Author: chris

Dynamics of Change

1. Describe the challenge, issue, and/or pressure you identified.

The challenge that will be featured in this study is the inclusion of more females in STEM subjects in American Colleges. This is against a background of huge gender disparities presenting themselves when it came to the composition of students studying these subjects. The subjects are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Traditionally these have been viewed as a realm for male students while females have showed a tendency to take up courses that are less technical in nature and more art, social or biology oriented. As a result, Education stakeholders in American tertiary Education have in recent years stepped up campaigns geared at encouraging female students into STEM courses which then direct them towards careers in these fields.

This is also geared towards minimizing the high drop-out rate for female students who initially take up these courses only to leave them midway. This issue is not just a gender matter but also a social one that challenges the culture that is currently ascribed to by majority of the population. The cultural notion of males being viewed as the stronger sex encourages the notion of them being better equipped to handle courses that are considered as more challenging and demanding of mental faculties. The fact that it also involves heavy machinery has also led to it being associated with masculinity. The pressure that this campaign then imposes upon the stakeholders in STEM is the obligation for them to change their attitudes regarding the involvement of females (Ginorio, 1995). This pressure will mostly be felt by males who are students or workers in these industries. This is because it can be perceived as an invasion of a male dominated and oriented domain (Blickenstaff, 2005).

One of the biggest proponents of increased involvement of women in STEM programs is the feminism fraternity which has been pushing for equal opportunities for members of both genders. This has led too campaigns for affirmative action which in this regard works towards a gender balance through lower entry requirements for the group perceived to be at a disadvantage. In this instance the disadvantaged or marginalized group is females and this has to some extent been seen as the denial of fundamental rights. This is not the first time activism is opening up opportunities for women. It has happened in the past when women were granted voting rights and also through the gender revolution which saw an increase in the number of married women getting into employment.

2. How and why was it decided to initiate an educational change to address the challenge, issue, and/or pressure?

With regard to the decision to increase the inclusion of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, research conducted on College freshmen I the year 1996 exposed disparities lying in the intended courses of study that the students wanted to pursue (Sax, 1996). At the same time, statistics on the demographics of the American Workforce indicated that though the total percentage of women in formal employment was almost similar to that of men, a 50/50 ratio; they only made up a quarter of the total employees working in STEM related industries.

3. What successful change processes and leadership skills, if any, are/were evident in the situation? Cite the source(s) of your analysis of successful educational change processes?

Though far from realizing its goal, this program is on the right track and this is seen through the gradual change that has resulted from the concerted efforts by various players in America’s education sector. This includes the work of government agencies such as the office of the president, feminist groups as well as the academic institutions themselves in collaboration with women who have made it through STEM programs and are in gainful employment in the same industry. The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has demonstrated exceptional leadership through her contribution to the Whitehouse Council on Women and Girls which then passes important recommendations to Office of Science and Technology in a positive manner (Whitehouse, 2013).  The success has largely come from coordination between the different entities involved in the effort.

4. What unsuccessful change processes and leadership skills, if any, are/were evident in the situation? Cite the source(s) of your analysis of successful change processes.

A key failure that has been seen in this program is minimal efforts being made to challenge some of the issues that lead to the gender disparities seen in STEM studies and STEM- related industries in the United States. This is because the underlying issues in the academic institutions and workplace have contributed to a low retention rate for females in the sector. Until these issues are addressed, the rate of change being witnessed will be very slow.

5. What leadership lessons about planning and implementing change can be learned from your example? Cite the research-based leadership and/or educational change resource(s) that support(s) your position.

The skills that I found to be outstanding with regard to planning educational change are mainly related to coordination and the program’s activities as well as the employment of employment demographics and other statistics in the planning program (Hallinger, 2003). The use of statistics provided vital information that was used as a rallying call for exposing and emphasizing the gender disparity. At the same time, results of the 1996 study on college freshmen provided pointers regarding the opinions being held by stakeholders. With regard to coordination efforts, it can be seen that various bodies have been working together while capitalizing on their strengths (Connolly et al, 2000). The First Lady for instance has made maximum use of her position in the national spotlight to report on the progress that has been made with regard to the involvement of women in STEM.

 

 

References

Clark Blickenstaff*, J. (2005). Women and science careers: leaky pipeline or gender filter?. Gender and Education, 17(4), 369-386.

Connolly, M., Connolly, U., & James, C. (2000). Leadership in educational change. British Journal of Management, 11(1), 61-70.

Ginorio, A. B. (1995). Warming the Climate for Women in Academic Science. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 1818 R St., NW, Washington, DC 20009.

Hallinger, P. (2003). Leading educational change: Reflections on the practice of instructional and transformational leadership. Cambridge Journal of education, 33(3), 329-352.

Sax, L. J. (1996). The Impact of College on Post-College Commitment to Science Careers: Gender Differences in a Nine-Year Follow-Up of College Freshmen.

Whitehouse (2013) Women in STEM, The Whitehouse.  Retrieved from  http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/women on August 12, 2013

 

Avon’s Fight on Recession

Introduction

Recession is one thing that everybody in the world is afraid of. This is because it causes hard times for everyone financially. Companies in the world use different methods to cope with the effects of recession.

Thesis statement

An analysis of Avon shows that there are various things that it can do to handle recession properly.

