Internal Analysis of University of South Australia Essay Example

Internal Analysis of University of South Australia Essay The purpose of this report is to provide an internal analysis of the University of Australia, which is an organisation that operates in the Australian Transnational Education and Training Industry. In order to provide the analysis I have done the marketing mix using the 7Ps approach to describe the organisation. Then identified the strategy at business level using the 5 Question approach and explained how fuzzy the strategies were and how flexible the organisation is. Next I have done a SWOT analysis and identified the strategic capabilities of the organisation to explain what UniSA Is capable of and what strategies that needs to be focused on. Lastly to complete the analysis I have applied the balance scorecard method. From the analysis I have concluded to say that UniSA is doing well in the industry with high capabilities and the ability to grow more in the transnational level. The universities strategic alliances with many international organisations and the only university in Australia to have made an agreement with GradInternational for international job placements have attract many international students. Over all UniSA is strategically very well placed and is doing exceptionally well in the industry. Table of Contents Introduction4 Identifying and analyzing the existing strategy at Business Level5 SWOT Analysis6 Limitation of the SWOT analysis8 Analyzing UniSA’s current strategic capabilities using the 3 test We will write a custom essay sample on Internal Analysis of University of South Australia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Internal Analysis of University of South Australia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Internal Analysis of University of South Australia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Approach 9 Applying the Marketing Mix12 The 7P’s of Services based Marketing Mix14 Key Stakeholders15 Measuring Organisation Performance16 Conclusion17 Reference List18 Introduction Transnational education is the provision of education to international students by Australian providers offshore. A university may have campuses in other countries or have agreements with universities from other countries to deliver their courses so that students overseas could finish their course in full or part of it without having to come to Australia at all. The university of South Australia (UniSA) is one of the leading transnational organisations in Australia (UniSA, 2011). The purpose of this report is to analyse the internal environment using marketing theories such as the marketing mix, identifying the existing strategies and doing a SWOT analysis to identify the strategic capabilities of UniSA. UniSA is the largest university in South Australia, with 36,156 students, 2396 staff and five campuses and an annual revenue exceeding $457 million (UniSA,2011). UniSA has partnerships and agreements with institutions and government bodies in over 30 countries while offering students in four countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and Singapore the opportunity to complete a UniSA degree in their home country (UniSA International, 2011). UniSA international leads the University of South Australia’s International engagement through the direction and management of international relations, student recruitment and related services to foster a diverse university community (UniSA International, 2011). There are three regional teams that undertake marketing, recruitment, enquiries management, admissions and applicant assessment, and processing of applications for international students. The three Regions are: Region 1: South East Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Lao and Cambodia), South Asia, the Pacific Nations, Africa and the Middle East Region 2  Ã‚  Ã‚   ? China, South East Asia (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia) Region 3  Ã‚  Ã‚   ? Europe and the Americas, Japan and Korea, study abroad, and domestically based international students. The regional teams undertake marketing, recruitment, enquiries management, admissions and applicant assessment, and processing of applications for international students. Identifying and analyzing the existing strategy at Business Level Question| Determined Position| 1. Does the organization plan to grow? | According to the UniSA vision UniSA plans to grow in the future by being the leading contributor to Australia having the best education system in the world. According to the strategic plan UniSA wants to go into agreements with institutions in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore so that courses could be completed in those countries. UniSA seek to establish an innovative medical school that focuses on addressing the health needs of disadvantaged populations. UniSA also wants to create a university College that would assist more students to gain access to and succeed in our programs| 2. What services does it plan to produce? | UniSA offers over 500 courses that includes undergraduate, postgraduate and Research programs. It also plans to offer Diploma programs and more medical courses and research courses. UniSA will also continue to partner with oreign education providers in order to expand their transnational education offerings while planning to situate some of their campuses overseas. | 3. What customer and geographic markets does it plan to service? | Locally as one of the very few leading Universities in South Australia students in the state are focused uponInternationally mainly students in Hong Kong, Malaysia, China and SingaporeUniSA will continue to grow transnational by signing up new agreements internat ionally mainly focusing on South East Asia. | 4. What generic strategy does it plan to follow to position itself uniquely against competitors? | Creating world class research clusters and exciting research-intensive cultureBy working with high performance qualified staff and joining hands with prestigious