What is Tourism?

HOSPITALITY INDUSTY PROFESSOR: TANYA JOYNER DATE: MARCH22. 2013 TEST: CHAPTER 9 NAME: LU QIONGQIONG(JENNY) 1 what can tourism be defined as? Tourism can be defined as the idea of attracting, accommodating, and pleasing groups or individuals traveling for pleasure or business. It is categorized by geography, ownership, function, industry, and travel motive. 2 business travels has increased in recent years due to what? Business travel has increased in recent years as a result of the growth of convention centers in several cities.As a result, business travelers have given a boost to hotels, restaurants, and auto rental companies. The number of female business travelers is rising as well. 3 who serves as the middle person between a country and its visitors? Travel agencies, tour operators, travel managers, wholesalers, national offices of tourism, and destination management companies serve as middlepersons between a country and its visitors. 4 tourism is a collection of industries and wh en combined form the world’s largest industry.Is the above statement TRUE OR FALSE 5 from social and cultural perspective tourism can further international understanding and economically improve poorer countries. Is the statement above TRUE OR FALSE AND EXPLAIN WHY? I think that is right. From a social and cultural perspective, tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on communities. Undoubtedly, tourism has made significant contribution to international understanding.World tourism organizations recognize that tourism is a means of enhancing international understanding, peace, prosperity, and fundamental freedom for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Tourism can be a very interesting sociocultural phenomenon. Similarly, depending on the reason for the tourist visit, myriad opportunities are available to interact both socially and culturally with local people. provided that the number of tourists is manageable and that they respect the h ost community’s sociocultural norms and values, tourism provide an opportunity for a number of social interactions.