Purpose of paper

The purpose of this paper is

• To explore the ways in which Avon can handle making of alliances and acquisitions globally.
• To show Avon’s possible strategies for restructuring and learning globally
• To show the techniques that Avon can apply to manage its knowledge

Overview of paper

Research has shown that alliances, acquisitions, restructuring and knowledge management are instrumental things in fostering success of a company.

Body

Restructuring is one thing that is necessary to ensure that a company does not lose its ground in the market. Restructuring gives a company a chance to improve in terms of its operations and performance. There is need to ensure that the restructuring strategy employed tackles the problem identified properly. Any strategy which does not address the problem facing a company is usually seen as lacking in direction. The restructuring strategy employed should be done in a way which leaves the company’s systems in harmony. The management should inform the employees about the restructuring plans about to be done.

It is important for all companies to make sure that they take action to ensure that they sail through recessions smoothly. The actions should be able to advance the returns of a company or at least maintain it. For Avon, making alliances as well as acquisitions should be one of the major priorities. Avon may opt to go for strategic alliances. According to Cartwright & Cooper (2012), these type of alliances will give this company an opportunity to exchange, share or develop together certain products or services with the selected allies. This is a good way to ensure that there is support from the allies during a recession.

One way of ensuring that the revenue of the company goes up is through expanding the market base. In terms of alliances, Avon can enter into a contractual alliance. This type of alliance is also known as non equity alliances. This type of alliance provides an opportunity to do co-marketing, co-research as well as co-development (Cartwright & Cooper, 2012). If you look at Avon’s business, this is what is important to expand its market for more revenue to be generated.

To manage its knowledge, Avon can apply several techniques. One of the things that this company can do is taking the staff members through training programs. Human capital is usually the most important thing in a company. The company can arrange for regular training sessions for its employees so that their knowledge may be improved.

Secondly, the company may seek the services of the many available consultants on knowledge management. The consultants will be able to give very clear guidance on how best to handle the company’s valuable knowledge. The consultants may be given a chance to speak to the employees so that their knowledge and skills may be improved.

To make management of its knowledge better, Avon can go ahead and build information archives. These are also referred to as repositories. These archives will be filled with details of the necessary procedures and policies. If there is any other thing which is considered intellectual and vital to the company, then the repository will be the best place for storage. The information stored in the repository is usually very instrumental in a company’s efforts towards time saving and efficiency (Christensen, 2003). If Avon’s staff wants to answer queries from clients, they will only need to get the information from the repository and forward it. This will leave the client satisfied which is a good thing towards increasing customer satisfaction. There is also the fact that after important employees leaves Avon; their knowledge will be left with the organization in the repository. This will enable the company continue enjoying their know-how.

Another technique for knowledge management that Avon can use is engaging web conference technology. This will give the company an opportunity to share knowledge with people across the world. This is a good way of gaining from the many knowledgeable people in the world. During the web conferencing, the users get an opportunity to share problems. After sharing problems to the many users, discussions take place which generate the best solutions ever.

Avon can also turn to the social media in its knowledge management efforts. The social media has turned out to be very instrumental in driving companies to great heights. The social media has several platforms which give people an opportunity to interact. The best thing is that experts are found within the social circles. Within these circles, consultation can take place successfully thus knowledge is improved and gained.

Conclusion

Recession is something which can cause sinking of a company if the management is not careful. Alliances and acquisitions are important, but companies should be careful to avoid entering into some which might not go well with the set out objectives. Restructuring is also good, only that the best strategies should be applied. According to Christensen (2003), information is very instrumental in the success of a company, thus the need to manage a company’s knowledge well. The best knowledge management techniques should be applied.

References

Christensen,P.(2003). Knowledge Management: Perspectives and Pitfalls.Copenhagen Business School Press DK

Cartwright,S. & Cooper,C.(2012). Managing Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances. Routledge

Mathematics

Solve for “y” If there is more than one solution, separate them with commas

 

Equation to solve is:

y²−5y−6=0

The solutions are:

y1= −1

y2= 6

Explanation:

STEP1: Find coefficients a , b and c.

In this example a=1,b=−5,c=−6

STEP2: Plug in the values for a, b, and c into the quadratic formula

y1,2 = −b± √(b2−4ac)/2a

 

y1,2=−(−5)± √ (−5)²−4*1*(−6)/2*1

STEP3: Simplify expression under the square root.

Y 1,2=5± √49/2

STEP4: Solve for y

y1=5 + √49/2          =−1

y2=5 − √49/2        =6

 

 

 

 

 

2. Solve for “y” If there is more than one solution, separate them with commas.
   3y2 +13y +4 =0

 

The solutions are:

y1= −4

y2=−13

Explanation:

STEP1: Find coefficients a , b and c.

In this example a=3,b=13,c=4

STEP2: Plug in the values for a, b, and c into the quadratic formula

y1,2 = −b± √(b2−4ac)/2a

y1,2= −13±√(13² −4*3*4)/2*3

STEP3: Simplify expression under the square root.

y1,2=−13±√121/6

STEP4: Solve for y

y1=−13 + √121     = −4

y2=−13 − √121/6 = −1/3

 

3. Fill in the blank to make the expression a perfect square y^2+8y=16

 

The solutions are:

y1 =−4−4√2

y2=−4+4√2

Explanation:

STEP 1: Keep all terms containing x on one side. Move the constant to the right.

y2+8y=16

STEP 2: Take half of the x-term coefficient and square it. Add this value to both sides. In this example we have:

The y-term coefficient = 8

The half of the y-term coefficient = 4

After squaring we have 42=16

When we add 16 to both sides we have:

y2+8y+16=16+16

STEP 3: Simplify right side

y²+8y+16=32

STEP 4: Write the perfect square on the left.

