Osim International

Contents 1. Introduction to Osim International4 2. Competitive Strategy4 3. Company value chain4 3. 1Innovation5 3. 2Operations Management5 4. Non-financial analysis5 4. 1Corporate Social Responsibility5 4. 2Consumer Sentiments6 4. 3Corporate Culture6 4. 4Customer Retention and Growth6 5. Global outlook7 6. Industry outlook of healthy lifestyle products7 7. Comparison between Osim and its competitors8 8. Osim Financials8 8. 1Company’s Financial Ratios8 8. 2Market Prospects9 8. 2. 1Osim on its own9 8. 2. 2Osim vs. Selected peers (VGO, Best World, Ogawa, Jacks)9 8. 2. 3Osim vs. STI10 8. 3Projected Performance10 9. Conclusion11 Appendix A12 Appendix B16 Appendix C19 Appendix D24 Appendix E25 Appendix F26 ? 1. Introduction to Osim International Osim International Ltd. (Osim) is a Singapore listed company; a global leader in the healthy lifestyle products industry. It has been led since its inception by CEO Ron Sim, the company’s value driver, instrumental in bringing Osim to where it is today, greatly influencing its vision, mission and values with his personal touch. The company has expanded to more than 1,100 stores in more than 30 countries worldwide. Within the next 3 to 5 years, they plan to open over 50 outlets and further expand their subsidiaries, GNC and RichLife. . Competitive Strategy In view of the current economic situation, Osim seeks to cautiously and optimistically ‘focus on building profitability, positive EBITDA and operating cash flow’ . Even though they have exceeded sales expectations so far this year, this may be challenging given that they operate in a niche market easily affect ed by consumer sentiment and other global events. Osim feels a strong balance sheet is integral to meeting this aim, achievable through enhanced operational efficiency and outlets being leaner and more effective in sales. With Brand Osim, they desire an image that is one with (the) healthy lifestyle’ . This demonstrates their aspiration to not only be the market leader, but to also be the brand with the best recall and association. Furthermore, Osim adopts a two-pronged approach of innovation and growth; creating demand through innovation and development to support the anticipated US market recovery and the Chinese markets’ expansion. There is also focus on their most important resource, employees; training and empowering talents with emphasis on corporate culture alignment. 3. Company value chain Osim’s value chain involves two main processes: Innovation and Operations Management. . 1Innovation Research and development (R&D) is a process given much emphasis as Osim strives to release new and relevant products to create demand and to keep a technological edge above its competition, resulting in products such as the iDesire and iMedic amongst others. This has won consumers and its efforts were rewarded in 2008, voted as Asia’s most preferred brand for massage ch airs . This is also inculcated in their brand image with their desire to include ‘intelligent innovation’ . 3. 2Operations Management Operations management includes Osim’s manufacturing and retail arms. Upon subjecting raw material to their respective manufacturing processes, Osim creates a product that it believes will add value for consumers and entice them to pay a premium to obtain their desired quality of life. Its retail arm works with an aggressive marketing department to promote their products. Whilst costs are high, the perceived product value added is proportionately high. 4. Non-financial analysis 4. 1Corporate Social Responsibility Osim aims to encourage a positive attitude towards healthy lifestyles. Osim Triathlons in various Asian countries , and the Osim Singapore Masters are some sporting events it has sponsored. While Osim promotes itself as a lifestyle brand, for example, through the promotion of the uSqueez leg massager which appeals to triathletes, they have also donated to the Children’s Cancer Foundation and supported an endowment fund with the NUS Business School . Osim has also demonstrated accountability to society by recalling its products twice . The urgency to recall defective products has shown Osim’s commitment to civic responsibility. However, the recall affected Osim’s reputation as customers were put through the hassle of claiming damages. Despite this, Osim’s branding remains strong and is still one of the world’s most reliable providers in its industry. Accountability to investors was also demonstrated when they came in runners-up in the ‘Most Transparent Company Award (Commerce)’ in SIAS Investors’ Choice Award. 4. 2Consumer Sentiments In a 2008 survey by Synovate , Osim attained the ‘No. 1 Healthy Lifestyle Products Brand’ in consumers’ minds across Asia. The findings show Osim’s strong Asian customer base and affirms its effective branding as a leading provider of innovative products with design and quality, performance, and safety standards. Furthermore, massage chair sales in China has maintained good growth with easy-to-buy payment schemes. 4. 3Corporate Culture A strong corporate culture inculcating positive thinking has been used as a tool to survive market movements. This tool is behind the entrance of new innovations and the extension of Osim’s reach into the global market. Besides this, substantial shareholdings by key management ensures management goals are correctly aligned with that of shareholders’ . 4. 4Customer Retention and Growth In 2005, Osim was rated by Nielsen Consumers as the number one brand in seven attributes . Osim is also a member of Superbrands . To date, higher end products are made in Japan, a country recognized for its quality and precision . Mid-tier to lower end products are manufactured in China to reduce costs. Although manufactured in China, Osim ensures reliability and quality of these products. The market share gained from the provision of quality products has been shown in the same Synovate survey as mentioned above. Osim has also invested heavily in marketing, often publishing its advertisements in various media to increase its brand presence. These include centrespreads in major newspapers as well as television commercials, reigning in celebrities such as S. H. E and Fiona Xie. This fortifies their brand’s credibility, with the aim of converting new customers and retaining current ones. In a way, they have already created a strong and secure customer base and exclusive attention can be placed on gaining additional market share within the region and globally. 5. Global outlook Since the global recession, the market has rebounded with the STI currently trading around 2,600 points, a level last seen a year ago . We are currently believed to be in the accumulation phase , with economic growth expected in the coming years. Global markets have stabilized while key export markets such as the US and Europe remain fairly weak . A rapid recovery is in line for Asian economies, but continued soft private demand means that fiscal and monetary measures must be sustained to ensure continued growth. 6. Industry outlook of healthy lifestyle products Osim’s business efforts are concentrated on an increasingly affluent Asia , especially in countries like Singapore and China, where there is greater focus on lifestyle and well-being. Health is a greater concern as busier schedules reduce exercise time. As Asia’s aging population finds new ways to improve their living standards, more may turn to increasingly relevant healthcare products. However, the lifestyle industry is most vulnerable to fluctuations in business cycles. With the downturn, spending is either decreased or cheaper alternatives are sought. 7. Comparison between Osim and its competitors Osim’s main competitors in the health-food industry provide competition to its subsidiary, Global Active Limited. Its main recognized competitors in the massage products markets include OGAWA, OTO Bodycare and Panasonic. Osim thus relies heavily on innovation, aggressive marketing and quality to distinguish its products from its competitors, leveraging on the fact that consumer preferences are easily influenced. Another form of competition comes in the form of imitations and inexpensive Chinese products that respectively devalue Osim’s brand and provide viable substitutes. This forces Osim to differentiate itself as a premium product and introduce a secondary brand, NOVO, to woo consumers with its affordability. With the expected future growth in the healthy lifestyle products industry and Osim’s stronghold on its base consumer markets, we expect Osim to continue outperforming its competitors, especially in its core business function. 8. Osim Financials 8. 1Company’s Financial Ratios Osim’s profitability ratios have been weakening over the last 5 years, with sharp declines from 2006 onwards. Profit margins dropped from the healthy region of 9% to 0. 6% in 2007 and finally into the negative in 2008. Other returns ratios like ROA and ROE have also dropped significantly from 2005 onwards. Osim’s sales fell from a high of S$623million in 2006 to S$457million in 2008. The low profitability ratios suggest that the company is not effectively utilizing its assets and shareholder investments to generate sales and profit, which is a cause for concern for potential investors. Its dwindling sales and profitability can be attributed to fierce competition from imitations, as mentioned above. Also, Osim spent S$149million to acquire 55% of Brookstone Inc. in 2005, which did not work out well, as Brookstone’s losses dragged down Osim’s profitability from 2006 onwards. Osim’s liquidity ratios, despite the poor financial performances in the past few years, have remained relatively stable. Current ratio has stayed consistently above 1, bar 2007, which implies that the Group is able to meet its short term liabilities with its short term assets. Interest coverage has been falling sharply, primarily due to the fall in operating profits. In order to continue its repayment of interest charges, profits have to improve. 8. 2Market Prospects 8. 2. 1Osim on its own Generally, share prices have been on a strong downward trend since 2006, with MACD crossing below zero for most of the period. Osim’s share price plunged 98% from a high of S$2. 06 in 2006 to a low of S$0. 05 in the start of 2009 before showing signs of recovery, rising from below S$0. 10 to the recent stability of around S$0. 45, an increase of more than 400% during the period from March to September 2009. The recent bullish trend has also been reflected in the strong divergence of the MACD over zero. 8. 2. 2Osim vs. Selected peers (VGO, Best World, Ogawa, Jacks) During the last 5 years, Osim fared poorly compared to its industry peers. It was the worst performing stock out of the 5 selected companies over the period from 1Q07 to 1Q09. However, focusing our attention on more recent developments, Osim’s share price has been outdoing that of its competitors significantly, due to its strong recovery since 1Q09. Osim’s stock has risen at a higher rate, and been the best performing in terms of absolute value. Another interesting factor is the recent significant increase in insider trading, with senior management aggressively purchasing the company stock and subscribing to excess shares through the company’s rights issue . Together with the hints of recovery from recent financial figures, the purchase of shares by Osim’s management and confidence shown in the company might just be the confirmatory signal of their turnaround in fortunes. 8. 2. 3Osim vs. STI On a 5-year basis, comparing the performance of Osim’s share price against the STI, we observe that generally, it has been underperforming relative to the STI. The period between mid-2005 and early 2007, which coincided with Osim’s best financial performance, saw the company outperforming the market. Since 1Q07, it has been underperforming by a large margin until the recent superior performance relative to the STI starting from April 2009. 8. 3Projected Performance Judging from the 9 month 2009 figures, sales appear to continue sluggishly and we estimate the total sales for 2009 to be inferior to that of 2008. However, EBITDA has increased by 16% as compared to the same period last year. Having fully written down the investment in Brookstone, future losses need not be accounted for, and Osim’s profit before tax is expected to improve to around S$33million for 2009, a marked improvement from 2007 and 2008. Projected profitability ratios also suggest signs of recovery with ROA and ROE estimated to be around 9. 02% and 21. 36% respectively. Liquidity ratios for the Group remain healthy as well, as at 30 Sept 2009. Post restructuring, Osim has emerged leaner, significantly cutting down expenses over the past 2 years. Hence, if sales pick up in the future, we should see a return of the high profit margins realized in the past. Osim’s current Net Asset Value (NAV) per share is S$0. 14. Compared against the average share price of around S$0. 45 over the past 2 months, the Price-to-book ratio is about 3. times, implying that the stock may be overvalued. However, the general price-to-book ratio for an average company is 7 times , showing that Osim’s share price may still rise in the future. 9. Conclusion With Ron Sim at the helm and the alignment of the senior management with company objectives, Osim stands poised to achieve its goals in the short term with its aggressive marketi ng and focus on a strong balance sheet during this time of economic uncertainty. They have earned the trust of consumers through the provision of quality products and good corporate governance. While they have effectively lowered costs, revenue remains sluggish. They plan to improve this through expansion in emerging markets as well as to take advantage of Brookstone’s strategic positioning in American markets. Whilst having derived ways to compete effectively, and with the industry expected to grow, private consumption will still be depressed amidst this period of economic recovery due to a lag effect. Defining a medium to long term as between two to five years, we thus projected that Osim, on its own will continue to be profitable as a going concern. While we recognise that outside the industry, there are many superior alternatives that have the potential to generate far better returns, which is beyond the scope of this report, we recommend that with regards to an investment solely in Osim or in the Healthy Lifestyle Products industry, Osim is clearly the worthwhile choice to invest in. Appendix A Profitability Ratios 20082007200620052004 Profit Margin (%)-21. 780. 65. 429. 299. 2 ROA (%)-46. 580. 868. 0510. 214. 6 ROE (%)-141. 921. 9619. 8728. 9726. 16 Cash Flow/Operating Revenue (%)-17. 984. 957. 8911. 812. 6 Profit Margin (%)-21. 780. 65. 429. 299. Profitability ratios measure the return earned on a company's capital and the financial cushion relative to each dollar of sales. Osim's low profitability ratios in recent years are a cause for concern. However, much can be attributed to the economic crisis and the write-off of Brookstone in 2008. Liquidity Ratios 20082007200620052004 Current Ratio1. 090. 951. 021. 111. 87 Quick Rat io0. 480. 450. 450. 671. 38 Interest Coverage-19. 052. 067. 751750. 95 Current Ratio1. 090. 951. 021. 111. 87 Generally, despite the poor performance posted in 2007 and 2008, Osim's Liquidity Ratios remained relatively stable. This implies that there are no issues regarding the solvency of the company and resources are available to meet its obligations. 20082007200620052004 P/E Ratio (%)n. a. 103. 6422. 415. 2912. 48 Dividend Payout Ratio (%)0219. 4332. 2315. 3415. 39 P/E ratio is an indicator of perceived value of a stock. Osim's unusually high P/E ratio in 2007 is due to the low EPS resulting from the poor performance posted in that year. Osim has been consistently paying out dividends until 2008. Hence, should performance improves in future, investors should expect to receive dividend payouts. Appendix B Projected Performance -Month Key FinancialsEstimated Figures for 2009 Sales335. 9450 EBITDA33. 845 Profit before Tax24. 533 Net profit16. 121 Full year figures for 2009 determined based on pro-rating 9-month figures to get conservative estimates. (in $millions)9mth 20099mth 2008% change2009 Estimated20082007200620052004 Sales335. 9346. 2-2. 98%450456. 7523. 7622. 9502. 5332. 2 EBITDA33. 829. 116%453935. 476. 754. 545. 4 Profit before Tax24. 5-19. 5225. 64%33-92. 25. 443. 651. 435. 3 Net profit16. 1-26161. 92%21-99. 53. 735. 845. 630. 8 (in $millions)9mth 20099mth 2008% change2009 Estimated20082007200620052004 Sales335. 9346. 2-2. 98%450456. 7523. 7622. 502. 5332. 2 EBITDA33. 829. 116%453935. 476. 754. 545. 4 Estimated Financial Ratios for 2009 (With Balance Sheet as at 30 Sept 2009) Profit Margin (%)4. 67 ROA (%)9. 02 ROE (%)21. 36 Current Ratio at B/S date1. 16 2009 figures suggest Osim is on the road to recovery. Projected Profit before Tax show improvement compared to 2008 and 2007, though not to the extent of 2006's high. Compared to 1st half of 2008, 2009 has shown improvement in EBITDA even though sales continue to be weak. .Charts with Projected 2009 Ratios Appendix C Osim Stock Charts 5-Year 1-Year Comparison against STI 5-Year 1-Year Comparison Competitors 5-Year 1-Year -Year Absolute 1-Year Absolute Appendix D Insider Trades Announcement DateBuyerNumber of Shares (Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ000) 23/2/09Ron Sim2002 13/3/093466 17/3/09953 27/3/0996150 31/3/09200 1/4/09200 6/4/092700 9/4/096500 Subtotal112171 23/2/09Peter Lee320 13/3/09950 31/3/09550 9/10/09270 Subtotal2090 23/2/09Richard Leow300 23/2/09Ong Kian Min1618 24/2/091000 2/4/09752 23/2/09Michael Kan300 2/4/09218 23/2/09Charlie Teo300 27/3/09365 6/4/09100 2/4/09Khor Peng Soon16 Subtotal4969 Total119230 Appendix E ? Appendix F Japan’s quality in manufacturing was taken from Fundamentals of Composites Manufacturing: Materials, Methods, and Applications by A. Brent Strong

