Brain Drain in Puerto Rico

PUERTO RICO BRAIN DRAIN CRISIS DANIEL VILLAFANE BUSN 5000 WEBSTER UNIVERSITY Abstract Brain drain refers to the large-scale emigration of a large group of talented, skilled and knowledgeable individuals. This situation is also commonly referred to as â€Å"human capital flight. † Globally, some generals factors contribute to this situation. Puerto Rico has his own distinctive factors. Puerto Rico has a special relation, and a unique political status with United States that make it easier for islanders to find an opportunity in the greatest country of the world.A concise timeline will show how and when â€Å"Puerto Rico became an asset to United States. † Remember, in financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset. While Puerto Rico suffer a â€Å"brain drain† of human capital emigrating the hos t country enjoy a â€Å"brain gain. † Timeline of Puerto Rico and United States Relationship since the Spanish-American War 1898 -The Spanish–American War whereby Spain relinquished its sovereignty over Puerto Rico. 1900. The Foraker Act established the governing structure for the island of Puerto Rico. | 1917-The Jones Act granted U. S. citizenship to all residents of Puerto Rico. | 1947- Operation Bootstraps â€Å"Operacion Manos a la Obra† based on an exemption for federal taxes, section 931 of the U. S. Internal Revenue Code. Provided for exemptions of federal taxes for corporation operating in P. R. Puerto Rico entered a period of rapid industrialization and strong economic growth. (Carrion, 2009)| 1952- Proclaimed the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. | 963-Industrial Incentive Act, Section 931, increased the period of exemptions for 17 years. Puerto Rico became an important Center for the petro-chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. (Carrion, 2009)| 1976- Se ction 931 changes to a more financially attractive Section 936. In 1991 corporations accounted for 72 percent of manufacturing jobs in Puerto Rico. (Barbosa, 2010)| 1993-2000 Governor Pedro Rosello and Resident Commissioner Romero Barcelo lobbying in Washington against the Section 936 because they consider it as an obstacle to change the political status for the island and become the 51st State. 1993-President Bill Clinton proposed to eliminate Section 936 periodically during the next ten years. Economy start to decline and corporations stopped investing and start preparing to leave the island. Thousands of employees lost their jobs during this period. | 1994-North America Free Trade Agreement NAFTA makes Mexico and Canada more attractive to corporations. | 2005- Sections 936 and 30A expiration of the tax incentives. | 2006- The commonwealth's population had a steeper loss than any of the 50 states since 2006, according to the Census Bureau. Nasser, 2012)| General factors contributi ng to a brain drain situation globally There are some common denominators that provoke a large group of talented, skilled and knowledgeable individuals to emigrate. Some of these situations are well known as causes of Brain Drain. Many times high scholastic scores are recruited to study abroad. Upon concluding their studies, these individuals stay in the countries where they were educated. In several occasions individuals emigrate because the income is substantially higher.Countries like United States and others well developed nations offer a great diversity of careers and major possibilities of advancement. Last but not least, there is another driving factor know as the standards of living. Factors contributing to a brain drain in Puerto Rico Several factors identify causes of this emigration in Puerto Rico. First, the University of Puerto Rico’s excellent programs of engineering, science and nursing. Recruiters for companies such as Boeing and Disney, NASA and other U. S. g overnment agencies, school districts and hospitals from Texas to Florida flock to career fairs. Add that these students are bilingual; do not need a passport, visa or government permission to work stateside, and it's clear why they're a hot commodity, even in a down economy† (Nasser, 2012). Second, unemployment is still above 14%, compared with 8. 3% nationally (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , 2013). Third, more than 20% of Hispanics in Puerto Rico have a bachelor's degree. â€Å"When you go to a job fair (in Puerto Rico), there are thousands of candidates† (Nasser, 2012). Finally, it is a reality that young people and families are leaving primarily for jobs, but also and sadly to get away from a spike in crime.Negative effects This crisis is bringing some negatives effects in the short run as well as in the long run. Puerto Rico’s median age will much older, as young people are leaving. This human capital flying situation also means that the best and brightes t of your country are building someone else's society. Confusion and skepticism are created when political leaders doubt the reliability of their own citizens and become frightened when valuable workers and capital fleas their country in huge numbers.Eventually this country, Puerto Rico in this case, could lose all of its inner strength due to scarcity of skilled domestic workforce. An a multiplier effect Multi National companies probably will avoid coming to Puerto Rico due to lack of capable workforce. It also put detrimental impact on the development of basic infrastructure. People in the affected country suffer due to unavailability of doctors and engineers. â€Å"Basically, brain drain makes a county hollow from inside and it is curse for developing nations† (The Gemini Geek, 2013). Brain gainThe brain drain that can causes damages to the economy ad future of one country could be the gold opportunity to another host country to flourish. This phenomenon is known as brain gain and is considered for many as a key time for a few cities to get ahead (Dimick, 2012). According to an article in the Smart City Web Newspaper one of the city with more benefits for this brain gain is San Antonio, Texas. Unlike much of the rest of the country, San Antonio is rapidly gaining 25-plus-year-olds with college educations and it is happening fast.The change began in 2008; prior to then, when looking at top metros for attracting college-educated talent, San Antonio was nowhere to be found. Of the top 100 metros in the U. S. , San Antonio ranks as number six in brain gain – those over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree who have moved to the city. To realize the full potential of a talent economy, as Pittsburgh has done, San Antonio will need to produce talent. It shows you how important our universities are and how the decades ahead are so important to rise to even greater promise. SCM, RSS 2013) These â€Å"stolen† minds have flourished and become some of the most successful people in America: 1. Judge Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina to sit on the United States Supreme Court. 2. Dr. Antonia Coello Novello is a pediatrician who served as the 14th Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993. 3. Dr. Edwin Muniz M. D. , Ph. D. and Ed. D. , was the first person of Hispanic heritage to be named Aerospace Physiologist in the United States Air Force and NASA. 4. Angel Rivero Mendez (1856–1930) was a soldier and businessman who is credited with inventing the â€Å"Kola Champagne† a soft drink. . Joseph Michael â€Å"Joe† Acaba is a teacher, hydrogeologist, and the first Puerto Rican NASA astronaut. 6. Pierre Omidyar of France founded Ebay 7. Sergey Brin of Russia co-founded Google. 8. Jerry Yang of Taiwan co-founded Yahoo. FACTS From 2005-2012 more than 400,000 people from Puerto Rico left for the U. S. During the same time, just over 160,000 people came to Puerto Rico from th e U. S. Finally, the people who left Puerto Rico had higher levels of education than the people who came back = brain drain.The completely opposite is happening in San Antonio according to the following extract from the report The Brain Gain: The Rise of San Antonio’s Talent Economy, Smart City Memphis (2013). the same situation in San Antonio. The trend of return migration began in the suburban rings around cities. As parents did well in their two-degree households, they sent their children away to the best college they could get into. Once they finished school, the children left for big cities like Chicago and New York and these children of educated homes didn’t just go to big cities, they excelled. At some point, perhaps for family issues or a desire to start a family, these people came home,† observed Russell. â€Å"I’m seeing this trend explode across the United States and there’s a major migration shift going on. † When they move back, they don’t move back to the suburbs, they have acquired a taste while away for urban neighborhoods. When they come back to San Antonio, shared Russell, they seek out the neighborhoods that remind them of D. C. or Brooklyn. (SCM, RSS 2013) Achieving equality through a higher education should be the goal of every vanguardist government.References Barbosa, P. M. (2010, 06 15). Pedro M. Rosario Barbosa's Blog. Retrieved from Quien Asesino la Seccion 936? â€Å"Who Killed Section 936? : http://pmrb. net/blog Carrion, M. E. (2009, 01 07). Puerto Rico Encyclopedia. Retrieved from Operation Bootstrap: http://www. enciclopediapr. org Dimick, I. (2012, 11 16). UTSA Alumni Association. Retrieved from The Key to Continued Brain Gain: Specialized Higher Education: http://therivardreport. com Nasser, H. E. (2012, 3 11). Puerto Rico's population exodus is all about jobs. Retrieved from USA TODAY/News: http://usatoday30. satoday. com Smith, C. (2013). Brain Drain Crisis. San Juan, Puerto Ri co: El Nuevo Dia. Staff, C. O. (2012, March 12). caribbeanbusinesspr. com. Retrieved from Caribbean Business: http://www. caribbeanbusinesspr. com The Gemini Geek. (2013). What are effects of Brain Drain for a country? Retrieved from The Gemini Geek. Geek redefined: http://www. thegeminigeek. com U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . (2013). States Unemployment Rates. Retrieved from Puerto Rico Unemployment Rates: http://www. unemployment-rate. org/states/unemployment_rate/Puerto_Rico