(y+4)2=32

STEP 5: Take the square root of both sides.

y+4= ±√32

STEP 6: Solve for y.

Y = −4± √32

that is,

y1= −4−4√2

y2= −4+4√2

4. Use the quadratic formula to solve for x

 

The solutions are:

 

X1= −5/4−1/4 √33

x2=−5/4+1/4 √33

Explanation:

STEP1: Find coefficients a , b and c.

In this example a=2,b=5,c=−1

STEP2: Plug in the values for a, b, and c into the quadratic formula

x1,2= −b± √(b²−4ac)/2a

x1,2=−5± √(5²−4*2*(−1)/ 2*2

STEP3: Simplify expression under the square root.

x1, 2= −5 √±33/4

STEP4: Solve for x

x1= −5 + √33/4     =−5/4−1/4 √33

x2=−5 − √33/4 =−5/4+1/4   √33

 

 

5. Write the quadratic equation whose roots are and , and whose leading coefficient is

(x-5) (x+2) = 0

4(x-5) (x+2) =0

(4x-20) (4x+8) = 0

Notice that you could divide through by 4

(x-5) (x+2) = 0

 

6. Compute the value of the discriminant and give the number of real solutions of the quadratic equation

-5x^2+9x-3=0

 

 

y = 5x² +9x -3

 

Discriminant        =b²−4 (a) (c)

=9²−4 (5) (3) =21

(2 real solutions)
The Work

 

−b±√{b2−4(a)(c)}/2 (a)

 

−9±√ {9²−4 (5) (3)}/2(5)

−9±√21/10

The Actual Solutions

x=−0.44174243050441603

x=−1.3582575694955838

 

 

7. Graph the parabola.plot the vertex and four additional points, two on each side of the vertex
8. Graph the parabola.

 

9. Graph the solution to the following inequality on the number line.

X² -6x-7 = 0

 

 

 

 

1. Answer the questions below about the quadratic function.

 

Does the function have a minimum or maximum value ?

 

Yes

Where does the minimum or maximum value occur

X-min= -10

X- Max = 10

What is the functions minimum or maximum value ?

Y-Min  = -7.28

Y-Max = 7.28

College isn’t necessarily for everyone

In the minds of most educationists, the bridge between formal education and one’s career is tertiary education. The most common form in which tertiary education occurs in the United States is throughcolleges and universities that are found all over the country. Following the global financial crisis of 2008-2010, unemployment became a national crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals. As the economy gets back on its feet it has been realized that there is a disconnect between the population and the skills required in the job market. The need for skills has led to an intense public debate concerning the direction to be taken with regard to tertiary studies. College is believed to increase a person’s quality of life but on the contrary, there are a number of tycoons who have become household names despite dropping out or not even making it to college.

The background of this article is a situation in which the number of young people dropping out of school and college is at an all-time high. The challenge with this is that it makes them unemployable in the mainstream white collar job market. This is the same situation that affects those whose grades deny them a chance to get into college or university. The current president, Barrack Obama is quoted to have been consistently emphasizing the need for increased funding of college and university education as well as an improvement of standards of high school programs so as to ensure a higher number of Americans getting into college and graduating with a degree. University courses often prepare the learners for a career in what are known as white collar jobs. These calls by the president and those who share the belief that he has in a college education have largely stifled the calls for, promotion and funding of vocational training programs which equip learners which technical skills that they can apply in the blue collar job market. Both schools of thought are appealing due to the arguments presented.

The article presents the cons of the president’s view point regarding the prioritization of a college education. The first problem of this point of view is that it completely negates the significance of vocational training. This is well captured in Rustigan’s quote “Although I applaud the president’s strong commitment to higher education, he is seriously neglecting the importance of vocational training in school.” Insisting on college programs that are largely academic is inconsiderate of the students whose strengths are less in the intellectual realm and more practical or technical (Rustigan, 2013).

A large number of young people are better at doing things with their hands than engaging on processes that require them to analyze and come up with solutions based on theoretical knowledge. This argument also dismisses those who are not interested in academic programs as lazy thus denying them a chance to prove themselves since they become demotivated about their interests or extracurricular strengths. As a result, the country is bound to have a severe shortage of skilled workers as a result of this stifling of the vocational education system. The situation of this shortage is aggravated by the fact that the existing workers are leaving the industry due to various life issues. The following statement illustrates this situation and looming shortage. “According to a growing number of demographers and labor experts, the United States soon will be experiencing a severe shortage of skilled workers. Blue-collar baby boomers are retiring, but schools aren’t preparing the next generation to take their place…” in short the country will have trouble finding mechanics, plumbers, welders and other skilled individuals due to the emphasis of college (Rustigan, 2013). Another con of college education is the fact that it leads the graduates to a crowded field due to limited vacancies unlike the blue collar industry that has a greater variety of opportunities that are rearing to be filled up by skilled labor that has received vocational training.

