Brand Community Consumers and the Culture Pertaining

Question: Talk about theBrand Community for Consumers and the Culture Pertaining. Answer: Presentation: The brand networks will in general emerge out of combination between the brand, the shoppers and the way of life relating to the purchasers. As far as elements, brand networks are hard to be assessed and characterized onto. On most events, what is seen to be brand networks attributable to the innate arrangement of properties that are indistinguishable from that of brand networks, however end up being progressively similar to being subcultures or interest networks. The brands trademark sign or images will in general go about as a totem for representing a network that has emerged out of that brand. The ideas concerning the qualities and definitions relating to mark networks will in general have anthropological and sociological roots because of the likenesses among them and the ancestral networks. Conversation: The brand network, in contrast to that of an ancestral network, isn't reliant upon the geological separations of its individuals. In this manner, the congruity of the presence of the network isn't reliant upon the network individuals quick environmental factors. Additionally, there is scarcely discernible difference that separates between the brand fan and the brand network. The utilization or utilization of a specific brand is viewed as the measures as far as a brand lover (Goh, Heng and Lin 2013). Be that as it may, so as to turn into an individual from a brand network, a shopper requires having connection relating to individual fans of a similar brand. In this way, it tends to be understood that brand lover isn't like that of being a brand fan. Be that as it may, it is essential for being a brand network part that the part is brand devotee. Social communications and the connections framed out of deference and energy for a specific brand, regardless of the network having highlights, for example, sparsed or topographically non-bound, can be considered as Brand Community (Jeong, Ha and Lee 2016). In addition, it can likewise be noticed that likeminded appreciates relating to a similar brand, notwithstanding having restricted or unimportant social collaboration among one another are translated to be affectionate as a feeling of network. Further, Marzocchi, Morandin and Bergami (2013) guaranteed that if there should be an occurrence of brand network, the affiliations relating to the brand is central to any type of mutual communication between its individuals. With regards to assessing the level of arrangement among subcultures and brand networks, it is construed that subcultures keep on having longer life cycle periods when contrasted with brand network. For example, the way of life relating to utilizing airplanes as a methods for coordinations and transportation will not stop to exist notwithstanding Boeing confronting chapter 11 or liquidation. It very well may be seen that the distinctive social figuration emerging out of segment factors, subcultures, brand network and expert systems and so forth will in general cover (Kuo and Feng 2013). This is inferable from the way that a brand network part has a certain demographical highlights, (for example, male or female), and can be ascribed to subcultures also, (for example, being a skydiving lover). The conformance to standard belief system can be understood to be a pertinent trademark relating to the brand network (Skln, Pace and Cova 2015). In addition, such conformance is a critical boundary at recognizing whether a social gathering or adherent of a specific brand can be understood as a brand network. For example, an energetic Nike lover must have comparing for sports or sound way of life. In the above outline, being a lover can't be understood to being an individual from brand network of Nike except if the standard belief system of having a fit way of life is available. The ongoing scattering relating to attributes of brand network have recognized a few factors that were neglected in past scholarly world explores. The qualities that are by and by credited to mark network can be grouped into overseeing, stressing, supporting, reporting and commoditizing among different properties (Zhang et al. 2013). Be that as it may, as far as traits, such properties will in general be comprehensive of social networks and not especially limited to mark networks. In this way, a network that contains previously mentioned qualities can't be interpreted as brand network. Images assume a noteworthy job in recognizable proof of a specific brand network, similarly as they do as far as distinguishing social networks (Skln, Pace and Cova 2015). For example, a cross may speak to the Christian people group, though then again an apple may speak to the Apple Corporations people group. Along these lines, social markers that are partaken if there should arise an occurrence of brand network individuals. In addition, it can likewise be surmised that the presence relating to the brand stops to exist once the brand gets nonexistent. The elements relating to the brands are with the end goal that the advertising branch of the brand needs to invest in extra amounts of energy to guarantee that the brand network is supported. So as to fortify the relationship relating to the cohesiveness among brand and network individuals, the job of top-level administration and advertising group stays appropriate. Fortifying of brand network can be helpful in various manners, the esse ntial factor being that a solid brand network can respond into upgraded income producing capacity. Different reasons can be maintainability of a shopper base that are exceptionally faithful to the brand and whose ways of life has been entwined with the items that the brand offers. In addition, brand networks can be understood as an impression of guiding principle relating to the general public in general and goes about as portrayal of prevailing belief systems that are predominant in the general public. In any case, it is pertinent to take note of the way that the brands that take into account enormous arrangement of purchaser portions are less persevering through that those taking into account little specialty sections. In this way, the manageability of brand network is reliant upon the situating that the brand as of now has or tries to have. End: The current examination shows the distinctive arrangement of elements that can be ascribed to development of brand network. The inference of brand network has emerged out of different components essential among them being energy for the brand, arrangement to standard belief systems and so forth. Besides, it very well may be seen that there are covers as far as social parts. This is as in a brand network part will in general be have sure demographical highlights. In addition, such part can likewise be followed to be a member in sub-societies. Its applicable to take note of the way that brand situating is pertinent for presence of brand network. References and Bibliography: Brodie, R.J., 2017. Discourse on Working purchasers: Co-making of brand character, shopper personality, and brand network identity.Journal of Business Research,70, pp.430-431. Brodie, R.J., Ilic, A., Juric, B. also, Hollebeek, L., 2013. Purchaser commitment in a virtual brand network: An exploratory analysis.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.105-114. Goh, K.Y., Heng, C.S. also, Lin, Z., 2013. Online networking brand network and customer conduct: Quantifying the overall effect of client and advertiser produced content.Information Systems Research,24(1), pp.88-107. Jeong, S.W., Ha, S. also, Lee, K.H., 2016. Effects of Community Commitment on Brand Equity Creation in Company-Initiated Online Brand Communities.Fashion, Industry and Education,14(1), pp.31-39. Kuo, Y.F. also, Feng, L.H., 2013. Connections among network communication attributes, saw benefits, network responsibility, and oppositional brand unwaveringness in online brand communities.International Journal of Information Management,33(6), pp.948-962. Marzocchi, G., Morandin, G. also, Bergami, M., 2013. Brand people group: faithful to the network or the brand?.European Journal of Marketing,47(1/2), pp.93-114. Skln, P., Pace, S. furthermore, Cova, B., 2015. Firm-brand network esteem co-creation as arrangement of practices.European Journal of Marketing,49(3/4), pp.596-620. Zhang, N., Zhou, Z.M., Su, C.T. furthermore, Zhou, N., 2013. How do various kinds of network responsibility impact brand duty? The intercession of brand attachment.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking,16(11), pp.836-842.