Erikson’s Psychological Stages

After closely reviewing Erosion's eight stages of life I find that currently I am facing his seventh stage. This stage is known as Generatively VS.. Stagnation it happens when you are a mature adult. This stage I see myself as because I am needed in the life that I am living. I live my life striving for the pursuit to take care of my family, and live a well-balanced life. Being the family man and devoted parent that I am Erosion's theory states that many adults obtain their needs to be needed, and by doing so they also direct the next generation in a direction.By being a generative adult I am committed to fulfill a greater need than Just my own I am committed to leading my next generation to success with my positive guidance. The children I am raising are what make me a generative adult with a purpose to live. How can I fashion a gift is the main focused question of this stage. It took me some time to fully understand what that meant, but I believe it to mean what I can do in my life for my next generation to remember me for.This means am I going to be remembered as the AZ person who care about nothing, or am I going to be remembered for the amazing person I was that accomplished everything he set his mind to. I have answered this question a number of times by actively being Involved in my daughter's life and my family's life, and showing them I can accomplish everything for us to have a great life. This means my role as a great father I am actively engaged in my daughter's life I play with her, read to her, do puzzles with her, practice words with her and try to be a positive influence to her.My daughter Is only two, and by being as positive I can be I am hoping that she grows up to be very talented and smart. The other side of It Is I am a very hard worker, and provided everything that my family needs, so In by doing this it shows her what hard work can got you. Being an active father In my daughter's life and future children's life I am hoping will bless the m with great memories of me forever. I want them to have what I never did the remembrance of a happy fun loving family.Another person who I will compare to Erosion's eight stages of life In my little rather he Is In the Industry VS. Inferiority stage. This stage will occur while the child Is In school Erickson speaks about children beginning school must have a Blvd Imagination, Impulses, and urges to make others happy. When an adult supports a child attempting to do these things the child feel good about them self. Unfortunately If that child Is not supported the child will develop Inferiority towards life. When there are great levels of Inferiority the child begins to feel helpless, and believes they cannot be helped by anyone.When the child Is praised too much and feels great pressures to do better the child tends to grow to become and adult to fast. The question this stage focuses on Is how I can be good. This question Is answered by being the best you can be, and knowing when yo u are pushing yourself too far. The child needs to be able to realize that he Is still a child and he should not have to take life so seriously. Question a number of times by actively being involved in my daughter's life and my family's life, and showing them I can accomplish everything for us to have a great life. Strive influence to her. My daughter is only two, and by being as positive I can be I am hoping that she grows up to be very talented and smart. The other side of it is I am a very hard worker, and provided everything that my family needs, so in by doing this it shows her what hard work can got you. Being an active father in my daughter's family. Another person who I will compare to Erosion's eight stages of life in my little brother he is in the Industry VS. Inferiority stage.This stage will occur while the child s in school Erickson speaks about children beginning school must have a vivid imagination, impulses, and urges to make others happy. When an adult supports a if that child is not supported the child will develop inferiority towards life. When there are great levels of inferiority the child begins to feel helpless, and believes they cannot be helped by anyone. When the child is praised too much and feels great question this stage focuses on is how I can be good. This question is answered by child needs to be able to realize that he is still a child and he should not have to take