The fact that the number of increasing shop training programs coming up is an indication that the content of their training programs and this increases the chances of these graduates presenting the job market with fresh skills “I’m betting we would then start to see fewer dropouts and more young adults with a chance to become productive members of society”. The demand for high-school graduates who have attained vocational skills implies that there are more opportunities in the blue-collar field “The recent decline in vocational education flies in the face of the growing demand for both male and female high school graduates skilled in the fields of health, electronics, automotive, home improvement, wood and metalwork, culinary, green energy jobs and a vast number of technical support and repair services” (Rustigan, 2013).

There are however pros of people having a college education. The first of these is that upon completion, their immediate standing in society improves. This does not in any way affect the actual quality of an individual but it does a great deal in boosting their profile. This is largely sourced from the notion that those who fail to complete or get into college are lazy. This then means that those who complete their college education have a better chance of being counted as hardworking and responsible (Rustigan, 2013). This perspective on those who drop out is seen in the statement below “…As the cynics keep telling us, nothing can be done with these lazy, low-achieving slackers because the root causes are broken homes and lousy parenting.” Though prejudicial, these sentiments may actually increase the chances of those who complete their college studies.

Another benefit of one attaining a college degree is the fact that he or she gains decision making skills that expand their horizons. This is due to the fact that intellect cannot really be boxed into a specific field. This is unlike those who go through vocational training which equips them skills in a particular field. These then leads them to a career life confined to a specific industry since with a limited chance of mobility lest they retrain in a new field (Rustigan, 2013).

From the above analysis it appears that the tide is steadily turning against the prioritization of college education for all college graduates. This is largely due to the fact that this mindset and system in general is unfair to those who are not exactly apt for academic programs. A large number of these young people have undiscovered, ignored or stifled practical and technical skills that can be maximized through vocational training (Rustigan, 2013). Consequently, it is imperative that the government rethinks its strategies in as far as educational programs are concerned so as to open up the opportunities available to students and also ensure the economy has both intellectual and practical skills to maintain the white collar and blue collar sectors respectively.

Reference

Rustigan, M (2013)Mike Rustigan / College isn’t necessary for everyone. Atlantic City Press.

Retrieved from http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/commentary/article_f6b954df-eb8c-5981-b268-6e5aecc21584.html  on August 12, 2013

Economics

Question 1

The law of demand states that an increase in demand will result to an increase in supply. Similarly, if there is an increase in supply, the demand will decrease (Liu & Ye, 2001 p.45). In this case, the demand for this vehicle is more than expected. Therefore, there will be an automatic increase in supply to satisfy the demand. AMX Company will have to produce more cars for the new clients. According to Prasch (2008 P.94), If this does not happen, there will be surplus demand in the market for this vehicle. In normal circumstances, there is need for balance between the supply and demand of any commodity in the market (Loewen & Jensen, 2004 p.112).

The surplus demand in this market might be met by AMX Company or another vehicle company. If AMX is able to meet the full demand of the market, they will enjoy benefits of being an only producer in the market (Lai & Yu, 2003 p.14). Such a situation can lead to increase of price since there is no competition. However, this is not very likely since this is a new product and high prices might discourage potential clients. Palmatier & Crum (2003 p.100), states that the country’s legislation could also prohibit the company from increasing prices for no viable reason. This is considered as exploitation towards the consumers.

If another competitor company realizes the unsatisfied demand, it will also begin manufacturing this model. At this point, the full demand of this vehicle will be satisfied and there will be balance in the market (Mcmeekin, 2002 p.78). Introduction of another producer will bring competition. This is likely to lead to a decrease in the price of vehicle. One of the competitors might decide to decrease the price as a way of attracting more buyers. AMX will enjoy fewer profits and lose other benefits of being an only producer of the vehicle. Prices might even go lower if there will be more entrants in this market (Sloman, J., & Sutcliffe, 2002 p.118).

When competition becomes high in a market, the competitors can decide to agree on a mutual price (Wessels, 2000 p.95). This can be the same case with AMX and its future competitors. Instead of engaging in an unhealthy competition, they can agree on a common price for the vehicle (Krugman, 2006 p.71). The price can be determined by fair profit for every party. In case of changes in costs, they can decide to adjust the prices. Despite of this option, there is a possibility that AMX and its competitors can decide to engage in an unhealthy competition, which will lead to losses.

Question 2

Boosting the economy is certainly a viable way of reducing unemployment (Hubbard & O’Brien, 2008 p.84). Therefore, the Irish government should consider this option. By stimulating the economy, there will be a significant increase of demand for commodities. According to (2008 p.106) companies and businesses will be required to produce more commodities hence, demand for labour. This is where job opportunities will arise for the unemployed people. Stimulating the economy will not only provide jobs but also well- paying jobs. This will increase the population’s purchasing power for the goods and services in the market (O’Connor, 2011 p.211).

When the government stimulates the economy, it will enable entrepreneurship. Increase in goods and services create an opportunity for new businesses to join the market (Werding, 2006 p.37). The new businesses will need employees to produce the commodities. Thus, entrepreneurship will provide employment for the business owner and several other people. A performing economy supports business people by offering loans for capital. If there are entrepreneurs with no capital, once the Irish economy is stimulated, this facility will be readily available. Acquiring a loan in a good economy is not difficult because even the terms of repayment are favourable (Auer, 2000 p.80).

