I’m proud to be Scottish

Why am I proud to be Scottish? There are many different things that make me proud to be Scottish like the pride of watching the National Football Team perform at Hampden, singing the national anthem, being proud of Glasgow being chosen to host the Commonwealth Games. All of these types of things and many more contribute, not just to me but to millions over Scotland, to people being proud of their Scottish heritage and nationality. I feel very patriotic now but when I was younger I never thought I’d ever feel so passionate and ready to speak out and defend my country as I do today. When people ask where I come from, I do not hesitate in telling them that I’m from Scotland as I never get embarrassed at all when confronted with those types of questions. This is the type of person I like to be and this is very evident. Why do I feel like this? Why do I all of a sudden feel proud of my nation? It all started one day my friend and I went to a Scotland v Czech Republic game in 2011 at Hampden for the first time. Before the game I never knew a thing about this â€Å"national pride† that everyone was so fond of. But approaching Hampden and seeing all of these thousands and thousands of fellow Scotland fans swarming around the stadium was what flipped the activation switch; from that moment on I was hooked. It made me feel part of something, like to be involved in something as big as this. Once in the stadium and the teams emerged the feeling of â€Å"I am Scottish† kept growing inside of me. The smell of ‘Hampden pies’, which I was later informed by a beer bellied old man to be a very deer scotch pie, that typical encounter is the sort of thing you would get only in our Scotland. The key overwhelming factor which locked in my first thoughts was when the national anthem rang out around the ground; it gave me goose bumps as I stood in unison with 52 thousand other proud Scots. The game finished 2-2 with a complete joke of a last minute goal by the opposition which virtually ended our hopes of qualification. I knew that I was changing into this type of passionate individual I could just tell it as every bad decision from that ‘referee’, or clown as we like to call him, actually was called everyone including me and my friend roared at the pitch to make sure that the ref knew that he was wrong. Now do not think that I am a football casual or a little thug who shouts abuse at people because I‘m angry because I definitely am not, what I just said may give that impression but that is just an example of what being passionate about your country can do to you. The final whistle went and even though fans booed, and people said things you couldn’t imagine about the manager and the referee, I still felt proud and that I had accomplished something of unlocking a deadlocked passion inside of me. This was one big occasion of why I started to become proud of being Scottish. Now there is a lot to be proud of about being from Scotland. Not just the things that go on or the beautiful scenery, but also the people. A lot of famous figureheads of the World are actually Scottish: Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Andy Murray the tennis player, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Di Resta, Sir Jackie Stewart and finally the greatest British Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, and much more. This proves that it is not unheard of to be proud of being Scottish. As with these legends and idols being representatives, if you will, of how good Scotland can be. Recently The Scot Andy Murray and World Number 3 won his first ever Grand Slam trophy, which would make anyone including myself proud to be Scottish and to be able to say you come from the same country as the US Open Champion or Sir Alex Ferguson is just a great feeling. Therefore this also contributes to me personally being very proud of my nation. Now one of the reasons that I did not think about until recently is the political side of Scotland, of how we are sort of separate from the UK government in some parts with devolved powers when up here we have the SNP Government etc. With Scotland having a separate government, it gives us sort of an edge of England as we get lots of things they don’t which is actually pretty good because us Scots always love to get one up on them! We get free prescriptions whereas in England they have to pay to receive the exact same stuff we get for free, Scots get University tuition for free but again in England they do not they have to pay thousands and thousands of pounds for their extended education, which from my point of view is fantastic as I plan to go to University when I leave school so I can get it for free. Finally the elderly get free healthcare in our great nation and once again down there they have to pay massive sums of money for it. This is a very positive aspect of being Scottish and makes you very proud over the rest of the UK to have all those facilities at your disposal whenever you may need them. Also with an upcoming referendum on whether Scotland should be independent from the rest of the UK, it gives you a sense of pride to know that you’ll have the chance to vote on your country’s future and take part in such a big event and possibly have the final say in Scotland’s history with which way you vote. However, being Scottish does have its downfalls believe me. Starting with the football element of NEVER having a lucky chance unfortunately and just not having the ability to make that last step towards a major tournament which does fill you with embarrassment at times. Another downfall is the weather; I can guarantee that I speak for near enough everyone in Scotland when I say, the weather is completely dreadful. We all hate Scottish weather when all we get is rain; wind and just depressing weather 363 days of the year and those occasional two days of either snow or cold son. This therefore is a big factor of Scottish people not being proud of this country with the dyer weather. Finally the stereotypes. I bet you were all waiting for me to bring this up, Scots are constantly stereotyped to be ginger haired, irn-bru addicted, kilt wearing people when that is completely out of context and so far from the actual truth. These are some of the reasons as to why some people are not proud to be Scottish but there are many more proud moments than there is moments of non-proudness for us Scots. In reflection, I am very proud to be Scottish and have no reason whatsoever not to be proud. With many people on my side I think it is fair to say that most people love Scotland even with its downfalls but that’s just what makes Scotland what it is and we would not change it for the world, well maybe the weather. I feel more patriotic about my country even more now than before. Meaning probably more people have this view aswell.

Modern Virtue Ethics Essay

To what extent do modern virtue ethics address the weaknesses of Aristotle’s teaching on virtues? (35) Virtue Ethics looks at a person’s good traits, known as ‘virtues’ and negative traits, known as ‘vices’; a person is considered to be a good person if they are virtuous and a morally bad person if they have developed lots of vices. Deontological and teleological ethicists argue that good or bad behaviour is far more important than a person’s good or bad characteristics whereas Virtue Theory argues it is only by becoming a better person that we will engage in the ‘right’ behaviour; Virtue Theory looks at the agent in itself and rather than the action. The key concepts of Virtue Ethics were first penned by the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle and in more recent times have been adapted and added to by Alasdair MacIntyre. Aristotle’s theory is made up of many key features, including Moral Virtues, The Doctrine of the Mean, Eudaimonia, and Friendship and the Community. According to Aristotle, everything has a purpose, for example, pens, their purpose is to write, if the pen fulfils its purpose and writes well, it is a good pen. In the same way, if we equate Eudaimonia to the pen, Eudaimonia is the supreme goal of human life, if a person reaches Eudaimonia, they are a considered a good person as the purpose was to be happy, therefore they have reached their purpose, just as the pen reaches its own. He also argued that every action comes down to this aim, every human being desires to be as happy as possible. An example of this is to ask a Doctor or a Lawyer why they chose such professions, the majority would answer that they chose this profession because it pays well and they believed that being paid well would lead to an easier and happy life, or Eudaimonia. Aristotle’s theory also says that relationships and friendships play a very important role in how we behave as people and how our actions are determined; we should all aim to individually achieve Eudaimonia, which would therefore achieve the greatest good for society as a whole as everyone would be happier; Aristotle sees our communal friendships and relationships as a vital part of our moral code and flourishing as a virtuous being. As previously mentioned, a good life involves developing a good character and these are known as moral virtues which are cultivated by habit; one must practice these good virtues in order to adopt them. Some of the key virtues Aristotle spoke of include modesty, generosity, patience, truthfulness and friendliness. Aristotle also spoke of Intellectual Virtues and Cardinal Virtues. Aristotle believed that we should aim to be virtuous people and avoid vices. Aristotle’s theory is centered around the concept of The Doctrine of the Mean; this states that there are two different vices that accompany every virtue- the Vice of Deficiency and the Vice of Excess. The Vice of Deficiency refers to a distinct lack of virtues, whereas the Vice of Excess refers to too much of the virtue being present. For example, modesty, if there is a distinct lack of this virtue, it may result in shamelessness and if there is too much of this virtue, it may result in shyness. Aristotle argued that the ‘Golden (or Virtuous) Mean’ is the middle of these to extremes and that is what people should aim to have. Aristotle’s theory is very logical and encourages people to adopt good characteristics which in an ideal world would result in every individual being as happy as possible; however there are many criticisms of this theory. For example, it is somewhat unclear of what is considered a virtue and what is considered a vice and it is also unclear of who is responsible for deciding these; as well as this, it could be argued that it is not possible to measure these virtues. It could also be argued that if every individual had exactly the same characteristics, everyone would be the same and the world be become mundane and monotonous. Virtue Ethics also does not provide clear guidelines or rules of how to act in specific circumstances and is vague and subjective. Alasdair Macintyre is a Scottish philosopher, whose writing dates to the 20th Century CE. He made an attempt to alter Aristotle’s theory in order to make it more relative and contexualise the ideas. Macintyre felt that morality had become lax and felt that they had become far hypothetical. He felt that people focused more on how an ethical theory would hold up under uncommon and unrealistic circumstances rather than situations where morality counts. He believed that we should understand the context of ethics before attempting to fix modern moral dilemmas. Macintyre’s belief in context as the central part to ethical decision making shows us that he is relative in his ideology. He believed that virtues would change over time naturally, for example, bravery for us is a person that confronts a gang of youths, throwing rocks at windows, or a police tackling a burglar, however 2000 years ago, bravery was considered as a man dying in battle, for his country. This is an attempt at addressing a weakness of Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, as it would encourage the person to look at the time and place before deciding whether the character traits are good or not. It has to be said that what may be considered good in the Congo may not necessarily be considered good in Brixton, London. Finally Macintyre addresses the issue of External and Internal goods. Internal Goods are what he calls, the qualities of a person’s character. The External Goods are the things that a person relies on, for example,food or a decent living arrangement. He states that although these are valuable to the human nature, they can be considered good or bad. However the Internal Goods are the most important. This gives more relativism than Aristotelian Virtue Ethics which can be considered an improvement. In conclusion I feel that Alasdair Macintyre has made a good attempt to improve and change Aristotle’s version of Virtue Ethics, however we can still see some weaknesses. For example, it is even more relative than Aristotle’s version and this can lead to ambiguity when facing a moral dilemma. This has not been addressed, in the modern version by Macintyre. It also does not eliminate the idea of universal virtues to achieve Eudaimonia. This is problematic. So, I feel that his attempt must be congratulated but I do not feel that it has been entirely successful as there are still elements which could be improved further.