An Assessment of Nhif Utilization in Kiwanja Market

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE UTILIZATION OF NHIF BY RESIDENTS OF KIWANJA MARKET, KAHAWA WEST LOCATION, KASARANI DIVISION IN NAIROBI. Presented by: Ann Mwangi Registration number: I30/2160/2006 A research proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science (nursing and public health) in the school of health sciences of Kenyatta University. February, 2010. DECLARATION STUDENT’S DECLARATION This proposal is my original work and has not been presented for any academic award in any other University or college. Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Name: Ann Mwangi Registration number: I30/2160/2006 SUPERVISOR’S DECLARATION This proposal has been submitted for review with my approval as a university supervisor. Signature †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Name: Mrs. Makworo Department: Nursing sciences. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS NHIF National Hospital Insurance Fund MOH Ministry of Health CAP Chapter HMOs Health Management Organization UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund KIPPRA Kenya institute for public policy research activities and analysis OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Health care- Goods and services used as inputs to produce health. In some analyses one’s own time and knowledge used to maintain and promote health are considered in additional to conventional inputs. Used synonymously with Medicare in this study. Health maintenance organization (HMOs) –It is a managed care plan that integrates financing and delivery of a comprehensive set of health care services to an enrolled population. HMOs may contract with or directly employ health care providers. Social insurance – It’s a government insurance programme in which eligibility and premiums are not determined by the practices common to private insurance contracts. Premiums are often subsidized and there is typically redistribution from some segments of the population to others. Health care financing- Refers to paying or funding of health care services provided or to be provided. It is not Medicare per se that consumers want but health itself. Medicare demand is a derived demand for an input that is used to produce health. Health care consumers do not merely purchase passively from the market, but instead produce it, spending time on health improving efforts in addition to purchasing Medicare input. ABSTRACT The National Hospital insurance Fund (NHIF) is an important aspect of healthcare financing through social health insurance in Kenya. It was established by the government of Kenya (GoK) in 1966 as a social insurance fund. At its inception, the NHIF was meant to assist GoK employees to gain access to higher quality private hospitals, thereby relieving congestion in the free public hospitals. The NHIF has mainly focused on the formal sector employees in the past around four decades. This has left those employed in the informal sector. This study is attempts to analyze and understand the demand for social health insurance of the informal sector workers in Kiwanja market by assessing their perceptions and knowledge of and concerns regarding National Hospital Insurance Fund. It will serve to explore how more informal sector workers could be integrated into the NHIF scheme. The research design to be used will be a descriptive cross-sectional study. The area of study is Kiwanja market in Kahawa west location. The study population will include Kiwanja residents above 18 years of age, and employed in the informal sector. The sample size will be 76 as determined using a standard statistical formula and the respondents selected through cluster sampling. A structured questionnaire will be used to collect data. Pretesting of the data collection tool will be done in Kihunguro area in Ruiru. The data collected will be entered, coded and keyed into variables using SPSS version 12- computer software and excel computer packages. Quantitative data will be analyzed using SPSS version 10 computer software. Presentation of quantitive information will be done using statistical packages (graphs, charts, tables and pie charts). The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study will be very important in formulating awareness campaigns and educational materials that will enable the residents of Kiwanja in the informal sector of employment to realize the significance of NHIF programmes in financing their healthcare. TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATIONii ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMSiii OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONSiv ABSTRACTv CHAPTER ONE1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION1 1. 1Background to the study1 1. 2Statement of the problem4 1. 3Justification of the study5 1. 4 Research questions5 1. 5 Objectives of the study6 1. 5. 1 Broad objective6 1. 5. 2 Specific objectives6 1. 6 Research assumptions6 1. 7Significance of the study6 CHAPTER TWO7 2. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW7 2. 1 Social health insurance7 2. 2 Healthcare financing through health insurance in Kenya9 2. 2. 1 The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). 10 2. 2. 2 Membership to NHIF10 . 2. 3 Mode of Payment11 2. 2. 4 Benefits and cover11 2. 2. 5 How to access benefits11 2. 2. 6 Accredited hospitals12 2. 2. 7 Milestones12 2. 2. 8 The future of NHIF12 2. 3 Factors influencing utilization of social health insurance services. 13 2. 3. 1 Feasibility analyses of social health insurance14 CHAPTER THREE20 3. 0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY20 3. 1 Research design20 3. 2 Study area20 3. 3 Stud y population20 3. 4 Inclusion and exclusion criteria20 3. 4. 1 Inclusion criteria20 3. 4. 5 Exclusion criteria20 3. 5 Sampling technique and sample size21 3. 5. 1 Sample size determination21 . 5. 2 Sampling technique22 3. 6 Data collection procedures22 3. 6. 1 Research instruments22 3. 6. 2 Pre testing22 3. 6. 3 Data collection process22 3. 7 Data management23 3. 8 Limitations of the study23 3. 9 Ethical considerations23 REFERENCES24 WORK PLAN FOR THE STUDY. 26 BUDGET27 APPENDICES28 INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION (QUESTIONNAIRE)28 CONSENT FORM31 MAP OF STUDY AREA32 CHAPTER ONE 1. 0 INTRODUCTION 1. 1Background to the study The concept of National Hospital insurance Fund (NHIF) is an important aspect of healthcare financing through social health insurance in Kenya. In a developing country like Egypt, the Health Insurance Organization (HIO) is prominent among many health institutions involved in health financing and provision, and a key player in the country’s health sector reform programme. It was established in 1964 as the institution in Egypt responsible for social health insurance, providing compulsory health insurance to workers in the formal sector (Abd et al. , 1997). One of the overall goals of the Government of Kenya is to promote and improve the health status of all Kenyans by making health services more effective, accessible, and affordable. Therefore health policy in the country revolves around two critical issues, namely: how to deliver a basic package of quality health services, and how to finance and manage those services in a way that guarantees their availability, accessibility and affordability to those in most need most health care (Kimani, Muthaka, and Manda, 2004). On achieving independence in 1963, the Government of Kenya (GoK) committed itself to providing â€Å"free† health services as part of its development strategy to alleviate poverty and improve the welfare and productivity of the nation (GoK press, 1965). This pledge was honored in 1964 with the discontinuation of the pre-independence user fees, and the introduction of free outpatient services and hospitalization for all children in the public health facilities. Services in the public health facilities remained free for all except those in employment whose expenses were met by their employers (Owino, W. and Were, M. , 1998). Through financial support from the central government, strategies were developed to expand the health infrastructure and support the entire health system. The GoK established NHIF in 1966 as a social insurance fund. At its inception, the NHIF was meant to assist GoK employees to gain access to higher quality private hospitals, thereby relieving congestion in the free public hospitals. The NHIF has mainly focused on the formal sector employees in the past around four decades. This has left those employed in the informal sector. Structural reforms and poor economic growth have increasingly pushed labor into the informal and small scale agriculture sectors where livelihoods are often insecure and incomes are low and uncertain (Kimani, Muthaka, and Manda, 2004). As a way of reaching out to those in the informal sector and the poor, the government plans to transform the current NHIF to National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF). The aim is to ensure equity and access to healthcare services by the poor and those in the informal sector, who have been left out for the last forty years that the NHIF has been in existence. It is also expected that the new scheme will increase healthcare services utilization, which has suffered under cost sharing, by extending benefit package to also cover outpatient care. The current cost sharing will be replaced by pre-paid contribution into the new scheme (Kimani, Muthaka, and Manda, 2004). The principal choices for financing a health care system are: general revenues, social insurance funding, and private insurance financing and out of pocket payments. General revenue financing here refers to a system of revenue collection through a broad based tax. All or portion of this tax may be dedicated to the health care system . general revenues may be raised at the federal, state, provincial, or local levels. According to the United Nations system of national account, 1993, Annex IV par. 4. 111, an insurance programme is designated as a social insurance programme if at least one of the following three conditions is met: a) Participation in the programme is compulsory either by law or by conditions of employment. b) The programme is operated on behalf of a group and is restricted to group members. c) An employer makes a contribution to the programme on behalf of the employee. National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is therefore a social insurance financing in Kenya. NHIF’s core function is to collect contributions from all Kenyans earning an income of over Ksh 1000 ($12) and pay hospital benefits out of the contributions to members and their declared dependants (spouse and children) Whilst ensuring that Kenyans of all walks of life have access to quality and affordable healthcare, NHIF operates under the social principle that â€Å"the rich should support the poor, the healthy should support the sick and the young should support the old. 2. Statement of the problem The GoK established NHIF in 1966 as a social insurance fund. At its nception, the NHIF was meant to assist GoK employees to gain access to higher quality private hospitals, thereby relieving congestion in the free public hospitals. The NHIF has mainly focused on the formal sector employees in the past around four decades. This has left those employed in the informal sector (Republic of Kenya, 2003a). There exists an information gap on informal sector Kenyans utilization of NHI F services, in instances where studies focus on informal sector employees, NHIF is a social health insurance and an important aspect healthcare financing in Kenya that is often neglected or not fully explored. Majority of studies carried out; focus on utilization of NHIF services across general Kenyan population irrespective of the employment sector. This has led to formulation of healthcare financing programmes that do not address the specific needs of Kenyans in the informal sector. More so, tools of analysis by most relevant studies are limited to univariate and bivariate analysis falling short of examining the net effect of selected background and intermediate factors negatively impacting healthcare accessibility and utilizations by workers in the informal sector of employment. The study is designed to assess the level of knowledge and utilization of NHIF in Kiwanja market because it is an area whose majority of residents are in the informal sector of employment. 3. Justification of the study Taking into considerations the existing information gap on utilization of NHIF services by informal sector employees, it is important to undertake this study in Kiwanja market to establish the awareness level and its use. Kiwanja market is a densely populated area behind Kenyatta University. Majority of Kiwanja residents are in the informal sector. The study is designed to identify the potential hindrances of utilization of NHIF services in Kiwanja residents in the informal sector and ways of how to remove them. The study seeks to explain and provide a systematic body of knowledge that can be explored for appropriate policy formulation, to act as an eye opener and reminder to both the NHIF management team, and other stakeholders to raise the utilization of NHIF services by the informal sector in Kenya. Knowledge deficit regarding NHIF benefits and use to finance health care contributes greatly to the high mortality and morbidity rates due to poor health seeking behavior (Inke et al. 2004). Provision of information and raising awareness on NHIF benefits and use will reduce significantly the number of pregnant women delivering at home due to lack of funds to pay for hospital delivery. 1. 4 Research questions The research questions for the study will be: a) How informed are the members of Kiwanja market about NHIF benefits? b) Wha t percentage of Kiwanja market residents use NHIF services and are in the informal sector? 1. 5 Objectives of the study 1. 5. 1 Broad objective To assess the awareness on NHIF benefits and utilization of NHIF services by Kiwanja market residents. . 5. 2 Specific objectives a) To find out the knowledge level of Kiwanja residents about NHIF. b) To determine the number of Kiwanja residents who are NHIF beneficiaries. 1. 6 Research assumptions The residents of Kiwanja market are knowledgeable about health care financing, they are aware about NHIF benefits but they do not use it because they think it is only meant to benefit those people in the formal employment sector. 7. Significance of the study This study aims at finding out if Kiwanja residents utilize NHIF services. In addressing the objectives, the study will identify the level of utilization of NHIF services, factors influencing its utilization and come up with ways of addressing any shortcomings that will be identified and help in improving NHIF services utilization. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study will be important in formulating awareness campaigns and educational materials that will enable the residents of Kiwanja in the informal sector of employment to realize the significance of NHIF programmes in financing their healthcare. This study attempts to find out the awareness on NHIF benefits and use by residents of Kiwanja market. It will therefore benefit the residents of Kiwanja and empower them to acquire their human right of health care. CHAPTER TWO 2. 