Category: Questions

Ethical Implications of the Public Health Change Model

Ethical Implications of the Public Health Change Model
Ethical Implications of the Public Health Change Model

Ethical Implications of the Public Health Change Model

Order Instructions:

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. Identify and discuss the ethical implications or concerns of team’s public health change model for childhood obesity. Assess and discuss this from each of these levels:

• Individual

• Organizational/group/institutional

• Community

2. Summarize the basic ethical principles and theories that are applicable here.

3. Identify the skills and resources a leader would need to bring about the proposed changes in your model in an ethical way.

USE THESE ARTICLES ONLY:

1.Kersh R, Stroup DF, Taylor WC. Childhood obesity: a framework for policy approaches and ethical considerations. Prev Chronic Dis 2011:8(5):A93. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0273.htm. Accessed [date].

2.Crawford PB, Gosliner W, Kayman H. The ethical basis for promoting nutritional health in public schools in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A98. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0283.htm.

Volume 8: No. 5, September 2011

SPECIAL TOPIC
Childhood Obesity: A Framework for Policy Approaches and Ethical Considerations

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  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Competing Policy Solutions
  • A Framework for Ethical Issues
  • Examples of Application of the Framework
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Author Information
  • References

Rogan Kersh, PhD; Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc; Wendell C. Taylor, PhD, MPH

Suggested citation for this article: Kersh R, Stroup DF, Taylor WC. Childhood obesity: a framework for policy approaches and ethical considerations. Prev Chronic Dis 2011:8(5):A93. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0273.htm. Accessed [date].

PEER REVIEWED

Abstract

Although obesity rates among US children have increased during the past 3 decades, effective public policies have been limited, and the quest for workable solutions raises ethical questions. To address these concerns, in 2010, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation convened an expert panel to consider approaches to the ethics problems related to interventions for childhood obesity. On the basis of recommendations from the expert panel, we propose frameworks for policy approaches and ethical aspects of interventions and evaluation. We present these frameworks in the context of other papers in this collection and make recommendations for public health practice.

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Introduction

Childhood obesity in the United States presents major health challenges, but neither the medical industry, public health advocates, nor policy makers have identified effective ways of reversing increasing rates of obesity among youth. Policy debates often focus on low energy expenditure attributable to increasingly inactive lifestyles. However, efforts to increase physical activity among youth have limited benefits without simultaneous attention to decreasing caloric consumption. A study among middle-school children reported that risk of obesity increased by 60% for every additional sugar-sweetened beverage consumed per day, regardless of levels of exercise (1).

Although obesity is linked to unhealthy diet and insufficient physical activity, prevention efforts and responsibility for the problem remain controversial. Whose job is it to ensure that children have a healthy life: parents and caregivers, schools, communities, the state? Children may be particularly vulnerable to harm because of their limited ability to make choices, dependence on adults for food and other goods, and susceptibility to marketing.

The quest for solutions raises many ethical questions explored in this collection. Do interventions involving children raise concerns different from those for adults? Does public policy attention to childhood obesity exacerbate body-weight concerns that can fuel stigma and potentially cause bulimia and anorexia? In situations where multiple, simultaneous interventions on different levels are needed, how might testing a single intervention communicate misleading results about the efficacy of achieving sustainable reform?

In this commentary, we summarize recommendations of the expert panel. First, we present a policy framework for interventions for childhood obesity. Second, we develop a framework for addressing ethical issues. Third, we review 3 policy approaches to support this framework. Finally, we discuss the application of these frameworks for existing and planned interventions.

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Competing Policy Solutions

One perspective in US political discussions about childhood obesity emphasizes personal responsibility, holding that food consumption is an individual matter and that parents, and eventually adolescents themselves, are best situated to make consumption decisions (2,3). This view informs policy actions that emphasize improved access to volitional physical activity and healthy diets (4).

As concern over childhood obesity has increased, a competing policy framework has gained support. In an obesogenic environment, children may find their food choices influenced by availability, price, and marketing of high-fat, low-nutrient processed foods. Messages targeting youth start from an early age wherever they congregate, including at school (5). In this environmental view of childhood obesity, public officials have a responsibility to intervene through policies such as the following:
•Controlling the conditions of sale (eg, limiting what schools can offer).
•Restricting advertising of high-fat, low-nutrient foods that targets young children or using other alternatives to increase awareness of what they are eating (eg, requiring calorie labels on menus).
•Subsidizing healthier alternatives (eg, fruits and vegetables) that have much higher per-calorie costs than do most other foods, many of which are or include ingredients (eg, corn syrup and sugar) that are subsidized under US farm policies.
•Restricting or banning certain ingredients (eg, trans fats).

Policy initiatives to control availability of competitive foods have been introduced at all levels of government. One congressional bill expands the list of foods of minimal nutritional value forbidden for sale in school cafeterias and on campus (6). An example at the state level is Connecticut’s Healthy Food Certification program, which provides monetary incentives to school districts that choose to implement state nutrition standards for all foods sold to students outside reimbursable school meals (7). The effort to assess and advance policy changes as discussed in this collection raises legitimate ethical concerns, to which we now turn.

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A Framework for Ethical Issues

Box. Characteristics of State Interventions for Childhood Obesity Under the Stewardship Model

Public health programs should 1.Attempt to reduce risks for obesity that populations might impose on each other.
2.Reduce causes of obesity through legislation or regulation that creates environmental conditions that sustain good health (eg, access to healthy foods and opportunities to be physically active).
3.Emphasize attention to the health of children and other vulnerable populations (eg, those with disabilities).
4.Promote health not only by providing information but also with programs that help populations maintain exercise and healthy diets.
5.Make leading a healthy life easy.
6.Ensure that populations have access to services.
7.Strive for justice in health.

Public health programs should not
1.Coerce populations into leading healthy lives.
2.Develop and introduce interventions without the consent or participation of those affected.
3.Implement interventions that are intrusive or conflict with personal or community values.

Adapted from: Nuffield Council on Bioethics (9).

One ethical concern raised by these policy interventions is the association between individual autonomy and state authority. The libertarian perspective limits the authority of the state to ensure individual freedom, whereas utilitarian and social-contract approaches allow individual interests to be secondary to increases in overall welfare. One theory for approaching this ethical concern is provided by John Stuart Mill’s harm principle: state intervention is justified when a person’s actions affect others (8). This principle recognizes the responsibility of the state to protect vulnerable populations from harming their own (or others’) health. This harm principle can be applied to interventions for childhood obesity through a stewardship model (9), which argues that the state is a steward to people and communities (Box). A reasonable application of this stewardship role is the constitutional principle of police and public health authority explored by Harris and Graff in this collection (5).

The articles in this collection explore ethical questions about the role of the state or other societal structures in stewardship. For example, as the state attempts to protect school children by measuring and reporting body mass index (BMI), how can concerns about privacy and stigmatization be addressed (10)? Other questions concern the extent to which parents and other community members are responsible for providing children a safe environment and whether childhood obesity can be considered a child protection problem (similar to child abuse) needing societal intervention (11). Governments must prevent their actions from affecting certain communities disproportionately; for example, do taxes on sodas unjustly punish persons of lower socioeconomic levels (12)? Are state-provided interventions accessible to children with special health care needs (13)? How can we address the stigma associated with the use of the term “obese” (14)? Although food industry officials argue that marketing cannot force consumers to do anything, marketing continues to have a substantial impact. What should be the role of media literacy and restrictions on use of cartoon characters, celebrities, or health claims (5)? What can we learn from the restrictions on tobacco marketing (12)?

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Examples of Application of the Framework

We present 3 examples of policy interventions for childhood obesity to illustrate the application of these frameworks in light of the ethical issues explored in this collection.

Menu calorie labeling

In 2008, no place in the United States required restaurants to post calorie labels. Two years later, dozens of jurisdictions and the United States itself have enacted menu-labeling laws (5). However, recent studies report that calorie information may not be a determining consideration in food choices; accessibility, taste, habit, perception, peer influence, and parental modeling also influence children’s food choices (11). Thus, menu calorie labeling alone may not be effective, and communities considering this policy intervention would be well advised to consider the role of personal autonomy in implementing such interventions.

Soft drink tax

Forty states and many cities levy taxes on low-nutrition foods (12). As for taxes to decrease cigarette consumption, controlled experiments have shown that manipulations of price can yield changes in consumption (15). The number of jurisdictions with soda taxes has declined in recent years concurrent with lobbying efforts by the beverage industry, but taxes have reduced consumption and increased revenue for other health-related programs (16). Just as for menu calorie labeling, the health benefits of a soda tax as a stand-alone intervention are less clear (17).

Interventions in schools

The United States has built a public education system on the principle that no child should be denied the right to an education on the basis of socioeconomics or other challenges, yet when a child becomes obese, that child struggles to achieve academic success because of stigma, depression or anxiety, or absenteeism (18). Resources could be a factor in a school’s reliance on unregulated foods to generate revenue (19). The ethical responsibility of schools to limit soft drink sales and provide healthy meals and opportunities for physical activity and to combat the other adverse consequences of childhood obesity affecting education (20) must also be considered.

