which is a special community in Australia. As a community, the Aboriginals are worse-off as far as health care equality and equity is concerned. Therefore, when presented with an opportunity to serve this patient, I will do my best to deliver a culturally-competent care. This will be achieved by adopting the following strategies: Communication is a very significant component of health care delivery that should be applied when attending to all the patients. If given an opportunity to serve this patient, I will do everything within my capacity to deliver a holistic care to the patient. One of the ways of achieving this goal is to effectively communicate with the client and make him feelthat an urban hospital is good for him. To communicate well, I will have to be a good listener. I will have to be a critical listener who gives the patient enough time to speak to me. In order to create a good environment for the patient, I will have to allow him to talk to me and tell me anything that he wants me to know. At the same time, I will allow him to ask me questions and respond to any queries that I may be having. As an Aboriginal, the patient has a different understanding on communication (Jongen, et al., 2014). However, the most important thing to do to him is to lend him my ears and allow him to communicate to me without many struggles (Truong, Paradies Priest, N., 2014). Critical and supportive listening is a commendable thing to when attending to the patient. It will enable me to deliver satisfactory care because of many reasons. First, critical and supportive listening will allow me to appeal to the patient and encourage him to collaborate with me. A good interpersonal relationship with the patient is nec essary because it can create a favorable environment for the treatment of the patient. Treating the Patient with Respect and Dignity The other strategy that I will apply when attending to my patient is that I will treat him with all the respect that he deserves. As a healthcare practitioner, I know that I should be responsible for delivering a holistic care to the patient. One of the ways of achieving this is to respect the autonomy of the patient. Since I already know some information about the patient, I will not hesitate to give him the kind of care that suits his condition and background (Renzaho, et al., 2013). I will not discriminate upon the patient because he is an Aboriginal who has poorly managed diabetes. I will not use his background as a basis of stigmatizing and showing him disrespect. I am aware of the challenges that the diabetic patients have been going through. I know that the Aboriginals face numerous changes in their day to day life. I will not harass him because I know that Aboriginals are superstitious people who still believe in traditional bush medicine. Instead, I will let the patient to allow me to provide him with the services that will not harm in any way, but enable him to manage his condition and recover well (Truong, Paradies Priest, 2014). What Aboriginals need is a culturally-competent care which strives to address all the needs of the patient. There is a high prevalence of diabetes amongst the Aboriginals because of the poor status of the community. What the Aboriginals lack is a culturally-competent care (Russell, 2013). Use of an Aboriginal Liaison Officer when communicating with the Patient One of the major barriers in intercultural communication is language barer. Linguistic limitation is an obstacle that can be resolved if appropriate measures are taken. Therefore, when serving the Aboriginal patient, I know that I might be confronted with this problem (Renzaho, et al., 2013). I am a non-indigenous individual who might find it extremely difficult to communicate with this client. The problem might arise because the patient might lack proficiency in English language. Aboriginals are people who are not very well educated (Grant, Parry Guerin, 2013). A large number of Aboriginals do not speak fluent English because they prefer their language and lack enough education. In case this happens, I will not panic because there is a solution: I will rely on the services of an Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO). The ALO will help me in a number of ways. First, he will enable me to improve my communication with the patient. I will use him as an interpreter who will be translating for me the words spoken by the patient. This will help me a great deal because it will enable me to establish a good dialogue with the patient even if we do not speak a similar language (Brown, et al., 2015). The other reason why I will use the ALO is because he will enable me to appeal to the patient. Aboriginals are people who prefer to be served by fellow Aboriginals. Therefore, using an Aboriginal to act as an intermediary between me and the patient will enable me to win the confidence of the patient and enable him to accept my services. Involving the Patient in the Decision-Making Process As a healthcare provider, I know that my practice is guided by certain ethical codes of conduct such as autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence. Therefore, when serving this patient, I will have to apply these principles because they will enable me to deliver quality services to the satisfaction of the patient. I will emphasize on the use of autonomy because it will enable me to provide a culturally-competent care to the patient (Parker Milroy, 2014). The autonomy of this patient who comes from an urban center will have to be respected. To achieve this, I will have to involve the patient in the decision making process regarding his health. Before I make any decision, I will ask the patient to give his contributions. I will allow him to ask questions and give suggestions on what he prefers to be done. This will benefit me in many ways. It will win the confidence of the patient and enable him to accept the services provided by me because he will feel as an important part of the process. If I dominate the decision making process, I will not lose the trusty of the patient because he will feel excluded and compelled to undergo a procedure against his wish (Jongen, et al., 2014). I know that I should respect the autonomy of my patients because they have a right to give consent to or refuse any procedure if at all they are convinced that it cannot benefit them in any way. References Brown, A., et al., (2015). A strategy for translating evidence into policy and practice to close the gap-developing essential service standards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cardiovascular care. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 24(2), pp.119-125. Grant, J., Parry, Y., Guerin, P. (2013). An investigation of culturally competent terminology in healthcare policy finds ambiguity and lack of definition. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 37(3), 250-256. Jongen, C., et al., (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander maternal and child health and wellbeing: a systematic search of programs and services in Australian primary health care settings. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 14(1), p.1. Mitrou, F., et al., (2014). Gaps in Indigenous disadvantage not closing: a census cohort study of social determinants of health in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand from 19812006. BMC Public Health, 14(1), p.1. Parker, R. Milroy, H., (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. 2nd ed. Canberra: Department of The Prime Minister and Cabinet, pp.25-38. Renzaho, A.M.N., et al., (2013). The effectiveness of cultural competence programs in ethnic minority patient-centered health carea systematic review of the literature. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 25(3), pp.261-269. Russell, L.M., (2013). Reports indicate that changes are needed to close the gap for Indigenous health. Med J Aust, 199(11), pp.1-2. Truong, M., Paradies, Y. Priest, N., (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC health services research, 14(1), p.1.

