Template communication plan strategy for Nissan Motor Assignment

Template communication plan strategy for Nissan Motor - Assignment Example To achieve the company’s goal, Nissan Company need educate its customers so that they can alter their attitude and behavior to the benefits of the company needs of selling more automotive while still engages with its stakeholders. Tertiary audiences affect and influence the communication of the company to the customers and its shareholders. The Nissan competitors would want to know how the company is strategizing for the market so they can also make changes to their company’s strategies. Therefore, any decision that Nissan have to communicate to its customers and shareholders has to consideration of the effects it has on its competitors such as Toyota (Audience Strategy for All Professional Business Communication ). Nissan has one of the most valuable customers among the automotive manufacturing companies. They devout their life using Nissan made vehicles and other automobile products because they get the best products and services from the company. Nissan surprised one of their loyal customer, a Canadian woman, Ms. Karen Ackroyd with a new 2015 Nissan Micra (Nissan Motor Corporation, 2014a). This was as a result of her good perception toward attitude toward the company’s products. Therefore as demonstrated by Ackroyd, Nissan customers are engaged and respond to company’s communications. One of the main barriers to customer communication is the lack of sensitivity. The customer may be affected by another issue that may make him or her nonresponsive (Barriers to Effective Communication). Moreover, physical destructions such as a network problem, noise and bad formatting for email break down communication. Shareholders are the sensitive people to communicate to because they are keen on making return on their investment. Therefore, they take into account whatever is communicated with uttermost precaution. The lack of proper knowledge of

Executive Summaries Essay Example for Free

Executive Summaries Essay The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the reports length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original. †¢Executive summaries make a recommendation †¢Accuracy is essential because decisions will be made based on your summary by people who have not read the original †¢Executive summaries frequently summarize more than one document Types of Summaries Summaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries. Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. View our Writing Guide about Abstracts Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone elses published work and is written for a variety of purposes. View our Writing Guide about Standard Summaries Processes for Writing an Executive Summary Executive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try: †¢Summarizing the major sections of your report. You might even copy text from your report into the summary and then edit it down. †¢Talking aloud or even tape recording yourself summarizing sections of your report. Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write †¢What is your report about? †¢Why is it important? †¢What is included in the report? †¢What is included in each section? Concise Statement As a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what youre basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a concise statement of the conclusion you reached after conducting your analysis and/or research is the paper that will be attached. For example, after a comparison of what other schools like CSU do about personal calls for faculty, you conclude that the CSU is charging for calls most other institutions do not. How you word the conclusion will differ depending on your audience and what they care most about. The following examples illustrate how the wording must change given an audiences needs. Example One Colorado State should discontinue the practice of charging faculty for personal calls. This is a good example if the people you work for are only interested in this issue. It begins with a summary of conclusions regarding only the CSU population. Example Two Because I have found that over 75% of comparable institutions do not charge for personal calls, I have concluded that our faculty is justified in objecting to this practice which should be seen as a perk for our faculty. This sentence provides unnecessary information about other institutions and/or why the faculty think they deserve to have these calls paid for. Your readers can get that information from the report. Further, the use of I is unnecessary since your readers already know who wrote the report. Writing Recommendations After beginning with a summary statement of your findings, the executive summary should go on to provide a specific recommendation for action geared toward your audience. For example, the report on charging for personal calls was requested by the presidents office, not the individual departments and colleges who actually determine policy. As a result, the recommendation for action is geared toward what the presidents office should do, not the other departments involved. To learn more about writing recommendations: After summarizing the entire article and/or research report(s), an executive  summary ends with a one or two line recommendation for action. Simple Formula Executive summaries frequently make use of transitional phrases to encapsulate the preceding information in the same sentence as the recommendation. The format can almost be envisioned as a formula: [transitional word] + [concise statement of information provided in summary], I recommend that [corporation, office, person in question] do [recommendations]. More Complex Recommendations In other cases, the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the recommendation. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the recommendation. Example Susies Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same mall-concept marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susies Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susies quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt burden on Susies cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susies Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susies Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Fields does not participate in the hostile takeover  under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Justification Finally, an executive summary provides an analysis and/or justification for the proposed action in terms the audience will consider important. In many cases, this might involve a monetary analysis as in the example to the right, but actions can be justified many ways, depending on the concerns of the audience and the topic of the report (e.g. for CSU these might include increase in student learning, better relationship with the community, etc.). justification for the recommendation by referring to information summarized. A recommendationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s justification is usually based on a reference to material already provided in the summary. In other cases, the justification for the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the justification. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the conclusion that leads to the justification. Example Justification Based on the current number and length of long-distance personal calls by faculty, such a proposal would cost the university $150,000 annually. In comparison to the overall budget, this is a small amount, but one which might pay for itself in terms of faculty satisfaction and possible recruitment benefits. Example Susies Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same mall-concept marketing strategy which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susies Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy. Susies quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions. Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt  burden on Susies cookies, an estimated $750,00 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susies Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years. Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion. Susies Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, I recommend that Mrs. Fields does not participate in the hostile takeover under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized. Example Executive Summary The Mountain Resort charges below average rental rates. (concise statement of findings) The attached report recommends a 20% increase in price for the following equipment: 1. downhill skis, 2. telemark skis, 3. boots/shoes for downhill, telemark, and cross-country skis. (specific recommendation for action) Based on average rental business for 1992-1995, these increases would generate an annual rental profit for Mountainview of $750,000. This figure represents an overall gain of $150,000 over current rental profits.(justification for proposed action) Additional Resources Other Writing Guides are available to help you write executive summaries. Choose any of the following for more information: †¢Purpose †¢Audience †¢Organization

Developments in Iraq After United States Involvement Essay -- essays r

Ask anyone about the current issues in Iraq and you will hear a multitude of answers, questions, remarks, backlash, and support for our countries involvement. Sure some things could have been done better, some things could have been avoided completely, but when you talk to someone who has personally witnessed 184 women setting themselves on fire in protest to the way men are treating them you can’t help but admire the change today. With the help of US and various foreign countries, Iraq is rebuilding itself from the ground up, repairing itself from previous dictatorship. There are three major concerns in Iraq, political freedom (including freedom of religion), women’s rights, and better education. These issues are far from being resolved, but they have also moved far from where they were before. According to President Bush, the US is looking to help â€Å"build a government that answers to its people and honors their country’s unique heritage.† In doing so US troops are helping train military forces and elect leaders, who interestingly enough 85 are women, this coming from a country that dismissed women’s rights. Iyad Allawi, Iraq's Interim Prime Minister believes â€Å"that the unity of the country will be enhanced [and] will be strengthened by the process of an election.† The new government will consist of a 275 member Transitional National Assembly, a Presidency council, provincial councils and a Kurdistan National Assembly. Currently Iraq is working under a Interim constitution, b...