Making Choices about Exigency, Genre, and Readership Essay - 1

Making Choices about Exigency, Genre, and Readership - Essay Example Thinking about genre will enable the writer to consider the style and manner of writing. Considering about readership will compel the writer to engage with the subject being written and not just to write to comply to the requirements of an assignment. I have to admit that the only person I thought of in my previous writing classes is my teacher on how to satisfy him or her so I can get better grade. Writing for an ideal community of readers compels me to find ways to meet the expectations of those who are already interested in my topic and for them to consider my perspective, accept my explanations, arguments and proposals. Writing for a class is primarily motivated by compliance or as a response to the requirement of a class. This may or may not engage the writer as he or she writes the paper. Writing for â€Å"real† readers on the other hand, engages the writer about the subject being written in order to convince its real readers to adopt his or her point of view or be convince with the persuasion of the

Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay - Essay Example Evidence abounds that while some journalists lapped up such handouts and other Government-supplied material inadvertently, some others did it in good faith, while yet others did that in return for consideration. Understandably, therefore, the message they convey to the American citizens is that the Government is in full control of every situation. However, not many Americans seem to believe such rosy reports; they read between the lines, especially as doubts have been cast on the credibility of such media outlets as work as unofficial spokespersons of the Government. Public opinion in the United States has crystallized against torture in these two detention camps, despite the administration using the media for its own ends.For media outlets like Al Jazeera and Al Arabia, onthe other hand, any stick is good enough to beat theUnited States with, and, as such, they brainwashtheir essentially Arab audiences against the UnitedStates. Their message is that the days of USsupremacy are stric tly numbered. As such, there isa basic similarity between the mainstream mediain the United States and such media outlets in theArab world, in that for neither are facts sacred. Within the United States, while the liberaltraditions of the Democratic Party militate against detention camps and deprivation of the due process of law even to suspected terrorists, the conservative baggage of the Republicans is comfortable with them. Finally, the basic connection between Abu Ghraib and the Guantanamo Bay is that both are detention camps that have hit the headlines for human rights abuses. _____ "Federal authorities are investigating dozens ofAmerican television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news. Some of the fake news segments talked of success in the war in Iraq." (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006) Investigators sought information about stations across the country after a report produced by a campaign group detailed the extraordinary extent of the use of such items. (Buncombe, Andrew, May 29, 2006) The report, by the non-profit Center for Media and Democracy, found that over a 10-month period at least 77 television stations were using the faux news broadcasts, known as Video News Releases (VNRs) (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006). "We know we only had partial access to these VNRs, and yet we found 77 stations using them," said Diana Farsetta, one of the researchers of the group. (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006) "I would say it's pretty extraordinary. The picture we found was much worse than we (had) expected going into the investigation in terms of just how widely these got played and how frequently these prepackaged segments were put on the air," she added. Public relations companies, commissioned to produce these segments by corporations had, according to her, become increasingly sophisticated in their techniques to get the VNRs broadcast. They were now very good at mimicking what a real, independently produced television report would look like. (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006). The range of VNRs is wide. Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you, Bush; Thank you, USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad. The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 Federal agencies that have produced and

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public Research Proposal

What is the effect of attending a private university versus a public university in regards to employability following graduation - Research Proposal Example This will be in terms of the benefits they will reap from enrolling in either of the two types of Universities. The citation style that I have used in writing report is the APA style. I chose to use this style because it enables me to provide clear evidence on the research carried out. In other words, it enables me to justify my work through previously published statements. I would like to acknowledge the alumni groups for both Universities that helped me collect the information that this report was based on, the principals for the companies that participated in providing information for the report (names have been kept anonymous), and the alumni themselves for volunteering information through questionnaires or personal interviews that aided in producing this report (names have been kept anonymous). The report on the graduate students leaving the two different universities provides an analysis for their trends on employability after graduating for the last five years. The students analyzed are from the University of North Florida, a public University and Jacksonville University, a private University. These universities have had high rates of students gaining employment in the country within the public along with the private sectors. The trends on employability is influenced by several factors: employers’ preference for the students from either type of university and the demand for university degrees in the employment field among others. The report reveals that both institutions provide large amounts of labor to employers within both sectors of the economy. The report recommends that the government should ensure that all students get equal opportunities in education and employment by ensuring both are accessible and affordable to everyone. It also urges employers to employ students based on their competencies and educational levels.

Investigate whether financial conservative policies depend on Dissertation

Investigate whether financial conservative policies depend on financial distress - Dissertation Example The literature review will look at work already done in the area and this along with an analysis of data will be used to arrive at a conclusion. The paper also describes the research methodology that will be used in carrying out the study. Theoretical Framework Central to this investigation is to define trade off and pecking order theories and the terms financial conservatism, financial distress and leverage. A sample of firms that adopts conservative policies as it relates to high levels of cash holdings and low levels of leverage will be identified and data relating to financial conservatism will be analysed. Trade-off theory predicts that when firms face high expected cost of financial distress and/ or attach a rather low value to interest tax shields, then, they will seek to employ conservative financial policies (Minton and Wruck 2001). Pecking order theory predicts that firms use external financing only when internal funds are insufficient to support discretionary expenditures. When internal funds fall short, managers look first to debt financing and only as a last resort do they turn to using equity financing (Myers 1984). Definitions Financial conservatism For the purpose of this study financial conservatism is defined as a persistent financial policy of low leverage and high cash holdings. Financial distress Financial distress is the inability to generate revenue when there are too many debts. Literature Review Iona (2004) Berger et al (1997) suggests that managers tend to make more conservative capital structure decisions when are given the power to use their discretion and are therefore free from disciplinary and monitoring mechanisms. The main motives behind the choice of conservative leverage policies are to reduce the probability of financial distress and bankruptcy and to resist disciplinary actions. Mackie-Mason (1990) used the modified Altman’s (1968) Z-Score to test for the likelihood that a firm will experience financial distress. Simi larly, Helwege and Liang 1996; and Graham (2000) have used this variable in their capital structure studies. They have found the Z-Score coefficient to be consistently positive and significant. This therefore, indicates that financially conservative firms are less likely to face financial distress. Myers (1984) suggests that a firm may seek to maintain slack in the form of reserve borrowing power and target a level of borrowing that lies below its debt capacity. In doing so, the firm can issue safe debt if it needs to avoid any material costs of financial distress. Titman (1984) and Graham (2000) identified industries in which firms are likely to experience significant costs of financial distress. The suggestion is that sensitivity distress results from high levels of on-going relationships with customers which results from warranties, repairs and upgrades associated with the sale of goods in the computer industry, specialty manufacturing industry, the retail industry and the pharma ceutical/biotechnology firms. Minton and Wruck (2001) indicates that three (3) of the four (4) industry classification mentioned above are associated significantly with the probability of being financially conservative. Retail firms are less likely to follow policies of low leverage possibly because of the thinking that real estate serves as good collateral for borrowing purposes. Iona (2004) also

Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Strategy - Essay Example 8), Hershey’s marketing strategy has been predicated on consistently superior product quality, intensive distribution and best possible value in terms of price and weight (p. 207). With a vision to continuously provide premium quality confectionary goods to its customers, Hershey became the market leader with a market share of 29%. Hershey’s selling and marketing organization is comprised of Hershey North America, Hershey international and global marketing groups. Hershey International markets its products worldwide and has responsibility for pursuing growth in other countries focusing mainly in Asian growing markets like India and China. The global marketing group is responsible for building global brands, developing transformational growth platforms, brand positioning and pricing strategies. Hershey has been approaching various methods in order to gain competitive advantages on its counterparts like MARS, Cadbury and Nestle. It has been operating business worldwide with various strategies that helped them to be strong in most markets like India. Taylor (1997) emphasized that Hershey had been using a range of strategies to penetrate the international confectionary markets and it had always relied heavily on direct exports to smaller markets and had participated in the processes of acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing agreements and strategic alliances of various kinds (p. 344). Acquisition of major market players has been considered to be an effective strategy in order to gain access in to global market. Accessing in to a global market like confectionary is extremely vulnerable, especially when the competition within the marketplace is fierce, the technological innovations put forward by companies are highly advanced and strategies are constantly fluctuating. But, through acquisition and mergers, the company can gain the advantages of easy access and effective marketing operations with the help of acquisitioned firms as they are well aware of the market