partnersWorld brand recognition| 5. What position in the industry does it plan to hold in the future? | Vision : UniSA will be a leading contributor to Australia having the best higher education system in the worldMission: UniSA educates professionals and students to the highest standard| In order to start the internal analysis of UniSA I have identified the existing business strategy of the organisation by applying Hubbard’s five-question approach. There has been great emphasis in producing students with international and intercultural experience who can adapt to the ever-changing world and be recognized for their work internationally. However how they are going to achieve this is not very clear. In their strategic plan the main focus is on the students’ experience but the achievability and the measurability is questionable. Secondly they have focused on the transnational education providing it in more countries and planning to open up more campuses overseas. UniSA have taken the first and a big step in this by signing an agreement with IDP who is a large international education agent that liaise with overseas universities and students. Even though UniSA has made their strategic plan for 2020 and there are still more years to go the plan is not clear and very fuzzy. There goals are clear but how they plan to achieve is not very clear. Their plans are also long term and there is no explanation as to what they plan to achieve every five years. However having a fuzzy strategy makes an organisation flexible and the ability to adapt to the changing environment high. This could be beneficial in UniSA s case as a universities environment can constantly change. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method introduced by Albert Humphrey in the 1960’s to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in an organisation. It involves specifying the objectives of the organisation and identifying the external and internal factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. Strengths * Research programs * Teaching assistance and training for the staff and lecturers * Global recognition| Weaknesses * Delay in introducing the new programs * Restructure in departments * Staffing departments | Opportunities * High student expectation * Government backing * Access to the global market * Diverse community| SO Strategies * UniSA delivers to the expectations of students and constant ly reviews their programs to make sure they are up to standards * Advertise and markets around the world saying that courses of UniSA is backed and quality approved by the government. Promote an encourage staff| WO Strategies * UniSA is making strategic alliances with other universities that will help setting up their medical school * UniSA is promoting international intellects to lecture and take part in teaching programs at UniSA * UniSA is appealing to the diverse community take part in activities together| Threats * Changing demographics in courses * Changing political environment in Australia and overseas * Emerging new niversities| ST Strategies * UniSA is updated on which courses are more popular and should be ready to deliver according to the demand * UniSA is stable and will be running their courses despite the government volatility in other countries| WT Strategies * UniSA is building campuses overseas * UniSA id hiring staff globally for their overseas and local campuses| Limitations of the SWOT analysis The SWOT framework emphasizes the elements of strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats but provides no real guidance on how organisations can indentify these elements for themselves. Even though the SWOT analysis is flexible it is very vague. It does not specify how to distinguish a threat over opportunities. Another draw back of the SWOT analysis is the lack of detail because there are no justifications required for the classification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities or threats. I have classified each element in the strategic plan in the SWOT analysis according to how I feel fit. This may not be the case for everyone. Also there is no prioritization in elements, which are another important fact that the SWOT analysis ignores. Analyzing UniSA’s current strategic capabilities using the 3 test Approach Strategy| Is it valuable to the customers? | Is it better than the capabilities of most competitors? | Is it difficult to initiate or replicate? | Outstanding learning outcomes and the quality and richness of the student experience| Yes students will find this valuable as experience is critical in University life. | Yes most universities does not consider this a priority| Yes managing and implementing programs and activities take time| World-class research clusters and exciting, research-intensive culture| Yes UniSA is the only university in SA that gives research such prominence. Yes most universities does not offer this| Yes as introducing research and setting up the culture requires setting up a whole new department. | Innovative solutions to social, economic, political and technological challenges| Yes students will appreciate the work done for the community and the country| To a certain extent| Yes this is easier through research. | Innovative and excellence in teaching| Yes as the students will be happy to know that they are taught by and from the best| To a certain extent| No however will take time. Any university can initiate this as this just requires hiring the right staff. Even though it is possible it will take time. | Working well with the uni’s high-performing staff and prestigious national and international partners| A good relationship with the staff and the partners will be beneficial to the students as they will have better opportunities when the stake holders are happy| Yes| Yes forming relationships and maintaining is not that easy. Ability and adaptability in building and maintaining productive partnerships with industry, business and the community| Yes as adaptability according to stake holders will bring great opportunities