Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Business Law and Regulation Essay Example for Free

Business Law and Regulation Essay If Mary damages a client’s hair she would be held liable. According to our textbook, Mary would cause injury to the plaintiff. Mary was to provide a duty of care to the customer. She breached this duty of care â€Å"failure to exercise care or to act as reasonable person would act (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 81). † The reason I state, that is because the customer trusted Mary with their hair and she damaged the client’s hair. As long as Celia and Mary register their boutique name with the United States PTO in Washington, DC, and the PTO approved it, there should not be any legal problems. If Celia and Mary decide to offer their waiting clients free music downloads, they are asking for trouble. In the case of BMG Music v. Gonzalez, Gonzalez thought that as long as she was â€Å"sampling† the music she could leave it on her computer without paying for it. That is not so. According to the courts, Gonzales had engaged in copyright infringement and Gonzalez had to pay $22,500 in damages to BMG (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 117). I would advise them making this huge mistake unless; they decide to pay for each download that they are providing to their waiting clients they could be breaking the law. There could be civil liability to Celia and Mary if one of their employees sexually harassed a customer. This falls under the negligence of an agent which states â€Å"in negligence of an agent, the principal is responsible because of the employment contract with the agent. In other words, if an agent acts negligently while being employed by the principal and is acting within the scope of the employment, the principal is also liable for the negligence of the agent, even though the principal did nothing negligent personally (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 474). † If Celia and Mary only hire men they could be charged with sex discrimination. Sex discrimination is â€Å"discrimination against a person solely because of his or her gender (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 515). † It would not matter how they hired whether they ere Independent contractors or employees. If Celia and Mary require the men when they are not selling, to do inventory and clean up the boutique and they set their working hours they cannot be classified as independent contractors. â€Å"The degree of control that the principal has over the agent is the crucial factor that determines whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 481). † Since Celia and Mary seem to have substantial control over their workers we would classify their relationship as an employer-employee relationship. In this case, they would not be able to pay them only on commission for sales; they would have to add in an hourly rate as well. Again if Celia and Mary hire a person based on their age, race, color, or national origin they are setting themselves up for a discrimination lawsuit. If they decide to only hire men who are qualified under the age of 40, they are committing age discrimination. Age discrimination is the â€Å"federal statute that prohibits age discrimination practices against employees who are 40 and older (Cheeseman, 2010, p. 521). †

Monday, August 5, 2019

Case Study of Managing patient suffering Opoid constipation

Case Study of Managing patient suffering Opoid constipation This case study outlines the clinical management of a client with a problem with Opioid induced constipation. Opioid analgesics (narcotics) cause constipation in most people. Opioids slow down the stool as it passes along the intestinal tract. This causes the stool to become hard. If you have hard stools, have difficulty passing bowel movements and the movements become infrequent, then you have constipation. Constipation can be very bothersome and last as long as you are taking narcotics on a regular basis. Therefore, it is important that we learn to manage our bowels effectively. Throughout the analysis the anonymity and confidentiality of this patient will be protected as outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) and therefore the patient will be referred to as Mark Scott. Additionally consent was gained by Mark to allow the author to use his case for my assessment. History of present illness Mark Scott is a 64 year old gentleman who is 2 days post op following a Right Total Hip Replacement (RTHR). Total hip replacement involves removal of a diseased hip joint and replacement with a prosthetic joint. Whilst doing the medications Mark confided in the nurse that he may have a problem with his bowels and that he may be constipated. To enable the nurse to assess Mark she would have to understand constipation, it helps to know how the colon, or large intestine, works. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed. Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colons muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry. Mark asked the nurse if there was anything she could give him to ease the discomfort he was experiencing, However as Mark has presented with a new problem with the possibility of him needing medication, the nurse would first need to undertake a holistic assessment of Mark. The purpose of assessment is to allow the nurse to examine all relevant factors of the problem and allow her to make the decision of whether prescribing a patient group directive (PGD) is an appropriate intervention (Humphries, 2002). Consider the patient When Mark stated he thought he was constipated, it was important to ascertain his own interpretation of what this meant. For example, Wondergerm (2005) states that for some, constipation may mean opening their bowels less than three times a day. On the other hand, constipation may mean opening of the bowels less than three times a week. There appears to be a general consensus that the range for normal bowel activity lies somewhere between three bowel motions daily to one bowel motion every three days. However, it is important to remember that a change from three bowel motions a day to one every three days may represent a significant change for the patient, despite remaining within the normal limits (Peate, 2003). Mark felt he was constipated because he hadnt had a bowel movement in the last five days. On further questioning it emerged that these symptoms had been going on approximately 4 days before his surgery and when he did have a bowel movement he had difficulty passing the stools and often had to strain. Mark also stated that the stools were very hard and painful to pass, the symptoms that Mark presented with were consistent with the side effects of constipation, However the cause of constipation is multifactoriol with many influencing factors that need to be investigated and eliminated wherever possible (Banks,1998). In Marks case it was the analgesia he was taking to control his pain post operatively. During Marks assessment, enquiries were made as to whether he was experiencing any other symptoms with his constipation, such as blood in the stools, rectal bleeding and/or mucus discharge, recent weight loss, abdominal pain or alternating constipation/diarrhoea. Edwards and Bentley (2001) state that this is important during history taking as all of these symptoms