Market realities and the maximalization of consumer good Essay

Market realities and the maximalization of consumer good - Essay Example For purposes of definition,a monopolistic competition will be defined as a type of competition that is defined by the fact that only one business or individual can provide the needs of the larger economyConversely, oligopolistic competition will be one in which only a few very large companies offer the given good or service to the market. Likewise, due to the fact that so few players exist within the oligarchic model of competition, it is easy and often common for them to cooperate in order to stifle any entrants to the market. As a function of seeking o understand each of these models to a greater degree, the forthcoming analysis will seek to provide the levels of differences that exist between the two as well as showing some figures that illustrate the ways in which the market behaves under these different models of competition. Lastly, a value judgment will be made with respect to which of these is the best model of competition to maximize consumer good within the economy. Althoug h it is useful to seek to provide a contrast between the two so that the reader and/or researcher can best judge how these two forms of competition act within the given economic system, there are a level of similarities between the two that cannot be ignored. In both of these models, the consumer is at a price disadvantage due to the fact that the price maker(s) is holding almost all of the power and has the ability to set the price according to non-market regulated means. (Lu, 2011). Likewise, also from the consumer’s perspective, the level of selection of goods or services between both models is similarly constrained. Due to the fact that one or a handful of firms are holding the means of production and/or distribution firmly within their grasp, the availability of substitutes is greatly diminished (Marini & Zevi, 2011). Conversely, the differences that exist between the two market realities also help to differentiate the two models. The first of these revolves around the f act that a monopoly allows for much lower level of consumer choice than does the oligarchic system. Although both systems necessarily constrain the choice to the consumer, it is impossible to consider a situation in a monopolistic model in which a price war would take place (ZHELOBODKO et al, 2012). Conversely, although rare, price wars can and do take place within the oligarchic model due to the fact that a particular firm or group of firms may seek to leverage an advantage and further reduce the competition by driving one of the participants out. Figure 1 and 2 below seek to point out the key means by which monopolistic and oligarchic competition affects the supply and demand curves of the traditional representation of the economy. Due to the ways in which these are warped from the standard representations, the reader can gain a degree of inference with respect to how these effects will be passed along to the end consumer within the markets. Figure 1.0 Oligarchic Competition Figur e 2.0 Monopolistic Competition Consequently, the reader and/or researcher can understand that with regards to the maximizing the good of the consumer, the oligarchic model is most appropriate due to the fact that although it provides the consumer with only a few options between firms or between products, it necessarily exhibits a greater level of offerings than does that of monopolistic competition. Moreover, due to the fact that the firms within an oligarchic system compete, at least to a small degree, some utility is able to maximized on behalf of the consumer (Essen & Hankins, 2013). This is a function of the fact that the monopolistic system is the price maker and the consumer is the price taker. Although one can argue that in the oligarchic system the same is true, the fact of the matter is that it is reduced due to the reality of the small level of continuing and ongoing competition that is present. Though few realistic examples exist within the world with regards

Interrupt and a Trap in an Operating System Essay Example for Free

Interrupt and a Trap in an Operating System Essay What are the differences between an interrupt and a trap? What are their importance? According to Stallings (2012) an interrupt is â€Å"a suspension of a process, such as the execution of a computer program, caused by an event external to that process and performed in such a way that the process can be resumed† (p. 716). Stallings (2012) goes on to say that â€Å"interrupts are provided primarily as a way to improve processor utilization. For example, most I/O devices are much slower than the processor† (p. 14). â€Å"A trap is an unprogrammed conditional jump to a specified address that is automatically activated by hardware; the location from which the jump was made is recorded† (Stallings, 2012, p. 721). A trap is actually a software generated interrupt caused either by an error (for example division by zero, invalid memory access etc.), or by a specific request by an operating system service generated by a user program. Trap is sometimes called Exception. The hardware or software can generate these interrupts. When the interrupt or trap occurs, the hardware transfers control to the operating system which first preserves the current state of the system by saving the current CPU registers content and program counters value. Then the focus shifts to the determination of which type of interrupt has occurred. For each type of interrupt, separate segments of code in the operating system determine what action should be taken and thus the system keeps on functioning by executing computational instruction, I/O instruction, storage instruction etc. Provide an example of each. Example of an Interrupt retrieved from http://www.scriptoriumdesigns.com/embedded/show_codefile.php?fname=interrupts/AVR_ISR_1.c // AVR_ISR_1 #include avr/io.h #include avr/interrupt.h typedef uint8_t u8; // convenient unsigned variable designations typedef uint16_t u16; #define INPORT PIND #define OUTPORT PORTC #define OUTDDR DDRC volatile u8 Int_flag = 0; ISR( INT0_vect ) { OUTPORT ^= 0x01; // toggle LED } void int0_init( void ) { MCUCR = (1ISC01); // enable negative edge on INT0 GICR = (1INT0); // enable INT0 } int main( void ) { OUTDDR = 0x01; // set bit 0 to output OUTPORT = 0x01; // set LED off (active low) int0_init(); // configure INT0 sei(); // enable global interrupts while (1) // loop forever, all work happens in ISR ; return(0); Example of a trap retrieved from http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/aix/library/au-usingtraps/index.html #!/bin/bash # proj_dir=/opt/pcake/bin # check file is present if [ ! -f $proj_dir/run_pj ] then echo $proj_dir/run_pj not presentexiting exit 1 fi # make a backup copy cp -p $proj_dir/run_pj $proj_dir/run_pj.24042011 if [ $? != 0 ] then echo $proj_dir/run_pj no backup madeexiting exit 1 fi # copy over updated file if [ ! -f /opt/dump/rollout/run_pj ] then echo /opt/dump/rollout/run_pj not presentexiting exit 1 fi cp -p /opt/dump/rollout/run_pj $proj_dir/run_pj if [ $? != 0 ] then echo $proj_dir/run_pj was not copied..exiting exit 1 fi References: Stallings, W. (2012). Operating systems: Internals and design principles (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

Traffic and Urban Congestion: 1955-1970 :: American America History

Traffic and Urban Congestion: 1955-1970 In 1960, Great Britain still had no urban freeways. But with the ownership of private cars becoming ever more common, the problem of congestion in British cities was unavoidable. Investigating the possibilities of freeways as alleviators of big-city traffic jams, the government-sponsored Buchanan Report was pessimistic: ... the study shows the very formidable potential build-up of traffic as vehicular ownership and usage increase to the maximum. The accommodation of the full potential is almost certainly beyond any practical possibility of being realized. There is thus no escaping the need to consider to what extent and by what means the full potential is to be curtailed.1. In the decades preceding this study, Americans faced much the same problem with transportation in their cities. But the American plan for dealing with urban congestion in the automobile age was very different. In 1954, President Eisenhower suggested that "metropolitan area congestion" be "solved" by "a grand plan for a properly articulated highway system." In 1956, the House Committee on Public Works urged "drastic steps," warning that otherwise "traffic jams will soon stagnate our growing economy."2. Confronting the same problem--urban traffic congestion--the British and the American governments responded with radically different solutions. In Britain, congestion in cities was understood to mean an excess of automobiles entering cities. The problem, to British planners, was to reduce relative reliance on the private car in order to allow better movement of traffic. But in the U.S., planners interpreted congestion as a sign that roads were inadequate and in need of improvement. In the face of traffic jams, the British tended to say, "too many cars!" while the Americans would say, "insufficient roads!" U.S. urban transportation policy was shaped by this tendency, from its origins in the 1940s until the mid 1960s. This essay makes a twin argument. First, the way in which U.S. urban transportation policy was formulated in the 1940s and 1950s precluded the British solution. Regardless of the relative merits of the British and American approaches, discouraging the use of the automobile was not an option American policy makers could consider. The American political culture could consider large scale domestic projects only with the cooperation of the private sector, and in the U.S. this meant largely automotive interest groups. The second point is that American urban transportation policy retreated from this position in the 1960s. By the 1970s U.S.

Article Review LAW 421 Essay

The article was a proposal that tried to justify the reason that congress should repeal the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX Act) of 2002. The act is seen as a problem because individual felt that the act was only put in place so government official could feel better about addressing some issues of popular concern rather than resolving the issue. According to Niskanen the SOX act of 2002 is unnecessary, harmful, and inadequate (2006). Punishments under this act included jail time and loss of personal property. The act was viewed as unnecessary because the stock exchange has already addressed and implemented procedures to deal with most of the issues presented in the SOX act of 2002. Those implementations include accounting standards, prosecution for fraud, audits, and financial reporting procedures. Officials felt that both acts addressed the same issues therefore, congress should deem the SOX act of 2002 unnecessary. The SOX act of 2002 was viewed as harmful because it would â€Å"reduce the incentive of corporate executives and directors to seek legal advice† (Niskanen, 2006). It was also seen as harmful because it cause a ban on loans to corporate officer which would pose a problem for compensation. The act was viewed as inadequate because it â€Å"failed to identify and correct the major problems of accounting, auditing, taxation, and corporate  governance that have invited corporate malfeasance and increased the probability of bankruptcy† (Niskanen, 2006). Recommendation to make the act better included congress needed to state more clearly that criminal penalties under the SOX act of 2002 needed proof of personal involvement and criminal intent. Another recommendation was to reduce the cost it took to implement the act. LEGAL ISSUE The legal business issues raised in the article monopoly and unconstitutional. Monopoly because SOX act would have sole control over punishments. Unconstitutional because private businesses were not targeted therefore, public businesses felt that all businesses did not have the same right. MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE The legal issues of the SOX act of 2002 affect the way business operate. Businesses have to have certain measures of internal control with the act. The would also have to report financial accounts accurately and follow certain accounting procedure in their day to day business activities. The issued implemented in the SOX act of 2002 could have been avoided if business owners and executives would have exercised fairness and accuracy in the first place. Government would not have had to step in and make these implantations. Reference Niskanen, W. A. (2006). Congress Should Repeal the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6624