Mergers and Acquisitions: American Airlines Merges With Rival US Airways Essay

Effective partnerships in business are continually looking for changed approaches to improve their situation in their particular territories of activity. Mergers and acquisitions have been demonstrated to be an approach to do only that. A merger is basically characterized as two organizations joining to make another organization, while a procurement happens when one organization through and through buys another organization. Mergers and Acquisitions are considered as the significant development procedure for organizations to fulfill the expanding requests of different partners (Krishnamurti and Vishwanath, 2010). Why Merge? AMR Corporation, the parent organization of American Airlines, declared designs to converge with US Airways Group in February, 2013. This came after the enterprise had recently petitioned for Chapter 11 liquidation assurance in November 2011. (Isidore, Chris) The subsequent merger made the biggest aircraft on the planet. The organizations authoritatively shaped the new American Airlines Group Inc. on December 9, 2013. (Air Transport World, Jan 2014) Doug Parker, already the CEO of US Airways, and now CEO of the new American, expressed: â€Å"We are taking the best of both US Airways and American Airlines to make an imposing contender, better situated to convey for the entirety of our partners. We anticipate coordinating our organizations rapidly and proficiently so the noteworthy advantages of the merger can be realized.† (Air Transport World, Jan 2014) That announcement demonstrates that the merger was shaped for two reasons: cash, and force. The two organizations were losing in the traveler air transportation field to different organizations that had as of late consolidated. Consolidating would permit the two organizations to extend their assets and gather courses and terminals into a single unit that were recently saved to each separately before the blend. US Airways bringsâ access to littler US urban areas, though American Airlines has a huge nearness universally, especially London and Latin America (What the American Airlines/US Airways Merger Will Mean for You, 2013). American Airlines demonstrated the need and requirement for cash after it nearly crumbled in insolvency. The merger of the two enterprises was a case of an even combination. This is characterized by Investopedia.com as a merger or procurement of extra business exercises on a similar degree of the worth chain in comparative or various ventures, and can be accompl ished by inward or outer extension. The aircraft business has changed definitely over the previous decade with mergers of pretty much every significant carrier: Delta and Northwest; United and Continental; and Southwest and AirTran. These mergers made another scene in which the tables were inclined against both US Airways and American Airlines. It was a need that the two unite so as to remain be serious and remain above water against the other as of late framed super carriers. Those mergers likewise made an open door for income development in the ticket valuing field. The cost of a household ticket to get there and back costs has climbed almost 15% since 2009 because of expansion. The merger will enable American and US Airways to expand admissions with the expansion of the two organizations previous courses and terminals. What were the noteworthy impacts of the merger? So as to be a triumph, a merger must give all gatherings included some noteworthy increment in advantage. This merger isn't excluded from that announcement. Dailyfinance.com (2013) states that a key explanation behind the merger among American and US Airways is to interface both airlines’ systems, making a framework comparable to Delta Air Lines and United. The blend of the two outcomes in excess of 6,700 day by day trips to 336 goals in 56 nations. This system will permit travelers to fly far and wide without the need to make the regularly debilitating associations that they were exposed to pre-merger. The merger additionally made a moment increment in stock costs. Portions of the joined organization rose 2.7%. This in itself is a decent beginning for an organization in the post-liquidation period. The rebuilding and combining will reimburse AMR’s leasers with intrigue and give its associations and basic holders a huge portion of value in the new organization. (Susan C arey and Jack Nicas, 2013) Coming about Organizational Structure of the Post-Merger Company By consolidating two beforehand completely operational organizations, the authoritative structure will be progressively perplexing, in any event, than it was previously. Because of the merger, American Airlines Group, Inc. presently has joined workforce of 110,000 individuals nearby an armada of 1,511 airplane (Bohemer, 2013). Sorting out such a huge workforce makes a test that requires a pioneer fit for taking care of that task. The organization is currently lead by Chief Executive Officer W. Douglas Parker, the previous CEO and director of US Airways. Parker has demonstrated authority capacity, directing the merger of US Airways and America West Airlines in 2005. He additionally directed the organization during a period of record income development and expanded overall revenues. Active CEO Tom Horton was in that position from 2011 through 2013, driving the organization through the merger before giving control over t o Parker. Parker seems to have an edge on driving and group building, having experiencing a carrier merger already. His capacity to build benefit and friends riches settles on him the undeniable decision to lead the new organization. Despite the fact that the merger has gotten last, the two organizations will in any case work as isolated substances for years to come. This will permit the organizations more opportunity to assemble the enormous structure and settle on legitimate choices to guarantee for smooth activities later on. They profit by not being the primary carriers of their sizes to make this change, as the mergers of Delta and Northwest and United and Continental have kind of made a way of what should be done so as to be a fruitful merger. The structure joined representatives from the two aircrafts, which fabricates solidarity and shows that the organization is focused on pushing ahead together, not simply to come in and dominate. This is a decent method that more organizations ought to embrace. Alongside the physical structure change of the new American Airlines Group, there will likewise be changes that influence the customers. Preferred customer credits will have the option to be utilized reciprocally with either American Airlines or US Airways flights. Clients will be permitted to accumulate mileage from either carriers. AA.com (n.d.) records a few advantages that AAdvantage individuals will be managed with US Airlines, and the other way around. There are likewise entryway changes that influence clients and workers, as observed with the end of US Airways Pittsburgh Terminal. In a meeting with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Spokesman Todd Lehmacher said â€Å"US Airways says the majority of the 600 workers at the Pittsburgh community will be given the alternative toâ relocate to Texas, however it recognized it doesn’t anticipate that every one of them should do as such. The individuals who decided no t to go will be given a severance package.†(Mutzabaugh, 2014) Having lived in the Pittsburgh region for quite a long time, entirely a couple of miles of the air terminal, I realize that the pullback will incredibly influence the nearby economy. HR Management Practices Whenever you consolidate two separate organizations into one, there will be contrasts to resolve. Corporate culture will without a doubt be one of the numerous Human asset challenges that the merger should survive. Authoritative social contrasts have been adversely connected with different bookkeeping measures and financial exchange esteem following residential M&As. (Webber and Drori, 2011) Being that the organizations have comparable obligations and duties, it ought not be too hard to even think about working through these issues. There might be past practices at each organization that should be balanced so as to make the change smooth. Combining additionally introduced the chance to expand representative compensation and support agreement, which would be in accordance with the other enormous aircrafts. With the normal expanded income, there would be more assets to share among the representatives and investors. In the background gatherings, Parker furtively arranged arrangement s with American’s three principle associations, making â€Å"provisional contracts† that would give American’s laborers much better compensation and work rules. (Tully, 2013) These arrangements gave the union’s motivation to become tied up with and advance the merger. End While the merger between these two aircraft goliaths didn't abandon hiccup, they were in a superior situation to make the change because of a need to by American Airlines and a need to by US Airways. American gives off an impression of being the victor of the merger by coming out of liquidation, keeping up their organization, and growing their courses and terminals. The merger was settled on December 9, 2013 References Krishnamurti, C., and Vishwanath, S. R. (2010). Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructuring. South Asian Journal of Management, 17(2), 169-171. American Airlines, US Airways close merger to make world’s biggest carrier. (2014). Air Transport World, 51(1), 8. Boehmer, J. (2013). Merger Planning Underway As American, US Airways Embark On Long Journey. Business Travel News, 30(7), 28. What the American Airlines/US Airways Merger Will Mean For You. (2013, November 12). Every day Finance. Recovered from http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/12/12/us-aviation routes american-carriers merger-customer sway American Airlines, US Airways Complete Merger (2013.). The Wall Street Journal. Recovered from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/W. Douglas Parker. (n.d.). US Airways. Recovered from http://www.usairways.com/EN-US/ABOUTUS/PRESSROOM/BIOS/PARKER.HTML Weber, Y., and Drori, I. (2011). Incorporating Organizational and Human Behavior Perspectives on Mergers and Acquisitions. Global Studies of Management and Organization, 41(3), 76-95. Tully, S. (2013, March 18). Inside the World’s Biggest Airline Merger. Fortune, 167, 169.

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs Research Paper

Legitimizing Performance Enhancing Drugs - Research Paper Example It is about time when the law and approach producers quit being two-faced and suspicious about the utilization of PEDs, and looked for their sanctioning. This is an undeniable inquiry. Why would that be a discussion on this issue in any case? Execution upgrading medications can just be prohibited in light of the fact that they give an additional favorable position to their clients. At that point why are individuals questioning the boycott? Do they wish to be unjustifiable? Not actually. Restricting of PEDs has prompted the presentation of different indecencies separated from further exasperating their unlawful use. For example, while hostile to doping strategies in sports look to â€Å"level the playing field† and forestall athletes from exploiting, they have not been fruitful at this endeavor (Kayser, Mauron and Miah 521). Athletes who expect to utilize them do as such no matter what, and many go undetected. This ends up being unreasonable for the individuals who don't utilize such medications out of dread of being gotten. This has not in the slightest degree made everything fair, as unlawful utilization of medications is now predominant among athletes. It is only that the vast majority of them are not being gotten. As indicated by Herper, to address the issue of unlawful doping by athletes: The most evident arrangement has consistently been to authorize those medications that work, and to tentatively screen new contestants, including dietary enhancements, for both viability and security. Organic improvement would be dealt with much as sports gear like homerun sticks and running shoes. On the off chance that these medications are legitimized, it will at any rate be conceivable to screen the utilization of such medications and even make everything fair as those guiltless players who were prior stopped from utilizing them