are common of colon and rectal cancer and the possibility of this disease should be in the mind of the nurse looking after Mark. Mark assured the nurse that he hadnt experienced any of the symptoms mentioned although he did have a little discomfort in the area of his abdomen, lots of wind but no pain. If Mark had any of these symptoms the nurse would have to liase with the patients consultant. No medication would have been given by the nurse at this stage. This is because as a nurse, she is accountable for her actions and omissions (NMC, 2008). For example, if Mark was to have a bowel obstruction such as a tumour which is c ontra-indicated for most laxatives, and the nurse had prescribed such medication then Mark may believe he has been harmed by her careless prescribing. Additionally failure to refer a patient for more senior opinion is considered to fall below an acceptable standard of care (Griffith and Tengnah, 2004). It is important to ascertain how much dietary fibre and fluids are being taken by the patient as high fibre content is effective in increasing stool weight and bowel movement frequency, ultimately preventing constipation. Additionally, low fluid intake has been associated with constipation, slowing colonic transit time or reducing stool output (Walker, 1997). Current medication regimes, whether prescribed or purchased over the counter is essential information and can assist in identifying any drugs that may be responsible for causing constipation (Annells and Koch, 2002). Additionally, a history of medicine taking should include noting whether a patient has any allergies. For example, arachis oil enemas have a nut basis and may cause allergic reactions (Edwards and Bentley, 2001). Pre and post operatively Mark had been prescribed analgesics in the form of Paracetamol, codiene and ibuprofen for his pain. He had been taking these regularly daily. Mark wasnt taking any other medication, wasnt allergic to anything he knew of and hadnt purchased anything over the counter for his constipation. Opioids are a common cause of constipation and act by increasing intestinal smooth muscle tone, by suppressing forward peristalsis and reducing sensitivity to rectal distension. This results in delayed passage of faeces through the gut (Fallon and ONeil, 1998). Through assessment together with eliminating possible causes and sinister abnormalities, the nurse diagnosed Mark with constipation secondary to opioid use. Which Strategy/Product Where the patient complains of feeling constipated and is experiencing discomfort, a rectal examination (DRE) is indicated in order to detect a loaded rectum and to determine which choice of product to administer, and this will depend on the consistency of the stool found on examination (Edwards and Bentley 2001). Digital rectal examination (DRE) is an invasive procedure and should only be performed after completion of a full assessment of constipation. The Royal College of nursing guidelines (2006) recommend that nurses undertaking digital examination are appropriately trained. Furthermore consent to this procedure needs to be gained as outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) Further to examination, it emerged that no stools could be felt within the rectum. However, Edwards and Bently (2001) suggest that it is anatomically impossible to conclude that the rectum is empty through simple digital examination, as the length of the rectum is approximately 15cm and is th erefore beyond the reach of the longest index finger. Therefore due to Marks history, the preferred medical route will therefore guide the need to administer a laxative. Amongst the stimulant laxatives are senna and bisacodyl. These laxatives stimulate the intestinal mucosa, promoting the secretion of water and electrolytes, enourging peristalsis (Duncan, 2004). Timby et al (1999) recommend that stimulant laxatives be used only for short periods of time to allow normal bowel function to return as soon as possible as long term use may result in diarrhoea and hypokalaemia. However Marks constipation may remain for as long as he is using opioids or could re-occur. Therefore this type of laxative may not be sufficient. Osmotic laxatives act by retaining fluid within the bowel that they are administered to or by drawing fluid from the body. They include lactulose, macragols, magnesium salts, rectal phosphates and rectal sodium citrate (Peate, 2003). A phosphate enema would not be used in this case because this is usually used prior to radiology, endoscope and surgery for rapid bowel clearance. Additionally Mark stated he didnt want to go through having an enema, and would prefer something he could take orally. Lactulose is non-absorbable and acts by softening and increasing water absorption. This laxative may take up to 72 hours to act and bloating, flatulence, cramping and an unpleasant taste have all been reported side effects, (Banks, 1998). Additionally, lactulose may not be suitable in constipation where gut motility is impaired such as opioid use in Marks case, unless accompanied by a stimulant such as Senna. However, choosing a senna/lactulose combination, means that taken together they will act at different times (Edwards and Bently, 2001). However, evidence comparing different types of laxative is very limited. Nonetheless, a study was found comparing a low dose macragol with lactulose for the treatment of constipation. The treatment was 1-3 sachets of compound oral powder (movicol) versus 10-30g of lactulose daily. After 4 weeks patients in the movicol group had a mean number of stools and a lower median daily score for straining than the lactulose group (Attar et al, 1999).This concluded that movicol was more effective and better tolerated than lactulose in the treatment of constipation. This would then justify prescribing movicol for Mark, therefore increasing the frequency of bowel movements and reducing straining. However the Nurse had to get Marks doctor to prescribe Movicol as it is not listed in Patient group directive, so the nurse gave Mark 10mls of lactulose and 2 senna until this was prescribed. Negotiate contract In implementing the strategy the consent and agreement of the patient is paramount, and may be viewed as a shared contract between patient and nurse. This is known as concordance. It is important for nurses to adopt this approach to administering medication, as this directly involves patients in decision making about their treatment. It must be remembered that nurses owe a duty of care to their patients. Duty of care is a legal requirement owed by one person to another to take reasonable care not to cause harm. The courts have held that the nurse-patient relationship gives rise to such a duty (Kent v Griffiths, 2001). Additionally, common law decided from cases requires that nurses take care when prescribing, otherwise, a patient harmed by careless medicine administration can sue for damages by claiming negligence (Griffith and Tengnah, 2004). It is essential therefore that duty of care extends to quality of prescribing, including, assessment, advice and information giving, record ke eping, decision making along with medication selection and calculation, as well as communication with the patient and other professionals. The patient needs to know what is expected of them in carrying out the treatment plan and when the nurse needs to