Role of Finance Companies

Role of Finance Companies Traditional role of Finance Companies The finance companies are much smaller in scale compared with commercial banks, and they are also saddled with more restrictions which will be discussed later in the report. Traditionally, they relied on their personalized and flexible services to attract clients. This is because there are always consumers who are rejected by the commercial banks because adding these consumers to their portfolios would be uneconomical for these commercial banks as their economies of scale cannot offset the transactional costs these clients would bring because of the small margins these smaller consumers bring. These mainly include people or companies who do not have the capital to meet the relatively higher capital requirements of the commercial banks compared to finance companies. One example would be the current business account for companies. The major banks such as DBS and OCBC also offer low startup requirements, but charge a monthly management fee if their balances fall below $10,000 , not a big amount for businesses but possibly a stretch on new and small scale businesses. Hence, finance companies plug that gap with much lower balance requirements that would be more attractive to these business owners. Another example would be home loans by which finance companies offer a wider range of interest rates for a different range of financing needs compared to commercial banks who offer more generic rates on a whole. Emerging opportunities for Finance Companies Financial companies are however, now exploring new opportunities that they have not been able to capitalize on before. For example, Hong Leong has recently been awarding underwriting rights by the MAS, a traditional stronghold of commercial banks. This has redefined the boundaries that a traditional finance company in Singapore held due to regulations under the finance companies’ act. Wealth management, a relatively fast growing new segment in Singapore, has seen Hong Leong also wrestling in with a slice of the pie that many expected the commercial and investment banks monopolize. Industry Performance Finance companies form a small and unique portion of the financial services sector here in Singapore. A large part of their income comes in the form of interest income from loans and also commission fees for services that they offer. By focusing on domestic opportunities, they have managed to avoid exposure to the credit crisis that many others in the sector have been affected by. This has thus helped all 3 firms in the sector to post stellar results over the past year. As shown below, Singapore’s GDP growth YoY was 7. 7%, a slight moderation from the 8. % in 2006. This represents opportunities as the need for financial services increase as people in Singapore gain affluence. Growth of profit for Finance Companies Growth on EBIT ranged from a low of 38. 7% to a high of 65. 2% riding on increased receivables for all 3 finance companies. This is exceptional considering the cloud that has shrouded the financial sector in recent times. In dollar terms, their p rofits grew by SGD$43million to a total of over SGD$150million. Also, operational efficiency was a strong driver of the profit growth. Revenues remained rather stable and it was the decreased operating costs that led to higher profits according to the financial reports released. This could be due to reasons such as improved technical systems or improved employee proficiencies. Growth of property & construction revenue segment There is a strong focus on the â€Å"heartland† consumers and increased demand for housing, particularly in HDB flats, has led to opportunities that finance companies have leveraged on to cement their stake in this niche market. Although commercial banks also offer housing loans, finance companies are able to adapt each individual loan to consumer’s requirements because they enjoy greater flexibility especially for smaller loans that larger financial institutions do not want to accommodate to enjoy the relatively small returns. Looking at the breakdown of loans and advances of Finance Companies, we can see a large part is driven by the building and construction sector in Singapore, which was booming last yea. The building sector was driven by the construction of the 2 integrated resorts and a booming property market last year. A key driver of the industry, construction growth, which represents a large portion of finance companies’ interest income, grew at a rate of 20. 3% in 2007, compared to 3. 6% in 2006. The bull run in the property market, as mentioned, has also contributed to the sector’s good performance. Property agents have described in particular, the HDB resale market as the kingpin of the real estate sector. Projected unit sales are estimated to be at 30,000 by industry players. Average prices rose 17% for 2007. This, coinciding with a new government initiative to encourage singles to live with their parents by providing a grant of up to $9000, has led to a boom for the property market domestically in recent times. The government’s policy to target an eventually population size of 6million citizens would lead to an increased demand for housing as more and more immigrants look to plant their roots here. Thus, we can expect housing loans to continue to be a strong driver of performance for finance companies into the foreseeable future. Increase in SME initiatives The government’s initiative to increase SME competitiveness and promote entrepreneurship has also facilitated the expansion of this revenue segment for financial companies. The founding of organizations such as SPRING help to spur and stimulate the growth of target sectors for these financial companies. Initiatives such as the Micro Loan Programme under SPRING create direct market share for these finance companies for those who are rejected by the commercial banks for loans. A look through the Hong Leong Finance website shows at least 11 initiatives directed at SMEs alone. This shows the importance of this particular revenue segment to finance companies. Therefore, the future of this key driver of finance companies’ success looks to be rosy given the support that SMEs receive domestically from the government. It is also important to note that finance companies give incentives by positioning themselves as service providers for smaller enterprises who require greater flexibility in terms of financing requirements. As mentioned earlier in the report, this is due to the fact that it is uneconomical for commercial banks to process some enquiries and loans because they are uneconomical given the scale of operations. Summing up, the performances of finance companies have been exceptional with impressive growth figures. However, as the recession worries and full effects of the sub-prime issues slowly uncover, finance companies may yet be exposed to underlying issues that may influence performances in the near future. Next, we shall examine some of the trends in the finance company sector and try to identify key issues that may offer insights into what we can expect from these finance companies in the future given what we have already discussed. We would also examine a key player to try and gain insights into how these finance companies operate. TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE FINANCE COMPANIES SECTOR: SINGAPORE 1. Consolidation within industry One of the most pervasive trends identified in the last decade in the finance companies sector is the consolidation of the industry. This is evident from the number of finance companies that have ceased operations. Some of these companies were forced out of the industry due to regulatory changes, while others, like OCBC Finance, simply merged with their principal companies. Since 1996, 19 finance companies have surrendered their finance companies’ license, with only 3 main finance companies remaining by the end of 2007. Accordingly, the assets and liabilities of finance companies as a whole have declined dramatically over the past decade, before stabilizing and increasing steadily over the past 3 years to around 10 billion dollars. Finance companies’ assets decreasing before stabilizing and recovering, and consolidation. 1. 1 Regulatory changes One of the catalysts for this consolidation is no doubt the regulatory changes that MAS has put into effect. Since December 1994, the Finance Companies Act was revised to raise the minimum capital requirement for finance companies from $0. to $50 million, and existing finance companies were given until 2003 to gather the required amount. This effectively meant that finance companies which did not have the required capital had to either merge with other players in the industry including banks, or raise the required capital. Hong Leong Singapore Finance, the finance company in Singapore today, is the result of such a merger between Hong Leong and Singapo re Finance. Examples of mergers with their parent banks include Maybank Finance, and Overseas Union Trust, which of course was subsequently absorbed into UOB. It could be argued that even without regulatory changes, mergers and acquisitions are inevitable for the smaller companies to survive. Regardless, the changes put into place by MAS has forced the industry to evolve into one with lesser, but stronger players. 1. 2 Increasing competition In 1998, then DPM Lee Hsien Loong remarked in a parliamentary session that the rationale behind these regulatory changes was to â€Å"enable finance companies to have the resources to compete more effectively and increase public confidence in them. Hence, another major reason for the consolidation in the industry can be attributed to the increasingly intense competition from commercial banks and other financial institutions which provide similar services. Loans and other services catered to SMEs, which the full banks typically deemed unprofitable, were traditionally the strong suit of finance companies. From data gathered on the 3 existing finance companies, loans and services to SMEs forms over 40% o f their portfolios. However, in the past decade, many commercial banks have started divisions to tap into the SME market made popular by finance companies. Finance companies thus now have to contend not only with each other, but commercial banks as well. This means that badly run finance companies simply could not contend with the competition and were targets for other finance companies’ acquisitions to boost their own ability to compete. 1. 3Niche markets Finance companies are usually able to compete with commercial banks because they offer services to niche markets (usually SMEs) which then form a large part of their portfolio. In today’s financial markets, Hong Leong Singapore Finance is known to target clients within the SME, consumer housing and the silver industry. Sing Investments and Finance has loans in the construction and property development sectors amounting to 68% of their loans portfolio. However, the population of such niche markets are usually much smaller than mainstream financial markets, and companies need to be able to capture a larger market share within the niches to be able to offer products with a competitive edge over commercial banks. Under the basic tenets of economics, this means that a only a small number of firms are needed to satisfy demand in such niche markets. Hence, there is necessarily a trend towards consolidation of similar firms within the separate niche markets in a ‘survival of the fittest’-style competition, which is the situation being faced with today. 1. 4 Global mergers and acquisition trends Mergers and acquisitions have been widespread and plentiful in recent times, and although this directly impacts the trend of mergers within the finance companies sector, there are also indirect effects to be discussed. One must consider that the increasing prevalence of large, merger companies necessarily means that the pool of smaller companies, of which finance companies cater to, is steadily decreasing. Such large merger companies usually go to commercial banks for the more sophisticated and diverse range of credit options which finance companies are simply unable to provide, either because of regulatory restrictions from the Finance Companies Act, or because they do not have the resources to do so. Again, this results in a net effect of finance companies having to merge themselves to operate effectively and efficiently to capture this diminishing pool of available business. TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE FINANCE COMPANIES SECTOR: INTERNATIONAL International finance companies Unlike in Singapore, a legal definition of ‘finance company’ exists, there is no clear definition on what constitutes a finance company in the overseas financial markets. However, there is a general consensus that finance companies provide mainly lending services to consumers and small businesses. As with finance companies in Singapore, international finance companies typically target these clients that the major banks overlook, or have specializations in specific industries that make them more attractive to customers seeking credit services within these industries. Unlike Singapore, where only 3 such companies now operate, there are literally thousands of such companies overseas catering to different industries and customer bases, and it will be definitely be out of the scope of this report to discuss each one in detail. Also, the nature of the finance companies sector is such that they are more influenced by regulations and performances of industries within the countries in which they operate, and less affected by global financial trends. A simple example of this is in Singapore, where finance companies have been fairly shielded from the turmoil in overseas financial markets led by the subprime crisis in the US. Instead, they have been doing well, largely owing to the boom in the local property, auto and SME markets. It is thus more appropriate to examine the issues and trends of nternational finance companies in the context of the local markets which they serve, rather than to identify and global trends that affect all financial markets. Hence, we have decided to focus our attention on finance companies operating within 3 countries where financial markets are relatively mature and established, and whose activities are more transparent and in the limelight. These are Australia, Japan and USA. 2. Fin ance companies in Australia The finance companies scene in Australia is thriving, and has witness continued growth in the last 3 years. Another good year was recorded in 2006/2007 with both business and personal lending continuing to grow. Finance companies in Australia have long been a significant sector in the Australian financial services market, offering a wide range of products including business leasing, fleet leasing and personal lending. Such companies provide an alternative source of borrowing to the banks, building societies and credit unions. The two largest finance companies operating in Australia are Esanda and Capital Finance, which collectively represents almost 40% of the sector’s operating profits after tax. Some of the key issues which have impacted profits in the last 2 years include: ? asset growth of 7. 1% leading to an increase in interest income ? increased competition leading to reduced margins and fee income ? increased bad debts expenses ?reduced profits on motor vehicle lending 2. 1 Australia – Reliance on Auto Industry and Industry Trends The auto industry is a major driver of performance of the finance companies sector in Australia, no doubt because the majority of the finance companies are exposed to the sector. This may be in the form of lending to consumers and businesses to purchase their motor vehicles, financing auto dealers’ purchase inventories, or providing fleet management businesses. The growth of finance companies coincides with the auto industry’s boom in the past 5 years, with 4 consecutive years of record sales up to 2005. Provision of loans to purchase large cars dropped 18 percent largely due to the change in consumer purchasing habits from the price hikes in oil. Instead, smaller car sales were up 21 percent, contributing to increased revenues for finance companies. However, the increased affordability of new cars in the last 5 years has created difficulties for finance companies which provide fleet management services, such as BMW Finance and ORIX, since such companies suffer reduced profits on the sale of cars at the end of their lease. In recent times, the focus of many of the larger finance companies have shifted to diversification of services. This is similar to Hong Leong Singapore Finance’s strategy in Singapore, which is to take on the major banks at their own game, such as providing property and construction facilities. GE Money’s expansion into credit cards, mortgages and on-line savings provide another example of Australian finance companies’ diversification. Just as the finance companies are expanding their services to include services provided by major finance players such as banks, so are the majors entering into sectors traditionally dominated by finance companies. This includes areas such as lending secured on receivables, consumer and low-doc lending. This has increased competition among Australian finance companies, which is further crowded by new entrants such as Aussie Home Loans’ plans to target car and personal lending markets. . 2 Australia – Growth in Assets, Personal and Business lending Total assets of the finance companies surveyed increased 7. 1 percent to $37. 5 billion, slightly down from 8. 1 percent growth in the previous year, but this still represents a strong rate of growth. This trend has been observed for the past 4 years, and can largely be at tributed to lending growth in the business and personal sectors. Even though finance companies in Australia only accounts for 5 percent of total Australian loans and advances, their market share is considerably higher in traditionally key markets of business lending and personal lending. This is estimated to be around 10 and 15 percent approximately. Since finance companies in Australia are typically not exposed to the housing mortgage market, they are not affected much by the decline in the housing market that is being experienced in global markets. However, the quality of the assets seem to be an issue for finance companies. Total bad and doubtful debt expense increased 32 percent from 2006. Even when viewed in context in the growth of receivables, the ratio of bad debts to average receivables increased. Hence, unlike in Singapore, it does seem that Australian finance companies suffers somewhat from increase in credit losses. However, this is to be expected since finance companies typically engage in less secure lending to less credit worthy customers in exchange for a higher margin. It must also be said that the amount of credit losses increases pales in comparison with the subprime losses that major international banks have faced even with supposed tighter credit checks. 