Tom Shiftlet Was Happy with the Craters

O’Conner portrays Mr. Shiftlet very vaguely at the beginning of the story, but she tells readers a few facts about him that are vital to understanding who Tom really is. Mr. Shiftlet comes with an open heart to the Crater’s residence. He admires their home and is willing to work if they let him stay. This reveals that Tom is a hard working man. Although he seems to have an overly keen interest in their automobile, which seems suspicious, he makes an effort to make life easier for Lucynell Sr. and Jr. He even takes the time to Teach Lucynell Jr. a word. Up until this point he seems genuinely happy making them happy. Once Mrs. Crater starts trying to force tom to marry her daughter, he starts becoming uncomfortable with the situation. He even tries to go on as if nothing had happened and keep living as they were, but that does not work and Mrs. Crater keeps forcing it upon him. The most important fact that is revealed about Tom is that he is extremely unhappy with his life. Readers know that he ran away from his mother when he was younger and that he now regrets it very much. He also ends up running away from Mrs.  Crater when she started to try to control him. This suggests that Tom is not very fond of people controlling him. And although he continually runs away he is very unhappy with the decisions that he has made over the course of the years but instead of standing his ground and fixing his problems and himself, he runs away. Mr. Shiftlet introduces himself as a carpenter to Mrs. Carter and has a tin box to prove it. He seems, however, very hesitant to tell her anything else about himself since whenever she asked him a question, â€Å"he didn't answer† (977). He promptly proves his worth the next morning when â€Å"he began on the roof of the garden house† (978). â€Å"He had not been around a week before the change he had made was apparent. He had patched the front and back steps, built a new hog pen, and restored a fence† (978-9). The question most readers would ask is why would he go through all the trouble to fix all of these things? The literal answer may seem simple and functional: he wants to create a trusting atmosphere so he could lure Lucynell into somehow giving him the car. That is, after all what he seems to want. His eye are always â€Å"focused on part of the automobile† (978) and he was able to get it in the end, but it is clearly not what he really wants or needs since he still â€Å"became depressed in spite of the car† (982). What Tom really wanted was to feel loved and needed without being controlled. He wanted to be part of a family again, but under his terms. So he tried with all his might, and even went to the extent of teaching the deaf girl to speak, to make the situation work the way he wanted it to. What he quickly realized was that Lucynell Sr. had a plan for him. As the story progresses readers find that Mr. Shiftlet is quite unhappy with his past. He seems upset when Mrs. Crater calls him a â€Å"poor disabled friendless drifting man† (980). Although she is stating exactly who he is and what he presents himself to be, he does not approve and â€Å"the ugly words settled in his head a like a group of buzzards† (980). Later on in the conversation when Mrs. Crater accuses Tom of milking her, he is â€Å"deeply hurt by the word milk† (981). These two examples demonstrate how hard it is for Tom to deal with reality. Lucynell does nothing but state simple facts, yet he is still disturbed by them. This may mean that he wants to change, or it may mean that he wants to start over altogether. After he takes the car and leaves Lucynell Jr. at the Hot Spot â€Å"he was more depressed then ever as he drove on by himself† (982). This is very intriguing because he no longer has to care for Lucynell, he has money and a car, yet he is still unhappy, and maybe even more than before. Again this shows that all Tom wants is to be part of a family, like he once was. He wants another chance since he ruined the one he had with his mother long ago by running away. Taking into consideration Tom’s feelings and actions, readers can now see the real problem. Tom is a very insecure person, and he is not content with the person that he has become. He claims to have never â€Å"rued a day of his life like the one he rued when he left† (983) his mother. The events that take place after this obviously force him to think negatively of himself. He is not able to handle problems so he takes to running away from them. And like an addict, he keeps on running faster and faster, knowing full well that it is not the right thing to do. It seems as if he is unable to wrap his mind around the ides of someone telling him what to do. When he married Lucynell, he was â€Å"morose and bitter as if he had been insulted† (981). Although Tom is portrayed as a very strong character that takes charge of situations and achieves what he wants, it becomes quite clear as the story goes on that he is the complete opposite. Lucynell Sr. quickly takes control of his life and becomes a little greedy with her demands. It is not enough for her that Tom has made her and her daughter’s lives eons better, and that he has every intention of continuing to do so. She forces him to marry her daughter, and this proves to be too much for Tom. The only thing he knows how to do is to run away from anyone who tries to make decisions for him. He is very discontent with himself and is almost disgusted with what he is; a disabled, drifting, and friendless man. To get rid of some of the disgust, he runs away and tries to start over. This substitutes his inability to repair his own problems and the constant need to flee. In the end, it is safe to say that Tom T. Shiftlet has the desire to be good, and conquer his own problems, but has not found the courage or the ability to do so. He has the desire to be part of a family and be a proper man, but is unable to accept the fact that he cannot control everything all the time. For now he is still a carpenter, and that is as far as his ability to repair things will go.

Deviance Essay Example

Deviance Essay Example Deviance Essay Deviance Essay Charles Wingate Principles of Sociology Professor Ciliberto Paper #4 Deviance Deviance is the recognized violence of cultural norms. The concept of deviance is very broad because norms are what guide human activity. Deviant acts are known as crime, which is the violation of a societys formally enacted criminal law. Criminal deviance varies from a wide range including minor traffic violations, and major violations such as robbery and murder. Society tries to regulate peoples thoughts and behavior through social control. Social control can be informal such as parents raising their children when they do well, or punishing them when they do something wrong. Cases of serious deviance involve the criminal Justice system. How society defines deviance, who is branded as deviant, and what people decide to do about deviance all do with the way society is organized. Psychologists think that personality is shaped primarily by social experience; which allows for deviance to be viewed as the result of unsuccessful learning within socialization. From the symbolic-interaction perspective theorist would say deviant behavior is learned or is part of socially constructed reality that emerges in nteraction . Our social experiences along with the society by which we live in determine our odds of acquiring deviance. The Labeling Theory is the idea that deviance and conformity result from how others react to what people do, not necessarily the act of what they do. As far as deviance is concerned, people may define the behavior in a number of ways. Deviance can be classified as both primary and secondary. Primary deviance according to Edwin Lemert is norm violations that provoke slight reaction from other and have little effect on a persons self-concept. In ontrast Lemert refers to secondary deviance as the change in self concept, or when a person begins to employ deviant behavior as a means of defense, attack, or adjustment to the problems created by social reaction. A stigma is a powerfully negative label that greatly changes a persons self-concept and social identity. Once people stigmatize an individual, they may engage in retrospective labeling, which is the act of interpreting someones past in light of some present deviance. An example of this is if someone were to find out that their neighbor was a child molester, theyd utomatically think he always wanted to be around children anyw?aY, based on his past. Another prime example of this is the situation that occurred with Penn state. Now that the whistle has been officially blown on Sandusky, everyone is saying that the reason why he hosted these underprivileged young men for the football camps was so that he could take sexual advantage of them. People may also engage in projective building of stigmatized person, which uses a persons deviant behavior to predict their future actions. Once someone finds out that another person committed a deviant act, they will assume that the person is oing to continue with these deviant acts until they get caught and punished. The thus increasing the chance that they will indeed come to pass. Like Coolers Looking Glass Self, the social construction of reality is a variable process of detection, definition, and response. Sometimes individuals try to label behavior that they do not like, as deviant instead of as different. They even go as far as labeling them as mental illnesses. Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz stated that in order to avoid this practice is to abandon the idea of mental illness completely. Just because someone is different to he point where they irritate us, does not mean that we should define them as being mentally ill. It is imperative to think critically about how we define the word different. Szasz believed that those who are truly mentally ill cannot help their condition in the same way that a patient with cancer cannot help theirs. He also felt that ordinary people without the proper medical knowledge should not give off the diagnosis. People often try to medicalize deviance by using clinical diagnosis. If someone does something that is bad, the label is scientifically swapped to sick hile good changes to well. Alcoholics were originally viewed as weak people but now, alcoholism is considered a disease which means are alcoholics are not bad, they simply are not well. This leads to deviance being a learned behavior because the deviant person themselves will soon begin to believe that they are not well, and will use this as an excuse for their actions. Sutherlands Differential Association Theory claims that a persons tendency towards conformity or deviance depends on the amount of contact with others and who encourage or reject conventional behavior. Studies have shown that young people are more likely to engage in deviant behavior if they believe that their peers are doing so as well. In a gang environment, current gang members resocialize new members to norms that oppose those of the dominant culture. From the gang, these new members learn that stealing, carrying a gun, and using drugs are acceptable behaviors, whereas they were not before. In the meantime, the norms they learned at home are no longer acceptable within the gang environment, and they must reject those norms and values to accept the new ones. Current gang members also teach new members how to commit pecific deviant acts, such as hotwiring a car or breaking into a home. Even, in highschool a lot of the rebel students try and get other student to cut class, dont do homework and pull fire alarms. The norms that the school administration has put on these students are no longer deemed cool to the rebel students and now they try and change other student to engage in deviant behavior. Travis Hirschis Control Theory states that social control depends on people anticipating the consequences of their behavior. Hirschi links deviance to four different types of social control. The first s attachment, String social attachments encourage conformity. People who feel a strong attachment to other people, such as family or close friends, are less likely to be deviant. If people have weak relationships, they feel less need to conform to the other persons or groups norms. They are more likely to commit a deviant act. The second is opportunity. Individuals who have a sincere commitment to legitimate goals are more likely to conform to societys norms. Those goals could be a legitimate job, higher education, financial stability, or a long-term relationship. When people ave little confidence in the future, they are more likely to engage in deviance. Also, extensive involvement in legitimate activities such as having a Job, and attending and respect for authority figures restrain tendencies toward deviance. We define deviance by what social institution teach us is right and wrong. Growing up in a low income section of Brooklyn NY; my views of deviance are slightly different than many others. Many people view selling drugs as a deviant behavior but as the Notorious BIG (famous rapper) said when I was hustling Just to make some money to feed my aughter would you call a person deviant if they are trying to provide for their family? In reference to murder, social institutions such as school and media taught me that killing is wrong, but significant others taught me its killed or be killed if someone is gunning for you, you have to gun back for them. Being in this class sociology has shown two sides of me. Although I know what the normal standard of deviance is, what I was taught in order to survive contradict social institutions. I would be a prime example to reflect the opinions of symbolic-interactionist in reference to deviance, being that is learned.