0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Social health insurance The concept of health insurance was first proposed in 1694 by Hugh the Elder Chamberlen from the Peter Chamberlen family. In the late 19th century, â€Å"accident insurance† began to be available, which operated much like modern disability insurance. This payment model continued until the start of the 20th century in some jurisdictions (like California), where all laws regulating health insurance actually referred to disability insurance. During the 1920s, individual hospitals began offering services to individuals on a pre-paid basis, eventually leading to the development of Blue Cross organizations. The predecessors of today's Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) originated beginning in 1929, through the 1930s and on during World War II (Weber, 1994). A health insurance scheme is social when it subsidizes the poor, the elderly and the sick, and when it promotes equity and access to everyone and not for profit. The core values in social health insurance embody a concern for the plight of the poor. In social insurance financing, health services are paid for through contributions to a health fund. The most common basis for contributions is payroll, with both the employer and the employee paying a percentage of the salary. In general, membership to a social health insurance schemes is mandatory, although it can be voluntary to certain groups such as the self-employed. The health fund is usually independent of the government but works within a tight framework of regulations. Premiums are linked to the average cost of treatment for the group as a whole, not to the expected cost of care for the individual (Conn , 1998). While there is no universally accepted definition of what â€Å"social insurance† is, Kraushaar and Akumu (1993) outline some broad characteristics, which are generally agreed upon. These are: a) Coverage is generally compulsory by law ) Eligibility for benefits is derived from contributions having been made to the programme c) The benefits for one individual are not usually directly related to contributions made by that individual but often those benefits aim to redistribute income between different income groups. This redistribution is usually from the rich to the lower income groups or from those with few to those with many dependants. Equity of benefits regardless of payment is the rule. d) There is generally a plan or the financing of benefits that is designed to be adequate in the long term. ) Governments manage nearly all such social insurance organizations. f) Revenues go fully and unchallenged to health and are not controlled by the treasury in a given country. Conn and Walford (1998) explain the rationale for health insurance in a low-income country with the following three arguments: a) Attracting additional money for health. This is so because health insurance is perceived as an additional source of money for healthcare. Consumers are more enthusiastic about paying for health insurance than paying general taxation as benefits are specific and visible. ) Getting better value for money because consumers are more able and prefer to pay regular, affordable premiums rather than paying fees for treatment when they are ill. c) Improving the quality and targeting of healthcare. Historically, HMOs tended to use the term â€Å"health plan†, while commercial insurance companies used the term †Å"health insurance†. A health plan can also refer to a subscription-based medical care arrangement offered through HMOs, preferred provider organizations, or point of service plans. These plans are similar to pre-paid dental, pre-paid legal and pre-paid vision plans. Pre-paid health plans typically pay for a fixed number of services. The services offered are usually at the discretion of a utilization review nurse who is often contracted through the managed care entity providing the subscription health plan. This determination may be made either prior to or after hospital admission (Weber, 1994) 2. 2 Healthcare financing through health insurance in Kenya Health insurance in Kenya has been provided by both private and public systems. The main objectives of the he health systems have been to insure Kenyans against health risks that they may encounter in future. Health insurance is considered private when the third party (insurer) is a profit organization (Republic of Kenya, 2003a). In private insurance, people pay premiums related to expected cost of providing services to them. Therefore people who are in high health risk groups pay more, and those at low risks pay less. Cross-subsidy between people with different risks of ill health is limited. Membership is usually voluntary. Public health insurance in Kenya is provided by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (Kimani, Muthaka, and Manda, 2004). 2. 2. The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). The NHIF was established in 1966 under chapter (CAP) 255 of the Laws of Kenya to be run by an Advisory Council appointed by the Minister of Health. The NHIF was established in 1966 under CAP 255 of the Laws of Kenya to be run by an Advisory Council appointed by the Minister of Health. It catered for salaried employees earning Kshs. 1, 000 and above per month, making a monthly contribution of Kshs. 20/= . In 1972 an amendment was made to incorporate voluntary members (self-employed) at a monthly contribution of Kshs. 0/=. In 1998, Cap 255 was repealed and replaced by the NHIF Act No. 9 of 1998 which transformed the fund to a State Corporation managed by an all inclusive Board representing various stakeholders and interest groups (Republic of Kenya, 2003a). 2. 2. 2 Membership to NHIF Membership to NHIF is open to all Kenyans aged 18 years and above earning a monthly income of kshs. 1000 or an average yearly income of kshs. 12, 000. There is no upper ceiling for the age. 2. 2. 3 Mode of Payment Employers effect deductions and remit to the fund by cheque or cash, and E-banking. Members in the informal sector pay in any of the NHIF offices Kshs. 160 per month for informal sector members. Members in the informal sector pay in any of the NHIF offices. All payments should be received by the 9th of the following month. For retirees/self employed persons payment for the year may be paid upfront; quarterly, semi-annually and/or annually. 2. 2. 4 Benefits and cover a) It covers all admission cases with few exceptions such as circumcision with no medical checkup required. b) Covers member, spouse and children under the age of 18 year. ) Children over 18 yrs and in learning institutions are also covered d) It covers for 180 days of hospitalization in a year. NHIF pay a daily rebate which ranges from Ksh. 400/= to Ksh. 2, 200/= Foreign claims. The number of other spouses is not limited and depends on the ability to pay for them. 2. 2. 5 How to access benefits Through presentation of the following to hospital on admission: Current NHIF Card- both manilla and photo card , Certificate of Contributions Paid (CCP) receipt and the national Identity card. The accredited hospitals deduct the daily rebate X number of days of hospitalization from the incurred bill. While for the contracted hospitals under category A, the entire bill is made by the Fund, the Fund reimburses member for costs incurred to the extent of the daily rebate if for one reason or another he /she is unable to use the card in Hospital. All claims should be received within 90 days after hospitalization. 2. 2. 6 Accredited hospitals Four hundred and fifteen health care providers have been enlisted across the country to provide services to NHIF beneficiaries under various contracts. Accreditation by NHIF is based on certain set standards and criteria for purpose of NHIF benefits. Quality Assurance and Standards Department consistently monitors the quality of services. 2. 2. 7 Milestones Increased rebates up to a maximum of 2,200 depending on hospital accreditation. It has an extensive branch network with 27 branches, satellite and window offices. It offers decentralized services, computerized operations and services and has a quality assurance and standards department in place. 2. 2. 8 The future of NHIF NHIF in future will use magnetic stripe card in hospitals to access benefits, introduction of diversified product lines, and further expansion of branch network. The ministry of health has designed a mandatory social health insurance scheme which seeks to transform the NHIF into a National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF) to provide health insurance cover to both outpatients and inpatients. The main objective of the fund is to facilitate the provision of accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services to all its members irrespective of their age, economic or social status (Republic of Kenya, 2003c). 2. 3 Factors influencing utilization of social health insurance services. In most economically advanced countries, adequate social security laws are basically taken for granted. However, it often took many decades for social security systems to benefit all or major parts of the population in those countries. In the area of social health protection, for example, it took Japan 36 years to move from the enactment of the first health insurance law to the final law establishing nation-wide social health insurance. In the United Kingdom, a similar time period was needed to achieve its universal tax-based system (Inke et. al. 2004) Social Health Insurance (SHI) is not a widely adopted health financing mechanism in Africa. While there are many countries that operate a health insurance scheme for civil servants and/or private sector employees only some of these include features of a SHI, its appeal to cover larger parts of the population has been growing. Countries including Ghana, Nigeria and Rwanda have passed SHI laws. Earlier on, Kenya investigated the feasibility of SHI and Lesotho and Swaziland are doing so now. One distinct feature is that it does not call exclusively on public finance, but instead spreads the responsibility of health care financing among households and the private sector as well. From that point of view, tax-based systems in Africa are particularly challenged: the overall tax base may need to be strengthened, tax compliance may require improvement, and then a sufficient allocation towards health would have to be called for. Still, social health insurance is not a panacea either. It requires that an important organizational apparatus be put in place and that many actors in society shoulder critical responsibilities, such as the willingness and ability to contribute to the SHI scheme and then to comply with its regulations, thereby accepting a certain degree of financial solidarity (Kimani Muthaka ,and Manda, 2004). Aiming at universal health coverage for its 9. 5 million populations, Rwanda has spearheaded the development of a number of schemes that together constitute its SHI system. The three most important ones are the Rwandaise d'assurance maladie (RAMA), the Medical Military Insurance (MMI) and the Assurances Maladies Communautaires (AMCs). The RAMA social health insurance is compulsory for government employees and voluntary for private sector employees. Its contribution rate is 15% of basic salary (shared equally etween employee and employer). MMI covers all military personnel, who pay a contribution rate of 22. 5% of basic salary (5% paid by employee and 17. 5% by government). AMCs are community-based health insurance schemes whose members are mainly rural dwellers and informal sector workers in both rural and urban areas. They make up the majority of the population; by the end of 2007 about 5. 7 million Rwandans were covered by AMCs. Members usually contribute 1000 Rwandan Francs (1. 5 US$) per person per year which is matched by the government (Stilglitz, J. E. , 2000) 2. 3. 1 Feasibility analyses of social health insurance Since 2002, the WHO has been involved in technical advisory work especially on assessing the feasibility of SHI in Kenya, Lesotho and Swaziland in collaboration with national experts from those countries. In each country we analyzed the financial, organizational and political feasibility. Below we present some of the highlights of this work that should help us in formulating general guidance (Inke et. al. 2004) In Kenya, one basic financial scenario was that of gradual implementation of universal health coverage: coverage by a possible National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF) would reach 62% of the population after 10 years, with further expansion in the second decade of SHI implementation. An important feature is that such a scenario would only be conceivable with sizable government subsidies. Without such subsidies, access to health car e among low-income households would be jeopardized, as the contributions From formal sector employees and civil servants would be insufficient to cross-subsidize the needed health care of the poor. External donors' financial support, however, could alleviate this extra financial burden on government. In fact, a variant of the basic scenario assumes that external donors would finance the provision of antiretroviral therapy, which would reduce the required government subsidies by about 20%. As far as the organizational aspects are concerned, it was studied whether the existing National Hospital Insurance Fund, a mandatory hospital insurance scheme for the formal sector with a small part of voluntary insurance for informal sector workers, might be transformed into the NSHIF. The latter would then be governed by a Board of Trustees with representatives from civil society. It is also interesting to note that the proposed NSHIF would include a Department of Fraud and Investigation in order to check the fund's financial activities. Civil society groups and enterprises such as the Post Office would also be given a role, especially in the collection of contributions from households in the informal sector (Inke et. al. , 2004) Concerning its political feasibility, consultations were held with a great number of stakeholders and interest groups, and most were supportive of the proposed NSHIF. Only Kenya's private Health Maintenance Organizations were very critical and had doubts about NSHIF feasibility. Finally, in 2004, the Kenyan Parliament passed a law on the NSHIF. However, President Kibaki judged it still needed amendments and returned it to Parliament for further debate that is still ongoing. Nonetheless, with a long-term vision, the existing National Hospital Insurance Fund is undertaking a number of institutional changes to increase membership and extend benefits so as to be better prepared should SHI take off (Inke et al. 2004) Factors which influence the use of NHIF services in Kenya include: ignorance, socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and demographic factors. Services information availability and accessibility also determines the utilization of social health insurance. Owino and Were (1998), in their study of enhancing healthcare among the vulnerable groups in Kenya ,found out that higher levels of awareness on health insurance, was associated with gre ater use of social insurance and thus better healthcare among the vulnerable people. In another study , a poverty survey by the UNICEF and overseas development Agency in 1995/96,it was found that user fees in Kenya made visits to government facilities prohibitively costly as the poor were required