to the students and the university| Yes as most universities does not give attention to these details| Yes forming relationships and maintaining is not that easy. Most universities are not flexible at all. Considerable and creative contribution to the prosperity and well-being of the nation| Yes everyone likes to think that they are hel ping the betterment of life in their country| Yes| Yes initiating it wouldn’t be that hard but to actually practice it will not be easy| Improving and expanding transnational education| This will make UniSA a more popular university globally and students will be happy to be recognized globally| Yes most competitors do not offer transnational education| Yes most universities do not have the capabilities and the resources to offer transnational education| From the above table we can see that all strategies do have value and most of them are superior to the ones of the competitors. UniSA has chosen its strategies smartly. This was done in 2008 as a review of the mission and vision statements and all information was taken from a report printed called Horizon. This report explains how these strategies were chosen after consultation with stakeholders of the university and according to the capacity and the capability. As a university with years of experience in excellence UniSA has the capability and the resources to make processors perfect. UniSA also has a big advantage due to the prestigious research programs that it offers. This gives UniSA a strategic advantage over many universities. The highly qualified and experienced staff and support team is an asset that UniSA boasts of through out the years. By years of implementing and experimenting activities and curricula’s now UniSA has the ability to provide its students a unique multicultural and innovative experience in university. As far as capabilities are concerned improving and expanding transnational education will be difficult for the university at the moment. UniSA is already introducing major courses such as medicine within the next year and most of the resources and focus has been on that. Even though these strategies are on hold temporarily it will be given attention soon as all these strategies are expected to be achieved in 2020 giving UniSA ample time. Appling the Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a set of marketing rules that are controllable that institutions use to produce the response it wants from various target markets (Ivy, 2008). It consists of everything that the university can do to influence the demand for the service that it offers. Tangible products usually uses a $P’s model, the services sector on the other hand uses a 7P’s approach in order to satisfy the needs of the service provider’s customers. Theses are product, price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical fasciitis and Processers (Ivy 2008). In the case of UniSA what is being sold is education while the customer are the students. Product| Price| Place | Promotion| People| Physical| Processors| Courses delivered in Australia on campusCourses delivered offshore off campusCourses delivered through the Open University, OnlineOne of the best and renown universities for its Research Expertise| Domestic full paying studentsGovernment subsidized domestic studentsInternational onshore and offshore full paying studentsScholarships for Domestic and International studentsConsulting fees for research students| 5 Campuses in Australia4 Campuses OverseasOnline EnrolmentSigned up with IDP who recruits students from over 40 countries| Is an innovative outward looking university with more than a century’s experienceOffers world class scholarships that meets the needs of the global community and solves real world problemsOver 500 courses available globally Multi cultural environment with support systems available| Well-experienced and highly qualified staff and executive board. Multicultural staffing boardTrained staff available to handle international studentsPeer monitoring programsLanguage assistance programs. | Campuses overseas and locallyEach campus with distinctive profiles offering modern and sophisticated facilities. Campuses located amidst cultural and educational precinct. All campuses are clean, safe and close to transport hubs| SO9001:2000 accredited organisationAQTF amp; AUQA compliantESOS compliant onshore and offshoreIn-house internal audit ensuring continuous improvement| The 7P’s of Services based marketing mix Key Stakeholders Stakeholders| What to do the stakeholders want from their involvement? | How consistent are the values and attitudes of the stakeholder with UniSA? Students| * Good education * Good university experience * Globally accepted qualification| Inconsistent – * Markets change * Demographics change * Students ideas and needs change| Employees| * Rewarding career * Fair pay * Good working environment| Consiste nt * There could be slight changes like the attitudes towards work but employee needs are mostly consistent| Governments| * High quality education provided to the students * High standards and results to stipulate funding| Variable * Due to political changes * Due to policy changes * Educational needs * Results| Overseas partners| * Economic benefit * Recognition| Consistent * Because what ever changes happen overseas partners would still expect the same from UniSA. | Stakeholder satisfaction is critical for successful organisations in a hypercompetitive environment (D’Aveni,2004). In order to complete the internal environment analysis it is important for UniSA to identify its main stakeholders. They are students and their families, employees, governments and overseas partners. Each stakeholder has different interests and different degrees of involvement in UniSA. Measuring Organisation performance I found very little information of UniSA performance to compare with the industry information. I have used the balanced scorecard method (BSM) with the available information. BSM ok Kaplan and Norton is a strategic approach and performance management system that enables organisations to translate a company’s vision and strategy into implementation working from 4 perspectives. 