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S Essay

Controversy native american names symbols mascots in U.S - Essay Example But five pro teams and hundreds of high school teams with no connection to Indians continue to portray their teams under Indian imagery. Now the fight has reached the NCAA, the governing body of college sports, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which has, for the first time, called for â€Å"an end to the use of Native American images and team names by non-Native schools.† The use of Native American mascots is quite an extensive issue in college sports. There are quite a few examples of this. As of 2001, Florida State University’s mascot was Chief Osceola with his steed Renegade. The image of the mascot was actually painted onto the turf of the playing field. Their pregame ritual actually consisted of the living mascot representative running out with a flaming spear and stabbing it into the image on the playing field. â€Å"Meanwhile, outside the delirious stadium a small group quietly stands with signs protesting the use of Seminole Indian imagery for the school’s sports mascots. They came two hours before the game and they will stay two hours after, holding vigil as fans file in and out, paying little attention to the authentic Seminoles who attend every game, rain or shine† (Teaching Tolerance, 2008, pg. 1). The teams themselves and their fans on one side attribute the use of the Native American mascots as a tribute to Native Americans. Some individuals beg to differ however, taking great offense to the fact that it is allowed on grounds that they consider it to be racist and degrading. Altogether, there are around 100 colleges in the United States that have Native American names or mascots. Some of those have been changed. For instance, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma held its mascot as the Savages until it was changed to ‘Savage Storm’ just a few years ago after much controversy prompted the decision in an area of the country so filled with individuals of Native American ancestry. This practice is

Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reports - Essay Example The case study is supposed to help managers make working strategies that go beyond forecasting. According to the authors, managers have to do more than forecasting when coming up with new strategies (Kaplan & Orlikowski, 2014). After eight months of studying the strategy making process in CommCorp, the authors argue that strategy is more than just forecasting. The authors argue that is important for managers consider the past, present and the future of the company when coming up with strategies. By interpreting and reinterpreting the past, future and the present of the company managers can be able to come up with new workable strategy narratives that can steer their companies from uncertainty. The authors argue that strategy making does not revolve around making accurate forecasting. This is due to the fact the future is unpredictable. Secondly, it is imporant to consider the past when coming up with new strategies. The past can help predict the future and ensure that there is continuity from the past. Thirdly, managers should focus on coming up with a strategy narratives that will help the company in times of uncertainty. This means that the narrative should not be perfect but rather be good enough for no w. Lastly, breakdowns in the strategy making process should not be considered as a failure but rather a way of provoking thinking that will produce workable narratives (Kaplan & Orlikowski, 2014). The backbone of any company revolves around making workable strategies whenever when faced with uncertainty (Hill, & Jones, 2012). Managers have to know and understand how to come up with workable strategies during these crucial moments. The article offers priceless information on how managers can come up with strategy narratives. Backed with evidence from a case study of CommCorp, the author lays a foundation on which managers can use to come up with workable

American Colonies Essay Example for Free

American Colonies Essay The journey to America by Christopher Columbus in 1492 marked a new path for explorers from all over the world. England was one of those countries to explore the Newfoundland and settled into colonial America. By the 1700’s, Britain’s settlers divided into three distinct cultures within America. The New England, Middle, and Southern colonies were formed because of their differences in religious beliefs, geographic aspects, and occupation types. The variety of religious view in the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies helped evolve the differences between them. The New England colonies heavily practiced puritanism. Puritanism was a strict religion that’s main ideal was â€Å"everything you do affects all of us.† The puritans highly prioritized work ethic and were not afraid to publicly shun their members if the puritans disapproved of their actions. They believed their religion should be involved in all aspects of their life. The puritans strongly opposed the Quakers who, by the 1700’s, had settled into the Middle colonies. Quakers, also called the Religious Society of Friends, greatly differed to New England’s religious beliefs. The Quakers were a diverse group of people of deep conviction. They were advocates of passive resistance, but also devoted democratic people. The Quakers believed that they were all children in the sight of God. To the Puritans, the Bible supplied all religious authority, but Quakers believed that God could and did speak directly to the people. The Southern colonies largely supported the Church of England. The Church of England, whose members are called Anglicans, clung to a faith less severe and worldlier than the Puritanical New England. All three religions in all three different societies differed majorly in their beliefs. The Puritans strict ways clashed with the Quakers diverse and open views. The Church of England conflicted with the goal of the Puritans to purify the Church. The varied beliefs of the people divided them into the three colonies in early America. In addition, the distinct geography of each colony furthered the separation of their societies. The heavily glaciated soil in New England colony was filled with rocks. This rocky soil left New England less ethnically mixed. European immigrants were not attracted to the rocky soil of New England and decided to move elsewhere. Unlike the rocky soil of the New England  colonies, the Middle colonies became known as the â€Å"breadbasket† colonies because of the fertile soil and heavily exports of grain. Rivers also played a vital role in the difference of the Middle colonies from the others. The broad streams like the Susquehanna, Delaware and Hudson attracted fur trade and some adventurous spirits of the colonists. Unlike the New England’s many waterfalls, the Middle colonies waterways allowed little power with a water wheel. The Southern soil created a major difference to the rest of the colonies. The soil of the South was rich and fertile. Unlike New England’s hot summers and cruelly cold winters, the Southern heat was very humid and made the Southern colonies perfect for farming. The geographic differences between the colonies, including the variances of soil, rivers and weather, caused each colony to become more unique. As a result of the geographic aspects of the three colonies, specific occupations were found more often in certain colonies. The New England soil and climate created a diverse agriculture and industry. Unable to farm on rocks, some New England people turned to the harbors for fishing while others turned to dense forests, to work on cutting down trees and building ships. These jobs created a town-like atmosphere in the New England colony. The Middle colonies occupations proved very similar to the New England colonies. With the dense Virginal forest many became a lumberjacks or a ship builders. However, the Southern colonies fertile soil and humid weather created a farming franchise. Men had big farms called plantations. They grew crops to get cash and sold these crops to Great Britain. Because of the demanding work of owning a plantation, many slaves from Africa worked for the English farmers. The spread of slavery in the South created major gaps in their social structure. At the top of social ladder stood the small group of powerful plantation owners. Beneath them were small farmers, the biggest social group. Still lower on the social ladder were the landless whites, and beneath them were the indentured servants who were soon replaced with black slaves. The South created a separation between them and the other colonies because of their immigration of slaves. The variety of occupation types in each colony created majorly different societies. The major differences in each society helped evolve three distinct colonies. Each society had different beliefs and religions. The strict ways of the New England puritans clashed with the free spirit of the Quakers in the Middle colonies and the Anglican ways of the Southern colonies. The variety of soil, rivers, and weather helped create three distinct colonies. The rocky soil in the New England colonies, large rivers in the Middle colonies, and good soil and humid weather in the Southern colonies also helped create a vast assortment of occupations in each colony. With lumberjacks and ship builders in the New England and Middle colonies, and farming in the South, the jobs of the people in each society were majorly varied. The difference in each colony allowed groups of people to regulate their own lives. This later the creation of different states and governments, further separated the America. This separation in beliefs helped cause the civil war. The early difference in society in the 1700’s helped pave the way for many other conflicted views later on in America.