to make payments to reach the registration table, instead of using social insurance rebates. Worse, after the payments, the patients were asked to provide paper for record purposes. These costs could have been covered less difficultly by NHIF or more so NSHIF were they well informed of the benefits and the ease of membership. The study by Mwabu and Wang’ombe (1995) showed that the introduction of outpatient fees in Kenya’s public hospitals reduced the demand by a large proportion, and concluded that introduction of fees, or any upward revisions should be preceded by investments to raise quality of services and a well worked system of health insurance. The people should then be well sensitized on the benefits of joining into health insurance schemes. Huber (1993) did a systematic assessment of outpatients requiring exemptions, based on data from surveys in three districts in Kenya. The calculation was based on information on the household’s ability to pay. The study established the criteria for determining ability to pay on the assumption that households do not need to pay more than 5% of their annual incomes on healthcare from their pocket fees. As a result, households with cumulative health expenditures greater than 5% were assumed to qualify for the exemptions. The main conclusion from the study was that, it is not possible to tell who cannot pay fees by personal characteristics and so all people of the entire population should be enlightened on social insurance schemes such as NHIF and be encouraged to be members even when they are self employed. In a study carried out in Kenya (coast province) by Inke Mathaue (2007), on assessment affecting health services demand: extending social health insurance to informal sector in Kenya. Inke found out that, in the sum mix of the demand-side determinants can be addressed with a well designed strategy, focusing on awareness raising and information, improvement of insurance design features and setting differentiated and affordable contribution rates. In another study done by Mwangi W. M. and Mwabu, G. M (2006) on health care financing in Kenya: simulation of welfare effects of user fee, they found out that the introduction of user selective contribution charges would improve social insurance programmes such as the NHIF. The National Hospital Insurance Fund is the most important health insurance program in Kenya. Membership is compulsory for all civil servants. As of 1990, contribution levels proved insufficient to meet hospital costs and the government was planning to broker private health insurance policies. The government is continually improving and upgrading existing health facilities and opening new ones. Private health institutions account for 60% of total medical equipment and supplies (import value). Kenya also has a well-developed pharmaceutical industry that can produce most medications recommended by the World Health Organization (republic of Kenya, 1999) In order to increase the utilization of NHIF services, we need to raise the awareness on NHIF benefits to the people of Kiwanja market majority of who are struggling to pay for healthcare from their pockets. This study therefore, sets out to assess the utilization of NHIF services and identify factors that hinder its use by Kiwanja residents. The Government of Kenya has addressed the issue of inequalities and poor performance in a number of policy documents. The efforts made under the First Health Sector Plan (1999-2004) did not contribute towards improving Kenya’s health status. In 2005, the Second Health Sector Strategic Plan was implemented. This will run until 2010. In order to improve the funding of the healthcare system and to give more Kenyans access to better healthcare, the Ministry of Health is planning to introduce a National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF). This is a social insurance scheme to which everyone will contribute, without exception. CHAPTER THREE 3. 0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Research design The study will be a cross-sectional descriptive study which will assess the awareness of the residents of Kiwanja market on NHIF services and benefits. 3. 2 Study area The research will be carried out in Kiwanja market which is located behind Kenyatta University, approximately 2 kilometers from the Nairobi –Thika dual carriage highway. 3. 3 Study population The study population will include Kiwanja market residents who are in the informal sector employment, who have attained the age of 18 years and earn an income of at least one thousand shillings per month. Kiwanja market has a total population of approximately 28,000 and about 5600 households as per the records in the chief’s office of Kahawa west location. 3. 4 Inclusion and exclusion criteria 3. 4. 1 Inclusion criteria The study will include Kiwanja market residents, who are self employed or employed in the informal sector. The respondents to be included must have attained the age of 18 years and consented to be used as respondents in the study. 3. 4. 5 Exclusion criteria The study will exclude students of Kenyatta University residing in Kiwanja market, residents under 18 years of age, and those who will decline to give consent. 3. 5 Sampling technique and sample size 3. 5. 1 Sample size determination The sample size will be determined by using the standard sample size calculation formula by Mugenda and Mugenda, 2003. nf = [pic](Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003) Where: nf =desired sample size (If the target population is 10,000) =the proportion of the target population estimated to be in the informal sector taken as 50% z =Standard normal deviation which is 1. 96 at 99 % level of confidence q=1 – p=1-0. 5=0. 5 d=Degree of accuracy desired is 0. 08 (Fischer et al, 1998) n=the desired sample size (when the target population is ;10,000) N=the population of Kiwanja resident households which is 5600 n =1. 962 ? 0. 5 ? 0. 5 0. 082 =76. 64 nf= 5600=75. 60 therefore sample size=76 1+ (5600/76. 64) 3. 5. 2 Sampling technique Cluster sampling technique will be used till an adequate sample size is achieved. Kiwanja market area will be divided into four clusters of approximately 1400 households each. There will be cluster A, B, C, and D. cluster A will be on the eastern part of the safaricom booster, cluster B will be on the western part of the safaricom booster while clusters C and D will be north and south of the booster respectively. Each cluster will contribute 25% of the sample size thus 19 respondents will be issued with the questionnaires. 3. 6 Data collection procedures 3. 6. 1 Research instruments A structured questionnaire will be used to collect data during the study. 3. 6. 2 Pre testing Pre testing of the study tool will be done at Kihunguro area in Ruiru town. 10% of the sample size will be used to test the data collection tool. 3. 6. 3 Data collection process A structured questionnaire will be issued to the respondents after an informed consent is given. The first respondent per cluster will be identified through simple random sampling technique and the next subjects will be selected by snowball sampling until a sample of 19 is obtained. Field editing will be done to the raw data obtained. . 3. 7 Data management Data categorization and coding will be carried out during preparation of the questionnaires. The data collected will be entered, coded and keyed into variables using SPSS version 12- computer software and excel computer packages. Quantitive data will be analyzed using SPSS version 10 computer software. Presentation of quantitive information will be done using statistical packages (graphs, charts, tables and pie charts). 3. 8 Limitations of the study Time will be limiting factor as the time frame for the study is short compared to the workload that will be involved in the study. Due to inadequate time and limited resources, it will be impossible for the study to be carried out in the entire Kahawa west location. This therefore will make generalization impossible because of using only one locality for the study. The researcher will also be disadvantaged in terms of personnel in that the researcher will be the only one carrying out the study with no assistants involved. 3. 9 Ethical considerations The researcher will ensure the following ethical considerations: i. Introductory letter from Kenyatta University, Department of Nursing Sciences. ii. Letter of authorization from chief of Kahawa west location.. iii. All respondents will give informed consent before being interviewed. iv. Confidentiality will be maintained. The researcher will provide feedback to the gatekeepers in the community (chief) and Kenyatta University, Department of Nursing Sciences REFERENCES 1. Abd El Fattah, H. I. Saleh, E. Ezzat, S. El-Sahaty, M. El Adawy, A. K. Nandakuma, C. Connor, H. Salah(1997). The health insurance organization of Egypt: An analytical review and strategy for reform. Technical report No 43. Bethesda, MD: Partnerships for health reform project, Abt Associates Inc. 2. Arrow, K. J. (1963). †Uncertainty and the welfare economics of medical care. † American Economic review. 3. Inke Mathauer, Guy, C, Doetinchem, O. , Joses, K, Laurent, M. (2004). Social health insurance: how feasible is its expansion in the African region, ISS, Rotterdam. 4. Kraushaar, D. (1994). † Health insurance: what is it, how it works. † Financing districts Health Services international workshop 5. Kraushaar. & O. Akumu (1993). â€Å"Financial sustainability of health programmes: the role of the national hospital insurance fund. † Nairobi: Government of Kenya. 6. Manda, Kimani. D. , (2004) Healthcare financing through health insurance in Kenya: the shift to a national social health insurance fund. Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research Activities and Analysis (KIPPRA), Nairobi, Kenya. . Republic of Kenya (2003a). The National Social Health Insurance Strategy. Prepared by the Task Force on the Establishment of Mandatory National Social Health Insurance. 8. Republic of Kenya (1999). Kenya Gazette supplement, Acts, 1999. The national hospital insurance fund Act, 1998. Nairobi: government printer. 9. Republic of Kenya, (1997). Econom ic survey. Nairobi: government printer. 10. Shaw, P. (1998) Financing healthcare in the sub-Saharan Africa through user fees and insurance. World bank 11. Stliglitz, J. E. (2000). Economics of the public sector (third edition). W. W. Norton 12. World Bank (1993). World development report 1993: investing in health. Oxford university press. 13. Techlink International (1999). A renewed NHIF: final report manual. WORK PLAN FOR THE STUDY. |Task | Months | | | |January |February |March |April | | | | | | | | | | | | |Preparation, and approval of proposal |Wk 1 | |Purchasing stationery |500 | |Transport |1500 | |Proposal preparation |2,000 | |Data collection |3,000 | |Data processing and analysis |2,000 | |Lunch |1500 | |miscellaneous |1500 | |Total |12,000 | APPENDICES INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION (QUESTIONNAIRE) Instructions Please tick ( ) in the brackets representing the most appropriate response. Additional informational can also be given in the provide spaces or at the back of the questionnaire. 1 a) How old are you? (In complete years) 18-24years ( ) 25-34 years ( ) 35-44years ( ) 44years and above ( ) b) What is your gender? Male ( ) female ( ) 2. What is your highest level education? Never gone to school ( ) primary school ( ) secondary ( ) post secondary education ( ) 3. What is your religion? Christian ( ) Muslim ( ) Baha’i ( ) other (please specify)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4. What is your marital status? Single ( ) married ( ) divorced ( ) separated ( ) single parent ( ) widowed ( ) other (please specify)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 a) what is your main occupation? Self employed ( ) civil servant ( ) ? 6. Have you ever heard about NHIF? YES ( ) NO ( ) b) How many dependants do you have? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7. IF Yes in question 6 above, where did you hear about it? ) Heard from a friend b) I am a beneficiary or a member if NHIF c) My parents are members of NHIF d) At my place of work 8. Are you a National Hospital Insurance Fund member or beneficiary? Yes ( ) No ( ) 9. If yes in question 9 above how do you rate NHIF services in the scale below out of ten:0-3 poor ( ) 3-5 below average ( ) 5-7 good ( ) 7-10 very good ( ) 10. If no in number 9 above, please tick as appropriate the reason why you are not member or beneficiary of NHIF a) I have never heard about NHIF b) I do not know the benefits of NHIF c) There is no branch of NHIF in Kiwanja market d) I am not employed in the formal sector. 11. If you are a beneficiary of NHIF, would you like to be a member? Yes ( ) no ( ) 12 If no in number 11 above, please as appropriate the reason why. a) I am not employed in the formal sector. b) There is no branch of NHIF in Kiwanja market. c) I have to think about it first and consult my husband about it. d) The monthly contribution is too much for me. 13. If yes in number 11 above, how many beneficiaries will benefit from your cover? None ( ) my spouse ( ) my children ( ) my parents ( ) other†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14. Do you think that NHIF services will ease your burden of financing healthcare for you and your family and significant others? Yes ( ) no ( ) 15. Would like to be an NHIF member? Yes ( ) no ( ) 16. If yes in the above no. 15 do you know what requirements for becoming a member are? Yes ( ) no ( ) 17. If no in number 16 above, why? a) Because I have just learnt about NHIF now. b) Because I have never had a chance of accessing information about NHIF membership before. c) Because I have always thought NHIF is for those in the formal sector. d) I would like some brochures from NHIF on benefits, cover, and how to contribute to the insurance scheme. 18. If you are a member of NHIF have you ever used their services? Yes ( ) no ( ) 19. If no in the above question 18, why? ) I have never been hospitalized. b) None of my beneficiaries have been hospitalized. c) I did not know how to place my claim of cover. d) The process of accessing benefits is too long for me. 20. If yes in the above question 18, where did you use it? a) In a government facility. b) In a mission hospital. c) In a private hospital. d) In a referral h ospital such as Kenyatta National Hospital. e) Other (please specify)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20 if yes in question 18 above how did you find NHIF services? a) Average b) Good c) Very good d) Excellent Thank you very much for being a respondent and for your much cooperation. CONSENT FORM Researcher’s confirmation. I am Ann Mwangi, a Kenyatta university student pursuing a Bachelor’s of science degree in Nursing and Public Health. I am carrying out a study on utilization of NHIF services in Kiwanja market, Kahawa west location in Kasarani Division. I kindly request your permission to interview you. Confidentiality will be guaranteed. Your names will not be required. Signature of researcher†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Respondent’s consent I have been fully informed about the nature of the study and I hereby give my consent to any information which is required of me. Signature of respondent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. MAP OF STUDY AREA [pic] ———————– Kiwanja Market

