The western end of the Kennet and Avon canal since the early 19th century Essay Example for Free

The western end of the Kennet and Avon canal since the early 19th century Essay 1790 Prospectus: The 1790 prospectus was created to show the importance of the canal and its mandatory construction. The prospectus basically said that the journey from Bristol to London was slow and tedious and often required the same amount of time as a trip to the West Indies. There were also problems with the new French leader; Napoleon, who was using privateers in the channel to make sure that his continental system deprived Britain of trade and resources, by intercepting the British ships in hope of republicanism spreading to this part of Europe. The canal would therefore solve the problem of the long and dangerous journey. The authors of the prospectus produced it to show the importance of the canal and all of the problems that it would solve (i.e. advertising the canal). It was, maybe a chance to exaggerate the benefits of the canal and get different groups of people on their side. There were a few major groups that the prospectus was aimed at to convince and persuade them and was the main reason that the prospectus was drawn up. They said that it would speed up trade and make it quicker and cheaper to transport goods such as coal from the Somerset Coalfields, slate, corn and American goods e.g. tobacco, rum and cotton. These attractions would bring in traders and thus more trade for the canal and more money from toll payments for cargo. They used the prospectus to persuade shareholders to invest in it and use it as a business. Shareholders were enticed by the prospect of a revolutionary new idea that could give them a large dividend. This invested money would make sure that there was enough capital to build the canal and aid with other financial expenses such as labour (wages). This money would also ensure that parliament gave permission for the construction of the canal and this was important because many MPs were rich land owners at that time and the canal planners needed their permission so that the canal was able to pass through their land. Widcombe Flight: There is not a lot of evidence to support the justification for the canal as put forward in the prospectus at Wicombe Flight. In general there is more evidence to suggest trade within Britain being a major reason for the canals construction i.e. Bristol to London (Tilbury) rather than trade from America to London via Bristol e.g. barley from Bradford-on-Avon, used in the malt house on the side of the canal. The only evidence that suggests this American trade link is the Sydney Wharf warehouses which may have been used to store some American goods e.g. sugar cane and cotton, in transit to London. Its difficult to find any more good evidence because warehouses have been converted and used for different purposes such as residential homes. The atmosphere has also changed with much less trade going on and more tourists on a quiet holiday, making it harder to imagine the trade that went on in the 19th century. The canals uses have changed dramatically since the early 1800s mainly due to the introduction of new types of transport such as rail. Narrow boats are being used now for holidays and people are walking dogs along the tow-path suggesting that the canal is used less for trade and more for tourism. I saw evidence of horses being used to pull boats in the 1800s such as the tow-path, change line bridges and stables. These stables are now an architects house and show how horses are no longer Guillaume Wright 10C2 GCSE History Around Us Coursework C/W 12/5/01 used to pull boats and how businesses have profited from the spare, cheap land on the bank of the canal. The other architects house above Top lock had a large chimney and suggested that it used to be a maltsters and shows that agricultural (barley) and industrial (malt breweries) uses have declined. Warehouses have been converted into restaurants and houses showing the change from trade to leisure and residential uses. There were people fishing on the banks which suggested the canal is also directly involved with leisure and is used for tourism. This site was useful to a certain extent in understanding the 19th century canal uses because it gives evidence of old-fashioned trade and ways e.g. barley and the use of horses. It also has limitations as to its usefulness because the area gas changed so much. The whole atmosphere has changed and buildings have altered their uses. Thimble Mill is now a restaurant and wine bar and the Hilton Hotel used to be a pump house powered by steam, used to pump the 100,000 gallons of lost water flowing downhill at the locks. Its very hard to imagine all of this happening now. Sydney Gardens Print The Sydney Gardens print was made in 1812, only two years after the canal was built, and depicts a beautiful sunny day at the section of the canal that passes through Sydney Gardens in Bath. In the print, Cleveland House is not shown either because the owners of Sydney Gardens thought it degenerated the areas appeal, or because it was not relevant to the canal at the time, as it did not become the canals headquarters until 1825. There is an attractive oriental summer house included in this version, that is not there any more, so the area could gain credibility and attract the wealthier people to somewhere where they could sit in the shade so as to keep their skin white (the fashion and a necessity for people in a high-class society). A small decorative pleasure boat which would have been very rare in those days, is travelling along the canal whereas you were more likely to see coal-barges and narrow boats due to the trade industrys heavy use of the canal. There are also other small differences like the tow-path that ends at the bridge and wealthy stylish people walking along the tow-path instead of horses (to tow the boats) so as to attract people to Sydney Gardens and use the canal leisure activities. Other changes include subtle alterations in the decoration of the bridge, less foliage around the canal to give a more open atmosphere and the fact that its a sunny day to give the overall effect of a perfect venue for a visit or day-out. The print is probably bot very accurate as it changes and alters some of the main features and distorts reality for the Sydney Gardens owners profit and gain. This is and artistic impression of the area and so is only the artists portrayal of it so details may have been altered, maybe so that the artist could impress the Sydney Gardens owners and earn more money and respect. Overall, you cannot trust rely on a picture that has been changed so much and had a motive to be changed. This interpretation was probably produced because it was specially commissioned by the owners of Sydney Gardens to increase profit from tourism because Sydney Gardens was privately run and needed to make a healthy profit to keep people such as the shareholders contented. Because of this and as they didnt want the canal to be seen as an eyesore they applied conditions for the canal builders such as four ornamental bridge (costing 2,200 pounds) and the canal