The Irish government can use measures such as reducing tax or tax holidays for existing businesses and companies. This will allow these entities to provide employment for more people (Pina, 2011). It would also stop them from retrenching employees due to increased expenses. One of the major reasons of why people have lost employment is due to poor economy. It has increased operational costs in businesses and companies. For these entities to remain operational, they retrench employees. If the government assisted businesses and companies to manage their costs, they will not have to lay off workers (Baldassarri, 2003 p.92).

Although stimulating the Irish economy will create employment, it could not be the most efficient way. The process of boosting the economy does not give immediate results. It might take the government a very long time before achieving this objective (Howell, 2005 p.5). A country’s economy is not only determined by its economic activities but also those from other countries. For instance, in 2008, the world experienced an economic crisis. This crisis began from a specific place and affected all other countries. Even if the Irish wanted to enhance their economy in such a crisis it would not be possible. Therefore, a country should not always depend on the government to reduce unemployment.

 

 

References

Auer, P 2000, Employment revival in Europe: labour market success in Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands. Geneva, ILO.

Baldassarri, M 2003, How to reduce unemployment in Europe. New York, Palgrave Macmillan.

Howell, D. R 2005, Fighting unemployment the limits of free market orthodoxy. Oxford, Oxford University Press

Hubbard, R. G., & O’Brien, A. P 2008, Economics. Upper Saddle River, N.J., Pearson Prentice Hall.

Krugman, P. R., & Wells, R 2006, Economics. New York, Worth Publishers.

Lai, L. W.-C., & Yu, B. T 2003, The power of supply and demand thinking tools and case studies for students and professionals. Hong Kong, Hong Kong University Press.

Liu, J., & Ye, Y 2001, E-commerce agents: marketplace solutions, security issues, and supply and demand. Berlin, Springer.

Loewen, N., & Jensen, B 2004, Lemons and lemonade: a book about supply and demand. Minneapolis, Minn, Picture Window Books.

Mcmeekin, A 2002, Innovation by demand an interdisciplinary approach to the study of demand and its role in innovation. Manchester, Manchester University Press.

O’Connor, H 2011, Youth unemployment in Ireland: the forgotten generation ; the experience of young jobseekers & their interaction & engagement with key state support services. Dublin, National Youth Council of Ireland.

Palmatier, G. E., & Crum, C 2003, Enterprise sales and operations planning synchronizing demand, supply and resources for peak performance. Boca Raton, Fla, J. Ross Pub.

Pina, A 2011, Structural Reforms to Reduce Unemployment and Restore Competitiveness in Ireland. Paris, OECD.

Prasch, R. E 2008, How markets work supply, demand and the ‘real world’. Cheltenham, UK, Edward Elgar.

Sloman, J., & Sutcliffe, M 2002, Economics. Harlow, England, Prentice Hall/Financial Times.

Werding, M 2006, Structural unemployment in Western Europe reasons and remedies. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press.

Wessels, W. J 2000, Economics. Hauppauge, NY, Barron’s.

 

 

Health History and Screening of a Young Adult Client

Introduction

In healthcare, screening is usually the first step taken when diagnosing a patient for the first time. It is through this screening that a medical practitioner is able to identify the health status of the client (Weir-Hughes, 2009). This paper contains a comprehensive screening and history of a young adult with application of nursing process and Gordon’s functional health patterns.

Gordon Marjoirie (1987) proposed the functional health pattern as a good guide in ensuring that nurses capture comprehensive information from the clients. This standardized approach ensures effective collection of data from the clients (Koshar, 2012).

Biographical information

Steve is a young adult from the state of Illinois. He is aged 32 years and he holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering.  Steve is married and has one child. He is employed as a senior engineer at a local water company.  Apart from his own family, he has the responsibility to take care of his parents and some of his relatives who are unemployed. Steve is an American by nationality also a Christian.  He has been in a good relationship with his family and his relatives.  His relationships at work are not bad either.  Steve holds distinct values about life. He emphasizes more on the achievement of goals he set and works harder to ensure that these goals are achieved.  He is therefore optimistic and has high self-perception. He is also a person who likes traveling and engaging in leisure activities and in sports. Furthermore, Steve drinks and smokes cigarettes and even though he has tried to stop but in vain.

Past Health History

Steve’s history seems good. He was diagnosed with typhoid and malaria and admitted in hospital for five days at the age of 20. This situation was contained well and did not have any complication.  At the age of 25, Steve noticed a swelling on one of his legs. The swelling begun as a pimple and he therefore ignored it. Its persistence compelled him to seek for medical attention.  The nurse he met did not carry out further investigation. He was treated as a usual swelling with antibiotics. The swelling eventuality subsided and healed.  After two years, elapsed, armed robbers shot Steve his left hand at his home.  During this robbery, he lost his valuables and witnessed his wife being gang raped. This ordeal left a scar in his life. It made him disillusioned about life. He was depressed even after being released from the hospital. Life changed abruptly and when he realized that the situation was going out of hand he decided to come to us for diagnosis and medication.

Family History: Obstetrics History (if applicable) and Well Young Adult Behavioral Health History Screening

Family history is important aspect in screening a patient. Some diseases are genetically inherited and understanding this history is essential in determining whether the client is at risk or not. Steve comes from a large family.  Four members of his extended family died last years after suffering from cancer.   Currently, he has a grandmother who is also suffering from colon cancer.  Other people in the family have also succumbed to death because of stroke and diabetes.