1. Financial Perspective 2. Customer perspective 3. Business process perspective 4. Financial Perspective Financially stable Achieves targets and is profitable Government funding Learning and growth perspective Learning and growth Business Process Perspective Vision And Strategy Maintain quality of programs delivered Make sure that the highest technology is available Perspective Add value by maintaining standards Expand the university capacity. Making sure to be successful In projects Customer Perspective Produce successful Graduates Provide support systems to students and staff The balance scorecard method requires four questions to be answered. They are: 1. How do we look to our stakeholders? From the above stakeholder analysis we can see the relationship between UniSA and its stakeholders and their expectations. 2. How do customers see us? Even though I have not done enough research on what students think of the university, the 56% increase in enrolments in courses and the constant expansion of the university tells us that UniSA has a good reputation built up over the years 3. What must we excel in? University has identified five corporate priorities that they believe that there is till room for improvement * Research education * Transnational education * Productivity and the work load of staff Costing and profitability analysis 4. Can we continue to improve and create value? I believe that UniSA can continue to do this as according to the 2009 annual report UniSA have exceeded the expectations of many with their constant growth and exceptional performance. They have met most of their strategies and made new ones to continue their succ ess Conclusion From the analysis in this report we can see that UniSA is a successful university in Australia with well defines strategies that are practiced and taken action on. There are areas that could be improved such as explanations and plans explaining how they can achieve their plans short term and on the long run. However over all we UniSA is strategically well positioned and is maintaining their standards while keeping its stakeholders happy and delivering to government requirements. Reference List IBISWorld (2011, April 18). University and other Higher Education in Australia (N8431). Retrived from IBISWorld database. Ivy,J. (2008). A new higher education marketing mix. International Journal of Educational Management,22(4)288-299. Doi 10. 1108/09513540810875635 Kaplan,R, amp; Norton,D. (2011). Balanced Scorecard Method. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://www. valuebasedmanagement. net/methods_balancedscorecard. html Parsons. A, (2008) How important are Stakeholder Relationships. Retrieved May 1 , 2011, from http://www. albany. edu/~pm157/research/stakeholders. pdf University of South Australia (2002, September) From the Vice Chamcellor :UniSA News Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://www. unisa. edu. au/unisanews/archive/2002/unisanews_sept02_main. pdf UniSA (2011) Transnational partners Retrieved May 1 , 2011, from http://www. unisa. edu. au/partner/transnational/default. asp UniSA (2011) Marketing Positioning Retrieved May 1 , 2011, from http://www. unisa. edu. au/intagent/marketing/positioning. asp UniSA (2011) Ambitions, Strategic directions, Plans and commitments Retrieved May 1 , 2011, from http://www. unisa. edu. au/about/intro/strategies. asp UniSA (2011) Horizons 2020, Retrieved May 1 , 2011, from http://www. unisa. edu. au/horizon2020/default. asp

Change Of Chinese Theory Essays - Cinema Of China, Film Theory

Change Of Chinese Theory Essays - Cinema Of China, Film Theory Change Of Chinese Theory Western film theory is generally subdivided into classical theory and contemporary theory. Contemporary theory consists of a theoretical system, which employs psychoanalysis, ideological critique and feminism to interpret cinematic forms. It originated in the mid-sixties and flourished in the 1970s. It was first introduced to China in the early 1980s and brought in as a complete theoretical system a few years later. Peaking in the late 1980s, it should have taken up an important position in the development of China's film theory. Classical film theory had developed very slowly in China, and by the end of the 1970s it had acquired the following features: It was a theory about social politics, not about art or cinema, and frequently used as a tool in political struggle, directly serving the politics of the day. (Ke 66) Mikroulis 2 Its artistic theory was insipid, simple and ossified, consisting merely of theories about production transplanted from philosophical dogmas. China had been closed for a long time, and there had been little international exchange, borrowing or debate. Therefore, widespread assimilation of the scholarly achievements of foreign film theory had been impossible and numerous lacunae and defects existed.(Ke 66) Toward the end of the 1970s China chose reform and opening to the outside world. Major changes in film theory were inevitable in order to adapt to the needs of social reform and cinematic innovation and to enrich and improve theory itself. Importing foreign film theory and changing Chinese cinematic concepts were also inevitable. The adoption of any film theory by society is not random but socially and historically determined. A society invariably adopts theories suitable for social development independent of any individual's will. Mikroulis 3 As contemporary film theory was being given a cold reception, making up for what had been missed in classical theory proceeded on a grand scale and along the following lines: Establishing cinematic concepts by exploring the specificity of the cinema, making cinema an art form independent from others, and distinguishing film theory from general art theory to turn it into an independent field. Beginning to focus on cinematic forms of expression and artistic techniques in an attempt to break away from outdated