Is the truth obscured by language? Essay

Truth is public, independent of anyone’s belief and eternal.1 Language allows us to convey knowledge from one person to another by recording our thoughts and feelings and communicating these to others. However, I think that our knowledge can be affected by our capacity to communicate through language. Truths are obscured and our understanding of them is influenced by the language that they are expressed in. A truth may be deliberately concealed or misrepresented. The context in which it is expressed will also affect our understanding of it. Our understanding of something may be obscured by the ambiguity of language. A word could have a range of meanings. Often the context in which a word is used determines its meaning. We use language differently and respond differently to the various uses of language, depending on the context in which it is expressed. But in some cases, because of ambiguity, it is possible to get confused. If I say, â€Å"Visiting relatives can be so boring† it could mean two different things. I may be expressing that I do not enjoy going over to visit a relative, or that I get bored when relatives come to visit me. Both interpretations are relevant to the same context and thus the possibility of confusion arises from ambiguity. The truth, that is, how I really feel, is obscured when the sentence is interpreted in a different way. The use of language leads to classifications, which determines our attitude and behavior. I think that in the case of generalizations, often the words may not mean anything but it is our conventional reactions, which determine our response towards that which is being generalized. As well as reflecting reality, language may also create it. Blondes are classified as being dumb. This has given rise to the widespread use of the phrase â€Å"dumb blondes† and innumerable â€Å"dumb blonde jokes†. The words create reality to the extent that whenever someone meets a blonde person, his/her initial reaction is that he/she will be dumb. Such stereotypes exist in most aspects of everyday life. They contribute to our opinions and these preconceived notions lead us to make assumptions, which may not necessarily be true. Despite this, we still cling to our notions and as a result, our understanding of the truth has been altered. This also happens when we make inferences and judgments. Whenever we come to a conclusion about something based on what we know, it may not be valid. Once we make our judgment and express it in words, we are forced to think along those lines and reduce the possibility of arriving to a new conclusion. When I say that Jack hurt Jill, we think that Jack, a boy, has physically hit Jill or perhaps has been the cause of emotional pain for Jill, a girl. But the only information presented in the statement is that Jack is a living being and did something that could cause Jill to suffer. Jack and Jill may both be dogs, or Jack may have hurt his dog Jill. We cannot be sure of what the true facts are. Nevertheless, we assume more than the information presented in the statement. Therefore, I believe that language can create and maintain reality and make us believe something even if there is no basis on the true facts. People may deliberately avoid telling the truth and employ language to do so. We say that children tell fibs, accused persons and criminals tell lies, witnesses commit perjury, politicians mislead the people, and lawyers misrepresent the truth. These are all different ways of expressing that a person has said something that is not true. They may do so to persuade others of a certain point of view or win an argument, or simply to sell a product or make a profit. Politicians, particularly, use words, not to enlighten or reveal the truth but often to conceal and deceive. Politicians are adept at using phrases that fall soothingly on the ear but are empty of meaning. These phrases have been so commonly used that they cease to mean something, but they still create the feeling of reassurance and the politicians succeed in gaining the people’s trust. For this purpose, they may use long, hard to define and ambiguous words. Politicians, with the help of the media, have even perverted the meaning of certain words. For example, in the recent refugee situation, through the articles in the newspapers and the statements of various politicians, the people have been led to believe that â€Å"boat-people†, â€Å"refugees†, â€Å"asylum-seekers†, â€Å"illegal immigrants† all mean the same thing. The people assume that all refugees are â€Å"boat-people†, all â€Å"boat-people† are illegal immigrants, and that asylum-seekers have no rights. 2 The word â€Å"freedom† means to be free from political oppression, but now it means freedom from wants and needs, huger, unemployment, illiteracy, sickness, etc. – something promised by the government. The politicians may also use vagueness in language. A statement like â€Å"My government will take strong countermeasures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is vague and does not really promise anything but it gives the effect that they will try their best. Thus, I believe, that language can be used to deliberately conceal the truth. I think that the truth can be obscured by the language in which we express them. The extent to which it is obscured would depend on the context. Classifications would lead us to make assumptions, which may not be true. Our interpretations and the judgments we make from them would create a difference between what is the truth and what we understand from the expression of that truth. People may deliberately use language to obscure the truth. The language of politics is designed to conceal the facts. Advertising misleads the consumer. The truth remains the same. It cannot be changed but it can be misrepresented. I believe that when communicating the truth through language, it is our understanding of the truth, which leads us to believe something that is not true, therefore obscuring the true facts. Bibliography: 1. Philosophy – An Introduction to The Art of Wondering 2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – http://plato.stanford.edu/ 3. Ways of Knowing – An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. Michael Woodman 4. Thinking About Thinking. Antony Flew 5. Introductory Readings on Language. Wallace L. Anderson and Norman C. Stageberg 6. The Story of Language. Merio Pei 7. A Nice Line in Bigotry [Article] – Philip Adams 8. The Corruption of Language [Article] – Leslie Snyder 9. Perrault’s Durable Myth Cinderella: Female Role Model Propoganda – class handout 1 Ways of Knowing – An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. Michael Woodman 2 A Nice Line in Bigotry [Article] – Philip Adams

APush History Term Paper Essay

Robert La Follette, the son of a small farmer, was born in Dane County, Wisconsin, on 14th June, 1855. He worked as a farm labourer before entering the University of Wisconsin in 1875. In 1876 La Follette met Robert G. Ingersoll. He later recalled: â€Å"Ingersoll had a tremendous influence upon me, as indeed he had upon many young men at the time. It was not that he changed my beliefs, but he liberated my mind. Freedom was what preached: he wanted the shackles off everywhere. He wanted men to think boldly about all things: he demanded intellectual and moral courage.† After graduating in 1879 he set up as a lawyer and the following year became District Attorney of Dane County. Elected to Congress as a Republican, La Follette was extremely critical of the behaviour of some of the party bosses. In 1891, La Follette announced that the state Republican boss, Senator Philetus Sawyer, had offered him a bribe to fix a court case. Over the next six years La Follette built up a loyal following within the Republican Party in opposition to the power of the official leadership. Proposing a programme of tax reform, corporation regulation and an extension of political democracy, La Follette was elected governor of Wisconsin in 1900. Once in power La Follette employed the academic staff of the University of Wisconsin to draft bills and administer the laws that he introduced. He later recalled: â€Å"I made it a policy, in order to bring all the reserves of knowledge and inspiration of the university more to the service of the people, to appoint experts from the university wherever possible upon the important boards of the state – the civil service commission, the railroad commission and so on – a relationship which the university has always encouraged and by which the state has greatly profited.† La Follette was also successful in persuading the federal government to introduce much needed reforms . This included the regulation of the railway industry and equalized tax assessment. In 1906 La Follette was elected to the Senate and over the next few years argued that his main role was to â€Å"protect the people† from the â€Å"selfish interests†. He claimed that the nation’s economy was dominated by fewer than 100 industrialists. He went on to argue that these men then used this power to control the political process. La Follette supported the growth of trade unions as he saw them as a check on the power of large corporations. In 1909 La Follette and his wife, the feminist, Belle La Follette founded the La Follette’s Weekly Magazine. The journal campaigned for women’s suffrage, racial equality and other progressive causes. Lincoln Steffens argued: â€Å"La Follette is the opposite of a demagogue. Capable of fierce invective, his oratory is impersonal; passionate and emotional himself, his speeches are temperate. Some of them are so loaded with facts and such closely knit arguments that they demand careful reading, and their effect is traced to his delivery, which is forceful, emphatic, and fascinating.† Art Young, The Masses (1917) La Follette supported Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 presidential election and approved his social justice legislation. However, he complained that he was under the control of big business and was totally opposed to Wilson’s decision to enter the First World War. Once war was declared La Follette opposed conscription and the passing of the Espionage Act. La Follette was accused of treason but was a popular hero with the anti-war movement. Lincoln Steffens was a great supporter of La Follette: â€Å"Governor La Follette was a powerful man, who, short but solid, swift and willful in motion, in speech, in decision, gave the impression of a tall, a big man†¦ what I saw at my first sight of him was a sincere, ardent man who, whether standing, sitting, or in motion, but the grace of trained strength, both physical and mental†¦ Rather short in stature, but broad and strong, he had the gift of muscled, nervous power, he kept himself in training all his life. His sincerity, his integrity, his complete devotion to his ideal, were indubitable; no one who heard could suspect his singleness of purpose or his courage.† La Follette became the candidate of the Progressive Party in the 1924 presidential election. Although he gained support from trade unions, individuals like Fiorello La Guardia and Vito Marcantonio, the Socialist Party and the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, La Follette and his running partner, Burton K. Wheeler, only won one-sixth of the votes. Robert La Follette died on 18th June, 1925.

ARE THERE ENOUGH RESSOURCES FOR YOUNG MUMS AFTER PREGNANCY Dissertation

ARE THERE ENOUGH RESSOURCES FOR YOUNG MUMS AFTER PREGNANCY - Dissertation Example Conversely, collecting primary data is often prohibitively expensive. (Brown & Semradek, 1992). Primary data can take years to compile; secondary data, a matter of months. (Hopperth, 2005). Also, there is the issue of sample size – secondary research is often compiled by a government agency, with well-documented collection procedures and well-maintained data files. The information that is compiled is often comprehensive – everything from information on births, deaths, employment, income, etc. to specialized information, such as information about participant's attitudes, beliefs, and related family issues. (Hopperth, 2005). That said, there are issues with using secondary research. One of the issues is that of validity and reliability. Validity is if the study measures what it purports to measure, while reliability refers to the ability to give the same result consistently, even with different researchers, instruments and events. (Harris, 2001). Reliability can be reprod ucible, which means that different researchers will get the same result; stable, which means that the results do not change over time; and accurate, which means that process conforms to a known standard and yields what it is supposed to. (Harris, 2001). In order for the study to be valid, the outcome data needs to be complete. This is especially crucial when looking at statistical evidence over a period of time between different populations. (Sorensen et al., p. 436). Validity, as well as reliability and accuracy are all sensitive issues when dealing with secondary data, because of the problems with conceptualizing of the data, as well as dealing with errors that can occur when selecting, collecting, recording, filing, analyzing and publicizing the data. (Brown & Semradek, 1992). Therefore, the information that is compiled in desk based research, or secondary research, is often found on the Internet by using cites that cater to the topic at hand. Since the topic at hand is not one t hat is overly reliant upon statistics and other types of information that is kept by such organisations as the World Health Organisation, the information may be obtained through other means. One of these means is the database JStor, which provides a wide range of academic articles, as well as Google Scholar. SSRN is another database that has a wide range of articles. These sites were chosen because they provide a comprehensive database of academic articles that are written for topics such as this and other topics. These articles are often studies which are noted by the researchers who wrote the individual article, which provides valuable insight into the topic. The topic may be researched by inputting certain key words, such as lone parent, young mother, and services, and then the topics can be expanded from there. For instance, in this topic, there are a wide range of issues that need to be addressed. Social exclusion is one issue, and the way that this is researched is by inputtin g the key words of social exclusion and getting articles about this topic. Another topic is that of housing, and the same procedure can be used for this topic. In other words, there are issues that young mothers face that are not exclusive to young mothers – these issues are more universal. However, since desk based research is meant to be comprehensive, these secondary topics are included. Another way of approaching the desk based resea