3. Finance companies in Japan In early 2007, the consumer finance industry of Japan was valued at a total of ? 0 trillion with annual growth of 4%. The key factor influencing this previous growth in the industry might be traced to the equity and real estate bubble burst in the early 1990’s which lowered the collateral of several consumers. This provided a large market segment seeking uncollaterized loans, which were only provided by the consumer finance companies. At the same time, consumer finance companies had an advantage over the banks as they had a wider network of loan offices and had a reputation for quicker loan approval. 3. Japan – Regulatory elimination of ‘grey zone’ lending Significant change is expected in the consumer finance sector of Japan, as new regulations affecting consumer finance companies were passed in December 2006, and are to be withheld by the year 2009. The main crux of the new regulation would be that it lowers that maximum allowed interest rate chargeable on uncollaterized consumers. While the interest rate cap on consumer loans were capped at 20% by the Interest Rate Restriction law, the Capital Subscription law stated that a rate of 29. 9% could be charged, in the event that a written consent to the charges was provided by the consumer. Due to this law, several consumer finance companies in Japan have been providing loans to poor credit clients, at interest rates charged within the ‘grey zone’ (20%-29. 9%). What this new legislation entails would be that these consumer finance companies will need to adapt and reinvent themselves, as they can no longer depend on the ‘grey zone for survival’. What can be expected would be shakeout of the smaller consumer finance companies, consolidation as well as diversification of products. 3. 2 Japan – Regulatory Changes The Japanese Diet revised legislation regarding the Money Lending Business (MLB) law. A previous ceiling of 29. % for consumer loan interest rates set by the Capital Subscription law was repealed and reduced to 20%. This coincides with the ceiling set by the Interest Rates Restriction law, which has an interest rate cap of 20% per annum for such loans. Even then, this cap is only applicable for loans of up to ? 100,000 and below. Fo r loans with principal amounts ranging between ? 100,000 and ? 1,000,000, the cap is only 18% per annum. Loans with principal amounts over ? 1,000,000 are charged a maximum interest rate of 15% per annum. At the same time, the Bank of Japan has in recent years opted to abandon their zero-interest rate policy. At the moment, their interest rates have been set at 0. 5%. It is yet to be seen if there will be any increase in this rate, as it will probably depend on the performance of the Japanese economy as it adapts to this change, as well as the USA downturn. But essentially, with the bottom line raised and the top lines lowered, consumer finance companies are seeing their margins diminishing. The amendment also includes tighter entry restrictions for consumer finance companies, return of excess interest payments made to consumers, as well as restricts the maximum debt a consumer may hold to only one-third of his annual income. At the same time, the lid has been left open for more restrictions to be implemented between now and 2009, during which enforcement for the new regulation is going to be implemented. 3. 3 Japan – Effects on Performance In response to the new legislation, the industry has been suffering since. An estimated loss for the combined consumer loan sector for the fiscal year of 2006 has been made at ? 3 trillion. This can be directly attributed to the diminished market segment as well as several requests for refunds of excess loans from existing consumers. With stock prices of the 4 major players in the industry tumbling even before the announcement of the December 2006 ruling, mostly as a pre-emptive reaction, the situation is dire. This has left the consumer finance companies with the option of either leaving the market, or restructuring themselves to suit the new environment. The two main strategies for remaining in the sector would be expansion and diversification. 3. 4 Japan – Expansion At moment, there is estimated total of 10,000 registered money-lenders in Japan. Of these, there are only 4 major players (Aiful Corp. , Acom Co. , Promise Co. Takefuji Corp. ) that are currently listed on the Japanese stock exchange, whilst the rest are all individually casting small shadows. However, considering the increased requirements for operations as well as the diminished margins, it is now harder to maintain operations as a small player. More sophisticated risk management and cost-cutting are all necessary aspects that need impleme ntation for survival. It is expected that a large proportion of these smaller companies will eventually consolidate to be able to mount a substantial fight for survival or be forced to cease operations. Current estimates are that the eventually, Japan will only be left with 3,000 consumer finance companies. Already, that trend is starting to take shape. The current estimate of 10,000 registered money lenders have already dwindled from a previous figure of 14,000 as of February 2007. Two of the larger players, Acom and Promise have also taken a step further than anyone else in the industry, by negotiating partnerships with major banks, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group respectively. This strengthens their competitiveness, as these consumer finance companies will be able to provide the bank with their expertise in handling smaller and riskier consumer loans, whilst the banks will be able to support these companies as they transcend into a more developed state. 3. 5 Japan – Diversification of Products Traditionally, the Japanese consumer finance companies could be classified into two main group; those dealing in consumer loans; and those providing credit card services. While the former group has been hit hard directly by the new regulation, the latter has been relatively unscathed. The main reason would be that interest rates for credit cards were already below the 20% limitation. Consumer finance companies are now finding that there is an unexplored market that they can now explore, to make up for their losses in the consumer loan segment. To compound incentives for this strategy, the credit market has yet to truly blossom in Japan yet, due to a prior preference for cash instead. For example, credit card shopping only accounts for 10% of consumption in Japan, and this is relative to the 25% figure for the United States. 3Finance companies in USA There are many companies in the USA which provide consumer and business finance services in all sectors of the financial markets. Being the world’s largest financial market, USA has a very diverse group of finance companies that cater to auto, personal, small enterprise, insurance, and mortgage lending, among others. Citi Financial, HSBC Finance, GE Money, Prudential Finance, Zurich Financial, and Capital One are just a few examples of such finance companies. Just as in Singapore and other nations, these finance companies typically serve clients who are either too small or have poor credit ratings to obtain loans from the larger banks. The consumer finance industry in the USA is too large to be discussed in full detail in this report. Hence we will only be discussing a particular type of finance company which in the past year has come under scrutiny from all corners of the financial markets – subprime mortgage lenders. While major commercial and investment banks have all taken in losses amounting to USD 170b from writing down Colleteralized Debt Obligations and Mortgage Backed Securities, mortgage finance companies in the USA have mostly been responsible for the origination of such losses. 3. 1 USA – Subprime mortgage lending by finance companies Subprime mortgage lending by finance companies enabled consumers in the USA with poor credit histories to obtain loans to purchase homes with higher interest rates than that charged by banks. These consumers were previously unable to obtain such loans from the major banks and lenders due to their poor credit histories. To entice consumers to accept such higher interest rates, these finance companies typically include ‘teaser rates’ during the initial periods of the loan where the interest rates were lower, and the rates were then subsequently increased significantly after the introductory period. Because many consumers could no longer afford the high interest payments after the introductory period, many were forced to refinance their subprime loans with another subprime loan. This was acceptable pre-2005 since housing prices were on the rise, and this meant that home owners were building equity which enabled them to refinance loans easily. However, after 2005, home prices started to decline and fell below the value of the loan, and thus could not be used as collateral for refinancing. A steep rise in defaults and foreclosures caused more than 100 finance companies in the US to file for bankruptcy beginning late 2006. Even New Century Financial Corporation, then the nation’s second largest mortgage lender, was not spared. Excessive risk taking and making loans to subprime customers meant that such finance companies were exposing themselves to moral hazard excessively. 3. 2 USA – Securitization of subprime loans Many a subprime finance company did not actually hold on to the subprime loans as assets after making them. Instead they securitized, or sold off the loans to issuers and special purpose vehicles. These financial vehicles bought these loans and other investment grade instruments and repackaged them into the CDOs and MBSes that were to blame for the credit problems in financial markets today. These instruments were subsequently bought up by investment and commercial banks, and hedge funds, due to the impression that the risk from the subprime loans have been adequately spread out. However, this was not the case, since once defaults and foreclosures started to hit the issuers, the values of the CDOs were compromised, resulting in huge write downs by banks. What followed was a large credit crunch in financial markets, the effects of which are still unresolved today. Hence, what was supposed to be a mortgage finance sector problem has been spread to all areas of the financial markets through loans securitization, which was started by finance companies in the US. Regulatory Issues The Finance Companies Act (Cap. 108) was established in 1967 to regulate the growing finance companies sector. Listed in the Act are several restrictions that limit the activities of the finance companies. The purpose of these limitations is to protect investors, by controlling the exposure of the company to riskier asset classes and transactions, since finance companies are less able to diversify such risks away than the major banks. These limitations may include capital structure requirements, restrictions on dealings, necessary approval for expansion and others as well. In essence, the provisions within the Finance Companies Act require that finance companies seek MAS for approval to engage in activities other than the most basic lending and depositing services. Since the major banks have a similar set of banking rules and regulations to adhere to, we will be focusing our discussion on a few key regulatory provisions which are specific to the Finance Companies Act. One regulation of particular interest has already been briefly mentioned in the previous sections of this report. In s7 of the Finance Company Act, there are strict capital requirements in place for finance companies. S7 provides that a registered finance company will need a minimum of $50 million in issued and paid up capital. What this requirement does is to limit the industry to only the stronger players. This requirement, as put in place since January 1995, might be responsible for the running out of the several smaller finance companies, and serves as well as a substantially high barrier to entry. S23 of the Finance Companies Act lists out some of the prohibitions of dealings by finance companies. In particular, s23(1)(e) and (f) aims to limit the amount of risk which the finance companies are able to take. This is done by restricting the issuance of substantial loans which exceed 50% of their total credit facilities, and also by prohibiting unsecured loans and advances exceeding S$5,000. It can be seen from these regulations that MAS understands the higher risk nature of the customers served by finance companies, and tries to protect both the customers and the companies from over-exposure to such risks. While s23(1)(b) prevents investments in foreign currency, gold and other precious metals, and s23(1)(c) prevents any acquisition of shares, stock, debt and other convertible securities in foreign denominations, exemption from these restrictions might be granted as stated under s23(2)(a)&(b). S23(2)(a)&(b) states would be that concessions in these aspects might be granted depending on the ruling of MAS. Furthermore, s53 gives room for the authorities to exempt a finance company for some or all of the provisions in the Act. We feel that this shows that MAS recognizes that not all finance companies are ready to take on such dealings yet, but that they are not shutting the door on such transactions in the future. Prospects & Future developments of Finance Companies Effects of the credit crunch In the short run, we would expect that finance companies would experience a udden growth in their revenue segments due to commercial banks tightening credit. The sub-prime meltdown in the United States has severe implications for all industries. However, rather than affecting the finance companies negatively, we foresee that there is a possibility that they might profit from it instead. With several banks being hit severely, we are currently observing the beginnings of a credit crunch as banks start to tighten their credit and adopting a more conservative stance in negotiating loans. This would even be true in Singapore, as we uncover the extent of Asian banks exposure to collateralized debt obligations. DBS Bank has already booked S$200 million worth of write-downs while UOB has S$45 million worth of write-down. These commercial banks have reportedly tightened credit measures with more reluctance to take on risky debts. What this might imply would be that more consumers will have their loan applications rejected from banks, and will therefore look to finance companies for their capital needs instead. At the same time, the market for loans is expected to grow by 13% in 2008. While this is lower than the 20% growth recorded in 2007, it represents that the market is still expanding despite the tightening of credit by major lenders. At the moment, the total loans made by finance companies are sitting at S$8,389 million. The total loans made by commercial banks, however, stands at S$201,424 million. The above figures indicate that if banks were to lose even a small percentage of their market share in loans to finance companies, this would translate to a potentially significant percentage of loans growth for these finance companies. Hence, if finance companies are able to take advantage of the loss in confidence of the banks, and the tightening of credit by said banks to capture the market left behind by the banks in the wake of the sub-prime crisis, there will be room for growth. Consolidation of the segment In the long run however, we adopt a more pessimistic stance towards the development of finance companies. One of the trends that we mentioned was that of consolidation of the finance companies in the past decade. Three such finance companies remain and have performed relatively well over the past few years or so. However, commercial banks are encroaching into traditional strongholds of these finance companies, such as SMEs and smaller personal loans which were once considered unprofitable to service. This is as commercial banks now want to profit from the higher yielding consumer base that these finance companies rely on as they continue to look into other profitable segments that they have neglected in the past. DBS, OCBC and UOB have in the past decade started moving towards these opportunities that they had forgone in the past. There is also increased competition from new entrants such as GE Money and SingPost who now offer consumers more consumer finance choices instead of the remaining 3 finance companies. This increased competition may reduce revenues in the future, especially for Singapura Finance and Sing Investments, since Hong Leong is far and away the major player in this sector and may be able to better cope with these changes. These 2 smaller firms might find it more difficult to continue to perform as well when banks use their financial muscle and influence to try and break into this market. Thus, we foresee a real possibility of further consolidation and perhaps a change in the structure of the future finance company here in Singapore. Hong Leong Finance is special, in the sense that it is much bigger than the other finance companies in the scene. To brand it as a finance company in the same breath as the other 2 does not do Hong Leong’s reputation justice. However, when compared to the commercial banks, they still do not measure up as significant competition. The other 2 finance companies seem to stand little chance should the commercial banks and corporations start infringing on this niche segment that they have survived on. The implications of these is the sign that the finance companies are in a sunset industry and with the exception of Hong Leong, finance companies might struggle to eke out an existence once competition gets more intense. It may revert to a situation where the smaller firms have to merge or be acquired by a larger finance company, in this case, Hong Leong, or risk not being able to survive in the segment. Hong Leong, as mentioned, is unique in the sense that it is such a dominant force in the finance company sector, but yet unable to make the step up to be on the same level as even the smaller commercial banks. In the near future, we could see Hong Leong forming an entire classification on its own, as the alternative to the commercial banks. Following the entry of commercial banks and other competitors into its traditional revenue segments, Hong Leong has been actively looking for other opportunities to diversify its revenue generating segments. We have mentioned some of these earlier in the report. Recently, Hong Leong was commissioned to take up underwriting duties which provides it with a new area of development where they could vary their income sources. It has also established a wealth management arm in light of the growing sector in Asia as a whole.