Bremont Watches Introduction

The good thing for luxury product is that they generally faced very less competition as there are not so many companies who produces the same luxury products and try to allure the customers. But still the competitors required to be managed at very large scale. In case of watches the number companies who produce luxury watches are comparatively high (Sarvary, 2006). Here the competition analysis has been done for Bremont watches. Further, the positioning and segmentation had also done in an appropriate manner. This report provided the clear overview about the competition level within the industry and its impact on the positioning of Bremont watches. Company overview The cited organization is active in the business of manufacturing the luxury watches and has created its huge reputation with respect to dealing with upper section of the society. The major factor which determines their success is their collaboration and dedication to some of the leading companys active in various other industries. The company commenced its business year 2002 in England and till now they have developed their business like anything. They are growing their business immensely and more that they grow of trust of customers enormously. The success of the company could be measured by the fact that they have captured a huge market share in just a span of 13 years. The overview of Bremont watches couldnt be finished without describing its most innovative and unique brand in the history of watches (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2010). It is to acknowledge that the brand has set all the parameters since its inception when they start a journey from Thames England. Trip Tick case design i s the technology which is used by Bremont watches. Use of genuine steel and crystal is something which provides the strong base of the companys product range. The tag line of the company is trusted beyond endurance could be realized within their technological development within their products. The main aim of the company is to deliver maximum value to the customers and ensuring the high level of luxury, style and elegance within the product range. Competitors/Competitive advantages/ USP The list of competitive advantage for the Bremont watches is very huge. The USPs for brand is completely amazing and inspiring as they have set all the benchmarks which helped them in creating their distinctive identity and becoming the most valuable brand. The major USP is that the Bremont watches are highly COSC certified and it just increases the reliability. Another competitive advantage factor is related to their exceptional range of products. They manufactured pilots watches and other watches which are suitable for mountaineers, people who dive or remain in water for a longer period of time, celebrities, etc. the range of products is very immense and it just increases their market ratio as well. Further, the USP is that company produces the products which are handmade and these watches are just limited editions. EP 120 is very fine example where a company sets the standards and increases their sales ratio at very large scale (Schultz, Tannenbaum and Allison, 1996). Further, the USP is that Bremont watches have created their international collaboration and tie ups with other renowned brands, Martin Baker, Jaguar and Norton are some of the greatest brands which are associated with Bremont watches and indicates towards the level of luxury status of the cited brand. It is a USP for the company that they have emerged as one of the leading watch manufacturing brand in the entire UK or in the British history. The partnership with Jaguar provides the new height of success of to watch manufacturers and enable them to increase their competitive advantage. The design of watches is also attractive which creates their distinctive identity as compare to its competitors. There are various other innovative approaches which also increase the competitive advantage of the mentioned business entity (Sharp, 1991). The company has a competitive edge in investing into their business and most importantly the business entity increase their expertise as well. The technological adv ancement of the company is also allowing them to put positive impression at the mindset of customers. The company believes that the main component of being a luxury brand is introducing the pioneer technology and giving the strong edge to the products. The industry standards have been followed by the company which also corroborates towards the highest level of competitiveness. Further, the brand endorsements have also done in an appropriate manner by the company. In order to increase the unique features of the product and to outrun the competitors the company have got into tie ups not only with other companies, but also they have their association with celebrities as well (Vieceli And Valos, 2000). It also increases their competitive advantage and can definitely put positive impact at the buying decision of the consumers. The material which company used is something which enables them to get the support and appreciation of industry experts and authority bodies. The raw material used for watches is completely fine and is of superior quality. Thus, on the basis of above discussion two major factors that could be treated USP are the strategic alliance and innovation. The strategic alliance is now a days very much significant to survive or to outrun the competitors. Ahead innovation is something which is essential element to become the luxury brands. Thus it becomes clear that the company has developed its edge on the ground of legal aspects as well. All the industry standards have been followed and different layer technology has used by the mentioned organization. The list of competitors for the company is Tag Heuer, Swatch, Rolex and other Swiss international watch brands. The Bremont watches have to face the intense competition in their industry. These international brands have also created their huge market and distinctive identity (Wang and Tang, 2003). These brands have a niche market and can capture the market share of Bremont watches if they dont follow the continuous improvement and innovation within their products . Even the competitors have got the leverage of excellent customer loyalty and it just allows them to improve their market share and profitability. Further the competitive analysis state that this situation creates the intense competition within the industry. Overall the Bremont watches have to utilize their USPs in proper manner and there is need of bringing the strategic alliances so that the brand awareness could be created and most importantly the brand value could also reach at high level. Segmentation After gaining the important knowledge about the competitive advantage for the cited organization, there is a huge requirement of gaining the proper understanding about their segmentation process. It is clear that the company is focusing upon the people who can afford the luxurious products and can purchase their items. The company is focusing upon segmenting the people in different basis and even they are clear with their market, but still they have followed the very common principle related to the segmentation. It is something which is very much crucial for any organization. The company has segmented its market on the three basis one is demographic segmentation, second is the geographical segmentation and at least the company has focused upon the psychographic segmentation (Yelkur and Herbig, 1996). All these kind of segmentation basis has their own criterias which could enable an organization to understand their market and the strategies could be developed accordingly. The demographic segmentation is the one in which company segments the market on the basis of income and age group. The company has identified the higher income group people and has definitely lead towards higher profits. The people who have handsome income opportunities can afford the Bremont watches and the company is also focusing upon those people. Ahead in demographic segmentation the major categorization has been done on the ground of age group as well. The people who fall in the middle age group are mostly targeting people for the company. They are the one who is actually attractive towards the luxury watches and the company definitely attracts them in a successful manner. Thus, in the demographic segmentation the higher income people and middle age people have been segmented. Further the occupational level the executive, business class, pilots and people who got interested in some sort of adventurous works they are the part of companys segmentation. Further company produced pr oduct for men and the gender basis segmentation is also dependent upon male customers (Fuchs and Diamantopoulos, 2010). Thus, it is a complete description about the demographic segmentation related to Bremont watches. On the basis of Geographical location the places which are economically sound the population is having a good industrial development ratio are the part of segmented areas of Bremont watches. Here the segmentation has been done on the regional basis. Only the developed economies have been segmented for providing the products. Japan, Spain, UK, etc. these are certain regions where the company is selling their products and good profit margins as well. Here at these places the company good impact on the customers and is able to attract more customers. Geographically the segmentation has been done with respect to business development as well. The class of people and their economic stability, per capita income and status also become part of segmentation with relevance to any region or area. It is something which is positive for the company and is generating a high level of business for them (Donnelly and Harrison, 2009). At last the psychographic segmentation is also quite good in terms of segmenting the market. It is the most common basis of segmentation on the ground of luxurious products. In order to increase the sales ratio of luxurious brands the psychographic segmentation should gain huge priority. As mentioned above that status quo is the basis of buying the luxurious products so it is a basis of psychographic segmentation. It is to acknowledge that the brand has divided the people on the basis of their influence and incline towards the luxury brands and watches. The limited edition watches are the example of such segmentation. Company segments the people on the basis of their habits as well. Some people have a habit to collect the limited edition watches so company segments the market as per the habitual basis. It is something which is highly positive for the company. Thus, in case of luxurious products the habitual customers, status quo and people who want to feel self actualization and full satisfaction should be the basis of psychographic segmentation and Bremont watches have also shown their adherence towards the same factor (Banerjee and Dholakia, 2012). Therefore, above the description of company segmentation strategies have been depicted and it shows that company is clear with their market segment and prepare the product line accordingly. Segmented customer profile for Bremont watches include male category and people who lie in the age 25 above as they people can afford the watches of a cited organization and they have a good reputation in their work. Income range is also high and they lay into the category of premium class customers. Further the regional segmentation includes the big and economically stable cities all around the globe. The people who believe in maintaining the status quo, and these brands have become their identity, thus it just becomes the suitable to focus on the upper section of society. Therefore, these kinds of people have fall into the segmentation category. Targeting Targeting is moreover dependent upon the segmentation process. Once the company is clear with their segments which they need to follow or target, then the targeting strategy could be developed in easiest way. Here the targeting has been done in a niche market. The company is not going here and there to find the customers. They have set mindset which allows them to focus on a particular range of customers (-Marsden, 2002). However the company has different plans for their different products. In case of increasing the sales ratio with respect to the proper segmentation the campaigning of Bremont watches is quite attractive. With the help of niche marketing they never get distracted through their main goals and objectives and it is something which allows them to get success. As they have luxury brands so they just try to maintain the niche market and follow the regular customers. In the case of luxurious brands the customer retention and customer loyalty is the major factor which revolv es around the targeting strategy. Here the entire focus is set on retaining the employees so that customer loyalty could be increased (Mcleod, 2007). For the purpose of new customer acquisition the company produced or manufactured different kind of products and they try to retain them until and unless they have not been reached at the stage of customer loyalty. The satisfaction is not guaranteed as the customers are highly elegant and deliver an excellent product to its customers. It can definitely create tough competition. Other luxurious brands also target the same category of market and it is essential to prepare concrete niche marketing strategies. The competitors of Bremont watches have their strong association with customers and have maximum reach as compare to the cited organization. Therefore, it is clear that the company is doing well and the strong combination of targeting and segmenting is allowing them to increase their brand value in a very short period of time. Positioning The company has positioned itself in well organized and proper manner. They are highly effective in gaining the attention of customers. Not only the customers; the company has attracted various brands as well, so that it facilitate them to improve their brand name. Associating with apex brands in the automobile industry like Jaguar is one kind of positioning status, which facilitates to increase the profitability and generating more business (Schaefer, 2011). In order to attract the customers, the company has positioned themselves at all the media platforms. The YouTube is the best source to get knowledge about history and other product details. Further other social media websites also register the presence of Bremont watches and it also allowed them to position themselves in an appropriate manner. It is to acknowledge that the Bremont watches now have become major brand and people have started to follow the brand. Through celebrity endorsements the company is in a position to attrac t an upper section of the society and has positioned the product as a status symbol (Goller, Hogg and Kalafatis, 2002). It is most crucial element of company positioning strategies that the brands have successfully created the brand value for status symbol and wearing the watches of Bremont company has become a fashion trend. They never compromise with the quality of product and always ensure the quality check for the purpose of maintaining the excellence and market leadership in a British region or other geographical areas where the company is having its operations. The chronometer, code breaker, EP 120, etc. these are certain limited edition brands which have also improved the positioning strategies for the company. To improve the positioning the brand has successfully brought a transformation in various forms. They have introduced some elegant wall clocks with painting within itself and it just gives a new edge to their business and helps in creating the distinctive identity (Cla rke and Freytag, 2008). Conclusion Thus, on the basis of above study it could be stated that the company has understood their market and their vision was clear from the very beginning. They were focused on the innovative business approach and manufactured the watches for a special purpose. First, they target the pilots and aircraft related business and manufactured elegant watches for them and then switch to wide market but still maintain the luxury and style. Their segmentation was proper which support the targeting as well as positioning strategies. However, the level of competition is immense and other luxurious watch brands have catered the major chunk of the market. ReferencesBanerjee, S. and Dholakia, R., 2012. Location-based mobile advertisements and gender targeting. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. 6(3). pp.198214. Clarke, A. and Freytag, P., 2008. An intra- and inter-organisational perspective on industrial segmentation: A segmentation classification framework. European Journal of Marketing. 4( 10). pp.10231038. Donnelly, R. and Harrison, G., 2009. The Marketing Planning Process. Routledge.Fuchs, C. and Diamantopoulos, A., 2010. Evaluating the effectiveness of brand-positioning strategies from a consumer perspective. European Journal of Marketing. 44(12). pp.17631786.Goller, S., Hogg, A. and Kalafatis, S., 2002. A new research agenda for business segmentation. European Journal of Marketing. 36(2). pp.252271. Marsden, P., 2002. Brand positioning: memes the word. Marketing Intelligence Planning. 20(5). pp.307312. Mcleod, S., 2007. Diffusion of Innovation. [Online]. Available through: http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/06/diffusion_of_in.html. [Accessed on 6th May 2015].Sarvary, M. 2006. Market Segmentation, Target Market Selection, and Positioning. Harvard Business School.Schaefer, A., 2011. Introduction to Marketing in Business. The Open University.Schiffman, L. and Kanuk, L. 2010. Consumer behavior. 10thed. Harlow: Prentice Hall.Schultz, D., Tannenbaum, S. and Allison, A., 1996. Essentials of Advertising Strategy. NTC Business Books.Sharp, B., 1991. Competitive Marketing Strategy: Porter Revisited. Marketing Intelligence Planning. 9(1). pp.410.Vieceli, J. And Valos, M., 2000. Marketing Management. Atlantic Publishers Distri. Wang, Y. S. and Tang, T. I., 2003. Assessing customer perceptions of web site service quality in digital marketing environments. Advanced Topics in End User Computing. 3(3). p.16.Yelkur, R. and Herbig, P., 1996. Global markets and the new product development process. Journal of Product Brand Management. 5(6). pp.3847.