to be sunken down into a ditch and these features are predominant in the print so as to advertise the best parts of the canal. It was produced to show a picturesque scene, set on a calm, sunny day with a beautiful canal which was a comparison to other fashionable cities such as Venice, which improved the areas credibility, especially for the more wealthy as these would bring more money to the area. In the 1700s Bath had built up a reputation of a beautiful Georgian town for the wealthy and offered luxurious attractions such as the Guillaume Wright 10C2 GCSE History Around Us Coursework C/W 12/5/01 Roman Baths, and so Sydney Gardens wanted to attract these wealthier people to their park for a larger profit and an excellent and maintained reputation. Dundas Aqueduct The Dundas Aqueduct funded by Charles Dundas, was one of John Rennies greatest architectural achievements when he built the canal. There was a crane and a few warehouses along the canal which suggests the lifting and storing of goods such as cotton and rum from Britains West Indian trade, rather than coal because this was often transported loosely. There is very little other evidence to suggest trade from the West Indies apart from these warehouses (storing goods in transit to London) to Britain and Dundas Aqueduct mainly consists of evidence of home-based trade such as the bulge (Dundas Marina) in the canal which shows the anticipated build up of traffic along the canal as though they were expecting a lot of trade from around the area. The major piece of evidence is the entrance to the Somerset Coal canal at Dundas, which suggests that trade and goods were regularly coming in from the coalfields and transported to other areas such as London (home trade). The Kennet and Avon canal is wider than the coal canal which suggests that they expected a lot more coal and other goods from other areas to be transported along the canal as well as the Somerset coalfields produce. This 1864 print of the Dundas Aqueduct was produced from the Illustrated London News, and was probably made to show London the thriving business and beauty of the area and to impress wealthy Londoners, who provided trade for this part of the canal with trade from the West Indies (Stonegate at Dundas shows that there were toll collections for cargo). It was also to show off John Rennies architecture, maybe for his personal career in the opportunistic city of London or maybe just to impress people. It showed off its leisure qualities (fishermen), despite a the heavy industry and gave the impression that its a pleasant place to visit and so would be good for the areas economy. It may also have been to impress venture capitalists in London who might invest much-needed money into the canal for repairs and maintenance. There are reasons to believe the pictures accuracy because nothing seems to have been left out, added in or changed dramatically (unlike the Sydney Gardens print) and unattractive features such as the railway and the railway arch are included as well as industrial features such as coal barges and horses. There is a boat going into the coal canal which suggests that it was still involved in business and trade and this is accurate as the canal made a profit until 1890 (print made in 1864). There also seems to be no major motive for any deviations from reality (unlike Sydney Gardens print) and features such as the stone work, decorations and style are very much the same as they are today. Having said this, there are still doubts as to its accuracy such as the exaggeration of the beauty of the area with the impressive cliffs and forests in the background. There is a cobbled bridge (entrance to Somerset coal canal) which has now been replaced by a metal swing bridge, and it is a matter of opinion whether the cobbled bridge ever existed. It is most likely to be very accurate as the cobbles are accurate when cross-checked with other tow paths in Bath for horses that look similar. Taking into account all of these factors, in my opinion, the photograph is accurate. Devizes Museum The Devizes museum holds artefacts and displays from the working days of the Kennet and Avon canal, and it is important for historians to check the authenticity of the artefacts so that the museum can paint a realistic picture of canal life in the 19th century. Cross referencing can be useful for checking artefacts, as dates and material use can be verified with any dates on the artefact e.g. the loading gauge rods may have a date imprinted on the artefact that can be checked with the dates of when they were used and when the technology was available. Horse equipment could be checked with similar equipment from the time to check for any obvious differences or fake parts. The material that the artefact is made from could be scientifically tested and dated using a method such as carbon dating on objects such as the narrow boat rudder, although this is not a particularly accurate method. Letters and prints can be checked (e.g. photos showing scenes from the late 19th century) by verifying the scene where the photo was alleged to have been taken. They could also check the type of photograph and whether the technology existed at that time. For items such as the mock up of the canal cabin or the model of the crane, there is the possibility of verification with people who have used and experienced these artefacts or cross-check with diaries or letters from canal workers or Victorian travellers. This is the most accurate method, as long as the source is reliable. Finally, they could check the mechanics of something like the pulley to see if it works like it should do (taking into consideration the possible damage and weakening of the artefact). There are limitations to these artefacts usefulness in determining what it was like in the 19th century. For useful objects such as the narrow boat rudder and the pulley, there is likely to be a fair amount of damage, or it will be repaired or altered in order to put it on display in the museum and so its hard to imagine how it worked. Because culture and technology has changed so much, its difficult to imagine how objects such as the crane and the pulley would have been used, as the canals uses have changed so dramatically from the 19th century. Again, there are limitations for the model of the cabin as, although it shows the visual side it gives no sense of the noises, smells, cramped conditions, and the general atmosphere of trade and travel. It is also hard to obtain realism in the working models (e.g. crane and pulley) as they are likely to work too smoothly and its hard to imagine the scale and size of it. With letters such as the one from John Ward, warning about navvies, its left up to the imagination as to what it was like and sections may be exaggerated leading to a misrepresentation of the area in the 19th century. Conclusion Hypothesis: The Kennet and Avon canal was only built in order to benefit the Somerset Coal canal. For the purpose of contradicting this statement, I can say that, no where in the prospectus is the Somerset Coal canal mentioned and it suggests that the main purpose of the canal was to create an inland navigation