reassess the situation. Additionally the patient needs to know what the medication is for, how long it takes to work and how to take the product (Edwards and Bentley, 2001). In Marks case it was explained to him that he would be prescribed a product by the name of movicol for his constipation and evidence found on its appropriateness along with possible side effects for his condition was explained. He would receive 20 sachets with a view to taking 1-3 sachets a day. It was explained he would have to mix 1 sachet with 125ml of water (British National Formulary, BNF 2009) and the importance of drinking 2lts of fluid was explained along with the effects that movicol will have within his bowel. Mark was alerted to any know side effects of movicol as these could be alarming to the patient if that information is not given, for example, abdominal distension, pain and nausea. However this does not mean that Mark will experience any of these. Nonetheless, this information is essential and Mark was told to report any adverse effects to the nurse. Record keeping The NMC (2005) guidelines for records and record keeping, state that good record keeping is integral to our role as records are sometimes called in evidence in order to investigate a complaint. In light of this all details, including full assessment details, along with care plans which were both planned and executed, plans for review, and medications and prescriptions given, were all entered into Marks patient held records immediately. Additionally this was also recorded within notes in Nursing Notes. Marks own consultant was also informed of this information in order to assist with prescribing and also to avoid polypharmacy and adverse events from drug interactions. The nurse also ensured the drug card was signed as per NMC guidelines. Complementary Therapies Complementary therapies are treatments used to support regular or orthodox treatments such as medication. These treatments may be used to reduce stress and anxiety or may be used to help with problems such as pain, nausea and constipation. Abdominal massage has been shown to be effective as a marginally effective laxative regimen in one trial. However, massage is extremely demanding on staff time, and consequently is unlikely to be of widespread benefit to the patient. Acupuncture, One small within subject trial of sham versus true acupuncture showed some benefit in chronically constipated children, but acupuncture has never been tested for opioid-induced constipation. Herbal preparations such as Senna, a laxative, may be used as pods or a tea. Rhubarb stems (not the leaf, which contains poisonous oxalic acid), chrysanthemum stems, and peach leaves have laxative properties. Many preparations promoted as herbal or natural laxatives are in fact bulk forming preparations which should be avoided in opioid-induced constipation. However, if possible medication can be avoided as bowel movements may be facilitated if done at the same time every day, by mobility and physical activity, and increased dietary fibre and fluid intake. However, these approaches alone may not benefit all patients, especially those with severe constipation. Nevertheless, deficiencies in physical activity, and fluid and fibre intake should be addressed. Physical constraints and barriers should also be rectified, and commonsense toilet practices should be reinforced, such as not suppressing the urge to defecate, and using public washrooms if out of the house rather than waiting to return home. Summary The above account highlights that in the clinical management of medicine administration, it is vital that this is undertaken in an informed and systematic manner. This can be achieved through the selection and application of an assessment tool and by having clarity about the decision-making framework used to underpin Evidence Based Practice. The NMC emphasises that the administration of medicines is an integral and essential entry criteria for the Councils Professional Register (NMC, 2008). Furthermore, the Code of Professional Conduct clearly states that medication administration must not be seen solely as a mechanistic task but as a task that requires thought and the exercise of professional judgement (NMC, 2008). For nurses to practice competently, they must ensure that they possess the knowledge, skills and abilities required for lawful, safe and effective practice. They must acknowledge their professional competence and only undertake practice and accept responsibilities for those activities in which they are competent (NMC, 2008). The NMC guidelines of professional conduct (2008) require that nurses must maintain knowledge and competence. This can partly be achieved by the use of reflection on prescribing and administrating decisions. Word Count 3012 References Annells M Koch T (2002) Faecal impaction: Older peoples experiences and nursing practice. British Journal of Community Nursing. 7 (3)118-126 Banks A (1998) An overview of constipation: causes and treatment. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 4 (6) 271-275. Duncan J (2004) The management of constipation by nurse prescribers. Nurse prescribing 2 (2) 66-69. Edwards M Bentley A (2001) Nursing management of constipation in housebound older people. British Journal of Community Nursing, 6 (5) 245-252. Fallon M, ONeil (1998) ABC of Palliative Care. London, BMJ books. Griffith R, Tengnah C (2004) A question of negligence: the law and the standard of prescribing. Nurse Prescribing 2 (2) 90-92. Hardy, D., Smith, B. (2008) Decision Making in Clinical Practice. British Journal of Anaesthetic Recovery Nursing. Vol. 9 (1), pp. 19-21 Humphries J (2002) Assessment and evaluation in nurse prescribing, 2nd ed Palgrave, Hampshire. Kent v Griffiths (2001) QB 36 IN Griffith R, Tengnah C (2004) A question of negligence: the law and the standard of prescribing. Nurse Prescribing 2 (2) 90-92. Kyle, G. (2007) Bowel care, part 5 a practical guide to digital rectal examination. Nursing Times; 103: 45, 28-29. Nursing and Midwifery council (2008) Guidelines for records and record keeping. London. Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2008) The Code: Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. London, NMC. Wondergerm F (2005) Relieving constipation. Journal of community nursing, 5 12-16 Peate I (2003) Nursing role in the management of constipation: use of laxatives. British Journal of Nursing. 12 (19) 1130-1136. RCN (2006) Digital Rectal Examination and Manual Removal of Faeces: Guidance for Nurses. London: RCN Timby B, Schere J, Smith N (1999) Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing. 7th edn. , Philadelphia, Lippincott. Walker R (1997) Diagnosis and treatment of constipation. Practice Nursing 8 (4) 20-22