How to Be a Good Headhunter

As headhunter, I earn my living by finding and evaluating job candidates for the benefit of my clients. After more than 5 years experiences in this job, now I understand what a good headhunter is and how to be. A good headhunter should be building a business based on reputation, relationships and trust — and on making a contribution to our professional community. You are in less of a rush, are more willing to take time to establish long term relationships, and seek to establish your credibility as much as to earn a buck. In order to be a good headhunter, you should have four features — knowledgeable, trustworthy, conscientious and effective. Knowledge As a good headhunter, you should share lots of knowledge and in doing so give candidates enough information to help them make a decision about whether they want to pursue the job (or recommend someone else). You should ask HR tons of valuable information about the company, about the job, the manager and his team, about why the job is open, and about the technology (if applicable), then share to candidates. You also should be able to tell candidates about the interview itself: how the manager evaluates candidates, how his team will be involved and how the selection process will play out. Most important, the good headhunter will be able to coach candidate in a way that will maximize candidates’ chances of winning an offer. Integrity As a trustworthy headhunter, you should be proud of your business and glad to talk about it, more over, you will demonstrate that you have good clients who respect you, and that you know the in's and out's of the industry you recruit in. Your success depends on clients’ and candidates’ trust, which means you should also reveal your trustworthiness by keeping your promises. You do call client or candidate when you promise to call; you do shortlist to client when you promise to. Conscientiousness As a good headhunter, you should try to locate and separate out the best qualified talent for your client company. You should never just ask for candidates resume without doing research by taking the time to ask candidates the tough, detailed questions that will reveal whether candidate fit the company, the manager, the job and the technology or not. Then write some objectively comments on their resume and shortlist to client. Effectiveness As a good headhunter, you should find the right candidate and fill the job in the shortest time. That's your business. To accomplish this, you will gain the respect of the client and candidate. And talking to just anyone isn't your job. Searching out the right candidates and talk with them, that will save your time and make your job efficient. It is obvious that a good headhunter should know client, position and candidate well, and try your best to right person to fill the right position. Meanwhile, you should also give the market information to HR and career suggestion to candidate. If you always do your job like that, success is not far away from you.