Women Empowerment Essay Example for Free

Ladies Empowerment Essay â€Å"There is no way of the government assistance of the world except if the state of ladies is improved. It isn't feasible for a feathered creature to fly on one wing.† Master Vivekananda The most huge and longest social development proceeding is development for liberation of ladies. In spite of the fact that the essential objective for ladies strengthening is to improve the personal satisfaction of ladies however it has additionally profound consequences in social, financial and political situation of body commonwealth. The media through its compass to individuals everywhere has been instrumental however not to the degree wanted in supporting the development for ladies liberation by centering disregard and minimization of the situation of the ladies in the public arena. It sounds captivating how from a profoundly stately situation in India’s mythic history, the lady in India has been consigned to an optional position. The personal stakes of the decision tip top and the male entryway impacted by outsider societies legitimized lady as a person of little result. It would be a miserable discourse on the subordinate job of ladies in India when lady is unmistakably seen as Shakti (Power), the root of intensity itself however in all actuality found as vulnerable, hapless lady with no character aside from that of a spouse, or the mother who has next to no voice in dynamic and has almost no by method of her own fundamental decision. In spite of the fact that victimization and abuse of ladies are worldwide marvels, their outcomes are increasingly grievous in the a few pieces of the globe especially in immature nations where, obliviousness, hardship of the fundamental * Address by Mr. Equity G.N. Beam, Chairman, Press Council of India at the initiation meeting of National Press Day on November 16, 2008 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. 2 necessities of life, and the ever-developing weight of progress from custom to innovation all consolidate to disturb the imbalances that ladies endure to a point where their reality is diminished to a consistent fight for endurance. Improving the status of ladies is viewed as the way to narrowing the sexual orientation hole and accomplishing a superior personal satisfaction. Ladies are under incredible social control and examination which has confined what they can say and where and to whom. Social moves in pretty much every social set-up decide women’s socialization explicitly. This has a significant bearing on their capacity to impart and communicate their musings. To talk about ladies strengthening it is important to manage the current circumstance of ladies in India. I might want to quickly talk about certain key viewpoints identified with the ladies which media ought to enough cover and encourage the procedure of strengthening of ladies. Sex Inequality A lion's share of Indian ladies work for the duration of their lives however the truth of the matter is that it isn't authoritatively perceived. Measurements on work power shows low figure of ladies laborers. There is a genuine underestimation of women’s commitment as laborers despite the fact that whenever given an opportunity they have convincingly demonstrated their capacity. Women’s workforce investment the level of grown-up ladies who are really working is acknowledged marker of women’s status and segment of the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) utilized in GNDP Human Development Reports. As per a review led by NCW covering more than 1200 ladies in both sorted out and chaotic part it has been discovered that half experienced sex segregation by method of physical and mental badgering of ladies at work. The overview announced separation in compensation as well as in advancements, work conveyance and working hours. Advancing sexual orientation correspondence was recognized by the Government as need key objective for the UN System in3 India under UN Development Assistance Framework. We ought not overlook that Gender Equality isn't only a women’s issue. It is an issue for the country. Pay segregation Ladies by and large acquire a far lower wage than men accomplishing a similar work. In no state in India ladies and men gain equivalent compensation in agribusiness. This is similarly appropriate to different territories of works, for example, mining, exchange, transport administrations and so on. In the different work areas normal wages earned by male is more than the wages earned by female. I would accentuate on the discoveries of UNDP which were distributed as Human Development Report concerning sex fairness. It says: â€Å"Women’s work is extraordinarily underestimated in monetary term. The estimation of family unit and network work rises above market value.† The media can unquestionably expose a portion of these predispositions in. Uncommonly, ladies columnists must take up this reason. The Indian constitution makes it required to give equivalent assurance to each resident. Subsequently thoughtful media, legal executive and official should represent this together. Change development also is important in such manner. Wrongdoing against ladies The taking off crime percentages and savagery against ladies in the nation reflects ladies as more vulnerable sex who are being ruled and abused. They face savagery inside and outside the family for the duration of their lives. The Crime Record Bureau of India’s site shows that in the year 2006 (most recent information accessible on site) all out wrongdoing revealed against ladies was 1, 91731. Police record shows that a lady is attacked in the nation at regular intervals; an assault happens like clockwork and at regular intervals an episode of inappropriate behavior happens. At regular intervals a lady is abducted and like clockwork, a lady is killed.4 Before strengthening of ladies can be accomplished it is important to empower ladies to offer voice to their experience, their sufferings, and for society to comprehend them as person and react to them with affectability. Under Representation in significant position Ladies are under spoken to in administration and dynamic positions. At present ladies speak to roughly 8-9% of Parliamentary seats and under 6% of bureau positions. Under 4% situates in High Courts and Supreme Courts are involved by ladies. Under 3% of overseers are ladies. Wellbeing A huge number of Indian ladies basically do not have the opportunity to leave the house looking for wellbeing administrations they need. As per National Health Survey †2 just 52% ladies in India are not counseled on choice about their own wellbeing. The antenatal and postnatal consideration are past the compass of numerous Indian ladies. The National Health Survey †2 gauge specifies that exactly 1,00,000 to 1,20,000 ladies kick the bucket each year because of pregnancy related causes. In certain States demise rate is very high and disturbing. The rate in India is very higher than the maternal death rate reviewed in Cuba, China, Srilanka and Vietnam. Most of ladies experience life in condition of healthful pressure. They are weak and malnourished. Young ladies and ladies face segregation inside the family; eating last and least. Hole on Male-Female Ratio Men out number ladies in India, not at all like in numerous nations where the case is something else. The primary driver of the hole in the male female proportion is winning act of female hatchling murdering uniquely high in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. In these states, the proportion is amazingly low when contrasted with other Indian states. Female newborn child death rates are higher than male baby 5 death rates. Test Registration System (2000) uncovers that female baby death rate is 74 for every 1000 live birth. The broad communications needs to concentrate on this medical problem of ladies. The different plan fused by the govt. requires more extensive inclusion with the goal that ladies particularly from financially more vulnerable area can be profited by them. Ladies Education Instruction of ladies empowers them to set their own needs, look for information and data to settle on their educated decisions. The education rate among ladies keeps on being lower than those for men. According to information of 2004-2005 accessible with the National Sample Survey, proficiency rate per 1000 among country ladies is around 450 and among urban female is right around 700. In the event that we see by and large situation, there has been a positive turn of events and female education rate has gone up half according to the National Sample Survey 1997 report. In spite of this advancement beyond what 245 million Indian ladies can not peruse and compose. Just half of Indian ladies are proficient when contrasted with 65.5% of men. Far less young ladies than young men go to class. Regardless of whether they are selected, a large number of the young lady understudies drop out of the school. The female grown-up proficiency rate in Malaysia, Srilanka, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia is over 70% and higher than that in India. Media’s Role in strengthening of ladies in India Correspondence is critical for women’s improvement and broad communications assume noteworthy job. It is to be noticed that development of women’s training and their entrance into business have added to the development of media. In all circles of life whether for controlling populace development, spread of proficiency or improving personal satisfaction for huge masses, ladies have urgent task to carry out. Be that as it may, ladies can be relied upon to assume this job when they become aware of their quality and are not intentionally minimized by male control. In this unique circumstance, media has a significant task to carry out †to make arousing in ladies to accomplish their potential as the central players of progress in the public arena. In today’s world, print and electronic media assume an essential job in successfully passing on message that should be passed on. Depiction of ladies by the Media All around the media scene in India is that media doesn't address difficult issues about abuse and inequal treatment to ladies in various circles yet is sharp in announcing sex related episodes by method of sensationalizing updates on outrages on ladies. In this way as opposed to featuring the abuse of lady they wind up getting one reason in increment of savagery as their inclusion usually will in general celebrate the wrongdoing against ladies. The facts confirm that media has exposed, as n

The Economic Struggles of Landlocked Countries

The Economic Struggles of Landlocked Countries In the event that a nation is landlocked, it is probably going to be poor. Truth be told, most nations that need waterfront get to are among the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and their occupants possess the â€Å"bottom billion† level of the universes populace regarding poverty.* Outside Europe, there is definitely not a solitary fruitful, exceptionally created, landlocked nation when estimated with the Human Development Index (HDI), and the greater part of the nations with the most minimal HDI scores are landlocked. Fare Costs Are High The United Nationsâ has an Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. The UN-OHRLLS holds the view that high vehicle costs because of separation and landscape reduce landlocked countries’ serious edge for exports.â Landlocked nations that do endeavor to take part in the worldwide economy must fight with the managerial weight of moving merchandise through neighboring nations or must seek after expensive options in contrast to delivery, for example, airship cargo. The Wealthiest Landlocked Countries Be that as it may, regardless of the difficulties that most landlocked nations face, a couple of the world’s wealthiest nations, when estimated by GDP per capita (PPP), happen to be landlocked, including: Luxembourg ($92,400)Liechtenstein ($89,400)Switzerland ($55,200)San Marino ($55,000)Austria ($45,000)Andorra ($37,000) Solid and Stable Neighbors There are a few factors that have added to the achievement of these landlocked nations. To start with, they are essentially more topographically lucky than most other landlocked nations by goodness of being situated in Europe, where no nation is a long way from a coast. Moreover, the beach front neighbors of these rich nations appreciate solid economies, political security, inner harmony, dependable foundation and amicable relations over their fringes. Luxembourg, for instance, is all around associated with the remainder of Europe by streets, railroads, and carriers and can rely on having the option to send out products and work through Belgium, the Netherlands, and France easily. Conversely, Ethiopia’s closest drifts are across fringes with Somalia and Eritrea, which are normally assailed with political disturbance, interior clash, and poor framework. The political limits that different nations from coasts are not as significant in Europe as they are in the creating scene. Little Countries Europe’s landlocked powerhouses likewise advantage from being littler nations with longer heritages of autonomy. About the entirety of the landlocked nations of Africa, Asia, and South America were at one time colonized by European powers that were pulled in to their immense size and ample normal assets. In any event, when they picked up autonomy, most landlocked economies stayed subject to regular asset trades. Minor nations like Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Andorra don't have the choice of depending on characteristic asset trades, so they have put vigorously in their monetary, innovation, and administration parts. To stay serious in these divisions, well off landlocked nations put intensely in the instruction of their populaces and authorize approaches that empower business. Universal organizations like eBay and Skype keep up European central command in Luxembourg due to its low charges and neighborly business atmosphere. Poor landlocked nations, then again, have been known to put next to no into instruction, now and again so as to secure dictator governments, and they are tormented by debasement that keeps their populaces poor and dispossessed of open administrations †all of which blocks universal venture. Helping Landlocked Countries While it might give the idea that geology has sentenced numerous landlocked nations to neediness, endeavors have been made to mellow the constraints presented by an absence of ocean access through strategy and universal collaboration. In 2003, the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries on Transit Transport Cooperation was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Members planned a Program of Action, suggesting that landlocked nations and their neighbors, Decrease customs procedures and charges to limit expenses and transport delaysImprove framework regarding existing inclinations of neighborhood transport modes, with a focal point of streets in Africa and rail in South AsiaImplement inclinations for landlocked countries’ wares to support their seriousness in the worldwide marketEstablish connections between benefactor nations with landlocked and travel nations for specialized, monetary, and arrangement enhancements Were these designs to succeed, politically-steady, landlocked nations could practically defeat their topographical obstructions, as Europe’s landlocked nations have done. * Paudel. 2005, p. 2.

