Course Materials: Jeff Todd Titon et al. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World’s Peoples, Shorter Version/3rd Edition. Belmont, Ca.: Schirmer,2009, ISBN: 978-0=495-57010-3 (includes 3 audio CDs).
A minimum of 250 words for each threaded discussion is required for your answer to each discussion question. Students may post anytime during the week to either discussion.
Listen to Shizhane’e’, CD 1:8, textbook pp. 51-52. The A and B sections repeat after the C section, producing what Gary Witherspoon calls “dynamic symmetry” (p. 51).
Obviously the Navajo are concerned with form and shape in their art. How does this symmetrical form support the meaning of the text? Are there examples of this in Western popular music?
• Length of 250 words minimum
• Relevance to assigned discussion topic(s)
• Depth, originality, thoroughness, writing quality
SAMPLE ANSWER
Dynamic Symmetry
Introduction
Dynamic symmetry by Gary Witherson has been used for many years by painters. It is the natural design methodology based on nature’s growth spiral. The importance of Gary’s dynamic principles continues to reign up to this time. Therefore, this paper engages in reviewing issues around this ideology. The paper, while aware of how the Navajos were deeply concerned with the shape in their art, discusses how asymmetrical form supports the meaning of their text.
Discussion
The asymmetrical form supports Navajo’s texts by improvising their quality. This was enhanced by usage of the dynamic symmetry in all their texts (Titon et al. 34). Dynamic symmetry urged every painter or writer to mark his or her surface before beginning his or her drawings, or applying a paint of canvas. The symmetry also gives a provision of different methods of both natural and creative worlds. Navajo, being immersed deeply in his arts, was greatly supported by the symmetrical form (Titon et al. 35) Dynamic symmetry is all about spirals, proportions, and rectangles. This form beautifies texts or paintings (Titon et al. 34).
Nevaja found out that the asymmetrical form made his work pretty. Asymmetrical forms supporting texts in Western popular music, take the style of music terms and concepts. For instance, contour means the shape in the rising and falling of a melody. Another concept related to rhythm is mixed meters, which exhaustively means shifting between meters. Another concept commonly used in Western popular music is polytonality, which implies the simultaneous use of two or more key areas.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Nevaja arts are highly impacted by asymmetrical forms. These enable him complete his texts in a more presentable way. The paper has found that asymmetrical forms have massive effects on Western popular music by capitalizing on musical terms and concepts.
Works Cited
Titon, Jeff T, Timothy J. Cooley, David Locke, Anne K. Rasmussen, John M. Schechter, Jonathan P. J. Stock, David P. McAllester, and David B. Reck. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World’s Peoples. Belmont, Calif.: Schirmer/Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
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Local, State, and Federal Partnerships: Natural/Accidental Disasters
1)National Response Framework. Review areas specifically pertinent to local, state, and federal government leaders and emergency management practitioners (pp. 11-19).
2)You will also need to become familiar with the “memorandum of understanding” approach to cooperative engagements.
a)Provide two examples of a memorandum of understanding. Explain why you chose these examples.
b)Explain why it is advantageous to have a reciprocal emergency response agreement with the town or city that adjoins your town or city. Give examples.
Provide two examples of a memorandum of understanding. Explain why you chose these examples
The two examples of memorandum of understanding that have been observed in this document are found in the section that discusses the emergency responses in tribal areas as well as the responses that are offered by federal departments.
Under Tribes: “The NRF’s Tribal Coordination Support Annex outlines processes and mechanisms that tribal governments may use to request direct Federal assistance during an incident regardless of whether or not the incident involves a Stafford Act declaration. ”
The reason why this is considered to be a memorandum is the fact that it details a mutual agreement between the various native Indian tribes and the Federal government. The memorandum is expressly detailed under the heading of the “NRF tribal Coordination Support Annex.” The reason for this memorandum is to ensure that the different tribal regions get the assistance they need in the event of an emergency. The reason for this is that many of the tribal regions are remote and lack resources necessary to enable them adequately respond to different natural disasters and man-made emergencies. The federal government on the other hand does have these resources as well as the capacity to adequately handle the emergencies. As such it became necessary for this memorandum that obligates the federal government to provide emergency assistance.
Under Federal Departments: “All Federal departments and agencies must cooperate with one another, and with local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area governments, community members, and the private sector to the maximum extent possible. Although Federal disaster assistance is often considered synonymous with Presidential declarations under the Stafford Act, Federal assistance can actually be provided to state and local jurisdictions, as well as to other Federal departments and agencies, through a number of different mechanisms and authorities.”
The above extract also qualifies to be a memorandum of understanding. In this scenario unlike the above one where one of the parties bears the obligation, all the parties have a shared responsibility to provide the other department with the necessary assistance that is required. The reason for this memorandum is the fact that different departments are specialized in different areas and different emergency situations call for different tangible and intangible resources.
Explain why it is advantageous to have a reciprocal emergency response agreement with the town or city that adjoins your town or city. Give examples
A reciprocal emergency response arrangement with a city or town adjoining the one I live in is advantageous in that it guarantees immediate and quicker assistance in the event that the emergency situation in the jurisdiction of local authorities in my region. This could be a road accident that has occurred near a border region, it is ideally the responsibility of our local authorities to respond but it will be more effective if the situation is handled by the response team that is closest even if it is from the neighboring town. At times a coordinated effort is crucial for the effective handling of large scale operations such as preparedness for a natural calamity such as a flood or forest fire which has no respect for regional boundaries. The agreement will facilitate more effective responses with operations like evacuation and rescue missions being carried out with more resources available for use (National Response Framework, n.d.).
Constitutional impediments and Commonwealth-State rivalry
Constitutional impediments and Commonwealth-State rivalry prevent Australia having effective national, corporate regulation.
Order Instructions:
Topic
“Constitutional impediments and Commonwealth-State rivalry prevent Australia having effective national, corporate regulation.”
Is this statement an accurate description of the situation in Australia today? Discuss, in the light of recent reforms to the regulatory scheme and problems which may arise in the future.
Guidelines
The word limit is 2400 words. If the assignment exceeds the word limit by 100 words or less, there will be no penalty. If the assignment exceeds the word limit by more than 100 words, there will be a penalty of half a mark deducted for each extra 50 words or part thereof. Footnotes will not comprise part of the word count nor will a bibliography. If the assignment word count is well below 2400 words (2100 words or less) there will be penalty.
Refer to the Rules concerning all assignments for the circumstances when these penalties may be waived. Remember that the extension to the submission deadline is exception rather than the rule and it can be granted only in exceptional circumstances.
The assignment may cover all unit objectives, though content will vary with the topic selected. In addition to matters developed in more detail below the marker will examine whether you have:
1. identified and clearly stated the relevant issues;
2. applied relevant legal principles to the resolution of these issues;
3. critically analysed deficiencies in the law and recommended appropriate changes to the law;
4. integrated and evaluated relevant knowledge from both the material covered in this unit and your own independent research;
5. developed and sustained a concise and convincing legal argument through to a logical conclusion;
6. correctly referenced and acknowledged sources;
7. fluent, clear, concise writing, not containing poor expression, grammar or spelling; and
8. answered the specific question asked.
It is most important that your assignment address the issues raised in your chosen topic. Think about the topic and make sure you understand what the topic is about before you proceed. Marks cannot be awarded for irrelevant material, no matter how good that material is.