Spasmodic

Spasmodic Spasmodic Spasmodic By Maeve Maddox The adjective spasmodic means of the nature of a spasm; characterized by spasms or convulsive twitches; marked by jerkiness or suddenness of muscular movement.   In medical terms, a spasm is a sudden and violent muscular contraction of a convulsive or painful character. Both words are used figuratively. For example, inconsistent or occasional efforts at political reform are said to be spasmodic in the sense of: Occurring or proceeding by fits and starts; irregular, intermittent; not sustained or kept up. A speaking style, such as that of Milla Jovavich in The Messenger, is spasmodic in the sense of Agitated, excited; emotional, high-strung; given to outbursts of excitement; characterized by a disjointed or unequal style of expression. Here are some examples of the use of spasmodic on the web: To a roomful of adoring gays, a spasmodic Pelosi said, Dont ask dont tell†¦will be a memory come Christmas. Spasmodic reform and a little effort before elections will not accomplish much. †¦the electoral parties, always embarked in the rhythmic and spasmodic succession of seductive promises†¦ Violence still occurs, but it is spasmodic and much reduced. †¦there is the most horrendous spasmodic knocking noise coming from inside the [1.2 nova] engine]. Sometimes its possible to reach for the word spasmodic and not quite make it, as in this complaint from another unhappy car owner whose Mini-Cooper engine had been knocking for weeks before the incident described: †¦[the man at the dealership] said that I could have the vehicle towed in at my expense (his estimate was $600 for the towing). I declined due to the cost and the spermatic knocking. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert

Marijuana Paper

Marijuana Paper Marijuana Paper Alex Wolf November 6, 2014 Pro Medical, Anti-Recreational According to dictionary.com, marijuana is â€Å"the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucinogen.† In our world today, marijuana is a hot topic because of the health advantages that come along with it. However, with advantages, there are disadvantages. The advantages are apparent when this narcotic is being used in a medical setting, under legal protection. If marijuana were legalized for recreational use, many bad side effects could come about concerning the health of the individuals who use and abuse this narcotic. Due to the health risks, medical marijuana should be legal in the United States, but recreational marijuana should remain illegal. To begin, marijuana can pose many good advantages when used in a proper setting and should be legal for medicinal purposes. For example, an article written by Anne Harding looked at the different areas that can be helped with marijuana. It has been proved to help with many chronic diseases. It can control muscle spasms when dealing with multiple sclerosis and it helps cancer patients with their nausea from the chemotherapy treatments. If someone’s appetite has declined due to diseases such as HIV, marijuana will help regain their food cravings and promote weight gain. Of course there are side effects to using marijuana in a medical setting, just like any other drug, but they are only temporary. They include dizziness, drowsiness and slight short term memory loss (Harding, 2013). Also, THC, the main ingredient in marijuana, is told to help reduce pressure in the eyes which in turn reduces glaucoma. A report filed in 2014 says the hemp in this drug is a strong reducer o f cancer, diabetes, ulcers, migraines and insomnia (â€Å"Marijuana,† 2014). When used for the right purposes, medical marijuana can be very beneficial. There are still many tests being done to see how marijuana helps others. If it is used under the right circumstances and for the right reasons, it can be used to treat many illnesses. Once the doctors have the knowledge and once marijuana is studied more, in the near future, marijuana should be able to be legalized under specific circumstances. However, there are many more bad side effects to smoking marijuana just for recreational use, and it should not be legalized. For example, on the White House website, it is claimed that one of the main areas affected by the misuse of marijuana is the brain. The THC affects areas in the brain called the cannabinoid receptors. Once the drug are in these receptors, reactions start to take place creating the â€Å"high† that people claim to feel. The â€Å"high† causes partial perceptions, it make it hard to think and problem solve because it harms coordination, and also affects memory and learning. Marijuana also affects the respiratory system by increasing the risk of heart attack five times more than one who does not use marijuana. It also has more cancer-causing toxins than cigarettes (â€Å"Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana†, 2010). An article titled â€Å"Facts about Marijuana† states that THC is stored in the fat of our brains so it can potentially stay there for up to one month. Improper use of marijuana can also weaken the immune system. It lowers the white blood cell count which help to fight off infection and illness. With a lowered number of white blood cells, marijuana users would not be able to fight off diseases as well. In women, because of the THC, ovulation and fertility may drop, and if a woman were to become pregnant while smoking marijuana, the toxins will affect the baby’s growth and development (â€Å"Facts about Marijuana,† n.d). The health and wellness of a person could decrease due to recreational marijuana use. Physical health is not the only area in which marijuana harms. Mental health and a person’s work, school and family relationships are affected as well. According to

Review of The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence

Review of 'The Rainbow' by D.H. Lawrence The Rainbow, published first in 1915, is the complete and exquisitely organized form of   D.H. Lawrences views about familial relationships. The novel relates the story of three generations of an English family- the Brangwens. As the main  characters move in and out of the storys framework, readers are brought face-to-face before an intriguing theory of passion and power among the familiar social roles of husbands, wives, children, and parents. That Lawrence meant The Rainbow to be a novel about relationships is manifest in the title of the first chapter: How Tom Brangwen Married a Polish Lady. A careful reading will make it easy to perceive Lawrences perception of power-over-passion in a marital relation. Paradoxically, it is the passion that comes first- the passion for power that is inherent in human animals. How Relationships Play Out Of young Tom Brangwen we read, He had not the power to controvert even the most stupid argument so that he would admit things that he did not in the least believe. And thus Tom Brangwens quest for power seems to end in love for Lydia, a Polish widow with a little daughter, Anna. From Lydias pregnancy to childbirth and onwards, Lawrence immerses the readers consciousness in the subtleties of relationship politics. The story then singles Anna out to elaborate upon the theme of marriage and dominance. Annas love for, and subsequent marriage with, William Brangwen ties in with the continued dominance of the patriarchal system in English society of the time. It is in this generations marital relationship that Lawrence creates a flood of nonconformist questioning of tradition. Anna openly expresses her doubts about the validity of religious traditions of creations. We read her defiant words, It is impudence to say that Woman was made out of Mans body, when every man is born of a woman. Banning and Controversy   Given the zeitgeist of the time, it is no wonder that all copies of The Rainbow were seized and burnt. The novel was not published in Britain for 11 years. More ulterior motives for this reaction against the book, perhaps, include the fear of sharpness of Lawrences openness in divulging mans inner weaknesses and the reluctance to accept the helpless dependence that is essentially materialistic in nature.As the story enters the third generation, the author focuses on the most grasping character of the book, namely, Ursula Brangwen. The first instance of Ursulas negation of biblical teachings is her natural reaction against her younger sister, Theresa.Theresa  hits Ursulas other cheek- turned to her in response to the first blow. Unlike the devoted-Christian action, Ursula reacts like a normal child by shaking the wee offender in a subsequent quarrel. Ursula develops into a highly individualistic character giving her creator (Lawrence) a free hand to explore a taboo subject: homosexu ality. The gravity of Ursulas passion for her teacher Miss Winifred Inger and the description of their physical contact is aggravated by Miss Ingers negation of the falsehood of religion. The Failed Relationship Ursulas love for the Polish young man Anton Skrebensky is D.H. Lawrences inversion of the command of dominance between patriarchal and matriarchal values. Ursula falls for a man from her maternal line of descent (Lydia was Polish). Lawrence renders the relationship a failure. Love-and-Power becomes Love-or-Power in Ursulas case.The individualistic spirit of the new age, of which Ursula Brangwen is the prime representative, keeps our young heroine from following the long-established tradition of marital slavery and dependence. Ursula becomes a teacher at a school and, despite her weaknesses, persists in living on her own instead of giving up her studies and job for her love. The Meaning of The Rainbow Like all his novels, The Rainbow testifies for D.H. Lawrences prodigy of keeping the ideal proportion between the constructive and expressive quality of the novel. Of course, we appreciate Lawrence for the wonderful insight and the quality of putting into words what otherwise could only be felt deep in ourselves. In The Rainbow, Lawrence does not rely heavily on symbolism for the novels meaningfulness. The story stands on its own. Still, the title of the novel symbolizes the whole scene of the story. The last passage of the novel is the crux of Lawrences symbolic quality of the narrative. Sitting alone and watching a rainbow in the sky, we are told about Ursula Brangwen: she saw in the rainbow the earths new architecture, the old, brittle corruption of houses and factories swept away, the world built up in a living fabric of Truth, fitting to the over-arching heaven.We know that a rainbow in mythology, especially in the  biblical tradition, is a symbol of peace. It showed Noah that the biblical flood was finally over. So, too, the flood of power and passion is over in Ursulas life. Its the flood that had prevailed for generations.​

Journal entry #6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal entry #6 - Essay Example As disclosed, the attributes range from being cheaper and more efficient; possesses the ability to record live scenes; has â€Å"the ability to manipulate temporal and spatial perspectives† (Wang & Shen, 2007, p. 4); to capture both animation and motion; simple and easy to use; enhances stimulation; presents appropriate source and material to learn a foreign language; offers individualized, opportunities for oral practice; and can be utilized within the classroom setting (Wang & Shen, 2007). The authors further discussed the characteristics of ESL learning, first through a more generalized perspective prior to delving into the applications in China. The theoretical frameworks were likewise expounded by discussing the Krashen’s second language acquisition theory; theory on how learning occurs; the cognitive theory; information processing and dual coding theories (Wang & Shen, 2007, pp. 7-8). The proposed tentative model was finally discussed focusing on the cognitive the ory and the Cognitivists’ Information Processing Theory, among others. The vast amounts of new information provided by the authors in terms of learning the role and value of captioned video in ESL learning posed instrumental benefits to educators. As reminded, the applicability of the tentative model depends on factors that range from the â€Å"attributes of the media, the specific learning tasks, and the learner characteristics† (Wang & Shen, 2007, p. 10). Educators should therefore learn more on the subject to appreciate its