Spatial Differences of Rich and Poor Neighbourhood in Jeddah, Saudi Essay

Spatial Differences of Rich and Poor Neighbourhood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Essay Example This paper explores the reason for this gap by studying poor and the posh areas in the modern city Jeddah located in the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The study analyzes six different factors based on birth rate, income rate, employment facility, education access, healthcare facilities and the crime rate in two prominent areas of the Jeddah city, the Al-Naeem district and the Al-Sharafiyah district. The paper examines how these various hypotheses affects the living condition of the poor and the rich people in these areas using the data collected through an elaborate survey in both the districts. The outcome of the research states there is relatively little difference between the life style of the rich and the poor. Both have nearly equal access to the education and employment. The chances for the poor people to earn more are slightly less than the rich owing to their rich people’s high education standard. The birth rate in both the poor and the rich families are more or less similar with slight variations in the number of children and the earning elders. But, the prevalence of crime rate is much higher in the poor neighbourhoods than the rich people’s area. Similarly, advanced healthcare facilities are mostly limited to the rich people. Introduction Just like many other Saudi Arabian cities, Jeddah too is mostly deserted. The fast growing city is located on the border of the Red Sea. The Al-Sarawat Mountains serve as a natural fortification for the city in the eastern side. The Gulf of Salman present on the northern side of the city acts as a great port. The cities location makes it a gateway for Mecca and Medina, the Jerusalem of the Islamists. The influx of tourists from international communities was crucial in the development of this multicultural city1. Jeddah is located on Tahoma coastal plain that is about 75 kilometres west of Mecca2. The region earned natural environmental distinction with a wide desert, eroded plateau at the central region, and the weather is dry and hot, although winter brings its cold season3. The climate in the city is usually quite high ranging up to 43 Â °C (109 Â °F) in the summers. Dust storms and bush fires are quite common. Jeddah is situated at the heart of the Middle East. It can be reached easily through flight from any North African and other Middles East country’s capital within a couple of hours. It is a major port of Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is considered as the next major commercial city in Saudi Arabia after Dubai. It is quite westernized and has all the modern facilities suitable for a metropolitan city. Jeddah's major shopping area Tahlia Street features everything from Gucci to Armani products along with their traditional jewelleries. Coined as the bride of the Red Sea, Jeddah stretched in a spatial area of 1,320 km24. Objective of the Study The main objective of the study is to spot out whether there is a significant gap between the life of the rich and the poor in the Saudi Arabia. The study selects the historical city of Jeddah as sample and explores the two districts in it, the economically backward Al-Sharafiyah and the posh Al-Naeem area. The main question considered for research is; How different is the life of the people living the economically ba ckward regions like Al-Sharafiyah different from the ones living in flourishing areas like Al-Naeem. The study compares the various aspects of the life of the poor and the rich through six different hypotheses listed below. Hypothesis 1: The birth rate and the number of family members in the Al-Sharafiyah district influence the fertility of the region. Justification: Al-Naeem has controlled infant birth rate and high earning adult’s rate in each family. On the other hand Al-Sharafiyah has more number of small children and controlled number of bread

Microeconomics class; News Article Analysis Essay

Microeconomics class; News Article Analysis - Essay Example According to research by the IMF, what is important is consistency in wealth creation, which eliminates inequality at the long run. Other economics believe that, poverty does not arise from inequality, but the move by the government to increase tax against the rich in efforts of ensuring equal distribution of wealth. Countries that focus more on wealth distribution face lengthy periods of slow economic growth. This is because the level of spending within the county is not only low, but also not uniform. According to the article, unequal countries are poor in terms of social indicators, for example, achievements in education, compared to countries that have equality in income distribution. This is an indication that poor families find it hard to invest in education, which pushes them to higher levels of poverty. Up to some levels, redistribution of wealth does not affect wealth creation. For example, in countries with substantial redistribution, the growth in wealth per individual is not substantially lower. However, countries with more redistribution may face shorter growth spells (The Economist). According to the article, there is a positive correlation between wealth creation and income inequality. In other words, the more unequal a country is, the more the rate of income growth. High-income inequality means that only a small proportion of the population within an economy controls the wealth. Therefore, consumption within the economy is as well concentrated within the small population. There is a direct association connecting wealth creation within an economy and the level of expenditure or consumption. In unequal countries, the level of consumption is low because it is concentrated within a few citizens that own resources. Therefore, there is a lack of enough expenditure to spur growth. Developed countries across the world, create more wealth than the developing countries. This is because the level of expenditure within the economies is

The MSc Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The MSc Education - Essay Example This course is therefore ideal for providing me with an excellent academic background necessary for facilitating my career path. The opportunity to explore the changing education systems and developments within the context of globalization, as well as the prospect of reshaping conceptual and methodological frameworks that run parallel to economic, social and educational policy changes, excites me. I would, therefore, like to further investigate the comparative education field and the interplay between the global and local spheres. My undergraduate degree together with the experiences teaching young learners English as a foreign language as a part-time voluntary appointment at university and Multicultural English summer schools; as full-time employment during the summer breaks (2004-2009), significanlty contributed to my resolve with respect to Education related goals. From my own observations during the process of language teaching, I was able to understand the impact of socio-cultural and socio-economic forces on learning and receptivity. I was able to discern that various factors such as age, influence, personal motivations, and the overall learning environment, including social and intercultural settings, contributed the classroom dynamics. I found a new appreciation for the essential role of a teacher in facilitating the development of linguistic skills and effective communication within ethnically and culturally diverse contexts. In coming to this realization, I altered my approach to teaching during the course of my English Language teaching in summer school programmes to accommodate diversity. My educational and hands-on experience is a manifestation of that fact that the internationalization of curriculum content forms my core interests within international education disciplines.  

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Research paper - Essay Example There are two ways to classify fuels. Firstly, on the basis of the physical state they exist in, either being solid, liquid or gas and secondly, how they are obtained: either naturally or are manufactured. Fuels existing naturally include Wood, Coal, Petroleum and Natural gas whereas manufactured fuels include Coke, Charcoal, Alcohols and Water gas to name a few (Types of Fuels and Their Characteristics 37-38). Solid fuels for example Coal have been widely used throughout and have a number of advantages. Their transportation is easy and also there is no risk of a spontaneous explosion. They also do not possess a very high temperature for ignition. However, their content of ash is great which is harmful for the environment (Types of Fuels and Their Characteristics 38). Around 80% of the coal is used for generating electricity. It is also utilized in furnaces for steel production. The refined coal is called ‘coke’ and it does not pollute the environment. When coal is heated in the absence of the air, coal tar and coal gas are removed which are its impurities (Walker 11). Out of all the fossil fuels, coal has the highest number of reserves around the world and is obtained through mining. Huge number of ‘coal basins’ are present in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth, like in the countries England, China and Australia to be specific (Spliethoff 25). The liquid fuels like Petroleum can be classified as natural or crude oils and also as manufactured or artificial oils. The advantages of liquid fuels include easy storage and transport, requirement of less space and no production of dust or ash upon heating. On the other hand their use carries some disadvantages as well. They give off a bad odor, special tanks are required for their transportation and the extremely inflammable and volatile nature of these liquids pose great hazards (Types of Fuels and Their Characteristics

First nations approach to natural resource management Assignment

First nations approach to natural resource management - Assignment Example A recognition and reconciliation act was the proposed outcome of these negotiations but later on such legislation was dismissed as dead by the First Nations summit in August 2009. (All Chiefs Assembly 2009) Though the act in its proposed form was not acceptable to the majority of indigenous people, all these new debates have an importance of their own as stepping stones towards evolving consensus. The whole thing failed only because of the ambivalent acts of the Province as on one side the authorities said they were implementing the New Relationship while on the other, the court cases against the indigenous communities and conflicts lingered as usual. (All Chiefs Assembly 2009). But this debate provided a platform for the aboriginals to demand that â€Å"enforcement of (the) indigenous titles and rights as called for by the United Nations’ Declaration on the rights of indigenous people† is the only viable solution. Christian paper, 2009, para.3). Thus a tilt in public discourse is evident which in turn will put weight on the arguments of the First Nations people. So the negotiations have to continue and any new legislation must be based on deep consultation. Question 2-The authors of the Christian paper see their titles and rights as â€Å"inherited from (their) ancestral origins as indigenous people (Christian paper, 2009, para 4). This includes sovereign rights to the land they have inhabited in British Columbia for centuries. This also includes rights on the natural resources of that land. The Christian paper also declares without doubt that the Province had no jurisdiction over the indigenous titles and rights of the aborigines (Christian paper, 2009, para 2). The paper clearly states that the indigenous people would accept nothing less than an endorsement of the United Nations’ Declaration on the rights of Indigenous people (Christian paper, 2009, para 3).