system from Bristol to London to benefit trade from the West Indies as well as home trade, by by-passing the long, tedious and dangerous journey across the channel. In fact the prospectus was drawn up in 1790; before the Somerset Coal canal was even built (1804-5), suggesting that the Somerset Coal canal just wanted to benefit from the Kennet and Avon canal rather than the Kennet and Avon being built purposefully for the coal canal. There is no specific mention of coal among the home trade section of the prospectus and there is also the fact that we saw evidence of other types of home trade around the canal such as Hugh Bairds maltsters who used barley from places such as Bradford on Avon to make alcohol. There was also plenty of information at the Devizes museum explaining the canals use as a method of transit for West Indian goods. There are no reasons that can support this statement fully, but there is evidence of coal being transported along the canal such as the warehouses at Dundas and Sydney Gardens. This isnt true but a major result of the construction of the Kennet and Avon canal was that it was beneficial to the Somerset Coal canal, shown by the entrance at Dundas which links the canals together. Again coal is mentioned as information in the Devizes museum as a good associated with the Kennet and Avon. Overall, I think each site we visited was good at helping us understand the old uses of the Kennet and Avon canal.

Implementation Issues of Red Sky and VW

Implementation Issues of Red Sky and VW Q1. What Implementation issues do the Red Sky face? In the Red Sky face case study, theyve failed addressing security threats and vulnerabilities regarding their server security. The main goals of security in a computerised network is to protect the physical/data assets of a network to prevent security breaches. Lack of access to the work resources outside the workplace. For a modern-day business to not have remote access capabilities for work staff to do work at home can hinder the overall productivity of a company. Staff complaints about cable wiring. The failure in OHS practices pose great dangers when trying to implement new systems as the cabling across the premise cause great danger when new IT equipment need to be transported around the premise. The use of Microsoft XP. Microsoft Corporation have stopped supporting Microsoft XP which means that Microsoft have stopped issuing security patches for the OS. It is a real issue because this means hackers can break into the system with relative issue gaining access to Red Skys computer network. Data Migration. Red Sky must determine a plan whether to run systems in pararel which costs a lot a money or to perform a big bang data migration which can results in data loss. Lack of IT Staff Members No consideration of ergonomics Q2. What could be done to improve dealing with these implementation issues? In regards to cabling Red Sky can implement wireless connectivity around the premise to prevent the potential injuries too staff members. Also with wireless connectivity Red Sky can make the workplace look more presentable. Red Sky NEED to invest in a new Windows OS that is supported Microsoft to deploy across the network, to harden their computer network from unwarranted hack or viruses. Red Sky management need to map how their business processes into visual map to see how their business matches up their ICT systems. Network security is imperative as encrypting data helps ensure that confidentiality of Company data is kept safe and secure. Implementing file permissions helps who can access what resources. Upgrading to proven industry firewall and intrusion detection system. Q3 Describe three contextual factors for the Red Sky case study. Q4. Outline an implementation plan e.g. business process redesign, change management, benefits management, testing, installation, data migration, training, OHS and support. In Regards to Cabling regularly inspecting and test cables leads and keep records that are easily accessible to management. Installing wireless connectivity to eliminating employing qualified electricians to install new cabling. Business process redesign will need to determine around the software that the business chooses to deploy across the company. Red Sky will need to establish a test zone within their company to test new OS/software Q1.   According to the article, VW installed software to cheat US emissions and this has led to a 20-billion-dollar settlement with US car owners. What are the ethical issues raised by VWs conduct over the past decade? Corruption culture that has been running rife from the top to the bottom for the last 10 years is a major issue ethical issue that damages their image as a globally trustworthy organisation who pride themselves on producing cars that dont exceed emissions in the united states. VW perceived there corporate social responsibly in the American market as a brand that balances the environment of the world with their ecofriendly cars, which turn out to be a deceiving image as they were willing for 10 years to deploy software that tricked EPA regulators, so they to push their brand into America to make money at any cost that despite their cars exceeding limits of environmental benchmarks. Q2. How have the sic society values been transgressed by the VW employees? The Primacy of the public interest have been placed at the bottom as this should be the sole being on what VW should be trying to address. By VW installing software that cheats emissions have clearly stated that their agenda is to fill up their pockets with money regardless of public backlash. The enhancement of quality of life is nill as American car dealerships and customer already in possession of the effected VW models must send back their cars to get them fixed resulting in loss of sales in VW car dealerships and less productive customers who need use their VW vehicles as means of transportation to get back and forth to work. Honesty was none existence as they tried deceiving EPA and public about emission levels. VW did fulfil stakeholders goals in terms of sales and profits but they went about that in the wrong way be deploying software which alters results. Professional development for their employees who wanted to whistle blow was potentially meant with strong threats on their work future and lively hoods. Professionalism was thrown out the windows as top management within VW knew of the software but their professional curtsey to pump more funds into research to correct their problem wasnt the route they taken to achieve the upmost professionalism. Q3. What could be done in the future to Prevent VW and other companies committing these frauds? Governing bodies who run tests on carbon dioxide emission should independently test each car model a car manufacture was to sell. Increase funds to astronomical levels that car manufacturing organisation will not want to cheat the regulations again. VW can put expiration dates on board member time been on the board. Random auditing (EPA increase intrusion detection software to detect programs) Working intensive workshop on work culture Better laws in place for whistle-blowers.