Biometric System at Blackadder Recruitment-Free-Samples for Students

Discuss about the Biometric System at Blackadder Recruitment. Blackadder Recruitment is a Sydney based recruitment firm. They are known in the industry for providing best manpower services across industries. At this point of time, the organization is using the old register method to record the attendance of the employees. With increasing number of employees, this is b ing a difficult task for the HR as well as the payroll department to record the in-time, out-time, leaves and half-day work of the employees. Due to this, the HR team at Blackadder recruitment has proposed to implement automated system (Blackadder Recruitment 2018). Blackadder recruitment would be implementing biometric system to record the attendance. The biometric system would be directly linked to the payroll software. This will help the HR department to track the attendance of employees efficiently and also the salaries can be processed accordingly. Initially, the team size of the organization was just 12 employees and hence, the HR department was easily able to manage the attendance, in-time and out-time of all the employees, but now, the team size has increased to 60 and it is expected to increase more with acquisition of new clients. To have a proper system in place, the organization should implement biometric system. The employees will swipe their finger as and when they walk-in or walk-out and hence, attendance tracking would b e easy and at the same time, the employees cannot cheat. The system can a modate up to 3000 employees and hence, the organization can implement this once and it. The cost of the system is $5000 to $7000 and this is a one-time investment. The maintenance can be easily taken care by the existing IT department in the organization (Oh 2013). Blackadder recruitment can consider the below two organizations for the implementation of biometric system. PeopleKey and Biometix have shared their quotation with the HR department at Blackadder recruitment. The organization will have to make a sound decision based on their requirement. Upgrade (as and when new feature es up) After much thought and consideration, the organization decided to proceed with PeopleKey and few of the reasons are discussed below. It is merely impossible for the HR department to implement the system all alone. All the team leads and managers would be called for the implementation and they would be municated about the problems that the HR department is facing due to the register method which is currently used to record attendance. The employees are forging their in-time and out-time and also their leave record. The team leads and managers will accept to the fact that this is creating an impact on their productivity as well (McGorry 2015). All the team leads will municate to their respective team about the implementation of new biometric system and also the advantages of the same. In the meantime, a team from PeopleKey would meet up with the employees to understand their queries and sort it. There are possibilities that the system may be down sometimes and may not record the attendance so in such situations, this can be rectified by the HR team so this training was also provided to them. The HR department municated to employees about the problem with the old system and the benefits that they would reap by implementation of this. The organization will be paying overtime bonus to employees as an incentive and this motivated the employees to accept the change with open arms (King 2015). An implementation plan would ensure that the system is implemented successfully and it is as follows: - All the employees in the organization will have to follow the below procedure for usage of the system. All the employees in the organization should be involved in implementation process and hence, the below munication would be shared with the employees. We are growing and its proud feeling for each of us. With growth, the organization’s dependence on technology grows. To fulfill our requirement, we are implementing a biometric system for the purpose of recording the attendance. For the same, you need to meet up with the IT department to register your fingerprint. Once your fingerprint is registered, you just need to swipe your finger in the biometric system rather than that of being dependent on the old register method (Javalgi 2013). All the employees in the organization will be trained by the PeopleKey officials on how to use the system, the advantages and also the benefits that other similar organizations have found with the usage of this biometric. The IT employees in the organization will be hand holded for the first 2 months while they do the registration, this will make them feel confident. Similarly, the HR department will also be trained to make modifications from the backend. If there are any technical glitches, the IT or HR department can raise a service request on the portal and the same would be addressed by the concerned person in maximum of 48 working hours (Huggins 2015). Risk with implementation of biometric system and also the risk management plan Risks associated with implementation of this biometric system and also the risk management plans are as follows. Demotivation among employees as they may feel that the management doesn’t trust them There are possibilities that the system may not work due to technical glitches or power concern The criteria to monitor the performance of the system are as follows: - To ensure that the system is safe, the registration rights would be present with the IT department alone. Similarly, the right to rectify in-time and out-time in the system would lie with the HR alone. These credentials will not be shared with anyone else. Blackadder recruitment is growing continuously and hence, the organization would be soon implementing payroll software. At that point of time, the attendance software would be synced with the payroll software. The attendance will directly move to the payroll system so that the manual work can be reduced to a great extent. The biometric system is already synced to the existing intranet and it is capable enough to hold the attendance record of 3 years. To be on the safer side, the attendance of all employees would be recorded in the file on monthly basis (Hemphill 2013). With the implementation of biometric system, the below aspects of business has improved. The changing business needs which needs to be addressed by the management are as follows: - To start with, the management should allow the employees to regularize their attendance (Herciu   2013). The munication that would be shared with the employees is as follows: - The employees can regularize their attendance rather than sharing an email request to the manager and then the HR. Please visit the pany’s portal, login and click on regularize option. Over here, you will see your existing time and you can enter the new time. Once done, click on submit. This would go to your manager for approval. Once approved, the revised time would be visible on your portal (Hunseok 2013). The HR department will give face-to-face training to all employees so that they can understand the regularization process. After that, a video would be recorded and this video would be shared with all the employees so that they can view it, as and when required. The implementation of biometric system at Blackadder recruitment will help the employees to view their actual attendance at all point of time. The payroll department can also easily plete the payroll without any errors. Blackadder Recruitment, 2018, Multi Specialist, Cross Sector, Viewed on March 14, 2018, https://blackadder .au Biometix, 2018, Consult, Viewed on March 14, 2018, https://www.biometix /consult/ Hunseok, O, 2013, How can we assess and evaluate the petitive advantage of a country’s human resource development system? Asia Pacific Education Review, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 151-159 Herciu, M,   2013, Measuring international petitiveness of Romania by using porter’s diamond and revealed parative advantage, Procedia Economics and Finance, vol. 6, pp. 273-279 Hemphill, T, 2013, China’s National Champions: The evolution of a National industrial policy – or a new era of economic protectionism? Thunderbird International Business Review, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 193-212 Hiziroglu, M, 2013, An investigation on petitiveness in services: Turkey versus European Union, Journal of Economic studies, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 775-793 Huggins, R, 2015, The petitive advantage of nations: origins and journey, petitiveness review, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 458-47 Javalgi, R, 2013, Strategies for sustaining the edge in offshore outsourcing of service: the case of India, Journal of Business & Industrial marketing, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 475-486 Ketelhohn, N, 2015, The central American petitiveness initiative, petitiveness Review, vol. 25, 25, no. 5, pp. 555-570 King, K, 2015,   A disadvantaged advantage of walkability: findings from socioeconomic and geographical analysis of national built environment data in the United States, American journal of epidemiology, vol. 181, no. 1, pp. 17-25 Mallya, S, 2014, Block Building Corporate and Nations: Global Strategy, SCMS Journal of Indian Management , vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 11-19 McGorry, P, 2015, Australian early psychosis research network: National collaboration, international petitive advantage, vol. 202, no. 4, pp. 170-178 Oh, H, 2013, parative analysis of OECD member countries’ parative advantage in National Human Resource development system, Asia Pacific Education Review, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 189-208 PeopleKey, 2018, Time and Attendance, Viewed on March 14, 2018, https://www.peoplekey /time-attendance/ With a decade's experience in providing essay help, The management will explain the concern that the HR department and the payroll department is facing due to the manual way of attendance recording The employees will be paid overtime whenever they work for long hours If the employee wants to leave 2 hours early for personal work or due to no work in office then the manager can approve the same and no salary would be deducted for the same The employees will have to record attendance in the register for few days The attendance record would be updated by the HR department from the The IT department would be trained to address the technical glitches so that the dependency on PeopleKey technicians can be reduced to a great extent (Hiziroglu 2013).

Abramski vs. United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abramski vs. United States - Research Paper Example It should be noted that it is at this gun store at Pennsylvania that the gun was transferred to the uncle after he (the uncle) successfully passed the federal background check for the firearm position. Neither the two were prohibited by the law to possess a firearm (Abramski v. United States, 2013). In fact, before Abramski bought the gun, he inquired the legality of the process he intended to follow to purchase the gun for his uncle three federally licensed dealers who ascertain for him that the intended sale was legal. However, since Abramski bought the firearm from a dealer licensed by the federal government, he had to fill a formed indicated that he was the â€Å"actual buyer.† Nonetheless, the ATF claimed that his uncle was the â€Å"actual buyer† and to this effect, Abramski made a false statement by filling out the firearm purchase form; hence, Abramski was convicted of felony. From the facts above, it is evident that neither Abramski nor his uncle was prohibited from buying a firearm for another legible user or possessing a gun. Additionally, the transfer of the firearm in question between the two followed a due procedure; therefore, Abramski was unduly convicted for the purchase and transfer of the gun to his uncle. Therefore, following the conviction, the following concerns need to be addressed. 1. Is a gun buyer’s intent to sell the firearm to another buyer a â€Å"material fact† under 18 U.S.C.  § 922(a) (b), a firearm disclosure statute? 2. Is a federally licensed firearms dealer required to keep information regarding a purchaser’s intent to sell a firearm to another person? Reactions to the above concerns in the order of listing It is worth noting that the federal law illegalizes a person buying of a gun from a federally licensed dealer â€Å"knowingly to make any false or fictitious oral or written statement †¦ intended or likely to deceive †¦ with respect to any fact material to the lawfulness of the sale †¦.† 18 U.S.C.  § 922(a) (6). Notably, this is the provision of the federal government that it uses to prosecute the â€Å"straw purchases†. This provision prohibits an individual (the â€Å"straw purchaser†) from buying a firearm on behave of another person (the â€Å"actual buyer†). According to the government, this process may be a maneuver that may be used actual buyer to obtain a firearm even if the actual buyer is legally deterred from buying the same. It should be noted that the treatment of the final owner of the firearm as the actual buyer and purchaser as a â€Å"straw man† are doctrine created by the court. According to the court, a buyer’s intent is to resell the gun to another user who cannot purchase the same legally and this contributes to a fact â€Å"material to lawfulness of the sale.† However, the fourth and sixth as well as the eleventh circuit are separated from the fifth and ninth circuits that try to determine whether ultimate owner of the firearm can legally buy a gun. Notably, the law court concluded this case that the actual buyer’s identity is material regardless of legality of a person who can buy the gun or note. In other words, under  § 922(a) (6), the identity of firearm purchaser is usually constant or is material reg ardless of the lawfulness of the actual purchaser of the firearm. Combining the effects or understanding of these provisions, the laws therefore dictates that the terms of sales may change depending on the purchases identity; hence, the purchaser remaining material to the lawfulness with firearm sale does not exist in this case. The above