In ensuring that this process is well carried out, it is important for the systems to function well. The medical practitioner is required to have requisite skills and knowledge to ensure that the process is well carried out. It is also important for the client to provide accurate information to ensure that the screening process becomes successful.   Furthermore, resources should be in place to enhance these screening. Equipment able to detect complications in the body should be deployed in the facility to enhance the outcome.

Based on the health history and screening, a nurse is supposed to come up with a nursing diagnosis. The nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about an individual experiences, or responses to potential or actual health or life process (Herdman, 2009). There are various types of nursing diagnosis. One of the diagnoses is actual nursing diagnosis and this kind of diagnosis exists in an individual. Others include one wellness and one risk for nursing diagnosis.  Actual diagnosis in this case of Steve is that he is suffering from cancer and stress because of the life experiences.   He has cancer because of the swelling on his leg that has been expanding. His family has various cases of people that have suffered from the disease and therefore this may be closely related to genetics. Stress is because of the bad experiences he faced. Her wife was raped in front of her, he was also shot, and his valuables stolen.

The risk factor in this scenario is risk for shock.   Steve may not believe this screening and he may even be caught with heart attacks when this news is conveyed to him. Therefore, caution is required when giving out these screening results. One wellness nursing diagnosis is that Steve should live positively. He should forget the past and believe that all shall be well. Because of cancer, he should be ready to go through radiotherapy to kill the cancer cells before spreading and maturing.

References

Herdman, T. (2009). Nursing diagnoses: definitions and classification 2009 – 2011. Wiley-            Blackwell: Singapore.

Koshar, J. (2012).  N 340 Women’s Health & Illness in The Expanding Family & N345 Clinical    Practicum. Retrieved from:           http://www.sonoma.edu/users/k/koshar/n340/N345_Gordon_FHP.html

Weir-Hughes, D. (2009). Nursing diagnosis in administration. In Herdman, TH (Ed.), Nursing      diagnoses: definitions and classification 2009-2011. Wiley-Blackwell: Singapore

 

Report on global energy

Executive summary

Global energy supply has been characterized by many challenges. Due to this, numerous debates have come up on how to mitigate these challenges. One of the major challenges is the depletion of non-renewable energy source yet the global population is increasing (Kutz, 2007 p.74). This report will identify long term energy trends and contribute to the broad debate on global energy issues.  Considering the statistical review of world energy, there will be projections for these markets to 2030. This will take into account potential evolution, global economy, technology and policies. There will be the most informed reflection of the world’s possible path from the current vantage point. This report will draw expertise from within and without the company. Therefore, it is not based on how the public would want the market to evolve.

The focus of this report will be highlighting the increasing role of developing world energy usage. This will also include the rising share of non-fossil fuels in world energy supply (Goldthau & Witte, 2010). There will be emphasis on the significance of both enhancing energy efficiency and increasing energy supplies. This is fundamental because the global population is growing and so are its energy needs. Energy supplies needs not only to increase but also do so in secure and sustainable way (Crane, Kinderman & Malhotra, 2010 p.60). Apart from discussing projections and forward-looking statements, there will be an outline of possible uncertainties to the proposed projections. The knowledge of statistics is informative but it is essential to identify challenges. It enables the search for solutions in the choices made when producing and consuming energy (Hanrahan, 2008 p.117).

 

In-depth analysis

Demand and pricing

Over the years, the world population is increasing and as a result, more wealth is being created. However, this also leads to the increase of energy demand. This has been the global trend for the past two hundred and fifty year (Berinstein, 2010 p.207). According to economists, this trend is likely to continue for the next twenty years. The current world’s population is approximately seven billion and by 2030, it is expected to go beyond eight billion (Miller, 2011 p.97). The increase in population has resulted to significant growth in the world’s economy. In the past twenty years, the global economy has doubled in size. This is also what is expected in the next twenty years. One of the greatest contributing factors of this growth is energy. It has enabled the number of people living on less than a dollar to reduce by half since year 2000. The number was initially two billion and it reduced to one billion (Chasek & Downie, 2009 p.11).

(Population in billions)

The OECD has made a projection of oil consumption globally in 2030. Statistically, North America is expected to consume 2,868 million tones, Europe 2,013 million tones, Asia Pacific 7,850 million tones, Africa, Middle East and North America 3,986 million tons (OECD, 2008 P.23). This projection is based on today’s and anticipated trends in energy’s demand and supply. This conclusion is also influenced by the expected path of technological development and policy formulation. However, this findings may not take place if there will be unexpected developments. As economies continue to enhance, energy intensity will decrease. The energy required to generate each unit of income will all (Bahgat & Bahgat, 2011 p.49).

Continent	Consumption (million tons)
Asia Pacific	7,850
Africa, Middle East & North America	3,986
South America	2,868
Europe	2013

Another projection from OECD is on electricity and transport. Generating electricity is the largest area of growth. By the year 2030, the growth of electricity generation will comprise of 60% of the overall growth in energy consumption (National Petroleum Council, 2007 p.10). The next largest growth of consumption is energy use in the industry.  Transport constitutes of 10%, which is the least growth since vehicles are becoming more efficient. By 2030, it is expected that efficiency in vehicle engines will increase by double (Cleetus, Cleimer & Friedman, 2007 p.210: Caputo 2009). Manufacturing vehicle companies should be encouraged to make more vehicles.