Primary source review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Primary source review - Essay Example The Author of this book uses the work of Leopold to support his argument about the relationship between human beings and the environment. The article by Leopold Thinking like a mountain is an old piece that was written back mid-20th century. The article presents the environmental balance that existed during this time of the historical period. As Leopold states, this was a time when the American deer population was over a hundred thousand. The article therefore provides a point with which to compare the status quo in the early 1950s with the current situation in America. This was a time when the society was more concerned with the environment and the people depended on it for survival. He makes a reference to the years of 1920s when the wolves had been removed from the mountains and the population of the deer had exploded. In his view, the natural ecosystem has a way of maintaining balance in a natural way without the control of human beings. This is an idea that many others in the contemporary society have to support. Schmitz (61) is one of the authors that have reflected on the concept of natural balance in the ecosy stem1. He states that when predators in a given natural ecosystem are eliminated there is likelihood that the population of the preys will grow uncontrollably. By subscribing to this idea, Schmitz seems to provide the same reason that Leopold provided as the reason why the population of deer had exploded on the mountain in America. The two authors seem to refer to the conservation strategies today that concentrate on eliminating the natural balance in ecosystem. Another major concern of this article is the role of the community with the ecosystem. In his idea about the concept of the community he terms brings out the idea that human beings are central to the ecosystem and their role is to promote an interdependent relationship with the ecosystem. However, he poses the idea that human beings despite their academic progress

Assignment - Discussion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

- Discussion - Assignment Example Apple’s product can be marketed to a single general audience, yet Apple still targets specific segments. In targeting the parents of small children, Apple has found probably some of the most willing buyers of their product. This segment has more money, more interest in the utility of the product, and may even buy more than one. Demonstrating the applications on the iPad and their positive influence for children as a learning tool is an excellent strategy that targets that market—these parents want a toy that also provides educational value. Finally, the product positioning of the iPad, for this segment, stresses how it is revolutionary among modern computer technology as well as learning software. Alone, use of computers and software is not a new idea—but Apple shows that the iPad as a whole is entirely new. Overall, we see that this is a case of differentiated marketing, and this specific article talks about Apple’s appeal to a certain segment by making their product appear youthful, educational, revolutionary, and completely

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING - Essay Example external and internal factors. These factors have redefined how management practices or functions are performed across business organizations. In the writings by Burgstahler et al. (2007), they stated that the transformations have largely affected the decision making process since there is a change in the management structure, which has integrated new roles as well as position holders. In addition, technology is also been increasingly applied in performing management functions. Despite the continuous transformation in the field of management, the constant variable has been the fact that accounting figures have consistently played a key role in the decision making process or rather they have consistently been used to decide the direction that the company should take. The strong reliance on accounting figures to perform management functions has led to the development of management accounting or control systems that were specifically designed to help the management of business organizat ions in the process of control, product costing and evaluation of management’s performance. However, in a seminal article, published by Johnson and Kaplan (1987) they both argued that management accounting systems had lost their relevance since they were inadequate for the modern accounting environment. In particular, they succinctly summarized the inadequacy of management account systems to cope with the demands of modern management by stating the information they generated was â€Å"too late, too aggregated, and too distorted to be relevant for managers’ planning and control decisions (Ezzamel et al. 1990). This present study mainly seeks to discuss the above statement in relation to today’s environment. It will begin with a literature review of the main topic of discussion and even a review on Johnson and Kaplan’s criticisms. Secondly, it will state the methodology that was applied in collected secondary data that were used in this study. In the third part before concluding, the study will conduct a critical analysis on the Johnson and Kaplan’s argument. 2.0 Literature review 2.1 Accounting With reference to the writings by Alkaraan and Northcott (2006), they stated that accounting as a practice focuses on recording, measuring, and communicating financial facts to concerned parties who use the facts for varying reasons. Roslender and Hart (2003) noted that in the present business environment, accounting largely focuses on the preparation of accounting reports and less on bookkeeping, which has been reduced to fairly a routine process because of the increased computerization and introduction of more effective systems of internal control. The users and uses of

Critical Perspectives on Information--- Technology Landscape Assignment

Critical Perspectives on Information--- Technology Landscape - Assignment Example In order to learn more about the topic, this document seeks to discuss more on email use and what past research has documented about it. All the different aspects concerning email will be discussed herein. Computers have become a very much needed tool to accomplish everyday activities. They have created and are continuing to work to create an avenue for communication that has changed the lifestyle of many. Electronic mail, chat rooms and instant messaging services have made a major stride in the technology world. The most used mode of communication in the office setup and in person-to-person is the email (electronic mail). These are being carried on by people to communicate because they are seen as very good and easy to use. They are also preferred by many because of computers are used in the process of sending them. They also provide the opportunity for the workers to improve their productivity, satisfaction and also they are for the good of the organization at large (Rice R. & Bair J., pp 185-216). Among those using the Internet, the email is considered as the most important application (Katz J. & Aspden P. 1997). For example, like in Sweden, the number of people that are connected to the Internet has been doubling every year for several years now. This growth makes email a very important subject of discussion in the community that cannot be ignored. With the increase of the numbers of people who are sending and receiving emails, this also means there will be plenty of emails to read. These emails are sometimes stored and can pile to big numbers. When these are so many, the user cannot read all of them. This will push them to want to delete them. There will also be another challenge to face if the emails contain work related data that an individual might not want to dispose. At times the emails can be used as a to-do list There are various forms of communication that

Article critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article critique - Essay Example Recently the nurse practitioners have started to struggle for their right to treat patients without the supervision of any doctor by passing a bill all over the United States although many states have allowed them to do so (Back, 2013). This would be helpful as the legislation will provide autonomy to nurse practitioners to provide services on their own without waiting or consulting to a doctor. Since nurse practitioners have ample knowledge to handle situations keeping them behind a physician limits their growth and potential to serve. According to a research conducted by Lambing et al., (2004) NPs have been found to be providing effective care to hospitalized aged patients especially those who were sicker and older. In another research, it was shown that the care provided by physician and nurse practitioner independently is comparable (Mundinger et al., 2000). This will be helpful for the entire healthcare industry as well as will be beneficial for the whole society. So the government may conduct trials to check the technical qualifications of nurse practitioners in order to eliminate any chances of doubts in their ability. However, the bill should be passed and the nurse practitioners will be allowed to independently handle patients. This will also provide a bright arena for youth currently studying nursing and their testing procedures should be adequately regularized to ensure patients safety. Lambing, A. Y., Adams, D. L., Fox, D. H. and Divine, G. (2004). Nurse practitioners and physicians’ care activities and clinical outcomes with an inpatient geriatric population. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 16(8):343–52. Mundinger, M. O., Kane, R. I., Lenz, E. R., Totten, A. M., Tsai, W. Y., Cleary, P. D., Friedewald, W.T., Siu, A. L. and Shelanski, M. L. (2000). Primary care outcomes in patients treated by nurse practitioners or physicians: A randomized trial. JAMA.