Continuum Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Continuum Professional Development - Essay Example Like any other activity I developed a working plan that would help me achieve my goals and objectives. The action plan was mainly based on gaining experience and learning from experienced practitioners. According to Plunket (2008) creating good relations with experienced practitioners is the best way to gain effectively from continuum development practices. In the action plan, I focused on the location of my placement as a junior practitioner, the skills required from me, being in good terms with my tutors and supervisors and having the best academic qualifications. In continuum practice development an action plan should have a mandatory requirement of acquiring maximum skills from the academic side and skills in practice development (Jasper, 2006). The author further argues that as a student, academic qualification is the most important requirement to build ones skills in their career. In the academic level students are advised to also create relationship with their tutors and other experienced instructors who may guide them as amateur nursing practitioners. In the paper, I will discuss my experience in continuum professional development in terms of communication and working with others. Additionally, there will be an inclusion of my strong and weak areas as a learning nursing practitioner. ... In my academic life, I developed my communication skills by research and by creating relationships with my instructors. Like a requirement in continuum professional development, one should create a healthy relationship with tutors and instructors. In this way, the experienced practitioners aid students in understanding the requirements of the practice. In terms of communication I indulged in practical lessons in gaining experience and getting used to the terms involved. In the practical lessons, there were programs which we participated in that helped our tutors evaluate and promote our progress. The programs were based on specific requirements from our tutors. The programs enhanced our communicating skills with patients, taking notes from practical lessons, analyzing the trends in communication in the practice and learning from experienced practitioners how to relate to the practice situations. Communication in the academic level is also enhanced through creating groups that help fo rmulate communication strategies (O’Farell & Evans, 2008). In these groups, tutors and instructors provide instructions on how to create communication programs and trends to suit the field. Additionally, the groups act as support mechanisms to slow learners who require more attention when learning. According to Hansen (2013) communication in groups help students have confidence and enough self esteem to face patient and experienced practitioners. In groups, every person is ranked an amateur regardless of their sharpness and level of understanding. This helps students feel comfortable when learning and experimenting new communication skills. Academically, students also learn how to work in groups. In every class level tutors created groups which required working together to

Revolution of the American Health Care Industry Research Paper

Revolution of the American Health Care Industry - Research Paper Example From this discussion it is clear that  America has undergone six eras of healthcare reforms namely the charitable era, government era, consumerism era, educational era, insurance era, and the managed care era. The health care of the United States began evolving even before the America was founded, particularly the charitable era. During the charitable era, healthcare institutions such as hospitals and dispensaries were non-existent. Most of the patients depended on well-wishers and charity organizations to take care of their medical needs.This essay discusses that  the physicians used primitive medical procedures in treating patients and they often offered free services. Then came the dictation era during which the United States introduced medical education as a way of equipping the health physicians with the requisite medical skills. America underwent major revolution during this era in terms of the institutionalization of the health care industry Ehrenreich, B., & English, D.  The federal government had provided leeway for organizations and health care insurers to operate. In essence, such organizations operated without any plan and the dispensaries available faced many challenges along the way.  From the late 20the century onwards, the managed care movement advocated for the reduction of the cost of providing health care services in the United Sates. In addition, managed healthcare has seen the improvement of the quality of health care services in America.

A Family business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Sexuality and identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sexuality and identity - Essay Example There is need to provide them with useful learning materials, services and the opportunity to feel part of the society. The lack of appropriate sex education in Jake’s past life is the main undoing of the education system that he has gone through. By contrast the presence of only heterosexual lessons which attempt to address the needs of the community has resulted in gay people like Jake being labelled as ‘abnormal’. As Hoshall (2013) has argued, the procrastination to include sex education for the gay community (the absence) has triggered the ‘presence’ of labels, hatred and relegation of the likes of Jake as semi-human in society. Proponents of sex education argue that the incorporation of gay issues into such programs would limit homophobic intimidation, improve the welfare of gay community, and limit cases of seclusion that affect gay students (Williams, Prior and Wegner, 2013). Jake’s relegation from the social spheres of life, which is to blame for loss of self-confidence would have been resolved through tolerance programs for gays at school (Yip et al, 2013). Nonetheless, his suffering could have been the result of the ‘superiority’ of heterosexuals and sex education programs for the community as opposed to gays. According to Byrd (2011), the ‘weird’ programs for gays may have been shelved to avoid a political perception on learners that could deviate their thinking from supposedly moral ways of life. Gay sex education is as of now not included in many learning programs. This situation has cast Jake in bad light. Studies have also indicated that affected students usually do not find current sex education programs for gays to be appropriate (Woodford et al, 2012). Jake is one such case; he has pointed out that the whole learning environment including instructors, fellow students, and the immediate community have had conflicting perceptions on the

Understanding Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understanding Nursing Theory - Essay Example Grand theory presenters start theoretical formulation at abstraction level and these formulations never link the realities. Roy’s (1971) work was designated for the grand theory. Roy presented the adaptation model. In the adaption model of Roy, a person was perceived as receiving the adaptive system for inputs. This input may be as the stimuli from the external environment, which is processed by the feedback or internal processes. These processes are inherent in the changing abilities of individuals and result into an output in the form of either ineffective response or adaptive (Parse, 2001). Middle range Theory is less abstract and more specific in its scope, which reflects a practice and also addresses the specific phenomenon. This theory deals with a limited number of aspects of real world concepts. A mid-range theory is made up of relative concrete concepts, which are concrete propositions and defined operationally. These concepts can be tested empirically. A period of ten years ago, Georgene Eakes, Mary Burke, and Margaret Hainsworth developed the theory of Chronic Sorrow. This is the application of the middle range theory of nursing that explains the periodic recurrence of a continuous sadness or grief feeling over an important loss. This presents the normal response to the loss. Because, parents always felt sadness over their children’s mental retardation and this response was not permanent. Clinicians could intervene in these conditions if they had similar beliefs. This theory also related with the feelings of parents who have premature infants. Hainsworth, Eakes, & Burke (1994) found that mothers of those children with the spina bifida also had a pervasive sadness. This theory focuses upon the specific phenomenon, which mirror out the clinical practices and has narrowest interest range. This theory is limited to a particular population or a specific field of

Decision-Making process Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision-Making process - Term Paper Example Managers are therefore expected to come up with the best decision. Nelson and Quick particularly discuss different decision models that could able to explain some assumptions about the best decision one could ever make. The first is rational model which has the basic assumption that the decision maker is conscious about the best decision he or she has to choose from the available preferences. The next is bounded rationality model which has basic assumptions that managers should select satisfactory decisions, they have simple view of the world, and they are comfortable with their decisions even without alternatives and they are into heuristic decision or based on the rule of thumb. Then there are also times when the decision-maker has to decide randomly or in an unsystematic way. Such of this is explained by the garbage can model. Nelson and Nick also discuss Jung’s cognitive style which is based on the idea of gathering information and evaluating the best alternatives. In this model, it is assumed that individuals are able to perceive things and eventually judge them. There is therefore a substantial risk in this considering the fact that perception at some point may eventually be based on personal choices that could be subjective at certain level. However, Nelson and Nick include that the influence of other individual in the decision making is viewed to have significant impact because from the point of view of cognitive approach, they too are capable of perceiving things and evaluating on them based on their best preferences. Furthermore, they point out that creativity is an integral part of the human’s capability. However, they believe that the problem with relying on other’s decision could be a potential drawback due to organizational influence, which means that the entire decision an d its creativity could either be impeded or supported. They also point out that the good thing however about group decision includes acquiring more knowledge and information, increase acceptance and commitment due to giving opportunity for each member to