Health Promotion Model and Health Belief Model - Discussion Essay

Health Promotion Model and Health Belief Model - Discussion - Essay Example It is associated with the relationship between a person’s beliefs and behavior. However, Health Promotion Model interacts with society. In this modified plan, nurses should manage to teach individual with basic health care information to achieve success with the ability for self-care to prevent diseases (Jarvis, 2012). The Heath Belief Model suggests that health-seeking behavior depends upon person’s beliefs, how he perceived the illness and what necessary preventive measures can overcome illness. Habitual habits like smoking not only do bad to the environment but the person himself. However, if he has this mind setting that he is harming himself and the environment then he would take actions to quit the habit (Purnell, 2014). In my opinion, health promotion model is productive than Heath Belief Model. As a nurse, I personally believe that health can be maintained by manifesting knowledge of health care by health promotion model that aims good health care system taking into consideration the cultural and social beliefs. Healthcare provider has the responsibility to serve regardless of cultural and ethnic differences. One should realize the cultural diversity practically. It will help health care providers to work in any possible manner to ensure better physical and emotional wellbeing of people. I came across many patients those who do not want to be treated by me because I am different from their race. It limits our abilities to providing better health. Due to cultural diversity in society, respecting each other’s belief will help in providing better health care

Financial Management Essay Example for Free

Financial Management Essay Introduction In this assignment I will be researching and discussing how to manage my own personal finances. For this I will have to research sources of income and write about different types of employment and unemployment. The affect these have on salaries and wages will also be investigated. I have also been asked to research and summarise allowances and benefits. As part of the management of my personal finances I must produce a personal budget over a specific period of time, on completion of this I will pair with a partner and discuss my findings. Task 3 Why is it important for me to manage my personal finance? * To help not to run out of money * Help me with budgeting * Scarce resource * Savings * Paying bills * Living alone * Managing money is skill Task 4 Jobseekers allowance Jobseekers allowance would be paid to me if I am eligible for it and looking for (seeking) work. I also would have to be age 16 or over to be able to receive jobseekers allowance. This source of income is relevant for me because I am over the age of 16, living on my own and I am currently looking for work. Income support Income support provides financial help for people ages 16 and over, who have low income or no money coming in at all. This money is for people who are not currently seeking work. This money is to help people with day to day living. Income support is relevant to me because this is the situation I am currently living in and I also receive income support myself. Child benefit Child benefit is parents that have children under the age of 16 or children under 19 in full time education. Child benefit is no longer relevant to me because I do not live will my mother any more. Housing benefit Housing benefit helps towards paying my rent which would be my local authority, but they dont cover all my housing costs. Housing benefit is eligible to people who are renting a room or living in a hostel of sum sort. I can apply for this by just going down to my local authority office and filling in a housing benefit form. Working families Tax Credit Working Tax Credit is for people who are employed or self-employed, over the aged of 16 and are working at least 16 hours a week. They also have to have at least one child. In couples, one person has to choose who receives the tax credits. The amount of tax credits they receive will depend on their annual income. Tax credits are not relevant for me because I am not responsible for any children and I am not currently working. Task 5 When preparing for employment the documents I would need: * CV * Covering letter * Application form * National insurance number * Bank details * Qualification certificates * P45 (maybe not for me yet) CV I would need a CV so that the employers get a brief summary of my qualifications and experience to-date. It would include the school and college I have attended. It will also include my past work experience. My CV will now include that I have recently worked at Superdrug. My CV will also have my references. References are very important as the employers may want to contact the referees to confirm I have the qualifications for the job, and if I am reliable and trustworthy enough for the job. Covering letter A covering letter is needed because it is a part of the formal requirement. It will show the employer where I heard about the advert and why I feel I would be right for the job. Application form Application forms are used to help the employer to separate the good candidates from the not so good candidates. They are also used to find out about information and candidates background. National Insurance No. Every one that has the right to work in the UK has the right to a national insurance number once they reach the age of 16. The national insurance number will show what national insurance contributions the worker pays over the course of his/her working life and also the contribution employers have made. Bank details Bank details are required in order for the employer to give you your wages. Wages are now paid by direct transfer from the employer to the bank account of the employee. Qualification certificates Proof of GCSEs and past qualifications are important because the employer will expect me to have certain right qualification in order to have the job. Superdrug have specific qualifications that are required, these are called essential qualifications. Task 6 Types of employment Self employment Being self employed is when you do not work for anyone else you have your own business. For example owning your own sweets shop is self employment. The income of the sweets shop will come from the customers who purchase the sweets. The income may also come from the bank if you borrow money. Freelance Freelancers are a different type of self employment. Instead of owning their own business they sell their services by working for different businesses. For example a freelance hair dresser would not have their own hairdressing business they would get to all kinds of other businesses and do hairdressing. Employee Employees are people who work for someone who controls what work they do. The employer is in charge of the employees income and deducts national insurance from the employees wages or salary. As long as they is someone handling your wages before you get them you are an employee. Task 8 Key points of each job Job title Retail manager Tasks to be carried out Retail managers are responsible for day to day running of department stores, chain stores, supermarkets and independent shops. They look after staff management, including taking on and training new staff, maintaining a good standard of customer care and increasing sales and profitability. Their duties usually include: * Making sure premises and displays are well maintained * Organising stock checking and re-ordering as necessary, through computerised or manual systems * Making sure targets are reached and all opportunities are taken to increase sales and profitability * Organising sales promotions * Recruiting, interviewing and training staff * Dealing with queries or complaints from customers Skills required A retail manager should: * Know the companys products and procedures well * Be committed to providing a high standard of customer service * Be able to lead and motivate a team * Have good knowledge of legal an d security issues * Have relevant commercial skills for business Qualifications required There are no set academic requirements to work in retail, although employers may prefer employees to have at list five GCSEs grades A-C and have some working experience in retail. Useful qualifications would include: * BTEC national reward in retail * OCR certificate in retail * BTEC Higher National Diploma in retail management * Degree in retail management Individual qualities required * Be confident, energetic and quick thinking * Have excellent spoken English and written communication skills * Be able to take responsibility and make decisions * Have a smart appearance * Be organised * Be able to deal effectively with problems and complaints Wage/salary Starting salaries are usually from around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,000 Experienced managers may earn from around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15,000 to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½26,000 Managers of large stores may earn up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 or more. Job title Retail assistant Tasks to be carried out A retail assistant is responsible for making customers feel at ease when shopping and browsing around the store, directing them towards products and accepting payments. This job generally includes: * Restocking shelves and making sure merchandise is presented neatly * Greeting customers and answering enquiries about products * Operating computerised tills and barcode readers to scan items * Accepting payments for goods and wrapping them * Checking for stock items and ordering goods Skills required * To be accurate and thorough, even under pressure * To be trustworthy- they may be dealing with expensive products and large amounts of cash * To understand and follow companys policies for health and safety and hygiene * Stamina, in order to serve on the shop floor for long periods Qualification required Employers set their own qualification requirements. But usually look for good communication skills, a pleasant personality and look for at least to two to four GCSE grades. Individual qualities required * Have an approachable, polite manner * Have good communication skills * Have a smart personal appearance * Enjoy providing a good level of customer service Wage/salary Starting salaries for a retail assistant is around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9,000 a year An experienced retail assistant may earn around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11,500 a year. Task 9 Why I think I am suitable for each job Retail assistant I think that I am suitable to work as a retail assistant because I have relevant experience within the retail industry. I have recently completed a 2 week work placement at Superdrug which is in the retail sector. During this period I was privileged to be responsible for replenishing stock, providing customer advice and keeping the shop floor tidy. This placement enabled me to develop vital skills such as team working, numeracy and customer service skills which are all needed in order to become a successful retail assistant. This work placement was a part of my BTEC introductory business coarse this qualification will also enable me to qualify to work as retail assistant. Retail manager I am qualified to work in the retail sector as a retail assistant but in order to qualify as a retail manager I would have to finish my BTEC introductory coarse and then go on to study for three more years to receive a BTEC national certificate in business. After this I would then need to go and study a degree in retail management in order to qualify for this job. I have good interpersonal and communication skills and while on my work experience I enjoyed providing good customer service these skills would help me with working toward becoming a retail manager. Retail managers are responsible for day to day running of department stores, chain stores, supermarkets and independent shops this may include Organising sales promotions and recruiting, interviewing and training staff. Task 10 Wage/salary deductions Gross pay Gross pay the amount of money an employee earns before any deductions are made such as tax or national insurance. Net pay Net pay is the money employees actually get for them to spend. National insurance contributions National insurance contributions is an amount of money that the employee has to pay towards there employers this is deducted by the employer from the employees wages. If you are self employed you also have to pay national insurance contribution, this is a small monthly payment and then a lump sum at the end of the year. National insurance code National insurance codes indicate an employees marital status and how long an employee has been working. Income tax There is a certain amount of money that every body is allowed to earn before they have to pay income tax, this is called personal tax allowances currently for people under the age of 65 this is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5,225 a year. If you earn any more than this you will have to pay income tax, how much you pay will depend on how much money you earn. Pensions/superannuation Pensions are long time investments that are designed to provide you with money in your old age when you are not able to work any more. The earlier you start your pension the more you get when you retire. Employees are usually offered a pension scheme when the start there job. The employer pays a contribution to your pension fund and so does the employee this is deducted out of the employees wages before it get to them. Union subscriptions A union is a large group of workers in a particular industry or profession. Unions provide benefits such as legal advice and can also provide support in cases of unfair treatment or dismissal. To subscribe employees would have to pay fees this is sometimes deducted from the employees wages before it is received or the employee can pay the fees themselves but it is not compulsory. Task 11 Allowances and Benefits Housing benefit Housing benefit helps towards paying my rent which would be my local authority, but they dont cover all my housing costs. Housing benefit is eligible to people who are renting a room or living in a hostel of sum sort. I can apply for this by just going down to my local authority office and filling in a housing benefit form. This benefits me because its helps me to save money gives me more money to spend on more important things. Council tax Council tax is an amount of money you pay if you are renting out a council property or of you have you own property with a certain amount of people living in there. Council tax paid to pay the council for giving you their service of letting you live in their property and council tax also pay for things like people cleaning the streets. Interest from savings Interest from savings is when you put money into the bank or a financial institution and earn extra money on top. This is called interest. When you get interest you have to pay income tax on that interest, the bank usually deducts the tax before pay the interest. This benefits me because I regularly put savings into my bank account. Inherited money Most people decide to leave money to their relatives when they die, this is called inheritance. Inheritance could be a small or large amount of money and it may be necessary to pay inheritance tax on it. Borrowed money Borrowed money is anything from a loan to a bank overdraft. Money can also be borrowed from a relative or close friend in this case the money you have borrowed is the money you pay back. If you take out a loan or overdraft which is quit a large amount of money this usually involves paying back the money monthly and each month interest is added on top of the money that you are paying. This result in you paying more that you actually took in the first place, it is much wiser that you save your money for whatever you want to get therefore you will earn interest on your money rather that earning it. Working Families Tax Credit Working families tax credits is for people who have at least one child under the age of 16 or 19 in full time education and earn an income which is below a certain level. The person has to be working at least 16 hours a week and must have savings below à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8000. this does not apply to me as I am not eligible for this because I have no children. Task 14 Explanation of how I planned my personal finances Spend or save As soon as I receive my money I spend it on things that I need such as food shopping and rent. Any money left over would get spent on the gym and my mobile phone then the rest would get put aside as my savings. Gambling Gambling is when you pay money hoping for a chance of winning more money. Doing this is dangerous because you are not guaranteed your money. Gambling is very addictive and if done regularly this could put you into debt that why I choose not to go down this road. Spending habits When I receive my money on a weekly basis I try and spend as little as possible on food shopping so that I have money left over for myself to spend on small luxuries for example a meal out with my friends. I sometimes tend to spend too much on luxuries and this sometimes gets me into problems but I always have someone at hand to help me. Money and lifestyle At the moment the amount of money I receive doesnt allow me to have the best of lifestyles but it is enough to put clothes on my back and to buy me shopping every week. To achieve the lifestyle I want I would need to find at least a part time job so I can earn more money than Im getting now. My expectations of work and money As long as I have enough money to buy me some food and to pay the rent I am ok for the moment. But I would like a bit more than that for example going on holidays and buying the latest clothing. To do this I would need to find a job and also make sure that I handle my personal finances correctly and do some budgeting for these luxuries. Short term accounts Every week I receive my income support into my bank account. I am currently using a current account all my bills are paid out of this account and all my Ema payment come into this account. I also have a short term savings account which I put money into every week. I use this account when I run out of money or need to pay for something important e.g. phone bill. Long term accounts A long term savings account is an account that allows you to build up interest on money that you are saving over a number of years. An example could be an ISA, this is an individual savings account because it is tax free provided the amount saved each year doesnt exceed à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000. The interest is cumulative which means the amount of interest plus capital will increase year on year. Another example of a long term account is a bank loan. A bank loan is usually drawn over a long period. This is a lump sum of money that I borrowed from the bank and paid off over a long period of time. For example a mortgage is paid over a period of 25 years. Cheque book A cheque is a promise to pay someone in place of cash. When you are writing a cheque you write down exactly how much you are going to pay the person. The person then takes the cheque to the bank and waits for it to clear this takes between 3-5 days. It is important to make sure that you have the right amount of money in your bank so you dont go into debt. It is also important to keep a record of any cheques that have been written, this can be done by using stubs which are left in the cheque book after you tear it out to pay someone. The stubs are there so that you can note down the details of the cheque and will help keep track of your money. Credit cards A credit card is a card that you can use to pay for items of clothing or products. This card however gives you money on it but you have to pay it back you are also given a credit limit. To avoid spending more money than you actually have you should usually pay back the money within a month if the money is paid after this you will be charged interest. If you go over the limit that the company has given you interest will also be added. Also you can check how much money you are spending by checking a mini statement that you can get from a cash point. Debit cards Debit cards are cards that have your own money that you put on to the card. You can use this card to purchase virtually anything but instead of having a credit limit of borrowed money you are actually using your own money to purchase goods. A debit card allows you to take cash out of ATMs if you have enough money in your account. To see how much funds you have in your account through an ATM you are given a pin number by your bank to memorise this then allows you to draw cash from the machines and purchase items in shops. To check that no-one is stealing from you or to make sure you are not spending more money than your supposed to it is good to check your bank statement each month these are sent to you by your bank. The bank statement show how much money you had in your account originally, then show all payments that were taken out of that money. You can then check if there are any payments that you are unsure of or if any mistakes were made in you transactions. Paying bills Bills can be paid using direct debit or standing orders. This is when you money is taken out of you account and paid to a business for example, BT telephone company at the same time every month. This can help with budgeting, as you will know how much money is going out every month. To check that you are not paying out more than youre supposed to you can check the phone bill you receive every month. Remaining in credit It is important to manage your account carefully to ensure you stay in credit. You must make sure that when you making payments such as cheques and debit cards you have enough money to make those payments. If not you account will go in to debt and you will be charged fines for doing this, it will also build up a bad credit rating which will make it hard for you to get a mortgage or a credit card in the future. Task 16 Summary of holiday budget activity Why do you think it is important to manage your personal finances? I think it is important for me to manage my finances because it helps me to pay all my bills on time without getting into to debt. It also allows me to put money aside for unexpected emergencies. Managing my personal finances is a very important skill. This skill is extremely important if I would like to start my own business or borrow money from a bank. Managing my money correctly will enable me to live quiet a prosperous life in the long run. Did you find it easy or difficult to manage the finances given in exercises? give reasons I found managing finances quiet hard because you have to keep track of the money coming out of my income every week and there were a lot of different bills to pay and they were all different amounts. I also had to keep track of my spending at the same time to make sure that I didnt get into debt this was really difficult because you can get carried away when your sending your money on luxuries. After all that I have to calculate the total regular expenditure and then work out if I had any money left over to put aside as savings, overall this task was very challenging but it taught me a lot about how to manage my own finances. What did you learn from the exercise on budgeting over a period of time? From doing the budgeting exercise I learnt that saving the little scraps of money here and there builds up into to something big. Also cutting down on luxuries also helps in the long run because the money you have saved enables you to get those luxuries if you just give time. This budgeting exercise also taught me how to calculate my net cash flow which I previously did not know how to do. I also learnt that budgeting is important for everyone because it stop many people from getting into to debt and also helps them to save considerable amount of money. Bibliography BTEC introduction business-published by Heinemann in 2005 Heinemann Educational Publishers Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8EJ ISBN 978 0 435401 21 4 John Ruskin college intranet site Unit 6 Financial Management