How to Market a Book Step by Step

How to Market a Book Step by Step How to Market a Book Step by Step The big day has finally come. You’ve worked hard on your book for months, and maybe even years. Now it’s finally ready for the world to see. You hit publish and follow through with everything you know about how to market a book step by step. With any luck, hard work and a lot of support gets your book to bestseller status.Then a few weeks goes by. Rankings drop considerably. Despite your best efforts, your book plummets down the lists like a stone.How to Market a Book to Sell CopiesWe’ve all been there- that point as a writer when we realize we have to do the other stuff- stuff that keeps us away from writing and creating. In fact, writing and crafting a book is only about half of the process. If you don’t spend 40-50% of your ongoing efforts on marketing, you reach a limited number of people. Your message will get lost in the massive swirl of information available out there.You want to sell more books right? Marketing a book isn’t always a â€Å"n atural† step for most authors. We are writers and creatives, not marketers and salespeople. But if you can combine writing and marketing, you’ll not only be able to write, but also to sell books. And marketing yourself is where it’s at.8 Ways to Market Your Book Like a ProFortunately, you don’t have to be a marketing guru or have a degree in digital marketing and social media mastery to get the word out about your brand. By following some basic steps, you’ll be marketing your books in no time.1. Identify Your AudienceThis is critical when it comes to marketing your book. If you don’t know who your audience is, you’ll end up marketing to anyone. In other words, you’ll be shouting out about your book in a noisy room and nobody will hear you.  Write for a specific audience. To market your book effectively you have to know:Who they are: Who is your ideal customer? What kind of information are they looking for? How do these people spend their time? Create a basic profile of what your reader looks like.Where they are: Your audience is hanging out somewhere. Whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or LinkedIn, they are communicating about the topic and niche your book is about. Find those people and you will be able to market your book.What problems are they facing: It is really important to nail this one. Come up with 20-30 problems your target market is trying to solve. By providing a solution to these problems, you’ll zero in on the readers who are waiting for your bestseller to change their lives. Remember: somebody out there wants what you are offering; they just don’t know it yet!Action Step: Create a readers avatar. This is a profile of what your average reader is like. Include things like gender, occupation, and problems and they are facing. Figure out what solutions you could deliver to help them. Then market specifically to those people.2. Build Your Author WebsiteCan you im agine if you came home one day and your house wasmissing? Well, that is what an author’s life can be like without a website to post fresh content. You’ll always be missing a home where you can park your books. Many authors think they don’t need a website because they can promote their books through social media or the author platform on Amazon.Sorry, not exactly.There is a huge difference. Having an author website is the difference between renting or buying a piece of property. When you rent, you are living in someone else’s space. It doesn’t belong to you and they can cancel your lease at any time.Maintaining your own website on a hosted server with your domain name is the same as having that piece of real estate. You can customize your site your way, publish your own content, and you are always in complete control of how it looks and what gets published. When it comes to marketing your book, the skys the limit. You can:Publish your book’s landing page on your site.Post blogs about your upcoming bookCreate a countdown timer for the book’s release date.Set up an affiliate link to your Amazon page so you get commissions on book salesInclude sample chapters from your bookLink to video clips about the book on your websiteCommunicate directly with your email subscribers about new releases or your current blog postTo set up your website and personal blog on a paid server, you can try  Bluehost  or  Godaddy.  For a domain name, check out name.com3. Build Your Email ListThere is a saying going around that says: â€Å"the money is in the list.† Why? It’s simple. A list of followers who are in love with your writing will be the first to line up when you have a new product to sell. These people are essentially your customers.Your email list is yours. It doesn’t belong to Amazon or social media. You control what you want to say, how you say it, and when. Imagine if every time you had a new book ready to launch, hundreds or thousands of people were waiting for it so they could get it first.If you are serious about promoting and marketing your current and all future books, building your list should be top priority. Nothing else comes close. Although building a list takes time, in the long run it is the easiest way to market. These are the true fans that will get the word out and be the first to leave verified reviews after buying your new release at the special price of 0.99. But that is just the beginning.You can continue to build your list by including a reader magnet at the front and back of your book. Get people hooked on your brand and then keep them there by writing your next book, and then, including them in your next launch. As your book reaches more people, and you get more signups, your marketing capacity growsexponentially.Action Step: If you haven’t started on your list building, go to an email management system such as Mailchimp or AWeber and sign up for an account. Then get building and start to funnel your fans into your books today.4. Reach Out to InfluencersWhen it comes to book promoting, nothing can have a bigger impact on your book than influencers. What is an influencer? Influencers can be podcasters, bloggers, or authors with strong email lists. It’s someone with an established platform that can get you noticed if they notice you.An influencer is someone who has a lot of promotional weight and can spread the word about your book to thousands of people with just a brief mention to their email list, on their blog, or by sharing on social media, for example. Influencers have a long reach. What you can do is identify the influencers in your niche and reach out to them. Tell them who you are and ask if they can help to promote your latest book.Influencers can have a major impact on your exposure as an author, so try to set up interviews in your hometown or reach out to someone online and offer to do an interview so you c an deliver value to their target audience.Guest post blogging on an influencer’s is another way to market your book. For example, if you wrote a book on recipes for Italian food, you could try connecting with people in the Italian cooking niche. They may have a blog, podcast, or a webinar on which you want to appear.Action Step: Identify at least one influencer in your market and reach out to that person. Tell them who you are and what you do. Get on their podcast or get interviewed. Exposure to fans in your niche will have a big influence on book sales.5. Leverage Two Social Media PlatformsSocial media is a powerful way to promote your book. We can engage with thousands of people just by hitting a few buttons. But with social media sites, the big scare is the amount of time we can get sucked into trying to do everything. If you try to connect with everyone, you’ll match up with nobody.When promoting and marketing your book, you can’t be everywhere doing all thi ngs at once. That is why we recommend you choose two social media sites to work with, and post your content regularly to these two sites.For example, you can have a YouTube channel and post weekly videos. After a few months you could build up a library of content, engage with new subscribers and even create a course out of your videos.With Facebook, you can promote your book or blog using Facebook ads. You could also post popular quotes or snippets of material from your upcoming book.With Twitter you can post multiple times a day with brief quotes or messages under 140 characters. Twitter has proven to be a powerful platform for authors when it comes time to promote and market a book.We recommend choosing two social media platforms and focusing on consistent engagement. This will keep your book’s appearance fresh and invite new people in to check out your work.Action Step: Choose two social media platforms and commit to publishing content regularly. If you only want to focus on one, master it and then move to another that is perfectly fine! It is better to do one thing and get it right then do two things poorly.6. Plan Your Marketing AheadThe best time to start marketing your book was six months ago. If you haven’t done that, the next best time for marketing your book is right now.Many authors make the mistake of getting their book out there, doing a promo with their launch team and then start to work on a plan for marketing. The best thing you can do is have your marketing tools defined and ready to roll into action when they are needed.Your marketing plan can include such things as:Having a series of blog posts scheduled to publish at regular intervalsInterviews set up with influencers to talk about your book, either on the day of launch or just afterA course based on the book set to launch at the same time as the book or soon afterGiveaways through Goodreads that attract buyers to download your book by the thousandsDaily blurbs posted on Faceb ook or Twitter. Remember: Engage where your fans are hanging out.Schedule a Bookbub promo (see next step)Marketing takes planning, and you have to be strategic about it. This means building buzz early and keeping that buzz going for months up to and even after the launch. Continued marketing requires deeper tactics such as course building and consistently promoting through social media or Facebook ads, but the rewards are well worth the effort.7. Get on BookbubBookbub is the cream of the crop when it comes to promoting and marketing your book. In fact, you should submit your book for promotion as either free or for 99 cents right after your book launch.Bookbub has a massive following and can get your book delivered to thousands of readers. It really is the â€Å"Big One† when it comes to book promotion. The cost isn’t cheap and can run you anywhere from $200 to $2,000 for a promo, depending on the genre, category, and the price of your book.But is it worth it?Yes. Defi nitely.For example, if you are running a promo for 99 cents in general nonfiction, you could potentially sell, on average, 2,000 copies of your book. Not only will you make a profit, but this could bring in hundreds of subscribers and leads to your email list. From there you can upsell readers on your other books or even a course if you have one.But on a side note, most authors get rejected the first time from Bookbub. If you do, just keep trying. Go here for Bookbub submission requirements. You can also check out the pricing here and submit your book here.8. Write Another BookPublishing another book is great for brand building. In fact, it’s much harder to market just one book unless it is a ground-breaking phenomenal masterpiece. Your book may be great, but you can compound that greatness by writing more books, preferably in a series.With every new book you put out there you increase the chances of your work getting recognized by influencers and people online who are hangin g out in all the places you can target for promotion and sharing.Launching your book is only the beginning. The real work begins after the initial â€Å"bang† is over and you have to dig in deep to promote, engage, and provide solutions to readers’ problems. Remember: Marketing is about delivering a product [your book] to the right people [your audience] who need desperately what you have to offer [your solution].Create this product for your readers, ship it to them and communicate in a way they understand- and you’ll become a great marketing guru as well as an amazing author.

The Top 10 Secrets of All Nurses

The Top 10 Secrets of All Nurses Everybody job has secrets, but the club of nursing is one with a shared language and camaraderie more intense than most professions. Here are 10 things nurses never tell their patients. 1. They’re poopedTheir feet are aching. They’ve been on rotating shifts with high stress and very little sleep. They probably haven’t had a regular sleep routine since adolescence. And they never seem to go home! No matter how tired you are, a nurse is probably more fatigued.2. Handing out pills is not so simpleBy the time your morning meds get to your bedside, you may think it’s just a matter of downing the contents of that little plastic cup. But the nurse who prepared them also prepared meds for dozens of other patients. And for each one, had to double-check the name and purpose of each drug, plus any contraindications and special dosages, and then acquire each drug (sometimes from the pharmacy, sometimes requiring calls to your physician). So be patient and grateful nex t time you chug those pills.3. They don’t just blindly follow rulesSometimes a nurse, because of experience and expertise, might bend a directive ever-so-slightly if he or she is sure it isn’t in your best interest. Remember, nurses spend a whole lot more time with patients than doctors typically do. And they’ve seen everything before.4. They get sickThough they’ll never show it, they spend all of their time around your germs and are just as susceptible, if not more so, given their schedules! No nurse will put a patient in danger when contagious, but plenty of nurses do their jobs when they aren’t feeling 100%. They’ll care for you even when they neglect themselves!5. They have families who need them, tooYour nurse could have a sick kid at home or a sick family member in the hospital the next town over. They’ll give you 100% because it’s their job to care for you, even when they go home and care for someone else- and probably w ish they could be doing that full time instead.6. They see you as a personYou’re not just a case file to a nurse. Often you might remind them so much of someone in their lives- a parent, child, or friend. Even if you or your case don’t perfectly resemble their favorite uncle Joe, they’ll often be struck by some personal connection or will identify with some aspect of you or your treatment.7. They fight for youYou’ll never know it, because it isn’t very nurse-like to boast of such things, but nurses are constantly going to bat for their patients. If they disagree with a doctor or they want to make you more comfortable, they’ll do everything they can to set things right.8. They don’t want to lose youWhen things go scary and the crash cart rolls out, nurses are terrified. They may not show it- in fact, they operate like elite officers to move efficiently and perfectly through the life-saving steps they’ve been trained to take. But inside, they’re panicking, and utterly relieved when you pull through. Nurses never want to lose a patient. Never.9. They take their work homeEver heard a nurse promise to pray for you or your loved one? That’s not an empty threat. When they’re home and off the clock, chances are they think of you from time to time and wonder how you’re doing. If they’re worried enough, they’ll probably call a colleague to inquire.10. They very likely have had a rough dayIf your nurse seems distracted, it’s not that he or she doesn’t know what’s going on with you or that you’re getting sub-par care. Nurses deal with many, many patients at a time–and due to the nature of the job, many of those patients are very sick. Your nurse might have even lost a patient that day. Yes, nursing is their job, but they’re human, too, and helping sick people day in and day out can take its toll. Have empathy, and know your nurse is d oing the best she/he can.About all other things, it’s safe to say, nurses are an open book.

Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Macroeconomics - Essay Example expenditure, thus Another way to reach eqn. (3) is to start from the equilibrium at the market for loanable funds. National saving (S) can be considered to be the supply of loans in the economy and national (gross) investments (I) as demand for the loans. Now, The govt. expenditure multiplier is 1/ (1-c1), as calculated from eqn. (3), where, c1 = MPC. In this example MPC is 0.8. Hence, a  £1 rise in govt. expenditure will raise the GDP by  £1/ (1-0.8) =  £5. Again from the equation (3) we can calculate the tax-cut multiplier to be c1/ (1-c1). In this example, c1 = 0.8 and hence the value of the multiplier will be 0.8/ (1-0.8) = 4. Therefore a  £1 cut in the income tax would raise the GDP by the amount of  £4 and so a  £100 million of tax cut shall raise the GDP by 4 x  £100 million =  £400 million. If now G goes up by  £100 million GDP would rise by  £500 million. Again if this increased G is financed by raising T by  £100 million, i.e. if T goes up by  £100 million, GDP would fall by  £400 million. Hence the net effect of this balanced budget fiscal stimulus on GDP would be  £ (500 – 400) million =  £100 million, i.e. GDP would rise exactly by the amount spent on the public activities. In an economy in the short run, the prices as well as wages tend to be sticky. Hence, people often prefer to stay unemployed since they cannot get the right wage for their labour. This is the case that determines the natural rate of unemployment. Again, prices in the short run are sticky as well and thus are used to determine the real wages of workers that they consider to maintain a similar standard of living throughout. The wage setting equation is, W/P = w * (P/Pe) and the price setting equation is, p = P + a(Y – Y*) ADAS Model is a part of the classical model in economics that considers money to be neutral. According to the quantity theory of money, MV = PY where M = Money Supply, V = Velocity of money

Regulatory Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regulatory Issues - Essay Example A basic regulatory principle is that regulation should not be more restrictive than is necessary for public protection and regulation should not hamper the growth of the nursing profession. The focus of registered nurse regulation is public protection. This regulation assures the public that they are receiving safe and ethical care from competent, qualified registered nurses. It defines the practice and boundaries of the nursing profession, including the requirements and qualifications to practice. Boards fulfill their public protection mission by establishing, endorsing, and monitoring nursing education standards in programs leading to licensure and licensing qualified candidates who complete education programs and successfully pass a licensing examination that measures entry-level competency. Boards also monitor practice changes that impact scopes of practice and issue policy statements or support legislative passage of statutes or rules that support current practice needs and discipline or remove from practice those nurses who fail to meet standards. The public and agencies that educate, represent, or employ nurses are all considered customers of boards of nursing, and it is important that boards are responsive to their needs. Relationships that boards in turn rely on for reporting of violations to Nurse Practice Acts. Best practices related to discipline are vetted in guiding principles for nursing regulation: public protection, practitioner competence, ethical decision making, and due process based on our national standard that all who are accused have a right to a speedy hearing, shared accountability, strategic collaboration, evidence-based regulation, environment and marketplace responses in forming regulations, and ethical interactions within the global nursing arena. The public is best served when nurses are given the legislative mandate to regulate nursing in the

Physics lab reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physics lab reports - Essay Example This property allows the convenient computation of the density of the rock samples given that the volume of the displaced water (for instance, 10 grams of displaced water has a volume of 10 cm3) will equal the volume of the submerged object. Following the weighing of the rocks in air as well as in water, the buoyancy, volume and density of the rocks were computed. The buoyancy, which is the same as the weight of the displaced water, was taken as the difference in the weight of the rocks in air and while submerged in water. This is also equal to the volume of the rocks in cm3. The density was calculated by dividing the weight of the rocks in air by the volume of the rocks. The results of the experiment showed that rocks # 3 and 115 have densities 3.02 g/cm3 and 2.27 g/cm3, which are higher than that of water. This suggests that the rocks will be completely submerged in water. Indeed, the rocks were completed submerged in water, thus validating our results. 2. The volume will remain the same. This is because ice being less dense than water, floats in water. That is the volume of ice is greater that of water of equal mass. Thus the volume decreases when ice melts. 2. The curved canopy umbrella accelerates air flow over the top causing the pressure to drop as stated by Bernoulli. You have a low pressure area on top and a high pressure area on the bottom, naturally the umbrella flips

Create a marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Create a marketing plan - Essay Example This will not only help him to offer the customers better services but also increase the popularity of the cafe through word of mouth. Apart from this the focus would be on providing services according to preferences of the local customers. Another advantage of running a sole proprietorship business would be keeping all the profits and all the business affairs a secret so as to compete successfully with the competitors. The location of the cafe would be 46/48 The Hornet, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19. The size of the property is 2250 sq. ft, which includes the ground floor, first floor and the second floor of the building. The Hornet was selected as it is situated in a very prominent trading spot of the city. The place is crowded with traders and it is a very busy location of the city where the population of coffee drinkers is high. The rent of the property would be ? 27,500. Market Analysis Market analysis involves studying the dynamics and the attractiveness of the market within th e industry. It is a part of industrial analysis, which also helps to understand the internal and external environment of the company. It is also referred as an investigation often whole market that is required to take necessary decisions regarding promotional activities, purchases, recruitments, facility expansion and other significant tasks. 1 Market Segmentation Marketers cannot customize their products according to the taste and preference of every individual. So they identify people with similar needs, tastes and preferences and group them together to form market segments. This not only helps the marketers to identify the preference of different groups, but also help them to focus on a few groups and develop their products accordingly. 2 Restaurants and cafes form a part of the hotel and restaurant industry. People from all age groups visit restaurants and cafes. Moreover, cartoon or comic themed cafes would not only be preferred by kids but also youngsters, college goers, marri ed couples and old people. So One Piece cafe should welcome diversity in this case. They should not limit themselves to a specific segment based on the demography or geography or behavioural pattern. The working or business class women should be paid more attention to show that One Piece Cafe values its customers. The cafe is mainly based on the theme of One Piece, which is actually a well-know Japanese animation series. There is a huge fan following for this cartoon series in Japan and in other parts of the world. It is based on a pirate theme. So the interior designs also would be based on the same. This would attract the fans of One Piece round the world to visit One Piece Cafe. Even Tourist visiting the country would like to come to One Piece Cafe to experience the One Piece ambience and enjoy dinner or simply a cup of coffee. Targeting Target market involves a group of customers for whom the company designs, and develops a product or service. The marketing strategy and mix are designs prepared by the marketers to satisfy the target customers. Targeting can be of two types: differentiated and undifferentiated. Differentiated targeting signifies focusing on a particular type of customers and leaving out the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 371

Assignment Example A civil wrong referred to as a tort. In cases where the damage caused was not intentional, this is what is called unintentional tort. Negligence is the most common type of unintentional tort (Lesson 8). Unintentional tort does not require the victim to show proof of intent from the actor. Sovereign immunity is a judicial doctrine that protects government agencies from liability (Lesson 8). The Texas Tort Claims is there to protect school districts from liability resulting from any case that might arise, except those that result from the school or its staff being negligent (Walsh, Kemerer and Maniotis, 2010). Example: in countries ruled by monarchies, the concept of sovereign immunity applies because the king or the queen are said not to do any wrong. In the case on Barr v. Bernhard the court ruled that the school known as Kerrville ISD was not liable for the damage caused when a barn roof collapsed on a student (Lesson 8). This case is significant because it serves as an example, for students and parents who may decide to sue schools which are usually immune to such liabilities (Lesson 8). Wood v. Strickland serves as an example for other. One, the school officials’ immunity was dependent on if the officials had acted sincerely without malicious intent to deprive students of their rights (Lesson 8). Secondly, if they knew their actions violated the constitutional rights. The case shows the key grounds for students to sue if their due process rights get violated. The coach is still liable because using the defense that there was assumption of risk does not relieve him from negligence (Lesson 8). Foreseeability is an important aspect in liability cases such as the negligence cases (Lesson 8). If a teacher fails to foresee that a student may be harmed and the teacher does act in a prudent manner, they are liable for