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline

Lufthansa airlines bankruptcy to profitable airline This report will take a closer look at the turnaround of Lufthansa airlines which went from near bankruptcy in 1991 to a now profitable airline. The evolutionary patterns of strategy and structure are identified in this report as well as how strategic leadership and German culture contributed to the turnaround. Furthermore, this paper will analyse the airline industry in terms of Porters five forces and will also take an extensive look at Lufthansas current situation by means of a SWOT and TOWS analysis. Additionally, Lufthansas business-level and corporate-level strategy will be identified and the Star Alliance, the worlds most important airline alliance, will be discussed in detail. 2.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company Background The Lufthansa Aviation Group is considered to be one of the worlds leading air transport corporations. It includes a number of independent group and affiliated companies with business segments in passenger airlines, logistics, aircraft maintenance, catering, tourism and IT services. Lufthansas headquarter is located in Cologne, Germany and its operational centre for passenger and cargo services is situated in Frankfurt (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). Lufthansa is 78 years old and has currently about 93,000 employees worldwide and in 2003-reported revenue of about 16 billion Euros (Lufthansa Key Figures 2003- see also Appendix I). In terms of traffic performance, Lufthansa is in third position in worldwide passenger transport. For many years the company has also been the market leader in international cargo traffic. In 2002, Lufthansas 368 aircrafts operated on routes to 327 destinations, carrying 50.9 million passengers and 1.63 million tons of airfreight. Lufthansa was also one of the founding members of the Star Alliance in 1997, when 16 partners joined into the worlds largest airline alliance (Key data on environmental care and sustainability at Lufthansa 2002/2003). 3.0 The Industry Background The organization also has to deal with cyclical risks. General economic fluctuations as well as geopolitical developments can have a large impact on the performance of the Lufthansa Group. As good examples serve the events of September 11, the Iraq conflict and the outbreak of SARS in Asia along with a stagnating global economy which seriously influenced the business activity of the entire airline industry in a negative way (Heerkens 2003). Lufthansa is also confronted with some capital market risks as its international business activities expose it to exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations in the international money, capital and also the foreign exchange markets (Zea 2003). A substantial threat is the price of fuel since fuel consumption remains one of the main cost items for the whole airline industry. In 2003, it contributed 7.6% to Lufthansas total operating expenses. Fluctuations in fuel prices can have a significant affect on the organizations operating result (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Furthermore there is the threat of higher costs of insuring Lufthansas fleet. Insurance costs increased dramatically after the events of September 11 and since then stayed at a very high level. The reason for that are the massive additional premiums that are being charged for insuring against war and similar events. In case of more wars and terrorist attacks the premiums are likely to increase even further (Zea 2003). There are also a number of infrastructure risks that Lufthansa will have to deal with. There are plans for an extension of the runway system at Frankfurt Airport, which is a major hub for Lufthansas operations, and is extremely important for the long-term competitiveness of the German airline. The extension project is also crucial for securing Frankfurt Airports future as an international air traffic hub, which also applies to the building of the maintenance hangar for the new Airbus A380 super jumbo that will be used from 2007 onwards. Nonetheless, a range of operational restrictions on extending the airport has recently been debated which would hinder its efficient use. In case a solution cant be found, Lufthansa would have relocate part of their business to alternative hubs. Additionally, bottlenecks in many European air traffic control systems cause many flight delays. The infrastructural limitations are a huge burden on the profitability of all European air carriers. On top of t hat, they are inhibiting the industry to keep up with the growing demand for air transport services (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). There are also a few risks relating to the development of alliances. One of the foundations for Lufthansas commercial success was its integration into the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline partnership system. Currently, many of the airlines worldwide are in a loss-making situation which, in the case of a few of Lufthansas partners like United Airlines and Air Canada, reached proportions that threatened their existence and also affects Lufthansa negatively. In regards to the Star Alliance, there are also challenges of coordinating and incorporating strategic activities like the establishment of a common global brand, a shared technology platform as well as joint training and personnel development (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Being part of the Star Alliance also poses the threat that Lufthansa might lose its identity. It is vital for them to preserve the Lufthansa brand (Bruch Ghoshal 2002). Labour unions are an additional threat; especially in Germany they have a lot of power. Labour unions can initiate strikes, which in the past have already led to delays of departures and substantial costs to Lufthansa (Steinborn 2003).   4.0 The Company Objectives Structural analysis of an industry is a useful way of determining a companys long-term profitability. Comprehending the dynamics of the competitive forces in an industry can give an insight whether an industry is attractive and whether there are any chances for returns on capital. Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, created a framework for understanding the structure of an industry. According to Porter, the five competitive forces that can have an impact on an industry are threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining powers of buyers, competitive rivalry, as well as the threat of substitutes (Analysis of industries 2003). 4.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants offers the possibility that new firms are going to enter the industry, which will consequently lead to a reduction of industry returns by generally passing more value to consumers in terms of lower prices and also increasing the cost of competition. Factors like economies of scale, capital requirements, product differentiation, access to distribution channels, switching costs as well as brand value determine the threat of entry (Analysis of industries 2003). From my point of view it currently seems very difficult to enter the airline industry as this area of business as well as the world economy is facing a period of recession. Due to large product differentiation the entry barriers are fairly high. There is a range of flag carriers, charter airlines as well as a number of low-fare airlines in the industry. All these different types of airlines offer an extensive range of products that seem to satisfy most customers needs. Additionally, entering the aviation industry requires very high capital investments because aircrafts, technical support and IT services need to be purchased or leased. This industry is also very labour and fuel intensive which requires a lot of funds. Companies with an interest in entering the market also require access to distribution channels. This means that it is necessary to gain trust within the industry so as to get access to take-off and landing spots. This can be quite challenging as national policies still p lay a major role in the aviation industry. Furthermore it is a requirement to obtain permission from governments to enter airspace. Moreover once the market is entered, it is very difficult to exit which raises switching costs to a high level. Throughout the last decade the market opened due to the deregulation policy, which provided low budget airlines with an opportunity to enter the industry. The first entrants like Ryanair and Easyjet utilized this opportunity and developed strong brand names due to their first-mover advantage. Airlines that recently entered the market that have a similar price and cost structure generally find it more difficult to generate the traffic that is required to fill the seats in their aircrafts (Jacob Jakesova 2003). All in all it can be said that the threat of new entrants is not that high in the airline industry in the current business environment. 4.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of suppliers Factors that are connected with the bargaining power of suppliers include the threat of forward integration as well as the concentration of suppliers in the industry. Supplier power decreases the ability for competitors in the industry to earn higher profits (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 64). The main suppliers within the airline industry are the manufacturers of aircrafts like Airbus and Boeing, fuel suppliers such as Shell, British Petroleum and Chevron Texaco. Furthermore there are technical support and IT services as well as the catering services. Suppliers are very concentrated in the airline industry as Boeing and Airbus supply most commercial fixed-wing aircrafts. The concentration of suppliers makes it difficult for the airlines to exercise leverage over the two manufacturers and negotiate lower prices or play one supplier against the other. Moreover, at the current stage, aircrafts for long distance travel cannot be substituted by any other product, which strengthens the bargaining power of the suppliers even more. Fuel providers have an excellent bargaining position as they can increase fuel prices without regarding the airlines as an important customer group. Forward integration, which is the expansion of a business products or services to related areas in orde r to directly satisfy the customer needs, is fairly low. The reason for this is that it can be assumed that neither aircraft manufactures, fuel providers nor technical support companies will purchase an airline and staff it with flight attendants, commercial pilots, a maintenance crew and operate flights across the world (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Nevertheless, the strong position fuel suppliers as well as the relatively strong position of manufacturers of aircrafts need to be taken into account when operating an airline. 4.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bargaining power of buyers Buyers can have significant power, as they are able to push down prices, and negotiate for better quality and service. Buyer power is determined by relative volume of purchase, switching cost, standardization of the product, brand identity, elasticity of demand as well as quality of service (Del Vecchio 2000). Since customers are not very concentrated and generally dont purchase plane tickets in large volumes they do not have a strong bargaining position. A single purchase of an airline ticket does not represent a significant fraction of the amount offered. Switching costs are quite low as consumers have a range of choices when selecting an airline. Due to the Internet, information about prices is also less fragmented and much easier to compare. Quite frequently, a customer can find price differences for the same flight and one seat is generally not any better, since everyone arrives at the destination at the same time. Considering the worldwide recession as well as the psychological effects of September 11, airline companies are under substantial pressure as customers switch to alternative transportation like trains. Vacation travelers also tend to shop around for the best price. Traveling by plane is quite expensive and can make up the largest part of the expense of a family vacation. For that reason, demand is quite elastic for some buyers. As soon as the price drops, the demand increases. However, airlines can move their prices in tandem with other airlines, which forces customers to purchase tickets for the market price until a price war starts (Analysis of Industries 2003). Nevertheless, all in all it can be said that the bargaining power of buyers is relatively low. 4.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Threat of substitute products The airline industry is threatened by a number of substitutes. This threat is quite substantial within Europe, where Lufthansas main customer base is located. Many European countries have an excellent railway system with high-speed trains like the ICE in Germany and the TGV in France. These trains can travel up to 300km/h fast and can cover large distances within the countries in just a few hours. Trains can be considered the largest threat as they offer a variety of advantages over flying. From my point of view it seems that flying is much faster, but on a domestic flight in a European country there is not much of a difference in comparison to trains. The reason for that is that it always takes a while to get to the airport, as they are mostly located further away from cities; check-in and security checks usually require being there at least an hour before take-off. After the plane has landed, it usually takes at least another 30 minutes to get out of the plane, claim the baggage an d organise transportation to leave the airport. Railway stations on the other hand can be much more easily accessed than airports, there is no check-in and security check required and the destination railway station is generally in a very central location close to hotels or offices that need to be visited on a business trip. Furthermore, trains offer generally great scenery while travelling and also offer more legroom. Most importantly the prices are generally lower than those of prestigious airlines like Lufthansa. Alternatively, travellers could use their own car, which would be more time consuming, but would have the advantage of increased flexibility and having transportation at the destination location and not having to use public transportation or taxis. Depending on the distance, this substitute can be either more costly or less expensive (Jacob Jaksova 2003). Moreover, short international trips to major European capitals are often done by bus and also by ferry if it is a tr ip to the United Kingdom. From my experience this is the most inexpensive way of travelling throughout Europe. However, there is no real substitute to flying if the desired destination is overseas. The only alternative to planes would be ships and unless the customer is looking for a relaxing trip on the oceans, it will just take too long to reach the destination. Recently there is also a tendency of larger companies towards purchasing corporate jets rather than flying first class. According to Costa et al. (2002) corporate jets might reduce first class traveller by 10% by 2005. 4.