The National School Lunch Program now serves more than 30 million students (approximately 60% of attendees) daily. Although students in this program consume more milk, fruits, and vegetables and have lower intakes of sweetened beverages and candy than other students, they also consume more sodium, fat and saturated fat, and calories (21). Moreover, US school districts often contract with private beverage and food companies to sell less nutritious “competitive foods” in cafeterias and vending machines. Thus, again, a stand-alone intervention may be ineffective, and the policy interventions planned for school settings must consider these competing forces.

The stewardship role of the state gives special attention to disadvantaged populations. Approximately 13% of children in the United States have a disability or chronic condition, and 6.4 million children with disabilities are enrolled in public education. Children with functional limitations and learning disabilities are more than twice as likely to be obese as other children, and children from families with low socioeconomic status are at higher risk for obesity (22). Parents, schools, health care settings, and communities all have a role in ensuring that the risk for obesity among children with special needs is no greater than for other children (13).

Ethical review of research protocols typically emphasizes informed consent and confidentiality, the standard in most research regarding health-policy interventions for human behavior. In their role as policy makers, school administrators may implement activities affecting children. Although schools are not a research setting, concern may be raised about the extent to which families are truly informed about the activities, a matter presumably heightened by any layer of removal (eg, child to parent or administrator) from the actual participant. The question of reporting BMI among school children illustrates this problem (10). School interventions that actively involve families are more likely to be effective (11) than stand-alone interventions in schools.

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Discussion

Media reports may exacerbate eating disorders and other unhealthy weight-loss practices. Reformers eager to spread a healthy message (eg, about the dangers of smoking, drinking, or drug use) have traditionally demonized both the purveyors of undesirable substances and those who practice the risky behavior, often targeting members of comparatively dispossessed communities (23). Unlike tobacco or drugs, food is necessary for life, so the attention to reducing stigma is a necessary component of any intervention (14).

This collection of papers supports the claim that the nature of evaluation research — testing a single intervention, often during the formative stage of implementation — may mislead policy makers and the public about the efficacy of achieving sustainable reform. If one focuses on a single isolated intervention and holds other factors constant (as if that were possible), the policy change may appear to be ineffective. When evaluations of individual policies (eg, menu labels, soft drink taxes, and removal of competitive foods in schools) fall short of anticipated benefits, does this imply that we are promoting the wrong policies or that no single intervention is likely to be successful in reversing the rates of childhood obesity? Or is our evaluation framework insufficient for this situation? A single type of medical treatment often fails to address a health problem, and multiple, simultaneous interventions are often preferable. A similar approach may be the most promising means of systematically addressing childhood obesity.

The advancement and impact of policy evaluations of simultaneous interventions face 2 challenges. First, scholars should find ways to evaluate broad interventions in scientifically sound ways and must attend to collective concerns more rigorously. Evidence-based approaches (those informed by the best available scientific evidence and reflecting community preferences and feasibility) are more likely to be effective at addressing causes of childhood obesity, interventions, and policies that may work to confront those causes, in a manner acceptable to the community affected (24). Second, the separation of powers in the US legislative system, with its multiple veto points, combined with dedicated interest-group resistance to any attempts to regulate food or beverage policies, makes approval of passing even a single program difficult, much less a multifaceted, coordinated national approach to childhood obesity.

Given the urgency of the childhood obesity problem and the difficulty of personal-responsibility approaches (25), the public policy arena is the most promising response. Yet, in the United States, the time-honored policy-making practices of incrementalism are proving inadequate for the present crisis (26). For public policy to enable a response, barriers to simultaneous interventions, a new view of the role of the state, and attention to the ethical issues raised in this collection of articles will be needed.

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Acknowledgments

This article highlights ideas generated and conclusions reached at the Symposium on Ethical Issues in Interventions for Childhood Obesity, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Data for Solutions, Inc. The authors thank C. Kay Smith, MEd, who edited the papers in this Special Topic collection.

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Author Information

Corresponding Author: Donna F. Stroup, PhD, MSc, Data for Solutions, Inc, PO Box 894, Decatur, GA 30031-0894. Telephone: 404-218-0841. E-mail: donnafstroup@dataforsolutions.com.

Author Affiliations: Rogan Kersh, New York University Wagner School, New York, New York; Wendell C. Taylor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.

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References

1.Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001;357(9255):505-8

2.Kersh T, Elbel B. Childhood obesity: public health impact and policy responses. In: Bagchi D, editor. Global view on childhood obesity: current status, consequences and prevention. Maryland Heights (MO): Elsevier Publishing; 2010.

3.Stroup DF, Johnson VR, Hahn RS, Proctor DC. Reversing the trend of childhood obesity. Prev Chronic Dis 2009;6(3):A83. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2009/jul/08_0255.htm.

4.Brownell KD, Kersh R, Ludwig DS, Post RC, Puhl RM, Schwartz MB, Willett WC. Personal responsibility and obesity: a constructive approach to a controversial issue. Health Aff (Millwood) 2010;29(3):379-87.

5.Harris JL, Graff SK. Protecting children from harmful food marketing: options for local government to make a difference. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A92. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0272.htm.

6.Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act of 2009, S 934, 111th Cong, 1st Sess (2009) (cf HR 1324, same title).

7.Long MW, Henderson KE, Schwartz MB. Evaluating the impact of a Connecticut program to reduce availability of unhealthy competitive food in schools. J Sch Health 2010;80(10):478-86.

8.Mill JS. On liberty. Oxford (GB): Oxford University Press; 1859. p. 21-22.

9.Nuffield Council on Bioethics. Public health: ethical issues. London (GB): Nuffield Council; 2007. http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/public-health. Accessed June 8, 2011.

10.Phillips MM, Ryan K, Raczynski JM. Public policy versus individual rights in childhood obesity interventions: perspectives from the Arkansas experience with Act 1220 of 2003. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A96. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0286.htm.

11. Perryman M. Ethical family interventions for childhood obesity. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A99. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/11_0038.htm.

12. Chaloupka FJ. Public policy versus individual rights and responsibility: an economist’s perspective. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A100. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0278.htm.

13. Minihan P, Must A, Andrewson B, Popper B. Children with special health care needs: acknowledging the dilemma of difference in policy responses to obesity. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A95. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0285.htm.

14. Washington RL. Childhood obesity: issues of weight bias. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A94. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0281.htm.

15. French SA, Story M, Jeffery RW, Snyder P, Eisenberg M, Sidebottom A, Murray D. Pricing strategy to promote fruit and vegetable purchase in high school cafeterias. J Am Diet Assoc 1997;97(9):1008-10.

16. Brownell KD, Farley T, Willett WC, Popkin BM, Chaloupka FJ, Thompson JW, Ludwig DS. The public health and economic benefits of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. N Engl J Med 2009;361(16):1599-605.
17. Powell LM, Chriqui J, Chaloupka FJ. Associations between state-level soda taxes and adolescent body mass index. J Adolesc Health 2009;45(3 Suppl):S57-63.

18. Kearny CA. School absenteeism and school refusal behavior in youth: a contemporary review. Clin Psychol Rev 2008;28(3):451-71.

19. O’Malley PM, Johnston LD, Delva J, Bachman JG, Schulenberg JE. Variation in obesity among American secondary school students by school and school characteristics. Am J Prev Med 2007;33(4 Suppl):S187-94.

20. Crawford PB, Gosliner W, Kayman H. The ethical basis for promoting nutritional health in public schools in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A98. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0283.htm.

21. Musiker M. National school lunch program participation up 57 percent since 1969. US Department of Agriculture: Amber Waves 2009;7:1. http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/March09/Indicators/InTheLongRun.htm.

22. Vieweg VR, Johnston CH, Lanier JO, Fernandez A, Pandurangi AK. Correlation between high risk obesity groups and low socioeconomic status in children. South Med J 2007;100(1):8-13.

23. Pomeranz JL. A historical analysis of public health, the law, and stigmatized social groups: the need for both obesity and weight bias legislation. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008;16(Suppl 2):S93-103.

24. Fielding JE, Briss PA. Promoting evidence-based public health policy: can we have better evidence and more action? Health Aff (Millwood) 2006;25(4):969-78.

25. Blacksher E. Children’s health inequalities: ethical and political challenges to seeking social justice. Hastings Cent Rep 2008;38(4):28-35.

26. Kumanyika SJ. A question of competing rights, priorities, and principles: a postscript to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Symposium on the Ethics of Childhood Obesity Policy. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(5):A97. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0289.htm.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Ethical Implications of the Public Health Change Model

Ethical implications or concerns

Individual level: the ethical implications/concerns of team’s public health change model for childhood obesity from the individual level are that people should not be coerced by public health programs into healthy lives. Kersh, Stroup and Taylor (2011) stated that a major ethical concern brought about by policy interventions entails the association between the authority of the state and an individual’s autonomy. The other concern is that interventions should not be developed and introduced without the involvement or consent of the individuals who are affected by those particular interventions (Kersh, Stroup & Taylor, 2011). As states try to protect school kids by measuring as well as reporting their body mass index, concerns regarding stigmatization and confidentiality should be addressed appropriately.

Organizational/group/institutional level: governments need to make sure that their actions do not affect people of particular communities disproportionately. Taxes on soft drinks, for instance, should not unfairly punish people from lower socio-economic status. Interventions provided by the states should be accessible to kids who have special healthcare needs (Kersh, Stroup & Taylor, 2011).