Water Pollutions Causes Effect And Solution Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Pollutions Causes Effect And Solution Environmental Sciences Essay Although industrialization plays an important role in developing the economics of a country, we cannot overlook the causes and effects that it brings to the society and environment, particular in water pollution. Therefore, in order to alleviate and eliminate the serious impact of water pollution, we have to know well about the causes and effects of water pollution in order to find the best solution to tackle this issue. In this essay, we are going to present the most significant cause and effect of water pollution and ways to solve this problem. There are several factors behind which cause the water pollution. One of the major causes is the waste from the industries. It is so common that most of the industries seem consider that the sea or rivers is a good place for them to dump the waste. Those wastes contain very harmful substances which cause the sea and rivers become poison. Another main reason that leads to the water pollution is sewage. Sewage is a kind of waste such as faeces or dirty water from home or factories which flows away through sewers. It happens since those people do not want to live in a polluted area or dumpsite. For example, most developing countries carry those sewages to water while most developed countries have flush toilet which can take sewage quickly away from their houses. Moreover, sometime sewage is drained directly to the rivers or sea which has bad effect to the human and diversity in marine life. Last but not least, oil pollution is also the major reason of water pollution. Today, oil polluti on becomes a serious problem to concern. Sometime, oil spill is spilled accidentally; however, most of the ships spill it to the sea on purpose. The spread of oil cause a serious problem to be worried due to the fact that it makes lots of pollution and death to all kind of species in the sea. For example, the biggest oil spill in Alaska which 44 million litter of oil were release into the pristine wilderness killed many species in the sea. Several animals were killed and several billion of fish were destroyed. (Wood ford Chris, 2006). In short, waste from industries, sewage, and oil pollution are the major causes that need to be concerned. There are two main negative effects that are caused by the industrial water pollution that mostly occurred in the industrialized countries and developing countries. First of all, water pollution effects on the human health. When the water that people consume for daily life become pollutant, it will effect directly on their health and lives. Commonly, people in over the world must need water in order to support their lives, but if the drinking water contain lots of chemical substances such as phosphates, sulfuric acid, acids, toxic metals, oil, pesticides, it will caused many serious diseases on their lives and health such as diarrhea, hepatitis, dysentery, cholera, blood disease, etc. (Chandramita, 2012). For example, people and mostly children who drink the water that contain chemical substance like Nitrates, they will face a risk to their health and death. Moreover, when people eat fish or food that takes from the water which contain pollutants, they will get sick. Lastly, water po llution effects on the marine lives and aquatic plants as well. Because when the industrial wastes flow through the sewage pipe into the river or lake, they can impact on the aquatic plants and marine lives that live at there. For common example, many species of fish need a minimum of 4-5 mg of dissolved oxygen so as to survive, otherwise, if the water contains chemical substances, those fish will die or reduce reproductive output and decrease the quantity. (Environmental Engineering Solution, 2008). In addition, the oil spilled is one another important that effect on the aquatic plants and marine lives. For example, there are many ships that spill the oil into the ocean or river, thus, the large number of marine lives die every year. Moreover, the aquatic plants like seaweed cannot grow in the polluted water as well. Prevention is better than cure. The best possible way ever to alleviate and eliminate water pollution from industries is prevention. First of all, Industry should clean up their waste before disposing it. In elaborate, they should have a proper check on the type of the waste that they are going to dispose of and segregate the harmful and non-harmful waste. Then, they have to clean up the non-harmful sewage before sending it to the sewage and dispose the toxic chemical waste properly. By doing these, it will help to decrease the polluted level of chemical material that is needed in production when they dispose it into water (Asaff, 2012). Second of all, In order to protect our water from being polluted, we have to ensure that the water protection act has its proven effect and to enforce the law of water protection; Clean Water Act for example, in order to raise the awareness of the public and restrict the industry from doing whatever they want without concerning on the effect of their action (Natural Resources Defense Council, n.d.). Last but not least, since oil is considered as one of the deadly water pollution, industry should get rid of such problem by having a regular check on their machine in order to prevent the leakage that is stemmed by the improper usage or machine breakdown. Furthermore, factory has to properly disposed the oil that they use and clean up all of the that is resulted by oil leaks (Asaff, 2012). In Conclusion, if the suggested solution above is fully implemented, water pollution will be alleviated. As a result, the world will be a better place to live in and less pollution will be harmful to all living things on Earth. References: Chandramita, B. (2012). Industrial water pollution. Water pollution solutions. Retrieved from: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/industrial-water-pollution.html Environmental Engineering Solution. (2008). Human health vis-a-vis degradation of global environment. Retrieved from: http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/05/human-health-vis-vis-degradation-of.html Natural Resources Defense Council. (n.d.). Promoting water efficiency. Retrieved December 19, 2012 from: http://www.nrdc.org/water/ Sarabeth A. (2012). How to stop water pollution. Retrieved December 19, 2012 from: http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Identify_the_Cause_of_Greenhouse_Effect

Sunday, August 4, 2019

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers

Introduction The book I read and analyzed was â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R.R. Tolkein. I shall discuss the plot and character development, setting, author’s style and my opinions about it. Plot Development There are too many characters in the story and so it is hard to follow and know each one of them. (There are many dwarves and it’s confusing.) In the beginning there is an introduction where the author tells a bit about what is a hobbit and the hobbit’s (Bilbo) family. It is not very complicated and the author makes it easy to understand. This introduction gives the general background, which makes the story easier to understand, for the plot and its development. The plot development in the middle is not complicated and easy to follow. It can even be summarized in a few sentences. The ending is expected since the author gives hints about it. As in the introduction when he says that the hobbit would gain something, this means that he will not die. Then, the reader is not kept in suspense and does not expect to see what happens at the end. The last climax (or what is supposed to be the climax) takes a long time to occur (the last fight—good (men, elves, dwarves & eagles) vs. evil (wargs & goblins)) and this reduces its effectiveness. After the climax there is the long return home. It is quite boring since there is nothing to expect to and the reader knows that the hobbit would get home safely. In my opinion it should have been shorter. Character Development The creation of the characters is done by their dialogues and monologues, actions and things noted by the narrator (the author in this case) himself. An example for dialogue: â€Å"All the same, I should like it all plain and clear, also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses...† (by Bilbo, page 22, it shows that he is not ready to jump into things so quickly). An example for a monologue: â€Å"Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself...† (by Thorin, page 210, it shows Thorin’s style). A good example for action is when Thorin blocked the Gate in the mountain that shows the reader that the treasure is important to Thorin and he rather die than giving it away. An example for notes by the author: â€Å"You are familiar with Thorin’s style on important occasions...† (page 210) the author talks directly to the reader and helps him understand the text. Each character has a physical description. The length and content of the description increase as the character importance to the plot increases (e.g., the hobbit has very long descriptions

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Essay --

Role of renewable energy sources in environmental protection. Munthir ALMoslem Student # 1001020682 Course: EES1100 Date: 9th December 2013 Area of interests The Saudi Arabia economy is highly dependent on oil exports; the country has approximately â€Å"one-fifth of the world's proven oil reserves, and it is the largest producer and exporter of oil†, producing 12 million barrels per day (Saudi Arabia Country Profile, 2013). Saudi Arabia is the biggest consumer of oil in the Middle East; in 2009, the country was ranked as the world’s 13th highest consumer of energy, of which about 60 percent was petroleum-based and the other 40 percent was natural gas (Saudi Arabia Country Profile, 2013). From all the accessible sources, the current capacity of producing energy in Saudi Arabia is about 55 gigawatts and grows by 3 gigawatts annually (Alaindroos & He, 2012). The Saudi Arabian government invests about 1,125 billion dollars to cater to its energy needs between now and 2018 (Alaindroos & He, 2012). In the year 2009 alone, the country used about 100 million barrels of oil to produce energy and this implies that they consume one q uarter of all their oil in domestic uses. The demand for electricity in Saudi Arabia is estimated to increase by 70 GW in the next twenty years (Saudi Arabia Country Profile, 2013). The current dependence on unsustainable energy sources has a different effect on the environment due to gases they emit into the atmosphere. If the country fully implements the use of sustainable sources of energy, it will help to expand the use of energy for security purposes. The use of sustainable sources of energy would lead to reduced emissions of greenhouse gases, effluents and other wastes that have a negative im... ...s. Environment, 37(9): 6-15. Maithani, P. (2008). Renewable Energy in the Global Context. New York: Concept Publishing Company. Mani. (2013). Saudi Arabia Invests $109B To Meet 1/3 Energy Needs From Renewables. ValueWalk. Retrieved from http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/07/saudi-arabia-invests-109b/ Nogee , A . , Clemmer, S. , Donovan, D. ,& Deyette, J. (2002). Clean Energy Blueprint: Increasing Energy Security, Saving Money, and Protecting the Environment with Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 22(2): 100-109. Olivier, J. , Janssens-Maenhout , G. , Muntean, M. ,& Peters, J. (2013) . Trends in global CO2 emissions: 2013 Report. Retrieved from http://www.pbl.nl/sites/default/files/cms/publicaties/pbl-2013-trends-in-global-co2-emissions-2013-report-1148.pdf Saudi Arabia Country Profile. (2013). Environmental Analysis. MEED

Friday, August 2, 2019

An After Thought of Short Stories

Was he trying to tell us something that we already knew but were to blind to see? Well when I read the quote I immediately thought of two short stories After the Sirens by Hugh Hood, and Here There Be Tygers by Ray Bradbury. When reading these two pieces of material one can easily decipher that there is no validity to conflicts that end in death because then no one wins. In both of these stories the authors have depicted their philosophy on chaos and disaster even though it was not said in those exact words. Therefore, because the two stories have no relation there is a contrast in the message being sent to us. This specific quote by Jefferson creates a mood for the readers to kind of set the setting for the whole idea of disaster. When using settings the authors are very careful to include certain details that will help the reader to picture in there mind what exactly is taking place. Hugh Hood did a very good job at this when he wrote the short story After the Sirens. This particular story took place at 4:45 in the morning, in North America somewhere close to New York City. Hood set several moods throughout the story such as frustration, panic, confusion and hysteria to allow the reader to feel what the characters felt. In Here There Be Tygers Ray Bradbury set the time frame to a futuristic point of view on Planet 7 of star system 84. In this particular short story Bradbury describes the planet in great detail giving the reader a feel for the great beauty of the wonderland referred to as a planet. One of the characters decides that he wants to use the planet to his benefit and then get the hell out of there, but as he soon finds out things do not exactly go as he plans. Therefore one can tell that the setting is one of the most important characteristics of a story of any kind. A character is a person involved in a play, story, etc used to create personality. In After the Sirens the father of the family was made the main character and was portrayed as a hero like figure. He knows exactly what to do and how to handle the situation. He stays calm in order to save his family from any major damage. Another of the main characters was the wife. She was the exact opposite of the husband in the fact that she was totally hysterical. She added to the panic and allowed the reader to feel what she was feeling. Other characters in the story included the baby who did not really play a significant role in the whole idea, and the news broadcaster. The news broadcaster was also filled with a huge amount of hysteria and panic and set the whole mood for the reader. In the story Here There Be Tygers the main character was an uncaring, selfish man named Chatterton. He was more concerned of what he could get from the planet than the good the planet could do for him. Some of the changes that occurred with this character include the major fact that he dies due to his rude and careless behavior that caused the planet to take action and kill him. Other characters that had some what of a significant role include; Driscoll, the man who stayed on the planet after he took a great liking to it, then there was Captain Forester the leader of the whole expedition, and lastly Koestler who was basically just a follower along for the work and not really noticed a great deal. Theme is the whole topic or idea that the author chooses to illustrate to the reader. The message that Hugh Hood while writing After the Sirens was sending