methods centered on the Soviet montage theory, and beginning to use original forms to express fresh contents and feelings. Almost all these efforts to catch up on classical film theory provoked heated debates within the Chinese film world. There were both conflicts and compromises with the old theoretical system. Both sides attempted to devise an authoritative and socially accepted theory that would direct film production and criticism. In the absence of Mikroulis 4 common ground, struggles both open and covert broke out between the left and right. The gap between traditional Chinese film theory and classical foreign film theory was considerably narrowed as a result of these efforts to catch up. However, different social conditions mean that no Western theory can be brought in unchanged, and because of the speed of their introduction, the essence of many theories was not fully understood. Superficial understandings, out-of-context interpretations, misreading and even misrepresentations were unavoidable. Practice had yet to show whether these theories suited Chinese circumstances, and whether they could become a part of a dominant theory. But as the pace of China's reforms and opening to the world increased, classical Western theory found itself unable to satisfy the intellectual needs of China's film theorists. The film theorists were already casting their gaze toward the outside world again. In the summer of 1984, contemporary Western film theory entered China again, this time through the unusual Mikroulis 5 method of inviting American film scholars to Beijing to run a summer session on film theory. Although unprecedented anywhere in the world, such a method of disseminating contemporary film theory suited the organization of the Chinese cinema studies world. The two Chinese scholars responsible for this event were Cheng Jihua and Chen Mei. Cheng and Chen had been invited to give a course on Chinese films in 1983 by UCLA. It was well-received. In the course of extensive contacts with American scholars, they came to feel deeply that Chinese film theory was so narrow, ossified and monolithic that it precluded academic dialogue with foreign countries. A number of American film scholars also wished to see

Viviparous Definition

Viviparous Definition Viviparous organisms are those that give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs. The young develop within the mothers body. Viviparous Etymology The word viviparous stems from the  Latin word vivus, meaning alive and parere, meaning to bring forth. The Latin word for viviparous is  viviparus, meaning to bring forth alive. Examples of Viviparous Marine Life Examples of marine life that are viviparous include: Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, pinnipeds, sirenians, and sea ottersSome sharks, including blue sharks, white sharks hammerhead sharks, and bull sharks, andSome other fish species, (e.g., the Pacific ocean perch). Humans are viviparous animals as well. Characteristics of Viviparity Viviparous animals invest lots of time in the development and care of the young. The young often take several months to develop in the mothers uterus, and they may stay with their mothers for months or even years (e.g., in the case of dolphins, who may remain within their mothers pod for their entire lives).   Thus, the mother does not have many young at a time. In the case of whales, although dead whales have been found with multiple fetuses, mothers usually give birth to just one calf. Seals usually have one pup at a time.  This is in contrast to some other marine animals like crabs or fish, which may produce thousands or even millions of young, but the young are usually broadcast out into the ocean where there is relatively little chance of survival. So, while the time and energy investment in viviparous animals is great, their young have a strong chance of survival. Sharks often have more than one pup (hammerheads may have dozens at once), but these sharks grow relatively large in the womb. Although there is no parental care after birth, the young are relatively self-sufficient when they are born.   Viviparous Antonym and Other Reproductive Strategies The opposite (antonym) of viviparous is oviparous, in which the organism lays eggs. A very recognizable example of an oviparous animal is the chicken.  Marine animals that lay eggs include sea turtles, skates, some sharks, many fish, and nudibranchs. This is probably the most common reproductive strategy used by animals in the ocean.   Some animals utilize a reproductive strategy called ovoviviparity; these animals are said to be ovoviviparous. As you could probably guess from the name, this type of reproduction is in between viviparity and oviparity. In ovoviviparous animals, the mother produces eggs, but they develop within her body instead of hatching outside the body. Some sharks and other types of fish use this strategy. Examples include  whale sharks,  basking sharks,  thresher sharks,  sawfish,  shortfin mako  sharks,  tiger sharks, lantern sharks, frilled sharks, and angel sharks. Pronunciation VI-vip-are-us Also Known As Live-bearing, bear live young Viviparous, as Used in a Sentence Viviparous shark species include bull sharks, blue sharks, lemon sharks, and hammerhead sharks. Sources Canadian Shark Research Lab. 2007. Skates and Rays of Atlantic Canada: Reproduction. Accessed November 30, 2015.Denham, J., Stevens, J., Simpfendorfer, C.A., Heupel, M.R., Cliff, G., Morgan, A., Graham, R., Ducrocq, M., Dulvy, N.D, Seisay, M., Asber, M., Valenti, S.V., Litvinov, F., Martins, P., Lemine Ould Sidi, M. Tous, P. and Bucal, D. 2007.  Sphyrna mokarran. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. Accessed November 30, 2015.Dictionary.com.  Viviparous. Accessed November 30, 2015.Harper, D. Viviparous. Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed November 30, 2015.NOAA.  How Many Babies? Science Activity.  Accessed November 30, 2015.NOAA: Voices of the Bay. Fishery Science - Biology and Ecology: How Fish Reproduce.  Accessed November 30, 2015.

Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Human Rights - Essay Example The first and foremost challenge that the United Nation faced in its attempt to promote human right in a global context is the controversy within its approach to the concept of human right and freedom (Wright, 2001: 59). The perpetual debate on the universality of human right apparently overshadowed its achievements to a great extent. The oriental scholars and political authorities often are often found to criticize the provisions of the UN Charter of human rights considering that these provisions are completely â€Å"devoid of any legal commitment† (Flinterman and Gutter, n.d: 1). But the view of human right that is conveyed in the UN Declaration of Right has also been defended on the point that the provisions of the UN Charter were not the mere propositions of a European mind, as Hersch Lauterpacht (1950: 147) asserts, "These provisions are no mere embellishment of a historic document†¦.They were adopted, with deliberation and after prolonged discussion before and durin g the San Francisco Conference, as part of the philosophy of the new international system†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Indeed the trend for the promotion of human right lies in the founding premises of the organization. It was widely assessed by the scholars that the seed of the Second World War was found to be in the core of the massive violation of human rights by Adolf Hitler in Europe. Also the establishment of this organization was geared up by the realization that the failure of the previous, League of Nation, to prevent human right violation is to be held responsible for the initiation of the destructive war (Baehr et al, 1999: 67-88). Necessarily it does not mean that the League of Nation was totally indifferent to the issues of human right. But a close review of the stance of the League of Nations makes reveals the fact that its dealing with the concept of human rights was not multi-faceted enough to prevent oppressions of the mightier. It rather adopted a narrow and

The Castle Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Castle Doctrine - Essay Example This argument showcases, according to the report, â€Å"a loss of faith in law enforcement†(â€Å"The Castle Doctrine†). With the police being stretched thin due to an increase in crime, people don’t want to have to wait for law enforcement to come and save them especially if they are in a potentially life threatening situation. The New Castle Doctrine takes away the â€Å"vulnerability† that people feel in an increasingly violent world and makes them feel safer(â€Å"The Castle Doctrine†). Having this doctrine to back them up is important in order to prevent someone who was merely defending themselves from going to jail as people have the basic right to protect their own lives, their loved ones, or their property. There are a few different arguments which make up the reasons as to why the New Castle Doctrine is essentially a license to kill. The first reason is that people simply aren’t very well educated on what this particular doctrine covers in terms of the situations when a person can defend themselves with deadly force. Most people simply look at this law and believe that they will be protected no matter what as long as some sort of crime was committed. Ultimately, this leads into the second argument against the New Castle Doctrine as this type of legislation basically turns people into vigilantes who take justice into their own hands regardless of the situation. This is illustrated in the case of the gas station clerk who shot a man after he stole a case of beer(â€Å"The Castle Doctrine†). The New Castle Doctrine allows a person to exact their own vengeance even if the punishment does not fit the crime. Finally, those against the New Castle Doctrine believe that it will r eally hurt the legal and court system within the country as many of these vigilantes are being acquitted of any wrong doings due to their claims that they used deadly force because of the New Castle Doctrine. This might lead to a slew of criminals

Reproduction :: essays research papers

THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM The ability to reproduce is one of the unifying characteristics of all living things. Sexual reproduction produces offspring that are genetically different from their parents. Asexual reproduction produces offspring genetically identical to their parent. Asexual Reproduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fission, budding, fragmentation, and the formation of rhizomes and stolons are some of the mechanisms that allow organisms to reproduce asexually. The hydra produces buds; starfish can regenerate an entire body from a fragment of the original body. Asexual reproduction allows an organism to rapidly produce many offspring without the time and resources committed to courtship, finding a mate, and mating. The lack of genetic variability in asexually reproducing populations can be detrimental when