Community level: there are concerns regarding the extent to which parents along with other members of the community are accountable for offering kids an environment that is safe. Another concern is that, should childhood obesity be regarded as a child protection issue – just like child abuse – that warrants societal intervention? There is also the concern with regard to how the stigma linked to the usage of the word obese can be addressed in the communities. Moreover, there is concern regarding the role of media literacy as well as restrictions on the usage of celebrities, cartoon characters, or health claims considering that marketing activities carried out by the food industry have a great impact (Kersh, Stroup & Taylor, 2011).

Applicable basic ethical principles and theories

Autonomy: kids do not have autonomy both at school and at home considering that they lack the experience as well as knowledge necessary to select foods basing on the nutritional quality. Therefore, parents need to offer foodstuffs from which their children could choose reasonably. At school, school administrators should provide foodstuffs from which the school children can pick but limiting the foods to only those which offer nutritional benefit and not harm (Crawford, Gosliner & Kayman, 2011).

Justice: this implies that everyone has to be treated in a fair manner. One of the fundraising techniques used by schools is allowing food marketers to market beverages and foods on school ground. Crawford, Gosliner and Kayman (2011) pointed out that recurrent exposure to such marketing in schools in areas of low income in which kids are at a higher risk is actually in disagreement with social justice and fairness.

Nonmaleficence: any intervention must not bring harm, for instance offering foods that are nutritional. Offering easy access to foods of low nutritional quality has to be interpreted as causing harm. According to Crawford, Gosliner and Kayman (2011), the current situation whereby schools along with their suppliers profit from selling to school kids foods that are not healthy could be masked by the efforts made in schools to teach children how to avoid choosing foods which are less healthy that are being offered.

Skills and resources needed by a leader

The skills and resources that a leader would need in order to bring about the proposed changes in the model in an ethical way include the ability to advocate for health-policy interventions that ensure all populations have adequate access to services. The leader should also endeavor for justice and fairness in health; she should underscore attention to the children’s health as well as the health of other populations that are vulnerable such as disabled persons (Kersh, Stroup & Taylor, 2011). The leader needs to have the ability of developing programs which make living a healthy life simple. They should also be able to promote health through giving information and coming up with interventions which assist populations in maintaining healthy diets and exercise (Kersh, Stroup & Taylor, 2011). The resources needed include financial resources as well as personnel.

References

Crawford, P. B, Gosliner, W., & Kayman, H. (2011). The ethical basis for promoting nutritional health in public schools in the United States. Prev Chronic Dis ;8(5):A98. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0283.htm.

Kersh, R., Stroup, D. F., & Taylor, W. C. (2011). Childhood obesity: a framework for policy approaches and ethical considerations. Prev Chronic Dis 8(5):A93.http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/sep/10_0273.htm. Accessed [7/2/2015].

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Original Creation of the Earth Assignment

Original Creation of the Earth
Original Creation of the Earth

Original Creation of the Earth (nebular hypothesis vs. six day creation)

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COMPARATIVE ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS

Topic:
1. Original creation of the Earth (nebular hypothesis vs. six-day creation)

Content and Outline

Use the following outline when writing your paper. Each point on the below outline should be a separate section (with the section heading, as indicated) within your paper.

I. Introduction
• Indicate which topic you chose from the list above.
• Indicate the purpose of your paper (i.e., to compare old-Earth and young-Earth viewpoints on your chosen topic).

II. Old-Earth Secular View
• What is the old-Earth secular viewpoint on your chosen topic?
• Do not discuss the old-Earth creationist viewpoint on your chosen topic. For a description of old-Earth creationism, go to http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Old_Earth_creationism

III. Young-Earth View
• What is the young-Earth viewpoint on your chosen topic?

IV. Comparison of the Viewpoints
• Comparison is articulating similarities between the two viewpoints.
• Be sure to provide at least two similarities (comparisons) between the viewpoints.

V. Contrast of the Viewpoints
• Contrast is articulating differences between the two viewpoints.
• Be sure to provide at least two differences (contrasts) between the viewpoints.

VI. Conclusion
• Provide a summary statement of your paper.
• Be sure to restate your purpose.
• Do not introduce new material in your conclusion.

Length

This paper is to be 3–4 pages. Do not exceed this page limit. The title page and bibliography do not count toward the page total.

Format

You must use current APA format. Papers must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins all around. Font is to be Courier New or Times New Roman in 12-point font. Include a cover sheet with your name, instructor’s name, course number and title (e.g., PHSC 210, Elements of Earth Science), date, and paper title. There is no need to include an abstract in your paper.

Sources

Your Comparative Essay must include at least 4 academic sources (not including the course textbooks). Two of these additional sources must be from an old-Earth perspective, and the other two sources must be from a young-Earth perspective. Sources must be journal articles, manuscripts, scholarly textbooks, and/or internet sites from .edu or .gov sources. Avoid internet sites from .com, .net, .org, etc., as the information contained therein are not often peer reviewed. In particular, avoid Wikipedia. Also, study Bibles are not appropriate for this assignment. List all of your sources in a bibliography at the end of the paper.

Citation

Be sure to cite your sources in the body of your paper using current APA format.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Original Creation of the Earth

Original Creation of the Earth (nebular hypothesis vs. six day creation)

Introduction

Topic: The topic of this exercise is the original creation of earth and the two main opposing perspectives that seek to explain how it occurred. These are the nebular hypothesis which is secular and the six day creation which is based on biblical scripture.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the two view points on the origin of the earth. One of the theories is the nebular theory which is based on secular scientific theories that were proposed to explain how the earth came to be. The other perspective, the six day creation, on the other hand is a Christian belief stated in the Bible about God, a supreme being deliberately created the earth.

Old Earth Secular View

The Old Earth Secular View of creation is a collective term that is used to refer to a several types of theories that are based on scientific knowledge as a means of explaining how the earth came to be in its present form. This form of reasoning relies on various branches of science such as geology, plate tectonics and various forms of radiometric dating as a means of establishing the age of the earth (LaPorte, 2014). It is termed as the old earth secular view due to the manner in which it is manifested relative to the young earth theory of creation. The ‘old’ is indicative of the belief that the earth is much older than 6000 years as indicated by the calendar followed by Judaism.

One of the more common beliefs associated with old-earth secular view is the ‘Big Bang Theory’ which is believed by scientists to have taken place over a billion years ago. The reason why it is termed as secular is that it exists parallel to religious theories of creation. Its origin is in science and rational or logical arguments thus its being called ‘secular’. Under this view, life on earth whether plant or animal came about as a result of progressive evolution from simple celled organisms whose cellular structure grew more and more complicated as the organisms sought to better adapt to their environment. According to this school of thought, evolution did not stop but is more of a continuous process taking place even today. Those who hold to this point of view are critical of those who believe in young earth creationism for completely ignoring logic (Herbert, 2014).

Young Earth Creationism

Young Earth creationism is a belief system that the earth is 6000 years old and was created in a total of six days out of nothing. The six days are taken as the literal days with 24 hours in each. This is a literal interpretation of what the Bible says in the creation story narrated in the book of Genesis which discusses the origins of earth and everything on it (Benton, 2014). Key to this belief is the belief in the existence of a supreme being who is known as the God of Abraham. This is the same God worshipped in Judaism, Christianity and also Islam albeit under different names. Under this theory humanity has virtually existed from time immemorial.

Those who take this point of view are motivated to stand by it due to their belief that what the Bible says is infallible. They therefore also oppose the secular perspective that the earth formed following a cataclysmic event in the universe followed by geological processes and evolution leading to the earth and life as known today. According to the young earth creation belief, everything that exists on earth whether natural or living has maintained the same form since it was created (MCGee, 2012).

Comparison and Contrast

Similarities

The first similarity that these two points of view share is the fact that whatever happened at the ‘beginning of time’ had a direct impact on how things are today. Regardless of the path followed, both alleged origins of the earth have led to nature being what it is today.

The second similarity that the old-earth secular belief and young earth creationism theory have is the fact that the processes that took place at the beginning of the earth put in place relevant parameters needed for the sustaining of life on earth. This is to say that both perspectives believe that life on earth is not an accident but rather something systematic.

Differences

The first difference between these two points of view is on the role of the supreme being. According to the old-earth secular belief, the earth came into existence due to the existence of the right conditions in the universe while young earth believes that God personally created everything.

The second difference is on the age of the earth. The old earth secular view takes it that the earth is at least a billion years old while the young earth view maintains that earth is six thousand years old.

Conclusion

From the above it is evident that there exists a sharp difference between the two perspectives. Proponents of both young earth creationism and old earth put a lot of effort into justifying their point of view. It is unlikely that the two will ever find a common ground due to the implication of the same. They however have areas of common ground as well as some stark differences and an understanding of these is key in differentiating the two.

References

Benton, A. (2014). Creationist Ministries Present a Distorted View of Human Evolution. Reports of the National Center for Science Education, 34(4).

Hebert, J. (2014). Ice Cores, Seafloor Sediments, and the Age of the Earth: Part 1. Acts & Facts, 43(6), 12-14.

LaPorte, C. (2013). Victorian literature, religion, and secularization. Literature Compass, 10(3), 277-287.

McGee, D. (2012). Creation Date of Adam from the Perspective of Young-Earth Creationism. Answers Research Journal, 5, 217-230.