The assignment should contain:
1. an introduction, clearly setting out the broad direction of the assignment, its objectives, any parameters of the assignment, and perhaps a summary of the arguments;
2. presentation of argument, review of literature and compilation of evidence relevant to the topic;
3. conclusion, clearly summarising the arguments or findings;
4. a reference list, setting out all the books, articles and other sources you have referred to in the course of writing the assignment. You need not have necessarily read each reference from start to finish, but you should have at least looked up each reference;
5. accurate citation of your sources of information. Your written material must be presented in accordance with the most recent Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) adopted by this School (you can download a copy of the AGLC from ).
Students should note the following:
· Many people are not familiar with the requirements of assignments. Basically they are like any other piece of good writing. They must have a beginning, a middle and an end. They must be organised so that one point leads to another in a logical sequence. Headings and subheadings are usually of assistance to the reader, who should be easily able to ascertain the logic of your arguments. You should look at the articles you read in the course of your research as a model for style and organisation.
· Statements of fact must be supported by referencing in the proper form. Also arguments and ideas you are adopting or disagree with must be properly referenced. This is one of the most important aspects of your assignment, and severe penalties will be imposed if you do not reference. Be aware of the University’s and Law School’s rules on plagiarism. You should avoid overreliance on only a small number of sources. You are expected to have read widely on the chosen topic.
· You are expected to employ your critical and analytical skills in this assignment. Avoid mere description or regurgitation and do not quote excessively. Generally speaking, no more than 10% of the assignment should be direct quotes or substantive copying of other people’s work. Both your observations and your use of other people’s writing should reflect this critical/analytical dimension. In sum, your intellectual input should be clearly discernible in the assignment.
· You are not marked for your political or social views or opinions, but rather for your ability to present coherent, rational and logical arguments, properly supported by authority.
· You are also marked for your ability to express yourself clearly, logically and succinctly. Poor expression, grammar and spelling will detract from your overall mark.
· Many students do not also realise that the more drafts of the assignment that are written, the better standard the final product will normally be. You should aim to find the time to complete at least two, if not three, drafts prior to handing the assignment in. This will be especially important in ensuring that the word limit is not exceeded.
Marking criteria
Important information: You are advised to consider the following information carefully before starting your assignment.
The assignment will be marked according to the following criteria.
Research (40%) You are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive review of the primary law sources (legislation, case law) as well as an adequate review of secondary sources (for example textbooks, journal articles, case commentary, explanatory memoranda, Law Reform Commission reports). Your research should be used to identify and clearly state the relevant issues and legal principles and support your analysis.
Analysis (50%) You are expected to analyse the information gathered and evaluate the relevant legal principles. You are expected to develop your argument logically through clear analysis and apply relevant legal principles to the resolution of issue(s). Your analysis should also:
· integrate and evaluate relevant knowledge from the material covered in this unit;
· develop and sustain a concise and convincing legal argument through to a logical conclusion; and
· importantly, answer the specific question asked.
Technical aspects (10%) You are expected to:
· correctly reference and acknowledge sources;
· use fluent, clear, concise writing that contains clear expression, correct grammar, syntax, sentence structure and spelling; and
· use headings and subheadings (where appropriate), an introduction, conclusion and bibliography or reference section.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Constitutional impediments and Commonwealth-State rivalry
Introduction
Australia is otherwise known officially as the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia is a federation of six states and several territories. The country formed a federation in 1901 after the adoption of a new federal constitution and has since functioned as a federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy (http://www.asic.gov.au/). The federal system of government formed in 1901 has three branches namely the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Executive power is vested with the sovereign (the British monarch) who exercises it through the Governor-General (www.comlaw.gov.au). The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch at the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General can dismiss the Prime Minister if there are substantial grounds to do so. The Commonwealth of Australia has a legislature that is made up of a senate and a house of representatives. Each state in the federation has its own state constitution that guides that state’s legislature, judiciary and executive. These state constitutions however are required to be read subject to the federal constitution (www.comlaw.gov.au).
The impact of constitutional impediments and Commonwealth-State rivalry on effective national corporate regulation
The Australian constitution has a lot of safeguards that provide amble space for an effective national corporate regulation. The constitution provides that any state regulation that is inconsistent with any law that has been passed by the Commonwealth parliament is invalid to the extent of that inconsistency. This therefore ensures that no state regulation can be enacted that will hamper or hinder the functions of corporates from other states and free flow of goods and services (http://www.asic.gov.au/). This ensures therefore that all regulation is applicable throughout the commonwealth states without discrimination. The Commonwealth constitution prohibits establishment of taxes and custom duties among states. This ensures that taxes are uniform throughout the Commonwealth and tariffs are also uniformly set by the federal government pursuant to acts of parliaments enacted by the Commonwealth parliament and approved by the Governor-General. The Federal constitution also provides for free trade among states and prohibits any discrimination among states (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/; http://www.asic.gov.au/).
According to Chapter IV of the Constitution (sections 81–105A), the constitution contains provisions to regulate trade and commerce throughout the Commonwealth states of Australia. Provisions in the current Australian constitutions enable the country to have a single trade area. The constitution ensures that custom duties are uniform and abolishes protectionist policies between states (MURRAY and PEETZ, 2013). This ensures that corporate regulation is applicable uniformly in all states in the realm. Section 88 of the constitution prohibits state parliaments from imposing custom duties while at the same time empowering the Commonwealth parliament to impose uniform customs duties. The same section of the constitution provides that trade among states in the Commonwealth of Australia shall be completely free. These provisions ensure that national corporate regulation in Australia is effective since it could be applied uniformly in all states (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/).
The composition of the senate and House of Representatives is drawn from all the states that make up the Commonwealth of Australia. In the event of corporate regulation debate in the Commonwealth parliament each state is able to give its input equally through its elected representatives. Laws enacted must be passed by the senate and must be approved by the Governor-General. The monarch can also set aside a law if it is not in the interests of the national government. All these checks and controls ensure that corporate regulation is effective throughout Australia. The Commonwealth parliament has powers conferred by the constitution to make laws on a wide variety of issues that could impact on corporate regulation (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/). These touch on taxation, bounties on the production or export of goods, borrowing money on public credit of the federal government, postal, telegraph, telephone, seaways, airways etc. Commonwealth parliament has powers to make banking laws that are applicable in all states. These powers are aimed at making uniform legislation that makes interstate trade uniform, free and fair. National corporate regulation is also anchored on these provisions (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
However, there are some impediments in the constitution that may make effective national corporate regulation impossible to achieve. The first constitutional impediment appears to be in separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The Constitution in Chapters I, II, and III confer the legislature the power to make laws, confer the executive the power to administer these laws and carry out the business of government through government institutions and confer the judiciary the power to determine legal disputes through established court processes (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/). There is however no strict demarcation between executive and legislative powers despite the structures set by the constitution. Sometimes the legislature delegates its legislative power to the executive but may thereafter disallow regulations that the executive makes. This causes confusion and is an impediment that prevents the country from having effective corporate regulation (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/).