Theodore and Wilson Essay Example for Free

Theodore and Wilson Essay When we are writing about progressivism, there were three progressive presidents that were in the White House from 1901 – 1921. That was Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson. Between these three of our president together, it is said that they were very different however, they did have one thing in common reform policy and regulations in American Society. This here is about the election of 1912 when the current President Taft who was at the time said that he was not interested in a second term at heart. Theodore Roosevelt who endorsed Taft after he stepped down in 1907 became very unhappy with his actions at the White House, so decided that he would run against him however he was not endorsed as a republican runner. He decided and determined he would begin his own party The Bull Moose Party. Roosevelt ran on, standing on his past record and his new vision. The two front-runners were Wilson and Roosevelt however in turn this just split the republican votes and Wilson was the elected one. Theodore Roosevelt was a war hero, known for his action taken during the Spanish-American Wars and leading the charge with assembly of the Calvary Unit â€Å"The Rough Riders† He was also known for being a very out spoken courageous man. . Theodore Roosevelt experience extended as a New York City Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Cornel and Governor. His belief in â€Å"speaking softly and carrying a big stick.† Another interesting fact was that Theodore Roosevelt did not traditionally â€Å"join the Army† prior to the war he was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. He was commissioned as Lieutenant Colonial at the beginning of the idea that the United States going to fight a war against Spain in Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt was not at first elected to be President United States however, he was elected as the Vise President. He was the succors’ of McKinley who was shot in Buffalo, New York on September 06, 1901 and died September 14 1901, this is when the Vice  President Theodore Roosevelt became the President of the United States. This here was the beginning our new president vowed to change and lead the country in a direction that he believes was right. While in office He demanded a â€Å"Square Deal†, He thought that industries should be regulated for the interests of the American people by regulating, fixing up what he believed were problems. Such as control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation. His square deal vision was that every American gets a fair chance, at the time many companies were taking advantage of the people of the United States and created unfair working conditions. Therefore, came the term â€Å"The big stick† in which he was known for threatening to use against companies. He busted 40 other companies up using this method. His vision was for the government to take control by regulating. He did this by implementing Trusts regulation, Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, Roosevelt Corollary construction of the Panama Canal. His new campaign was about the New Nationalism. His beliefs were that a president should take any actions for the common good of the people of the United States. â€Å"This country belongs to the people who inhabit it. Its resources, its business, its institutions and its laws should be utilized, maintained or altered in whatever manner will best promote the general interest.† (American Experience. 1912) His belief in the preservation of conservation the protecting wilderness to create millions of Ackers protected by the government, this help create the National Parks such as Yosemite Pak, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Another belief was that we should have a mighty military and build the largest Navy in the world and believed that everyone in the world should be aware. Woodrow Wilson was always in the political arena as he studied government at Princeton University Major in American Politics and also received a PhD in History and Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Woodrow Wilson was nominated as President of Princeton University, and then was elected Governor of New Jersey, which lead him to be President of the United States. (Bowles, 2011) While in office Woodrow Wilson took some of Roosevelt’s ideas such as saying all trust were bad trust, he was very aggressive on eliminating all. He disliked big business he thought that all monopolies and trust should be broken up because they were hurting the smaller business and the people of America by doing so he said that he was offering the citizens a New Freedom, by setting up all new Acts. He set up the Federal Trade Commission Act to regulate business to stop unfair practices. This was where people could bring complaints about trusts to the government and have a hearings on unfair practices. â€Å"Clayton Antitrust Act banned business that limited free enterprise â€Å"It was important because it eliminated price discrimination, made illegal the acquiring of stock in competing companies to control markets, and restricted mergers of large companies.† (Bowles, 2011) â€Å"While he was successful with the passage of the Underwood-Simmons Tariff, which lowered tariffs from 26 to 24 percent.† (Bowles, 2011) During the Wilson administration, we had the first graduation of income tax also Women came to vote during his time in the presidency Some of Wilson’s beliefs were that by studying public administration governmental efficiency could be increased in our country. He believed that a more moderate and had won the national election on the slogan He kept us out of war this was his call during his second term. This was something that he believed that we as a country did not have to fight any wars. In order to get things accomplished. It was as he thought that we did to need to fight wars in order to get our ways, to keep America out of the war in Europe. He also did not think that we needed a large military, which in turn was shown differently when we entered WWI. â€Å"At last a vision has been vouchsafed us of our life as a whole. We see the bad with the good, the debased and decadent with the sound and vital. With this vision we approach new affairs. Our duty is to cleanse, to reconsider, to restore, to correct the evil without impairing the good, to purify and humanize every process of our common life.† (American Experience. 1913) Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson These two president were the  definition of the progressivism they had remarkable ideas and careers. As progressive presidents, they produced quite a few notable achievements. They together set the stage and the direction that our country as a whole was steered in during both their time in office and regulations emplaced into motion that have helped shape our country today. â€Å"They were both political architects who did much to shape the landscape of 20th century and especially the office of the U.S. presidency.† (Bowles, 2011) They left behind legacies that made it tough for the next Presidents that followed them into the White House. References American Experience. (1912). Progressive Party Platform. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/tr-progressive/ American Experience. (1910). The New Nationalism. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/tr-nationalism/ American Experience. (1913). Woodrow Wilsons First Inaugural Address. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/tr-woodrow/

Economic factors affecting to two wheeler Industry Essay Example for Free

Economic factors affecting to two wheeler Industry Essay The two-wheeler market in India is the biggest contributor to the automobile industry with a size of Rs. 100,000 million. The two-wheeler market in India comprises of 3 types of vehicles, namely motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds. Foreign collaborations have been playing a major role in the growth of the Indian two-wheeler market, and most of them are Japanese firms. The modern two-wheeler firms in India have been manufacturing new categories of two wheelers such as Step Thrus and Scooterettes. These have been produced by combining two or more two-wheeler segments. Foreign firms have already taken initiatives to own their two-wheeler subsidiaries in India. Among the 3 segments of the Indian two wheeler market, major growth trends have been seen in the motorcycle segment over the last four to five years. One good reason for such increase in demand for motorcycles is due to its resistance and balance even on bad road conditions. Most of the rural areas in India do not have decent roads and hence the need for good, shock-resistant, and steady two-wheelers such as motorcycles had been felt. Some of the major players in the Indian motorcycles market are Hero Honda CBZ, Bajaj Pulsar, TVS and Apache. Other brands include Splendor, Passion, Fiero, Victor, Star City, Boxer, CD Dawn, Karizma, Caliber, etc. Having classified the motorcycle brands into economy, executive, and premium segments, Bajaj stands as the leader in the economy segment, Hero Honda leads in the executive segment, and there is a competition in the premium segment between Hero Honda and Bajaj. The following are the main factors that affect two-wheeler sales in India: Increase in credit and financing for auto vehicles Two-wheeler loans and financing has been on the rise. Increase in consumers salary Due to opportunities offered by multinationals the disposable incomes of salaried individuals have increase manifold. Constant petrol prices Today, the government of India has been working on reducing subsidies on kerosene and diesel which will keep petrol prices at more or less the same level. Delay in initiation of Mass Transport System Probably a future threat to the two-wheeler market, the implementation of the mass transport system has been delayed. However, the two-wheeler market in India is a fast growing market due to its technological advancements in product manufacturing and emphasis on design innovation.