Biography of Abigail Adams, Wife of John Adams

Biography of Abigail Adams, Wife of John Adams Wife of the second President of the United States, Abigail Adams is an example of one kind of life lived by women in colonial, Revolutionary and early post-Revolutionary America. While shes perhaps best known simply as an early First Lady (before the term was used) and mother of another President, and perhaps known for the stance she took for womens rights in letters to her husband, she should also be known as a competent farm manager and financial manager. Known for: First Lady, mother of John Quincy Adams, farm manager, letter writerDates: November 22 (11 old style), 1744 - October 28, 1818; married October 25, 1764Also known as: Abigail Smith AdamsPlaces: Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., United StatesOrganizations/Religion: Congregational, Unitarian Early Life Born Abigail Smith, the future First Lady was the daughter of a minister, William Smith, and his wife Elizabeth Quincy.  The family had long roots in Puritan America, and were part of the Congregational church.  Her father was part of the liberal wing within the church, an Arminian, distanced from Calvinist Congregational roots in predestination and questioning the truth of the traditional  doctrine of the Trinity. Educated at home, because there were few schools for girls and because she was often ill as a child,  Abigail Adams learned quickly and read widely. She also learned to write, and quite early began writing to family and friends. Abigail met John Adams in 1759 when he visited her fathers parsonage in Weymouth, Massachusetts.  They carried out their courtship in letters as Diana and Lysander.  They married in 1764, and moved first to Braintree and later to Boston.  Abigail bore five children, and one died in early childhood. Abigails marriage to John Adams was warm and loving‚- and also intellectually lively, to judge from their letters. Journey to First Lady After almost a decade of rather quiet family life,  John became involved in the Continental Congress. In 1774, John attended the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia, while Abigail remained in Massachusetts, raising the family.  During his long absences over the next 10 years, Abigail managed the family and the farm and corresponded not only with her husband but with many family members and friends, including Mercy Otis Warren and Judith Sargent Murray.  She served as the primary educator of the children, including the future sixth U.S. president, John Quincy Adams. John served in Europe as a diplomatic representative from 1778, and as a representative  of the new nation, continued in that capacity. Abigail Adams joined him in 1784, first for a year in Paris then three in London. They returned to America in 1788. John Adams served as Vice President of the United States from 1789-1797 and then as President 1797-1801. Abigail spent some of her time at home, managing the family financial affairs, and part of her time in the federal capital, in Philadelphia most of those years and, very briefly, in the new White House in Washington, D.C. (November 1800 - March 1801). Her letters show that she was a strong supporter of his Federalist positions. After John retired from public life at the end of his presidency, the couple lived quietly in Braintree, Massachusetts.  Her letters also show that she was consulted by her son, John Quincy Adams. She was proud of him, and worried about her sons Thomas and Charles and her daughters husband, who were not so successful.  She took hard her daughters death in 1813.   Death Abigail Adams died in 1818 after contracting  typhus, seven years before her son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth president of the U.S., but long enough to see him become Secretary of State in James Monroes administration. It is mostly through her letters that we know much about the life and personality of this intelligent and perceptive woman of colonial America and the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary period.  A collection of the letters was published in 1840 by her grandson, and more have followed. Among her positions expressed in the letters was a deep suspicion of slavery and racism, support for womens rights including married womens property rights and the right to education, and full acknowledgement by her death that she had become, religiously, a unitarian. Resources and Further Reading Akers, Charles W. Abigail Adams: An American Woman. Library of American Biography Series. 1999.Bober, Natalie S. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. 1998. Young adult book.  Cappon, Lester J. (editor). The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams. 1988.  Gelles, Edith B. Portia: The World of Abigail Adams. 1995 edition.  Levin, Phyllis Lee. Abigail Adams: A Biography. 2001.Nagel, Paul C. The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters. 1999 reprint.Nagel, Paul C. Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family. 1999 reprint.  Withey, Lynne. Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams. 2001.