The next impediment is that even though the constitution confers power on the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws, this power is limited to particular subjects which include defense, external affairs, interstate and international trade, taxation, foreign trading and financial corporations, marriage and divorces, arbitration, interstate industrial conciliation and arbitration. This limitation places an impediment on the country in making effective national corporate regulation since it excludes such important areas as criminal law, education, environment etc. Some of these important subjects are handled exclusively by state constitutions which may vary depending on the state in focus (http://www.uclaw.com.au/home/). This hinders uniformity and may create confusion in its application. Under the federal system created by the Australian constitution, it guarantees the continuous existence of each state and preserves each of their constitutions. A state parliament is allowed to make laws on any subject whether corporate or not which is specific to that state and this creates an impediment to effective corporate regulation in Australia. This is because each state can modify or add to its existing corporate regulation and thus make it markedly different from what exists in other states. This would create confusion and make corporates undergo different pieces of regulation on similar issues depending on the state they choose to operate in (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
Unlike the Commonwealth parliament, it has been noted that state parliaments can pass a wide range of laws on the subjects of criminal law, education, roads etc. which would impact on corporate regulation in each state differently. It should be noted however that Commonwealth parliament has been regarded generally as superior to state parliaments. According to Section 109 of the federal constitution, if a valid Commonwealth law is inconsistent with a state parliament law then the Commonwealth law is operational and the state law is inconsistent and invalid to the extent that inconsistency (http://www.asic.gov.au/). As far as laws that are made by Commonwealth parliament is concerned, there is no conflict with state parliament laws as a result. The danger arises though where state parliaments make laws on subjects that Commonwealth parliament does not deal with and which have a bearing on corporate regulation. Such laws will impact corporates differently if they are different from one state to the next (TUSHNET, 2013).
Laws touching on corporate regulation have to be approved by the senate and House of Representatives before it is made an act of parliament by the Governor-General. This provides for a lengthy process which may make amending unfavourable acts hard to achieve. Again, state rivalry may work against pieces of legislation drafted by professionals from different states. In situations where legislation is viewed as potentially benefiting corporates from one state and potentially able to give it a big lead in terms of resources, other states might gang up to oppose it even if it is potentially a nice piece of regulation that could benefit Australia as a whole in the long run (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
Actions of the judiciary have also made effective national corporate regulation a mirage. Recent judgments by the High Court have posed a challenge to federal structure of corporate law in Australia. Even though Corporate law in Australia has for many years been viewed as a federal law, it is a widely held view by many legal minds in Australia that corporate law is essentially made of up of laws specific to each state with some federal features. Each state therefore has a distinctive corporate law that has some features from the federation (http://www.asic.gov.au/). The High Court judgement in the case of New South Wales v Commonwealth (1990) 169 CLR 482 necessitated the requirement that states enact their own Corporations Acts but include some aspects of federalism. In this case the High Court considered section 51 of the federal constitution as an attempt to enact Corporations Act that would be applicable nationally. In this case the court held that matters to do with incorporation of companies are not one of the mandates of the commonwealth parliament and the power to deal with such matter lie with parliaments of each state. This judgement made it impossible to have a national corporate regulation (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
An attempt by the Commonwealth parliament to institute national corporate regulation in late 1980’s and early 1990’s (including incorporation of companies) was faced by persistent problems which included lack of a uniform administration by National Companies and Securities Commission and the Corporate Affairs Commissions of each state. It was also felt that the structure lacked adequate national government enforcement mechanisms. This problem led to negotiations between various state governments and the national government which saw each state being allowed to enact its own Corporations Act but required to add several federalizing features. Some of the federalizing features included enactment of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as the national regulator (http://www.asic.gov.au/). The Administrative Appeals tribunal and the Commonwealth Ombudsman were mandated to be corporate regulators at the federal level. Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the federal police and the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions were given the mandate to investigate and prosecute offences under the various state Corporations Acts. Matters arising under the various state Corporations Acts were to be determined by the federal court. Even though the Commonwealth parliament in the High Court judgment in case of New South Wales v Commonwealth implied that it did not have the power to deal with the incorporation of companies a lot of effort in the form of federalizing features were put in place to have national corporate regulation in place (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
However, the authority of the federal High Court to determine cases involving Corporate regulation was thrown out in the case of Re Wakim (1999) 31 ACSR 99;17 ACLC 1,055 (http://www.asic.gov.au/). In this case the High Court struck down the mandate given after the New South Wales v Commonwealth case which gave federal court cross vesting legislation to determine corporate regulation matters. In the Re Wakim case, the high court held that it was unconstitutional for the Federal High Court to hear such matters as brought forward in this case under Chapter III of the Australian constitution. This position was held despite the fact that all state and commonwealth governments had agreed that the Federal court play a role of determining disputes arising under the State Corporations Acts. After this case state governments had to pass emergency validating legislation that upheld previous judgments made by the Federal court since they stood the risk of being declared unconstitutional and therefore null and void (http://www.asic.gov.au/).
The High Court decision in the Re Wakim (1999) 31 ACSR 99; 17 ACLC 1,055. Case had profound and far reaching consequences. All corporate regulation cases pending in the federal court had to be transferred to their respective state high courts with far reaching financial implications. Many state courts were at a loss as to what jurisdiction still remains with the federal court post Re Wakim case. Expertise which the federal court had acquired over the years was lost after this case. The Re Wakim case is not the only case that proved that constitutional impediments have continued to hamper effective national corporate regulation (RAMSAY, 2000). In the case of Bond v The Queen, the High Court held that the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions had no power to appeal against a state courts sentence for breach of the states corporations Act under the constitution. The only power that the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions, as regards to a sentence imposed for a breach of a state Corporations Act is to initiate and institute prosecutions for such breaches (LI, 2011). Another case in focus is the case of The Queen v Hughes. The high court judgement in this case received extensive coverage by the media. In this case prosecuted by the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions the Federal High Court found that Hughes by obtaining $300,000 from investors had breached the Corporations Act of Western Australia. The high court held that appropriate commonwealth legislation needs to be enacted that will be applicable to all states. Hughes was only able to be prosecuted because he had dealt internationally by investing money in the United States of America (LANSLEY, GIBSON and FOGARTY, 2002).
Conclusion
It is evident by reading the federal constitution that adequate clauses have been enacted which provide for uniform application of corporate laws throughout the states of Australia. The constitution clearly stipulates that states constitutions are to be read subject to federal constitution and any inconsistencies found in state constitutions are to be invalid to the extent of the inconsistencies. There are some clauses that can be misread and misinterpreted. One of which is the separation of powers which does not easily put a demarcation between executive roles and legislative roles (http://www.asic.gov.au/). Some recent court cases have also added into the confusion. The Re Wakim case is one such case in which the prosecutorial powers of the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions were put into curtailed. Several strategies have been advanced to resolve this mess. This includes holding a referendum to amend the constitutions to give the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions powers to initiate and institute prosecutions on breach of state Corporations Act (HUMPHRYS, 2013). The next method is by instructing state courts to refer such corporate regulation cases to the federal court for determination. This referral is allowed in the current constitution and is also tested and tried in the United States of America and found to be workable. The final method would be putting in place a split regulation that separates prosecutorial powers between the state governments and the Commonwealth director of public prosecutions. For instance the state courts could handle mergers, acquisitions, etc whereas the federal court handles cases arising from state Corporation Acts (HUMPHRYS, 2013)
References
HUMPHRYS, E., (2013). THE BIRTH OF AUSTRALIA: NON-CAPITALIST SOCIAL
RELATIONS IN A CAPITALIST MODE OF PRODUCTION? The Journal of Australian Political Economy, (70), pp. 110-129.
LANSLEY, A., GIBSON, B. and FOGARTY, M., (2002). Corporate governance in Australia. International Financial Law Review, , pp. 33-38.
LI, Y., (2011). The Relationships of Corporate Governance, Government Regulation and Performance of Small Manufacturing Business in Australia. Rochester: Social Science Research Network.
MURRAY, G. and PEETZ, D., (2013). RESTRUCTURING OF CORPORATE OWNERSHIP IN AUSTRALIA THROUGH THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS. The Journal of Australian Political Economy, (71), pp. 76-105.
RAMSAY, I., (2000). States, commonwealth put on the gloves: Challenges to Australia’s federal corporate law. JASSA, (3), pp. 26-29.