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East Africa’s Great Rift Valley Essay Assignment

East Africa’s Great Rift Valley
East Africa’s Great Rift Valley

East Africa’s Great Rift Valley

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JOURNAL ARTICLE 2 REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS

Articles

Write a formal review on this online article:
“East Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A Complex Rift System” by James Wood and Alex Guth at http://geology.com/articles/east-africa-rift.shtml.

Content

In general, the Journal Article Review must contain an introductory paragraph, the body of the work, and a conclusion. In terms of the body, the following items must be discussed:
1. Brief overview of the theme of the article and its main points.
2. Strengths of the article. Answer questions such as:
a. What did the author do well?
b. Were any points made exceptionally clear?
c. Did the author write with concision and precision?
3. Weaknesses of the article. Answer questions such as:
a. What erroneous assumptions does the author make, if any?
b. Are any factual errors made in the article?
c. Is the scientific method violated in any way?
d. Could the author have stated his/her case better?
4. Remember, every article has weaknesses. You are expected to discuss some of these. Failure to identify any weaknesses in your Journal Article Reviews will negatively affect your grade.

Outline

Use the following outline when writing your papers. Each point on the below outline must be a separate section (with a section heading) within each of your Journal Article Reviews. You will notice that these section headings correspond to the content points above.
I. Introduction
II. Brief Overview and Main Points
III. Article Strengths
IV. Article Weaknesses
V. Conclusion

Length

These reviews are to be 2–3 pages each. Do not exceed this page limit. The title page and bibliography do not count toward this page total.

Format

You must use current APA formatting. Papers must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins all around. The font is to be Courier New or Times New Roman, 12-point. Include a cover sheet with your name, instructor’s name, course number and title, date, and paper title. There is no need to include an abstract in your paper.

Sources

The only source required for each review is the article itself. However, feel free to incorporate other sources if you so desire. Additional sources must be limited to journal articles, manuscripts, scholarly textbooks, and/or internet sites from .edu or .gov sources. Avoid internet sites from .com, .net, .org, etc. sources as the information contained therein are not often peer-reviewed. Also, Study Bibles are not appropriate for this assignment. List all of your sources in a bibliography at the end of the paper.

Citation

Be sure to cite your sources in the body of your paper using proper APA formatting.

SAMPLE ANSWER

East Africa’s Great Rift Valley

  1. Introduction

This Journal Article Review provides an assessment of an online journal article. It provides a concise overview of the article’s theme and the article’s main points. This journal article review also assesses the weaknesses and strengths of the article.

  1. Brief Overview and Main Points

In this article, Wood and Guth (2014) provide a discussion of the general geology of rifts in the East African Rift System (EARS) and give emphasis to the geologic processes that are, or were, involved during their creation. According to the authors, the EARS is a region in which the tectonic forces of the earth are currently attempting to split apart old plates and form new ones. Rifts are cracks in the surface of the earth that become wider over time. The process of how rifting occurs can be seen in East Africa where a new plate-to-be is forming, called the Nubian plate and a smaller one is pulling away known as the Somalian plate (Wood & Guth, 2014). The entire rift system extends thousands of kilometers in the East African region and several thousands more if the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea are included as extensions. One model that explains how the rifts form supposes that increased heat flow from the asthenosphere is resulting in a pair of thermal bulges in the Afar area of north-central Ethiopia and central Kenya. During the formation of these bulges, they stretch and crack the external fragile crust into a string of normal faults, thereby creating the graben and horst structure of rift valleys (Wood & Guth, 2014).

  • Article Strengths

What the authors did well in this article is making several key points exceptionally clear. For instance, the description of the East African Rift System is clear and unambiguous. They state that the EARS include the Ethiopian Rift, which is in Ethiopia’s Afar area; the Lake Albert Rift that has the East African Great Lakes; the East African Rift; and the Gregory or Kenya Rift. The authors are also very clear on how these rifts formed. By focusing a little more on the East African Rift, they describe explicitly and in an understandable manner how this rift is currently forming; there is the Eastern and Western branch and Lake Victoria is in between these 2 branches. Most of the points made in this article are factual and supported by other geologists and paleontologists. For instance, Wood and Guth (2014) state that the rift’s structure and evolution might have made the region to be more susceptible to climate changes that brought about several alternations between arid and wet seasons. Geologist Gammon (2012) confirms this fact by pointing out that geological evidence suggests alternating dry and wet periods.

  1. Article Weakness

The authors make an erroneous assumption by stating that the old continental masses which the rifts are following collided billions of years forming the African craton. It is not billions of years; it is roughly 25 million years ago. Gammon (2012) pointed out that the western section of the East African Rift System formed about 25 million years. The eastern section formed approximately 25-30 million years back (Gamon, 2012).

  1. Conclusion

To sum up, the theme and main points of the article are that the EARS is an expanse in which the tectonic forces of the earth are at this time attempting to tear apart ancient plates and in so doing form new ones. Moreover, the process of how rifting actually takes place can be seen in East Africa where a new plate-to-be is forming and a smaller one is pulling away. The authors are clear in describing the East African Rift System and the way in which the rifts formed. Most of the points are accurate and supported by other geologists and paleontologists. However, they make an erroneous assumption by reporting that the old continental masses which the rifts are following collided billions of years ago, yet it is roughly 25 million years ago.

References

Gammon, C. (2012). First Humans’ African Home Gets New Birth Date. LiveScience

Wood, J., & Guth, A. (2014). East Africa’s Great Rift Valley: A Complex Rift System. Michigan Technological University. Retrieved from http://geology.com/articles/east-africa-rift.shtml

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The role of the HR leader in CSR Essay

The role of the HR leader in CSR
The role of the HR leader in CSR

The role of the HR leader in CSR

Order Instructions:

Dear Admin,

I need an essay in the following subject:

The role of the HR leader in CSR
CSR will remain a lofty ideal with no practical impact if organisational leaders do not take responsibility for its implementation. As with other strategic aspects of organisations, CSR planning and implementation is often a joint effort of leaders in many roles, including the HR leader. In this week’s Collaboration, you will continue your discussion on the nature and value of CSR, expanding your dialogue on the role of HR professionals in CSR.

a)Search for examples of CSR online and for additional scholarly research on CSR, focusing on the role of HR.

b)Critically analysing the CSR-related HRM practices of organisations with which you are familiar or which you have researched online.

c)Synthesising general lessons about the HR leader’s role in, and responsibility for, promoting, planning for and implementing CSR

d)Discussing the ability of CSR to enable HR leaders to address ethical and cultural issues within an organisation

Also, the following conditions must meet in the essay:

1) The answer must raise appropriate critical questions.

2) The answer must include examples from aviation experience or the web with references from relevant examples from aviation companies.

3) Do include all your references, as per the Harvard Referencing System,

4) Please don’t use Wikipedia web site.

5) I need examples from peer reviewed articles or researches.

Note: To prepare for this essay please read the required articles that is attached

Appreciate each single moment you spend in writing my paper

Best regards

SAMPLE ANSWER

The role of the HR leader in CSR

As the function of human resource department in a company continues to expand and human resource personnel become more entrenched in the business strategy in many organizations across the United Kingdom, CSR can have considerable implications for the HR profession. In this paper, a discussion of the role of the human resource (HR) professionals in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is provided. A critical analysis of the CSR-related human resource management practices of organizations in the aviation industry is also provided. Moreover, this paper discusses the general lessons about the role of the HR in, and responsibility for, promoting, planning for, and implementing CSR as well as the ability of CSR to enable HR leaders to address both cultural and ethical issues within an organization.

Cohen, Taylor & Camen (2011, p. 15) pointed out that the commitment of an organization to CSR is a component of both customer brand and the employment brand. Human resource professionals have embraced it and use it as a tool when retaining existing talent or recruiting new talent to the company. HR departments play a vital role in making sure that the organization adopts CSR programs. In addition, the human resource department can manage the corporate social responsibility plan implementation and proactively monitor its espousal, whilst noting and celebrating its success in the organization (Preuss, Haunschild & Matten 2009, p. 973).

Successful corporate social responsibility calls for a clearly expressed mission statement, vision, as well as values. The human resource leader could endorse or initiate the upgrading or development of a values, mission, and vision foundation if one is lacking or if it exists but does not address corporate social responsibility in an explicit manner (Cohen, Taylor & Camen 2011, p. 16). For the foundation to foster alignment, it should include elements of CSR or sustainability. Where a corporate social responsibility ethic is yet to take hold, the HR leader could support the need and opportunity for a mission, vision, and a set of values for the company and explain the way it could add return on investment to the company; that is, why this can be a good people strategy and a good business strategy at the same time (Guerci et al. 2015, p. 328). The HR leader can inform the organization’s board and senior executives about the opportunity and what it means and the reason why it actually makes good business sense. In essence, these are the initial steps to building corporate social responsibility into the DNA of the company and into the strategic and operating framework of the company (Voegtling & Greenwood 2013, p. 66).

The moment the mission, vision, and values framework is clear, the company is now set to take on the development of its corporate social responsibility strategy. At this stage, the HR leader’s role is of major importance to every step. HR professionals have a significant people perspective to contribute and they would be involved in the implementation of the main measures (Morgeson et al. 2011, p. 287). In organizations in which corporate social responsibility is housed within the HR department, the HR leader has a central role in the development of CSR strategy. The HRM manager is a strategic partner in the company; hence he or she can assist in driving the formulation of the corporate social responsibility strategy.