Job Analysis and Design Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Analysis and Design Paper - Essay Example Human Resources Manager (HRM) is a significant job not only to large firms but also to small enterprises. Some of the major duties of a HRM include selection and training of the employees, ensuring the safety of the employees, providing the conditions of the employment and advising the top management on the issues affecting the staff. In addition, human resources manager modify benefits policies to ensure that companies adopt competitive programs that are focused at retaining employees and attracting experienced staff (Ulrich, 1996). To ensure ethics within an organisation, Human Resources Manager advises the management on issues such as sexual harassment within the working environment as well as guiding the top managers on issues pertaining to equal employment opportunities. To ensure positive relationship between the employees and the management, Human Resources Manager acts as a referee in case of disputes in the work places. It is vital to note that to maintain a motivated staff, free intermingling between the employees and the management is imperative. In this regard, HRM establishes recreation programs that bring together the managers and other employees. To ensure other employees emulate their human resources manager, HRM is required to evaluate their weaknesses and strengths. In this way, they will notice the areas that need improvement. In the same way, HRM should develop a sense of responsibility among the employees. In this way, the staff will not only be motivated but also they will be held accountable for their actions during their

Michael Moore Capitailism a Love Story Review Essay Example for Free

Michael Moore Capitailism a Love Story Review Essay The film Capitalism: A Love Story is a documentary by Michael Moore which outlines the negative effects capitalism has on modern society. Moore points out that capitalism gives people the opportunity to make a lot of money and to have a high standard of living. However, for many workers, making an income to support a family can be quite impossible. At one time, you could find a secure job and live a good life, but capitalism has evolved into a system of greed where only the rich get richer, and the middle class get poorer with no chance to better themselves. This review will analyze the positive and negative impacts of capitalism shown in the film, as well as provide my comments as to why I enjoyed the film. Capitalism gives us the freedom to do what we want and to make what we want of ourselves. It gives one the opportunity to work as much or as little as one wants, and to have the ability to make more money than others. At one time, if you worked hard, you could make a lot of money, and you could purchase a house, cars and many material possessions for yourself and your family. One could argue that even today, with a good education and a secure job, one could enjoy the benefits of a good life. Thus, corporations provided jobs, infrastructure and security for its employees and subcontractors. However, corporations have evolved and will continue to evolve. In some cases, modern companies have evolved positively where they can profit and, at the same time, treat all employees including CEOs fairly. Some such businesses are run democratically by all the workers, who also own the company, because they have an equal say and vote in the running of the operation. These worker-owned companies, such as the bread company in California, provide a good income for all their workers. The employees share equally in the profits, and profit sharing is not dependent on the position one holds. One owner commented that the more hours one works toward the benefit of the company, the more one shares in the profit. Detrimentally, many corporations have evolved negatively where the CEOs are only concerned about filling their own personal pockets with increasing profits and not caring at all about the well-being of their employees. Michael Moore eagerly points out the negative impacts capitalism has on society. Capitalism no longer provides people with the long-term sustainability needed to support themselves and their families. A good example of this is when Moore speaks out about his hometown of Flint, Michigan, and the GM plant where most of the citizens worked. When the automotive company shut down, the workers lost their jobs, and they had nowhere to turn for money. Moore alluded the reason the plant shut down was for the CEOs’ benefit because they were trying to make more profit, while not giving a second thought for the welfare of the people of Flint. As a result, many families lost their homes, and Flint became an abandoned city. Capitalism does not care about the average person because it is a system where corporations compete for higher profits and more benefits for the rich CEOs. If the GM plant in Flint was planning to close, and there was any regard for its employees, why was there no effort made to retrain employees with skills needed for other jobs so that they could continue to support their families and debts? In fact, CEOs of large corporations lobby and influence government policies to permit special tax cuts and bonuses allowing corporate officials to make more money, and in return, greedy government officials also benefit by receiving corporate favours and benefits. Thus, Wall Street and government officials help fill each other’s bank accounts.