TUSHNET, M., (2013). Constitution-Making: An Introduction. Texas Law Review, 91(7), pp. 1983-2013. www.comlaw.gov.au
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Applying Ethical Frameworks
The 2011 National Business Ethics survey reported that 45% of respondents witnessed ethical misconduct at work, a record low for the survey; 63% of those respondents reported the misconduct, a record high. Of those whistleblowers, 22% reported retaliation (Ethics Resource Center, 2012).
These statistics seem to indicate increased attention to ethical business practice. However, they also point to an ongoing need to continue to strengthen commitment to ethical business practice. Business professionals and scholars need to know how to face ethical dilemmas and make sound ethical decisions. DBA students should have a basic understanding of various ethical frameworks and understand how these frameworks influence real-world business decisions. Northouse (2013) stated, “ethical theory provides a system of rules or principles that guide us in making decisions about what is right or wrong and good or bad in a particular situation. It provides a basis for understanding what it means to be a morally decent human being” (p. 424). Ethical values are used daily for decision making in business. Understanding and analyzing various ethical frameworks will enable you to better solve ethical dilemmas.
Use academic justification and two scholarly resources, in addition to those presented in the Learning Resources, to support your solution.
•By Day 7 of Week 6, read all of your colleagues’ posts and respond to three colleagues. Provide scholarly critiques of their analyses. For each response, be sure to include all of the following:
•Two strengths of your colleague’s analysis
•Two weaknesses of your colleague’s analysis and solution
•Suggestions of ways to improve upon the weaknesses
•An alternative solution
Be sure to include at least one new scholarly resource to support each response.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Applying Ethical Frameworks
Two strengths of my colleague’s analysis
Colleague #3’s analysis has two significant strengths, first of which is that he provides a framework of the virtues that guided him in arriving at his ethical decisions and the hierarchy of importance of the various values (Bagozzi, Sekerka & Hill, 2009). This framework is especially useful for anyone questioning the basis of his ethical decisions and it is a crucial strength in his solution, despite the final decisions being either ethical or unethical. The decision-making chart is a perfect example of a leader teaching his followers how to make ethical decisions even in scenarios that are ambiguous based on a set of values and their personal importance. The second strength is in the decision, which was totally appropriate as it incorporated all the virtues and attributes of leaders just as stipulated by Northouse (2013). There was no doubt about the leader’s decision.
Two weaknesses of my colleague’s analysis and solution
The first weakness identified is in colleague #1’s response. I find it too general, as it does not recommend any specific actions that the individual faced with the ethical dilemma can take to resolve the dilemma (Jackson, Wood, & Zboja, 2013). The virtue and deontological ethical theories might apply in this scenario, but the question remains, how do they apply? The second weakness identified lies in colleague #2’s response, which gives a lot of detail about what motivates individuals to choose the ethical response. He clearly states that most individuals are motivated by their inner need to do what is right or their fear of consequences. His teleological and deontological solutions are both his strengths and weakness because they advocate for the individual to act ethically for fear of the consequences of his actions. However, a question arises as to how the individual would act in a scenario where his actions would have no visible negative consequences for the accused employee.
Suggestions of ways to improve upon the weaknesses
My suggestion for the improvement of colleague #1’s response is that he should recommend a specific action that the leader should have taken so as to act ethically in accordance with the supporting theories he has given (Morales-Sánchez & Cabello-Medina, 2013). An example of such an action would be the leader saying no to his friend and reporting his actions based on his virtue of honesty and personal responsibility. My next suggestion is for the improvement of colleague #2’s response, which I find to be quite appropriate, but I do feel that it lacks the aspect of the inner personal desire to do what is right. According to Abrhiem (2012), people are motivated to act ethically based on their sense of duty for what is right or wrong and my colleague’s response does not take this fully into account. I believe that as a leader he should have allowed the officers a chance to rethink their actions by making them personally responsible through articulating the consequences of their actions.
An alternative solution
An alternative solution would be to combine both the strengths of colleague #3’s response and the weaknesses of the other two colleagues and to combine them with the suggested improvements. The alternative solution should have a decision-making chart that clearly explains the decision-making process and highlight the values used by the leader in making his decision just like #3’s solution suggests. Lastly the solution should incorporate an element of training where the leader gives the individuals an opportunity to show him that they have learned how not to make unethical decisions again, just as suggested in the improvements section (Thiel, Bagdasarov, Harkrider, Johnson & Mumford, 2012).
References
Abrhiem, T.H. (2012). Ethical leadership: Keeping values in business culture. Business & Management Review, 2(7), 11-19.
Bagozzi, R., Sekerka, L., & Hill, V. (2009). Hierarchical motive structures and their role in moral choices. Journal of Business Ethics, 90, 461-486.
Jackson, R., Wood, C., & Zboja, J. (2013). The Dissolution of Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: A Comprehensive Review and Model. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(2), 233-250.
Morales-Sánchez, R., & Cabello-Medina, C. (2013). The Role of Four Universal Moral Competencies in Ethical Decision-Making. Journal Of Business Ethics, 116(4), 717-734.
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Thiel, C., Bagdasarov, Z., Harkrider, L., Johnson, J., & Mumford, M. (2012). Leader Ethical Decision-Making in Organizations: Strategies for Sensemaking. Journal of Business Ethics, 107(1), 49-64.
We can write this or a similar paper for you! Simply fill the order form!
The 2011 National Business Ethics survey reported that 45% of respondents witnessed ethical misconduct at work, a record low for the survey; 63% of those respondents reported the misconduct, a record high. Of those whistleblowers, 22% reported retaliation (Ethics Resource Center, 2012).
These statistics seem to indicate increased attention to ethical business practice. However, they also point to an ongoing need to continue to strengthen commitment to ethical business practice. Business professionals and scholars need to know how to face ethical dilemmas and make sound ethical decisions. DBA students should have a basic understanding of various ethical frameworks and understand how these frameworks influence real-world business decisions. Northouse (2013) stated, “[e]thical theory provides a system of rules or principles that guide us in making decisions about what is right or wrong and good or bad in a particular situation. It provides a basis for understanding what it means to be a morally decent human being” (p. 424). Ethical values are used daily for decision making in business. Understanding and analyzing various ethical frameworks will enable you to better solve ethical dilemmas.
To prepare:
•Read the case study, “Hierarchical Motive Structures and Their Role in Moral Choices,” found in this Module’s Learning Resources, and complete the exercise on pp. 482–483.
By Day 3 of Week 6, post a solution to the ethical dilemma posed in the case study. Justify your proposed solution, and explain the reasoning you used to arrive at your solution. Incorporate the justifications you provided in response to the exercise on pp. 482–483. Identify which ethical frameworks outlined in the Learning Resources or in other scholarly literature align with your reasoning. Explain how your reasoning aligns with those frameworks.
•Use academic justification and two scholarly resources, in addition to those presented in the Learning Resources, to support your solution.
Moral choice scenario
Respondents were asked to read and put themselves
in the following situation:
You have just learned information that strongly
suggests that a person, who has been charged with
engaging in an unethical action, has been falsely
charged. He is going to be severely reprimanded
based upon an offense he didn’t commit. The
information you have suggests that the wrong person
was fingered for falsifying entries on official documents.
But one of your friends, a peer within your
command and someone you have known for years,
has asked you not to say anything. While you are
sure your friend didn’t commit the unethical act, he
may be implicated in some way if you step forward
with what you know. You don’t even like the guy
who is going to get the reprimand, but you’re sure
that he’s not the one responsible for the unethical act.