Hawthorne :: essays research papers fc

"Young Goodman Brown", by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is thick with allegory. "Young Goodman Brown" is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a religious leader. In "Young Goodman Brown", Goodman Brown is a Puritan minister who lets his excessive pride in himself interfere with his relations with the community after he meets with the devil, and causes him to live the life of an exile in his own community. "Young Goodman Brown" begins when Faith, Brown's wife, asks him not to go on an "errand". Goodman Brown says to his "love and (my) Faith" that "this one night I must tarry away from thee." When he says his "love" and his "Faith", he is talking to his wife, but he is also talking to his "faith" to God. He is venturing into the woods to meet with the Devil, and by doing so, he leaves his unquestionable faith in God with his wife. He resolves that he will "c ling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven." This is an example of the excessive pride because he feels that he can sin and meet with the Devil because of this promise that he made to himself. There is a tremendous irony to this promise because when Goodman Brown comes back at dawn; he can no longer look at his wife with the same faith he had before. When Goodman Brown finally meets with the Devil, he declares that the reason he was late was because "Faith kept me back awhile." This statement has a double meaning because his wife physically prevented him from being on time for his meeting with the devil, but his faith to God psychologically delayed his meeting with the devil. The Devil had with him a staff that "bore the likeness of a great black snake". The staff which looked like a snake is a reference to the snake in the story of Adam and Eve. The snake led Adam and Eve to their destruction by leading them to the Tree of Knowledge. The Adam and Eve story is similar to Goodman Brown in that they are both seeking unfathomable amounts of knowledge. Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge they were expelled from their paradise. The Devil's staff eventually leads Goodman Brown to the Devil's ceremony which destroys Goodman Brown's faith in his fellow man, therefore expelling him from his utopia. Hawthorne :: essays research papers fc "Young Goodman Brown", by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is thick with allegory. "Young Goodman Brown" is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a religious leader. In "Young Goodman Brown", Goodman Brown is a Puritan minister who lets his excessive pride in himself interfere with his relations with the community after he meets with the devil, and causes him to live the life of an exile in his own community. "Young Goodman Brown" begins when Faith, Brown's wife, asks him not to go on an "errand". Goodman Brown says to his "love and (my) Faith" that "this one night I must tarry away from thee." When he says his "love" and his "Faith", he is talking to his wife, but he is also talking to his "faith" to God. He is venturing into the woods to meet with the Devil, and by doing so, he leaves his unquestionable faith in God with his wife. He resolves that he will "c ling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven." This is an example of the excessive pride because he feels that he can sin and meet with the Devil because of this promise that he made to himself. There is a tremendous irony to this promise because when Goodman Brown comes back at dawn; he can no longer look at his wife with the same faith he had before. When Goodman Brown finally meets with the Devil, he declares that the reason he was late was because "Faith kept me back awhile." This statement has a double meaning because his wife physically prevented him from being on time for his meeting with the devil, but his faith to God psychologically delayed his meeting with the devil. The Devil had with him a staff that "bore the likeness of a great black snake". The staff which looked like a snake is a reference to the snake in the story of Adam and Eve. The snake led Adam and Eve to their destruction by leading them to the Tree of Knowledge. The Adam and Eve story is similar to Goodman Brown in that they are both seeking unfathomable amounts of knowledge. Once Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge they were expelled from their paradise. The Devil's staff eventually leads Goodman Brown to the Devil's ceremony which destroys Goodman Brown's faith in his fellow man, therefore expelling him from his utopia.