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Competitive rivalry Highly competitive industries are generally less profitable as the cost of competition is high or customers are receiving the benefits of lower prices. Competitive rivalry is affected by industry growth, brand identity, fixed costs, as well as barriers to exit (Wheelen Hunger 2000, p. 63). It can be said that the airline industry is highly competitive and that industry growth is fairly moderate with airlines struggling in taking away market share from each other. The barriers to exit are considered to be very high. Planes that are grounded dont earn any returns and it is quite complicated to dispose of these assets. Due to bankruptcy laws, airlines that are in financial stress can often remain competitors for a long time (Del Vecchio 2000). In Lufthansas home market, the European airline industry has seen some recent changes with the development of low budget airlines that compete with the more mature airlines. Additionally, recent airline crises like September 11 put even more pressure on all competing airlines. This leads to a process of consolidation and the creation of strategic alliances. Airlines within one alliance dont tend to compete directly with each other anymore, which lead to a slight decrease of the pressure (Jacob Jakesova 2003). By utilizing a range of strategies a company can have an effect on the five forces of competition and thus reform the attractiveness of an industry. Historically, various strategies shifted the principles of competition and future events like war or new inventions are likely to reshape the airline industry again. Lufthansas ability to be very cost effective is also of advantage. As part of its strategic change, Lufthansa implemented Program 15, a strategic cost management program. The goals of this program included an improvement of the competitive position through a reduction in cost, internationalisation of cost-structure and making staff conscious of reducing costs in their daily work. This cost management contributed substantially to Lufthansa making profits again in 1999 (Bruch Goshal 2000). Generally it can be said that Lufthansas change management during its crisis was outstanding. Its management was able to identify the signals for the potential problems, showed great strategic leadership through CEO Jà ¼rgen Weber and transformed the organization into a profitable company. This experience in strategic change management is very valuable and will surely help the organization with any challenges in the future (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). Furthermore, Lufthansas management is very conscious of the need for innovation and customer service. They developed the brand ambassador concept where employees with use of personality and dedication create brand loyalty through day-to-day interactions with the customer (Rubens 2004). They recently also introduced a range of innovations and quality improvements at their passenger airlines and some innovations will be implemented in the near future. A special focus is on the business class on long-haul routes as this segment is the most profitable one. The key feature of Lufthansas new business class is a technically sophisticated seat that converts into a flat bed, which is 2 meters long, the longest bed in this class (Manuelli 2003). Lufthansa is also the first airline in the world that offers broadband Internet access on board its planes (Anonymous 2003). On the ground, they are also improving procedures for their status customers with Lufthansas Priority Service by relying on the Internet, mobile phones and check-in terminals simplify reservations and ticket sales as well as to reduce check-in times. A good example of Lufthansas innovative strength is their new terminal at Munich Airport, which was build to optimise operational procedures. In accordance with the best international standards they reduced the minimum connecting time to 30 minutes (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). An additional strength of Lufthansa is that it has a policy of operating a young and modern fleet. They recently started a fleet renewal program in 2003 and by 2005 they will replace older aircrafts with ten new Airbus A340-600 jets, as well as ten new Airbus A330-300s. By 2007 the new Airbus A380 super jumbo will go into service that can carry 40% more passengers than the currently largest aircraft. The average age of Lufthansas fleet is just under 9 years, which puts them into a good position in comparison to airline world average of almost 15 years (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Another strength, which gives Lufthansa a comparative advantage, is the use of a premium executive jet service on North Atlantic routes like Dà ¼sseldorf-Newark and Munich-Newark. This involves flights in Boeing and Airbus aircrafts that were remodelled so they fit 48 business class seats only and no economy class. Lufthansa introduced this service, because they identified that these routes were in high demand for business class travellers (Ghazvinian Fragala 2002). Lufthansa also offers a very good website that has a lot of features the customers can utilize. Online bookings have more than doubled in 2003. Lufthansa are also constantly expanding their destinations, which can be reached with etix, the companys electronic tickets that offer convenient paperless travel. The number of passengers that use etix is gradually increasing as it can be used to fly to 70 per cent of Lufthansa destinations (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). Lufthansas Miles More customer loyalty program is also a great tool to encourage customers to fly Lufthansa again. The program has grown in popularity since it was introduced ten years ago and developed into the leading frequent flyer program in Europe (Miles More). Furthermore, Lufthansa is one of the founding members of the Star Alliance, the worlds leading airline alliance. The alliance was voted Alliance of the Year in 2003 on three different occasions (Lufthansa Annual Report 2003). The Lufthansa group consists of seven independent subsidiaries. Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. A principal element of the Lufthansa group is clear customer-supplier-relationships between the seven companies. However, the relationships between the individual companies are a weakness, as they dont function as planned. Lufthansa has not reached the required relationships for a market-based internal coordination. So far, the internal customers dont act as normal customers yet since the demand conditions, which they would never demand with other external business partners (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness is that the openness for change has almost vanished since Lufthansas amazing turnaround was achieved. During the turnaround, changes were implemented very quickly, but today it takes a very long time for small innovations to take place. Lufthansa also admits not to be perfect in the areas of punctuality, luggage safety, waiting periods, technical reliability and telephone availability, but is in the process of improving this situation (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Another weakness could be that Lufthansa does not do anything about their low-budget competitors in the European market. Lufthansas management claims that they would not start a low-fare airline under its name, as it would cannibalize its own traffic and damage its brands (Anonymous 2002). 5.0 Economic strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt (2003, p. 122), a Economic strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets. The literature suggests that there are a number of different business-level strategies. However, I believe that in the case of Lufthansa an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy is used. The reason for this is that Lufthansa operates globally and therefore it is vital for them to implement cost leadership strategies as well as differentiation strategies in order to develop competitive advantages. Lufthansas Program 15 serves as a good example of a cost leadership strategy. After Lufthansa had undergone privatization they implemented this extensive strategic costs management program with the goal of reducing overall unit cost by 20% within five years (Bruch Sattelberger 2001a). In terms of a differentiation strategy, Lufthansa constantly tries to come up with a range of innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition. A list of these ideas could be seen in the strengths section of my SWOT analysis of Lufthansa. It can be concluded that Lufthansa has made the right decision to implement an integrated cost leadership/differentiation strategy, since the literature also suggests that there is a relationship between the successful use of this strategy and above-average returns (Hitt 2003, p. 135). 5.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corporate-level strategy of Lufthansa According to Hitt, a corporate level strategy involves specific actions by a company to gain a competitive advantage by having a group of different businesses competing in several industries (2003, p. 183). In the case of Lufthansa, the organisation consists of seven economically independent subsidiaries that include LH Passenger Service, LH Cargo AG, LH Skychef, LH Ground Services, LH Technical Services, Thomas Cook Travel Agency and LH IT services. The individual Lufthansa companies are quite successful. LH Technical services, LH Skychef and LH Ground Services are number one in their market (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Product diversification, a primary corporate-level strategy deals with the scope of the industries and markets in which the company competes in addition to how managers buy, establish and sell different businesses to equal skills and strengths. In regards to Lufthansa, the organisation uses a related diversification corporate-level strategy which means that Lufthansa generates more than 30% of its sales revenue outside a dominated business and its businesses are related to each other since Lufthansa centrally coordinates their strategy development process. Lufthansas motives for such a corporate level strategy are likely to be issues such as taking advantage of economies of scope, sharing activities, transfer of core competencies, and an increase in market power as well as blocking competitors through multipoint competition (Hitt 2003, p. 187). 5.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic Alliances While concentrating on internal costs and structural redevelopment, Lufthansa also worked on its external relationships by implementing the strategy: growth through partnerships (Bruch Sattelberger 2001b). While in other industries globalization triggered a wave of mergers of companies that operate internationally; airlines had to look for alternatives because national ownership regulations do not allow cross-border mergers. No airline worldwide has the capacity infrastructure to offer a suitable network by itself. Only through cooperating and alliances can the industry cater for the mobility requirements of the world economy. Therefore, founding the Star Alliance was a logical consequence and Lufthansa was one of the key-founding members of the first airline network in the world (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). The purpose of the Star Alliance is to realize higher revenues and decrease costs by exploiting synergy effects. The synergies range from shared use of ground facilities like check-in-counters, a city office in Paris and also airport terminals. At the airports in Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Beijing the Star Alliance has its own check-in area with staff member of partner airlines. In addition the first Star Alliance Lounge went into service 2001 at Zà ¼rich airport. Other advantages include common frequent flyer programs, joint travel agency contracts collective market research and joint purchasing of materials and equipment (Economic effects for the airlines). Alliance members can also use code sharing a system by which two or more airlines agree to use the same flight number for a flight in order to attract more business by means of extending their networks through partner airlines (Collis 1998). Besides cost-saving synergies, the combined networks of Star Alliance members also offer many customer benefits. In comparison with other industry alliances, the Star Alliance is the recognized market leader (see Appendix 2). For 82 % of all offered flight connections, the Star Alliance is the fastest network. Every four seconds an aircraft of the Star Alliance starts or lands somewhere in the world and it possible to fly once round the world in 36 hours with Star Alliance airlines. Other fundamentals of its brand value include the presence of its members in important home markets and large international hubs, a high degree of customer recognition, excellent service and good cooperation between the frequent-flyer programs of the individual airlines. Furthermore each airline has its individual strengths with a strong market position in its home bases and regional hubs like Lufthansa in Germany. Due to the good cooperation, a whole network of these hubs was established and regional str engths complement each other (see Appendix 3). Additionally, most members also have regional alliances with smaller airlines, which improve the Star Alliance network even further (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). Research has also shown that alliances result in lower ticket prices and more flight connections. It is suggested that there is a price advantage of an average 6% in comparison with conventional tariffs. In terms of the Star Alliance this leads to estimated passenger savings of between 50 and 82 million dollars per year. Additionally due to the sharing of terminals service counters of the airlines are more easily seen and found and walking distances are decreased. Having counters in the same area at airports also creates a single contact point and improves changes and baggage loading. Staff members of partner airlines can also help and advise customers with enquiries on behalf of the entire alliance. For the alliance to work properly certain level of quality needs to be ensured. This is achieved through frequent mutual quality checks. Jointly agreed quality standards in the areas of security, services and environmental protection are checked on a regular basis (Global Network Five years of Star Alliance). 5.3 Strategic Leadership and German Culture Strategic leadership, which is the ability to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility and empower others to create strategic change as necessary (Hitt 2003, p. 386) was extremely important in Lufthansas turnaround. The main responsibility for effective strategic leadership generally rests at the top, especially with the CEO, but also with other recognized strategic leaders like members of the board of directors and the top management team. In the case of Lufthansa, the formulation and implementation of strategies was also in the hands of the top-level management, in particular Dr. Jà ¼rgen Weber, who was Lufthansas CEO at the time. In 1992 Jà ¼rgen Weber realized the full extent of Lufthansas problems and called for a crisis management meeting with 20 carefully selected senior managers. The outcome of this meeting was Program 93, 131 key actions aimed at drastically cutting about 8,000 jobs, lowering non-personnel costs, reducing the aircraft fleet as well as increasing revenues by DM 700 million to reduce the losses of DM 1.3 billion. The Executive Board then appointed a number of different teams that had the task to achieve the implementation of these 131 projects. Line management was responsible for the implementation of the staff cuts. It was seen as important for the success of Program 93 that line managers took that responsibility to realize the unavoidable cuts, on the one hand, but also to motivate the remaining employees, on the other hand. Jà ¼rgen Weber also created the OPS team (Operations Team) as a forceful engine in the process of implementing the 131 actions. They constantly monitored, created activities, advised and supported the line managers who were ultimately responsible for the implementation process. Weber showed his total support for the OPS team and personally supported them in many ways. He also implemented visible actions like a 10% reduction of the salaries of all Executive board members (Bruch Ghoshal 2000). Furthermore, to convey and spread these actions, Lufthansa implemented Town Meetings, which were initially an idea by General Electric. A typical agenda of a Town Meeting would mainly involve a talk with the particular Lufthansa units management about problems a