Five Ways to Jump-Start Your Book Club

Five Ways to Jump-Start Your Book Club Like many liberal-arts educated and Pinterest-obsessed middle-ish class twenty-something American women, I am part of a book club. Well, kind of. Were technically a book club in that we CALL ourselves a book club (we even have the most awesome of book club names Falcon Attack!). Weve met. A few times. And most of us have read some of the books we were assigned to read. So if you count that as a book club, oh snap, we are a book club! But if you dont, then I take back that snap, we are not a book club. No one is to blame. You know how people are always saying they dont have time to read. A book club is that times seven or fifteen, or however many goofballs you have in your club. Thats a lot of people who lead very busy lives and may have the time to read the books they have chosen for themselves, but maybe dont so much want to read a book someone else has picked out for them. So Ive been trying to brainstorm up ways to get our book club jump-started again and I thought I would share a few with you. Lets do it! 1.) Have your book club read  all the it books! Hunger Games, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl- once a book becomes a big bestseller, tap-tap-youre-it that tome as your next book club book. People will feel peer-pressured by CULTURE to read these suckers. Or bonus plus, some people will have already READ the book in question and all theyll have to do will be to show up. I know these are all commercial fiction picks, and you can do the same thing with big fiction prize winners- Pulitzer, National Book Award, Booker, etc. I think youre going to have an easier time hooking people if you keep it to the runaway bestsellers. 2.) Do it like they do in AP English! Add a homework assignment element to the meetings if you have a crafty and creative crew. For example, my group has been talking about reading Fifty Shades of Grey next (see #1 above as to why), and I think it would be cool if we divided up the chapters and had to do some kind of mini-report or project on our sections. For example, if I  take chapters 1-5, I could do a two-page book report in the style of a seventh grader half-assing it so he can go play video games or pretentious college sophomore who just declared a double major in Comp Lit and American Studies. Or I could do a foam board presentation! Or a dramatic reading. OR A DIORAMA. (Can you guys tell Im going to do a diorama of Fifty Shade of Grey?  If you cant tell, then this is me telling you that I am.) It may sound like more work: Wait I have to read the book AND do the fing foam board thing??? But I think if you keep the prompts manageable (people can put as much or as little work in as they want) and you get a few people to do rad takes on the assignment at the next meeting, you could get this ball rolling! 3.) Read the book before the movie comes out! All Hollywood does is make movies of books (because you say things like brand and built-in audience and suddenly everyones got dollar signs in their eyes.) We just had the film adaptation of Perks of Being a Wallflower come out, and thats a book you can read in almost a sitting, if you hadnt already read it eight times between the ages of twelve and twenty-two. Cloud Atlas is coming out and thats a book youre going to NEED to read if you want to know what  the heck is going on in dystopian clone-run McDonalds and why the bejeezus Tom Hanks is running around post-apocalyptic Hawaii. Or you can be a super-cheater club and go see/rent movies of books youve already read. Or for super-super cheaters just get together and watch Revenge and every once in a while say something about how people were just as psycho to each other in Count of Monte Cristo as they are in this modern, prime-time adaptation. 4.) Make it a Short Story Club or an Essay Club! No ones going to say, I didnt have time to finish the last twenty pages of the short story.  THERE ARE ONLY TWENTY PAGES IN A SHORT STORY. Same with essays. Bonus, you can have a few people per meeting choose what short pieces will be read. The more people that have a vested interest (bossing other people around=automatic vested interest) the more people will read the shenanigans that need to get read. 5.) Have the BEST SNACKS EVER! Get really good cooks (or people that are really good at buying food) to be in your club, and club members only get to come and eat if they read their chapters! I know thats a little harsh! But a little harsh can go a long way, and if it gets everyone reading and talking about reading in a living room and eating good food and having great fun together, I think thats harsh well played. What about you guys? Have you  figured out a way to get everyone to show up to your club having ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK?  Talk to me in the comments section below. Im serious, if youve made this mission impossible an actually possible mission, we need to confab. Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Finding Your Best Fit School Spotlight on Skidmore College

Finding Your Best Fit School: Spotlight on Skidmore College This week one of our new interns, Sara, shares why she chose Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Sara will be a freshman at Skidmore this fall: I knew when I first visited campus that Skidmore was the school for me, and after a second visit decided to apply Early Decision. When asked why I chose Skidmore, I can never form a quick and concise answer. There are so many reasons, but to sum it up, I’ll walk you through my campus visits. When my family arrived at Skidmore, I really wasn’t too enthusiastic. Having just visited Syracuse University and Colgate University, I was tired and ready to head home, but I’m so glad I didn’t. We were running late, and the group had already left for the tour, leaving my family and me stranded at admissions. Luckily, a student working in the admissions department greeted my family and personally walked us to the assembly hall where the information session was held. Right from the start, I could sense how Skidmore had a welcoming community and made students feel taken care of and comfortable. On the tour, I saw how beautiful the buildings looked – particularly the music building, Zankel Hall, which was recently redone. I was also able to see inside classrooms and dorm rooms. While touring, I never encountered a student who didn’t say â€Å"hello† or â€Å"come to Skidmore!† As a note, Skidmore also has amazing chocolate chip cookies! You can taste these as you pass through the colorful cafeteria on the tour. Having a cafeteria that provides ample food choices is extremely important to me and I try to eat relatively healthy, but given the chance, I always have to eat a Skidmore chocolate chip cookie! When I returned to campus for a second visit, I sat in on a Calculus I class. The class was reviewing for a test on topics that I was covering in my advanced high school calculus class, so I was able to follow along and even participate. Some of the students in the class asked me to help solve problems and answer their questions. I felt involved and included. When I left to meet my parents, I immediately said, â€Å"This is the school for me. I’m applying early.† Currently, I don’t know what I want to major or minor in. I have a ton of interests varying from music, to languages, to computer science. Skidmore’s vast curriculum ensures that I can take classes in all of my interests while still maintaining a general liberal arts education. There are countless opportunities for students to partake in, such as conducting research with a professor on campus or helping the elderly in Saratoga Springs. At a school with about 2,500 undergraduates, I know I’ll have close relationships with many students yet there will always be more people to meet. I’ll never be bored! Before leaving, we walked around and were impressed with how much Skidmore’s campus felt like home. I’d always find assistance when needed and felt that by the end of four years I’d leave knowing I was an integral part of Skidmore’s community. Ultimately, it felt right. Insider tip: Choose a school that will benefit you academically, but also socially, and will allow you to pursue your interests. It’s important to feel a school is right for you in all regards. Your college or university should help you grow as a person. When you do attend college, try taking a course in a subject matter that you’ve either never considered before or didn’t like when you were younger. Your interests change as you get older, so take advantage of all the classes your college or university offers.

America Failed Drug Policy Thesis

Since the turn of the 20th century, US governments have tried to control the use of drugs through the application of different policies that have mainly focused on the economic aspects of distribution at the expense of other policies.   The federal, state and local governments have spent billions of dollars in their effort to ensure that America is free from drugs. However, these efforts seems to have come to naught since it is cheaper and easier than ever before to obtain   drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs. The war on drugs has failed since it has only resulted in putting millions of people behind bars at a very high cost.   The government spends almost $ 45 billion dollars annually to fight the supply illicit drugs (Caldwell, 2009). The fight against illicit drugs goes back to almost hundred years ago when opium was outlawed.   The fight went a notch higher during the 1930’s when there was a witnessed increase in the number of Mexican immigrants in the Southern states.   The depression only made things worse when national hysteria was stirred against the immigrants for the competition they brought to the shrinking job markets (Judy, 2007).   The passage of the Marijuana Tax Act by congress was done more out of the need to tame the Mexicans who were the major consumers of marijuana. The fight was taken a notch higher when Richard Nixon launched the war on drugs in 1971 through a hard-line prohibition policy that was adopted by successive presidents (Rosenthal, 1977). However, almost 40 years later these policies seem to have achieved   nothing much and there has been growing calls in the United States and other Latin American countries for adoption of other different methods to deal with the drug m enace.   Some insist that legalization of drugs, especially marijuana will achieve far much better outcomes than prohibition. The US Drug Enforcement Administration was established in 1973 with the key aim of confronting the drug issue. The agency claims that it has made tremendous progress in its fight against drug use and trafficking in the United States.   According to the agency, the country has witnessed a one third drop in drug use in the last two decades with the largest drop being witness in cocaine which stands at 65%. The DEA further says that drugs especially marijuana needs to be prohibited because of the available statistics on its harmful effects.   They cite statistics showing that almost a quarter a million of Americans were enrolled into rehabilitation for drug dependence, with marijuana and heroin being the leading culprits. Nevertheless, many civil society organizations and individuals believe that the war against illegal drugs has failed.   A survey done in 2009 showed that seventy percent of the public believes that the war against drug trafficking and abuse has not succeeded.   Those mandated to fight drug abuse are becoming increasingly out of touch with many citizens.   With the events proceeding September 11, the DEA is accused of use the war against terrorism as a justification to continue carrying out an inappropriate war against drugs to survive in a changing political environment.   Additionally, millions of non-violent drug offenders continue to be arrested across the country with 1.5 million people being arrested in 2009 alone (Caldwell, 2009). A compromised public health and undermining of fundamental human rights and civil liberties has become the end result of the war on drug abuse.   People continue suffering through arrests while those sick from debilitating diseases like canc er and AIDS are denied access to medicine.   In the face of changing national priorities to focus more on actual security problems bedeviling the country, bureaucrats in charge of the drug war machinery are wary of the waning support from the public and want to maintain the large budgetary allocation from the federal government. Thanks to the war against drug abuse, a bloody war is raging in Mexico and has spilled to American cities across the border which previously experienced low crime levels.   Communities are living in fear with people from different spheres, whether politicians, journalists and law enforcement bearing the brunt of violence resulting from prohibition.   This has led to suggestions from residents living in border towns for the need to legalize drugs in the US to help curb the increasing causalities from the drug war in Mexico and US border towns. When it comes to matters dealing with the economy, it has been argued the drug war is not only ineffective, but is also becoming increasingly expensive. Many states are facing budget deficits running into billions of dollars and are cutting spending on key sectors like health care and education.   Therefore, instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars jailing non-violent offenders, it would be more prudent if the money was channele d into treatment programmes and reforming of the laws on drug abuse.   Furthermore, the campaign carried out by the DEA to fight drug abuse seems to be misplaced, misleading and use massive amounts of public resources.   The government is spending millions of dollars to carry out ad campaigns in the media whereas majority of people who need treatment for drugs are unable to access it.   The ads also do very little in educating the American children on health risks associated with drug use or stimulate real dialogue among parents and children, but instead they misleadingly link the war on drug abuse to that on terrorism in a frantic effort to maintain budgets channeled to fight drug abuse. In conclusion, the war against drug abuse in America has failed to reduce drug abuse and trafficking.   It is therefore necessary for the current laws and policies be reexamined to assess their effectiveness and also come up with alternative strategies to deal with increasingly complex drug problem in the country. References: Caldwell, J.   (2009, March 5).   Failed states and failed policies How to stop the drug wars Prohibition has failed; legalization is the least bad solution. The Economist, 172 (3), 1-5 Judy, M. (2007, October, 17).   Money Spent on Drug War Could Be Put to Better Use, Washington Post, 2 Rosenthal, M (1977). The legislative response to marihuana: When the shoe pinches enough. Journal of Drug Issues. 7(1): 61-77.