Adam Taliaferro - An Inspirational Football Player :: Personal Narratives

Adam Taliaferro - An Inspirational Football Player I’ve known Adam Taliaferro for almost two and a half years. I knew him before his horrific injury suffered at Ohio State. I knew him throughout his rigorous rehabilitation routine at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. I know him today, continuing to rehabilitate and inspire countless individuals through their daily struggles. Remarkably, throughout those two and a half years, he has remained unchanged. Obviously, there are physical differences. He is no longer able to perform the unbelievable athletic feats he was able to perform prior to our freshmen with the Penn State football team. No longer will his five foot ten inch frame be able to goal tend shots in the IM building. Physically, he is not able to deliver a crushing hit on Eric Mcoo on a blitz in one of our preseason scrimmages. However, when it comes to who we really are, our personalities, demeanor, and mannerisms, Adam Taliaferro has remained unchanged throughout his injury. He remains the lighthearted, s pontaneous, and outgoing kid from "The Jers". September 23, 2000 remains for me, one of the days of my life I will always remember. As a redshirt freshman, I remained home while the team, and Adam traveled to Ohio State for an afternoon game. It was the obvious fear conveyed through a television set that remains engrained into my memory. Knowing Adam, my roommate and I were able to see through his motionless the utter fear he was experiencing lying on that field. His recovery would be slow and painful. The other redshirt freshmen and I spent the rest of the season traveling to Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia during away games to visit Adam and his family. Each week improvement was seen. From the first visit when nurses came often to change the position of his legs because he was unable to do so, to the first finger movement he experienced, to the first leg movement, and eventually, to seeing Adam stand, he remained unchanged. He was still upbeat, constantly making fun of himself and his newfound uncoordination. He fl irted with the nurses and bonded with his roommate. He was still Adam. I know there have been dark moments for Adam throughout his rehabilitation. There must have been moments when he questioned his own ability to overcome this situation. However, he never allowed any of his friends to see these moments because to us, that wouldn’t be the Adam we’ve come to know.

Lion Dancing :: Dance Culture Cultural China Chinese Essays

Lion Dancing When you’re in Chinatown on Chinese New Year, you can hear the firecrackers popping followed by the loud music of banging drums and cymbals clashing in beat with each other. Then as the smoke clears, a huge beast emerges from the smoke. Kids hide behind their parents as the beast shakes its head from side to side and begins to dance around. It is a frightening beast, but it scares the evil spirits and brings good luck to all the stores around Chinatown. As some people know from this description, this is Lion Dancing – a mixture of dance and martial arts. The legendary story of how Lion Dancing began takes place in a cave where the lions were sleeping. A monk enters and prepares a shrine around the cave. When he is finished, the monk wakes the sleepy lions by playing on the drum and gong. He wants the sleepy lions to bow to the shrine he has created, but the lions only want to dance around and have fun. So the monk takes some lettuce greens to poke fun at the lio ns and get their attention. This makes the lions so mad that they eat the greens. Nowadays, Lion Dancers throw lettuce at the audience in order to spread good luck around because the greens represent wealth. There are different styles to Lion Dancing and they are each represented in various ways. For example, the Buddhists believe this dance spreads courage, energy, and wisdom to people. This is because Lion Dancers use fighting tiger and crane poses to make themselves look powerful. In other lion dance troupes, their stances can represent specific animals just from the movements of their feet. The head of the lion also represents different animal forms by the symbols and decorations on it. For instance, the curved horn on top of the head represents a phoenix and the ears and tail represent a unicorn. Some may assumed lion dancing is only done on Chinese New Year and Harvest Moon, but this kind of dance is also used to bless people on special days such as birthdays, weddings, and grand openings for stores. Lion Dancing has inspired me to get in touch with my Asian American side. At first, all I knew about Lion Dancing was that it’s entertaining and brings good luck to everyone during Chinese New Year. Lion Dancing :: Dance Culture Cultural China Chinese Essays Lion Dancing When you’re in Chinatown on Chinese New Year, you can hear the firecrackers popping followed by the loud music of banging drums and cymbals clashing in beat with each other. Then as the smoke clears, a huge beast emerges from the smoke. Kids hide behind their parents as the beast shakes its head from side to side and begins to dance around. It is a frightening beast, but it scares the evil spirits and brings good luck to all the stores around Chinatown. As some people know from this description, this is Lion Dancing – a mixture of dance and martial arts. The legendary story of how Lion Dancing began takes place in a cave where the lions were sleeping. A monk enters and prepares a shrine around the cave. When he is finished, the monk wakes the sleepy lions by playing on the drum and gong. He wants the sleepy lions to bow to the shrine he has created, but the lions only want to dance around and have fun. So the monk takes some lettuce greens to poke fun at the lio ns and get their attention. This makes the lions so mad that they eat the greens. Nowadays, Lion Dancers throw lettuce at the audience in order to spread good luck around because the greens represent wealth. There are different styles to Lion Dancing and they are each represented in various ways. For example, the Buddhists believe this dance spreads courage, energy, and wisdom to people. This is because Lion Dancers use fighting tiger and crane poses to make themselves look powerful. In other lion dance troupes, their stances can represent specific animals just from the movements of their feet. The head of the lion also represents different animal forms by the symbols and decorations on it. For instance, the curved horn on top of the head represents a phoenix and the ears and tail represent a unicorn. Some may assumed lion dancing is only done on Chinese New Year and Harvest Moon, but this kind of dance is also used to bless people on special days such as birthdays, weddings, and grand openings for stores. Lion Dancing has inspired me to get in touch with my Asian American side. At first, all I knew about Lion Dancing was that it’s entertaining and brings good luck to everyone during Chinese New Year.