Product supply         

Total production of energy will mostly be contributed by countries not belonging to OECD. They are estimated to comprise of about 80% of the growth experienced globally. Although these countries will lead in production of overall energy, they will not be such great consumers. OECD member countries such as USA will continue to be lead energy consumers. It is also expected that there will be an increase in reserves worldwide (OECD, 2008 P.40). For instance, North America has managed to extract oil, which was previously considered to be in unreachable areas.

USA and Brazil have discovered biofuels while Canada has emerged with heavy oil (Wilbanks, 2007 p.94). The current developments might result in North and South America becoming leaders instead of Middle East by the year 2030. These developments were totally unexpected a few years ago. In the year 2030, the Americans are expected to be producing 33.9 million barrels of liquid fuel. Middle East is expected to produce 33.6 million barrels by the same year. The total global production by 2030 is expected to be 8,217 million tones (Inderwildi & King, 2012 p.32).

The unconventional sources of oil will increase by 70% by 2030. This will be a positive impact to the demand of energy. The increase will contribute in meeting the global increase of energy production (Graus, Blomen & Worrell, n.d p.55). A country such as USA will be about 99% self-sufficient of energy. This will be because sources of oil will increase to a level of almost fully satisfying its population. Among the unconventional sources of oil are biofuels, tight oil and sand oil (Tomes, Lakshmanan & Songstad, 2011 p.111). Some countries such as China and India rely heavily on energy imports and this will have a major effect on trade balance.

These projections suggest that the energy market is dynamic and diverse. By the year 2030, there will be more business with job opportunities (Greene, 2003 p.107). These businesses will have the most advanced technology and great ability. This will be contributed significantly by energy production. The world might develop by doubling its economy by 2030. However, it is fundamental to consider a wider use of renewable and sustainable energy sources. This will not only be a future solution to increased consumption but also a current solution to this problem (Cleetus, Cleimer & Friedman, 2007 p.203).

Risks and uncertainties

Among the risks and uncertainties include future reserves might be small. Although there will be emerging oil reserves, they could contain small amounts of deposit. This will certainly change the expected production in every continent and worldwide. The expected supply in the world might not be met if this happens. Another risk is investing in energy sources such as nuclear (Miller, 2010 p.89). Some countries might result in using nuclear as weapon of mass destruction. Alternative use of renewable energy might not assist much in meeting the increasing demand of energy use in the world (Boyle 2004 p.12; Nersesian, 2007).

 

 

References

Bahgat, G., & Bahgat, G. 2011, Energy security: an interdisciplinary approach. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K., Wiley.

Berinstein, P. 2001, Alternative energy: facts, statistics, and issues. Westport, CT, Oryx Press.

Boyle, G. 2004. Renewable energy. Oxford, Oxford University Press in association with the Open University.

Caputo, R. 2009, Hitting the wall a vision of a secure energy future. San Rafael, Calif. (1537 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 USA), Morgan & Claypool Publishers.

Chasek, P. S., & Downie, D. L. 2009, Global Environmental Politics. New York, Perseus Books Group

Cleetus, R., Clemmer, S., & Friedman, D. 2009, Climate 2030 a national blueprint for a clean energy economy. [Cambridge, MA], Union of Concerned Scientists.

Crane, H. D., Kinderman, E. M., & Malhotra, R. 2010, A cubic mile of oil: realities and options for averting the looming global energy crisis. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Goldthau, A., & Witte, J. M. 2010, Global energy governance the new rules of the game. Berlin [Germany], Global Public Policy Institute.

Graus, W.H.J., Blomen, E., & Worrell, E. (n.d.). Global energy efficiency improvement in the log term: a demand- and supply-side perspective. Springer. Springer.

Greene, D. L. 2003, Running Out of and Into Oil Analyzing Global Oil Depletion and Transition Through 2050. Washington, D.C., United States. Dept. of Energy.

Hanrahan, C. 2008, Global resources. Detroit, Greenhaven Press.

Inderwildi, O., & King, S. D. 2012, Energy, Transport, & the Environment Addressing the Sustainable Mobility Paradigm. Dordrecht, Springer.

Kutz, M. 2007, Environmentally conscious alternative energy production. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley.

Miller, D. A. 2010, Nuclear energy. Detroit, Greenhaven Press.

Miller, D. A. 2011, Energy production and alternative energy. Farmington Hills, Mich, Greenhaven Press.

National Petroleum Council. 2007, Hard truths facing the hard truths about energy : a comprehensive view to 2030 of global oil and natural gas. Washington, DC, National Petroleum Council

Nersesian, R. L. 2007, Energy for the 21st century: a comprehensive guide to conventional and alternative sources. Armonk, N.Y., M.E. Sharpe.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation And Development (2008). OECD environmental outlook to 2030. Paris, OECD.