to his reader was basically that war is pointless, no one wins and no one looses and the innocent bystanders are always the ones to get caught in the middle. Some specific quotes that Hood included in the reading were: Over in half an hour, and nobody won, as well as How many died asked the father. Everybody in the area, almost no exceptions. Youre a statistic now, thats what you are.. Lastly Hood said that They were the seventh, eighth, and ninth living persons to be brought there after the sirens.. Ray Bradburys main message that he was trying to send in Here There Be Tygers was that we should respect planets even if they dont belong to us. There is no point to destroying it because soon enough there wont be anything left to destroy and then where does that leave you Some particular Quotes used were I have to much respect for other worlds to treat them the way you want to as well as the idea suggested by Forester the perhaps the planet was a woman waiting for visitors for millions of years. Preparing herself, making herself beautiful, and putting on her best face. When Chatterton treated her badly, she warned him a few times, and then when he tried to ruin her beauty she eliminated him. In conclusion one can see that the whole idea that was sent by each author was not said exactly in the words most were looking for but described through the theme to send out a message to each reader. Simply by pointing out certain topics such as setting, character and theme to help get the point across can prove the contrast between stories. Basically the events that occurred throughout each story most certainly have become clearer pointing out the setting and how it changes and the moods it sends to the reader. As well the character area points out the protagonist and how he/she changes and some of the other significant characters. Lastly, the theme part of the idea explains more clearly the authors purpose and certain quotes, ideas and messages that he wrote to help the reader to understand it better. In conclusion one can see that it helps a reader to understand short storys, novels etc when such topics as setting, character and theme can be clearly stated.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Small Bussnes Ganha

Tourism accommodation business owners indicated factors such as maintaining lifestyle, being their own bosses, capitalizing on a business opportunity, generation of retirement income influence the decision to own/operate a small tourism accommodation businesses. These variables can be categorized as non-economic and economic factors. It was found that though the owners were motivated by commercial enterprise goals, these are subordinated to the pursuit of socially driven lifestyle motivation factors.Small tourism accommodation business owners in Ghana perceive the non- availability of skilled hospitality personnel and limited access to structured capitalist training programmed as the greatest challenge facing their industry. Key Words: Ghana, Small Tourism accommodation businesses, motivations, challenges INTRODUCTION Ghana has designated its tourism industry as one of the new growth sectors for economic development, employment generation and poverty reduction in its development fram ework document (growth and poverty reduction strategy (GAPS II, 2005).This development framework recognizes the tourism industry in Ghana as a growing, vibrant and dynamic one with a great potential for job creation. Ghana, like many sub-Sahara countries, has primarily an agrarian economy and produces few exportable services. Tourism has been identified as one area that can bring improvements in the services sector of the economy. In recent years there has been an expansion of investments in the tourism industry, especially the small tourism accommodation businesses sector.The total number of registered tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana as at 201 2 was 1,838. Compared to 420 and 1992. Of the 1838 hotel stock as at 2012, 69% can be classified as small tourism accommodation enterprises based on guestroom capacity of 15. Currently tourism is the fourth-largest foreign-exchange earner in Ghana after old and cocoa and foreign remittances. International tourist arrivals rose from 698,069 in 2008 to I in 201 1 with corresponding receipts from LOS$ 1. 4 Billion to CSS$ 2. Billion respectively, while direct and indirect jobs created by the sector increased from 234, 679 to 330, 514 during the period (GTAG, 2012). The government of Ghana acknowledges that accommodation businesses sector is an important part Of the Ghana tourism industry (NNTP, 1995) and has identified tourism accommodation businesses as catalysts for tourism development and by extension for the economic growth of the country as he industry is a major source of income and employment. The accommodation business sector in Ghana is 1 00 percent private sector owned and it characterized by many independent businesses.According to a recent survey, 69% of all tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana have less than 15 guestrooms and 88% of all tourism 2223-XX Copyright: 0 2014 AUGHT – Open Access- Online @ http//: accommodation businesses have less than 25 guestrooms and only 3 percent of these tourism accommodation businesses have more than 50 rooms (Mechanics, 2011; GET, 2012). The tourism accommodation businesses landscape fleets a large number of lower rated businesses, especially those in the budget category, 68%, which are typically small family owned and operated establishments.The rapid growth in the number of small tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana and the role they play in the promotion of tourism makes it imperative for a better understanding of the drivers in the sector. Interestingly, worldwide the tourism and hospitality industries are characterized by many small firms but generally, research in the tourism accommodation business sector has focused mostly on large tourism accommodation business chains. Invariably, not much research attention has been given to small independent especially those in developing countries such as Ghana.Although there is a growing body of high quality small business literature, much of it is general and few studies have foc used on small businesses (Thomas, 1998). Majority of research on small firms has focused on the personal attributes, motivations and practices of entrepreneurs and other economic and socio-demographic factors that affect small firms in general. It is generally acknowledged that sector differences play an important part in explaining the operations of small genuineness (Thomas, 1998) and the tourism accommodation business sector will benefit from such recognition with a sector focused research.Whiles many tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana can generally be classified as small firms, they have peculiar characteristics that need to be given an adequate amount of attention if we are to get a better understanding of how they operate. This paper examines the motivations and challenges of small tourism accommodation business owners in Ghana to get a better understanding of these factors. The outcome of the research will offer policy makers insights can influence their support aerogr amme for an efficient development of the tourism industry.LITERATURE REVIEW Defining Small Tourism accommodation