Chinese Emperors - Shang Dynasty

Chinese Emperors - Shang Dynasty The Shang Dynasty is the first Chinese imperial dynasty for which we have actual documentary evidence. Since the Shang is so very ancient, the sources are unclear. We dont even know for sure when the Shang Dynasty began its rule over the Yellow River Valley of China.  Some historians believe that it was around the year 1700 BCE, while others place it later, c. 1558 BCE. In any case, the Shang Dynasty succeeded the Xia Dynasty, which was a legendary ruling family from approximately 2070 BCE to about 1600 BCE. We have no surviving written records for the Xia, although they probably did have a writing system. Archaeological evidence from the Erlitou sites does give support to the idea that a complex culture had already arisen in northern China at this time. Fortunately for us, the Shang have left some slightly clearer records than their Xia predecessors did. The traditional sources for the Shang era include the Bamboo Annals and the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian. These records were written much, much later than the Shang period, however; Sima Qian wasnt even born until around 145 to 135 BCE.  As a result, modern historians were quite skeptical even about the existence of the Shang Dynasty until archaeology miraculously provided some proof. In the early 20th century, archaeologists found an early form of Chinese writing that was inscribed (or in rare cases painted) onto turtle shells or large, flat animal bones like the shoulder blades of oxen. These bones were then put into a fire, and the cracks that developed from the heat would help a magical diviner to predict the future or tell their customer whether their prayers would be answered.   Called oracle bones, these magical divination tools provided us proof that the Shang Dynasty really did exist.  Some of the seekers who asked questions of the gods via the oracle bones were the emperors themselves or officials from the court  so we even got confirmation of some of their names, along with rough dates when they were active. In many cases, the evidence from the Shang Dynasty oracle bones matched quite closely with the recorded tradition about that time from the Bamboo Annals and the Records of the Grand Historian. Still, it should not surprise anyone that there are still gaps and discrepancies in the imperial list below.  After all, the Shang Dynasty ruled China a very, very long time ago. China’s Shang Dynasty Cheng Tang, 1675 to 1646 BCEWai Bing, 1646 to 1644 BCEZhong Ren, 1644 to 1640 BCETai Jia, 1535 to 1523 BCEWo Ding, 1523 to 1504 BCETai Geng, 1504 to 1479 BCEXiao Jia, 1479 to 1462 BCEYong Ji, 1462 to 1450 BCETai Wu, 1450 to 1375 BCEZhong Ding, 1375 to 1364 BCEWai Ren, 1364 to 1349 BCEHe Dan Jia, 1349 to 1340 BCEZu Yi, 1340 to 1321 BCEZu Xin, 1321 to 1305 BCEWo Jia, 1305 to 1280 BCEZu Ding, 1368 to 1336 BCENan Geng, 1336 to 1307 BCEYang Jia, 1307 to 1290 BCEPan Geng, 1290 to 1262 BCEXiao Xin, 1262 to 1259 BCEXiao Yi, 1259 to 1250 BCEWu Ding, 1250 to 1192 BCEZu Geng, 1192 to 1165 BCEZu Jia, 1165 to 1138 BCELin Xin, 1138 to 1134 BCEKang Ding, dates of reign unclearWu Yi, 1147 to 1112 BCEWen Ding, 1112 to 1102 BCEDi Yi, 1101 to 1076 BCEDi Xin, 1075 to 1046 BCE

Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methods and Analysis - Essay Example Interviews are very useful methods of data collection. If done properly and professionally, the findings of the interview can provide the researcher with very important insights regarding the subject matter. In most interviews, structured questions are used to guide the interviewer in his/her quest to extract useful information from the interviewee (Denscombe, 2007). This interview in particular focuses on professional experience as well as online education. The main objective is to find out the perception of people regarding their present jobs as well as any online courses they may have studied. The set of questions used in this interview will enable me get to understand how people perceive their own employers and their job as well as if they make any significant contribution to the success of their organization as a whole. The questions will also be useful in understanding how people who studied online courses find the whole experience. Why do you work with your current employer? I believe the institution I work with has goals that resonate very well with my beliefs. I wanted to work in an institution that gives priority to good teaching practice as well as a great commitment on taking care of students needs as far as education is concerned. I have a great passion for teaching and impacting on the lives of young students in campuses and colleges and I believe I have the capacity to offer what my current employer wants and help the whole institution achieve its goals. What makes you very different from your other colleagues at work? There nothing much really to separate us because we all share similar views on education and teaching. I would however say that I am an all rounded individual and with my experience, I offer the institution a lot of useful opinions and perspectives in terms of where we want to be and what we have to do to get there as a group. I think that is what sets me apart from my colleagues, my desire to succeed and wide experience. What plan s do you have for research and development in your field of specialization? I believe in proper research to bring out new and relevant knowledge to help us cope with emerging issues. As far as my own research is concerned, I am currently working on some projects that will be due for publication soon. I am working on a book to be released soon, which I hope will help institutions deal with emerging challenges as they strive to educate young students. After my PhD, I plan to take my research further and work on more books as well as research papers that I hope to present to all stakeholders in the field of education. What would you say is your major contribution to your institutions department? I have initiated and taken part in various reforms at the department to make it more functional. We have improved significantly in the way we offer our services to students ever since I joined the department and I am glad to be part of this success. What courses do you enjoy teaching? I have ex perience in a wide range of subjects ranging from humanities to social sciences as well as business courses. I therefore give my contribution in any field that I am well versed with; however I mostly tend to be biased towards philosophy. I enjoy teaching philosophy more than anything else, but as I said, I always give my contribution in other areas when I am called upon to do it. What was your experience when taking your university degree? I enjoyed every bit of it. For my first degree, I was a regular student and the environment was very conducive for study. We had a great time on campus with friends as we undertook our studies. By the time I wanted to start my Masters degree, I was already employed full time, so I had to register for online courses which demanded a lot of commitment and dedication. I am glad I gave it my all and am now taking my PhD. How does the online course work? It is pretty simple because all you do is to enroll on a university or college website. Once you ha ve been