Lis (2012, p. 282) stated that not every business organization has the resources – personnel, time, and money – to funnel corporate social responsibility programs. Nonetheless, these CSR initiatives may not be costly or may not necessitate a commitment of too much time. Companies which are interested in corporate social responsibility can decide to begin with small projects which demonstrate their dedication to the community and their staffs. Human resource managers could address a challenge such as this one by considering various options and coming up with ingenious approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility to present to their organization. For instance, they can consider partnering with other companies such as a co-sponsor (Mankelow 2008, p. 2177). Thus, the HR leadership as the company’s ears and eyes is critical to the corporate social responsibility equation. It is notable that through properly-managed policies, programs, and practices, HR has the opportunity of engaging the company’s top management and the company’s stakeholders in the value of CSR. It can do this by focusing on employee relations, community relations, communications, safety, and health to offer their companies a competitive advantage. Lis (2012, p. 291) stated that HR managers can influence 3 key CSR standards – community involvement, employment practices, and ethics – which relate either in an indirect or direct way to the local community, clients/customers, or staff members. By taking into consideration these 3 corporate social responsibility standards, HR managers can then recognize their company’s CSR stage prior to making decisions to develop and carry out corporate social responsibility initiatives.

An example of the critical role of the HR leader in CSR in the aviation industry is as regards Air Greenland. Air Greenland takes CSR very seriously. This airline is committed to creating a common value for the company and the society in everything it does. As such, Air Greenland chose to call its Corporate Social Responsibility approach We bring Greenland forward (Air Greenland 2013). With viability, reputation, and at times survival of the organization at stake, the HR leadership at Air Greenland undertook the critical role of spearheading the development as well as strategic execution of corporate social responsibility throughout the company and promoting sound corporate citizenship. Air Greenland understands that a fundamental barrier to Greenland’s development is the lack of skills and competencies (Air Greenland 2013). For that reason, this airline is actually committed to developing competence throughout the organization as well as to supporting education more generally outside the organization. Moreover, this airline is committed to skills and competence development of its staffs in a balance between the staffs own wishes and the needs of the airline (Air Greenland 2013). In this regard, the HR department at Air Greenland manages the corporate social responsibility plan execution and the HR leader proactively monitors its adoption, whilst noting and celebrating its success organization wide.

CSR initiatives and programs are able to enable HR leaders to address ethical and cultural issues within an organization. As part of HR initiatives related to ensuring the inclusion of employees from diverse cultures, HR managers would recruit and employ individuals of different cultural backgrounds. HR leaders are also vital in the development and implementation of ethical practices and standards in dealings with every stakeholder of the organization. HR leaders explicitly communicate the organization’s commitment to ethical conduct and ensure that all employees strictly uphold ethical conduct in the organization (Preuss, Haunschild & Matten 2009, p. 962).

Conclusion

To sum up, HR departments in many organizations play an imperative role in making sure that their organizations adopt corporate social responsibility initiatives. The HR manager is a strategic partner in the business organization and can be of assistance in driving the development of the corporate social responsibility strategy. Through properly-managed policies, programs, and practices, the HR leader can engage the company executives and stakeholders in the value of Corporate Social Responsibility for instance focusing on worker relations, community relations, communications, safety, and even health so as to offer their firms a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

References

Air Greenland 2013, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy for Air Greenland. Retrieved from https://www.airgreenland.com/media/522581/corporate-social-responsibility-policy-air-greenland-signatures.pdf

Cohen, E., Taylor, S., & Camen, MM 2011, HR’s Role in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Coventry, England: Cengage Learning.

Guerci, M, Radaelli, G, Siletti, E, Cirella, S, & Rami Shani, A 2015, ‘The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices and Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Ethical Climates: An Employee Perspective’, Journal Of Business Ethics, 126, 2, pp. 325-342, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 February 2015.

Lis, B 2012, ‘The Relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility for a Sustainable Human Resource Management: An Analysis of Organizational Attractiveness as a Determinant in Employees’ Selection of a (Potential) Employer’, Management Revue, 23, 3, pp. 279-295, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 February 2015.

Mankelow, G 2008, ‘Social responsibility paradox of small business human resource management practices’, International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 19, 12, pp. 2171-2181, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 February 2015.

Morgeson, F, Aguinis, H, Waldman, D, Siegel, D, Kraimer, M, Takeuchi, R, & Frese, M 2011, ‘Special Issue Call for Papers: Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management/Organizational Behavior’, Personnel Psychology, 64, 1, pp. 283-288, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 February 2015.

Preuss, L, Haunschild, A, & Matten, D 2009, ‘The rise of CSR: implications for HRM and employee representation’, International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 20, 4, pp. 953-973, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 6 February 2015.

Voegtling, C., & Greenwood, M 2013, CSR AND HRM: A Review and Conceptual Analysis. Academy Of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 65-70. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2013.21

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Aesthetic labor in hospitality Essay Paper

Aesthetic labor in hospitality
Aesthetic labor in hospitality

Aesthetic labor in hospitality

Order Instructions:

the essay should answer the following with a focus placed on the hospitality industry:

What is meant by the term aesthetic labour? Identify an interactive service occupation and discuss why the industry recruits feminized labour oftentimes with intersecting identities (e.g. age, class,racialised background)? Do these workers experience discrimination (e.g.double-standards sexual harassment) in their occupation? Explain why this
happens.

references to be used in the essay

Employee experience of aesthetic labour in retail and hospitality by: Chris Warhurst & Dennis Nickson

the “Right” Person for the Job: Exploring the Aesthetics of about within the Events Industry by: Katherine L Dashper

Emotional intelligence and emotional labour acting strategies among frontline hotel employees. International journal of Contemporary Hospitality, 1029 – 1046

“Gender, Global Labor Markets, Commodity Chains, and Mobilities: Globalizing Production and Reproduction” by: Heidi Gottfried

Serving People: Gender and Services in the New Economy” by: heidi Gottfried

SAMPLE ANSWER

Aesthetic labor in hospitality

The concept of aesthetic labour

According to Warhurst and Nickson (2007), aesthetic labor refers to the aspect of recruiting, selecting, developing, and deploying physical and presentable features with the aim of bringing out a good and sound image. In addition, studies have established a certain level of classification within interactive service work, and distinctions have further been developed with regard to requisite aesthetics which echo a company’s market dimensions, brand strategies and its appeal to different groupings of consumers. Thus, employees in such hospitality industries as restaurants, bars, style cafes and designer retailers need to have aesthetic skills as well as technical and social skills. The skills that most recruiters look for in aesthetic labor include: voice and accents, personal grooming, dress sense and style, and body language. According to Warhurst and Nickson (2007), the current trend in the hospitality industry has drawn so much attention on aesthetic skills as the vital requisites, and policy makers tend to favor this trend.

Aesthetic labor is required in service industries that are style-conscious as opposed to manufacturing industries due to various reasons. First, the production and consumption of services is simultaneous as opposed to manufacturing which does not happen simultaneously. Second, in service industries, there is a direct interaction between employees and customers. Service employees are considered as part of the product and their relationship with the customers and be described as intangible, spontaneous, continent and variable. These attributes imply that an effective service transaction will highly depend on the extent to which customers perceive the moods, personality, demeanor, and appearance of a firm’s employees. Whereas some companies have made attempts of replacing this uncertainty with technological advances such as automated systems and scripted call-centre encounters, other companies have invested a lot in employee training with the aim of delivering the employer brand image. The training process requires the employers to strictly manage and monitor the behavior and responses or emotional labour of employees. Other employees have resorted to recruiting and selecting ‘oven-ready’ employees with the right skills and attitudes for the jobs, by using competency-based selection procedures. Thus, the traditional understanding of ‘soft skills’ has been overtaken by the trending notion that sounding right and looking good are skills which are not easy to be trained into people. Nevertheless, recruiting employees in light of this assumption may potentially lead to discrimination (Warhurst and Nickson, 2009).

Aesthetic labour in the food industry

The food industry is greatly connected to the rapid growth in consumer culture. This field is unique in the sense that accessing employment basically depends on the personal traits and the ability to appeal to consumers. The job of an events manager or planner is to effectively reflect a future self to the customer.

According to Dashper, the service interactive industry can be described as a ‘customer-oriented bureaucracy’.  Employees often encounter very challenging demands due to the dual and sometimes contradictory concepts of customer bureaucratization and orientation. The events industry is one of the interactive services where the concept of labor aesthetics has been successfully used in recruitment processes.

Research shows that although both customer-oriented and bureaucratized elements tend to be gender-neutral, they usually have deep gender inclinations. With regard to service quality, it is usually presumed that customers tend to have gender preferences. Most male consumers prefer the service of female employees. In the events industry, employers put greater emphasis on such personal attributes as honesty, friendliness, self-presentation, and sociability than technical skills and experience.

Employers in the food industry require employees to have the right personality. Most advertisements call for employees who are physically appealing, bright, confident, enthusiastic, dynamic, and proactive. There is a tendency of ‘lookism’, that is, discriminating employees on grounds of their appearance. Employees in the food sector are expected to look very appealing and thus, physical appearance really matters. Thus, younger females would be much preferred than older ones. In addition, women will be expected to dress in a certain manner that attracts customers. Employers tend to control the body posture, language, length of clothes, makeup, shoes, and the color and length of hair of the employees. For instance, women who serve as waitresses in restaurants or clubs are expected to dress seductively in mini-clothes, which is not consistent with Muslim dressing.