environmental conditions change quickly. Sexual Reproduction In sexual reproduction new individuals are produced by the fusion of haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote. Sperm are male gametes, ova are female gametes. Meiosis produces cells that are genetically distinct from each other; fertilization is the fusion of two such distinctive cells that produces a unique new combination of alleles, thus increasing variation on which natural selection can operate. Rotifers will reproduce asexually when conditions are favorable by having females produce eggs by mitosis. When conditions deteriorate, rotifers will reproduce sexually and encase their zygotes inside a resistant shell. Once conditions improve, these eggs hatch into diploid individuals. Rotifers thus use sexual reproduction as way to survive a deteriorating environment. Sexual reproduction offers the benefit of generating genetic variation among offspring, which enhances the chances of the population's survival. Costs of this process include the need for two individuals to mate, courtship rituals, as well as a number of basic mechanisms described later. Human Reproduction and Development Human reproduction employs internal fertilization, and depends on the integrated action of hormones, the nervous system, and the reproductive system. Gonads are sex organs that produce gametes. Male gonads are the testes, which produce sperm and male sex hormones. Female gonads are the ovaries, which produce eggs and female sex hormones. The Male Reproductive System Testes are suspended outside the abdominal cavity by the scrotum, a pouch of skin that keeps the testes close or far from the body at an optimal temperature for sperm development. Seminiferous tubules are inside each testis, and are where sperm are produced by meiosis. About 250 meters (850 feet) of tubules are packed into each testis. Spermatocytes inside the tubules divide by meiosis to produce spermatids that in turn develop into mature sperm.

Intermountain Healthcare Essay

Continuous improvement in quality and productivity processes is essential for any business that wants to be profitable but more so for Health care organizations due to the constant changing nature of their practice. The philosophy of continuous improvement is captured in the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle proposed by W. Edwards Deming (Fitzsimmons et. Al. , 2013). The three principles that form the foundation for Deming’s teaching are Customer satisfaction, Management by Facts, and Respect for people. Health care delivery must focus on satisfying patients’ needs and this principle must be incorporated into the mind of every employee of a healthcare organization. Scientific thinking (collecting and statistically analyzing data) must also be merged with administrative analysis before decisions are made by the quality improvement teams. For quality improvement to be established in an organization, there must be mutual respect amongst employees where everybody’s ideas on improving processes are solicited. By implementing these principles, the idea of â€Å"higher quality could lead to lower cost,† can be manifested. How well is Intermountain Health Care performing? From the case study, intermountain Health care is performing very well. As of 2001, the intermountain healthcare (IHC) Health plan was the largest in Utah which covered about 460,000 individuals and a market share of 40%. The closest competitor being Blue Cross and Blue Shield, covered 425,000 individuals. IHC started with fifteen hospitals in 1975 and after 27 years grew it to 22 hospitals, 25 health centers and over 70 outpatient’s clinics all across Utah and Southeastern Idaho. IHC is a vertically integrated Health care organization that has won many top awards in the industry. In 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, Intermountain Healthcare was ranked No. 1 (among nearly 600 evaluated) integrated healthcare systems in the U. S. by Modern Healthcare magazine and the Verispan research firm. The rankings measured efficiency, communication cost and quality of care. As of 2013, Intermountain Healthcare is internationally recognized, has a nonprofit system of 22 hospitals, a Medical Group with more than 185 physician clinics, and an affiliated health insurance company, SelectHealth. It currently has 33,000 employees serving patients and plan members in Utah and Southeastern Idaho. Below is a list of other awards that IHC has received as a system: Hospitals & Health Networks recognized Intermountain Healthcare as one of â€Å"Health Care’s Most Wired 2013† in the nation. This was the fourteenth year Intermountain has been listed. Forbes magazine named Intermountain Healthcare to its list of â€Å"21 Most Admired Companies Making IT a Competitive Advantage† in 2013. American College of Medical Quality gave the â€Å"Institutional Quality Leadership Award† to Intermountain Healthcare, the sole recipient of this award in 2013, for Intermountain longstanding commitment to clinical