Barbie as a global phenomenon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Barbie as a global phenomenon - Essay Example Doll Barbie is among them. If to ask a girl what present she would like to have for her birthday, she would not hesitate even for a second and the answer will be â€Å"A Barbie†. â€Å"Barbie is the cultural icon of female beauty that provides an â€Å"aspirational role model† for young girls, and 99% of 3- to 10-year-olds in the United States own at least one Barbie doll† (Helga et al 283). The question is why this doll is so popular. How did it enrapture the whole world and become a dream of every girl? More than 100 Barbie dolls are sold in the world every minute, thus Mattel Inc. makes around $2 billion annually and the sales of a famous and desired doll constitutes more than a half of Mattel’s sales. â€Å"Barbie is the best-selling fashion doll in every major global market, with worldwide annual sales of about $1.5 billion† (Mattel, 2003 cited in Helga et al 283). The activity of the company seems successful, but now the managers consider the issue how the changes in the world influence Barbie doll. The problem became relevant because of the changes brought by globalization that eliminated patterns. The image of Barbie doll demands changes. The given paper will discuss the changes brought by the globalization and the problems Barbie doll manufacturers have to solve now. Notwithstanding that Barbie does not loose its popularity, time still flies and everything changes. The doll was created in 1959 and the women of that time were very different in comparison to modern women. Now women are emancipated, their life is very active. As women change, dolls should also change. Mattel was too late to realize that the changes were necessary, thus they suffered a failure in 2001, when their competitors launched the product appropriate to the modern understanding of a perfect woman. As the competitors managed to make necessary changes in contrast to Mattel, the latter still suffers from this mistake. The company did not think about t he changes as they considered the doll to be absolutely perfect and was sure that any changes are not needed. Moreover, the manufacturers were afraid that consumers may not have accepted the changes in their favorite doll image. Thus, they did not touch Barbie doll and paid their attention to other toys. This brought a lot of harm that was realized by the manufacturers too late. They understood their mistake only by 2006, when their sales decreased by 30%, notwithstanding that the efforts were taken at once to change the look of the doll and her boyfriend, clothes, accessories. In order to save the situation, they even created a new line called â€Å"My scene†, but this imitation did not impress consumers much. The cause of the failure is the lack of appropriate long-term strategy as well as corresponding analysis of the brand and world changes, which affect Barbie’s image. Globalization brought many new changes, it changed the perception of the issues greatly. Many in ternational organizations appeared at the global market that provided people with new opportunities to work abroad, travel, see new country, meet new people and show their abilities. In the past immigration was not so active and people lived and worked in their native countries among the people of their own nation. Now it is not surprising if people from different countries work in a one company sharing their values, culture and experience. Such changes made the world more democratic and influenced all the areas, including the field of toys manufacturing. Barbie doll always served as a pattern that caused many problems: â€Å"my main personal problem is Barbie’s body, and what that does for girls’ understanding of how their bodies are supposed to look. So many young girls and women

A historical approach to The Guest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A historical approach to The Guest - Essay Example The story’s rich historical derivation makes it ideal for an examination through the lenses of historical criticism, as such, one can examine the occurrences themes and stylistic and the impacts of the larger historical backdrop both within and without the text. Concisely, the story revolves around three major characters are Daru, Baducci the gendarme and the Arab prisoner. Daru is a schoolteacher stationed in the desert school where the gendarme brings the Arab who has been accused of murder. Daru receives them hospitably and makes them tea in the schoolroom; he unties the prisoner’s hands and makes both of the as comfortable as he could with his limited facilities. That he takes off the ropes binding the prisoner, connotes the shame felt by colonialist for treating their subjects as if they were less than human (Just 904). Daru is told that the French suspect an uprising, he should deliver the prisoner to the town so that the gendarme can return and prepare in case it materializes the schoolteacher however turns down the task of delivering the prisoner. Balducci tells him it is an orderfrom the authorities but Daru insists that he will not comply; he does not stop him from leaving the prisoner there and even signs a document to att est to the fact. Daru accommodates the prisoner for the night, the next morning, despite his insistence that he would not take him to the authorities; he leads him in the direction of the town. Halfway there, he stops at a crossroads and tells him he can choose to deliver himself to the police or he can escape. He gives the prisoner food and money and leaves him to make up his mind. He heads back to the school where ironically, someone has written on the board that he would pay for the delivering â€Å"their brother†. Here, Camus uses dramatic irony to bring out the absurdity of the situation in which Daru finds himself because had Author of the threat known

The Aims and Objectives of an Islamic Bank