Issues of Nurse Prescribing in the UK

Issues of Nurse Prescribing in the UK Introduction The changing face of the NHS is a topic of controversy and debate from the perspectives of professionals and policy makers. The last three decades have seen a transformation in nursing in the United Kingdom, and in the ways that nurses envisage themselves (McCartney et al, 1999). This transformation is only one symptom of a raft of policy changes which have affected the NHS. Evolution of nursing as a profession has seen them moving from being a group labelled the doctors’ handmaidens to a professional group with its own staunchly defended identity (McCartney et al, 1999). This new professionalism has also led to diverse developments and advancements in the role and functions of nurses, with increased autonomy and extended roles which could be viewed as encroachment on medical roles or as ideal management of an already skilled and knowledgeable workforce. As far back as 1986, the Cumberledge report raised the possibility of allowing community nurses to prescribe independently, and several years later the necessary legislation was initiated (McCartney et a, 1999). In 1997, the government established a review of prescribing, supply and administration of medicines, chaired by Dr June Crown (Stephenson, 2000). This became known as the crown report (DH, 1998). It was chiefly concerned with the supply and administration of medicines by group protocols (S tephenson, 2000). A group protocol could be described as a specific written instruction, drawn up locally by doctors and pharmacists, for the supply or administration of named medicines by other health professionals in an identified clinical situation (Stephenson, 2000). A number of authors supported this move and in particular, the ability for nurses to be able to prescribe medications for clients in certain circumstances. However, the implementation of this policy change has been neither uniform or timely. This paper will explore the policy context of the implementation of nurse prescribing, utilising a theoretical framework to examine the laggard nature of the change and the reasons why nurse prescribing remains unfinished business in the professional and policy arena. The theoretical framework used will be the Diffusion of Innovation theory, as defined by Rogers (1962, 1976). Diffusion of Innovation Rogers (1962, 1976) defines the diffusion process as the spread of a new idea from its source of invention or creation to its ultimate users or adopters. This could be considered the macro level of change assimilation or even awareness. However, the notion of diffusion of innovation is more than a macro concept, and Rogers (1962, 1976) further differentiates what he describes as the adoption process from the diffusion process in that the diffusion process occurs within society, as a group process; whereas, the adoption process is individual. In Rogers’ (1962, 1976) opinion, the adoption process is the mental process through which an individual passes from first hearing about an innovation to final adoption. The theoretical construct of chief concern here is that of macro level diffusion of a professional innovation. There are five stages in the Innovation-Decision Process as described by Rogers (1962, 1976) and these will be mapped against the literature below. First knowledge of innovation (Rogers, 1962, 1976). First knowledge of innovation could be pinpointed to the Cumberledge report in 1986, which was a report into community nursing, after which the issue was debated and discussed and entered into the theoretical arena in the healthcare professions and healthcare policy and governance in general. However, Jones (2004) cites the case of nurses who began to make a case for prescriptive authority in 1978. There is varying evidence of how diffuse this knowledge became at a societal and policy level and there is some evidence of widespread resistance in the medical and pharmaceutical professions (Jones, 2004). It is important to remember that for some critics, nurse prescribing does not necessarily constitute something entirely innovative. Nurses already perform a number of roles which require full knowledge of medications, but there may be issues about education and skill levels across nurses educated in different places (King, 2004). If there are questions already about nurses’ knowledge and ability around medications, then the preliminary debate about this issue (which extended over two decades) is understandable. Forming an attitude toward the innovation (Rogers, 1962, 1976) A number of attitudes towards this innovation are apparent in the literature. For example, Jones (2004) suggests that implementation of this innovation would be characterized by political machination, the need to construct an effective case, and deft manoeuvring within the corridors of power. This raises issues to do with the context within which the innovation takes place, as already discussed. Jones (2004) also alludes to the district nurses who presented a case in the 1970s, and the RCN who continued to press that case further. This also relates to Rogers’ (1962, 1976) description of some of the factors or prior conditions that affect the innovation-decision process, such as previous practice (which may influence the decision makers in a positive or a negative way), and the norms of the social systems in which the innovation is taking place. The firmly entrenched hierarchical norms of the NHS and healthcare systems in general could be viewed as the biggest hindrance to nurs e prescribing, and so forming an attitude towards the innovation, for all the key players within the system. A decision to adopt or reject (Rogers, 1962, 1976) The decision to adopt the innovation occurred piecemeal and somewhat sequentially in time. Jones (2004) states that it was after much initial scepticism and a good deal of negotiation that a tacit agreement between nursing, medicine and pharmacy was reached in 1988. Subsequently, the RCN wree able to cause the government to initiate the Crown report in 1989. However, there were limitations to this decision, in that it was restricted to health visitors and district nurses who would be able to prescribe by virtue of them having post registration qualifications that marked them as competent in this advanced field (Jones, 2004). Implementation of the new idea (Rogers, 1962, 1976). It is this stage which is the most problematic in relation to nurse prescribing, perhaps due to the nature of adoption across the wider NHS context. Nurse prescribing is sanctioned, but remains a locally differentiated policy with apparent piecemeal implementation. This could raise issues of quality and also the ability to evaluate the effects and impact of nurse prescribing at the macro level. Despite the adoption of the principle, there was a distinct lack of action in moving the agenda forward, and it was some time before the bill was passed through Parliament in 1992 (Jones, 2004). The literature shows that the legislation passed in 1992, and in 1994 nurse prescribing began in eight demonstration sites (Bates, 2002). Following this pilot, a national roll out of nurse prescribing began in 1998 (Bates, 2002). This, however, applied only to nurses with district nurse of health visitor qualifications working in the community and employed by an NHS Trust or GP (Bates, 2002). Confirmation of the decision. Confirmation of the decision can also be seen within the literature, in that in 1999 there was a review of prescribing, which then recommended that prescribing rights be extended to include other groups of nurses and other health professionals (Bates, 2002). Subsequent to this, the NHS Plan (2002) clearly supported the recommendations and it was posited that by 2004, nurses should be able to prescribe independently, or supply medicines in Patient Group directions in four areas: minor illness, minor injury, health promotion and palliative care, within the aegis of a Nurse Prescribing formulary (Bates, 2004). Bates (2004) stated that there were approximately 22000 nurse prescribers in the UK, 3000 of which were in Scotland (at the time of her article). This suggests that there is widespread confirmation of the decision through demonstrable changes in practice. It is also notable that nurse prescribing has further progressed towards supplementary nurse prescribing, which allows nurses a nd other health professionals to prescribe for a patient who has been through an initial assessment by a doctor, in accordance with a clinical management plan (NHS Scotland, 2002). It should be noted that prior conditions affect the innovation-decision process. Prior conditions include previous practice, felt needs/problems, innovativeness, and norms of the social systems (Rogers, 1962, 1976). Consequences of Innovations (Rogers, 1962, 1976). Any discussion of the innovation-decision process, must also consider the consequences or changes that can occur to a social system as a result of the adoption of an innovation. Rogers (1962, 1976) identifies three consequences or changes. Desirable versus undesirable consequences The primary purpose of nurse prescribing is to give maximum benefit to patients and the NHS, whilst also supporting quicker and more efficient access to healthcare while promoting a more flexible use of the skills of the existing workforce (Bates, 2002). This however could be a somewhat idealistic view of general nurse prescribing. While for many nurses it may enhance their ability to provide care, others may consider that it simply adds to their already onerous workload. There may also be ethical issues, perhaps through conflicts between personal, official and legal senses of duty for nurses, which could result in cognitive dissonance between their conceptual model of their nursing role and the new directives to extend this role in to a traditionally medical area of responsibility. Nolan et al (2001) in a study of mental health nurses’ perceptions of nurse prescribing found that most of their respondents felt that this would significantly improve clients’ access to medication, improve compliance, prevent relapse, and prove cost effective. However, the same respondents also felt that they may not have sufficient knowledge and skills to assume responsibility for prescribing (Nolan et al, 2001). In this case, as elsewhere, nurse prescribing is a double-edged sword, but it seem from this research that the nurses felt that the benefits outweighed their concerns, and their concerns were, after all, possible to overcome through additional training. Direct versus indirect consequences. Some of the indirect consequences may be easier to appreciate than the direct consequences, while some of the direct consequences may be less popular, in a sense, because they benefit members of the institutional system in ways less acceptable to some of the professionally defined or client-defined groups within the system. For example, if the direct consequence of nurse prescribing is a reduction in doctors’ workloads, this will benefit doctors, and may indirectly benefit patients by providing more or better quality doctor-patient contact, and patient outcomes. But there is no evidence so suggest that this rather optimistic viewpoint could be true. A reduction in doctors’ workloads may demonstrate no improvement in patient care, but an increase in nurses’ workloads could be viewed as having more potential indirect consequences for the patient experience. Deontological debates also raise this issue, and the question is where does the duty of the nurse truly lie? Another indirect consequence of the innovation might be the burden placed on nurses to conform to this professional development and to adhere to the directive. Nurses who do not wish this level of responsibility and autonomy may suffer personally and professionally, finding themselves non-conformists through no fault of their own. However, if another consequence is an enhancement in the status (and pay) of nurses, nurses who prefer not to prescribe could be viewed as holding the profession back. Anticipated versus unanticipated consequences. It is difficult to evaluate the anticipated consequences against the unanticipated ones, given that there is little literature discussing these. Some anticipated consequences might relate to improvements in medication education by nurses (Rycroft-Malone et al, 2000), whereby the nurses will be more knowledgeable, competent and perhaps confident in this activity. This is an important issue in the modern healthcare service where consumerism has become one of the most powerful driving and defining forces (Rycroft-Malone et al, 2001). It is this kind of consumer power which contributes to future policy direction, after all, although the current rhetoric, with its implicit assumption that greater consumer involvement in health care is both desirable and beneficial (Rycroft-Malone, 2001), could be challenged by those who believe that the conferred authority of medicine (and nursing) should take the lead. This author can only project certain consequences, some of which may relate to consume r power and the negotiation of power dynamics between different groups. However, it is debateable if these could be considered anticipated or foreseeable consequences. Another anticipated consequence of this innovation is the close evaluation of the innovation, with inevitable close scrutiny of the nursing profession and its actions in response to the new powers and responsibilities. Latter and Courtenay (2004) in a review of evaluations of nurse prescribing found that the initiative had been largely successful. However, they also identify areas for much further scrutiny and consideration, such as gaps in the knowledge base about prescribing, the nature of the evidence about nurse prescribing, and the need to evaluate the extension of prescribing powers to nurses working outside the initially defined settings (Latter and Courtenay, 2004). It would appear that the nurse-patient relationship may be a positive dimension of patients’ perceptions of nurse prescribing, but there is a need to further evaluate the more intermittent contacts that patients may experience with nurses in certain settings (Latter and Courtenay, 2004). McKenna and Keeney (2004) found that there is still a lack of understanding of the roles of, in particular, community and specialist nurses, but that there is public support for nurse prescribing. Questions still remain about nurses’ ability to be effective in working outside their standard professional area (McKenna and Keeney, 2004). This raises questions about the consequences for nurses in how they interact with their clients, and suggests that nurse prescribing may contribute to changing the professional ‘face’ of nursing. Conclusion The modernisation of the NHS, with its emphasis on timely and effective delivery of services, has been a key factor in the implementation of nurse prescribing and its development into independent prescribing, even into the hospital setting (Clegg et al, 2006). The history of nurse prescribing demonstrates the drive for professional growth in certain areas, sanctioned by changes in the context of service delivery, but hampered by traditional roles and concepts of professional domain. Debates also consider the challenges of training, legal issues, professional issues, budgetary and practical issues surrounding nurse prescribing (Clegg et al, 2004). What is most apparent from this examination of the literature, however, is that while the embryonic stage of nurse prescribing is long gone, the innovation is still undergoing a process of growth and maturation, which is persistently emergent and therefore leaving the status of the profession in relation to this issue largely unformed. This examination of nurse prescribing has shown that change spreads by a process of diffusion, which could be viewed in retrospect as a piecemeal process driven from different directions and according to the perhaps hidden agendas of different agencies, such as nurses, the government, and the consumer. More research is required to examine the ongoing growth and consequences of this innovation, for the professions and the clients, now that it has become an established part of healthcare practice in the UK. 2,500 Words References Bates, C. (2002) Independent nurse prescribing. RCM Midwives Journal 5 (2) 63. Berry, D., Courtenay, M. and Versellini, E. (2006) Attitudes towards, and information needs in relation to, supplementary nurse prescribing in the UK: an empirical study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 15 22-28. Crown, J. (2003) Bringing practice up to date: progress with nurse prescribing. Nurse Prescribing 1 (2) 56-58. Gooch, S. and Bennett, G. (1999) Extending prescribing: nurse prescribing and the Crown Review. Hospital Medicine 60 (10) 718-721. Jones, M. (2004) Case Report. Nurse prescribing: a case study in policy influence. Journal of Nursing Management 12 266-272. King, R.L. (2004) Nurses’ perceptions of their pharmacology educational needs. Journal of Advanced Nursing 45 (4) 392-400. Laresen, D. (2004) Issues affecting the growth of independent prescribing. Nursing Standard 22 (19) 33-39. Latter, S. and Courtenay, M. (2004) Effectiveness of nurse prescribing: a review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing 13 26-32. McCartney, W., Tyrer, S., Bracier, M. and Prayle, D. (1999) Nurse prescribing: radicalism or tokenism? Journal of Advanced Nursing 29 (2) 348-354. McKenna, H. and Keeney, S. (2004) Community nursing: health professional and public perceptions. Journal of Advanced Nursing 48 (1) 17-25. NHS Scotland (2002) Extending Independent Nurse Prescribing within NHS Scotland http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/09/15042/8426. Nolan, P., Hage, S., Badger, F. et al (2001) Mental health nurses’ perceptions of nurse prescribing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 36 (4) 527-534. Rogers, E. M. New Product Adoption and Diffusion. Journal of Consumer Research. Volume 2 March 1976 pp. 290 -301. Rogers, E. M. (1962). Diffusion of Innovations. The Free Press. New York. Rycroft-Malone, J., Latter, S., Yerrell, P. and Shaw, D. (2001) Consumerism in health care: thecase of medication education. Journal of Nursing Management. 9 2221-230. Rycroft-Malone, J., Latter, S., Yerrell, P. and Shaw, D. (2000) Nursing and medication education. Nursing Standard 35-39. Stephenson, T. (2000) Implications of the Crown Report and nurse prescribing. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 83 (3) 199-202.