Matters of Life and Death Essay

This case surrounds the controversy brought about by the Arizona state legislature defunding life-saving organ transplant operations. In 1987, the Arizona state legislature voted to eliminate funding for most organ transplants for the indigent through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). At the same time of this decision, the legislature voted to extend health coverage to pregnant women and children in a â€Å"notch group.† The public controversy began when Dianna Brown died after being denied coverage for a liver transplant that would have saved her life. After her death, there was wide spread coverage of the issue that brought the defunding of certain organ transplants into the national spotlight. The decision to move funds for the poor to mothers and children rather than to life-saving transplant services put the legislature under scrutiny. This case presents that scrutiny and the legislature’s reasoning behind their decision. III. Required Methods In order to complete this analysis, I will have to deal with issues dealing with cost/benefit thinking in a context of fairness dealing with medical procedures. I will need to look at whether or not moving funding from transplants to mothers and children did something financially astute for the state of Arizona or if this is a case of mismanagement by the government. I will also have to deal with the issues of limited public resources, growing costs of medical technology, and diminished control of medical services. IV. Analysis Question 1: Was the Arizona legislature right in deciding not to fund certain kinds of organ transplants for indigents under the state’s indigent health care program? I believe that the Arizona legislature was not right in their decision to not fund certain kinds of organ transplants. In this case, there are several issues that arise including the concepts of distributive justice, cost-benefit analyses, and the role of government in society. The fact that the legislature looked at the increased number of organ transplants and the growing costs associated with them and compared them to another development in the state’s health care system does not seem fair. By defunding the organ transplantation services, they took away the right to choose from individuals in life threatening situations. With costs being a driving factor behind this decision, it was questioned whether the state should be spending so much on high risk, high cost procedures. In the case, there was an excerpt that explained the money-making aspect of the health care system. â€Å"If it was a pure concern about the medical needs out there, we’d have far more burn units than we have transplant units. The reality is they make money on those units.† I do not believe this is how the health care system sh ould be run. Whether it is political or judicial pressure, there is too much political influence in the health industry. There is the argument of transplantation services being more readily available to those with money and political connections, but I feel that policy should be able to set specific guidelines by which all of this can be overridden. I understand the fact that if you are to make exceptions in certain cases you are starting down a slippery slope and that initially, the decision to either have transplant services or to do away with them completely was somewhat justified. Further, the decision to fund only the most cost-effective services was also justified. Everyone had a fair shot at services if they needed them. When services began being compared to each other is where I have a problem. There is no way to justify comparing deliveries to transplants. In one analysis, Shaller compared the costs on society from a bad child to a transplant. In the end he came up with the fact that the cost of 8 heart transplants would cover 700 deliveries. He said â€Å"in public program, that has the widest range of responsibilities, and limited resources to handle those responsibilities, I think it’s unacceptable to use those limited resources in a way that really doesn’t further the public good.† I can agree with this statement but still do not feel that the personal health choices that can save an individual’s life should be left in the hand of a capitalistic government. In rebuttal to the governmental policies and financial analysis, Dr. Copeland argued that even if the AHCCCS were to deny funding to transplants, the health care system would still end up incurring costs associated with hospital costs till death as well as social security benefits to the families of patients who die without receiving a transplant. Also, he mentioned that Medicare would soon approve his transplant center as one of the 10 in the country to be covered. This came under much scrutiny and in the end a compromise was reached to look at each by a case-to-case basis. After the drama surrounding Diana Brown’s death, it was the opinion of the Arizona legislature that it would make the decision that would most benefit the residents of Arizona. In the end, â€Å"the public generally is not willing to, say, double the taxes in this state to insurance that everyone got the maximum possible health care.† While the decision may have had justifications by the state legislature, completely defunding organ transplantation services takes away the rights of patients and makes it so that health care is a privilege. I do not believe this is how health care should be. With so many changes being discussed simultaneously, this issue seems to have slipped through the cracks and caused unnecessary deaths to patients who had their right to life-prolonging health coverage denied in order to fund a â€Å"notch group† that had household incomes higher than the AHCCCS maximum but were below the official federal poverty line. This does not seem ‘fair’. In the end this case asks many ethical questions dealing with fairness and equality as well as whether access to health care is a right or a privilege. Question 2: On what principles do you position in the answer to question 1? (As an example, do you consider health care a right, and if so, why?) I believe that health care is indeed a right. Especially in a country like the United States where health providers and insurance companies are big business and make huge profits each year while millions may suffer from their lack of coverage or inability to pay. In the US, healthcare providers charge premiums on insurance. Whether or not they chose to cover a condition is largely up to them and in the past few years, insurance companies have tripled their profits. â€Å"According to the World Health Organization and the Physicians for a National Health Program, the United States spends twice as much per capita on healthcare compared to other countries such as Canada, Britain & Germany, who have universal healthcare.