The Aims and Objectives of an Islamic Bank Islamic banking is becoming increasingly popular and plays a prominent role in the financial services sector in Malaysia. According to latest statistics shown, the Muslim population of Malaysia is approximately 25 million. There is definitely a strong demand and strong growth potential in this sector. In Malaysia, the banking sector is mainly dominated by the conventional banking system whereby interest is not being prohibited. It is because the Islamic banking system is relatively new and there are insufficient regulations at present to govern them. If these obstacles are being resolved, the Islamic Banking sector will blossom given the influence of Malaysia in the international Muslim community. The primary aim of this research is to examine and understand in depth the development of Islamic banking in the world of finance. This piece of research can be divided into three sections. The first section looks at significant differences between conventional banking and Islamic banking. Products and services offered by these financial institutions will be marked to comparison. The second section looks at how the practice of Islamic banking started and how it has emerged to become a vial force in the economy. The final part of the research will focus on how the Islamic banks penetrated the Malaysian market and the challenges faced. 1.1 Structure of Dissertation This dissertation is divided into a few topics and each topic covers different areas of research. This is to give readers a clearer view of the research and make it more user-friendly. It is well thought and designed to ensure the smooth flow of the reading. The structure of the dissertation can be summarized as follows: Chapter 1: This chapter describes the aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 2: This chapter discusses the principles and fundamentals of Islamic banking Chapter 3: This chapter explains in detailed the state and scope of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. I have also mentioned to objectives and roles the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre Initiatives plays in the industry. Chapter 4: Research methodologies and strategies that were being adopted for this paper was discussed. Chapter 5: I have marked two Islamic banks in Malaysia for side by side comparison. I have drawn up a table to compare their financial performance and position over the past two years. Chapter 6: I have interviewed two Islamic bankers from Malaysia. On top of that, I have also provided my personal analysis of their answers. Chapter 7: Competition and globalization of the Islamic banking industry. Moreover, I have also discussed opportunities and challenges faced in the world and in Malaysia. Chapter 8: A summary of the paper was included with recommendations and limitations to research. 2 INTRODUCTION So, what exactly is Islamic Banking? Islamic Banking is banking based on Islamic laws (Shariah). The Shariah principles are derived from the Quran and the Sunnah (sayings of Prophet Muhammad). Moreover, secondary sources of Islamic laws such as opinions collectively agreed among Shariah scholars, analogy and personal reasoning are also adopted in the rules and practices of Islamic banks (Al-Omar, 1996). The research then looks at the differences between conventional banking and Islamic banking. There governing principles of Islamic banks are: Riba Absence of interest-based transactions. Charging of interest is prohibited under Shariah principles. Money itself does not have inherent value and should not be used to create more money. Wealth can only be generated through legitimate trade and investment. Ghirar Acts of speculation are not accepted under Islamic principles. For instance, buying goods now at lower price in the hope of selling them at higher price in future. The reason being speculators make private gains at the expense of society at large. Zakat Introduction of Islamic tax for the purpose of wealth distribution so that every Muslim is guaranteed a fair standard of living. Haram It is forbidden for Islamic banks to finance activities forbidden in Islam such as prok meat and alcoholic beverage. In order to ensure that the trading activities do not contradict with Shariah principles, all Islamic banks are required to set up Shariah Committee, who acts as advisor to the banks. On the other hand, conventional banks charge interest on transactions. These interests are widely seen as price of credit. Furthermore, conventional banks focuses on elimination of risks and thus do not share any liabilities with the borrower. (Figure 1) Islamic Bank Vs Conventional Bank Based on Shariahprinciples. Based on best economic principles. Bank should not take advantage of borrower. No interest charged. Charges interest to reflect price of credit. Does not allow involvement in haramactivities such as pork meat and alcoholic beverage. Aims at maximizing profit without restrictions other than compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks. Intoduction of zakat. Non-existence of zakat. Promotes risk sharing between providers of credit and borrower. Interest is assured to providers of credit. No liabilities borne by the bank. Emphasis placed on viability and feasibility of projects. Emphasis placed on credit-worthiness of customers. Only provide guarantee for deposit account (al-wadiah). If funds placed under mudarabah accounts, customers shares profit or loss incurred by bank. Provides guarantee to all its depositors. www.learn islamicfinance.com 2.1 Fundamentals of Islamic Banking Finance Islamic commercial law is based on a few major principles. They will be discussed in detailed as follows: Musharakah (Partnership Finance) Musharakah is a contract in which the bank and the client contribute jointly to the capital of a specific project or deal to make a profit. Therefore, risks of profits and losses are being shared between these two parties according to terms and conditions stipulated in the contract. This principle exposes bank to the risks of the project, in other words protecting the interests of the community. This will prevent banks from yielding their unfair influence and sells disadvantage products to clients. Mudarabah (Trust Financing) Mudarabah is a contract in which the banks provides all the capital required whilst the partner contributes in terms of skills, experiences and efforts. The bank receives a pre-determined share of profits as agreed by both parties upon commencement of the project. The major difference between mudarabah and musharakah is that in this case, the bank bears all financial loss whilst the client goes unrewarded. Therefore, it is also the banks responsibilities to assess the feasibility and viability of the project. As such, it is vital for the bank to have a good and credible credit system to evaluate all its exposures on these projects. In short, this principle encourages individuals to participate in financial activities It also gives individuals without sufficient resources an opportunity and platform to prove themselves in the society. Murabaha (Cost-plus Financing) Murabaha is a contract in which the banks informs their client about the acquisition price of certain goods and products and sells them with a margin. It requires the bank to declare an honest price of acquisition. It is one of the most common principles adopted in Islamic banking system to promote interest-free transactions. It is widely practiced in asset financing and both commodity import and export. Bai-Muajjal (Deferred Payment Sale) It is a contract in which the seller sells a certain goods or products to the buyer at an agreed fixed price to be paid later at a specific date by the buyer. In short, it is