International marketing - Wedgwood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International marketing - Wedgwood - Essay Example The Russian economy grew at 6% and 8.1% in 2008 and 2007 respectively, and witnessed an average GDP growth rate of 7% over the last decade. By 2008, the country had a forex reserve of $600 billion. The country is also looking at entering the WTO or the World trade organisation. GDP stood at $1.757 trillion in the year 2008. (Russia, April 2009) Goldman Sachs has predicted that Russia along with Brazil, India and China would become larger in terms of size than the present US and European economic powers over the next forty years. According to the report the Russian economy would surpass the economies of Italy, France, UK and Germany by the years 2018, 2024, 2027 and 2028 respectively. It is also being claimed that by 2050 Russia will be the only country amongst the BRIC nations which would have per capita income equivalent or to big European economies. By 2050 Russia would also have the highest per capita income among the BRIC countries. (Dreaming With BRICs: The Path to 2050, 2003) ( Hult T., 2009). The country has also got a growing middle class which constituted 45% of the total population in 2003 (Senaeur B., and Goetz L., March 2003). Recent reports have also pointed out the positives and strengths of the retail sector in Russia. In a recent report Russia has been ranked 3rd in terms of the attractiveness of retail market and retail development opportunities within a group of 30 countries (A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index, 2008). Moreover about 39% of the population in the country is between the 15 to 39 age group. Carrefour and IKEA are just some of the global marquee name operating in Russia. Growing middle class with increasing disposable income and high rate of economic growth makes Russia an attractive retail destination for global majors and local companies as well. (A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index, 2008). Factors Affecting Entry Mode Decisions Internal factors: UK based Wedgwood is famous for its high end china tableware and other home d'cor stuff. It is looking at expanding into markets like Russia. Characteristics of desired mode:Low need of financial expenditure at the initial stage then increased chances of higher ROI at a later stage. Specific factors in context of Transaction: Russia is socio economically quite different from Western economies, owing to its communist past. So it won't be easy for Wedgwood to select the Licensee partner. External Factors: FDI policy in Russia has improved as the leaders across political dispensations have started welcoming FDI into the country (Minniti M. et. al, ). This is evident from the fact that total FDI over the period 2002 to 2006 increased 20 times over. It stood at $52 billion in the year 2007 (Souza L.V.D., April 2008). Recommended mode Academic literature provides various theories in context of choosing the mode of entry into a foreign market. Sequential iterative model of Young et al. (1989) the four factors which affect the entry mode by Hollensen (2007: 298) when

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 371

Assignment Example A civil wrong referred to as a tort. In cases where the damage caused was not intentional, this is what is called unintentional tort. Negligence is the most common type of unintentional tort (Lesson 8). Unintentional tort does not require the victim to show proof of intent from the actor. Sovereign immunity is a judicial doctrine that protects government agencies from liability (Lesson 8). The Texas Tort Claims is there to protect school districts from liability resulting from any case that might arise, except those that result from the school or its staff being negligent (Walsh, Kemerer and Maniotis, 2010). Example: in countries ruled by monarchies, the concept of sovereign immunity applies because the king or the queen are said not to do any wrong. In the case on Barr v. Bernhard the court ruled that the school known as Kerrville ISD was not liable for the damage caused when a barn roof collapsed on a student (Lesson 8). This case is significant because it serves as an example, for students and parents who may decide to sue schools which are usually immune to such liabilities (Lesson 8). Wood v. Strickland serves as an example for other. One, the school officials’ immunity was dependent on if the officials had acted sincerely without malicious intent to deprive students of their rights (Lesson 8). Secondly, if they knew their actions violated the constitutional rights. The case shows the key grounds for students to sue if their due process rights get violated. The coach is still liable because using the defense that there was assumption of risk does not relieve him from negligence (Lesson 8). Foreseeability is an important aspect in liability cases such as the negligence cases (Lesson 8). If a teacher fails to foresee that a student may be harmed and the teacher does act in a prudent manner, they are liable for

Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Strategy - Essay Example It has 760 stores in UK and 30 countries around the world. (Annual Report) M&S profits peaked in 1998 when it crossed the  £ 1 billion mark that year. It was the highest achieved by a UK retail chain. From then until 2002 it was downhill. In 2004 a new CEO Rose took over the reins and M&S slowly but surely got back to making higher profits every year since, although they are still far from the billion pounds they made in 1998. (see Appendix 1) Several major factors affected profits, the barometer of public support and financial performance. Rivals had switched to source their products from abroad at cheaper prices while M&S continued with the costly UK suppliers. As a result margins came under pressure, sales became stagnant and profits plummeted. From a high of a billion pounds in 1998, the profits fell to a low of 145 million in 2001. M&S were forced to curtail their dependence on UK suppliers and resort to other means for sustenance. (see Appendix 1) The second factor was the company policy not to accept credit cards. This had become a universal phenomenon and denial was luring younger and more mobile customers away to other rival outlets that offered this facility. The third factor was that M&S had abandoned its high street image and had gone for low end products like rivals were doing and it suffered an image loss. It was earlier known for quality of its products and it was no longer a leader in that segment. This forced a serious rethinking in the boardroom and let to a total revamp in both control and strategy of the company. A new post of Chairman as well as a new one for a CEO, as against a combined post, were created and have since seen the company’s fortune turn around. M&S, chastened by the serious erosion in customer loyalty and profits decided to revert to its roots. In the first stage they went back to exploit their core competencies. M&S started off with introduction of a new range of classical clothing for women and it was reported

Care Of The Older Adult Questions Essay Example for Free

Care Of The Older Adult Questions Essay a. Define Baby Boomers-(those born from 1946–1964) reach retirement age (as of 2011). They will make up the world’s largest part of society. In addition, the boomers will be the largest cohort of retirees ever. Also, the boomers may become the most-engaged cohort of older adults. The boomers will be the healthiest cohort of older adults. The boomers will be the best-educated cohort of older adults. First, the boomers will be the longest-lived cohort of older adults. b. List some of the age related changes that can affect communications-vision loss, hearing loss. Physical processes include listening, speaking, gesturing, reading, writing, touching, and moving. The psychological aspects involve cognitive processes such as attention, memory, self-awareness, organization, and reasoning. Vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste, movement, speech, c. Define AAC and the patients that would benefit from it. System is â€Å"an integrated group of components, including symbols, aids, strategies and techniques used by individuals to enhance communication†. Patients who have the ability to effectively use a prescribed communication system. d. What is the most commonly used hearing aid? Behind the ear hearing-aide e. Which hearing aid covers the entire range of hearing loss? Behind the ear hearing-aide f. What are the two major types of assistive devices used to improve hearing? Assistive listening devices and hearing aids. g. What are the four major types of assistive listening devices? Personal frequency modulation systems, infrared systems, induction loop systems, and one-to-one communicators. BTE (behind the ear) BTEs are about 1 inch long and worn behind the outer ear. A small tube connects with the amplification device behind the ear and delivers amplified sound into the ear canal. The device has an adjustable volume control and is battery powered. It is the most common style of hearing aid. These devices are suitable for the entire range of hearing loss. OTE (over the ear) This is a new style that is very small and sits on top of the outer ear. ITE (in the ear)  ITEs are custom-fitted devices molded to the contour of the outer ear. The device has an adjustable volume control and a battery; however, both are much smaller than ones used in a BTE device. Some users have difficulty  seeing or manipulating the control and battery. These devices are used for mild to moderate hearing loss. ITC (in the canal) ITCs are tiny devices that fit into the ear canal and are barely visible. They are customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal. Although cosmetically appealing, their small size is a drawback for some individuals. CIC (completely in the canal) CICs are the smallest type of device in the in the ear class. The entire device fits within the canal. Although cosmetically flattering, the small size is a true disadvantage because of difficulty handling and positioning the device. This device is the most expensive model of hearing aid. Understand what can cause difficulties with communications-Physiological changes associated with aging or secondary to chronic illness and disease can pose a barrier to communication. Common physiological changes associated with aging that interfere with communication include high-frequency hearing loss, loss of dentition, reduced vital capacity, and reduced oral motor function. Chapter 6 provides more detailed information about these changes. Understand the environment that facilitates therapeutic communication-inviting (An invitation says to the other person that you are interested in them and sharing time with them.) Arranging the environment (The environment should be comfortable, provide privacy, and minimize distractions that could be barriers to communication, such as noise or poor lighting.) Maximize communication (The third principle is to use communication strategies that maximize the individual’s ability to understand the message. Communication is critical in health care, yet many consumers have difficulty understanding the language of health care due to language barriers, illiteracy, or limited literacy.) Maximize understanding (The next principle is to maximize understanding. The most important skill to help maximize understanding is to learn to listen. Learning to listen is essential to good communications. It is much easier to hear than it is to listen. Listening requires not only hearing the words spoken, but also understanding their meaning and the context in which they are spoken.) Following through (The final principle is to follow up and follow through.  Words backed by actions help develop trust. A relationship built on trust and concern for the welfare of others is critical to optimal health outcomes. These simple techniques can be applied to all of our communications.) What are the five As to tobacco cessation: The 5 As Ask about smoking status at each health care visit. Advise client to quit smoking. Assess client’s willingness to quit smoking at this time. Assist client to quit using counseling and pharmacotherapy. Arrange for follow-up within one week of scheduled quit date. What are the five Rs to tobacco cessation: The 5 Rs Relevance: Ask the client to think about why quitting may be personally relevant for him or her. Risks of smoking are identified by the client. Rewards of quitting are identified by the client. Roadblocks or barriers to quitting are identified by the client. Repetition of this process at every clinic visit. Most people who successfully quit smoking require multiple attempts. What is the criterion for the pneumococcal vaccine: Older adults, especially those with chronic illnesses or who live in nursing homes, are susceptible to pneumococcal pneumonia, which results in death in over one-third of clients over 65 years of age who acquire the disease. The emergence of drug-resistant strains of pneumococcal pneumonia underscores the importance of acquired immunization against the illness. Pneumococcal vaccine is given once for clients who are 65 years of age or older. In most cases of elder abuse who is the perpetrator: a family member In any situation where you suspect abuse, what is the first step: 1) report abuse and neglect to adult protective services or other state-mandated agencies; 2) ensure that there is a safety plan and assess safety; 3) assess the client’s cognitive, emotional, functional, and health status; and 4) assess the frequency, severity, and intent of abuse.