The manager is expected t be outgoing and confident (Dashper, 2013). This description matches the skills necessary for the role of people management, customer service, and client relationship building. Although these requirements seem to be ordinary for persons with knowledge and willingness to accommodate the demands of the role, there is usually a presumed reasoning that female employees would not be willing and able to travel for work and that men would not have such constraints.

Thus, work-related travels operate as a barrier for women into employment and a steppingstone to men’s employment. Female employees would also have the willingness and ability to take up work-related travels but gendered perceptions deny women such opportunities. The long, unsociable hours are also indicative of female discrimination, as women are assumed to take up child-bearing roles. In spite of the increasing societal changes with regard to gender equality, women are still majorly responsible for child care responsibilities. The employers in the events industry also expect employees to show willingness to work during unsociable hours and to travel. Thus, most management positions are left to men because of the gendered perceptions that men are more committed and willing to work in all forms of circumstances. Women, on the other hand, are perceived to be more suitable for the waiteress jobs because of the notion that they have higher potential to act in a friendly and deferent manner to customers than men (Gottfried, 2012).

Employees are expected to meet the expectations of employers by engaging in some form of emotional labor. For instance, McDonald’s employees are usually required to greet customers with a smile and friendly attitude irrespective of the employees’ own temperaments and mood at the time. Research indicates that this rigid observance of the rules potentially damages the identity and sense of self of the employees. Women tend to be overrepresented in these jobs because of the deference requirement, which is demanded of all people in disadvantaged structural positions (Warhurst and Nickson, 2009).

Aesthetic labor also has effects on women in the sense that it perpetuates the gender wage gap and occupational segregation. Job segregation refers to the methodical tendency for female and male employees to work in different occupations (Gottfried, 2012). Women often have less pay than their male counterparts working in the same job position. Aesthetic labor is one of the factors leading to occupational segregation. In particular, women are stereotyped as fit for jobs that require emotions in terms of care and empathy. The problem arises from the fact that women are never compensated for these emotional attributes as they are perceived as a sign of weakness. Women only get a small pay in comparison to men due to the notion that women’s work is not very demanding and that it does not involve a lot of struggle since emotional attributes are inherent in the female gene. The emotional demands of labor are not awarded as high as the cognitive requirements of the job.

Female workers also face double-standards discrimination due to the fact that some men misinterpret their display of smiling and show of friendliness as sexual invite. Women who work as waitresses in casinos are encouraged to exaggerate their affection and to act seductively in terms of their dressing, appearance and speech, and this increases their vulnerability to sexual harassment.

There is a tendency of aesthetic labor exhausting employees, and causing burnout over time. In addition, aesthetic labour may lead to reduced job satisfaction due to the pretences that come with it. The increased degree of employee regulation of their emotions at work is linked to increased levels of emotional exhaustion and lowered levels of employee job satisfaction (Kim et al, 2012).

In conclusion, aesthetic labor has both positive and negative consequences. On a positive side, aesthetic labor promotes positive interactions between the employees and customers. It leads to such positive outcomes as the customer’s willingness to return, recommend the company to others, and the tendency to appreciate the perception of overall service quality. Negatively, aesthetic labor leads to emotional exhaustion and burnout as well as reduced job satisfaction. It also promotes discrimination against female employees in terms of less pay and sexual harassment.

References

Gottfried, Heidi. Gender, work, and economy: unpacking the global economy. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

Gottfried, Heidi. Serving People: Gender Services in the New Economy. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

Kim, Taegoo, Joanne Jung-Eun Yoo, Gyehee Lee, and Joungman Kim. “Emotional intelligence and emotional labor acting strategies among frontline hotel employees.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 24, no. 7 (2012): 1029-1046.

Dashper, Katherine l. “The “right” person for the job: exploring the aesthetics of labor within the events industry.” Event Management 17, no. 2 (2013): 135-144.

Warhurst, Chris, and Dennis Nickson. “Employee experience of aesthetic labour in retail and hospitality.” Work, Employment & Society 21, no. 1 (2007): 103-120.

Warhurst, Chris, and Dennis Nickson. “‘Who’s Got the Look?’Emotional, Aesthetic and Sexualized Labour in Interactive Services.” Gender, Work & Organization 16, no. 3 (2009): 385-404.

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Return on investment Essay Paper Available

Return on investment
Return on investment

Return on investment

Order Instructions:

Just as there is a growing trend for public health interventions to be evaluated for their effectiveness, so public health organizations are increasingly expected to show their own “return on investment.”
The concept of return on investment, or ROI, is just one of the business principles that public health leaders are incorporating in their organizations to bring about more effective ways of conducting public health. Revenue generation, entrepreneurialism, and cost shifting are among the other principles that leaders should be conversant with. Business skills are vital because they allow an organization to make the greatest impact on the health of communities using the limited resources they have.
This week you will learn about a wide range of business principles and practices that can improve the effectiveness of public health organizations and can even allow them to generate revenues to help keep their programs afloat. You will also focus this week on a matter that pertains to many professionals as they attempt to move ahead in their career: the problem of leadership derailment, in which for one reason or another a leader’s career stalls. In the video program this week you will hear more about how you can recognize whether your career is derailing and what you can do to keep it on track.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Are up-to-date business principles encouraged or engaged in at the place you work? What are the costs or benefits of the way things are at your workplace in this regard? Reflect on how applying concepts like return on investment and entrepreneurship to public health fits your personal values.

2. What strategies do you think would be effective in helping you avoid leadership derailment?

USE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ONLY (DO NOT DEVIATE FROM ARTICLES)

Orton, S., & Menkens, A. (2006). Business planning for public health from the North Carolina institute for public health. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 489-492.

Roper, W. L. (2006). The Management Academy for Public Health: Together we can make a difference. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 407-408.

PLEASE APPLY THE APPLICATION ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC WHEN WRITING PAPER.

I. Paper should demonstrate an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and
key points presented in the texts.

II. Paper provides significant detail including multiple relevant examples, evidence
from the readings and other sources, and discerning ideas.
III. Paper should be well organized, uses scholarly tone, follows APA style, uses
original writing and proper paraphrasing, contains very few or no writing and/or
spelling errors, and is fully consistent with doctoral level writing style.

IV. Paper should be mostly consistent with doctoral level writing style.

SAMPLE ANSWER

1)         My company offers project financing solutions to projects that meet its predetermined investment criteria.  Project financing involves appraising project proposals to determine whether the projects will be viable and sustainable. One of the documents that my company requests clients to provide for the exercise is a detailed business plan and a feasibility study report. A business plan and a feasibility study report outlines the market that a project intends to serve. The documents outline the gap that the project will fill (Orton, Umble, Zelt, Porter & Johnson, 2007).  They outline the marketing strategies that the project will implement to fill the gap in the market. They also outline the organizational plan that the project will use to achieve its strategic objectives. This involves outlining the organizational structure and   profiles of key management personnel. These documents also look at the technical, environmental, political, socio-cultural and economic aspects of the project (Orton, Umble, Zelt, Porter & Johnson, 2007).

A business plan is however more detailed than a feasibility study. It identifies the problem that the project will be formed to solve (Orton, Umble, Zelt, Porter & Johnson, 2007). It outlines all steps taken to solve the problem and the costs and benefits that will be generated by the project. The other business practice that is embraced by my company is building working relationships with professional organizations to benefit from their expertise in different areas (Kerr, Hendrie, Delia, Gr, & Moorin, Rachael, 2014). The benefit of this practice is that the organization is able to add value to projects that it handles. Up-to-date business principles are therefore encouraged in my work place. Applying concepts like return on investment would help me to implement projects that increase my asset base. The approach will also help me to maintain investments that add value to my life (Kerr, Hendrie, Delia, Gr, & Moorin, Rachael, 2014).

2)  There are several strategies that would help me avoid leadership derailment. One of the strategies is appraising investments that I make to ensure that I implement only those projects whose returns on investment are higher than my cost of implementing them.  The other strategy is preparing a business plan that would assist in guiding leadership in all aspects of life (Kerr, Hendrie, Delia, Gr, & Moorin, Rachael, 2014).  A business plan would identify problems that need to be addressed, identify steps that have to be taken to address these problems and methods of measuring performance. The other strategy is liaising with the business community to benefit from advice that can be gained from it and other resources that the business community can offer

(Kerr, Hendrie, Delia, Gr, & Moorin, Rachael, 2014)

References

Kerr, R.,B.A.(Econs) G.A.I.C.D., Hendrie, Delia V, BSc, BA, MA,GrDiplApplFin, Gr, &

Moorin, Rachael, PhD,GradDipHlthEcon, M.Sc. (2014). Investing in acute health services: Is it time to change the paradigm? Australian Health Review, 38(5), 533-40. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1645353104?accountid=45049

Orton, S., Umble, K., Zelt, S., Porter, J., & Johnson, J. (2007). Management academy for public

health: Creating entrepreneurial managers. American Journal of Public Health, 97(4), 601-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215084335?accountid=45049

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Setting Metrics for Progress and Success Childhood Obesity

Setting Metrics for Progress and Success
Setting Metrics for Progress and Success

Setting Metrics for Progress and Success Childhood Obesity

Order Instructions:

HLTH 8136 Week 10 Group Activity

Just as there is a growing trend for public health interventions to be evaluated for their effectiveness, so public health organizations are increasingly expected to show their own “return on investment.”
The concept of return on investment, or ROI, is just one of the business principles that public health leaders are incorporating in their organizations to bring about more effective ways of conducting public health. Revenue generation, entrepreneurialism, and cost shifting are among the other principles that leaders should be conversant with. Business skills are vital because they allow an organization to make the greatest impact on the health of communities using the limited resources they have.
This week you will learn about a wide range of business principles and practices that can improve the effectiveness of public health organizations and can even allow them to generate revenues to help keep their programs afloat. You will also focus this week on a matter that pertains to many professionals as they attempt to move ahead in their career: the problem of leadership derailment, in which for one reason or another a leader’s career stalls. In the video program this week you will hear more about how you can recognize whether your career is derailing and what you can do to keep it on track.