The issue is about to come to a close, and it is likely
that if you come forward, your friend and possibly
three or more other people may also be implicated.
Respondents were asked to adhere to the following
procedures in order to provide the underlying motives for their decision to act or not:
Step 1: Please take a couple of minutes to gather
your thoughts and focus on your personal reasons
for why you answered: ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ to
the above question (A). Do this slowly and
carefully, in order to thoroughly identify, in
your own mind, why you answered ‘‘yes’’ or
‘‘no.’’ Then list five (5) reasons in Column #1
of the table on the next page so as to reflect
your personal reasons for answering ‘‘yes’’ or
‘‘no’’ (see Response recording protocol). Please
make a point to express your own actual reasons
for answering ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ above. Your reasons
can be single words, phrases, or a sentence
or two as necessary.
Step 2: After listing your five (5) reasons in
Column #1 of the table, please return to your
first reason in Box #1 and think about why
this reason is important to you personally. We
want you to explain or justify this reason and
to put your explanation for why Reason #1 is
personally important to you in Box #6 (the
first box in Column #2). Sometimes it may
be difficult to put your reasons into words. A
trick or aid to help you do this that has proven
useful is to think about how you would
feel if the reason you gave (Column #1–Box
#1) did not happen. Place your answer for why Reason #1 is important to you in Box #6.
Step 3: After explaining why Reason #1 is
important to you, please look at your response
in Box #6 carefully. Think about why this reason
is important to you personally. Again, take a
moment to explain or justify this reason (Column
#2–Box #6) and put your response in Box
#7, the first box in Column #3 of the table. If
you have difficulty putting your explanation
into words, think about how you would feel if
the reason you gave in Box #6 did not happen.
Place your answer for why Reason #6 is important
to you personally in Box #7.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each remaining
reason in Column #1. The numbers in the top
left corner of each box are reminders of the
sequence to follow.
Please do your best to provide an answer for each box.
Would you take action?
Yes No
1 2
482 Richard P. Bagozzi et al.
Response recording protocol
References
Agle, B. R., R. K. Mitchell and J. A. Sonnenfeld: 1999,
‘Who Matters to CEOs? An Investigation of Stakeholder Attributes and Salience, Corporate Performance,and CEO Values’, Academy of Management Journal 42(1), 507–525. Anscombe, G. E. M.: 1963, Intention (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY).
Antaki, C.: 1994, Explaining and Arguing: The Social
Organization of Accounts (Sage, London).
Bagozzi, R. P., M. Bergami and L. Leone: 2003, ‘Hierarchical Representation of Motives in Goal Setting’, Journal of Applied Psychology 88, 915–943.
Baier, A. C.: 1991, A Progress of Sentiments: Reflections on Hume’s Treatise (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA).
Bartone, P. T., S. A. Snook, G. B. Forsyth, P. Lewis and
R. C. Bullis: 2007, ‘Psychosocial Development and
Leader Performance of Military Officer Cadets’, The
Leadership Quarterly 18, 490–504.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Reason for your decision
Why is it important for you?
Why is it important for you?
To ensure that my colleague got justice
It would make me happier to know that I saved someone who was innocent.
Failure to save him would leave me with a feeling of guilt
To ensure that those who were planning evil against my colleague got justice for their action
Living with them would arouse fear in me
Getting them reprimanded for their mistakes would help me feel safer. I would stop fearing that they will do the same to others in the organization including myself
To free myself. I would feel pressurized to work with people for whom I would always be required to keep a secret.
Their being reprimanded would mean that I would stop being accountable to them.
There was a chance that they would be changed to better persons in the society
To help correct the guilty persons
Protecting the lives of wrong doers prevents them from changing for the better.
It would be sad to have a friend deteriorate in terms of discipline and manners because I cannot take action.
To participate in creation of a more just society
I feel there is always a need for every one of us to participate in the creation of a more just society. If any one of us failed, the society would have failed, the society would have failed and would be required to live with the consequences
The consequences of living in a society in which I am guilty of helping in the creation of is an unforgivable act.
The dilemma involves either choosing to hide the acts of an evil friend or protecting an innocent person. I believe that my decision to tell the truth would be mostly affected by my self-respect. The decision would be highly charged by the fact that I would not want to be associated with supporting the wrong doers at the expense of someone who was innocent. People who have a high self-esteem are more likely to be ethical (Bucaro 2013; Cohen, 2007; Bellamy, 2008). Such people put the risk involved in obtaining justice behind the justice itself. They feel that their decision is vital for the way a case goes and therefore opt to make the most positive contribution towards it. However, other factors would also play a part in my choosing to take action to save my colleague.
First, I would feel guilty for facilitating a wrong doing to take place. The very act of making it possible for evidence to be declared sufficiently incriminating as to warrant someone who is innocent to be declared guilty would be very hard to live with. Compared to allowing people who are guilty to be arrested would count far lesser compared to that even if they were very close friends.
In conclusion, the need to do the right thing, probably in the face of society can make me make an ethical decision. Some people would be more comfortable protecting their friendship or their own security. However, I would trust the justice system to protect, the society, my colleague and myself in such a dilemma situation. I think helping find justice for an innocent person would help me to obtain better friends than those I would be protecting by choosing to say no
References
Bellamy, A. J. (2008). Fighting terror: Ethical dilemmas. London: Zed Books.
Select an organization you work for or one in your chosen field.
Conduct online research on the ethics of your organization and the industry it belongs to.
Write a 750- to 1,050-word paper describing how ethical principles can address organizational issues. Include the organization you selected and discuss the following with regards to that organization and its industry:
•What role do external social pressures have in influencing organizational ethics?
•How might these issues be relevant to organizational and personal decisions?
•What is the relationship between legal and ethical issues?
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Organizational Ethics
Gucci
The external social pressure has in the recent past become very instrumental in shaping the ethical practices of any business, which is especially seen in the businesses that fall under the smaller communities; industries. With this, the companies are pushed into giving very profound considerations on matters with regards to the environmental responsibility and the involvement of the general community. More so, with the advancement of the information age, there has been a very significant increase in the importance of the social pressure since ideas are exchanged very fast over a very wide area, exposing the companies that may fail to adhere to the expected social standards.
According to Crane and Matten (2007), the current move is towards an ethical era, whereby the ethical awareness of the consumers towards the implications of the products they purchase is constantly on the increase. As such, they tend to align themselves towards the ethical implications that the products have, not only towards themselves, but also to the world around them, encompassing the environmental impacts of the supply chain in entirety before the goods eventually arrive at the market (Partridge, 2011).
Gucci
Gucci is an Italian leather and fashion goods brand which forms part of the famous Gucci Group, owned by Kering, a French company formerly known as PPR. The company was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, in Florence. As put across by the Business Week Magazine, in the year ending, 2008, the company made about €4.2 billion, and the following year rose to the 41st position in the chart of “Top 100 Brands” created by the Interbrand (Bianchino, et al, 1987). As the highest selling Italian brand, as at September, 2009, the company had about 278 stores directly operated worldwide and uses upscale department stores and franchisees to wholesale its products. As at 2013, the company managed to make sales worth $4.7 Billion US dollars. It is in this year that its market value rose tremendously to $12.1 Billion USD and a ranking of 38th position according to the Forbes list of the most valuable brands (Karmali, 2013).
As a company in an industry with a relatively high competition, Gucci has managed to forge to the current position, mainly through the good business practices that helps it retain its customers, while at the same time, attracting new ones. This move runs back to the 1990s, a period when the company underwent the time recognized as the poorest in its history. During this period, Investcorp shareholders, Maurizio distributors as well as the executives at Gucci America reined in one the sales of the accessories all of a sudden. It is from this point that the company realized the need for social corporate responsibility.