† According to statistics, in other countries with universal healthcare, there is less bankruptcy and better economies. I believe that there is too much political and outside influence in health care and that the industry is more of a money machine than anything. With the economy in a slump and an exceedingly large population not being able to afford health insurance, I believe that those individuals have a constitutional right to receive care that will prolong life. Laws regulating health care serve to benefit the population, not punish it. With so many gaps in the system nowadays, the ACA being upheld shows that the government believes that everyone should have equal access to healthcare. Providing health care to all benefits society by providing those with an opportunity to normally operate in society and benefit society through work, social, or economic aspects. Question 3: What roles do economic and financial analyses play in your position on the state’s responsibilities? While the state has a job to provide care to its citizens, it is also obligated to maintain financial stability within the state and contribute to its infrastructure. A cost-benefit analyses of moving funding from organ transplantation services to the â€Å"notch group† of pregnant women and children shows that while looking at services offered, the state will be able to control their overall costs. In situations like this where the healthcare system is often viewed as a money machine, it is almost impossible to overlook the exceedingly high costs of transplants. In one analysis, Shaller compared the costs on society from a bad child to a transplant. In the end he came up with the fact that the cost of 8 heart transplants would cover 700 deliveries. He said â€Å"in public program, that has the widest range of responsibilities, and limited resources to handle those responsibilities, I think it’s unacceptable to use those limited resources in a way that really doesnâ₠¬â„¢t further the public good.† While this analysis has many problems with it, the financial and economic implications are exactly what a business would want. By cutting, the high-risk, high-cost procedures, the state would be able to begin making money from the health care system. While I can understand the business aspect of health care and understand that economic and financial analyses play a large role in allocating resources and money towards services, I still feel strongly that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. The state has a responsibility to maintain financial stability. In this case, stability was enhanced by cutting services to transplants and focusing on individuals that would be able to give back to society over a longer period of time. Question 4: How does the analysis of this case inform your position in the current debate about health care reform? This case has made me think of the question can medical services ever be rationed fairly. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was recently passes should accomplish a lot of good for the greater portion of the population. It will not only reduce the number of uninsured but also protect those at risk of losing coverage. Additionally, the ACA aims to reduce health care spending and reduce costs for patients. This plan will not only extend coverage to those that may not be able to afford coverage, but will also aim to try and cut costs for the health care industry. This is a fusion of two of the debated points in this case. In the case, we looked at cutting funding from one service in order to provide services for another set of the population. The ACA aims to try and provide services and coverage for all. Overall, there are many questions that this c ase made me think of regarding the Affordable Care Act. I was not fully aware of the health industry being a big money business and how much of a part politics played in it. Additionally, the case opened my eyes to the fact that no matter what is done, not everyone is going to be satisfied or comply with the new policies. There are always specific cases that will cause questions to be asked, but if exceptions are made, then there will have to be exceptions in every similar case. The current debate about health reform addressed these questions and now that the ACA will remain in effect, it is still to be seen the impact that this makes on not only the economy, but also how it affects the rights of Americans to utilize healthcare. V. Recommendations After reading through this case and thinking about the financial issues presented in the case, I understand the financial and economic issues that have to be addressed while also considering providing the best care for the greatest number of people. In order to decide cutting services, this case addressed governmental policy that may cause unfavorable health decisions to pass in order to remain financially stable. In the end, I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege and the decision to life or death should never be put in the hands of a third party or up to money. The right to decisions about life and death should not come down to how much money you have, but should be a human right that is extended to those in need. VI. References HHS Gov. â€Å"Through the Affordable Care Act, Americans with Medicare will save $5,000 through 2022.† United States Department of Health and Human Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. â€Å"The Health Care Law & You | HealthCare.gov.† Home | HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. < http://www.healthcare.gov/law/index.html> Houseman, Michael . â€Å"The Health Care Law & You | HealthCare.gov.† Home | HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. VII. Lessons Learned I enjoyed doing this case report as it dealt with many issues outside of finance as well as important financial issues. In order to complete this analysis, I had to deal with issues dealing with cost/benefit thinking in a context of fairness dealing with medical procedures. I looked at whether or not moving funding from transplants to mothers and children did something financially astute for the state of Arizona or if this is a case of mismanagement by the government. I also dealt with the issues of limited public resources, growing costs of medical technology, and diminished control of medical services. In the end it was a decision that would have to either be based on financial considerations, ethical considerations, or a mix of both. A lot of the issues in this case have also been discussed in my public health ethics class this semester, so this case allowed me to utilize knowledge from other classes along with new financial concepts in order to do my analysis. Whether it is fairness or equality or even cost-effectiveness, there are problems that arise with each approach when used alone. From a financial standpoint, using cost effectiveness analysis is very important in determining social policy matters even with its downfall that it cannot suggest how priorities are set. I would have liked to deal with some numbers associated with cost-benefit analysis just to see how they were done but I was able to understand the basic principles behind the theory through my analysis on this case.