What is the main contribution made by the chorus in The Burial at Thebe

Heaney’s play The Burial at Thebes is a version of the Greek tragedy Antigone by the Athenian dramatist Sophocles (c496-406 BCE). According to Heaney it is not a translation but a version as he was â€Å"looking for meaning not language† (Heaney, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews). This is in keeping with the commissioning of the play to celebrate 100 years of the Abbey theatre in 2004 as the founders, W.B Yeats and Lady Gregory, were Irish â€Å"cultural nationalists† (Hardwick, 2008, p193) . The change in title from the traditional Antigone to The Burial at Thebes moves the emphasis away from the characters to the â€Å"controversial question of the burial of a prince, who was regarded as a turncoat† (Theocharis, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews) enabling Heaney to intertwine the tradition Greek ideology with Irish nationalism. The chorus in Greek tragedy is defined as a group of people who often participate in and comment on the dramatic action, emphasising traditional moral and social attitudes and providing commentary (Moohan, 2008). In Greek theatre they also provided a more practical role, entertaining the audience during the play with songs and dance and allowing the performers to change. Most performers performed two or more roles known as doubling. In The Burial at Thebes the director, John Theocharis (2009), states that the chorus also adds dramatic tension and suspense whilst creating subjective and objective voices that underpin the context of the play. In looking at the contribution that the chorus makes this essay will look at the various functions of the chorus - their role as a commentator, participating in and commenting on the dramatic action and how they present traditional moral and soci... ...ture of the play, mainly based on the Greek, outlines these values in poetical format in the Choral Odes. The chorus’ commentary on the characters and drama and its subsequent participation pushes the plot towards traditional ideas with the encapsulation in their ending summation. Works Cited Hardwick, L. (2008), ‘Seamus Heaney’s The Burial at Thebes’, in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.192-235 Heaney, S. (2004), The Burial at Thebes, London, Faber and Faber Ltd Heaney, S. (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes – Interviews (AA100 Audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open University Moohan, E (2008), ‘Glossary’, in Moohan E (ed.), Reputations (AA100 Book1), The Open University, pp.231-238 Theocharis, J (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes – Interviews (AA100 Audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open University

Reflections on Night, by Elie Weisel Essay -- Reflection Essay

Night, by Elie Wiesel, is an autobiographical novel which tells the story of Eliezer, a Jewish teenager from the small Transylvanian village of Sighet. He is 15 when transported to Auschwitz, Buna, and finally Buchenwald with his father during World War II. Eliezer loses his faith, argues with God, and is sustained only by the need to care for his father. As well as the appalling memory of the Holocaust resurrected in this novel, Night bears with it the unforgettable implication that this atrocity must by no means be permitted to occur again. However, what if it is possible that these horrors could be carried out again in present day? Furthermore, have we really learned enough from this tragedy to be sure nothing like the Holocaust could ever happen? I believe after the world has witnessed the wickedness of the Holocaust during World War II, it is very unlikely that such a mass slaughter of innocent people could ever happen again. Nevertheless, that does not mean that I think it is i mpossible for any group of people to try and make history repeat itself. My first reaction when reading this book was simply â€Å"How could the world have not known about the crimes being committed by the Nazis?† In the novel, Elie Wiesel describes his first night in Auschwitz as â€Å"†¦life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke†¦the faces of the children†¦the flames†¦silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live†¦never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself.† Amazingly, the world had no notion of what the Nazis were doing, and didn’t stop them until over 11million people were killed. This was because the Nazi party did not make it known to t... ... them responsible? Not to mention the people of Germany who supported Hitler and allowed their Jewish friends and neighbor’s be subjected to such oppression. Could they also be responsible? I suppose there can never be a right answer to this issue. In conclusion, Night by Elie Wiesel is a spectacularly written and thought provoking novel. Not only does it tell of one young man’s struggle to survive, but it tells a story for all of those who suffered and died in the Nazi death camps. It brings up maddening thoughts that cause the reader to think and truly understand the outstanding terrors upon those not worthy of the Aryan race. Most importantly, it teaches the reader of the lessons of the tragedy that took place and how we must never allow another Holocaust to ever happen again which is what I believe is the main proposal Elie Wiesel tried to convey in his novel.

Stonewall Jackson Essays -- essays research papers

Stonewall Jackson, born January 21, 1824 was one of the most famous confederate generals and one of the best officers to serve for General Robert E. Lee. But Jackson wasn’t just born a general, he earned it. Since his parents died when he was very young, life was very rough for him. He was raised by his uncle, Cummins Jackson, a miller who lived near what is now known as Weston, West Virginia. Later on, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy. He had to work several times harder than the other cadets to learn the lessons in school because of poor education when he was young. But his grades slowly increased until he graduated. He was said to have been in the upper third of his class. His military career had just begun. As soon as he received his commission as lieutenant of artillery...

Mountains vs Beaches Vacation

Editing Worksheet for Essay Drafts: ENG 111Your NameGregory Wishart 1. Name of the essay author Shakara Beals 2. Is the thesis statement the last sentence in the introductory paragraph and does it contain the three points? Yes ___ List the three points: a. liabilities incurred by the business b. financing of the business c. input and involvement in the business 3. Outline the essay below. Thesis Statement (copy) There are many similarities as well as differences between the two, which include the liabilities incurred by the business, the financing of the business, as well as the input and involvement in the business Support/Reason OneGeneral partnership assumes unlimited liability whereas a limited partnership has an outline of each partner's role in assumption of liability Support/Reason Two In a general partnership you receive an equal share, however with a limited partnership you have only invested in a portion of the business Support/Reason Three (may be there or not†¦could be the contrasting paragraph) A general partnership is involved with many more aspects of the daily operation of the business whereas a limited partner is not. 4. Are their three points listed in the same order in the body paragraph as introduced in the thesis statement?Yes 5. What pattern of development does the author use in this essay? You may underline one: narration, description, or division-classification. Now, tell me how you know. Due to thoroughly describing each type of partnership and showing the similarities and differences in detail. 6. Finally, what devices has the author used to create unity and coherence. Circle them below and then give me an example from the essay. Repeated Key Wordsliabilities, partners Synonyms Pronouns (give me antecendent) Parallel Structure Transitional ExpressionsLastly, on the other hand, for instance Reference to previous point