Tomes, D. T., Lakshmanan, P., & Songstad, D. 2011, Biofuels global impact on renewable energy, production agriculture, and technological advancements. New York, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Wilbanks, T. J. 2007, Effects of climate change on energy production and use in the United States. Washington, DC, U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

 

Ten Ways to Undermine COPPS

1. Oversell it: COPPS should be portrayed as the cure for all evils which plague the nation, the city and civilization. Though it is possible for COPPS to solve some of these concerns in certain situations by raising the optimism and expectations of the public, politicians and the press, an attack on COPPS can be staged later if it does not deliver (Eck, 1992).
2. Don’t be Specific: This proposal is derived from the first principle. Eck discourages definition of the intended meaning using terms such as problem solving, neighborhood, empowerment and community. This is because at first, the public will have high expectations about the department and will not ask for details. Once people catch on, the department can fault the amorphous character of COPPS and resume to its previous status (Eck, 1992).
3. Creation of a special unit or group: To completely put off COPPS, the department should involve less than 10% of the department in this effort. Given that the main purpose is to resume to conventional policing, there will be no need to involve few officers after COPPS has been attacked (Eck, 1992).
4. Creation of a soft image: the best image for COPPS is a uniformed female officer embracing a little child. This maternal and compassionate image warms the hearts of members of the community capable of suspecting police. Playing the conventional sexism stereotypes within policing will put off most COPPS (Eck, 1992).
5. Leaving the impression that COPPS is just for minority neighborhoods is the outcome of the third principle. Given that a small unit of officers will be engaged, only a few neighborhoods can be attended to. With any luck, racial antagonism might work against COPPS since it will seem that poor neighborhoods are not getting the service (Eck, 1992).
6. Divorcing COPPS officers from “regular police” work: By delinking COPPS officers from handling calls or making arrests and drawing them soft jobs such as visiting schools and speaking to community groups, their image as “real” police officers will be destroyed. This will further undermine their credibility and capability to do any meaningful thing (Eck, 1992).
7. Obfuscating means and ends: While describing COPPS, means should be made more important than the ends. This approach can lead to the occupation of everyone’s time but leaving the problem unresolved (Eck, 1992).
8. Presenting community members with problems and plans: This will help in avoiding changes on the operations of the department while indicating the difficulty of police work and the impossibility of accomplishing anything. Eventually, no problems will have been solved but the public will be convinced that the police are nice (Eck, 1992).
9. Not trying to understand why problems occur: Officers should not be let to gain knowledge about the underlying causes of problems. COPPS should be barred from analyzing the problem and little information should be sought from the community. Listening skills should also be suppressed (Eck, 1992).
10. Not publicizing an achievement: Examples of effective policing should be ignored as much as possible, and nobody should hear about them. If it becomes impossible to ignore them, they should be described in the least significant way. In every problem solved, a piece of equipment or tactic should be mentioned rather than the accomplishment itself (Eck, 1992).

 

 

Reference

Eck, J. (1992). “Helpful Hints for the Tradition-Bound Chief,” Fresh Perspectives . Washington, D.C.: Police Executive Research Forum.

 

 

Roles of Detectives and Patrol Personnel in COPPS Implementation and Planning

Patrol officers and detectives are field officers. Patrol officers are responsible for general law enforcement calls for services. They respond to calls for service with a view of apprehending law, protecting life and investigation of crimes. The patrol officers are assigned to geographical “beat areas”, which gives them the opportunity to familiarize with the people and problems within their “beats”. Detectives are responsible for investigation of general crimes against people, property crimes, domestic violence, vandalism, sexual assaults, physical assaults, theft, burglaries and arrests made by patrol officers (Sparrow, 1988).

Under COPPS, patrol personnel play a significant role in planning and implementation. They are involved in identifying problems, applying in-depth analysis of the underlying causes of the problems, employing collaborative and creative responses, and evaluating the results of their efforts. According to Glensor and Peak (1996), the management should adopt a better call management to allow patrol officers delay their responses to non-emergency calls. Glensor and Peak (1996) observe that detectives who feel that COPPS work involves uniformed officers alone should be incorporated into the COPPS strategy. Detectives should not perceive COPPS as an exclusive responsibility of the patrol force. Detectives should be responsible for relaying data to the patrol division, while patrol officers can relay important tips to detectives (Glensor & Peak, 1966).

 

References

Glensor, R. W, & Peak, K. (1996). Implementing Change: Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving. Retrieved on August 13, 2013 from: http://www2.fbi.gov/publications/leb/1996/july964.txt

Sparrow, M. K. (1988). “Implementing Community Policing,” National Institute of Justice, Research in Brief.

 

Lewin’s force field analysis

Force field analysis operates on the concept of opposing forces. Implementing change requires a thorough analysis of the future expectations and the change in behavior of the employees. There are forces which drive behavior and those which restrain it. Behavioral outcomes are determined by the cumulative strength of the opposing forces. An organization can achieve desirable behaviors of the employees, and in this regard of police officers, and remove barriers to performance by varying the relative strength of these forces. Therefore, the overall strength of all driving forces should be more than the overall strength of all restraining forces. It is more effective to reduce restraining forces than increase driving forces (Smith, 2013).

Policing organizations have used the force field analysis in anticipating and panning to change in implementing COPPS by reducing restraining forces through fundamental changes in the structure and management of the organizations. Lewin’s model was invoked in planning on how to deal with officers who would find it difficult to involve the community in policing. The management worked on changing the perspective of police officers in order to meet the escalating challenges and varied service demands. The police organizations have worked on reducing restraining forces by adopting strategies which encourage innovative thinking, optimize staff and resources and involve the community in policing efforts. In addition, management practices have changed to involve all police officers in making decisions about their work (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994).

 

References

Bureau of Justice Assistance. (1994). Understanding Community Policing: A Framework for Action. Retrieved on August 13^th, 2013 from: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/commp.pdf

Smith, W. (2013). How Can Force Field Analysis Work in an Organization? Demand Media. Retrieved on August 13^th, 2013 from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-force-field-analysis-work-organization-5216.html