Security Metrics Maturity Model for Operational Security

Security Metrics Maturity Model for Operational Security CHAPTER ONE: Introduction In this chapter, the key concepts and definitions by well known security authorities on security metrics is introduced and discussed. Then the issues and motivation that brings about this research topic is explained. Thereafter, the end result which is the objectives is put forth. To achieve these objectives, the goals are briefly outlined. There is also a section that explains the scope of the research and limitations for this work. Finally, the research flow on the chapters is explained. 1.1 Introduction Information Technology (IT) is continuously evolving at faster rate and enterprises are always trying to keep pace with the changes. So does the threats. As the complexity of IT increase, the unprecedented threat environment and security challenges also have increased multi fold over the years. Security Managers and CSOs with the blessings of top management keep investing and on security solutions to protect from ever increasing adversaries. But getting the blessings is not always an easy task for them as management normally does not see the direct benefit. Convincing on security investment is also part of challenges for Security Managers and CSOs. As part of the convincing process, the Security Metrics (SM) plays a vital role in any organization. It helps the management to have a close to comprehensive view of their organizational security posture. SM provides some measurement on how secure the organization is. However, how accurate is the information provided by the SM? Can the management take the SM as a final view of their respective organizational security posture? Can SM ensure the investment made for security is worth? A good SM should be able to answer accurately or provide some qualified response for the questions that management have. SM receiving many attention lately as IT Security is no more an option. With multitude of attacks from adversaries and many regulatory requirements, organizations are spending on security investment to ensure they are protected and stay competitive in markets. The greatest push factors for the metrics awareness are the recent amplified regulatory requirement, greater demand for transparency and accountability. Additionally there are many internal factors that driving organization to justify security investments, security and business objectives alignment and finally to fine-tune effectiveness and efficiency of organizational security programs. Much has been written and researched on SM on various aspects from data collection, analysis to measurement method etc. A considerable number of research efforts have been emerging in best practices, methodologies, framework, tool and techniques are being recommended and adopted to mature the security metrics. However, relatively little has been reported and proven on quality and matured metrics one has to follow and put in practice. Moreover security cannot be measured as a universal concept due to the complexity, uncertainty, non-stationary, limited observability of operational systems, and malice of attackers [VERENDEL V, 2010]. More has to be researched in the area of security metrics. Many interpretations and meanings of Security Metrics have been found on the Internet. Some examples taken from well know publications and researchers are as follows: According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), â€Å"Metrics are tools designed to facilitate decision-making and improve performance and accountability through collection, analysis and reporting of relevant performance-related data† [NIST-SP, 2001]. Whereas SANS in its â€Å"A Guide to Security Metrics, SANS Security Essentials GSEC Practical Assignment†, Shirley C. Payne says that â€Å"Measurements provide single point-in-time views of specific, discrete factors, while metrics are derived by comparing to a predetermined baseline two or more measurements taken over time. Measurements are generated by counting: metrics are generated from analysis. In other words, measurements are objective raw data and metrics are either objective or subjective human interpretations of those data†. [SHIRLEY C. PAYNE, 2006] She also further describes what would be considered a â€Å"useful† metric: â€Å"Truly useful metrics indicate the degree to which security goals, such as data confidentiality, are being met and they drive actions taken to improve an organization’s overall security program.† Yet another one practical definition by Andrew Jaquith, states that â€Å"Metrics is a term used to denote a measure based on a reference and involves at least two points, the measure and the reference. Security in its most basic meaning is the protection from or absences of danger. Literally, security metrics should tell us about the state or degree of safety relative to a reference point and what to do to avoid danger†. [JAQUITH (1), 2007] [M. SWANSON, 2003] highlights some of the key uses of security metrics in an organization. They are (not limited to):- Enabling organizations to verify compliance level against internal and external institutions. (e.g. laws, regulations, standards, contractual obligations) and internal ones (e.g. organizational policies and procedures Provide visibility and increasing transparency on accountability with regards to specific security controls and facilitating detection. Provide effectiveness and efficiency of security management by providing better visibility on security posture at high and granular level, helping in security strategies and display trends. Helping management to decide better on security investments in terms of allocating resources, product and services. Having a right security metrics is a paramount in gauging a security posture of an organization. Most of the SM concerns coins from the correctness and effectiveness. Correctness denotes assurance that the security-enforcing mechanisms have been rightly implemented (i.e. they do exactly what they intended to do, such as performing some calculation). Effectiveness denotes assurance that the security-enforcing mechanisms of the systems meet the stated security objectives (i.e. they do not do anything other than what is intended for them to do, while satisfying expectation or resiliency).[BARABANOV et al, 2011] Organizations faced with many security metrics options to be used. The security managers and CSOs bombarded with large set of related, unrelated, heterogeneous security metrics by different source or assets within the organization. How will they make these metrics to be more meaningful and eventually reduce risks and support strategic security decisions? Therefore, the decision makers should be furnished a proper security metrics guidelines that encompass the right type of measurement / data to choose, correct way of analyzing and interpreting and any other recommendations. This research, therefore will explore further on the existing security metrics recommendations currently in practice. In order to improve the current security metrics, more research efforts are needed and focused in the area of good estimators, human element reduction, obtaining more systematic and speedy means to obtain meaningful measurements and better understanding of composition of security mechanisms. [LUNDHOLM et al, 2011] Therefore, this research will explore the identification of quality security elements to determine matured security metrics as there are many areas within IT security that contributes to an organizational security posture. This mainly involves providing weight-age for each and every element. Thereafter the elements are then prioritized and finally sum up to provide a final security posture of an organization. Some of the key domains within security are cryptography, operational security, physical security, application security, telecommunication security and many more. The research will identify elements within these domains that play a vital role in an organization to produce a security metrics report for management. These elements are further scrutinized and qualified to be part of the security metrics. The scrutinization and qualification is done through various researches done by previous researchers. The systematic techniques will provide a guided recommendation for near optimal security metrics for an organization. The key questions for this research will be what is acceptable security metrics element or measurement for a domain? How accurately these parameters are obtained? How effective are they? As a whole how matured are the metrics? How these various elements and parameters can be used to provide an accurate and convincing security posture report for an organization in a practical manner? To go further explaining this research, imagine this scenario: A key security personnel of an organization presenting a finding of the company’s security posture. She/he talking about how good the security in place, how good is the security fortress, how impenetrable the security perimeter and so on. To support his claims he throws some PowerPoint slides with security metrics. The management was like awed and feeling comfortable with the presentation and they felt secure doing their business. But then there are few questions from the floor on the accuracy, quality, completeness and maturity of the metrics. How confidence is the security metrics presented? Hence a proper model that supports the claim is needed. The model will substantiate the claims of the security personnel on her/ his findings. Therefore this research will look into the ways of substantiating by proposing a maturity model. The end result of this research will be guiding principles that leads Security Managers to produce a convincing and close to accurate report for C Level management of an organization. This research will look into various studies done on existing measurements and security elements for Security Metrics and produce a method that will portray the maturity of security metrics used in an organization. 1.2 Problem Statement The lack of clear guidance on security measurements that represent a security posture of an organization has been always a problem despite many researches done in the area. Despite many methods and definition in the area of security metrics were introduced, nothing is strikingly clear that enable organization to adopt and implement in their respective organization particularly in operational security. There are many theoretical and more to academia texts available in this area [JAQUITH, 2007, M. SWANSON, 2003, CIS-SECMET, 2012]. Organizations still lack of precise knowledge of practicable and effective security metrics in the operational security settings. 1.3 Motivation There is an obvious need in guiding organization to the right direction in implementing their respective organizational security program. There is paucity exist in the mode of guiding process for organization to implement security program with the right metrics to monitor their operational activities. The main incentive behind proposing a matured security metrics for operational security is a workable solution and guide for matured security metrics for any organization. Organizations need a model to look into the type of metrics used in their security program and a model to chart their metrics improvement program. Hence the solution will be an asset for organizations in implementing reliable and practical security metrics. This paper will answer question like â€Å"Are incidents declining and improving security over time? If yes or no, how reliable are the answers?† Is my metrics are correct and reliable if not how can I improve it? Further, the paper will provide some practic al top down approach in approaching security metrics in an operational environment. Another motivation for this paper is the findings from the [PONEMON, 2010], who claims many researches lack of guidance, impractical in operational environment and purely formal treatment as no empirical support as a whole. In the end, through some findings of this paper, organizations will be able to gauge the return on investment on security investments. They should be able to measure successes and failures of past and current security investments and well informed on future investments. 1.4 Objectives The problem statement and motivations bring the objective for this work. The objectives for this project will be: a. To provide security metric quality taxonomy for operational security b. To devise methods for matured security metrics for operational security To achieve these objectives, the methodology and goals used for this work would be: Conduct a literature review on existing research works and state of the art Identify the key operational areas based industry expert inputs Develop a taxonomy based on the key operational areas Identify the key criteria or parameters that make a good quality metrics Identify on how to categorize or rank the metrics to represent the maturity of a metric Develop a method to guide for a quality security metrics Develop a metric score card to represent maturity level Develop a Security Metrics Maturity Index (SM-Mi) 1.5 Scope of Work For the purpose of this research only a certain area of operational security is identified. Also to be more focused, to give a better view and example, we will choose few important and popular metrics among security practitioners. The research is aim to provide a very practical approach in operational security metrics for an organization, but is not meant to be treated as an exhaustive guide or resource. Metrics prioritization is out of the scope of this research as organizations have various different business objectives and goals. These decide and dictate the type of metrics to be used and emphasized as such metrics will not be discussed [BARABANOV, 2011]. 1.7 Thesis Layout The research consists of 6 chapters; the first chapter will describe some security concepts and motivation for this topic. The second chapter will delve into the related works done in this area. This chapter will identify some key research findings and what is lacking in them and how some of the information will help for this thesis. As for the research methodology and proposed framework, chapter 3 will explain this. Chapter 4 will identify and explain in detail the formulation of proposed metrics and taxonomy for operational security in the form of techniques. Meanwhile Chapter 5 will discuss a case study based on the solution proposed. Chapter 6 will be a brief chapter that summarize the research and will discuss on future direction of this research.

Contact---fiction Story :: essays research papers

In 2001the work began on the biggest dam project in history of the human kind. The place chosen was the Great Canyon in Colorado. After six months of heavy digging, workers had found something strange.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John, who was one of the scientists that come to this site, was especially interested in this subject. He in his long black trench coat looked like Germans during World War II. He looked even more familiar to SS man when he took off his hat and sunglasses and showed his blonde hair and blue eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His team was already ready to go to the “zero zone';. Their assistant was Michael. He was main contractor of the construction. He showed them the place where they found this “thing';. -So what is it? - Asked John -I don’t know, besides that’s why you’re here to find out. -Right.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon they were on the place. There was this big hole blown by the explosives. The purpose was to make fundaments for dam so that it would not leak the water. The cave was reddish in color as the rest of the landscape. The thing that you couldn’t miss was that after few feet from the entrance it was not a cave anymore. -So this is the place –said John -Yeah, look at this polished walls. -Aha and I’m sure it was not done by water. -Yeah that’s for sure-said Mike with a little excitement in his voice, and added-I worked on similar projects many times and I saw many kinds of caves with really weird shapes, but never like this one. -It’s, it’s just that it is so symmetric-added John   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cave was very large and they had to bring flashlights because they couldn’t see a thing. In the middle of “the room'; John found big object that looked kind of similar to artifacts from Egypt. The object was square in base and as it went up it changed to a triangle and looked similar to pyramid. There were some strange signs that John has never seen before. Later he gave idea that these signs are kind of clue to what this object does or it is. As he was looking for any sign that was similar to him he found few which interested him most. First sign looked like bird at first but after further analysis it looked more like jet plane. The other sign at first looked like ghost or god but later it looked like astronaut in his costume.