Case Study on Recruitment and Selection

From time to time, each company faces the necessity to employ new staff. This process encompasses a range of consecutive actions that the most appropriate candidates are finally selected. Apart a common set of activities, some companies invent own internal, usually secret, methods to get the best human resources that perfectly meet the company’s requirements. This case considers the particular case study on recruitment and selection that is related to the retail business company â€Å"Venus’ Style†. As its activity is primarily customer-oriented, the selection of Internet shop assistants and managers becomes a key factor of the advancement of the company’s business. Background: The retail business company â€Å"Venus’ Style† promotes Internet sales all over the world. It has an advanced official web-site that encompasses a lot of customer services, such as live chat, support mail, delivery and return service, V.I.P. database, and others. That was the reason why the company permanently searched for new employees to maintain functioning of all services of the retail business. Problem: The crucial problem that the company periodically faced with was the staff turnover. As company served customers from all time zones, an Internet shop assistant’s work was organized by shifts. According to this, night shifts were usually the most overloaded time which involved the most intensive work processes. Unfortunately, these busy nights were often accompanied with interpersonal (client-worker) misunderstandings and even conflicts that ended up with the employees quits. Solution Plan: In this situation, the problems are connected to the fact that an HR management of the company does not include the individual approach. New employees do not feel engaged in the common deal and thus, do not treat their duties enough carefully and patiently. Correspondingly, the first task the company aims to perform is providing exceptionally comfortable work conditions so that its employees can avoid stressful situations. In this aspect, it is necessary to revise and reestablish the core values of the company. Accordingly, the employees start participating in discussions of work conditions; hence, a top-down run method, which is typical for most organizations, is rejected. An updated hiring operation in â€Å"Venus’ Style† includes a specific method to select right humans. The innovative point of the company’s core principles is related to the determination of personal features of each candidates character. To be specific, â€Å"Venus’ Style† provides a taxi for the candidate who applies for a position; at the very end, the taxi drivers opinion of the potential employee is taken into account by the recruiter. Thus, even if the person makes progress in a job interview, he or she can fail this application in case of the rude regard to the taxi driver. Conclusions: Ultimately, not every candidate got the chance to join â€Å"Venus’ Style† team. Over the updated hiring process, the company managed to hire right people that contributed to great mutual outcomes. The sales show the effectiveness of this policy: for the previous season, they have enlarged from $2,6 million to $5.1 million globally. Especially progressive is that over eighty percent of them are based on the repeat clients. Furthermore, the company continues to develop the people-oriented policy and thus, to ensure its employees’ loyalty. References Bach, St. (2005). Managing Human Resources. Fourth Edition. Blackwell Publishing. French, R., Rumples, S. (2010). Recruitment and Selection. CIPD Publications. Nkomo, S. M., Fottler, M. D., McAfee, R. B. (2011). Human resource management applications. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Rothwell, W.J. (2012). The Encyclopedia of Human Resource Management: Short Entries. John Willey Sons. Wrice, M. (2004). First steps in retail management. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia.

ACT Score Comparison for 20 Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Essay on The Importance of Communication in Marriage

Throughout the last half of the century, our society has watched the divorce rate of married couples skyrocket to numbers previously not seen. Although their has been a slight decline in divorce rates, â€Å"half of first marriages still were expected to dissolve before death.† (Stacy, 15, 1991) Whatever happened to that meaningful exchange of words, â€Å"until death do us part,† uttered by the bride and groom to each other on their wedding day? What could have been the cause of such inflated divorce rates? Perhaps young married couples are not mature enough to be engaged in such a trremendous responsibility, or, maybe, the couples really do not know each other as well as they thought. Possibly, they have been blinded by infatuation rather than by†¦show more content†¦First, the expectations of a relationship and how these expectations are met play a large part in the dyad’s assesment of how well the marriage is going. Also, the decision-making process, another important procedure that should engage both parties of a marriage, is of increasing importance in these post modern, feminist times. As with any marriage, problems will obviously occur, and the manner in which these problems are handled will most often affect the happiness of the couple. Another major issue of dicussion is the amount of time a couple spends with each other, as well as the quality of the interaction, and lastly, the issue of similarity will be addressed. In order for a marriage to succeed, the communication patterns of the couple must be similar and compatible if there is to be any agreement between the spouses. Marital satisfaction and the contributing factords are of extreme importance at this juncture in our society, though it has become obvious that there is a degeneration of communication and a lack of satisfaction in today’s married couples. This disatisfaction results in the divorce rate being sohigh that it begs the question: how does this mar ital satisfaction originate? This topic deserves a lot of attention so that the reasons for this degeneration can be avoided. The topic of marital satisfaction must be studied from aShow MoreRelatedTroubled Marriages: The Importance Of Communication. Both1366 Words   |  6 PagesTroubled Marriages: The Importance of Communication Both Interpreter of Maladies and White Teeth leave the reader aware of the effects that troubled marriages have on the adults involved, along with the children involved. The marital problems faced by Samad in White Teeth, and by Miranda in Sexy, cause the reader to realize the importance of communication and honesty between couples. 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American and Mexican Culture Free Essays

Introduction to Ovulation * Many women learn how to calculate their ovulation when they first talk to a doctor about birth control. But some may still question whether they can get pregnant if they aren’t ovulating. The answer to that question is not as straightforward as it seems. We will write a custom essay sample on American and Mexican Culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now One would think that if a woman isn’t ovulating, she can’t get pregnant. This is only partially true. Generally, a woman isn’t fertile if she isn’t ovulating. If she isn’t ovulating, she has no egg present to be fertilized outside the ovulation period. The confusion comes when trying to decipher when the ovulation period really is. Sometimes a woman can ovulate beyond what she considers her normal ovulating period, and she can become pregnant outside of her calculated fertility window. How to Calculate Ovulation * A woman generally ovulates between 11 and 21 days after her last menstrual cycle. Women with a 28-day cycle generally, on average, ovulate on day 14. But every woman is different and other factors can come into play to alter when and whether she ovulates. For some women, calculating ovulating periods can be tricky. Using methods such as evaluating cervical mucus, reading basal body temperature and keeping track of menstrual cycles can help with the calculations. A woman should get to know her body; this will be the most telling sign in knowing when ovulation occurs. If in doubt, an ovulation kit can help clarify when ovulation occurs. Ovulation Misconceptions * Many misconceptions surround ovulation. First, not all women ovulate on day 14 of their cycle. Another myth is that keeping up with ovulation is an effective birth control method. Although an egg can live for only 24 hours, sperm can live inside a woman for five to seven days. So even if a woman thinks it is safe to have unprotected sex a couple of days before she ovulates, the sperm can still fertilize the egg days after intercourse. For women who have irregular periods, it is not accurate to count from the last day of the menstrual cycle to determine the ovulating time frame. Can a Woman Get Pregnant If She Is Not Ovulating? * Technically, a woman cannot get pregnant if she isn’t ovulating. Determining whether and when a woman is ovulating can be miscalculated, however. A woman can actually get pregnant when she believes that she is safe because she thinks she isn’t ovulating. Sperm can live long enough to fertilize the egg days after intercourse. How to cite American and Mexican Culture, Essay examples