Virtual Learning Environments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Virtual Learning Environments - Research Paper Example These learning tools are taken into consideration primarily because they fulfill the standards for a Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) by virtue of their usability and functionality. However, the evaluation of these learning tools is quite different in their methodologies. Evaluation can be done by considering several key components including the easiness of utilization, extensibility, distribution, maintainability, interactivity, functionality such as E-tutoring, security issues, service management, ease of interface and simplicity of accessibility features and the extent of using such tools in Higher Education. The application server of Blackboard works on Windows and Unix platforms in association with a cross-platform browser support for Windows, Macintosh and Unix settings. One of the most important features, which I have noticed while using this learning tool is that, is of course to include the support for IMS. While considering the flexibility system, the provision of contribution by Blackboard application as a learning tool is quite up to the mark especially with its easy-to-use interface. Conversely, the interface may attribute to some debatable aspects considering its applicability in practice as I find it beneficial with a steady and dependable interface while some consider it as a restriction or constraint and having limited option to interact as such. However, the Blackboard learning tool has a significant implication in the segment of Higher Education with high-end and highly-developed components like training materials and workshop templates such as Netskills. The learning tool Desire2Learn is considered as having the potential to be used as a course-delivery device in the regime of Higher Education. An evaluation was conducted to assess the potentiality in relation to increasing popularity and use. A user of Desire2Learn does not require downloading any application; rather the company's server consists of all the required software in order to support their LMS platform with an exception of JAVA as it is used under the license. This product environment provides to create conferences for the members within a class-setting or its sub-groups. It also supports basic chat function in association with HTML based chat tool. When conferences are prepared in order to proclaim an individual course, new conferences can easily be accommodated for consecutive declarations of the course. A user has the privilege to edit or modify a thread and can control the access option for a user or user group at different levels. The threaded messages can be seen in clear and user may perform search option and may be able to find out results sorted by date, topic, and sender. There are other significant features too e.g., incorporate saving, printing, editing and deleting of postings. D2L uses a 'learning storage' approach that let the users to store objects like pages, graphics and test-item banks, etc., and it is XML standard-based. These objects can be shared across several courses or programs. A context-sensitive help aspect endows with help on each one of the most important tools. The product is in accordance with the most important standards of course-sharing globally that is counting SCORM and IMS, and assembles global standards for the right to use.

The Skirmish at Lexington, Massachusetts Assignment

The Skirmish at Lexington, Massachusetts - Assignment Example There is a similarity of occasions that took place in both the British officer and a witness, but there are some contradictions as to what party started the attacks. The availability of the difference in telling the truth may be due to various reasons. First, the officer might be protecting the image of the forces as well as trying to portray a good image of the country to the world. Finally, the witness might not be sure of the happenings as he went ahead to ask those who were in their company of the happenings (Wood, para.8). The British officer in my view gave the accurate happening of the events. The officer seems to have closely followed the events and as a confirmation, the witness said that the local militia was being recruited for the day. In addition, a member in the company of the witness fired to the British soldiers as they dispersed which confirms that the British officer was accurately telling the events (Jefferson and Dickinson,

Service Operating Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Operating Strategy - Essay Example Needless to say, a business’s operations are important, as they comprise daily activities; these activities contribute to the success or failure of a business organization. Therefore, a business’s operations and strategy determine its ability to achieve success and survival in a competitive market (Anon, 2007, p.21). Boyer, Hallowell & Roth (2002, p.176) emphasize that, in a business, customer loyalty and retention can improve profitability for the business; as a result, an effective operating strategy is vital in a business. Needless to say, a service operation strategy should be well managed for it to succeed in improving customers’ satisfaction, and as a result, achieving competitive advantage. In addition, a service operating strategy must align with the targeted market requirements (Boyer, Hallowell & Roth, 2002, p.176). This research involves a case study of a reputable Italian restaurant, whose decision to launch new outlets yields to a concern on poor cus tomer experience in the new outlets, which may tarnish the restaurant’s image. As a result, the creation of a service operating strategy for the new outlets is required, which is the main aim of this paper. Italian Restaurant Outlets; Service Operating Strategy This Italian restaurant (Bel Cibo’) has a 25 full service outlets; its decision to look for expansion opportunities has led management to consider new mini-outlets with limited menus and low cost. However, the main concern lies in the poor customer service experience that may occur, and as a result, tarnishing the restaurant’s successful brand. Therefore, the need for a service operating strategy has emerged; when service level and costs are well balanced, they can lead to sustainable competitive advantage. Hawkes, Bailey & Reid (2011) add that, it is important to match service requirements with the needs of customers; for instance, some customers may prefer self-service, for example when using the banks ATMs or in a grocery shop when selecting their preferred greens. However, in a restaurant, a customer expects to be served, â€Å"matching the customer’s expectation with the service delivery method will increase the customer’s satisfaction and the revenue as well† (Hawkes, Bailey & Reid, 2011). In addition, there is need for continuous monitoring of the service processes, which foster service improvement. For instance, in the Bel Cibo’ restaurant outlets, management can ensure that the monitory role is delegated to a qualified personnel, capable of identifying errors and suggesting improvement strategies. Employees of Bel Cibo are the main determinants of the quality of customer services, and as a result, leading to high or low productivity. It is therefore necessary for management to consider the employee’s labor hours and avoid employee burnout, which will result to poor customer services. At the same time, full-time and part-time workers are ne cessary as well as the shifts strategy, which allows workers to break after some hours of working. Moreover, it is essential to ensure that employees are well motivated; this can be in form of training, promotion, reward and ensuring good working conditions among other activities. Hawkes, Bailey & Reid (2011) emphasize on the use of rewards in improving quality customer service. When employee motivation is achieved, employees will be in a position to improve the

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Marketing - Essay Example In the cut throat business of electronic goods, Sonic mission would be to capture the market segment that caters to the upcoming young executives who are looking for gizmos which are small enough to hold in their pockets but powerful enough to be used as computer, or phone or even as an entertainment device, as and when the need arises. Globalization has changed the dynamic of the business and today the professionals need to have all the information at their tip while following a hectic schedule. So the smaller the device which can pack such features, better are its chances of capturing this target group. PDAs from big companies like Hewlett Packard, Sony etc. have been in the market for the few years. Palm One, Blackberry etc. are PDAs that are well known. Over the years, these PDAs have evolved and new features have been incorporated. So Sonic 1000, would be competing with the companies whose PDAs, already have a market. Since the growing world economy has opened opportunities where new technology would be playing a very important role. Sonic, needs to come out with something which would be unique while having all the features of the currently popular PDAs, at no extra cost. After thorough analysis of the present market, the company proposes to give several value added services to its customers. The new Sonic 1000 would be a small hand held compact computer serving as a 3G camera phone with wi-fi features like Bluetooth, infra red technology thus facilitating easy internet connection. Sonic 1000 PDA would be equipped with a micro mini hard drive of 40 GB and USB connection that would make data handling easy, fast and efficient. 3G facility would enable video conferencing and the executives would be able to interact with their office and clients, while on the move. Looking at the vast potential for this type of gizmos, in the first year, the company proposes to sell 240,000

HEALTHCARE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HEALTHCARE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES - Essay Example social target of governments and WHO on the coming decades should be (1) â€Å"the attainment by all citizens of the world by year 2000 of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life,† for brevity called â€Å"Health fro All† (2) with the adoption of health a san integral part of socio-economic development by the united Nations in 1979 (3) health, while being an end in itself, has also become a major instrument of overall socio-economic development and the creation of a new of a new social order. â€Å"Health† is one of those terms which most people find it difficult to define although they are confident of its meaning. Therefore, many definitions of health have been offered from time to time, including the following: But the widely accepted definition of health is that given by the World Health Organization (1948) in the preamble of its constitution, which is as follows: â€Å"Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity†. In recent years, this statement has been amplified to include the ability to lead a socially and economically productive life. The WHO definition of health has been criticized as being too broad. Some argue that health can not be defined as a â€Å"state† at all but must be seen as a process of continuous adjustment to the changing demands of living and of the changing meaning meanings we give to life. It is a dynamic concept. It helps people like well, work well and enjoy themselves. The WHO definition of health is therefore considered by many as an idealistic goal than a realistic proposition. In spite of all limitations, the concept of health as defined by WHO is broad and positive in its implications; it sets out the standard, the standard of positive health. It symbolizes the aspirations of people and represents an overall objective or goal towards which nations should strive. In recent years, we have acquired a new