Case Study of Stock Management System

In effect this means getting the correct product to the customer in the right place at the right time. When talking about the customer it is important to distinguish between the customer in the street i.e. general public, and the customer, the trader, who is buying the goods to sell on at any level. The term logistics applies to all customers but we are applying the term to the trader for the benefit of this study. In recent years, focus upon logistics has become of paramount importance at all levels of trade and has become a major emphasis in large-scale retail, especially those with a high and fast turnover i.e. supermarkets. This is reflected in recent reports:  ¡Ã‚ §A prime objective of any business should be constantly to seek ways of reducing the total costs of ownership while lowering their own costs ¡K ¡ Cost of ownership is the costs above those charged, for example, inventory carrying, warehousing and handling, ordering and quality inspection. To minimalise these costs, large-scale retailers have spent great deals of money upon centralized stock distribution and computerized inventory management systems, to try and gain a competitive market advantage. Centralized stock distribution involves using one as opposed to many warehouses to distribute stock for more efficient transportation. Inventory management systems automate many of the tasks involved in the control of stock and reordering. Without effective distribution and effective inventory management systems, other activities and functions carried out within the company may at best, fail to be optimized and, at worst, be rendered a waist of time if time. Therefore no money and (or) time saved in the long term. Leaders of these management systems include the likes of J. Sinsbury, Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Safeway, the case study I shall discuss in this piece of coursework. Safeway has a sales base ordering inventory management system, known as Stock Management III (SMIII), introduced in 1992/3. This was fully implemented to centrally distribute many of their product ranges, including; grocery, beers, wines and spirits and non-food department items. SMIII ¡s aim was to improve the accuracy of stock ordered in the stores, reducing the number of out of stock produce and therefor creating sales maximization. Moreover reducing wastage, reducing backstocks and creating a consistency in merchandising practices. SMIII uses data collected in each store to work out the sales forecast for each product using the store inventory. It then converts these quantities for ordering. These processes rely on data input for accuracy. There are six key concepts involved in this process. Firstly, the sales forecast. Line by line information on sales is built up at the checkout. A forecast of how much more stock is likely to be required is then calculated for future ordering periods. The demand is calculated using specific parameters for each line. The system must take into account: how much stock the store already has; the space allocated for each product; the code life of products (when they become out-of-date); outstanding deliveries; sales opportunities (promotions etc.) and current business policies. The system will then calculate how much stock is needed for sales and the amount needed to fill the shelves. Case Rounding rules are needed to convert the two figures, that of sales and to fill the shelf, for ordering. This is quite simple. The system will always order enough stock to fulfil the sales. It then decides according to the amount of shelf space, whether to round up or down to the nearest case to fill the shelves. It must be noted that the accuracy of the orders generated by the system is only as good as the data input. Data is obtained from a number of sources, therefor it relies upon each department or division getting its part of the process correct. The departments are responsible for entering product and item movement information into SMIII and processing stock as follows: Trading: ranging, space allocation, units per outer (UPO), data integrity. Supply chain: supply to depot, optimum lead times, data integrity. Distribution: delivery of right stock to store at right time. Store: replenishing shelves, scanning, accurate bookstocks. If any one of these items is omitted then the process will fail. These above activities affect the inventory and range, the two key aspects of SMIII. The system relies on accurate inventory data. Most item movement is updated automatically; deliveries through the companies central distribution system and sales captured by scanning at the checkouts. The store though is required to inform SMIII of any stock that enters or leaves the store through other channels. For example: spoilage; inter-store transfers; inter-departmental transfers (e.g. purchases for the staff restaurant); cross-picks (stock delivered but not ordered and vice versa); quality control (damaged stock that is not offered for sale). Moreover stores take a bookstock check.. This is where a check is undertaken for any product out of stock, or where stock levels are exceptionally high or low. If the bookstock is inaccurate, the system is informed, improving the accuracy of the next order. The range refers to the actual range of products the store holds. For instance, a smaller in-town supermarket will not supply the array of products that an out-of-town hypermarket will stock. Stocking plans are determined by the trading division and are transmitted to the store where they are accepted into the store range. Stores are required to carry the full range of products within their plan size. This is an important factor because it shows that stores are not allowed to delete products from the range. They are however allowed to change the space allocated to a product. SMIII calculates the optimum quantity of stock required to cover expected sales, safety stock levels (in cases where sales outstrip forecast) and stock levels required to maintain shelf presentation standards. In the case of groceries and long life products if accurate ‘fill and face ¡ information is not correctly input into the system by the store, shelf presentation may be affected and, moreover, out of stocks or high back-stocks may occur. Through these factors the, sales forecast is achieved. Inaccurate sales forecasts will result in incorrect orders being generated. This could result in out of stocks, excessive back-stocks and/or unnecessary wastage. The above factors must, in tern be undertaken accurately. To achieve this the store must enforce a number of disciplines throughout, from stockroom level i.e. tidy, with stock in correct place to maximize stock level efficiency. Through to daily checks for out-of-date goods, and ensuring shelf space is allotted correctly and displays are correct. A mid-morning inspection of a Safeway supermarket has been undertaken. There were a number of factors that can be seen as unsatisfactory from the stores point of view. I shall undertake to identify theses and solve them with minimum disruption to the store. There were a number of problems with the produce department. Firstly presentation was poor in a number of the commodity groups such as root vegetables and loose apples. If the display does not look good or is not up to a reasonable standard, this can affect the customer ¡s discussion to buy, this could affect forecasting levels especially if it occurred on more than one occasion. If the produce looks bad on a number of occasions it could affect the customers decision to shop at the store in the long term. Moreover, If the displays are not full this may jeopardize the SMIII ¡s calculation of quantities reordered as it runs on the assumption that the shelves are always optimally filled. Therefore sales cannot be maximized as the space allocation is not being followed. Finally it can be seen that if the display is bad this could mean that some of the produce is being caused damage unnecessarily. Creating wastage and again potentially affecting the customers decision to buy. This needs to be sorted out quickly and efficiently, although not at a busy time, as from experience it can be off-putting trying to shop when people are filling the shelves. Moreover it must be noted that blame should not necessarily be rested upon anyone due to it being a mid-morning inspection on a Friday; a popular day for the weekly shop, the morning probably being the busiest time especially just after the school run. It is quite possible and probable that the poor display is due to the morning rush of customers. There was only one item out of stock, cauliflower due to a delivery shortage at the depot. Obviously nothing can be done about this at store level. But this information needs to be input into the SMIII to keep the store inventory updated so that this will be taken into account when forecasting. This reflects well on the produce department as the whole range other than this is shown giving people the most possible choice. There are wider implications for an out of stock item in a situation where there are two competing supermarkets. If a different item on someone ¡s shopping list is out of stock each week, it may be a factor in persuading them to shop elsewhere. The produce delivery was being worked and the shelves were in the process of being stocked. Although this may cause shoppers some inconvenience it shows that the department is keeping the stock rolling, maximizing space used in line with the SMIII ‘thinking ¡. Deliveries though should ideally arive and be sorted before opening to minimise inconvenience for both the shopper and staff, as it is easier to attend to the task in an empty shop. Product quality was generally good, although a number of grapefruit, which were below standard, were now being removed. These grapefruit must then be counted and entered into the system to update the inventory for forecasting. It can be seen as good that the bad fruit were being removed, but bad stock must always be removed as soon as possible as customers will notice and may be put off buying. In a wider aspect though, perhaps stockholding levels should be looked at as they may have been in the store too long due to excess stock. This could also be damage through bad storage or transportation, which would need looking into if it recurred continuously. Overall it can be seen that bad stock, shortages and displays should be checked regularly and sorted out as soon as possible. People look at these factors when making buying decisions. This is concerned with relationship marketing where there should be a twin focus on total quality and service as a source of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction ensures better customer retention and therefor greater profitability. The customer can be put off by too many staff filling shelves as it can distract from the pleasure of being able to browse whilst shopping. Therefor a balance must be found. The forecasting potential was good in the produce section as long as out of stock and wastage was entered into the SMIII system. Otherwise stockholding levels could be affected especially with the non-full lines. Moreover the presentation must be kept to a high standard as this may affect peoples opinion of the shop and therefore customer loyalty. The grocery department had three main problem areas. The promotional point of sale was missing from an on-shelf promotion on the tea/coffee section. This is a major problem as it would have a great affect on the forecasting. The store would expect to sell more of this product through the promotion, and therefor have ordered in more to compensate. Sales would not reflect the expected response to the promotion, as people would be unaware of it. This needs to be rectified as soon as possible and the system notified as the anticipated extra demand would not be apparent. This would affect forecasting and therefore future orders; potentially causing a shortage once the promotion was displayed. Loose stock was stacked behind other adjacent products on the soup section and appeared to have been there for several weeks. This reflects bad organization. Stock may not be noticed by the customer and space allocation disrupted. Space for the stock is allocated so that the system can accurately forecast the quantity of goods required to both fill the shelf and for sales. Using the space incorrectly can affect stockholding levels due to the amount predicted to be on the shelves and in storage. Although actual recording of sales will not be affected, it must be noted that sales could be, if the product namely soup couldn ¡t be found. This needs to be sorted out immediately, and could possibly reflect a lack of motivation in store, as the shelves were not stacked correctly. It also reflects badly on myself as acting manger, as this problem appeared to have been so for weeks. Store inspections must be held regularly to ensure this type of problem does not occur.