System Modeling & Requirement Analysis Essay Example for Free

System Modeling Requirement Analysis Essay a)Discuss the strengths and the limitation of the traditional systems development life cycle (SDLC). Systems development life cycle or software development life cycle is a conceptual model. The systems development life cycle describes the stages in an information system development project (Marios Alexandrou 2011, para.1) which from begin till the end and maintenance of system. The objectives of traditional systems development life cycle are to ensure end-state solutions meet user requirement in support of business strategies goals (FrankKlucznik 2006, para.1) and provides detailed guides of all aspect of system development or scope to managers. Commonly, the traditional systems development life cycle has 5 phases. First phase is planning which identify and analysis what to do. Second is analysis, analyse the requirement of system. Third is design the usability, detail and architectural of system. Next is implementation or programming through software testing and testing code. The last is support to maintain the system. Strengths The traditional systems development life cycle is familiar and easy model to develop a system. This is because the most of designers and programmers familiar with traditional systems development life cycle. Besides that, many people understand and easy to learn the approach of traditional systems development life cycle which the steps are clearly outlined (Tayntor Christine B 2007). The traditional systems development life cycle is a systematic approach, so the software or system is created or a well planned pattern (Greekinterview 2008). Using traditional systems development life cycle approach in development of system will organise and manage the task for the system clearly and organised. The traditional systems development life cycle that emphasises on project control creates formal documentation. The formal documentation ensures the system requirement can be traced back to state business. The formal documentation also records the phases of traditional systems development life cycle, then the managers can used to maximise management control and used as references for next creation of system. During the traditional systems development life cycle, it creates many intermediate products during the phases of systems development. These intermediate products will be reviewed by both managers and users. The intermediate products tested by users or customers to check whether the system meets their requirements. The traditional systems development life cycle was useful for building large and complex system. The large and complex system requires a lot of plan and traditional systems development life cycle approach can solve these problems. The traditional systems development life cycle approach was highly structure and well-defined. Therefore, the system can be planned properly by using traditional systems development life cycle approach. Limitation However, the traditional systems development life cycle is a time consuming approach. Since the traditional systems development life cycle at least has 5 phases to create a system. Each phase requires a few days till some months to complete it. So it takes a few months or years to create system when run these phases for creation of system. In addition, it takes time to create documentation which need record the process of each phase. The traditional systems development life cycle is a costly or expensive approach for system development. Each phase of the approach requires a lot of money. The costs that used in each phase are the error of the process, cost for process and cost for experts that run the phase of the approach. Documentation in traditional systems development life cycle is costly to create because it needs to create in each phase and maintain the documentation. The traditional systems development life cycle may create generation of unnecessary document (Tayntor Christine B 2007). It will happen when people followed the process of each phase slavishly. These mostly happen to the inexperienced managers and staff that believe that all the processes are required to be documentation. The traditional systems development life cycle is an inflexible approach to develop a system where it hard and lack of responds to change of system development. Cutter (2000) states the traditional system development life cycle is full-short in the new e-business environment. They (traditional systems development life cycle) are unable to keep up with fast-paced ever-changing e-business project. Therefore these approach cannot use for easy creep scope of system development. The other limitation in traditional systems life cycle is the customer or user is involved only periodically (Tayntor Christine B 2007) in phase of the system development. The traditional systems development life cycle was mainly participant in the developing system while the users or customers only test the product at the end and less chances to give feedback for the system development. This may lead misunderstanding between designers, programmers, managers and customers about the requirements and functions of the system to be made.