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 26

Marketing - Essay Example In the cut throat business of electronic goods, Sonic mission would be to capture the market segment that caters to the upcoming young executives who are looking for gizmos which are small enough to hold in their pockets but powerful enough to be used as computer, or phone or even as an entertainment device, as and when the need arises. Globalization has changed the dynamic of the business and today the professionals need to have all the information at their tip while following a hectic schedule. So the smaller the device which can pack such features, better are its chances of capturing this target group. PDAs from big companies like Hewlett Packard, Sony etc. have been in the market for the few years. Palm One, Blackberry etc. are PDAs that are well known. Over the years, these PDAs have evolved and new features have been incorporated. So Sonic 1000, would be competing with the companies whose PDAs, already have a market. Since the growing world economy has opened opportunities where new technology would be playing a very important role. Sonic, needs to come out with something which would be unique while having all the features of the currently popular PDAs, at no extra cost. After thorough analysis of the present market, the company proposes to give several value added services to its customers. The new Sonic 1000 would be a small hand held compact computer serving as a 3G camera phone with wi-fi features like Bluetooth, infra red technology thus facilitating easy internet connection. Sonic 1000 PDA would be equipped with a micro mini hard drive of 40 GB and USB connection that would make data handling easy, fast and efficient. 3G facility would enable video conferencing and the executives would be able to interact with their office and clients, while on the move. Looking at the vast potential for this type of gizmos, in the first year, the company proposes to sell 240,000

The Probable Effects of Globalization On Union Membership Essay

The Probable Effects of Globalization On Union Membership - Essay Example This essay stresses that the development of the debate took a dichotomous institutional perspective. One group consisted of researchers who supported the international financial institutions’ view that market forces give superior employment results. This group called for non-intervention in the labor market. The other group consisted of researchers sensitive to the UNICEF Report who supported the International Labor Organization’s view that given the existence of market failures in resource markets, including the labor market, government intervention is necessary to establish minimum conditions for employment. This paper makes a conclusion that the Bank’s ‘distortion’ view claims that interventions result in employment failing to adjust to economic shocks. It argues that economic policies that protect employment in the face of economic decline result in more pain to enterprises, and worsens the recession, but says nothing about the pain to workers. Thus asserting that employment protection has efficiency costs is in a way selective and incomplete use economic theory. Nevertheless, Fallon and Lucas found the impact of labor market interventions to be perverse in India and Zimbabwe. They observed that strict employment protection significantly reduced the level of employment growth. The strength of unions is also viewed as a source of labor market inflexibility. Advocates of non-intervention therefore call for the weakening of unions to facilitate flexibility.

Alcoholism and Smoking Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism and Smoking Essay Looking at the health hazards, including lung cancer, impotency, asthma and heart disease, which smoking can cause, banning it in public places is long time due. However, this is just one of the viewpoints. Most smokers and many restaurant owners will sing an altogether different tune with regards to banning smoking in public places. So, lets get to the bottom of this debate by looking at its pros and cons. Arguments for Lets start with the advantages of banning smoking in public places. The number one being that it will not only help in saving smokers from various kinds of health conditions and diseases, but will also is beneficial for passive smokers. Whether the smoker is using public transport or is in a restaurant, the people around him are bound to inhale the smoke coming out of his cigarette, thus making them prone to all the diseases an active smoker gets. Thus, if smoking is banned, spread of these diseases can be checked. Another argument is that it will put pressure on the smoker to quit. Since, he will be unable to smoke in public places; he will learn how to live without smoking a cigarette for long hours. Moreover, when a smoker does not see anybody around him smoking or smelling of cigarette, it might reduce his urge to smoke too. Thus, one of its major advantages is that it forces people to quit smoking. One of the smokings in public places facts is that it influences non-smokers to take up smoking, especially adolescents. Since teens are in an impressionable age, when they see people around them smoking, they get instigated to try it and then it becomes a habit, increasing the incidence of teen smoking. Moreover, asthma and ear infections are commonly seen in children who live around smokers, so if it is banned in public places, these places will become safe for children and teens, health-wise. Looking from the economic point of view, since smoking is a major contributing factor to many diseases, it leads to absenteeism from work. Moreover, employees smoke tend to take breaks now and then to smoke, thus lowering the number of hours they put in their work. So, if employers want to increase work productivity and want to make sure that their employees remain healthy, they should ban and stop smoking in and around office premises. If you see from the environment point of view, yes it should be. Smoking cigarettes adds to the air pollution, so if its banned, it will help in saving the environment from further deterioration. Arguments against Smoking is a personal choice of an individual. If the government forces people to quit smoking, it is encroaching on individual freedom. Secondly, banning smoking is actually a financial loss for the government as it collects a lot of revenue through the taxes on cigarette sales. Another argument is that it is human tendency to do exactly those things which are forbidden. So, if smoking is banned in public places, adults and teens are more likely to smoke and find their own means to evade this law to continue with the habit. From the economic point of view, restaurant, pub and cafe owners will not be able to cater to everyone. This will reduce their sales, thus causing them losses. Places where smoking is banned might see a reduction in tourist arrivals as well. Lastly, when smokers who are habitual and addicted, may experience smoking withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anger, etc, if they cannot smoke immediately. Thus, in this condition and under stress, they might pose a problem to others. In spite of the above arguments against the ban, looking at the harmful effects of smoking, it would be better if it is. However, for such a ban to be useful, the key lies in implementing it effectively. Alcoholism Alcohol and drugs have been for many years been abused by many people Alcohol is a depressant that slows the function of the central nervous system. It blocks some of the messages trying to get into the brain which consequently alters a person’s perceptions and emotions. People that I have known overuse alcohol have undergone intoxication. Intoxication makes one to be aggressive and angry. Due to this many alcohol users have ended in prison. Alcoholism can be divided into three main stages namely Early stage of alcoholism Here a person depends on alcohol to affect their mood. Most people at this level drink for relief from problems. Most people experience gradual increase in tolerance thus increasing the quantity . The body loses its ability to deal with high alcohol levels and as a result it leads to deteriorating body functions Middle alcoholism stage The need and desire to drink becomes more intense. Their tolerance decreases because of intoxications. A few individuals recognize that there is a drinking problem but they are unable to stop. This stage is characterized by hangovers, blackouts and stomach problems End stage Alcoholism The alcoholic at this stage has become obsessed with drinking to the extent of excluding all other activities. The mental and physical health of the alcoholic is deteriorating due to the damage of most body organs. The alcoholic will consequently suffer from malnutrition and if the alcoholic continues to drink alcohol will cause the death of the alcoholic in one way or another. These range from suicide, accidents and damage of body organs etc. Death is the final stage of alcoholisms (Marlatt Donovan 2005) I have actually noted through observation that there are adverse effects of drinking alcohol. Most people who are alcoholic experience bad health effects, such as burnt hips. Too much alcohol within a short period of time may cause alcohol poisoning which is characterized by violent vomiting, extreme sleepiness unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, low blood sugar and even death. Alcohol users especially the young people are venerable to risks such as unsafe, unprotected sex resulting to pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases such as the deadly AIDS those results to the end of lives. Alcohol can make you react in some terrible ways. You do and say things under the influence of alcohol and cant even remember, and thats pretty sad.