Introduction To Financial Management

Define the terms finance and financial management, and identify the major sub-areas of finance. Finance is the study of applying specific value to things individuals own to include services used and decisions determined [Finance by Cornett, M. M., Adair, T. A., & Nofsinger J. (2014). M: Finance (2nd ed.)]. In simple words, finance is how much value is attributable to goods and services and the basis of such attribution. Financial management may be defined as the management of the finances of a business or an organization in order to achieve the financial objectives. It includes creation, effective utilization of funds to ensure the smooth functioning of the business. It encompasses planning, administration and controlling. The various sub areas of finance are:1.Investments – deals with deciding on what kinds of securities/bonds the company can buy.2.Financial management – management of finances to ensure that the financial objectives are reached 3.Financial institutions and markets – these two sub areas facilitate the raising of capital funds by the company.â€Å"What are the three basic forms of business ownership? What are the advantages and disadvantages to each† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21)? The three basic forms of business ownership are sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. A sole proprietorship is where the business is run by a single person. The advantages of this form of ownership are as follows: †¢This is the easiest form of business to start†¢This is affected least by regulations †¢There is no question of share of profits. The owner gets to retain the full share †¢The profits are taxed only once as business income. The disadvantages of this form of ownership is as follows:†¢The life of the company is limited to the life of the owner. There will be no continuity once the owner dies. †¢The capital invested in the business is limited to the resources available with the ow ner. The scope of raising external finance is limited †¢The owner undertakes the entire risk of the business†¢The liability of the owner is unlimited and may extend to his personal assets also A partnership is that form of business ownership where more than one person work together based on an agreement to share the profits and losses.The advantages are as follows: †¢More than one owner is there in business and hence the risk is shared †¢Each partner will contribute capital and hence more capital will be available †¢This is also relatively easier to start compared to a corporation †¢The income from this type of ownership is taxed once as personal income The disadvantages of a partnership is as follows:†¢The profits are shared between the partners. Hence, when compared to a sole proprietorship there is lesser profits †¢Generally, the liability of the partners is unlimited (except in the case of a limited liability) †¢ It is difficult to tr ansfer ownershipA corporation is a separate legal entity whose transactions and conduct of the business is separate from its owners. Corporations can borrow money, sue and be sued in its own name. The advantages of a corporation are as follows: †¢The liability is limited to the amount paid on stock by the investor †¢The corporation has an unlimited life†¢There is separation of ownership and management as the corporation is a separate legal entity †¢Transfer of ownership is easy †¢As a corporation, it is easier to raise capital from equity and debt marketThe disadvantages are:†¢The agency problem arises as there is separation of management and ownership †¢There is double taxation – the business income is taxed in the hands of the corporate and the dividends is taxed in the hands of the shareholders as dividend incomeDefine the terms agency relationship and agency problem, and list the three approaches to minimize the conflict of interest resu lting from the agency problem. An agency relationship is where a principal hires another person (called an agent) to carry out the work of the principal in a fiduciary capacity. In case of a corporation, the board of directors who constitute  the top management are the agents elected by the principals (stockholders) to carry on the business. An agency problem is where there is a conflict between the agent and principal in terms of functioning and in terms of interest. There are many ways to minimize the conflict of interest. However the three most important are as follows:1.Ignore the challenge on hand:This is the least preferred way of resolving the problem. The stakeholders may resolve to ignore the problem on hand. The disadvantage is that the problem continues to remain a problem and is never solved. In this case, the problem may go out of control. 2.Monitor manager’s action:The shareholders may monitor the management’s action closely to ensure that the situation is not going out of control. 3.Make manager’s take ownershipBy giving the managers a portion in the capital of the company in the form of say ESOP, the manager will also have a moral responsibility imposed on him to make decisions and act in the best interests of the company.â€Å"Why is ethical behavior so important in the field of finance† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21)? A corporation is a type of ownership where the management is separated from the ownership. The shareholders are the owners who have invested their money in the form of equity capital. It is the management’s responsibility to spend the money judiciously. Since the management is handling other people’s money, ethical behavior plays a very important role in the field of finance. Some of the many famous financial scandals are: (accounting-degree, 2013) †¢Waste management scandal: This is a Houston based company which reported $1.7 billion fake earnings.†¢Enron: This wa s a Houston based commodities, energy and service corporation where the shareholders lost $74 billion dollars. †¢Worldcom scandal: A telecommunications company inflated the assets by as much as $11 billion. †¢Tyco: New Jersey based swiss security company where the CEO and CFO stole $150 million and inflated company income by $500 million †¢Satyam scandal: Indian IT services company falsely boosted revenue by $1.5 billion â€Å"Does the goal of shareholder wealth maximization conflict with behaving ethically? Explain† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21). The most important goal of management is to ensure that there is maximization of shareholder’s  wealth. This means that over a long period of time, the value of the stock has to increase steadily so as to ensure maximum profits to the shareholders. However, there is always a question on whether the maximization goal conflicts with ethics.While the goal of wealth maximization is very important, it should not be done in an unethical way. The affairs of the company has to be conducted in such a way that it adheres to all government regulations, accounting principles and ethical standards. Examples of unethical ways to increase the wealth is window dressing, violating regulations, etc. All these cannot be cited as an excuse to ensure that the goal of maximization is reached. Introduction To Financial Management Define the terms finance and financial management, and identify the major sub-areas of finance. Finance is the study of applying specific value to things individuals own to include services used and decisions determined [Finance by Cornett, M. M., Adair, T. A., & Nofsinger J. (2014). M: Finance (2nd ed.)]. In simple words, finance is how much value is attributable to goods and services and the basis of such attribution. Financial management may be defined as the management of the finances of a business or an organization in order to achieve the financial objectives. It includes creation, effective utilization of funds to ensure the smooth functioning of the business. It encompasses planning, administration and controlling. The various sub areas of finance are:1.Investments – deals with deciding on what kinds of securities/bonds the company can buy. 2.Financial management – management of finances to ensure that the financial objectives are reached 3.Financial institution s and markets – these two sub areas facilitate the raising of capital funds by the company.â€Å"What are the three basic forms of business ownership? What are the advantages and disadvantages to each† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21)? The three basic forms of business ownership are sole proprietorship, partnership and corporation. A sole proprietorship is where the business is run by a single person. The advantages of this form of ownership are as follows:†¢This is the easiest form of business to start †¢This is affected least by regulations †¢There is no question of share of profits. The owner gets to retain the full share †¢The profits are taxed only once as business income. The disadvantages of this form of ownership is as follows: †¢The life of the company is limited to the life of the owner. There will be no continuity once the owner dies. †¢The capital invested in the business is limited to the resources available with the owner. The scope of raising external finance is limited †¢The owner undertakes the entire risk of the business†¢The liability of the owner is unlimited and may extend to his personal assets also A partnership is that form of business ownership where more than one person work together based on an agreement to share the profits and losses. The advantages are as follows: †¢More than one owner is there in business and hence the risk is shared †¢Each partner will contribute capital and hence more capital will be available †¢This is also relatively easier to start compared to a corporation †¢The income from this type of ownership is taxed once as personal income The disadvantages of a partnership is as follows:†¢The profits are shared between the partners. Hence, when compared to a sole proprietorship there is lesser profits †¢Generally, the liability of the partners is unlimited (except in the case of a limited liability) †¢ It is difficult to transfer ownershipA corporation is a separate legal entity whose transactions and conduct of the business is separate from its owners. Corporations can borrow money, sue and be sued in its own name. The advantages of a corporation are as follows: †¢The liability is limited to the amount paid on stock by the investor †¢The corporation has an unlimited life†¢There is separation of ownership and management as the corporation is a separate legal entity †¢Transfer of ownership is easy †¢As a corporation, it is easier to raise capital from equity and debt market The disadvantages are: †¢The agency problem arises as there is separation of management and ownership †¢There is double taxation – the business income is taxed in the hands of the corporate and the dividends is taxed in the hands of the shareholders as dividend incomeDefine the terms agency relationship and agency problem, and list the three approaches to minimize the conflict of interest resulting from the agency problem. An agency relationship is where a principal hires another person (called an agent) to carry out the work of the principal in a fiduciary capacity.In case of a corporation, the board of directors who constitute  the top management are the agents elected by the principals (stockholders) to carry on the business. An agency problem is where there is a conflict between the agent and principal in terms of functioning and in terms of interest. There are many ways to minimize the conflict of interest. However the three most important are as follows: 1.Ignore the challenge on hand:This is the least preferred way of resolving the problem. The stakeholders may resolve to ignore the problem on hand. The disadvantage is that the problem continues to remain a problem and is never solved. In this case, the problem may go out of control. 2.Monitor manager’s action:The shareholders may monitor the management’s action closely to ensure that the situ ation is not going out of control. 3.Make manager’s take ownershipBy giving the managers a portion in the capital of the company in the form of say ESOP, the manager will also have a moral responsibility imposed on him to make decisions and act in the best interests of the company.â€Å"Why is ethical behavior so important in the field of finance† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21)? A corporation is a type of ownership where the management is separated from the ownership. The shareholders are the owners who have invested their money in the form of equity capital. It is the management’s responsibility to spend the money judiciously. Since the management is handling other people’s money, ethical behavior plays a very important role in the field of finance. Some of the many famous financial scandals are: (accounting-degree, 2013) †¢Waste management scandal:This is a Houston based company which reported $1.7 billion fake earnings. †¢Enron: Th is was a Houston based commodities, energy and service corporation where the shareholders lost $74 billion dollars. †¢Worldcom scandal: A telecommunications company inflated the assets by as much as $11 billion. †¢Tyco: New Jersey based swiss security company where the CEO and CFO stole $150 million and inflated company income by $500 million †¢Satyam scandal: Indian IT services company falsely boosted revenue by $1.5 billion â€Å"Does the goal of shareholder wealth maximization conflict with behaving ethically? Explain† (Cornett, Adair, &Nofsinger, 2014, p. 21). The most important goal of management is to ensure that there is maximization of shareholder’s  wealth.This means that over a long period of time, the value of the stock has to increase steadily so as to ensure maximum profits to the shareholders. However, there is always a question on whether the maximization goal conflicts with ethics. While the goal of wealth maximization is very important , it should not be done in an unethical way. The affairs of the company has to be conducted in such a way that it adheres to all government regulations, accounting principles and ethical standards. Examples of unethical ways to increase the wealth is window dressing, violating regulations, etc. All these cannot be cited as an excuse to ensure that the goal of maximization is reached.

Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement Essay

Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement Assignment 3 Understanding the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessments It is imperative for all assessors to have an in depth understanding of the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessment. Furthermore, the Awarding Body have their own stipulations regarding assessment. These include; educational centres must ensure that they employ assessors that are suitably qualified and meet the occupational competency requirements of the sector assessment strategy and ensure that the assessment process is robust. Assessment carried out by an unqualified assessor must be countersigned by a qualified assessor who is occupationally competent. The assessment process should be informed by best practice and the latest NOS for Learning & Development. Centre assessors are responsible and accountable for: a) Â  managing the assessment system, assessment planning, making and recording assessment decisions b) Â  assessing evidence of learner competence against NOS and the requirements of the assessment criteria in the qualification c) Â  ensuring that learners’ evidence is valid, authentic and sufficient ) Â  maintaining accurate and verifiable learner assessment and achievement records. The assessment process should support learners towards the achievement of their qualification aim, whilst ensuring that the requirements of the NOS for assessment and the sector are met. Part of the role of the assessor is to raise the quality of assessment through: a) engaging learners at an early stage in t he assessment process b) Â  effective and efficient assessment of naturally occurring activity c) Â  holistic assessment to maximise assessment opportunities ) Â  using interim assessment to provide advice and support at an early opportunity e) Â  encouraging access through using the range of assessment methods f) Â  using technology to reduce the assessment and administrative burden Assessors should always be aware that assessment needs to be fair, consistent and transparent, with all students having the opportunity of attaining the assessment criteria. All learners should be treated as individuals to ensure that no learner is discriminated (directly or indirectly) against and to uphold a ‘fair playing field’ in respect that no learner has any advantage over another. In order to ensure this happens the assessor has a legal and moral obligation to share the same information to all learners, along with appropriate support and development of all learners in order for them to complete assessment tasks. Therefore, one additional aspect of assessment is an appeals procedure for candidates not happy with results. Assessment within NVQ is ongoing with the candidate fully participating in the assessment process, e. g. through assessment planning and reviews of performance. If this participation is taken seriously then it must be accepted that there will be times when the candidates and assessors perceptions, of whether agreed evidence (agreed during assessment planning/review stages) meets the standards, are going to be different. If this occurs, the candidate should have the right to appeal via an accessible and open system. The characteristics of our appeals structure related to NVQ will include: Access to fair and reliable assessment Clear and prompt response times Stages that provide all parties with the opportunity to put their case Clear outcomes Constructive feedback Be related to the Candidates assessment records A formal recording system Evaluation of appeals Response times to appeals will be measured in days rather than in months or years and not be so bureaucratic as effectively to nullify the purpose of having such a system. From a legal standpoint it is an Assessors remit to enforce strict guidelines with regards to the difference between guiding and supplying the learners with answers for assessment tasks. Legally, assessors cannot give assessment answers or condone learners copying each others learning and assessment material. As an NVQ Assessor I am aware of the duty of care encompassing the legislation and code of practice regarding the following: Health and Safety Act of 1974 Equal opportunities Act of 1974 Data protection act of 1998 Disability discrimination Risk Assessment Lone working The Health and Safety Act 1974 (HASAWA) places certain responsibilities on the employer, or in this case, the Assessor. The Assessor has to provide a safe working environment, provide information on health and safety, such as emergency exits and fire assembly points, and also undertake risk assessment of all hazards in the working/assessment environment. However, risk assessments are primarily the responsibility of the owner or manager of the facility. Moreover, all staff must be CRB checked in order to confirm that there is no risk whatsoever to the learner, in line with the Child Protection Act of 1984. Equal opportunity Act of 1974 also needs to be implemented, as was alluded to in the above paragraph, by adopting an inclusion policy and understanding that each learner will have specific and unique needs and that it is the job of the Assessor to differentiate tasks and lessons to meet these individual needs. For example, in my NVQ class I had a variety of needs from, learners with dyslexia, partial sighted and also with speech impediments. Therefore I made sure that I always used a variety of tools in which to teach and assess, such as, reading material in larger print, visual aids on the projector which explained what I was teaching and also electronic recording equipment (video and dictaphone) as another option for learners to utilise in learning and assessment. However, due care needs to be taken and strict adhesion to the Data Protection Act of 1998 in order for any material not to fall into the wrong hands. In terms of confidentiality regarding assessment all exams papers and any other marking material must not be shared with the learners before assessment in accordance with Award Body regulations. Assessment guidelines and assessment criteria can be shared as long as it is not providing answers that can be used by learners. This can be done by formulating individual action plans with learners, to highlight how learners can improve. Furthermore, all completed assessments must be located securely as to ensure no students can acquire papers or material and duplicate answers. In the case of my NVQ group all assessment material was locked away in head office and was only accessible to me and senior management. Senior management would have the final say if ever an event occurred in which a learners welfare was at risk and then safeguarding the learners welfare becomes the higher priority (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006) The welfare of learners, whether that be my NVQ learners, school pupils or any other individuals in the community, is paramount and also a legal requirement. In the community that we serve there are many vulnerable individuals who’s safety can be at risk without any obvious signs, and also individuals with many kinds of underlying medical conditions which need to be considered by the assessor. During the first week of my NVQ class we had a ‘Protecting child welfare’ course in which we were taught how to identify warning signs of; abuse, depression and other mental health issues. Therefore, it is always of paramount importance that as an assessor you are vigilant and aware of all your learners behaviours at all times and if need be intervene and assess steps that may need to be taken. As far as the physical health related issues are concerned, we (NVQ class) used confidential pro-forma’s to identify any issues of individuals so that we could be prepared and have any relevant equipment close at hand and maybe also adapt sessions accordingly with respect to individual needs. Health questionnaires are in the award body regulations and can be found in the Health Related activity book. Technology can vastly improve the assessment process as it makes it a more dynamic process in which all learners have an opportunity to show their true understanding of the subject matter covered and their particular skill set. I also believe that it interlinks with fair assessment as no learner is at a disadvantage due to the fact they cant show their understanding in one medium. Therefore everybody has the same opportunity to display their knowledge. For example, a learner may have a great understanding of subject matter, yet may not be able to put their understanding down in words. Therefore, if they could be video recorded displaying their knowledge practically (with written consent from themselves or carers if pre 16 years of age) or audio recorded giving answers to questions they could be graded accurately and attain the optimum level of achievement. Another great advantage to the integration of technology is that it is relatively simple and easy to use, sometimes even more straight forward than traditional assessment, and brings a new exciting dimension to learning which in turn can inspire and motivate learners to achieve more. Some great wall displays have been produced and a good database full of information due to the integration of technology in class and assessment. Furthermore, greater feedback can be given as learners can see themselves in real time on video instead of trying to decipher pages of feedback. They can see exactly where they need to improve and develop in a very clear and concise manner. Another main area of concern regarding the principles and practices of assessment is equality and diversity (Equality Act, 2010). There are many issues which need to be taken into consideration regarding assessment with respect to equality and diversity. Individual needs, beliefs and cultures need to be respected and treated with the appropriate sensitivity. For example, in my NVQ class I had learner ‘O’. Learner O was of Muslim faith and was celebrating the festival of Eid, which requires followers to fast for a large part of the day for a month. During this month all learners were scheduled to perform their practical sessions and take part in other sessions. However, it would not have been ethical to expect learner O to take part in these sessions as he would be depleted of energy and could be at risk of negatively effecting his health. Therefore, special dispensation was afforded to learner O to take part in these sessions the following month. Furthermore, I was aware that concentration may decrease during this month. Other areas which need to be considered from equality and diversity prospective are; gender, race, sexual orientation and age (Disability and Equality Act, 2010). These factors give rise to a number of individual needs. Assessment needs to be age specific and be compared to relevant performance criteria, along with being written in age appropriate language as to not confuse or patronise learners. Moreover, topics covered need to ensure that no offense will be incurred by any party with regards to the above categories. For example I would not start a debate regarding the idea of male dominance in sport or peoples view of homosexuality. Another aspect of diversity in the assessment process may be a language barrier, especially in the case of my NVQ class who were predominantly from an ethnic background. There are ways to overcome such barriers. The use of an interpreter could be used for assessment (a dialogue being recorded and sent off) with the aid of assessment material converted into the required language. If one thing is abundantly clear in the nature of assessment, it is the need for individuals to constantly develop. Nobody has ever learned enough and there is always room for improvement. Therefore, this goes for the assessor themselves. It is imperative that assessors constantly monitor their own progress with self assessment, peer review, learner feedback and continued development of CPD’s. The act of reflective practice is the driving force that spearheads future development and evolves the assessment process by ascertaining what aspects work best, when, how and why. Furthermore, sharing this reflective practice with other assessors fosters an environment and situations which aid the effective use of assessment and help reach the goal of accurately and fairly assessing learner knowledge along with realising potential. Without reflective practice the assessor risks walking blindly down a ‘dark alley’ of assessment where they fail themselves, but more importantly fail the learner, which is wholly unacceptable. Effective planning also aids the reflective process, as you can see the amount of work covered and the result of certain class dynamics, i. e. group work, group size etc. This gives you a great visual format in which to adapt your future plans in order to maintain optimum, effective performance in sessions and assessment. Assessment will always carry some for of risk at some level. Perhaps one of the greatest risks posed in my NVQ group was the risk of injury and participant health & safety whilst taking part in a variety of sports. The best way to protect against the risks are to have effective planning in place with all relevant risk assessment completed, checking pitches for broken glass, making sure goals are anchored and equipment checks, along with alternative provisions incase your first plan of action cannot go ahead. Moreover, another challenge is not discriminating against any learners. This could involve taking all learning types into consideration to ensure that all learners understand what they have to carry out through agreement on the assessment action plan that the learner signs, so effective communication is extremely important, which means the assessor listening as giving input. Furthermore, clear guidelines on discipline are needed in order to prevent any hazards occurring and also to foster a safe, productive learning environment.