a sale on credit. The bank merely acts as the financier by deferring the receipt of the sale price of goods it sells. Ijara (Leasing) In this case, the bank buys capital equipment or property and leases it out under instalment to clients. Similar to conventional leasing, the client has the option to purchase the goods at the end of the lease period. The fact that there is real good to be financed means that it is Shariah compliant. A very common product adopting this principle is Islamic mortgage whereby the buyer buys the property on an instalment basis. Qard Hassan Islamic teachings promote brotherhood amongst Muslims. Qard Hassan is seen as a gratuitous loan that helps fellow Muslims who need financial assistance. It can be defined as a loan to be repaid at a later date without incurring any interests. According to Rob (1992), Islamic banks may raise funds through sale of shares to public and main deposit accounts. Therefore, the bank has a responsibility to lend a helping hand to those in desperate situation without taking of their advantaged position. 2.2 Compatibility of Islamic Banking with Conventional Banking Islamic banking system has very similar features to conventional banking except that Islamic banks operate in compliant to Shariah laws and principles. Both banking systems have common features and common products. The main differences being prohibition of interests being incurred and sharing of profits and losses between banks and their clients (Abdur Rahim, 2009). They have the same objectives except interpretation of interest. Islamic banks fall into realms of the economic world as well. They try to ensure all their operations comply with Shariah laws yet at the same time conform to rules set by international bodies such as International Accounting Standards Board and Audit Practices Board. This is to ensure they remain relevant to the society and at the same time conform to their religious principles. Islamic banks sell products such as mortgages, savings accounts, insurance which is also sold by all conventional banks across the world. According to Nienhaus (1995), Islamic banks offer facilities more or less the same as conventional banks, in compliance with the welfare principles of Islam. 3 LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review is a process in which published articles or information are studied as part of the research for the preparation of a dissertation. For the purpose of this project, I have gathered information from books and articles from various sources. I have studied the concept of Islamic banking, having limited understanding about this topic previously. Further, I have also included discussion about the development of Islamic banking in the world, and in particular, Malaysia. This paper allows readers to have a good grasp of Islamic banking in general. It gives readers the opportunity to study about Islamic banking in greater detail when the interest of this industry gathering strong momentum. This is of particular importance because Islamic banking has a huge impact of the world economy because of the strong influence of the oil-rich Gulf States. 3.1 Introduction Since a few decades ago, Islamic banking has emerged as a new reality in the world economy. Its philosophies and principles are however, not new, having been outlined in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) more than 1,400 years ago. The emergence of Islamic banking is often related to the revival of Islam and the desire of Muslims to live all aspects of their live in accordance with the teachings of Islam (Siddiqi, 1983). This chapter provides a brief overview of how Islamic Banking was introduced in the World and how it penetrated the Malaysian market. Islamic banking today has proven to be a popular and reliable financial system in the world. It is widely seen as a viable alternative to the conventional banking system over last 3 decades. Islamic banking was described by scholars as wishful thinking when the idea was first mooted almost thirty years ago (Iqbal and Philip, 2006). Many conferences and discussions were carried out at that time to work on the finer details of this system. Several blueprints were drafted by Islamic scholars from all over the world to ensure a detailed system is created. The first international conference on Islamic Economics was organized by Kings Abdul Aziz University in Makkah marked an important milestone in the history of Islamic banking (Iqbal, 2005). Financial gurus, economic experts and Islamic leaders were invited to present their view and opinions. Following this, the first Islamic bank, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) was established in the United Arab Emirates in 1975. Since its formation, it has established itself as the leader in the industry and has won several accolades internationally. In 2009, it recorded net profit of  £200 million with assets worth over  £14 billion. Islamic banking has gained tremendous momentum and has been growing rapidly over the years. Islamic banks now offer products in various areas such as banking, insurance, mortgage and asset management with annual growth of 10% for many years. 3.2 History of Islamic Banking in Malaysia Islamic banking industry in Malaysia is growing at a moderate pace. It is a unique market because Islamic banks in Malaysia are allowed to operate in parallel to conventional banks (interest-based). The multi-ethnic population of Malaysia makes the entire change of financial system to follow the Shariah system not viable. Government of Malaysia opted for gradual way of introducing Islamic banking by allowing conventional banks to sell Islamic banking products and services such as sukuk (Arif, 1989). The dual banking system has been recognised by both West and East leaders and it is seen to be the model of the future. In fact, many central bankers have visited Malaysia to see the effectiveness of this dual system first hand. Furthermore, this dual system also eliminates the wrong concept of general public that Islamic banking products are sold exclusively to Muslims. The history of Islamic banking industry goes back to as far as 1963, when the foresighted government set up the Lembaga Tabung Haji also known as the Pilgrims Management and Fund Board. It was set-up primarily to encourage Muslims in the country to save up on their income in order to perform pilgrimage in Mecca (Kamarulzaman Bhupalan, 1983). Besides, the fund was also created to provide a platform for participation in the economic and investment activities. Based on the success of the Lembaga Tabung Haji, coupled with the consultation of Shariah experts and economic gurus, government then proceeded to set up the first ever Islamic Bank in 1983. Setting up of Bank Islam Berhad Malaysia (BIMB) marked a milestone in the banking industry. It proved to be hugely popular because over half the Malaysian population are Islam followers. What followed through was the listing of the bank in the stock exchange of Malaysia in the early 1990s. As of today, the bank has 100 braches located all ove r Malaysia. With the fairytale of BIMB, central bank decided to allow commercial banks and merchant banks to offer Islamic banking products under the Islamic Banking Scheme. It was not long after that the central bank set up the National Shariah Advisory Council to oversee all issues pertaining to Islamic Banking. Due to the economic liberalisation, central bank finally grants licenses to foreign Islamic banks to operate in Malaysia in 2004. Al-Rahji Bank and Kuwait Finance House took full advantage of this ruling and step foot into the Malaysian banking industry. The last count of Islamic banks operating in Malaysia stood at 21. 