Treatment Of Cirrhosis Of The Liver Nursing Essay

Treatment Of Cirrhosis Of The Liver Nursing Essay Jo is a 23-year-old undergraduate student. She is very sociable and admits to enjoying a drink fairly frequently. Six months ago she got involved in a scuffle while out and ended up in her local AE department. While there she had a blood test which showed abnormal liver function. Follow up tests revealed she had cirrhosis but with only a small part of the liver affected at present. Consequently, Jo has been advised to quit drinking completely and has been referred to her local community alcohol team. However, she has not attended any sessions with them. She did go to one session with the AA which she found out about on the Web but did not return as she felt the people attending were so unlike her Im not an alcoholic. Recently, Jo has been to see her GP and said that, as her condition is so mild, and is not causing her any problems at present, she doesnt see why she should totally give up drinking. She claims to have reduced her drinking slightly going out only 4 nights a week and reducing the alcohol she drinks at home, and believes that this is enough. She admits to not telling any of her family or friends about her diagnosis. Her GP has now referred her to her local psychology service to see if you can make her see sense. How might a health psychologist go about helping Jo? Issues Jo has been diagnosed with having cirrhosis of the liver and has been advised by her GP to stop drinking alcohol. During early stages of cirrhosis there can be very few symptoms (Wright, 2009), and Jo does not seem to have experienced any physical aggravation that would indicate problems with her liver function. Therefore her diagnosis initially seemed inconceivable for Jo to comprehend. After a chronic disease is diagnosed, patients can be in a state of crisis and psychological disequilibrium (Taylor, 2006). Moos and Schaefer (1984, cited in Bennet, 2000) suggested that following a diagnosis of a chronic illness an individual can feel that their future plans, social identity and support network is threatened. She has decided not to tell her friends or family, and is avoiding the implication of her health through denial (Taylor, 2006) until she is more accustomed to the diagnosis. After prolonged inflammation of the liver due to excessive alcohol abuse Jo has cirrhosis on the liver. This is when normal healthy liver cells are damaged and replaced by scar tissue, reducing the number of cells remaining to perform its many important functions (Wright, 2009). Cirrhosis is the final stage of alcoholic liver disease, which is an incurable, progressive and potentially fatal (Wright, 2009). Alcoholic cirrhosis is a multi-factorial disease and is not only a result of high dependency to alcohol (alcoholism) (Addolorato et al, 2009; Day, 2009). Research have found a low dependency of alcohol in patients with cirrhosis (Smith, 2006 cited in Addolorato et al, 2009), and it is known that gender, genetic and nutritional factors can influence the disease progression to cirrhosis (Addolorato et al, 2009). Therefore alcoholic cirrhosis could develop in susceptible individuals whose life style of heavy alcohol abuse has predisposed them to their illness. Jos dependency to alcoho l will be established and considered throughout her treatment process, as this could affect the length and stringency of the treatment approach to achieve the best response (Kadden, 1998). Due to the progressive nature of liver cirrhosis in is imperative that Jo eliminates her alcohol intake, as this would worsen her condition (Wright, 2009). The ability to maintain abstinence from alcohol requires a change in lifestyle, accepting the responsibility of ones actions and being aware of the consequences of drinking behaviour (Farid, Clark Williams, 1997). Once Jo establishes this belief and takes responsibility that her behaviour influences her health, she will hold an internal locus of control (Farid et al, 1997). However currently believing that she has reduced her alcohol consumption to an adequate level, and doesnt believe her behaviour has an influence on her health status, she currently ender an external locus of control. Without acknowledgment of this link to her health, Jo might lack the motivation to stop drinking (Farid et al,1997). To alter and educate Jos current beliefs the information and advice given will need to match the appropriateness for her needs (Br unt, 1993). After her diagnosis Jo could be feeling a great deal of anxiety, fear and uncertainty (Berry, 2003), which would make the processing of advice and treatment information difficult. There is a danger that the individual can be left uneducated, which then adversely affects her coping methods and adherence to treatment (Silverman, 2005). Careful consideration must be made to their treatment of individuals who suffer from alcohol related illness as they tend to differ in their ability to function due to depression (Bianchi et al, 2005), raised anxiety (Bolden, 2009; Kim et al, 2005) and fatigue (Blackburn et al, 2007; Sogolow et al, 2007). There are also multiple psychological factors that contribute to this difference such as elevated levels of stress, inadequate coping mechanisms and reinforcement of alcohol use from other drinkers (Bolden, 2009; Bianchi, 2005; Constant, 2005). Psychological support could help Jo overcome any avoidant coping style and associated psychological distress p reventing adverse response to illness (Taylor, 2006). As this could have a detrimental effect on the progression of liver disease (Jin-Cai Xu-Ru, 2002) and act as a predictor for depression (Bianchi, 2005). Majority of the side effects for cirrhosis are treatable with adequate medical management of the patients affected by alcoholic cirrhosis (Addolorato, 2009). Despite damage to the liver, the liver can still perform some of its functions. Jo currently only has a small part of her liver affected and complete abstinence of alcohol is the only way to prevent further damage that could lead to the gradual recovery of liver function (Addolorato, 2009). However it is likely that end-stage liver failure will result in the patient being assessed for a liver transplant (Georgiou, 2003). Therefore, it is imperative that Jo has documented evidence of the length of time she has been abstinence from alcohol, has sound psychological wellbeing and a strong support network, imperative whilst on the waiting list for a replacement liver (Georgiou, 2003; Pereia, 2000) all in which are considered to reduce the risk of relapse both before and after the liver transplantation. A health psychologist can help Jo to employ effective strategies into different aspects of her life to prevent further alcoholic liver damage. Her current psychological wellbeing will be considered as she is adapting to various lifestyle changes, and therefore psychological intervention will help avoid or reduce psychological suffering (Blackburn, 2007; Kim, 2005). A health psychologist will educate Jo to tackle her current beliefs and develop effective coping mechanisms (Taylor, 2006). Having a wider support network would greatly benefit her treatment process (Georgiou, 2003), which would require her to involve family and friends for extra social support. Together with suitable nutritional advice (Merli et al, 2009) and exercise programme (Petrides et al, 1997) could reduce the effect of liver cirrhosis and could lead to the gradual recovery of liver function. Intervention From the start of the intervention it is important that Jo feels like she is being treated like an individual and that her health psychologist understands the impact of having diagnosed with liver cirrhosis will have on her life (Kadden, 1995), and that they may feel that their identity will be defined by their disability (Charmaz, 1995). A good patient-doctor relationship is important for the adherence and success of the intervention (Kadden, 1995). To establish a good rapport Jos health psychologist must display empathy and belief with good interpersonal skills (Kadden, 1996). He or she must be familiar with the material and function as an active teacher to import the skills successfully (Kadden, 1995). To further strengthen a positive patient-doctor relationship Jo must be encouraged to be involved in the decision-making of her treatment, as this could increase the likelihood of Jo being motivated to comply (Longabaugh, 1999). Jo will complete a Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ) to assess the knowledge of her disease, and also a CAGE screening test for alcohol dependence (Kadden, 1995), which will set a guide line for the health psychologist of the problems being addressed. Her current beliefs and perceptions of how her illness will affect her life can be further be explored by using open-ended questions (Kadden, 1995). Together with constant emotional support (Kadden, 1995) would improve her psychological wellbeing. Once Jos beliefs have been established, meaningful information can be given and educational programs can be incorporated. Jo requires learning necessary skills to change her problem behaviour, for this reason the information should be given alongside cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which views alcohol abuse as a learned behaviour which can be reversed (Lonabaugh Morgenstern, 1999). Jo will need to be aware that any negative feelings towards the diagnosis are normal and reassured that following the intervention she will learn adequate coping skills that will help her take control of her illness (Taylor, 2006). The first part will gain acceptance of the purpose, content and plan of the therapy. Information will be presented about the severity of her liver disease, and abstinence of alcohol clearly identified as the desired goal. The patient should elect a person (family member, friend) willing to act as a source of support. A motivational interviewing style should be used to throughout to promote self-efficiency and better understanding in a nonthreatening fashion (Georgiou et al, 2003). Secondly it is important to identify and develop sufficient coping skills and plan how they can occupy their time with social activities that do not involve alcohol. Potential high-risk situations for drinking will have been identified, and the third part of the therapy would req uire the individual to identify how they will avoid and cope with relapse. Jos psychologist should use the PKQ and CAGE results as a guideline to predict the length and stringency of the treatment (3-12 weeks), depending on level of alcohol dependence (Kadden, 1995), which should be constantly reviewed. Jo has shown positive response to cope with her diagnosis by looking for support on the internet. This provides support for the CBT approach as the success of this therapy will require active participation from the patient (Kadden, 1995). Jo did not enjoy the AA meeting she attended, and may have had difficulty comprehending their belief that an individual is unable to alter their drinking behaviour without the aid of religious intervention (Longabaugh Morgenstern, 1999). This would provide further support for the CBT approach having an underlying assumption that it is within the individuals power to change (Longabough Morgenstern, 1999). Attendances to alternative support group will be encouraged as researches have associated this with positive drinking o utcomes (Longabough, 1999). Jo might benefit from a group who share the underlying assumption that alcohol is learned maladaptive behaviour that they can change (SMART cited in Longabough, 1999). Total alcohol abstinence represents the most effective strategy for alcoholic patients affected by cirrhosis (Tilg Day, 2007 cited in Addolorato, 2009). Even low doses of daily alcohol intake are associated with increased risk of cirrhosis. Continuing alcohol abuse can lead to compilations such as hepatocellular carcinoma (Addolorato, 2009). Consequently, achieving total alcohol abstinence should be the main aim in the management of Jos liver cirrhosis. This could become complex if Jo is diagnosed with alcohol dependence (Sussman, 2004). Medical recommendations and/or brief interventions may not be sufficient to achieve and maintain alcohol abstinence when a diagnosis of dependence is present. There may be a need to add pharmacological approaches, like naltrexone, acamproste and bacolfen which have been shown to reduce alcohol craving and intake (Addolorato, 2009), to prevent relapse and further damaging Jos liver. Malnutrition is frequently present in cirrhotic patients, and considered to be a predictive factor for increased morbidity and mortality (Merli et al, 2009). Exercise and nutritional intervention could improve and prevent inter-related conditions such as obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance (Catalano, 2008), which may worsen her condition. Good nutrition has been shown to improve liver regeneration, recommending an intake of about 2000 calories per day to correct deficiencies and promote hepatic repair (Addolorato, 2009). It is generally assumed that patients with chronic liver disease should be encouraged to engage in exercise, as this will maintain or improve their physical well-being. This could have beneficial effects on body composition, muscle strength (Andersen et al, 1998) and glucose tolerance (Petrides, 1996) and may reduce symptoms of depression (Rot et al, 2009) and fatigue (Blackburn, 2007; Sogolow, 2008). However strenuous exercise is not recommended as this might i ncrease risk of internal bleeding (Petrides, 1996). There arent many researches available on the long-term functional outcome of nutritional and physical well being, however malnutrition (Merli, 2009), depression (Bianchi, 2005) and fatigue (Blackburn, 2007) have been shown to increases complications in liver disease. In conclusion forming a good report with the health professional throughout the sessions will promote the underlying success of the intervention. Jos determinants and high risk situations that are likely to lead to alcohol will be assessed. It is important to incorporate healthy interests to her lifestyle and involve her friends and family throughout the cognitive behavioural treatment, where Jo will learn the necessary coping-skills to unlearn old habits associated with alcohol abuse. She should receive psychological support counselling for a long as required and be encouraged to maintain nutritional and physical well-being, which will overall reduce disability and psychological distress.