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

Setting Metrics for Progress and Success Childhood Obesity

1. What is the relationship between ROI and evaluation?

2. How would you measure ROI for your group’s particular program or endeavor? What are the metrics you would set by which to measure progress and success? Justify your choices.

3. What other business skills would be important for a leader to demonstrate in leading this proposed change? Explain your views.

USE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ONLY (DO NOT DEVIATE FROM ARTICLES)

Orton, S., & Menkens, A. (2006). Business planning for public health from the North Carolina institute for public health. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 489-492.

Roper, W. L. (2006). The Management Academy for Public Health: Together we can make a difference. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 407-408.

PLEASE APPLY THE APPLICATION ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC WHEN WRITING PAPER.

I. Paper should demonstrate an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and key points presented in the texts.

II. Paper provides significant detail including multiple relevant examples, evidence from the readings and other sources, and discerning ideas.

III. Paper should be well organized, uses scholarly tone, follows APA style, uses
original writing and proper paraphrasing, contains very few or no writing and/or
spelling errors, and is fully consistent with doctoral level writing style.

IV. Paper should be mostly consistent with doctoral level writing style.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Introduction

The major challenges facing the health sector especially in public health management is the need for more accountability and effective business management skills. The demand for accountability and prudent resource management strategies in public expenditure in provision of health care services is greatly hampered by the need to offer quality services and also the need to increase accessibility to all areas of public health.

Evaluation refers to the assessment of the performance of the of the Return on Investment (ROI) strategies that have been implemented at the health facility. Public Health practitioners are trained to offer services that provide the opportunity for the common public to lead a standard healthy life. To measure the ROI of a successful health facility, the practitioner collects data on the number of attendees seeking services at particular health facility that needs to be evaluated. For example, the number of children brought to the center for immunization against the threat of rabies, bioterrorism or for checkup on obesity related complications and who are mostly underinsured or poor. The success rate can be compared to the percentage rate of the number of immunized children against the estimated number of children in that region (Roper, 2006).   An average rate of about 50% is fair while less than 50% will be considered below average. The other ROI measures can be implemented on the number of projects that are being undertake in a particular district for example on such programs like the  prevention of lead poisoning and the support for preterm children. However, the success rates for such projects can be evaluated through pilot projects to assess their success or failure rates. The data collected in the field can be analyzed and used to make cross-disciplinary collaboration in order to improve and protect public health services.

Finally, the application of Management Academy business models from the University of North Carolina that combines business models and public health management while utilizing the state-of-the-art modern business methods to manage the facilities can greatly provide good returns on investment made (Orton & Menkens, 2006). The entrepreneurial approach of managing public health aims at maintaining the sustainability of the programs being undertaken by practitioners who are experienced in business planning skills.

References

Orton, S. & Menkens, A. (2006). Business planning for public health from the North Carolina institute for public health. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 489-492.

Roper, W. L. (2006). The Management Academy for Public Health: Together we can make a difference. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 407-408.

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Aspects of leadership Journal Entries Paper

Aspects of leadership
Aspects of leadership

Aspects of leadership

Order Instructions:

Dear Admin,

For this essay (entry) it is required to maintain a weekly journal, documenting important aspects of leadership they encounter over the duration of the module. Entries into the journal may include examples of leadership personally witnessed or insights gained through readings or class discussions.

1)I want 2 entries each one is around 100 words, and each entry is in separate word document.

2)Entries should be placed in a journal.

3)Entries should be based on your learning experience after reading the attached files.

4)You are free to follow your own format as long as it is logically structured.

5)Note: To prepare for this essay please read the required articles that is attached.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Aspects of leadership

Journal Entry Number One

Description

This model focused and zeroed in on the styles of leadership that are presently practiced. After the readings, the styles of leadership were categorized as relational, or task motivated. The contingency model is therefore analyzed. This approach of leadership is based on certain key contingency factors that include a follower development, situational urgency and task structures geared towards finding appropriate leadership styles that befit a situation.

Analysis

The central purpose of this style of leadership dwells on contingency factors that dictate which among several leadership styles should be applied in a situation. Each particular leadership method results in certain outcomes (Lang, & Rybnikova, p 45). Another factor that stands out in this approach of leadership is that it is transformational, transactional and directive

Interpretation

This approach clearly intersects how a leader can perform effectively in certain roles and exhibit a series of weaknesses in different situations based on the task structure, position power, and leader-member relations (Lang, & Rybnikova, p 45). For example, a nurse may function effectively as a head of a department in a nursing association but may be unable to make timely and critical decisions when given the role of a surgeon. When this approach is applied, resources in the form of time and lives are saved.

Journal Entry Number 2

Description

The central concept of this theory is that employees are motivated by that which they perceive their situation. This theory contends that employee motivation develops from their ability to complete given tasks, the support they receive in completing the tasks, the barriers and the rewards they receive.

Analysis

A leader is an important variable in this model since he is held accountable for determining extrinsic rewards for goal completion (Wang, p 95). The support given by a leader increases the chances of work accomplishments, reduces the frustrations caused by barriers, and the intrinsic valences for goal attainment through task assignments.

Interpretation

This approach also gives a leader the task of choosing the best environment for followers that match the situations. An instance of this is shown in a hospital setting where the Manager has the task of running the activities of the organization. When he applies this theory, he matches the individual needs of the workers to that of the organization. He then adjusts his leadership style to match the tasks of junior officers.

References

Lang, R, & Rybnikova, I. (2012). Leadership is Going Global.

Wang, V. C. X. (2012). Closing the Leadership Gaps between Theory and Practice.

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Authentic Leadership Essay Assignment

Authentic Leadership Essay
Authentic Leadership Essay

Authentic Leadership Essay

Order Instructions:

Dear Admin,

I need an essay in the following subject:

Provide 2–3 examples of when you witnessed authentic leadership. What did the individuals you listed do that demonstrated authenticity and how does this compare to the findings of the attached journal article?

1)The examples I want from leaderships working in aviation only. And I prefer the examples from Aviation Companies like Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Emirates.

2)Do include all your references, as per the Harvard Referencing System.

3)Please don’t use Wikipedia web site.

4)I need examples from peer reviewed articles or researches.

Note:To prepare for this essay please read the required article that is attached

Appreciate each single moment you spend in writing my paper

Best regards

SAMPLE ANSWER

Authentic Leadership Essay

Sunil Joshua

The Commercial Training Manager at Etihad Airways, Sunil Joshua supervises a team of 30 trainers and 4 line managers countrywide. A conspicuous observation is simplicity of his relations with his followers and the level of team work observed within his team. He can be considered an authentic leader because he has played the role of empowering his trainers to a level where they do not depend on him to run their daily routines and where they can effectively make relevant decisions to promote the objectives of the company. In addition, he fosters an open relationship with his followers where their personal lives are considered an important aspect of success; and thus encourages them to effectively balance their careers and personal lives.

Sunil demonstrated authentic leadership when one of his trainer’s wife fell seriously ill and he had to take care of her for several days. Unfortunately, this was the same time that the unit had organized a major training and personnel from different regions had assembled for the event, which is done yearly. Being the facilitator of the training, the team member was at a loss on what to do because both the training and his wife were important aspects of his life. Sunil stepped in and had to travel from another town to facilitate the training. This was a noble act on Sunil’s part and a demonstration of his authentic leadership. Comparing this to the findings by Mital and Dorfman (2012) Sunil as an authentic leader demonstrated that he cares for the welfare of his followers as he did not let the trainer go ahead with the training while leaving his sick wife behind. He also fulfilled the moral obligation of empathy that authentic leaders should possess by understanding that the trainer may not have performed optimally if he went ahead with the training because he would be worried about his wife at the hospital (Pescosolido, 2002). Pettigrew, Thomas and Whittington (2006) note that authentic leaders go out of their way to meet collective objectives and this is effectively demonstrated when Sunil decides to lead the training himself in order to ensure that the meeting is not jeopardized. It is therefore justified to state that Sunil is an authentic leader.

Paul Asquith

The Team Manager at Terminal 5 of British Airways, Paul Asquith is known for his ability to deliver through effective team work. Paul seeks to ensure that besides playing their roles, employees feel appreciated and part of the team, regularly commending good effort and encouraging employees to take a lead in job execution. Paul believes that individual self drive among employees leads to better outcome as opposed to micro-managing them; a fact that is echoed by Fryer et al (2004).