3.3 Scope of Islamic Banking in Malaysia Islamic Banking started out as mere deposit taking and lending facility has since transformed into all aspects of banking, money and capital market operations. In Malaysia, the central bank is in favour of a dual banking system, whereby Islamic banks are allowed to co-exist with conventional banks. It is at the consumers choice to select which services they prefer that cater to their needs. This is in stark contrast with the scenario in Iran and Pakistan, where conventional banking system is abolished completely to make way for Islamic banking. They claim to be devoid of conventional interest based financial transactions. Today, the Malaysian Islamic banking sector is blossoming as reflected in the extensive distribution networks comprising 152 full-fledged Islamic banking branches. The ability of these Islamic banks to offer competitive products with attractive and innovative features has attracted both Muslim and non-Muslim population in the country. This has also spurred non banking institutions such as savings institutions to introduce Shariah compliance product to appeal to a wider consumer base. According to Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia, there are 21 Islamic banks who have subscribed to their membership. The list of Islamic banks is provided as follows: Affin Islamic Bank Berhad Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad Al-Rajhi Banking Investment Corporation Berhad AmIslamic Bank Berhad Asian Finance Bank Berhad Bank Islam Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Simpanan Malaysia Berhad CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad EONCAP Islamic Bank Berhad Hong Leong Islamic Bank Berhad HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad Maybank Islamic Bank Berhad OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad PT Bank Muamalat Indonesia Public Islamic Bank Berhad RHB Islamic Bank Berhad Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad Unicorn International Islamic Bank Berhad As evident from the list above, there are 21 banks offering Islamic products in the Malaysian market. Confidence is clearly shown on the Malaysian market with international banking powerhouse presence such as Standard Chartered group and Kuwait Finance House. The Governor of Central Bank Malaysia recently declared the central banks intention to lure larger overseas banks to provided services that comply with Muslim tenets. As a sweetener to any potential deal, the central bank has raised foreign ownership limits at local Islamic banks and insurance companies to 70%. Rising oil wealth has turned the Islamic banking into an industry with assets with $1 trillion in assets globally. The central bank is doing its utmost, implementing initiatives to explore this relatively untapped market. In addition to the changes in foreign ownership limits, the central bank is also offering tax breaks for Islamic products and has relaxed rules for Islamic banks to trade in foreign currencies (Aziz, 2006). This is seen as a major breakthrough because the foreign currencies dealing is tightly regulated due to the impact Malaysian market suffered in the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In July 2010, Khazanah, Malaysia sovereign wealth fund made its debut in Singapore debt market issuing sukuk or Islamic bonds worth $1.5 billion, three times the size of Singapore sukuk market until now. This further strengthened the Malaysian government efforts to promote Islamic banking products both domestically and internationally.

Satire and Fantasy in Kurt Vonneguts Cats Cradle Essay -- Kurt Vonne

Satire and Fantasy in Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle For this essay, I decided to pick two terms that describe Cat's Cradle. I felt that satire and fantasy were two terms that suited the novel quite well. The book qualifies as a satire because it makes a mockery of things that were of concern in the sixties. For example, the Cuban missile crisis was a big issue in the early sixties. Religion was taken much more seriously, and the family unit was more tightly wound. In the novel, the threat comes not from a large warhead, but from a small crystal of Ice-nine. Religion is satired in Bokononism, which is a religion that is based on lies. The family unit is satired by the Hoenikkers. The father is detached from reality, the sister is a giant, and the brother is a midget. The Cuban threat is also satirized by San Lorenzo and it's dictator Papa Monzano. Cat's Cradle also has many elements of fantasy woven throughout. A small crystal that can freeze water and can destroy the world and can only be stopped by a temperature of 114 degrees is a good example of the fantasy element in the novel. It gives the story an almost futuristic feel, even though by modern standards the book is dated. Jonah's whole adventure is reminiscent of mythological tales. He journeys to a far away land, San Lorenzo. He is called to adventure by Newt's letter. He finds a mystical talisman, Ice-nine. He falls in love with the beautiful maiden, Mona. The religion of Bokononism has a fantasy element to it. Johnson changes his name to Bokonon much like in Buddhism. There are all the writings in the Books of Bokonon, and the Boko-maru which are both fantastic ideas in themselves. Cat's Cradle contains many elements of many types of genres. It could be consider... ...t has no real motivation, and why should he when he is going to be taken care of by Angela for the rest of his life. I like Newt because he does not feel sorry for himself, and treats everything matter-of-factly and as if it is obvious, "Isn't everybody [self-taught]?" Newt appears to be a person who does not care what everyone else thinks and always strives to be an individual. I think that the satire alone in Cat's Cradle is enough to encourage humanity to make a better world. Vonnegut makes things seem funny in the book that really are not funny in real life, such as an atom bomb, a father who ignores his child and everyone else, and an island where people are hung for practicing a certain religion. The book is amusing, but it made me think about what the world would be like if it really was that way. It would be horrible, and definitely nothing to laugh at.