Advanced Organizational Behavior

Change can not be avoided because of the competition that is there today in the world of business. Businesses cannot survive without changing their strategies, products, policies, etc. according to the time and situation. However, changing anything about an organization requires a lot of planning.This is why it is necessary that a systemized method is followed when a change is being implemented as this decreases the chances of making faulty decisions. This paper aims to present a change model that I believe is ideal for every type of organization and will surely produce the positive outcomes of change.DiscussionA change model is a systemized process of implementing change in a business. Change is very crucial for every type of organization because this facilitates the organization into making better decisions.Therefore, we need a step-by-step process which leaves no room for errors or misjudgments in the entire sensitive process of implementing change. There is not a fixed ‘cha nge model’ since the nature of changes that take place also differ. This is the reason why different change models are use by organizations and they handle it differently.The change model developed in this paper consists of nine steps. This model has been selected as my change agent because this model takes into consideration each and every step of the change process from accepting the need for change to document the process and conclusions. It is very detailed and discusses every aspect of the change process which leaves a very low chance of making faulty judgments at any stage.The management and leadership can support the change model discussed by trusting the team selected for the change process with all necessary decision making. It could delegate the team members with maximum work. The input on the part of management could include ensuring that the team does not ignore any values of the organization in the entire change process by monitoring every step.The input on part of the employees and the staff which would support the change model involves them to be ready to accept the changes in operations that would be the result of the change process. It can be supportive during the entire change process by being less resistant to change and innovation. They must be motivated and must trust the process carried out by the change process team. The eight steps change model is as following.Accepting that there is a Need for ChangeThe first step to effectively implement a change is to always accept the fact that there is a need for change. This step involves creating awareness of the need for change among anyone and everyone related to the change that is occurring (Change Management Learning Center, 2008). This step helps build the energy needed to do something. It makes an organization realize the need to take action and motivates it to be strong.This strength and motivation is very necessary as change is a big step and every member of the organization must b e able to handle it. Usually various groups within an organization are not willing to accept change because this means switching from the everyday routine. This step also makes all those who are not willing to accept change ready for implementation of change.This step is the fuel needed to ignite the process of implementing change (Koberg and Bagnall, 2003). There is not much action involved in the step of accepting that there is a need for change. The organization must inform everyone related to this about the need to change and that something needs to be done about it. The organization at this point must ask itself what change is needed and why?Creating a Guiding CoalitionOnce the need for change has been accepted, the organization must move to the next step of creating a team that will guide the entire organization towards achieving this goal (Kotter, 1996).There must a team that is responsible for this as such a team would plan the process of change and ensure that the organizat ion is moving towards its goals and everything is going as it was planned initially. The organization must ensure that the people selected for the team are ideal for the situation.These people must be committed to the change process and must have the right skills necessary for the process. This team will develop the entire change process from planning to evaluation therefore whatever the team members decide will determine the fate of the company. The team members must have the skills to carry out this process in the most efficient and careful manner.Defining the NeedOnce the need for change has been realized within the organization and a team has been selected which be responsible for implementing the change within the organization, the need for change must be defined. This process is absolutely necessary because in order to effectively deal with a situation, one needs to have full knowledge about what exactly one is dealing with.Without knowing this, the team responsible for implem enting the change will never be able to approach the change with the most effective strategy. Consequently, the third step is defining the problem. This step involves identifying what needs to be change and why? It must also recognize what will be accomplished once the change is executed and everyone’s role in the entire process.Generating a Range of ApproachesThe next step involves coming up with a range of strategies that can be used to work out change. It is not sensible to concentrate on only one approach as this could lead to flawed judgments. The change process team must consider all the possible approaches before it decides on which one is the most effective as this will increase the probability of the team selecting the most effective strategy. In this step, a range of possible solutions must be generated and all of them will be considered.Selecting the Appropriate ApproachAfter all the approaches have been generated, each approach’s pros and cons will be evalu ated separately. This evaluation will help the organization prioritize the solutions according to their effectiveness. The organization will consider each one approach and will look into the cost benefit analysis of each one. It will consider how each approach will help them and what will be its drawbacks.Once this is done, whichever approach seems the most effective will be selected by the team. The criteria necessary for an approach to be appropriate largely depends on the situation, but generally, the approach must be practical, manageable, long term and of course relevant to the situation. The selected approach will then be applied to implement the change process.Implementing the ApproachThis step is the most important step in the entire problem solving process because this is actually where the change is implemented. The fact that implementing change is very sensitive has already been established and this is why this step of implementing the approach is very crucial.As a result , the change process team needs to be patient during this step which is applying the solution. A sensible approach to implementation could be to plan the approach in extensive detail before hand in order to avoid any kind of mess ups.Collecting Data Regarding the Implementation ResultThe next step is to collect data related to the implementation of the change approach. This data depends on the situation but in a case where the change was made in the marketing strategy, the data would be change in sales as a result of that change.Another example of data collected at this stage would be if the production process was changed, the data would be regarding the change in productivity as a result of the approach of the result used. This data will be used by the organization in the following steps.