Tech Mahindras takeover | Analysis

Tech Mahindras takeover | Analysis 1. Research Question Will The takeover of Satyam Computers by Tech Mahindra be profitable to Mahindra and Tech Mahindra? The primary objective of this essay is to answer the above research question through primary and secondary data along with the use of various analytical tools in order to come up with an effective answer to the above question. The first company in the research question, Satyam Computers is an IT company which is prominent all over the world. My essay will investigate the aftermaths of one of the biggest scams in the world, the Rs 7000 crore scam committed by the chairman of Satyam Computers on the company. My essay also follows the second company mentioned in the research question, Tech Mahindra which decided to take over Satyam Computers as it was beneficial to them. On the whole, my essay will evaluate this takeover and predict whether this would be profitable to Tech Mahindra and its parent company Mahindra Mahindra. 2. Theoretical Framework To analyze my research question effectively, I will be applying various business theories to extract a considerable answer to my research question. I will be using the following theories and analytical tools in my essay:- SWOT Analysis Lewins force field Analysis PEST Analysis on the eve of takeover. The Wheel of Fortune- Post Merger and Pre Merger Analysis Graphs showing the rise and fall in share price before and after the takeover 3.Areas of study IB Business and Management HL Module 1: Mergers and acquisitions. Ethics and CSR. 4. Method of Research and Plan of Action I will undertake extensive research of the scam by investigating it in leading Business Magazines such as Business World and also include the various interviews that the chairman Mr. Ramalinga Raju has given since the scam. Secondary research will also include examining official documents like the letter of confession of Ramalinga Raju when he quoted the exact amount of the scam and also stated the reasons for it. Further research will also include visiting the Satyam Computers head office in Hyderabad and scheduling interviews with a leading manager from Tech Mahindra who was appointed at Satyam to smoothen conditions over there. Abstract Will The takeover of Satyam Computers by Tech Mahindra be profitable to Mahindra and Tech Mahindra? In this case, Tech Mahindra acquired a scam-hit Satyam Computers as they felt that it would be beneficial for them to strengthen their hold in the IT industry as it has done for itself in the Automobile industry. As The Mahindra Group does not have a strong presence in the IT sector, they have taken the decision to acquire Satyam Computers in order to have a stalwart hold in the IT sector. The main aspect which drew attention towards this project was why The Mahindra Group decided to acquire Satyam Computers. The motive behind this project is to analyze as to what were the reasons on behalf of Tech Mahindra to acquire Satyam Computers. Through research it has been found that there were many benefits for Tech Mahindra behind this acquisition. Through this acquisition, they would become the 4th largest IT firm in India and would also bring them a great deal of popularity in the IT sector. Tech Mahindra would be introduced to many new industries from manufacturing to financial services and also into the Aerospace industry as Satyam has a strong presence in the aerospace sector too. Hence, this acquisition would make them pioneers in the IT sector. After analyzing using the analytical tools, and rise in share price of Satyam as well as Tech Mahindra before and after its acquisition. It was concluded that Tech Mahindras acquisition of Satyam was in fact beneficial for Tech Mahindra. Hence, the final conclusion would be that Tech Mahindra, through this acquisition would improve not only the condition of Satyam but also the stand of The Mahindra Group in the IT sector. Introduction:- Background information of both the companies Tech Mahindra- The Mahindra Group, with a net worth of US $6.3 billion is one of the top 10 industrial houses in India. It is a market leader in multi-utility vehicles in the Indian market and worlds second largest producer of tractors. The Mahindra Group has a leading presence in the major sectors of the Indian economy including the financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, IT and Infrastructure. It is also the proud recipient of the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honor. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize. The US based Reputation Institute recently ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its Global 200: The Worlds Best Corporate Reputations list. The Mahindra Group has many verticals of its business ranging from Automobiles to IT. Automobiles, Farm Equipment, Infrastructure and Real Estate, Engineering Services and IT are its main verticals. The IT vertical of Mahindras business is called Tech Mahindra. With more than 25000 employees, Tech Mahindra Ltd formerly known as Mahindra British Telecom (MBT) is an Indian Information Technology service provider headquartered in Pune, India. It is the 6th largest software exporter in India (Nasscoms, 2007) and 2nd largest Telecom Software Provider in India (Voice Data, 2007) and JV between Mahindra Mahindra Limited (MM) and British Telecommunications plc (BT). Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry, with a majority stake owned by Mahindra Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunications plc. With total revenues of Rs 44,647 million in the year ended March 31, 2009, Tech Mahindra serves telecom service providers, equipment manufacturers, software vendors and systems integrators. Satyam Computers:- Satyam, Indias No. 4 software services exporter, was founded in 1987 by its chairman B Ramalinga Raju, who was born into a family of farmers. He started Satyam Computers with 20 employees and bagged multitude of IT projects from US companies. Satyam debuted on the Indian markets in 1991, followed by a listing in New York in 2001. In 2008, it launched a secondary listing on Euronext Amsterdam under NYSE Euronexts new fast path process for cross listings in New York and Europe. Satyam, based in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, now has 52,865 employees. Satyam Computers is a leading global business and information technology Services Company, which delivers consulting, systems integration, and outsourcing solutions to clients in numerous industries across the globe. Satyam leverages deep industry and functional expertise, leading technology practices, and an advanced, global delivery model to help clients transform their highest-value business processes and improve their business performance. The companys professionals excel in engineering and product development, supply chain management, client relationship management, business process quality, business intelligence, enterprise integration, and infrastructure management, among other key capabilities. Satyam also caters other services such as Enterprise Integration and Infrastructure Management. It specializes in Sheet Metal Parts and Fabrication in the fields of Automobiles and Electrical Industries. Satyam Computers also has a strong presence in the Aerospace Industry. Satyam, who se clients include General Electric, Nestle, Qantas Airways, and Fujitsu, also specializes in business software, and offers back-office outsourcing and consulting services. It competes with local players such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and Infosys Technologies as also global majors such as IBM and Accenture, for outsourcing deals. PART iii- RESEARCH FINDINGS 3.1: Background information of the scam:- Though Mahindra Group has a strong hold in the Automobile sector, they felt the need to advance in the IT sector as Mahindra was a small player in the IT sector. They realized that the fastest way to grow in the IT sector was through Mergers and Acquisitions. In the year 2007, Mahindra started scouting for companies to acquire in the IT sector. In 2008, as a part of their plan, Mahindra sent feelers to Satyam Computers and offered Satyam an opportunity to merge with them. This proposal was at the time when B. Ramalinga Raju was still the Chairman and more importantly it was before the fraud was admitted. Though Raju wanted to merge with Tech Mahindra, he chose not to answer this proposal. Soon after this, Ramalinga Raju admitted to the fraud and Satyam was almost driven to bankruptcy. Mahindra felt that this was the breakthrough they required in the IT sector and lunged at it. A graduate in B.Com, Raju did MBA from Ohio University. Before Satyam, Raju ventured into other businesses such as construction and textiles. 3.2: The conditions leading to the scam, the reasons, and its aftermaths:- It started with Satyams plans to buy Maytas properties and Maytas Infrastructure Company for a proposed $1.6 billion. Satyam had planned to acquire about a 51 per cent stake in Maytas Infrastructure costing $300 million and a 100 per cent share in Maytas Properties which would cost them $1.3 billion. Satyam would buy 31 per cent stakein Maytas Infra from promoters at Rs 475 per share with an open offer to public for 20 per cent stake at Rs 525 per share. It seemed that this deal would empty Satyams treasury and would bring in debt along with adding almost $1.48 billion to the promoters kitty. The news of this acquisition sent shockwaves across the country questioning the hidden lines behind the deal. Soon after Ramalinga Raju announced that Satyam was going to acquire Maytas Infrastructure and Maytas Properties, he invited the wrath of the investors in a conference call. Faced with shareholders revolt and heavy criticism over corporate governance issues, Satyam withdrew the offer within hours of making the proposal. But by that time, the damage was done. What had shocked investors is that this will be funded out of cash reserves and debt in 75:25 ratios. The big question was why a share swap option couldnt have been considered instead of draining Satyam Computers cashreserves. 3.3: Research findings of incidents which added to Satyams ethical miseries:- A severe blow to the Hyderabad-based IT provider facing criticism from investors on its decision to acquire Maytas was of World Bank banning it for 8 years.The World Bank has banned Satyam from providing it services for eight years for alleged malpractices, including bribery. The ban would severely impact the business prospects of the Hyderabad-based company, already battling to retain and attract fresh business in a recession-hit global market. The World Bank debarment had been meted out for improper benefits to bank staff and lack of documentation on invoices.