quality programs and innovations in healthcare delivery. The Gallup Organization again presented Intermountain Healthcare with its Great Workplace Award for 2013 Intermountain Healthcare ranked No. 3 overall in the U. S. and No. 1 in the western U. S. on the 2012 list of the nation’s Top 100 Integrated Health Systems compiled by IMS Health and Modern Healthcare magazine. National Research Corporation presented a 2012/2013 Consumer Choice Award to Intermountain Healthcare for its hospitals, clinics, and business units’ having been selected by locally served consumers as having the best quality and image. What is Intermountain’s approach to the management of health care delivery? Intermountain uses Clinical integration as its approach to healthcare delivery. This involves both an organizational restructuring as well as the use of different set of tools (mainly technological tools). With this approach of healthcare delivery, both the administrative and medical staff (physicians, nurses and pharmacist) collaborate to implement the perfect system of gathering, storing, and making accessible medical data on each patient. Analyzing this data gathered enables the medical team to create protocols or use decision support tools that focus on improving medical intervention for each patient as well as removing inefficiencies from their service process. Its core aim was to establish quality and extend full management accountability to IHC’s Clinical Function. IHC health services was divided into four areas: Clinical conditions, clinical support services, service quality and administrative support processes. IHC also uses Deming’s PDCA Cycle and Lean Service to ensure continuous quality improvement. Why does Intermountain do it this way? Intermountain tries to continually improve its Quality improvement process by adopting the PDCA cycle. They plan by selecting â€Å"clinical problems† for Hospital based procedures. These processes are documented and data collected. By the top managers brainstorming, they are able to reach the root causes of the problems. The â€Å"Do† in the PDCA cycle is used to implement solutions or processes to solve the Clinical problems on a Trail basis. (The implementation process is monitored and documented). The Check in the PDCA cycle is used to review and evaluate the outcomes of implementing the solution. The Act in the PDCA cycle helps the company to reflect and act on the learning experience. The changes in the processes that were successful are standardized and communicated to the employees. IHC also uses a Biannual advanced Training program in Health care Delivery Improvement (ATP) to come out with best practice protocols. Here, they use the lean dimension ‘empowering those who do the work in continuous improvement’ or ‘human development’ which is a very important part of the lean process. Since the ideas are generated by the employees themselves, there is a lot of motivation to implement it. Why don’t all heath care delivery organizations do this? The implementation of information technology systems like Health evaluation through Logical processing system (HELP) and Electronic medical (EMR) are very expensive. The cost of training the staff and maintenance of these systems can be very expensive. Some health care delivery organizations also see the clinical integration system as a loss of traditional physician autonomy, prestige, power and income. Some health care organizations also enjoy having inefficiencies in their systems so that they can exploit unsuspecting patients. We go to the hospital now and are requested to do all kinds of unnecessary lab tests, just to increase our medical bills. Conclusion Intermountain has adopted the strategy of improving continuously by adopting the PDCA cycle and it seems to be working for them since they are the largest Healthcare providers in Utah and Southeastern Idaho. Its clinical integration approach to delivering care has resulted in the company winning numerous awards. The incorporation of information technology plays a crucial role in the quality improvement of their services. The incorporation of Deming’s idea that â€Å"Higher quality could lead to lower cost,† has given the IHC Health plan a competitive edge over other insurers in Utah. References Fitzsimmons, J. A. , Fitzsimmons, M. J. , & Bordoloi, S. K. (2014). Service Management Operations, Strategy, Information Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Intermountain_Healthcare http://intermountainhealthcare. org/about/overview/awards/Pages/home. aspx http://www. beckershospitalreview. com/strategic-planning/back-to-basics-understanding-the-5-performance-dimensions-of-lean-in-healthcare. html Bohmer, R. M. J. , Edmondson, A. C. , & Feldman, L. R. (2013). Intermountain Health Care. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publication Roger, R. (2008). Commentary: Intermountain Healthcare. High Performing Healthcare Systems: Delivering Quality by Design. 179-184. Retrieved from http://www. longwoods. com/content/20147