Ethical Transformation
The theme of ethics in organizations has significantly evolved over time, which, in the past was used to refer to the operation of a business in a way such that there is no violation or breaking of the law as well as the moral guidelines. However, as posited by McGoldrick and Freestone (2009), the term has undergone too much broadening to encompass the proactive efforts by a business towards practices considered honest as well as good citizenship. This is based on the expectations of the societies in which the companies operate in such a manner that they meet the customer expectations, charitable giving, and involvement in the community and fair working conditions for the employees.
The Relationship between Legal and Ethical Issues
Unlike in the past when companies mainly gave considerations to ethics in such a manner that they remained within the legal parameters, there has been very tremendous changes on the perceptions of ethics, otherwise termed as “Going beyond Law”. In the late 1990s, Gucci started to embrace the social responsibility with the aim of having a distinguishing factor between it and the other rival companies, which fostered a stronger relationship with the society. Currently, all companies have to act in a socially responsible manner in order to avoid the pressure that may develop from the public. As such, the legal issues may never exist within a company that has fully embraced the ethical practices, otherwise considered as social responsibility. A competitive company will go beyond merely the expectations of the law (Ward & Chiari, 2008).
The concept of business ethics has evolved significantly over time. Historically, it referred to operating a business in a way that does not break the law or violate any major moral guidelines. In the early 21st century, business ethics has broadened to include more proactive efforts toward good citizenship and honest business practices. This is based largely on societal expectations that companies meet demands for honest treatment of customers, community involvement and charitable giving, fair working conditions for employees and environmentally friendly business activities.
The encouragement of observation of ethics within an organization is an assurance of improvement in the success of the business since all the stakeholders will be involved in a unified participation towards the achievement of a common goal. According to Karr and Martens (2013), most organizations tend to underperform as a result of social pressure originating from the external sources. As such, these organizations find themselves in a dilemma, whereby, they may have to change their actions, policies and even behaviors in order to meet the expectations of the stakeholders, which in most cases tend to be much diversified. Instead of molding the employees in such a manner that they are able to cope with the current demands of the company while, at the same time, keeping in mind the emerging trends, they are mainly forged with regards to the existent pressure, which is current.
References
Arnold J. Karr and Cynthia Martens (11 November 2013). “Guccio Gucci SpA Wins Trademark Case in China”. WWD. Retrieved on 5th August, 2014.
Bianchino, Gloria, et al., eds. (1987) Italian Fashion. Vol. 1. The Origins of High Fashion and Knitwear. Milan: Electa SpA.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2007). Business ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Karmali, Sarah (February 28, 2013). “Beyoncé Leads New Gucci Empowerment Campaign”. Vogue. Retrieved 5th August, 2014.
McGoldrick, P. J., & Freestone, O. M. (2008). Ethical product premiums: Antecedents and extent of consumers’ willingness to pay. International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 18(2), 185–201.
Partridge, D. J. (2011). “Activist Capitalism and Supply Chain Citizenship: Producing Ethical Regimes and Ready-to-Wear Clothes.” CurrentAnthropology 52(S3): S97–S111.
Problem Description (Refined version of Assignment 4):
You’re developing the software for a company that monitors home alarm systems. After reviewing some of the your outline of patterns you would use, our customer that you create a couple diagrams of what you architecture looks like using the notations described in our book “Software Architectures in Practice” and that you apply the techniques described in Chapter 14 to analyze your architecture to verify that the architecture will satisfy the requirement of the system. The have provided a revised description (next paragraph), with some more details.
There will be one sensor for each door or window in the home that detects when they are opened. If the home alarm system is activated, the home (sub)system must (1) turn on the alarm within 5 seconds of sensing the opening of any opening other than a door next to a control pad, which allow 30 for the user disarm code to be entered before the alarm is turned on, and (2) send an alarm to the Alarm Monitor Company’s central monitoring location within 15 seconds for an opening other than a door next to a control pad, and 45 seconds for a door next to a control pad. The system at the central monitoring location, (1) records the event, and (2) notifies a human
operator what’s happening within 30 seconds of receipt of the alarm sent from the local home monitoring system, and (3) automatically dial the home, within 45 seconds of receipt of the alarm sent from the local home monitoring system, and hands-off the call to the operator, who will to attempt to verify that there is a break-in. If no one answers, or someone answers but doesn’t give the agreed to safe-word or give the in-trouble word, then the operator will notify the police within 1 minute if no one answers, or 2 minutes if call is answered. All actions taken are recorded.
Part 1 (5 points): Create an architecture
Create an architecture for the whole system based on the patterns you choose in the last exercise. (Is you decide to change patterns, describe the changes including why.) Your description should include the following:
1. A diagram showing the Company’s Central Monitoring Center, and multi-homes being monitored.
2. A diagram of the architecture for the Central Monitoring Center.
3. A diagram of the architecture in a typical Home.
4. A short description of each software component.
Use the notation described in the SWAIP book for now.
Part 2 (5 points): Describe the qualities that are important for the system.
Apply the appropriate techniques from Chapter 14 (or in the pattern description, if any) to verify that you architecture is likely to produce a system that achieves the quality goals you identified in Assignment 4 (i.e., minimums & maximums) and satisfies any constraints in the customer description (this constrains are qualities that you must achieve). If you need certain values, e.g. execution speed of the CPU or how many cores in the CPU, then either do some research on reasonable values make a list of the values you obtain from your research or any assumptions you made and give a reference to the source.
If you determine that for some reason, your architecture does not achieve your quality goals, then explain why. (You may find that some goals are not achievable).
Create a PDF file with your results for part 1 & 2.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Software Architecture
Introduction
A home security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusion and/or unauthorized entry into a building or area. They are often used in residential and commercial properties for protection against property damage or burglary (theft). The most basic alarm consists of one or more sensors to detect intruders, and an alerting device to indicate the intrusion. However, a typical premises security alarm employs the following components: Premises control unit (PCU), or panel, Sensors, Alerting devices, Keypads, Interconnections and Security devices.
Architectural Structure
The architectural structure of the home alarm system design is shown in the block diagram below. The central system will handle all the sensors and keypad input, output information to LCD screen, indicate system status on LED, and make buzz or voice alarm.
Figure 1: Architectural Structure
Hardware & Software Tradeoffs
The IR motion sensor is quite inexpensive hence it should be bought for this design. It is also necessary to acquire one of the smoke detector from home to be used to sound the alarm in case of smoke detection. The architectural structure of our design is shown in the block diagram shown in figure 1 above. The central system will handle all the sensors and keypad input, output information to LCD screen, indicate system status on LED, and make buzz or voice alarm. Besides some necessary resistor and capacitor connections to the ISD1420 chip, the software makes the major part of the work mainly to ensure that home alarm system if fully customizable and consists of a lot of features. It need to monitors all the sensors, and time the appropriate seconds in order to play certain voice pattern (ex. “Temperature, smoke error, please…” “Door or window error, please…”) depending on which sensor goes wrong. It also needs to handle the user interface via keypad and LCD screen.