† Satyam started providing IT services to the World Bank in 2003. Two years later, allegations of bribery surfaced. In 2007, an internal World Bank investigation found that former VP Mohamed Muhsin had secured contracts and purchase orders worth $100 million for the Indian firm in return for Satyams stock options (ADRs) at preferential prices. After which he was banned permanently from the bank. However, Satyam was allowed to work for the bank till 2008. There have also been allegations against Satyam of causing security breaches at the bank. World Banks records, which contain sensitive financial information, have reportedly been illegally accessed over the last year. This raised greater questions over the ethical behavior of Satyam. Due to this, an investigation was carried out into the accounting statements of Satyam and there were found to be large gaps in the balance sheet along with inflated profit margins and others in _ _ _ _ (Date). Ramalinga Raju then admitted to committing a fraud of Rs.7000 crore and held himself accountable for the gaps in the balance sheet and other accounts. On January 7, 2009, Ramalinga Raju wrote a confession letter to the board of directors as well as to the Chairman of SEBI regarding the fraud that was committed by him. In the letter, he stated how he had tampered with the accounts and the balance sheet by inflating the profits and the bank and cash balances, by accruing non-existent interests and by overstating debtors position. The following is an extract from his letter of confession:- Dear Board Members, It is with deep regret and tremendous burden that I am carrying on my conscience, that I would like to bring the following facts to your notice:- Inflated (non-existent) cash and bank balances of Rs.5040 crore (as against Rs.5361 crore as reflected in the books) An accrued interest of Rs.376 crore which is non-existent. An understated liability of Rs.1230 crore on account of funds arranged by me. An overstated debtors position of Rs.490 crore (as against Rs.2651 reflected in the books) 3.4: Graphs Showing the Share Price of Satyam Computers and Tech Mahindra before and after the scam and the Takeover. 3.5: Tech-Mahindra Satyam deal:- After the scam, the condition of Satyam went from bad to worse. Hence, the Government seceded to appoint four directors for Satyam till someone took over Satyam and made conditions better for Satyam. Later, the Government held a bid for the takeover of Satyam Computers. According to IT analysts, the chances of a strategic takeover have brightened after the company announced the possible dilution of stake by founder and promoter B Ramalinga Raju. Despite the recent developments, IT analysts reckon that the fourth-biggest software exporter is a good buy, as the India outsourcing story is intact. IBM, it is reckoned, has strong expertise across verticals. So, it was well positioned to leverage on its strengths. An acquisition of a company like Satyam would further strengthen the Big Blues global services delivery capability. Another expected buyer was the US headquartered Cognizant. A Satyam buy will help to build significant scale and bring it into the big league of IT players, according to market trackers. However, the unexpected winner turned out to be Tech Mahindra, coming out from the blue and taking the bidding by storm. Tech Mahindra had won the bid for Satyam Computer after bidding at Rs 58 per share. Tech Mahindra would pay Rs 1, 757 crore for a 31 per cent stake in Satyam. Satyam would operate as a special purpose vehicle until Tech Mahindra raises its stake to 51%.No other bid was within at least 90 per cent of Tech Mahindras bid. While LTs bid was at Rs 46/share, WL Ross bid for Satyam stood at Rs 20/share. Spice Corp, IBM and iGATE were among those confirmed names that dropped out of the race after showing an interest in the company. On April 13, 2009, Kiran Karnik, the MD at Satyam announced that IT services provider Tech Mahindra had offered the highest bid at Rs 58 per share and become the new owner of the company. Tech Mahindra, however, would run Satyam as an independent company with separate liabilities. Part IV: ANALYSIS 4.1: Benefits behind the takeover of Satyam by Tech Mahindra:- The Mahindra Group is one of the top 10 industrial houses in India. It has proven to be a pioneer in the automobile industry and also has a leading presence in the major sectors of the Indian economy including the financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, IT and Infrastructure. Tech Mahindra (IT) is a provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry, with a majority stake owned by Mahindra Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunications plc. The Mahindra group, although strong in the automobile industry, is not well-balanced in the IT sector. Hence, it needed to diversify itself into the IT sector and create a name for itself there just like it has done in the automobiles and farm equipment sectors. Having a strong hold in the IT sector would prove beneficial for Mahindra as it would enhance its versatility. The downfall of the IT service giant Satyam Computers provided a breakthrough for Tech Mahindra. Tech Mahindra won the bid for Satyam at the price of Rs 58/ share in the presence of giants like IBM, iGATE, LT and WL Ross. After Tech Mahindra won the bid for Satyam Computers, Anand Mahindra, the owner of The Mahindra Group revealed the motive behind the takeover saying, â€Å"We want to be the leader in the IT field and that is our vision for Mahindra Satyam. But right now, the immediate task is to bring the company back on track.† Tech Mahindra prior to the acquisition specialized in Telecom services, Equipment manufacturing, Software vendoring and in System Integration. Whereas after the acquisition, they would specialize in other fields where they have a lack of experience like Consulting services, Outsourcing solutions, Engineering and Product Development, Supply Chain management, Business Intelligence, Enterprise Integration, Infrastructure management, etc. Satyam also provides engineering services to many of the component manufacturers in the world today especially in Sheet Metal Parts and Fabrication which are used in Automobile and Electrical Industries.This deal with Satyam would also bring Tech Mahindra into new industries from manufacturing to financial services. It would also introduce Satyam into the Aerospace Industry as Satyam has a strong presence in it. With skill strength of about 6,000 engineers, the work in this vertical would be dealt with effectively. Through this takeover, Tech Mahindra has become the 4th largest IT service firm in India only behind Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro Technologies and Infosys Technologies. Prior to this takeover, Tech Mahindra drew almost 50% of its revenues from a single client- British Telecom plc. But with the takeover of Satyam, they would be servicing the customers of Satyam like Ford, Opel, etc. who require designs, drawings, etc. from the engineers of Satyam. Mr. C.P. Gurnani, the to-be CEO of Mahindra Satyam said that it would be beneficial for Satyam to be associated with the 65- year old Tech Mahindra. This is because of the fact that the company would get 110 of Tech Mahindras customers for the Enterprises Services business. Getting Satyam back on track would be no easy task as there would be many challenges that have to be faced after the takeover. These challenges will be quoted below. 4.2: Challenges for Tech Mahindra:- The biggest challenge that Tech Mahindra will have to face is that they have to reduce the workforce to an optimum level which will be a difficult task as Satyam Computers has about 50,000 employees most of whom are in ineffective positions whom Tech Mahindra can layoff. Another big challenge for Tech Mahindra will be to regain customer confidence. Tech Mahindra does not have the adequate experience in all of Satyams business verticals and it will be a challenge to deal with the issues relating to these verticals. Tech Mahindra has to complete all the legal liabilities of Satyam Computers. Tech Mahindra has to face challenge of merging the work cultures of both the companies as the work cultures of both the companies are not similar. It also has to face the challenge of winning over the trust of the employees of Satyam and other human resource management issues. It will also be a challenge for Tech Mahindra to repair the balance sheet of the scam-tainted company as it will be difficult to know as to where the lost money has gone. Another challenge will be to show the real profits and losses of Satyam Computers. The steps taken by Tech Mahindra have to be chosen very carefully as they are now managing one of the biggest IT giants in India. Any wrong move may result in very dire circumstances for Tech Mahindra. What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? What is the Impact of Point of Care Diagnostics? Nicolas Piperno Multi-stakeholder approach to market for Point of Care Diagnostics in Canada Point of care diagnostics, otherwise referred to point of care testing (POCT), is a form of in vitro medical testing that is performed near the site of patient care, and does not involve the use of laboratory staff and facilities to provide the result. Point of carecan mean, for example, on the wards in a hospital, at a patient’s bedside, in their home, in a consulting room in a doctors office or using tele-health technologies. This concept is not new. Urine testing or blood glucose tests, for example, have been traditionally done at the bedside. Over the past few years, however, analytical systems have been developed that enable a wide range of tests to be done quickly and simply without the need for pre-preparation or sophisticated laboratory equipment.[1] These tests are designed to sample blood, saliva, urine, or other bodily fluids in order to measure proteins, nucleic acids, metabolites, drugs, dissolved ions and gases, human cells, or microbes.[2] The tests require only elementary instruction to use and some can measure multiple bodily agents.[3] Interpretation may be as simple as viewing a stripe or spot of color on a strip of paper or polymer. The key objective of POCT is to generate a result quickly so that appropriate treatment can be implemented. As technology plays a bigger role within healthcare, POCT and accompanying decision-making toolssuch as medical databases arebecoming more prominent. Other major benefits are obtained when POCT is linked directly with an electronic medical record. Results can be shared instantaneously with all members of the patient’s circle of care through a software interface enhancing communication among its members. All of these benefits can eventually lead to improved clinical and economic outcomes. With the increasing availability and use of POCT, many stakeholders stand to be impacted by its innovation, application, and market opportunities. More specifically, physicians and patients would be impacted by the clinical outcomes, and the provincial government and pharmaceutical companies would be mainly impacted by the economic outcomes. This paper seeks to evaluate how each stakeholder plays a role in the increased use of POCT, and if there are points of resistance or leverage for this idea. Physicians POCT have the greatest potential for facilitating faster decision making and therefore more effective patient triage in the emergency department or reduced operation time in the operating room. For example, assessment of the coagulation status via POCT during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery reduces the requirement for blood products, postoperative blood loss, and the time spent in postoperative high dependency care.