Are Mongols Barbarians?

The strong military, organized government and religious tolerance all pointed that Mongols are civilized; therefore, they should not be called as barbarians which have no humanity, cruel, violent and are lack of managements. The Mongols were used to be small clans which often fight with each other for supplies. Around 1200, Temujin, Genghis Khan, defeated his enemies one by one and united the Mongols. He led the Mongols and found the largest connected land empire in the history, the Mongol Empire.Mongols created the Pax Mongolia and had great influenced on the later world. First of all, Mongols are not barbarians because they had well-organized government. They divided the large empire into four khanates which made them easier to control (Document 1). Also the villages were divided into two districts. For example, the village of Saint Denis had a district where the markets were and a district that were all craftsman (Document 7). Kublai granted taxes and built new capital. Besides, h e set new laws, and the crime rate decreased about half (Document 8).The Mongols ameliorated the conveyance by building canals (Document 10). They also established post office that had more than 10,000 posts and 200,000 horses to pass the message (Document 12). All the systems and reconstructions they created pointed out that Mongols aren’t barbarians. Next, the military organization proved Mongols’ good arrangement ability which lead to a result that they aren’t barbarian. Mongols knew how to use silk as a tool to practice their skills (Document 2).The ten soldiers were put into groups and had captain for each. Ten of those groups form a hundred and had another captain. Over ten captains of thousand was a captain who control a thousand men. Above those ten captains was a man. Then one or two chiefs control the whole army with highest command (Document 3). Mongols also sat traps for other cities, and made fake figures to let the army look bigger and more fearful (Document 4). The armies protected the trades and routes, too. So the trades and passengers could be safe.Mongols had shown their smart brains with great thoughts in military with civilized organizations. Last, Mongols had opened-mind and accepted different religious which revealed Mongols’ kindness and religious tolerance. Even though Mongols did not believe in Christianity, there were still Christian churches (Document 7). Mongols were opened to new ideas, Kublai wanted Marco Polo to bring a hundred Christian. However, Marco Polo didn’t, but the act showed the wide opened- mind of Mongols (Document 8). They also established society and preserved culture (Document 10).The emperor, Mongke Khan even allowed the Christians, Muslims and Buddhists to hold a council and write their true ideas about his laws and books (Document 13). Mongols are not barbarians, they respected, adopted all religious and ideas. One of the most important empire that ever exist, the Mongol Empir e, is often considered as a barbaric rulers. But, they are not. Not only because they well organized their military, government, and also religious tolerance. Mongols are educated and civilized which think when one does.

Advanced pathophysiology Essay

If available lab results, I would like to see the resulted complete blood count with differential and complete metabolic profile. Possibly supplying the patient with supplemental oxygen if deemed so by her oximetry and perfusion status review. As such the following would be the initial assessment and treatment: Obtain vital signs: blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate with auscultation, as well as pain scale rating Note her capillary refill time and skin color and turgor, especially around lips for color and for turgor Seeing if she has sunken eyes or dry mucous membranes indicative of dehydration. Place a pulse oximeter on her finger for oxygenation levels. Place EKG monitor for heart rate and rhythm analysis. Place IV for obtaining blood works and order stat CBC, CMP, PT/INR/PTT, ABG, CXR, cardiac and liver enzyme profiles. Perform blood glucose monitoring with glucometer for immediate assessment of her diabetic state, is she hypo or hyperglycemic. Review airway for any obstruction as she is dyspneic. While conscious review pain level, duration and site of pain and medical history-hopeful to review current medications, with attention to evaluate current mental status such as orientation to person, time and place. Note that she is in acute distress with disorientation that is progressing to unresponsiveness (Gerontological nursing, 2010). If unresponsive at the time of arrival, the nurse needs to be vigil in looking for clues to how she is experiencing pain by looking for signs such as moaning, agitation, restlessness and facial grimacing. Assess skin is intact with no abscesses or open wounds or sores. Consider value of inserting a urinary catheter. Tools that will be utilized in the assessment of Mrs. Baker may include: Stethoscope- will be used for listening to heart beat to ascertain dysrhythmia above 90 beats/minutes would be indicative of concern and comparing radial/peripheral pulses with baseline of heart apex rate to ascertain if variance exists , auscultation of lungs for clearness of lung fields and respiratory rate should be 16 per minute if she is over 20 breaths/ minute concern for hyperventilation and oxygen delivery and consumption would arise . Tachypnea and dyspnea are noted, oxygen would be applied. blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer)- The blood pressure cuff will determine if she is normotensive or hypo-hypertensive, expected range is 120/80 mmHg if below 90 mm hg systolic or 70mm hg diastolic is cause for concern. Glucometer-ascertain rapidly, serum blood glucose level range expected 70 – 130 (mg/dL) before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL after meals (as measured by a blood glucose monitor). blood tubes with needle access for blood testing (vacutainers)-to conduct CBC- to monitor white blood cell, red blood cell and platelet counts, CMP- for fluid and electrolyte imbalance, kidney and liver function, ABG-, analysis for acid/base imbalance liver and cardiac enzyme for indication of liver or cardiac impairment as well as blood coagulation profile such as PT/INR/PTT- for elevation in bleeding time . Blood cultures and antibiotic sensitivities for sepsis pulse oximeter-to rapidly measure the oxygenation of her hemoglobin saturation 95 to 99 percent expected. continuous cardiac monitoring via electrocardiogram(EKG)-to examine rhythm and rate-expect normal sinus rhythm and rate 80-100 beats per minute. Thermometer-measure the core temperature which should be 37 c if above 38 c or below 36 c if hypothermic bladder catheterization kit chest x-ray- cardio pulmonary function The benefits of using these tools, as time is critical for an older patient who has multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS), is to have precise and state-of-the-art information to effectively treat the patient. Maintaining and monitoring tissue perfusion would be key goals in her care and I would utilize these tools to evaluate blood pressure and respirations, monitoring pulse and assessing for any cardiac arrhythmias. To evaluate for any underlying respiratory disease, pneumonia, PE, or pulmonary edema a chest x-ray would be advantageous. A bladder catheter would give accurate accounting of urinary output. The patient became unresponsive; her respirations became more labored, so breathing became the main priority while reading the scenario. The patient is unable to verbalize how she is feeling and with her dyspnea it is clear she is in respiratory distress. Evaluating the electrocardiogram would be done to ascertain if there are any dysrhythmias that could be causing the symptoms. I would review the vital signs, is the patient having hypo- hypertension? Review the patient’s pain assessment, is the patient experiencing any pain? I would then review lab results, focusing on abnormal results. The prioritization was done with basis for basic needs first, that of breathing effectively to promote oxygenation then focus of vital sign monitoring that is compatible with sustaining life. I would assess pain in a geriatric patient who is alert by questioning the patient directly, do they have any pain, asking them where the pain is, what is the duration of the pain and when was onset. On a numeric pain scale 0 to 10 what is their level of pain. Are they taking any pain medication at home? In a geriatric patient who is not alert, I would need to assess the patient based on signs such as moaning, agitation, restlessness and facial grimacing. I would manage the pain in a geriatric patient experiencing multisystem failure and showing signs of pain but not alert with caution. The elderly are susceptible to polypharmacy and often have impaired renal function that increases risk or potentiates the medication such as barbiturates. Knowing I have a standing order for acetaminophen and by judgment of the pain with a lot of moaning, restlessness and grimacing, I would elect to give the morphine 0.1mg/kg IM. She cannot take the acetaminophen by mouth as she not responsive, the 0.05 mg/kg Morphine IV will likely obtund the patient with the rapid absorption and likely decrease her blood pressure severely as she is dehydrated. The patient’s pain level would need to be reevaluated approximately 20 minutes after administration for effectiveness and then again in one hour. It is likely with her being unconscious , I would assess by a presence or lack of grimacing, moaning or agitation. I found her to have been relieved of pain when reassessing her I have learned it is very important to recognize the fragility of the elderly related to polypharmacy, agedness of vital organs, key focus on concern of cognitive ability and its role in assessment by nursing. It is likely that the metformin (Glucophage) can have decreased effects when combined with Hydrochlorothiazide (diabetes forum, 2012). The patient recently added lisinopril to her regimen and this in the form of Zestoric has hctz in it as well. It is possible she has had too much hctz and the prescribing physician needs to be alerted. The recommendation for this possible interaction is to monitor blood sugar levels when taking all three of these medications. This is especially important when starting, stopping or changing the dosage of your lisinopril/HCTZ. The collaborative team members pertinent to her care are the emergency room physician for immediate assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendation, the medical physician involved in her current care, possibly an endocrinologist who is managing her diabetes, a pulmonologist or intensivist who is caring for her current state as a consultant and the radiologist and cardiologist who will review her lab, radiology and EKG results. In the event where her status became unconscious the respiratory therapist and emergency room physician and ER code team responded to facilitate returning her to stable vital signs. It is likely she will need social work involvement and discharge care planning as she will be admitted until the current situation is diagnosed, treated and stabilized. References Gerontological Nursing: Competencies for Care, Second Edition, 2010. http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/type-2-diabetes/48316-lisinopril-hctz-20-12-a.html accessed November 24, 2012.