Program & Hardware Design
Program Detail
The timing is the hardest part of the program. This implies that when any sensor goes wrong, the program has to wait for a number of seconds as set by the user, and then make ISD1420 chip play back the necessary voice pattern as envisaged. The voice playback chip does not have a very fast internal clock, so the delay function has to be played manually in the program after setting the address bits, and then making the chip play. Besides, we also need to implement the keypad function so it acts accordingly when the LCD is displaying certain menu. In the system there are 12 submenus. For example, set temp defines the lowest temperature allowable prior to sounding the alarm (70~120F, with a 1F step size). The Sec. Allow is the time in second before the voice alarm goes off (0~30sec, with step size of 5 seconds). The submenus are shown in the table below:
1.Enable System
2.(*)Temp Sensor
3.(*)Mot. Sensor
4.(*)Smk. Sensor
5.(*)Mag. Switch
6.Set Temp: 100F
7.(*)Voice Alarm
8.(*)Buzz Alarm
9.New Pswd:
A. Buzz Freq: 7
B. Buzz Skim: 3
C. Sec. Allow: 10
There is also a simple de-bounce feature for the keypad, and it will sound a buzz when any key is pressed. Also the backspace feature is implemented so that when a wrong password is entered by the user, it is possible to use this key to delete the number entered previous previously. The password is masked on LCD for a safer purpose.
Hardware Detail
The first sensor we have is the temperature sensor. This is done using a digital thermometer utilizing the same circuit. This was achieved through incorporation of the National Semiconductor LM34 temperature sensor, together with National Semiconductor LMC7111 OpAmp chip for the amplification of the output voltage going into ADC. The final connection of our circuit looks like the following.
Figure 2: Main Connections
The second sensor is the motion sensor which has some IC components as well as a few NPN transistors in the circuit. The base pin together with ground are taken and connected to the ADC pin input, however, the alarm goes off when the voltage exceed VTH (threshold voltage). The other sensor is the smoke detector which is equipped with piezoelectric buzzer, which has F (feed back), M (metal plate) three pins, and C (main electrode). The piezoelectric buzzer consists of an internal crystal and it sounds the alarm if small current is applied (voltage drop).
The final sensor is the magnetic switches and it is normally closed meaning that when the switch is right next to each other, the resistance is zero. So the switch is driven with a 10K pull-up resistor, and connects the output to the ADC. A simple AND/OR gate was built by using 1 74LS00 chip since we have two magnetic switches.
Result of the Design
Speed of Execution
The speed of the execution is very well. At start the system boots up with default password 1234 allowing the user to navigate through menu, and enabling or disabling each type of sensor. If a particular sensor is enabled, the LCD screen will output a * symbol just immediately before the sensor name. Enable/disable voice, the alert temperature, or buzzer alarm can be set by the user, and even specify the ring tone and frequency of the buzzer alarm as well as the time needed prior to the voice alarm goes off. The button de-bounce scheme also works fine so users can navigate through the menu and use the keypad perfectly. This is highly essential because it usually bring with itself convenience to the user as well as enabling timely operation of the home alarm system while at the same time making sure that the system is easy to use. This is an essential feature for easy working or operation of the system which enables the highest level of the system operation at all times.
Accuracy
After the user enables the security system, the green status LED will lid to indicate the system status. User can now enter proper password to unlock the system. If any sensor goes wrong, the LCD will output ERROR and with proper initial for the sensor (T for temperature, M for motion, S for smoke, D for door or window magnetic switch). The red led light be will flashing at 4Hz to indicate such event. If the buzz alarm is enable, it will sound the tone that user choose. If the voice alarm is enabled, it will wait for few seconds (user specified), if the system is still not locked, then it will start playing voice to indicate which sensor goes wrong. (For example, “Temperature Error, please check and unlock the security system.”) If another sensor goes wrong after that, the system will also act accordingly and indicate that in the voice alert in addition to the LCD screen. (“Temperature Motion Error, please check and unlock the security system.”)
Safety
As soon as user enters the correct password, the system will be unlocked and the buzzer and voice playback will stop. The user can now navigate through our menu and make any changes in the settings.
Usability
The home alarm system is very practical. It can be used not only in the home environment but also in a business environment too and works by monitoring the surrounding for not only protection of property as well as lives. Besides, the system is also highly customizable for the purpose of suiting each one’s need and preference.
Expectation and Improvement
The result of the home alarm system design meets the expectation whereby every sensor is supposed to be working and will sound specific alarm when the system goes into alert status. The keypad and LCD also offer great interface and users can be familiar with the system in less than few seconds. The system also has 4 output patterns using all 8 pins. The designed home alarm system is envisaged to effectively work in order to prevent intrusion or property damage which can further be improved subsequently for better performance.
An architectural structure of the designed home alarm system is shown in the prototype shown in the diagrams shown below.
References
Trimmer, H. W. (1981). Understanding and Servicing Alarm Systems. Stoneham: Butterworth.
Walker, P. (1985). Electronic Security Systems. Cambridge, UK: University Press
Weber, T. L. (1985). Alarm Systems and Theft Protection (2nd ed.). Stoneham, MA: Butterworth.
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2,500 word Written Report – 100 marks weighted to 70% of marks for the module
Your friend has accepted a new job and has the opportunity to choose between becoming an employee or an independent contractor. Advise your friend on how employee/contractor status is determined, the advantages and disadvantages of each status and the source of the terms contained within employment a contract.
70%
(ii) Marcia placed an advertisement in a shop window which read: ‘£50 Reward for the return of my black wallet which I lost yesterday, Sunday. Call 020 000 1111”.
Meanwhile, Frank found a wallet in the street and when he examined it, he saw an address inside which he understood to be that of the owner. He was busy for a couple of days so he waited until Tuesday morning before calling at the address with the wallet.
Marcia answered the door and was very pleased to see her wallet, complete with all of the contents. She thanked Frank and he went on to work.
That evening, on his way home, Frank saw Marcia’s advertisement in the shop window and he wondered if it was referring to the wallet he had returned. He called at Marcia’s house and she confirmed that the advertisement was hers. Frank asked for the reward and Marcia told him he was not entitled to it.
Frank is upset and puzzled and has asked you to explain why Marcia has refused to give him the reward.
30%
Parts and (ii) have different weighting therefore the word count for each part should reflect this. Approximately 1,750 words for part and 750 words for part (ii).
Please remember that you must provide properly referenced evidence for all of the claims/assertions you make.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Employment, Contract, and Reward
Part I
How Employment/ Contract Status is Determined
By definition, independent contractors are self-employed individuals and since these individuals are not considered employees, they are not covered by labor, employment, and related tax laws. As such, employers may be tempted to reclassify workers as independent contractors so that they can evade the payment of benefits and taxes alongside other liabilities (Cappelli & Keller, 2013). Whether or not an employee is covered by a certain tax, labor, or employment law hinges in relation to the definition of a worker. In many occasions, statuses often fail to provide a clear definition of the term employee. Therefore, there is no single standard, which can be employed in distinguishing between an independent contractor and employee. For instance, in UK, employers can determine the employment status of individuals by focusing the tax and employment laws. By focusing on the tax law, employers can manage to determine whether individuals are exempted from PAYE (Pay As You Earn) or not. On the other hand, employment law helps employers to determine whether their employees have employee’s rights or not (Bidwell & Briscoe, 2009). One can be considered an employee when he or she works under a contract of employment. An individual can be an employee under employment policy, but have a status that is different for purposes of tax. As such, employers need to work out the status of every worker in both tax law and employment law. All employees are considered workers, but an employee possesses additional employment responsibilities and rights, which are not applicable to workers who are regarded as employees.