Organ Transplant Essay -- Health, Diseases, Organ Donation

An organ transplant is a surgical operation conducted to replace an organ unable to function properly with a new one. An organ, in turn, is an accumulation of cells and tissues gathered to perform the functions of body. Therefore, any part of the body which acts as a performer of specific function is called an organ. There are two possible ways of how the organ donation (OD) can take place. The first is the donation of cadaveric organs (organs from recently deceased people). The decision to donate in this way requires the consent of a person in the form of an indication on the driver license, like in the USA (Gruessner, Benedetti, 2008, 54) or health care document as an organ donor card, in Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, for example (Hareyan, 2007). The second option is the organ donation from the living person. This usually occurs in regard to the close people who need an organ, but also takes place in regard to strangers. Although procedure of organ donation developed rapidly in the recent half a century, it can hardly be claimed good enough to manage supply and demand, well-organized and perfect (World Health Organization, 2010). The dramatic character of the situation can be revealed in the statistics of the waiting list for organs, for example kidney. To understand whether the mismatch of supply and demand for organs have sharpened over time, it would be useful to look at the state of affairs in a particular region, such as EU, for instance. There was a significant increase in the demand for kidney in the EU: from 1980s with just above 2000 candidates to 11082 in 2008. Meanwhile, the amount of transplants which have taken place also increased, but not so profoundly: from 1000 (only from deceased donors) to 4000 (from living an... ... organs can be injected in human body to perform the functions of human body’s organ. But there is a critique to this option as there is no guarantee that artificial organs can be an effective substitute the human organs and there is a probability of the next operations which will be needed to normalize the body condition and to reduce the possible rejection (ibid). Nonetheless, if there is even no trial on how to improve the state of affairs, there is a low chance on progress and future success in this sphere. Consequently, the practice of new methods of treatment can ensure the needed effects and identify possible problems, which then, can be avoided in the real operations. The work of the specialists in the Center for Bioethics might demonstrate that there can be several ways of how to increase organ donation rates to diminish current weaknesses in this sphere.

Bacterial Resistance Essay -- essays research papers

Bacterial Resistance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bacterial resistance is a problem that has profoundly impacted the medical community. Bacterial resistance results when bacteria become resistant to individual antibiotics through the development of specific defense mechanisms which render the antibiotic ineffective. This problem has become evident in recent years as numerous cases have been reported in which antibiotics are not effective against the bacteria that they have fought off for years. The recent troubles with bacterial resistance have caused panic throughout the United States. The pharmaceutical industry hasn’t been producing many antibiotics because they thought that the antibiotics they had created had solved many of the problems resulting from bacterial infections. An increasing amount of attention has been given to antibiotic resistance with each passing year and experts are optimistic for the future; however, the threat of bacterial resistance exists today and is a major cause for concern.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The discovery of penicillin the 1940s proved to be the dawn of the antibiotic era. In less than two decades, major advancements had been made in the development of antibiotics. There were so many different antibiotics developed that doctors and scientists focused their attention on other problems plaguing the nation. Doctors prescribed antibiotics frequently, often when they were not even needed. According to a 1998 report by the Institute of...

The French Revolution :: essays research papers

The French Revolution was an unstable, blood-filled time. With 20,000 sent to the guillotine and an equal number to prison, it is not hard to find importance but rather to find meaning. The most crucial thing to look for in the revolution is justification, reasons that excuse or bring significance to the deaths of many. John Locke, a philosophe of the time, may have argued that a leader who does not provide his people with inalienable rights is grounds for dismissal in the form of regicide1. On the other hand Thomas Hobbes, also a philosopher, may have taken a different argument. It was his belief that ‘man is a brute’, therefore he needs a dictator to keep the peace. John Locke’s idealistic view point if practiced properly could have provided the lower class of France with equality, something the were desperately in need of. The Thomas Hobbes approach which advocates control, could not have provided the people with such liberation, but in theory should be able to maintain the peace among the people, the peace that seemed so lacking during the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a disaster for the following reasons: it happened too fast, it went too far, and it achieved too little.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas Paine a radical thinker of the era once said ‘Time makes more converts than reason’. With this quote we can see why revolution was successful in England, but not France. England slowly used the Magna Carta (1213), Petition of Rights (1628), and the Habeas Corpus Act (1679) to limit it’s monarch. It was a long road that was by no means perfect. With monarchs who paid little attention to the act(s) in place during their reign and parliament, like James (1603-1625) and Charles I (1625-1649) it was hard to see progress quickly. These acts played a vital role in Britain’s journey to democracy, through them came proper representation of the people, equality, and what is now known as the ‘Glorious Revolution’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France seemed to be on it’s way to a similar fate. In 1789, the Estates-General2 had now received a promise of a head count from Louis XVI. Prior to this time the very large third estate3 (26 million) had the same number of representatives in the Estates-General as the first estate4 (100,000) and the second estate5 (400,000) combined. Once the Estates-General had been renamed the National Assembly by the third estate a constitution was in the works. During this time the people of France became restless, food shortages plagued the country side. It also appeared that Louis XVI might dissolve

Education In The Early Soviet Union Essay

The early 20th century was a time of change for many parts of the world; advances in all areas of technology and changing mindsets made a huge difference in the way that human civilization progressed. One significant example of this was the overthrow of Czarist Russia and the establishment of the Soviet Union . While far from a revolution in freedom, the Soviet Union was revolutionary in many ways that are still worthy of discussion. With this in mind, this paper will present an account of the historical period of the Early Soviet Union and of the impact of education on that period. EDUCATION EVOLVES WITH THE BIRTH OF THE SOVIET UNION An understanding of the birth of the Soviet Union, as well as its educational system, requires first an overview of the political and educational system which preceded it. Russia, under control of the Czars, was a land of great darkness- politically, economically and educationally. For the Czars, the rule of law was intended to keep the masses as oppressed as possible; there were limited job opportunities, leading to widespread famine, poverty and deprivation from all vantage points. In many ways, these factors can be directly linked to a lack of available education for the masses , and vice versa. The insistence of the government in place to keep the populous ignorant and ill-educated kept the collective skill set of the people at a bare minimum, relegating them to menial jobs for low pay. Even with the oppressive taxation imposed by the Czars, there was little money available to support decent education, even if the Czars wanted to have such institutions in place. At any rate, the change of education definitely came with the change from Czarist rule to the establishment of the Soviet state. With the 1917 Russian Revolution, not only were the people shifted from the essentially dictatorial system of government they had known before to one that was largely driven by Socialism , a system which relied on the sheer power of the people to provide the muscle needed to power the factories, build the roads, and brandish the weapons that would keep the state economically viable, physically strong, and able to meet the challenges of enemies foreign or domestic. A key to this power, it was immediately discovered, would in fact come from the education of the common people. Previously, the upper classes were guaranteed education through private means, as they had the ability to pay for such instruction, but there existed an entire class of people for whom the books of knowledge had essentially been sealed shut for generations upon generations. To ensure that education would be delivered to towns large and small across the Soviet Union, from the earliest days of the Revolution, boards of education were established in each of the republics which comprised the Soviet Union. In this way, education could likewise be customized for the needs of any particular locality. This should not give the impression, however, that education was autonomous in each of the republics, or that there was no agenda behind education. As much as education aimed to teach marketable and practical skills to the average Soviet, it was also designed to indoctrinate impressionable minds about the superiority of the Soviet governmental systems, ideologies, and theories, for it was the compliance of the people that would allow the Soviet Union to grow to dominance over a period of several decades. A MISSING ELEMENT FROM SOVIET EDUCATION From the very beginning of the Soviet Union, its educational system and political ideology were unavoidably entwined. One of the key tenets of the Soviet philosophy, which was consequently built in to the educational system is the entire lack of a spiritual element, as Soviet leaders subscribed to the assertions of Dostoevsky that without having to wrestle with the idea of the existence of God, the mind is thereby free to imagine that anything is possible, as many of the moral dilemmas which complicate decision making are effectively erased. CONCLUSION In conclusion, what can be seen in the parallel development of the Soviet Union as a state and its accompanying educational system is the introduction of political ideology and practical instruction, both with the collective goal of advancing the state. This worked for decades and brought the Soviet Union to the status of world superpower in a remarkably short time. Therefore, in conclusion, what can best be said about education and the early history of Soviet Union is that they were inexorably linked, and each enhanced the other. REFERENCES Daniel, Wallace. 1996. Religion, Science, Russia: An Interview with Boris Raushenbakh. The Christian Century, 28 February, 232+. Dundua, Shalva. 2003. The Legacy of the Soviet Education System and Attempts to Introduce New Methodologies of Teaching in Georgia. Childhood Education 79, no. 6: 347+. Nearing, Scott. 1926. Education in Soviet Russia. New York: International Publishers. Zlobin, Nikolai. 1996. Things Fall Apart. World Affairs 158, no. 3: 148-155.