businesses Morrison (1996) argues that traditionally the tourism industry has been dominated by small businesses and this still remains true. Globally, a common feature of businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry is that greater percentages, (95 percent), are small firms (See, Curran 1 996; Ashley and Rawson, 2006). This assertion holds in Ghana where 97 percent of all tourism firms are classified as small (NNTP, 2012).Small tourism accommodation businesses are a component of small tourism and capitalist firms, which can be classified as small businesses. However, what constitutes a small business is a major challenge in the SEEM (small and medium enterprises) literature (Curran & Storey, 1993). This is acknowledged by Morrison, (1996) who states that the term small businessmen is a difficult one to define. To date, there is no agreement in the literature about how small firms should be defined.The heterogeneity of small firms, their characteristics and global variety has led to it being defined in several ways. Storey (1994) concluded that there is no single, uniformly acceptable definition of a small firm. Several researchers have made significant efforts at defining small firms (See for example, Marked 1983; Gangly 1 985; Curran and Blackburn 1 991 ; GOES 1991; storey 1 994; Thomas 1 AAA, Addressed 1 999; Decker, Schaefer and Blander, 2006) but there is no consensus on these definitions. Existence of the numerous definitions of small firms has been attributed to the failure of most research to adequately identify the nature Of small firms leading to 2 various definitions being used in different research contexts. Storey (1994) is of the view that these various grounded define actions have been used according to he particular sector, geographic or other contexts in which the small firm is being examined. Curran et al. 1986:3) refer to th e â€Å"great deal of agonizing over the issue of definition by small businesses by researchers such as Bolton (1971 Banks and Cone (1983); and Curran and Stonewort (1 984), from which no satisfactory solutions have emerged†. One reason for such diverse definitions relates to size and sector differences of small firms. Definitions at sector level which relate quantitative measures Of size, such as number of employees, sales turnover, profitability and net worth, may mean that in some sectors all firms may be regarded as small, while in other sectors there are possibly no firms which are small.Burns (2001, p 8) argues, â€Å"being a small firm is not just about size defined in simple statistical terms and that small firms also have other important defining characteristics†. These need to be considered to have a full appreciation of a small firm. Existing literature on tourism and hospitality are not clear on definitions of small tourism and hospitality firm leading to v arious definitions being considered by various researches.Curran & Storey (1993) in making a case for defining small ours and hospitality firms differently, stated that though studies of small firms in the tourism and hospitality industry reflect a liberal usage of the term small firma to that found in the general small business literature it is important to highlight the principal features of these definitions as they affect tourism and hospitality firms. There is the opinion that service firms are better understood if their distinctiveness from manufacturing firms is recognized (Voss et al. 1988). The definition of small tourism and hospitality firms therefore must be informed by a consideration of what makes small tourism ND hospitality firms different from other small enterprises. The above notwithstanding, in developing a definition for small tourism and hospitality firms, which includes small (STABs), it is important that the definition be both comparable to other industries, while at the same time reflecting the unique characteristics of the tourism and hospitality industry (Morrison and Conway 2007).Beaver (2002) is of similar view and states that small firm definitions may need to incorporate the specific nature and context of respective industrial sectors if they are to be meaningful. Although defining small tourism and capitalist firms along tangible measures such as number of rooms and employees are essential, the intangible and qualitative features inherent in small firm ownership and management in general and at sector levels also needs some consideration if a meaningful definition is to be derived (Burns, 2001). Small Bussnes Ganha Tourism accommodation business owners indicated factors such as maintaining lifestyle, being their own bosses, capitalizing on a business opportunity, generation of retirement income influence the decision to own/operate a small tourism accommodation businesses. These variables can be categorized as non-economic and economic factors. It was found that though the owners were motivated by commercial enterprise goals, these are subordinated to the pursuit of socially driven lifestyle motivation factors.Small tourism accommodation business owners in Ghana perceive the non- availability of skilled hospitality personnel and limited access to structured capitalist training programmed as the greatest challenge facing their industry. Key Words: Ghana, Small Tourism accommodation businesses, motivations, challenges INTRODUCTION Ghana has designated its tourism industry as one of the new growth sectors for economic development, employment generation and poverty reduction in its development fram ework document (growth and poverty reduction strategy (GAPS II, 2005).This development framework recognizes the tourism industry in Ghana as a growing, vibrant and dynamic one with a great potential for job creation. Ghana, like many sub-Sahara countries, has primarily an agrarian economy and produces few exportable services. Tourism has been identified as one area that can bring improvements in the services sector of the economy. In recent years there has been an expansion of investments in the tourism industry, especially the small tourism accommodation businesses sector.The total number of registered tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana as at 201 2 was 1,838. Compared to 420 and 1992. Of the 1838 hotel stock as at 2012, 69% can be classified as small tourism accommodation enterprises based on guestroom capacity of 15. Currently tourism is the fourth-largest foreign-exchange earner in Ghana after old and cocoa and foreign remittances. International tourist arrivals rose from 698,069 in 2008 to 1 in 201 1 with corresponding receipts from ISIS 1. 