Quality Management in a Project Main Switchboard at Rail Centre

Question: Discuss about theQuality Management in a Projectfor Main Switchboard at Rail Centre. Answer: Introduction The quality management is set of all the operations and processes required for completion of a project (Dale 2015). The project of implementing the main switchboard at Rail Centre requires quality management for achieving the best quality and customers expectation from the project outcomes. The following assignment has been done for analyzing the quality management process of the project outcomes for Main Switchboard at Rail Centre. Quality Management Procedures for the Project The quality management procedures for the project of implementing the switchboard at Rail Centre of Central Station in Brisbane include quality planning, quality control, and quality assurances. They have been explained in the following sub headings. Quality planning: According to Herring and Higgins (2014), quality planning is the process of identification of the some specific standards that would be helpful for providing the successful project outcomes that satisfies all the stakeholders (passengers, train department, Australian government, and others) of the project. Quality control: The quality control is helpful for verifying whether the projects outcomes meet the projects objectives (implementing the main switchboard at Brisbane Central train station) by using some tests and reviews. Quality assurances: The quality assurance is carried on the processes involved for the implication of main switchboard and it helps in aligning the processes to the main deliverable of the project. Tools and Techniques The tools and techniques required for the quality management of the project of Implementing Main Switchboard at the train station are process improvement plan, quality metrics, process checklists, project audits, peer reviews, and testing. Tools and Techniques Functions Process Improvement Plan Makes an improvement plan for the individual processes involved in the project such as installation of cables, addition of switch gear and control gears, etc. Quality Metrics Setting parameters for the project outcomes such as capacity for active power regulators, efficiency of switching activity of main switchboards, etc. Process Checklists A general checklist that informs whether each of the processes scheduled has been completed or not Project Audits Process of evaluating the overall progress and expenses of the projects operations Peer Reviews Individual operations review by a subordinate employee for stating the functionality of the switchboard Testing The final testing that is done before implementing the switchboard at the Central Station of Brisbane in the same conditions Table 1: Tools and Techniques used for quality management (Source: Goharshenasan et al. 2016, pp-128) Records Record Management is helpful for providing assistance for the development of the project scope and operations. The record keeping is done is three stages for the project of main switchboard implementation and they have been shown below: Figure 1: Record Management Process (Source: Guerrini and Possemato 2016, pp-187) The records keeping for the project has to consider the following points, Type of records to be stored Collection and Classification of the required information records Time period for which record should be stored and collected Auditing of the records and planning for filing them System for storage of the records and access them whenever required Reporting The project reporting is the process by which the individual members get the chance to convey their assigned operations progress or flaw to the superiors. The project would be helpful for implementing new main switchboards at the Brisbane Central Station. The documentation process consist of making proposal for the project, project plan, general conditions file, special conditions file, project schedule, project charter, and review reports. These documents and reports are used for reporting the project operations and progress to other stakeholders. Timing of Quality Management Activities The quality management consists of various activities like process improvement plan, quality metrics, process checklists, project audits, peer reviews, and testing (Partnershipsbc.ca 2017). The schedule for the activities for implementation of the main switch at Brisbane Central Station have been provided below, Tools and Techniques Schedule of the activity Process Improvement Plan At Initial Phase of the project Quality Metrics During the Final phase of Implementation process Process Checklists Before the final review of the main switchboard Project Audits After completion of each phase for checking the available resources for the project Peer Reviews After completion of each operation Testing Before closure of the project Table 2: Schedule of quality management activities (Source: Molina-Azorin et al. 2015, pp-52) Roles and Responsibilities The various roles and responsibilities of the quality directors and managers in the quality management are, To develop a plan for improving the quality of project operations and outcomes Auditing the improvement process for the project operations such as installation of cables and addition of switch gear and control gears Coordinating all the operations with the primary goal of the project (installation of new main switchboard at the Brisbane Central Station) References Dale, B., 2015.Total quality management. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Goharshenasan, A., Shahin, A. and Esmaelian, M., 2016. Prioritisation of 14 quality management tools based on quality principles using integrated approach of multi-criteria decision-making and importance-performance analysis-the case of Marjan Tile Company.International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management,18(1), pp.116-134. Guerrini, M. and Possemato, T., 2016. From Record Management to Data Management: RDA and New Application Models BIBFRAME, RIMMF, and OliSuite/WeCat.Cataloging Classification Quarterly,54(3), pp.179-199. Herring, R.A. and Higgins, M.E., 2014, February. Teaching Students How To Learn The Basic Quality Management Tools Using Examples From Their Personal Experiences. InOBTC 2014 at Vanderbilt University. Molina-Azorn, J.F., Tar, J.J., Pereira-Moliner, J., Lpez-Gamero, M.D. and Pertusa-Ortega, E.M., 2015. The effects of quality and environmental management on competitive advantage: A mixed methods study in the hotel industry.Tourism Management,50, pp.41-54. Partnershipsbc.ca (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.partnershipsbc.ca/files-4/project-elrt-schedules/Schedule-6_Quality-Management.pdf