Communication Style Case Study Essay

Communication style is the method used to deliver our messages to others. Its outcome is affected by the style chosen by the individual to relay our message. The different styles are passive, assertive, aggressive, passive-aggressive. Throughout my experience in healthcare, I have either witness or taken part in different situations that used different styles of communication. There are three specific personal scenarios that come to mind when I think about the different styles of communication. First Personal Scenario During a nursing school hospital rotation I was assigned to follow a registered nurse and witness communication between the nurse and client. The nurse entered the clients room and without a courteous greeting such as good morning or a simple hello stated, â€Å"Mrs. Jones here is your medication.† The client responded, â€Å"I do not want it. All you do all day is give me too much medication.† The nurse replied with a firm tone of voice and eye rolling, â€Å"You have to take it. How do you expect to get better if you do not take your medicine?† Both the nurse and client used aggressive communication. The nurse could prevent the conflict with the client had she initiated an assertive style of communication. To improve the communication the nurse should respond assertively with a moderate voice pitch, a relaxed body stance, acknowledge the clients feelings, and encourage the client to address her concerns (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Also the nurse should explain why the client is being given the medication to help the client understand the reason. According to Hansten and Jackson (2009), to make communication clear we must explain why we need to take such actions. In this scenario the outcome using an aggressive style will lead to failure to achieve a client focused therapeutic relationship. Instead the client feels that they  cannot trust the nurse and respond aggressively. Trust is an essential component to a therapeutic relationship (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). Had the nurse approached the client with a simple greeting followed by the name of medication and the reason for taking it, perhaps the client would have been more willing to be compliant with the recommended care. Second Personal Sce nario Recently I witness a situation where a nursing assistant was sitting at the nursing station and the nurse was walking by holding medications and a water cup in her hand. The nurse asked the nursing assistant, â€Å"The call light is on in room five and I need to give another client his medications. Would you please see what the client needs.† The nursing assistant crosses her arms and replies, â€Å"I am tired of these lazy nurses. I always have to do everything.† The nurse rolled her eyes and replied, â€Å"Just do your job and do what I asked.† In this situation the nursing assistant responded aggressively. The nurse first used the assertive style then replied using the aggressive style. Instead the nurse should have been consistent with an assertive response. For example she could of replied without rolling her eyes, using a medium voice pitch, abstain from insults, and acknowledge the other persons feelings (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). The other person is more likely to listen if they are not feeling insulted and preventing the conflict from escalating (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). Also, conflict should be addressed and not ignored to resolve it (Arford, 2005). In this situation the poor communication caused a lack of trust and took the focus away from the clients care. This in turn can cause retaliation among peers and jeopardize quality client care. Both conflicting parties are forgetting that their goal is to provide quality client focus care and collaboration is essential to deliver it. Collaboration helps accomplish better outcomes than one person alone (Arford, 2005). Third Personal Scenario I had a personal situation where the doctor ordered for a twenty-four hour urine collection. The procedure involves collecting the urine immediately after the client voids and transferring it to a special container kept on ice, to preserve the urine. I informed my nursing assistant, â€Å"I started a twenty-four hour urine collection in room 5. Can you please make sure to  check frequently for urine in the bedside commode and place it in the collection container.† The nursing assistance replied, â€Å"Ok. I will.† The next time I went into the clients room I noticed the ice where the container is kept had melted. I then replaced the ice and told my nursing assistant, â€Å"I noticed the ice had melted in room five. Please check on the ice levels hourly.† She replied, â€Å"Ok. I will.† It seemed as if every time I checked on the ice levels they had melted. I found myself frustrated and ended replacing the ice myself to get the job done correctly. I reali ze now that my communication with my assistant was non-assertive. My assistant was passive in her response. I failed to assess my assistant’s level of understanding of the procedure and instead I lost trust and became frustrated. Communication should be clear, complete and explain why we need a task done a certain way (Hansten & Jackson, 2009). If I would of taken the extra time to explain the reason why we keep specimens on ice perhaps my assistant would of taken the time to do the task. In return I would have been able to attend to others duties had I been able to trust my assistant. Instead my message was incomplete and my reaction demonstrated a lack of trust toward my assistant. References Arford, P. H. (2005, March/April). Nurse-physician communication: An organizational accountability. Nursing Economics, 23(2), 72-77. Retrieved on March 16, 2014, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/2369346accountid=458 Arnold, E., & Boggs, K. U. (2011). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders. Hansten, R. I., & Jackson, M. (2009). Clinical delegation skills: A handbook for professional practice (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.