4 Billion to CSS$ 2. Billion respectively, while direct and indirect jobs created by the sector increased from 234, 679 to 330, 514 during the period (GTAG, 2012). The government of Ghana acknowledges that accommodation businesses sector is an important part Of the Ghana tourism industry (NNTP, 1995) and has identified tourism accommodation businesses as catalysts for tourism development and by extension for the economic growth of the country as he industry is a major source of income and employment. The accommodation business sector in Ghana is 1 00 percent private sector owned and it characterized by many independent businesses.According to a recent survey, 69% of all tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana have less than 15 guestrooms and 88% of all tourism 2223-XX Copyright: 0 2014 AUGHT – Open Access- Online @ http//: accommodation businesses have less than 25 guestrooms and only 3 percent of these tourism accommodation businesses have more than 50 rooms (Mechanics, 2011; GET, 2012). The tourism accommodation businesses landscape fleets a large number of lower rated businesses, especially those in the budget category, 68%, which are typically small family owned and operated establishments.The rapid growth in the number of small tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana and the role they play in the promotion of tourism makes it imperative for a better understanding of the drivers in the sector. Interestingly, worldwide the tourism and hospitality industries are characterized by many small firms but generally, research in the tourism accommodation business sector has focused mostly on large tourism accommodation business chains. Invariably, not much research attention has been given to small independent especially those in developing countries such as Ghana.Although there is a growing body of high quality small business literature, much of it is general and few studies have foc used on small businesses (Thomas, 1998). Majority of research on small firms has focused on the personal attributes, motivations and practices of entrepreneurs and other economic and socio-demographic factors that affect small firms in general. It IS generally acknowledged that sector differences play an important part in explaining the operations of small genuineness (Thomas, 1 998) and the tourism accommodation business sector will benefit from such recognition with a sector focused research.Whiles many tourism accommodation businesses in Ghana can generally be classified as small firms, they have peculiar characteristics that need to be given an adequate amount of attention if we are to get a better understanding of how they operate. This paper examines the motivations and challenges of small tourism accommodation business owners in Ghana to get better understanding of these factors. The outcome of the research will offer policy makers insights can influence heir support programm ed for an efficient development of the tourism industry.LITERATURE REVIEW Defining Small Tourism accommodation businesses Morrison (1996) argues that traditionally the tourism industry has been dominated by small businesses and this still remains true. Globally, a common feature of businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry is that greater percentages, (95 percent), are small firms (See, Curran 1 996; Lassies and Rawson, 2006). This assertion holds in Ghana where 97 percent of all tourism firms are classified as small (NNTP, 2012).Small tourism accommodation businesses re a component of small tourism and hospitality firms, which can be classified as small businesses. However, what constitutes a small business is a major challenge in the SEEM (small and medium enterprises) literature (Curran & Storey, 1993). This is acknowledged by Morrison, (1996) who states that the term small business; is a difficult one to define. To date, there is no agreement in the literature about how small firms should be defined.The heterogeneity of small firms, their characteristics and global variety has led to it being defined in several ways. Storey (1994) concluded that there is no ingle, uniformly acceptable definition of a small firm. Several researchers have made significant efforts at defining small firms (See for example, Marked 1983; Gangly 1 985; Curran and Blackburn 1 991 ; GOES 1991; storey 1 994; Thomas 1 AAA, Addressed 1 999; Decker, Schaefer and Blander, 2006) but there is no consensus on these definitions. Existence of the numerous definitions of small firms has been attributed to the failure of most research to adequately identify the nature Of small firms leading to 2 various definitions being used in different research contexts. Storey (1994) is of the IEEE that these various groundedÃ'Å¡ define actions have been used according to the particular sector, geographic or other contexts in which the small firm is being examined. Curran et al. 1986:3) refer to t he â€Å"great deal of agonizing over the issue of definition by small businesses by researchers such as Bolton (1971 Banks and Cone (1983); and Curran and Stonewort (1 984), from which no satisfactory solutions have emerged†. One reason for such diverse definitions relates to size and sector differences of small firms. Definitions at sector level which relate quantitative measures Of size, such as number of employees, sales remover, profitability and net worth, may mean that in some sectors all firms may be regarded as small, while in other sectors there are possibly no firms which are small.Burns (2001, p 8) argues, â€Å"being a small firm is not just about size defined in simple statistical terms and that small firms also have other important defining characteristics†. These need to be considered to have a full appreciation of a small firm. Existing literature on tourism and hospitality are not clear on definitions of small tourism and hospitality firm leading to v arious definitions being considered by various researches.Curran & Storey (1993) in making a case for defining small tourism and hospitality firms differently, stated that though studies of small firms in the tourism and hospitality industry reflect a liberal usage of the term small firma to that found in the general small business literature it is important to highlight the principal features of these definitions as they affect tourism and hospitality firms. There is the opinion that service firms are better understood if their distinctiveness from manufacturing firms is recognized (Voss et al. 1988). The definition of small tourism and hospitality firms Hereford must be informed by a consideration of what makes small tourism and hospitality firms different from other small enterprises. The above notwithstanding, in developing a definition for small tourism and hospitality firms, which includes small (STABs), it is important that the definition be both comparable to other industrie s, while at the same time reflecting the unique characteristics of the tourism and hospitality industry (Morrison and Conway 2007).Beaver (2002) is of similar view and states that small firm definitions may need to incorporate the specific nature and context of respective industrial sectors if they are to be meaningful. Although defining small tourism and hospitality firms along tangible measures such as number of rooms and employees are essential, the intangible and qualitative features inherent in small firm ownership and management in general and at sector levels also needs some consideration if a meaningful definition is to be derived (Burns, 2001).Such intangible and qualitative features include lifestyle business motivations that have been identified in relation to micro and small-scale tourism firms (Locker and Morrison, 1999; Buick et al. , 2000; Get and Carlson, 2000; Kampala, 2004). From this perspective, qualitative social rewards may be priorities over those of a quantit atively defined economic nature (Appleton et al. , 2004). Thus, Morrison and Conway (2007) argue that any meaningful definition of small tourism and hospitality firms need the recognition, justification and combination of the associated quantifiable and qualified features.