Religion in the Workplace Essay

People around the world have a set of beliefs whether they choose to believe in Jesus Christ or not to agnostic and gnostic, everyone has a set of beliefs which they hold on to. However the question arises on how can we practice it outside our homes specifically at work without imposing other people’s rights who may not hold to the same views as one does. How does the view of a utilitarianism, deontology, and relativism tie into this matter, and could we find a balance on both sides to come to a logical conclusion on how things could be run at a workplace. People seem to shy away when it comes to talk about religion and politics for good reason. One cannot come out of the conversation agreeing with the other side so they revert back to relativism which is a go to for some trying to avoid confrontations, but what about our rights to religious practice at work? Where does one draw the line? We were born with the freedom of choice, this includes choosing to believe in what others tell you, to listen to things etc. One can easily choose to leave the room or place, but where it gets troubling is if it takes place during a meeting and the other persons morals are founded strongly on their religious beliefs and they just might either make or break a company based on their decision or performance. Why though do we feel as if we need to have the right to express ourselves? Well as Mosser., K explains â€Å" because religion is such a basic part of a person’s self-conception, someone may feel his or her right to the free expression of religious beliefs is restricted by not being allowed to state them when and where he or she wishes.† A company may reap the blessings of a group or an individual true Christian and still not be biased to that  person only because of the good that is coming out of it. This would result in good for the greatest number of people according to a utilitarianism view. However there is another side to the coin even in the same ethical theory. Rule utilitarianism states that â€Å"allowing the majority’s religious views to be imposed on a minority does not create the greatest good for the greatest number.† (Mosser K.,) This also brings into light that people cannot be forced into something that they do not want to accept. Christianity was never meant to be forced upon people, but over the years it has been twisted to mean something other then what is true though there are those who still hold faithfully to what is right. Even at mandatory work functions one cannot force prayer or religious service on one without possibly violating state laws. Sam Grover explains â€Å" most likely any prayer or religious service that accompanies a mandatory work event or meeting would violate Title VII discrimination laws under the same reason used in Townley.† (Grover, S. 2010) The next question one could ask themselves how much is too much, when someone continuously asks to attend church or has their bible out on their office desk? Harassment has taken place in the workplace when â€Å"an employee is required or coerced to abandon, alter, or adopt a religious practice as a condition of employment† (Grover, S 2010) A person by no means base their decisions on whether a person is of the same beliefs and or style of worship to give them the greatest good even if that particular religion is the biggest in the workplace, and leave the others hanging dry. In an article written by ACLJ it speaks about prayer in the workplace as being legal, stating â€Å"In sum prayer is not illegal, unauthorized, inappropriate, nor improper – and as long as employees pray before or after working hours, or during official breaks, there should be no problem at all.† (ACLJ 2012) So the person cannot make it mandatory for anyone to participate in a religious gathering nor can they hold it against them in terms of gaining a status at a job, and make it into a utilitarian view on them. So what are the outcomes of the utilitarianism over an issue like prayer in the workplace? One can practice their religion on their own personal time as long as it does not conflict with work and can perform their duties while on the job. The greatest good that comes from this view is that all people are protected in some way or form, but we will always have those who have ethical egoism and that is what the greatest number of people are protected from in the laws that are set forth. Using the view of deontology (Golden Rule) it serves as a good foundation and rule of them to treat others. This view however when looked at and studied, that part of scripture is telling the reader not as a reactive approach, but for them to go and do unto others regardless of how they may treat them. Also, the way this view could be used and twisted is if another person from a different very radical belief thinks it is right for them to force it upon other people talking to them about it at work. No one needs to feel the stresses of a job and then put on top of that, dealing with religious views that one apposes. These laws that were put up were not only to protect the people, but also in a way for the religion. This does not in fact mean to keep going up to someone and throwing scripture at them, unless one wants to have a lawsuit against them and the company, but to be able to meet the other person half-way and realize that I might not like them pushing their beliefs down my throat either. Deontology ethics is grounded in the â€Å"Categorical Imperative† by Immanuel Kent states â€Å"The Categorical Imperative simply declares act as if thy action were to become by thy will a universal law by nature.† We should live our lives to help all mankind and that by this we write our own morals. Would we be okay with others adopting our actions and be able to live with what they do to us since we did it first unto them? If we are at a workplace and there are no regulations established on prayers in the workplace and no guidelines whatsoever set in place. Would one put their beliefs out there and start the religious movement at work by their  actions, but be able to handle and live peacefully when another religion that strongly apposes theirs comes into the picture? Is it better to just leave it at home rather than starting something that perhaps one may not be able to handle very well? Relativism works hand in hand with this issue simply because it is used as a means to get out of a discussion and end it at a peaceful ending instead of coming out of it with a reasonable answer. This only adds to the ongoing issue and cannot solve a problem in the workplace, there are those who by their faith need to pray a certain amount of numbers a day which can in turn affect their work and if given special treatment for this may cause some division amongst co-workers. With utilitarianism, deontology and relativism we see different ways on how all this could play out in the end and while trying to figure out the right decision for everyone. The laws are there to protect people from having to conform to something that they do not believe in but at the same time must meet the freedom of choice in the other persons personal views as long as it does not hinder the good standing work order. References Mosser K., Bridgeport Education Inc, 2013 Ethics and Social Responsibility Grover S., FFRF Summer 2010 http://ffrf.org/faq/state-church/item/14007-religion-in-the-workplace ACLJ 2012 http://aclj.org/workplace-rights/religious-expression-workplace http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/deontological-ethics.htm

Critical Response on “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” Essay

There have been many struggles in history between authority and those who oppose it. The most obvious and most common example is revolutions against governments. We live in a society where stability and assimilation are not just recommended, but also enforced. We have the right for civil disobedience, so long as it is non-violent and within reason. In the book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, R.P McMurphy, a â€Å"brawling, gambling man† enters a mental asylum in Oregon, and begins to wage war â€Å"on behalf of his fellow inmates†. However he finds himself at odds with Nurse Ratched, a strict, manipulative and methodical woman who runs the ward like a â€Å"precision-made machine†. The book follows McMurphy’s actions that constantly clash with the Nurse, and what she represents: authority. By the end of the book, there are many examples of struggles against the higher power, and it is in my opinion that the statement â€Å"when authority and indi viduals come into conflict, authority always wins out† is incorrect, because individuals do not have to win the physical conflict to win the battle of brains. From day one, the reader finds that McMurphy is out to cause trouble. Gambling is illegal in the ward, but McMurphy declares that he was sent to the institution â€Å"to bring [the inpatients] some fun an’ entertainment around the gaming table†(p. 16). He starts interrupting daily meetings, which the Nurse treats with much importance. And whenever he is reprimanded for something, he laughs. The laughing is the most important part of his self-defence, as it is the only legal way he can fight back against authority. It is a symbol of defiance, and a sign of McMurphy’s freedom. It shows that, no matter what the institution does to him, he still has his mental independence. As the reader progresses further on in the story, McMurphy makes a bet that he can â€Å"get [the Nurse’s] ‘goat'†. When he finds he has no ward-clothes (p. 79), he runs around in a towel, threatening to drop it at times, while the distressed Nurse tries, in vain, to make him get dressed. Then, the same morning, he takes bets on his accuracy about throwing butter at the clock (p. 85). McMurphy wants to watch the World Series, and takes a vote from all the saner patients. While all of them vote to watch it, the Nurse shuts the  idea down, even when McMurphy gets the majority. When airing on television (p. 114), he stops work and proceeds to turn on the television, sit down, and watch the game. When the rest of the men decide to stop work and join him, and the Nurse turns the power off, they continue to watch, just to show that her power and authority has nothing over them. This is an example of individuals fighting against authority. They might not be successful in the real world (having to wear clothes, not being able to watch the baseball game), but inside they’re freer than they’ve ever been before. Being downtrodden and strict by the Nurse forced them to become less Things begin to grow bigger and more important as the story progresses. McMurphy realizes that his release is dependent on his good behavior, and tones down his obnoxious acts. However, he still finds that Nurse Ratched is going to keep him in the hospital for as long as she wants. He tries to be subdued, and in doing so, another rebellious inmate called Cheswick, who had tried very hard to be like McMurphy, kills himself, because he thinks that McMurphy has been defeated (p. 136). Nurse Ratched sees the change in McMurphy, and to gain total control of the ward, she demands penance for the insubordination during the World Series. McMurphy smiles and nods, but destroys the glass that separates the nurses’ room from the ward, to show his true feelings (p. 155). He excuses himself, saying that the window was â€Å"so spick an’ span [that he] completely forgot it was there†. This shows how he is standing up to authority, and while he doesn’t change anything in the real world, it shows the inmates and himself that inside they are free. Part III describes McMurphy’s fishing expedition. He takes the men on an excursion on a fishing boat, much against the Nurse’s wishes, but by tricking the doctor to come along, he succeeds. While there is not much about Nurse Ratched in that part, Chief Bromden, the narrator of the story, notices that the Combine is working on the outside too – with commuters and houses and children (p. 186). He had been in the ward for about 20 years, and a lot had probably passed since he was younger. However, this glimpse into society makes them realize that they (as patients) aren’t as monotonous as this, and they can be more free than they are already. Within a week of the trip, Nurse Ratched is ready with her new plan. She tries to show McMurphy as a con man, stealing and wining money from all the patients. But she is shocked to discover that all the patients were happy to lose that money, as they enjoyed themselves, and weren’t using it for anything else anyway. After a few more instances of insurgence (McMurphy and Bromden’s fight with the staff {p. 215}; continuous interruptions to ward procedures {p. 229}), the final insurrection came: McMurphy’s party. McMurphy organizes for two of his â€Å"friends† to come to the ward for a party that would also serve as his breakout. After a great night, everyone falls asleep, and in the morning, the day-staff came before anyone can wake up in time. After searching for Billy Bibbit, and finding him unashamed of his actions the previous night, the Nurse gives him a guilt trip, threatening to tell his mother, and then locking him in the ward’s doctor’s room. Billy commits suicide, and the Nurse tries to blame it on McMurphy’s lack of respect for authority. Realising that any chances of surviving are ruined, and that his battle with authority is now at it’s final stage, McMurphy sacrifices himself (and consequently his mental-independence) by attacking Nurse Ratched, exposing her as a vulnerable woman, and destroying any sense of authority and control she had left over the patients. This is the final action between two desperate factions: the authority and the autonomy. The showdown ends with McMurphy being captured, but because the other patients see the nurse as a woman, and not as the dominant Nurse, she can never have the same control over them as she had previously had. McMurphy is lobotomized, but before the ward can see him in his vegetable-like state, Chief Bromden smothers him with a pillow, and then breaks down a wall to freedom. The patients never get to see McMurphy as a vegetable, so their last memory of him alive is his attack on the Nurse. McMurphy is remembered as a symbol of resistance, and as a hero against the authority that had cowed the patients for so long. I believe that McMurphy shows the reader that while the authority may be able to make you conform, you can still remain free inside, which is more important than anything else on earth. Because it is against national  regulations to take away freedom, and as long as you have your sanity and your mental independence, nothing can beat you.