[4] Little evidence, however, supports the use of point of care testing in primary care.[5] Hence, physicians would be able to start treatment earlier because they would not need to wait for laboratory test results to come in before they can perform any subsequent treatments. Any POCT, however, will only be beneficial if appropriate action is taken on the result. Thus, the rate limiting step in reducing length of hospital stay may not be delivery of a test result[6], but acknowledgement and communication of the result, and the appropriate action that follows.[7] Physicians, as well as nurses that would actually be the main administrators of POCT, just want to be able to do their job effectively. POCT would allow them to do that, and would therefore be a welcoming new tool for them. Challenges remain, however, in the training of staff. Even with the most sophisticated device, reliable results can be obtained only if the patient is prepared appropriately and the correct technique is used. As POCT is likely to be done by staff with limited technical background, training and quality control are critical.[8] If the POCT is linked to an online database, an opportunity arises where technicians can monitor if the POCT is being used properly and realistic results are being uploaded to the patient record. Obviously, privacy issues come into play when more than one person has access to a patient’s medical record. Medical practitioners would be strong advocates for POCT, because they are the ones that would see the on-the-field benefits of its use. The only point of resistance would be the fact that they would need to be trained every time a new POCT is put into use. A way to mitigate this would be to make the POCT device as simple as possible. This becomes less obvious when POCT devices become more sophisticated with options to measure many things at once. Additionally, medical databases will eventually become more sophisticated, and users will need to adapt to changes with the system. Not listed as a key stakeholder, but just as important is the laboratory personnel that could potentially lose their jobs because the POCT will be replacing what they do. This might also be a point of resistance. However, as stated above, there might be a possibility to reassign them as technicians that ensure the quality of the POCT results. Patients POCT will also allow patients to perform the tests themselves in the comfort of their own home. This is the case for diabetics, however POCT can also be performed for patients taking anticoagulants. A major challenge in this scenario would be compliance. Getting patients to perform POCT on their own time might result in them forgetting, especially with older patients. There are however technological tools that can correct for this such as apps that remind the patient when to perform the next test.[9] However, this requires the patient to be comfortable with technological devices. Patients are another stakeholder that would be able to see the on-the-field benefits of POCT use. They will be able to take ownership of their disease if they do the POCT themselves, be able to receive feedback immediately, and not have to wait for laboratory results in which the waiting time can be often a very stressful scenario. POCT will give the impression of a faster access to healthcare in a country where wait times make it seem that the healthcare process is incredibly slow. This will increase patient satisfaction, and thus will be a reason that POCT will be favourable for them. Other ways that POCT will increase patient satisfaction would be with fewer journeys to the hospital as some tests can be done in the comfort of their own home. Furthermore, POCT can be used to figure out an optimal treatment for them. Quicker optimization of treatment, without the need for trial and error, can lead to less adverse side effects and a more comfortable healthcare experience. As for physicians and nurses, training becomes an issue because the average patient does not have technical knowledge. Again, the answer lies in the simplicity and ease of use of the POCT device. Provincial government One of the main objectives of the provincial government when it comes to healthcare is the control of its increasing costs. Healthcare has become really expensive in Canada, and it risks being not sustainable if we maintain the status quo. Innovative technologies such as POCT and the complementary medical databases can serve to reduce costs in many ways. The economic benefit of POCT can be looked at from a short term point of view or a long term one. In the short term, POCT can gain from a more effective use of resources. For example, one study comparing laboratory and POCT suggested that certain tests might be used to rule out the need for other tests as in the case of suspected urinary tract infection.[10] Fenwick et al argued that urine leucocyte esterase and nitrite tests can effectively rule out patients with suspected urinary tract infection, which could reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics as well as laboratory workload.[11] Providing a more rapid result, however, does not always save time and money. No savings can occur unless the result is acknowledged and action taken because of this result. Other short term savings involve a reduction in the length of hospital stay. The rapid availability of a result reduces the time to make decisions, thereby allowing more rapid triage, treatment, or discharge. In addition, POCT can be used to know whether a patient needs admitting to hospital.[12] This saves the hospital, and subsequently, the provincial government a huge amount of money because resources are spent more efficiently. When it comes to long term savings, societal benefits, measured through quality of life indices can be seen as a gain for the government since this would allow less sick days, and more working hours, thus, more tax revenue. There is also an option for POCT via medical databases to become an important resource for public health officials. Big data can be used to guide preventative health policy and possibly save the government millions of dollars in the avoidable healthcare costs. The government could potentially be favourable of POCT because of all of its economic benefits, however risks arise when considering the reliably of POCT results, which can negate the cost savings, and the potential for infection outbreaks – since we exposing bodily fluids to perform such tests. Furthermore, because POCT allows for testing to be decentralized from the traditional laboratory, data management and privacy becomes an issue. Provincial Governments will have to consider these risks and may impose certain regulations that might prevent the extent of the economic benefits of POCT. Pharmaceutical Companies This stakeholder comes in two types. The first type is the pharmaceutical company that is involved in diagnostics equipment. This type of stakeholder stands to gain a lot from POCT because it opens up market opportunities and additional revenue streams. The second type of pharmaceutical company is the one that is involved in drug RD and sales. These pharmaceutical companies might lose revenue as a result of a more efficient healthcare system and less inappropriate use of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies that do both might have to evaluate whether the loss in drug sales is less than the profit made from POCT device sales. Furthermore, because POCT devices will still need to go through a lot of RD, the sale price might be so high that the provincial government might not see the economic value in it. Laboratories already profit from economies of scale, and POCT would be less likely to profit from such economies since its use is decentralized. In general, lobby groups from drug companies risk being the biggest threat to the proliferation of POCT if they see it as a risk to their bottom line. Their lobby groups tend to influence government decisions on regulation and application of certain healthcare devices. Getting them on board would be critical to the widespread of POCT. Conclusion In general, the biggest wins come from doing healthcare differently. Because of the huge labour and pharmaceutical costs involved in healthcare, having the practice of medicine shift towards individuals outside of hospitals might be more economically viable. Rapid delivery of results can facilitate better clinical decision making, improved patient adherence, and greater patient satisfaction, all of which lead to improved clinical outcomes. Most stakeholders stand to benefit from POCT albeit with some concerns, however pharmaceutical companies and laboratory testing companies would be the biggest opponents of POCT. Finding ways to appease their concerns without sacrificing the added benefits of POCT would be the best way to proceed. Appendix 1: Key Stakeholders with Regard to POCT References [1] Price, C. (2001). Regular review: Point of care testing.BMJ,322, 1285-1288. [2] Meagher, R., Hatch, A., Renzi, R., Singh, A. (2008). An integrated microfluidic platform for sensitive and rapid detection of biological toxins.Lab on a Chip,(8), 2046-2046. [3] Li, H., Mccormac, M., Estes, R., Sefers, S., Dare, R., Chappell, J., Tang, Y. (2007). Simultaneous Detection and High-Throughput Identification of a Panel of RNA Viruses Causing Respiratory Tract Infections.Journal of Clinical Microbiology,45, 2105-2109. [4] Despotis GJ, Joist JH, Goodnough LT. (1997). Monitoring of hemostasis in cardiac surgical patients: impact of point ­of ­care testing on blood loss and transfusion outcomes. Clin Chem (43) 1684 ­96. [5] Hobbs FDR, Delaney BC, Fitzmaurice DA, Wilson S, Hyde CJ, Thorpe GH, et al. (1997). A review of near patient testing in primary care. Health Technol Assess (1) 1 ­230. [6] Kendall J, Reeves B, Clancy M. (1998). Point of care testing: randomised, controlled trial of clinical outcome. BMJ (316). 1052 ­7. [7] Scott MG. (2000). Faster is better—its rarely that simple! Clin Chem (46) 441 ­2. [8] Crook MA. (2000). Near patient testing and pathology in the new millennium. J Clin Pathol (53) 27 ­30. [9] CellTrak | Electronic Visit Verification | Mobile Healthcare | Hospice | Home Health| Visit Record | Home Care. Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://celltrak.com/ [10] Rink E, Hilton S, Szczepura A, Fletcher J, Sibbald B,Davies C, et al. (1993). Impact of introducing near patient testing for standard investigations in general practice. BMJ (307) 775 ­8. [11] Fenwick EAL, Briggs AH, Hawke CI. (2000). Management of urinary tract infection in general practice: a cost ­effectiveness analysis. Br J Gen Pract (50) 635 ­9. [12] Brogan GX, Bock JL. (1998). Cardiac marker point ­of ­care testing in the emergency department and cardiac care unit. Clin Chem (44) 1865 ­9.