Causes Of The European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay

Causes Of The European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay Europe currently experiences a severe sovereign debt crisis. The debt crisis in some member states of the euro area has raised public uncertainty about the viability of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the euros future. While the execution of the euro in the year 1999 created many interest in regional monetary integration and even monetary unification in several corners of the world, the present crisis had the opposed effect, even raising expectations of the euro area breaking up. The crisis has illustrated the problems and tensions that will ineluctably arise within a monetary union when imbalances build up and become unbearable. The causes of the European crisis will be further review below. Also, we would describes why the Greece crisis could cause so much havoc to the global economy. CAUSES OF THE EUROPEAN SOVEREIGN DEBT CRISIS European countries had just weathered the 2008-2009 crisis and were set up hopes for recovery. However, on November 2009 George Papandreous newly elected Socialist government in Greece revealed that the predecessor government had lied to the public about the true picture of Greeces public finances, that the budget deficit for 2009 would be 12.7% instead of 4.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as previously reported. That revelation created a panic atmosphere among lenders or bondholders, as credit agencies lowered their ratings of Greeces sovereign debt, which is the first time in 10 years that Greeces rating falls below the investment grade. The country has then realized itself hardly to borrow or even roll over existing debt except at prohibitively high interest rates. The disclosure of the actual Greek fiscal condition raised serious doubts about the countrys ability to meet its obligation. The following downgrades rating and ever rising interest rates led to an exacerbation of Greeces capital markets access that made it even more difficult and nearly impossible for the government to refinance itself, leading a downward spiral for the Greeks economy. Therefore at that point, the government forced to appeal to its European Union members and IMF for bailout. However, the bailout failed to recover market trust in the Greek economy. In addition, it failed to cease contagion of the crisis to other nations in the euro area. Precisely, the crisis of Greek and the hesitant political response from the other European nations raised issues over the debt condition and the structural and competitiveness problems of the economically weaker periphery member countries of the euro area, named PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain). As a result, the costs of borrowing for the PIIGS lifted significantly and the cost of insuring sovereign debt against default soared as their creditability to repay the debt have vanished. The crisis also creates awareness of the existing imbalances in the euro area, which form a serious problem. The below are the major causes of the crisis: Banking crisis fuelling sovereign debt crisis and vice versa It is wrong to assume that the European debt crisis is actually caused by thriftless government spending, especially because of the luxurious social security systems. Rather, the origins of the European debt crisis can be traced back to the global financial crisis occurred in 2008-2009, which spilled over into a sovereign debt crisis in various euro area countries in early 2010. In order to offset the rapid falls in output, euro area governments responded with counter-cyclical fiscal policies that lifted fiscal deficits. Then, fiscal positions become worse as the tax revenues fell and transfer payments grew larger due to the increased unemployment rate during the crisis. In many countries, government bailouts of banking systems also contributed to an increase in public debt. Private debt turned to public debt, be it through banking crises or the burst of housing bubbles, leading to the sovereign debt crisis. Between 2007 and 2010, the debt to GDP ratio of the euro area increased from 66.3% to 85.4%. Greece is a unique case in the sense that the Greek debt level had already been relatively high before the crisis, which is 107.7% of GDP in 2007. Greek debt, which has been on a continuous rise since 2003, has arrived at a level of 144.9% of GDP in 2010. Similar to Greece, Italy had a debt level more than 100% of GDP prior to the crisis, but the debt to GDP ratio fell between Italys adoption of the euro in 1999 and 2007. Among the countries in euro area, the most dramatic increase in public debt occurred in Ireland, where the countrys debt problems can be clearly arise to the countrys banking crisis. Ireland did not face a fiscal or debt problem until the year 2008. Accordingly, the Irish debt to GDP ratio fell gradually over this period from 64.3% to 24.9%, with Ireland being one of the EU countries with the least public debt burden. The condition changed in the course of the Irish banking crisis in September 2008 when the European governments and institutions and also the US government guaranteed most liabilities of Irish-owned banks. As a result, the Irish deficit ballooned and the debt to GDP ratio shot up from 24.9% in 2007 to 94.9% in 2010. The ensuing exacerbation of Irelands access to capital markets in the autumn 2010 led it to seek for international financial rescue package by the IMF and the EU of over à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬90 billion in November 2011 to finance its borrowing and bank recapitaliz ation needs. Similar to Ireland, Spain did not face a fiscal or debt problem before 2008. Spains destiny changed when the global financial crisis put a sudden end to the long cycle of high growth that had been accompanied by a construction and real estate boom. When output contracted in 2008, the Spanish housing bubble burst and hence destabilized the entire banking system. Even in Portugal, which had seen a steady rise of its debt to GDP ratio after joining the euro area in 1999, which its debt stood at 49.6% of GDP, which is so far the largest increase of public debt happened during and after the 2008-2009 crises, with debt soaring from 26.6% in 2007 to 94.9% in 2010. Therefore, the sovereign debt crisis has been directly connected to the global financial crisis and the ensuing problems of European countries banking sectors after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. With exacerbating public finances, sovereign risk has increased and deteriorated banks balance sheets. The interdependence between sovereign credit and banking systems has been at the key of the crisis as sovereign debt of euro area countries are held in large quantities by euro area banks. Mispricing of risk and misallocation of capital A key element that led to the crisis was a mispricing of risk by capital markets and an ensuing misallocation of capital in the previous years before the outbreak of the crisis. European monetary unification brought about a convergence of interest rates among euro area members. Spreads of sovereign bonds of the PIIGS over Germany narrowed rapidly in the run up to EMU membership and almost gone once they had become the euro area members. Sovereign risk of all euro area countries, including the PIIGS, was priced more or less the same as German sovereign debt. This is due to the risk of euro area central government bonds was weighted at zero in regulatory capital calculations and because the Euro treated such debt as risk-free collateral when these were offered as collateral for repos and other collateral financing trades. It is now apparent that the availability of cheap credit brought to an unbearable accumulation of private (as in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain) and public (as in Greece and Portugal) debt in todays crisis countries. The decrease in real interest rates in the periphery countries after they join the euro area and the inflowing capital supplied unbearable developments, including excessive credit dynamics and real estate bubbles in Spain and excessive fiscal spending in Greece. It also decreased the tension for economic reform to enhance competitiveness within the monetary union as countries could simply finance their current account deficits through a plenty of capital inflow. Imbalances in the euro area A high level of public debt is not a problem, as long as the government can refinance itself and roll over its debt. This requires public debt and the interest burden to grow slower than the economy and the tax base. This is no longer the case in the PIIGS anymore. Current debt crisis in the PIIGS is hence not merely a debt crisis; it is first and governing a competitiveness and growth crisis that has contributed to structural imbalances within the euro area. The structural imbalances, caused by high current-account deficits of the periphery countries and matching surpluses in core countries, are at the origin of the current problems since a lack of competitiveness impedes the periphery countries chances of growing out of the crisis. Essentially, deficit countries need to become surplus countries to service their debt. However, the fact that the PIIGS are members of a monetary union and hence competitiveness cannot be recovered by means of currency devaluation makes the adjustment much difficult. Lack of trust in European governments crisis responses The crisis is not just an economic disaster, but also a political disaster, arises from erratic responses and pressures among euro area governments, representing surplus and deficit countries with contradictory interests. European leaders were believed that a balance of payments crisis was impossible within a monetary union. Since such a problem was not considered a priori, no crisis resolution mechanism had been taken into account. European policymakers hence faced the challenge of crafting a crisis response in the midst of crisis. The worries of the surplus countries, led by Germany, that an easy bailout of Greece would set a negative precedent and create moral hazard problems with other deficit countries, especially the larger euro area members Italy and Spain. Fears of moral hazard and a transfer union, where deficit countries would have to be financed permanently, made surplus countries also refused to advocate proposals such as those for Eurobonds. The slow negotiation processes between governments, which have needed to safeguard support from their domestic constituencies, have evoked the impression of a European political system was ill-equipped to overcome any financial crisis.

September 11th: The Day Innocence Died :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

September 11th, 8:45 a.m.: A large plane, possibly a hijacked airliner, crashes into one of the World Trade Center towers, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire. 9:03 a.m.: A second plane, apparently a passenger jet, crashes into the second World Trade Center tower and explodes. Both buildings are burning. 9:30 a.m.: Bush, speaking in Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack." 9:43 a.m.: An aircraft crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately. 9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates. 10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building. 10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses. 1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington. 1:30 p.m. The country wants answers. First shock, then terror, followed by sorrow, and lastly rage. How could such an act be committed on American soil? This country asks this question in disbelief. The US demands answers and revenge for this act of evil. Who is to blame for the possible tens of thousands of deaths? The only way to answer this question is to look at the people that could do such an act and what possible reasons they would have for doing it. This county as a hole looks over seas for answers, they look to a county called Afghanistan that harbors a terrorist called Osama bin Laden. "Bin Laden, an Islamic fundamentalist and the son of a Saudi billionaire, has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list since 1999, and the U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million reward for his arrest." Quoted from www.cnn.com. Most U.S. prosecutors say bin Laden is the leader of a group called al Qaeda (Arabic for "the Base"), this is a network blamed for successful and failed terrorist strikes on the U.S. Some are the millennium-bombing plot, last year's attack on the USS Cole, in Yemen killing 17 U.S. sailors and wounding 39, and the nearly simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Bin Laden, a Muslim believes that he is fighting a holy war in the name of his religion. Muslims are Followers of the Islam religion. They believe that Allah is the One True God.

Effects of Popaganda films on World War II Essay -- essays papers

Effects of popaganda films on WWII The effects of film on WWII propaganda Without the advent of the medium of film to wage a war of propaganda both the Axis and the Allies of World War II would have found it difficult to gather as much support for their causes as they did. Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle, forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the masses of the world just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. Both sides launched an aggressive propaganda campaign to galvanize public support, and some of these nation’s foremost intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers became warriors on that front. Propaganda in the broadest sense is the technique of influencing human action by the manipulation of representations. These representations may take the spoken, written, pictorial, or musical form. Since the cinema uses all four of these types of representations, a filmmaker would seem to wield a lot of power as a propagandist. If he so chooses to use his power to its fullest potential. The essential distinction lies in the intentions of the propagandist to persuade an audience to adopt the attitude or action he or she espouses. This is ever so prevalent as Hitler gained support from his nation to exterminate the Jewish people from Germany and Europe alike. He adopted such support by using his Nazi propaganda films as a weapon of mass distraction and manipulation of the people of Germany. If he had not idealized the German soldier as a hero, and bestowed nationalism in his people, and blamed the economic problems of German on the Jewish race then he never would have been able to acc omplish what he had in such a short amount of time. The most famous Nazi propaganda film is Der ewige Jude (â€Å"The Eternal Jew†). â€Å"Der Ewige Jude† was engineered by Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda.It was created to legitimize the exclusion, and the ultimately the destruction, of an entire people. It depicts the Jews of Poland as corrupt, filthy, lazy, ugly, and perverse: they are an alien people which have taken over the world through their control of banking and commerce, yet which still live like animals. The narra... ...at the various means of propaganda have on the great masses, film is without question the most powerful. The written and spoken word depend entirely on the content or on the emotional appeal of the speaker, but film uses pictures, pictures that for eighty years have been accompanied by sound. We know that the impact of a message is greater if it is less abstract, more visual. That makes it clear why film, with its series of continually moving images, must have a particular persuasive force. Film is a very effective tool in waging a war. With out it, it would be hard to get the people to stand behind you and support your cause. Without the people it is hard to win a war. Thus I feel that with out films contribution to the propaganda effort the WWII would have been very, very different. Bibliography â€Å"Der exige Jude†: Quellenkritische Analyse eines antisemititschen Propagandaf ilms, Institute Fur Wissenschaftlichen Film, Gottingen, 1995,p.134 Ellul, Jacques, Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes. New York: Alfred A. Knoph, 1965. Hippler, Fritz, â€Å"Der Film als Waffe,† Unser Wille und Weg, 7(1937), pp.21-23. â€Å"Propaganda,† Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000.