Paul demonstrated his authentic leadership characteristics when he came up with a duty segregation approach aimed at encouraging participation of employees in decision making. This was aimed at eliminating the number of supervisors that employees reported to and also reducing dependence of employees on the supervisors and themselves. Team players were expected to perform objectives which were unanimously agreed during a meeting with all employees. To facilitate this, each member of the team was required to compose daily and weekly diaries which would be discussed every morning to ensure that all aspects of the terminal’s management were in place. As opposed to the supervisors giving directions on what is to be done for the day, employees were required to develop their own plan on what they would do to achieve the objectives depending on their line of work. This involved a clear understanding of all the activities of the day including the number of flights, types of flights and other airport related matters. The meetings were meant to ensure that employees are up to date with their objectives for the day. This has improved self-confidence among employees, reduced dependability and also helped employees understand their work and that of their team members better.

In relation to the article by Mital and Dorfman (2012), authentic leadership is about realizing that one’s followers have great potential and that by allowing them to exploit this potential, they can be more productive and self-independent. Authentic leaders according to Rosenbach and Taylor (2006) are generous enough to share their knowledge with others as opposed to making followers fully dependent on them. It is notable that Paul wants employees to achieve personal development and empowerment, a component that is highly valued in authentic leadership (Mital and Dorfman, 2012). Allowing employees to take charge of their own activities helps them feel more appreciated and they are able to see the value they add to the company (Salaman, 2005). This increases motivation and authentic leaders are therefore likely to lead better performing teams (Avolio and Gardner, 2005).

Shereen Laura Maraie

The performance manager at Etihad Airways, Shereen Laura Maraie,  can be described as an authentic leader and this can be proved by how well she relates to people and how her followers look up to her for inspiration . Besides this, she is highly committed to enhancing the company performance through empowering people to achieve personal and career growth. Shereen says one of the reasons she loves her job because she is able to bring out the best in people.

Shereen’s authentic leadership was once demonstrated when she introduced the concept of self appraisal to precede the normal company performance appraisal. This followed the realization that individuals are likely to work better when they are given an opportunity to impact their own lives. In this program, Shereen requires each individual to make their own performance objectives; which are then evaluated periodically to determine whether the objectives have been met. Follow-up involves liaising with employees to determine whether they have met their objectives, identify any challenges they may have in achieving their objectives and thus put measures in place to improve performance. Consequently, the annual performance appraisal exercise is easy to perform and the likelihood is that the employees will have met their objectives.

The approach taken by Shereen demonstrates a leader who is concerned about the welfare of her followers by letting them be in charge of their own destiny (Mital and Dorfman, 2012). As described by Rosenbach and Taylor (2006), empowering followers and allowing independence is a vital component of authentic leadership as it allows leaders and followers to develop a trustworthy relationship. Northouse (2000) notes that when followers are empowered to perform with limited supervision, they feel valued and are therefore likely to contribute more to the company’s performance. The fact that Shereen aims at ensuring employees score highly during annual appraisals by mentoring them throughout the year based on their personal evaluations is a demonstration that she is concerned about the welfare of her followers (Salaman, 2005). This is also brought forth by Avolio and Gardner (2005) who note that an authentic leader aims at empowering and developing others to gain self confidence and thus facilitate personal growth.

References

Avolio, BJ & Gardner, WL 2005, “Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership”, Leadership Quarterly, Vol 16, Issue, pp. 3315–338

Fryer, B, et al 2004). The Micromanager, Harvard Business Review, Vol 82, Issue 9,pp. 31-39.

Mital, R & Dorfman, PW 2012, “Servant leadership across cultures”, Journal of World Business Vol 47, Issue 4, pp. 555–570.

Northouse, P 2000, Leadership Theory and Practice, SAGE, London.

Pescosolido, AT 2002, “Emergent leaders as managers of group emotion”, Leadership  Quarterly, Issue 13, pp. 583–599.

Pettigrew, AM, Thomas, H & Whittington, R 2006, Handbook of strategy and management, SAGE, London.

Rosenbach, WE & Taylor, RL 2006, Contemporary issues in leadership, Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

Salaman, G 2005, Strategic human resource management: theory and practice, SAGE Publishers New York, NY.

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Inventory, Transportation and warehousing Paper

Inventory, Transportation and warehousing
Inventory, Transportation and warehousing

Inventory, Transportation and warehousing

Order Instructions:

The writer has to pay close attention to APA 6th Edition for this paper, it is also critical that the references follow APA 6th edition and must include all doi where necessary and also the UR links when sources are taking from the internet. In the previous papers the writer has giving very little attention to that. its is very important that he or she take note of that and properly reference the paper.

The are two main points to discussed in this paper and the writer must clearly and detail respond to those two points.

Inventory, Transportation, and Warehousing

Imagine that you are the logistics manager of a firm supplying fashion clothes to the big stores. Being able to reliably assign costs to activities is a crucial management tool. However, the kind of transaction data traditionally used in logistics can present problems for activity-based costing.

• What are the main factors affecting the optimal level of product availability in your organization? Give practical examples to show how technology can help the inventory manager to improve the balance between the costs of over- and under-stocking in the business.

• What are the main difficulties involved in assigning meaningful costs to the activities in warehouses? How can these difficulties be overcome and cost savings achieved?

Resources

Articles
• Wallin, C., Rungtusanatham, M. J., & Rabinovich, E. (2006). What is the “right” inventory management approach for a purchased item? International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 26(1/2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.

This article explores four basic approaches to the problem of inventory management and shows their application to different circumstances.

• Pokharel, S. (2005). Perception on information and communication technology perspectives in logistics: A study of transportation and warehouses sectors in Singapore. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 18(1/2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.

This survey analyzes perceptions of logistics companies in Singapore concerning the benefits of ICT applications for their industry.

• Varila, M., Seppänen, M., & Suomala, P. (2007). Detailed cost modelling: A case study in warehouse logistics. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 37(3). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.

This study considers the various drivers for assigning activity costs to products in warehouse logistics and concludes that the accuracy of accounting can be significantly increased by measuring the actual duration of transactions.

• Timme, S. G. (2003). The real cost of holding inventory. Supply Chain Management Review: Top 50 PLs, 7(4), 30-37. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.

This article examines the total costs involved with holding inventory. The author also presents a solution to valuing inventory and how it can lead to better management decisions.
Web Sites
Beasley, J. E. (n.d.). OR-Notes. Retrieved from http://people.brunel.ac.uk/~mastjjb/jeb/or/invent.html

This academic Web site provides detailed information, charts, and diagrams regarding inventory control.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Inventory, Transportation and warehousing

Overstocking refers to having excess amounts of stock than is necessary. This is usually attributed to poor management of the inventory, demand or material flow particularly to process management. This is also considered as a form of losing revenue as it is tied up in capital and additional costs of storing the items. Under-stocking on the other hand refers to having inadequate amount in relation to items or supplies. These are the two main issues affecting the efficient and effective means of supplying fashion clothes to large stores (Jaber, 2009).

This has in turn, led to a number of drawbacks in the efforts of the firm to achieving its desired goals and objectives. In the case of overstocking, it leads to various consequences. First, the funds are held up in capital and these funds could have been used in different other areas that would have boosted the company on its path to success. Second, the excess stock will require additional space and this means incurring additional costs for storage space. Furthermore, the cost will also include maintenance fees. Third, the stock may deteriorate in quality and at times become obsolete given the fast changing trend of fashion (‘Reduce the risk of overstocking’, 2012).

In the case of under-stocking, it leads to poor operation of the production process and poor delivery schedules. Under-stocking may lead to paying the labor force yet they were idle most of the period waiting on the production process. The corporate image of the firm may be tarnished as it does not meet the needs of customers. Meeting the demands of the customers may prove difficult and result in unfavorable prices (Müller, 2011).

It is important to maintain a balance between overstocking and under-stocking, and in the current modern business world, this requires the use of a given form of system. A common system that can be used in order to manage inventories efficiently and effectively is the barcode system. When the barcode is applied at the point of sale, usually at a computerized cash register, the sales information of the items is relayed to a larger system that supports the usage information and statistics. This information will be used by the purchasing department in making purchase decisions on the grounds of sales and the level of inventory (‘Inventory Management’, 2010).

There are a number of complications linked to coming up with significant costs associated with activities in a warehouse. These might include a poor system used in the storage process from the time the items are offloaded into the warehouse to the time they are loaded and dispatched. Another difficulty that adds to the process is the distance of the warehouse from the production facility. Furthermore, the arrangement used in the warehouse and the size of the warehouse also impacts negatively in coming up with efficient costs (Richards, 2011).

Viable solutions to mitigating some of the difficulties include coming up with a proper warehouse system such as FIFO: this will provide a basis for knowing how the products will be arranged in the warehouse and how they will be dispatched. This will help in a formal arrangement that will be efficient and save on time which will eventually save on costs. It is important that the location of the warehouse be near the production facility; this will save on transportation costs and will make it easier to manage activities in the warehouse.

References

Inventory Management. (2010). Vox Sanguinis, 98(3p1), e295-e363. doi:10.1111/j.1423-0410.2009.01252.x

Jaber, M. (2009). Inventory management. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Müller, M. (2011). Essentials of inventory management. New York: AMACOM.

Reduce the risk of overstocking. (2012). Br Dent J, 213(11), 578-578. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.1125

Richards, G. (2011). Warehouse management. London: Kogan Page.

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