Dementia in UK free essay sample

There are currently 800,000 people withdementia in the UK. There are over 17,000 younger people with dementia in the UK. There are over 25,000 people with dementia from black and minority ethnic groupsin the UK. There will be over a million people with dementia by 2021. Two thirds of people with dementia are women. The proportion of people with dementia doubles for every 5 year age group. One third of people over 95 have dementia. 60,000 deaths a year are directly attributable to dementia. Delaying the onset of dementia by 5 years would reduce deaths directly attributable to dementia by 30,000 a year. The financial cost of dementia to the UK will be over ? 23 billion in 2012. There are 670,000 carers of people with dementia in the UK Family carers of people with dementia save the UK over ? 8 billion a year. 80% of people living in care homes have a form of dementia or severe memory problems. Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community while one third live in a care home. Only 44% of people with dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receive a diagnosis UK dementia statistics Affects 820,000 people in the UK Financial cost is over ? 23bn pa, that is twice that of cancer, three times the impact of heart disease and four times that of stroke Two thirds (425,000) of people live in the community, one third (244,000) in a care home Two thirds of people with dementia are women (446k) and one third men (223,000) Affects 1 in 100 people aged 65-69, 1 in 25 aged 70-79 and 1 in 6 people aged over 80 Key risks from assessment are falls and walking about (60% experience walking about) 25 million people, or 42% of the UK population, are affected by dementia through knowing a close friend or family member with the condition. (Source: Alzheimers Research Trust / YouGov poll, 2008) 163,000 new cases of dementia occur in England and Wales each year one every 3. 2 minutes The number of people in UK with dementia is expected to double in the next 40 years to 1. 7million people Statistics courtesy Alzheimers Research Trust and www. alzheimers. org. uk Government Policy The National Dementia Strategy The objectives of the project are to develop a national dementia strategy and implementation plan for publication in October 2008. The strategy will address three key themes raising awareness, early diagnosis and intervention and improving the quality of care. For more information: visit National Dementia Strategy Dementia affects 820,000 people in the UK. 25 million of the UK population have a close friend orfamily member with dementia. As well as the huge personal cost, dementia costs the UK economy ? 23 billion a year, more than cancer and heart disease combined. Despite these figures, dementia researchis desperately underfunded. Impact of dementia in the UK There are over 820,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, a number forecast to rise rapidly as the population ages. Just 2. 5% of the government’s medical research budget is spent on dementia research, while a quarter is spent on cancer research. One in three people aged over 65 will die with a form of dementia. Dementia costs the UK economy ? 23 billion per year. That is twice that of cancer, three times the impact of heart disease and four times that of stroke. Combined government and charitable investment in dementia research is 12 times lower than spending on cancer research. ?590 million is spent on cancer research each year, while just ? 50 million is invested in dementia research. Heart disease receives ? 169 million per year and stroke research ? 23 million. 1. What is dementia? The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe a collection of symptoms, including a decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills, and a gradual loss of skills needed to carry out daily activities. These symptoms are caused by structural and chemical changes in the brain as a result of physical diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia can affect people of any age, but is most common in older people. One in ? ve people over 80 has a form of dementia and one in 20 people over 65 has a form of dementia. Researchers are still working to ? nd out more about the different types of dementia, and whether any have a genetic link. It is thought that many factors, including age, genetic background, medical history and lifestyle, can combine to lead to the onset of dementia. Dementia is a progressive condition. This means that the symptoms become more severe over time. Understanding how this progression happens can be useful in helping someone with dementia anticipate and plan for change. The way each person experiences dementia, and the rate of their decline, will depend on many factors – not just on which type of dementia they have, but also on their physical make-up, their emotional resilience and the support that is available to them. Typically symptoms will include: †¢ Loss of memory – for example, forgetting the way home from the shops, or being unable to remember names and places. †¢ Mood changes – these happen particularly when the parts of the brain which control emotion are affected by disease. People with dementia may feel sad, angry or frightened as a result. †¢ Communication problems – a decline in the ability to talk, read and write. There are different types of dementia caused by different diseases of the brain. Because these diseases affect the brain in different ways, they produce different symptoms. Some of the most common forms of dementia are listed below: 1. 2 Who is affected and how? Dementia can affect anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic situation and residential status. Nearly two-thirds of people with the disorder live in the community, while the other third reside in a residential home. A small number of people with dementia are from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. This is due to the current younger age profile in London’s BME communities. As this population ages, with a higher prevalence of physical conditions which may contribute to dementia, the rate of dementia is expected to increase. A detailed analysis of the London population segments affected by dementia is available in appendix 1. This highlights that most cases of dementia are late-onset and therefore affect people aged 65 and over. Approximately one in 40 cases is early-onset dementia and occurs before the age of 65. Many factors, including age, genetic background, medical history and lifestyle can combine to lead to the onset of the disorder. Key points to emerge from recent studies and consultations with people with dementia and their carers showed: †¢ Dementia is poorly understood, it remains a stigmatised condition and those affected often experience social exclusion and discrimination. †¢ Seeking help is frustrating; access to services typically includes contact with the NHS, local councils and the third sector; sometimes being referred elsewhere and often duplicating activities. †¢ Current services do not meet the needs of people with dementia. †¢ Services are fragmented and lack robust integration and strong partnership working. †¢ There are gaps in provision and the quality of specialist services remains inconsistent. †¢ Reliability and continuity of services are compromised because many staff lack the requisite knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to those affected. †¢ Most health and social care services are not delivering the outcomes that are important to people with dementia: early diagnosis and treatment, easily accessible services, information and advice and high quality support. 8 Healthcare for London IntroductionDementia services guide 9 3 Source: Based on Dementia UK prevalence rates applied to GLA populations Introduction THE DIFFICULTY OF DIAGNOSING ALZHEIMERS Most diagnoses of Alzheimers are delayed until more than two years after symptoms first appear because patients and families ignore, deny, or dont recognize common signs of early Alzheimers, according to a 2006 Alzheimers Foundation of America survey. Fifty-seven percent of caregivers who answered the poll said they put off seeking diagnosis for symptoms of memory loss, confusion, and language difficulties because they — or the person they cared for — were in denial about having the disease, or because they feared the social stigma associated with AD. Another 40 percent didnt seek a diagnosis because they knew little about Alzheimers or its symptoms, they said. 38 percent of those surveyed said it was the patient who resisted going to see a doctor; 19 percent of caregivers admitted they themselves didnt want to face the possibility that something was wrong. Spouses were three times less likely than children of people with Alzheimers to delay seeking diagnosis, the survey found. What Is Dementia? by Maureen Dezell with Carrie Hill, Ph. D. Dementia itself is not a disease but a term that describes different brain disorders that cause memory loss and other symptoms of cognitive decline. While various kinds of dementia are more common the longer we live, none is a part of normal aging. Dementia specialists recommend you see a doctor to evaluate any of these problems or symptoms, which may point to dementia: Problems retaining recent memories and learning new information, losing and misplacing objects, regularly forgetting appointments or recent conversations, or asking the same question over and over. Problems handling complex tasks; trouble balancing a checkbook, following a recipe, or performing routine tasks that involve a complextrain of thought. Trouble reasoning. Difficulty dealing with everyday problems, such as a flat tire. Uncharacteristic rash behavior, including poor financial or social judgment. Difficulty with spatial ability and orientation. Driving and navigating familiar surroundings becomes difficult; trouble recognizing local landmarks. Difficulty with language. Problems speaking, listening, and following or participating in conversations. Behavioral or personality changes. An active, engaged person seems listless and unresponsive. Trusting people become suspicious. What Is Dementia? by Maureen Dezell with Carrie Hill, Ph. D. . While various kinds of dementia are more common the longer we live, none is a part of normal aging. Dementia specialists recommend you see a doctor to evaluate any of these problems or symptoms, which may point to dementia: Problems retaining recent memories and learning new information, losing and misplacing objects, regularly forgetting appointments or recent conversations, or asking the same question over and over. Problems handling complex tasks; trouble balancing a checkbook, following a recipe, or performing routine tasks that involve a complextrain of thought. Trouble reasoning. Difficulty dealing with everyday problems, such as a flat tire. Uncharacteristic rash behavior, including poor financial or social judgment. Difficulty with spatial ability and orientation. Driving and navigating familiar surroundings becomes difficult; trouble recognizing local landmarks. Difficulty with language. Problems speaking, listening, and following or participating in conversations. Behavioral or personality changes. An active, engaged person seems listless and unresponsive. Trusting people become suspicious. Who gets dementia? . Rarely, dementia affects younger people. Dementia is said to be early-onset (or young-onset) if it comes on before the age of 65. There are some groups of people who are known to have a higher risk of developing dementia. These include people with: Downs syndrome or other learning disabilities. People with Downs syndrome are more likely to develop Alzheimers disease. Parkinsons disease. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (angina, heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease). The risk factors for cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol level, lack of exercise, etc) are risk factors for all types of dementia, not just vascular dementia. Severe psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia or severe depression. It is not clear why this is the case. Lower intelligence. Some studies have shown that people with a lower IQ and also people who do not have very high educational achievement are more likely to develop dementia. A limited social support network. Low physical activity levels. A lack of physical activity can increase your risk of dementia. (See separate leaflet called Physical Activity for Health for more details. ) Dementia also seems to run in some families so there may be some genetic factors that can make someone more likely to develop dementia. We do know that a few of the more rare causes of dementia can be inherited (can be passed on through genes in your family). Can medication help people with dementia? There is no cure for dementia and no medicine that will reverse dementia. However, there are some medicines that may be used to help in some causes of dementia. Medication is generally used for two different reasons. Firstly, as treatment to help with symptoms that affect thinking and memory (cognitive symptoms). Secondly, as treatment to help with symptoms that affect mood and how someone behaves (non-cognitive symptoms). With improved nursing care and more widespread use of antibiotics to treat intercurrent infections, individuals now commonly survive 10 years or longer with dementia. This was not always the case – in the 1950s, the pioneering geriatric psychiatrist Sir Martin Roth and colleagues used distinctions in duration of illness to show that dementia differed from other severe psychiatric syndromes, notably depression, in the elderly. At that time, most elderly people hospitalized with dementia in the UK survived for approximately 2 years; Sex. All prevalence studies show that women are more often affected by dementia than are men. Typically, health services treat twice as many women as men with dementia. This contrast is explained only partly by the longer life expectancy of women because, even when this is taken into account, a slight excess of incidence is still evident in women. 2009 Health Press Ltd. Fast Facts:Dementia Lawrence J Whalley and John CS Breitner SOCIAL MODEL OF DEMENTIA While the clinical model of dementia presented above describes the changes occurring within the brain, the way that dementia affects a person in day-to-day life will vary from one individual to the next. For many years, people with dementia were written off as incapable, regarded as little more than ‘vegetables’ and often hidden from society at large. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a move away from regarding people with dementia as incapable and excluding them from society, and towards a ‘new culture of dementia care’, which encouraged looking for the person behind the dementia (Gilleard, 1984; Kitwood Benson, 1995; Kitwood,1997). People with dementia could now be treated as individuals with a unique identity and biography and cared for with greater understanding. Building on this work, others (notably Marshall, 2004) have advocated that dementia should be regarded as a disability and framed within a social model. The social model, as developed in relation to disability, understands disability not as an intrinsic characteristic of the individual, but as an outcome produced by social processes of exclusion. Thus, disability is not something that exists purely at the level of individual psychology, but is a condition created by a combination of social and material factors including income and financial support, employment, housing, transport and the built environment (Barnes et al. , 1999). From the perspective of the social model, people with dementia may have an impairment (perhaps of cognitive function) but their disability results from the way they are treated by, or excluded from, society. For people with dementia, this model carries important implications, for example: ? the condition is not the ‘fault’ of the individual ? the focus is on the skills and capacities the person retains rather than loses ? the individual can be fully understood (his or her history, likes/dislikes, and so on) ? the influence is recognised of an enabling or supportive environment ? the key value is endorsed of appropriate communication ? opportunities should be taken for rehabilitation or re-enablement ? the responsibility to reach out to people with dementia lies with people who do not (yet) have dementia (Gilliard et al. , 2005). The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviours of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography. By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. If, for example, it is known that a man with dementia was once a prisoner of war, it can be understood why he becomes very distressed when admitted to a locked ward. If care providers have learned that a person with dementia has a strong dislike for a certain food, it can be understood why the person might spit it out. Without this background knowledge and understanding, the man who rattles the door may be labelled a ‘wanderer’ because he tries to escape and cowers when approached, or the person who spits out food is labelled as ‘antisocial’. Moreover, a variety of aspects of care may affect a person as the dementia progresses. Some extrinsic factors in the care environment can be modified, for instance noise levels can be highly irritating but are controllable. Other intrinsic factors, such as the cultural or ethnic identity of the person with dementia, may also have a bearing on how needs are assessed and care is delivered. Some aspects will be more important or relevant to one person than to another. The social model of care asserts that dementia is more than, but inclusive of, the clinical damage to the brain. ), and while we do not know what precise forms of training are effective, it is reported to lead to better identification of abuse (a random controlled trial by Richardson and colleagues (2002) provides good evidence of this). Agreed multi-agency policy and practice guidance is available at local level and identifies the approaches to be taken when abuse or neglect are suspected. A national recording system for referrals of adult abuse has been piloted (Department of Health, 2005b), which found that older people with mental health problems were among those referred to local authorities’ adult protection systems; a variety of interventions were adopted, although information on the outcomes is not available. Recommendations from a series of high-profile inquiries into care settings in hospitals (for example, Rowan Ward, Department of Health/Care Services Improvement Partnership, 2005) are relevant to commissioners, regulatory bodies and practitioners in seeking to lower the risk of abuse. The law in this area is developing and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 introduces a new criminal offence of ill treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity. DISCLOSURE/STIGMA Assessment and reaching a conclusion about the diagnosis leads to a point where this information should be shared with the person with dementia. This is especially challenging in dementia for a number of reasons: ? the difficulty of accurate diagnosis ? the challenge of imparting ‘bad news’ ? uncertainty about whether or not the person will understand what is being said ? uncertainty about whether or not the person will retain what is said ? lack of follow-up support. Studies, in which people with dementia have been invited to tell the story of how they reached a memory assessment service and what the assessment process felt like, indicate that this is not an easy journey for them (Keady Gilliard, 2002). Often, they have been aware of their memory difficulties for some time before sharing this information with others (usually, but not always, their close family). This awareness may occur in quite private activities, like doing crossword puzzles. In the meantime, those who are closest to the person may also have been aware of the difficulties but have fought shy of sharing their concerns. Disclosing their concerns to each other is often what triggers a visit to the GP and referral to a memory assessment service (Keady Gilliard, 2002). People have reported that their visits to the memory assessment service can also be quite an ordeal (Keady Gilliard, 2002). This is often like no other outpatient clinic. The doctor may speak to the carer separately from the person being assessed, leading to suspicion about what is being said. The assessment process itself may prove embarrassing, even humiliating. People report that they are aware that some of the questions are simple and feel foolish that they are unable to answer. They may establish strategies for managing this (Keady Gilliard, 2002). Whilst recognising that most people are seeking to make sense of what is happening to them, it is important to acknowledge that some will find it hard to listen to their diagnosis and there will be some who will not want to be told at all. They know they have a problem with their memory and that they are not able to function as they once did or as their peers do. They want to know what is wrong with them, and they need the clinician to be honest with them. Telling someone that he or she has a memory problem is only telling him or her what he or she already knows. People should be told their diagnosis as clearly and honestly as possible. The moment of sharing the diagnosis may not be comfortable for any of those concerned – neither the clinician, nor the person with dementia, nor his or her carer (Friel McGowan, 1993). Without this knowledge, people cannot begin to make sense of what is happening, nor can they plan effectively for their future. They should be given a choice of treatments and need information about practical support and entitlements, like Lasting Powers of Attorney and advance decisions to refuse treatment (more information can be found in Section 4. 9. 4 and in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 [The Stationery Office, 2005]). They will want to make decisions about how they spend their time before life becomes more difficult for them (for example, visiting family abroad). Following the disclosure of the diagnosis, people with dementia and their families may want further support and opportunities for talking. Pre- and post-assessment counselling services should be part of the specialist memory assessment service. Recent work (Cheston et al. , 2003a) has shown the value of psychotherapeutic support groups for people with dementia, allowing them space to share their feelings with others. Joint interventions with the person with dementia and family carers, such as family therapy, recognise the fact that the diagnosis does not impact on just one person but on a whole family system (Gilleard, 1996). Other services have used volunteer ‘befrienders’ to maintain contact with people who are newly diagnosed and who can offer both practical support and information together with a ‘listening ear’. People with early dementia are also taking responsibility for their own support by forming groups, which may meet regularly or may be virtual networks using the internet (see, for example, www. dasninternational. org). Sensitivity is required in ensuring that information about the diagnosis is given in a way that is easily understood by the person concerned and acceptable to the family. Gentle questioning at an early stage will help to ascertain what people can, and want, to be told. There is much we can learn from earlier work on sharing the diagnosis with people with cancer (for example, Buckman, 1996). It is especially important to be aware of different cultural sensitivities and the stigma that dementia holds for many people. This can range from subjective feelings of shame to a real exclusion from community and family life. Age and ethnicity are both factors in the sense of stigma associated with a diagnosis of dementia (Patel et al. , 1998). 4. 9 BASIC LEGAL AND ETHICAL CONCEPTS IN CONNECTION WITH DEMENTIA CARE 4. 9. 1 Introduction The ethical problems that arise in the context of dementia mainly relate to autonomy, which is compromised in dementia to varying degrees. Respect for autonomy is recognised as a key principle in health and social care (Beauchamp Childress, 2001). Many of the ethical tensions that arise in looking after people with dementia do so because of, on the one hand, the requirement that autonomy ought to be respected and, on the other, the reality of increasing dependency, where this entails a loss of personal freedom. Person-centred care is a means of respecting personal autonomy wherever it is threatened (Kitwood, 1997). As Agich has stated, ‘Autonomy fundamentally importantly involves the way individuals live their daily lives; it is found in the nooks and crannies of everyday experience’ (Agich, 2003). Hence, respecting the person’s autonomy will involve day-to-day interactions and will be achieved if the person with dementia is not positioned in such a way as to impede his or her remaining abilities. Such ‘malignant positioning’ can be the result of inappropriate psychosocial structures. The fundamental way to combat this tendency, which undermines the person’s selfhood, is to encourage good-quality communication (Kitwood, 1997; Sabat, 2001). Another way in which selfhood might be undermined is through structural or procedural barriers to good-quality care, and service providers should take an active role in promoting the individual’s autonomy and his or her legal and human rights. Furthermore, services may discriminate against people with dementia if eligibility criteria are drawn up in such a way as to exclude them or because of an assumption that people with dementia cannot benefit from a service because staff lack confidence and skills in working with this group. Discrimination may also occur if a service does not offer people with dementia the support they may need in order for them to be able to make use of the service. The Disability Discrimination Acts (1995 and 2005), which include dementia within the definition of disability, aim to end the discrimination that many disabled people face in their everyday lives by making direct or indirect discrimination against disabled people unlawful in a range of areas including access to facilities and services and buying or renting property. The discussion that follows will briefly focus on human rights, consent, capacity and confidentiality. 4. 9. 2 Human rights Human rights are enshrined, as far as the United Kingdom is concerned, in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Council of Europe, 2003). The relevant UK legislation is the Human Rights Act 1998, which came into force in 2000. The principle of respect for autonomy is implicit throughout the Convention. A number of the articles of the Convention are potentially relevant to people with dementia. For example, Article 2 asserts that everyone has a right to life, Article 3 prohibits torture, but also â€Å"inhuman or degrading treatment†, and Article 8 concerns the right to respect for the person’s private and family life. Article 5 asserts the right of people to liberty and security. It states that â€Å"No one should be deprived of his liberty†, except in very specific circumstances. It also asserts that if someone is deprived of his or her liberty, there should be recourse to a court. Article 5 was central to the ‘Bournewood’ case. The European Court declared, amongst other things, that the man concerned (who had a learning disability) had been deprived of his liberty, in contravention of Article 5 (see Department of Health, 2004, for further information). The crucial distinction to emerge from the case was that between deprivation of liberty and restriction of liberty. Whilst the former is illegal, except insofar as there are legal safeguards of the sort provided by the Mental Health Act 1983 (HMSO, 1983), the latter may be permissible under the sort of circumstances envisaged by Section 6 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (TSO, 2005). This discusses using restraint as a proportionate response to the possibility of the person suffering harm. Guidance on the distinction between ‘restriction’ and ‘deprivation’ of liberty has been provided by the Department of Health and the National Assembly for Wales (Department of Health, 2004). 4. 9. 3 Consent In brief, for consent to be valid it must be: ? informed ? competent ? uncoerced ? continuing. Each of these concepts requires interpretation and judgement, as none of them is entirely unproblematic (Department of Health, 2001a). For instance, people can be more or less informed. The ‘Sidaway’ case (1984) established that the legal standard as regards informing a patient was the same as for negligence (see the ‘Bolam case’, 1957). In other words, the person should be given as much information as a ‘responsible body’ of medical opinion would deem appropriate. However, since then, there has been a shift away from a professional-centred standard towards a patient-centred standard. In the ‘Pearce’ case (1998), one of the Law Lords declared that information should be given where there exists ‘a significant risk which would affect the judgement of a reasonable patient’. Department of Health guidelines (Department of Health, 2001c) have pointed out that, although informing patients about the nature and purpose of procedures may be enough to avoid a claim of battery, it may not be sufficient to fulfill the legal duty of care. There may be other pieces of information relevant to the individual patient that it would be negligent not to mention. Hence the General Medical Council (GMC)’s insistence that doctors should do their best ‘to find out about patients’ individual needs and priorities’ (GMC, 1998). The GMC guidance goes on to say: ‘You should not make assumptions about patients’ views’. These points are very relevant when it comes to consent in the context of dementia. It should be kept in mind that consent is not solely an issue as regards medical procedures. The ‘nooks and crannies of everyday experience’ (Agich, 2003) – what to wear or to eat, whether to go out or participate in an activity and whether to accept extra home or respite care – are all aspects of life to which the person with dementia may or may not wish to consent. If the person has capacity with respect to the particular decision, but does not wish to consent, he or she should be supported in making an autonomous decision. 4. 9. 4 Decision-making capacity In England and Wales, a lack of capacity has been defined thus: ‘. . . a person lacks capacity in relation to a matter if at the material time he is unable to make a decision for himself in relation to the matter because of an impairment of, or a disturbance in the functioning of, the mind or brain’ (Mental Capacity Act 2005 [TSO, 2005, Section 2]). A person is further defined as unable to make a decision if he or she is unable: ‘(a) to understand the information relevant to the decision, (b) to retain this information, (c) to use or weigh that information as part of the process of making the decision, or (d) to communicate his decision (whether by talking, using sign language or any other means)’ (Mental Capacity Act 2005 [TSO, 2005, Section 3(1)]). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (TSO, 2005), which will apply in England and Wales31, sets out a framework for making decisions for people who are unable to make decisions for themselves. Its detailed provisions, along with its Code of Practice (currently in draft form [DCA, 2005]), should be referred to by all those involved in such decision making. In outline, the main provisions of the Act: ? offer a definition of lack of capacity (Sections 2–3) ? outline a process for the determination of a person’s best interests (Section 4) ? create Lasting Powers of Attorney, which allow a person to appoint a donee to make decisions about his or her health and welfare (Sections 9–14) ? establish the Court of Protection in a new form, with powers to make declarations and appoint deputies in difficult cases or where there are disputes concerning decisions about a person’s health and welfare (Sections 15–23) ? bring under statute and clarify the law regarding advance decisions to refuse treatment (Sections 24–26) ? set out safeguards co