In working out the employment status of an employee, several conditions are often taken into consideration. An individual is considered an employee when this person is needed to work regularly, unless he or she is on leave such as sick leave, holiday and maternity leave. A person is also considered an employee when he or she is needed to perform limited number of hours of which payments are made. Furthermore, an individual is taken as an employee when a supervisor or manager is accountable for his or her workload, dictating when a piece of task should be completed, and when this person cannot send a different person to perform his or her work (Cappelli & Keller, 2013). Any person is considered an employee when this individual is paid during holidays, when national insurance and tax is deducted from his or her wage; when he/she can join the pension scheme of his or her employer; when the employer’s grievance and disciplinary applies to him or her; when the person’s contract outlines redundancy procedures, when then this person’s employer provides tools, materials, and equipment needed for his or her work; when this person has a different job from that of his or her employer, when he/she works for his or her employer only; and when his/her stamen of conditions and terms of contract uses terms such as employee or employer. In case the employers are unable to determine the employment or contract status of an individual, the employer can use the ESI (Employment Status Indicator) to achieve this goal. On the contrary, this tool cannot be employed in determining the status of employment of some workers such as agency workers, company directors, individuals holding on office and persons offering services via intermediaries. The ESI tool operates by asking a series of questions concerning the working relationship between the engager and worker. Moreover, the presence of a contract that outlines the terms of the relationship between the worker and employer is significant in this process. Once the details needed by the tool have been provided, the ESI then displays worker’s employment status. The ESI tool can be relied on when the answers it has provided offer a clear reflection of the conditions and terms under which the worker being investigated provides his or her services (Cappelli & Keller, 2013). The outcomes of the tools can be relied on when the ESI has been completed by either an authorized representative or engager.
Advantages of Employment Status
As an employee, one can be entitles to several advantages. First, an employee is entitled to a steady or constant income. Employees are often paid fixed salaries, which helps in ensuring that they receive regular amount of income at the end of every month. Furthermore, this benefit is significant in ensuring that deductions are not made on the wages of employees even in situations where they may not attend work due to issues such as sicknesses or other commitments. As such, employees can be considered to enjoy the element of income security in that they are certain of the amount that they will receive at the end of the month based on the agreement they made with their employers (Bidwell & Briscoe, 2009). Moreover, employees are entitled to work within specified time frames. As such, any extra hour besides the normal working hours is considered overtime and the employer is often accountable to paying employees for such hours. The status of being employed also subjects the employees to benefits like health insurance among other insurance covers. As such, employees can obtain medical treatment in case of situations involving occupational injuries and other illnesses. Employees are also entitled to other benefits such as training, which can help in improving the worker’s levels of skills and knowledge in the field of practice.
Disadvantages of Employment Status
Despite having many advantages, employees the status of being employed has been noted to have many disadvantages. In relation to this, the incomes of employees are low despite being steady. Many workers are always not aware of the value of the input that they give to their employers. Moreover, while many workers lack the knowledge of the value of their inputs, they can also be fired at any moment. Thus, the status of being employed has no employment security. When employees are fired, their income often ceases to be steady for a prolonged period. Employees have also been noted to have limited levels of control over their work as they are often monitored by their employers who have total authority over them (Cappelli & Keller, 2013). Working as an employee means that workers do not own much of their time, which limits the personal activities in which individuals can be engaged. Moreover, being employed limits workers’ capabilities to decline performing tasks that are assigned to them despite these tasks being difficult or complex (Cappelli & Keller, 2013). Working with employers can also be stressful, especially in situations where tasks are needed to be performed urgently. Consequently, an employee may also experience problems working other employees who may prove stubborn. Lastly, the aspect of earning a fixed salary limits the amount of income that employees can earn at every payment period.
Advantages of Contract Status
Working as an independent contractor can subject an individual to several benefits. Independent contractors often know the value of their work and are at an advantage of charging substantial amounts for the services they are offering their clients. Moreover, the fact that these individuals have almost total control over the work enables them to perform these tasks in a relaxed environment (James & Harvey, 2003). Thus, independent contractors are not vulnerable to stress from other employees or employers as in the case of employees. Besides, independent contractors have the ability to decline performing task that they consider difficult or complex. Independent contractors have the ability to increase their level of income as the can look for jobs from many clients. Moreover, this benefit is enhanced by the fact that independent contractors have the knowledge of the quality of their input, which enables them to charge prices that are commensurate to the quality of service or tasks that they perform to their clients. Being that these individual are their own bosses, the level of job security that they enjoy is higher than that of employees. As such, they do not suffer from the fear of being sacked by employers as in the case of employees.
Disadvantages of Contract Status
Being an independent contractor can subject an individual to certain disadvantages. First, independent contractors are not entitled to steady incomes as there are seasons when they often experience shortage of clients. As such, these individuals are always forced to ensure that they generate more income during boom seasons to that they can compensate for leans seasons. Therefore, the level of income security that these individuals enjoy is lower than that enjoyed by employees. In addition, independent contractors are not entitled to benefits such as health insurances and other insurance covers (James & Harvey, 2003). As such, these individuals cannot obtain financial aid from their clients in cases involving illnesses or occupational accidents. As a result, they may be forced to cover for expenses arising from such events. Furthermore, independent contractors cannot benefit from incentives such as trainings that employers often offer to their employees. As such, independent contractors are always forced to cover for the costs of such incentives.
Source of Terms Contained within an Employment and Contract
Prior to entering into any contract, several statements are often made by one party with the aim of inducing or encouraging the other party or group to enter into a contract (Gunasekara, 2013). In relation to this, disputes may arise from such contracts concerning whether the statements made should be the term or part of the contract. Besides, these disputes may concern the statements that should be considered as mere pre-contract talk thereby excluding them from being the term or part of the contract. It is crucial to note that parties or groups that have entered into a contract are only bound the terms of the contract, and not by peripheral statements, which have been developed. In relation this, courts may be forced to focus on the proof of intention by either one or other groups that the statement should form part of the contract. For example, when the interval between the establishment of the statement and attainment of the ultimate contract and agreement is long, the statement can be considered as part of the contract. It is also significant to note that signing of an agreement qualifies that agreement to be the term of the contract. Furthermore, many employees are often issued with written statements that contain the key conditions and terms of the employment contracts. However, even independent contractors are often entitled to such documents (Gunasekara, 2013). Some of the information that should be provided in such documents are names of employee or contractor and employer or client, date of employment or contract, and continuous employment or contract started, working hours or duration of contract, and job location. As such, employees and independent contractors should be cautious prior to signing agreements or contracts with clients or employers or clients as breaching them may lead to adverse legal consequences.
Part II
Reward can be defined as a compensation or sum of money that is issued to a class of individuals or the general public for the performance of service that is considered special (Jansen & Zimmerman, 2011). In relation to this, the money that Marcia wants to give to anyone that finds her black wallets is considered a reward as it is a payment to a special service, which involves finding the lost wallet and taking it to Marcia. In many situations, police often offer rewards for information that can helps in arresting and convicting offenders. In legal terms, the individual promising a reward is offering himself or herself to enter into an agreement or contract with the individual who conducts the required action. As such, the legal principles of rewards are obtained from the contracts’ law. Taking this aspect into consideration, it can be argued that Marcia had offered herself into a contract with Frank.
A contract of reward is often created when an actual offer that is valid is made. In such a situation, the offer is considered a mere proposal or conditional promise by the individual issuing the reward (Jansen & Zimmerman, 2011). The person issuing the reward is referred to as the offerer in legal terms as in the case of Marcia. It is also vital to note that a consummated contract may be attained when the requested action has been conducted. Therefore, the case involved between Marcia and Frank is considered a contract as the required action, which involves finding the black wallet and taking it to Marcia, has been performed. The individual issuing the reward can do it on any condition that he or she wishes and the terms must be accomplished prior to the recovery of the reward. In relation to this, terms that Marcia stated were met by Frank as he found the lost black wallet and returned it to Marcia.
In legal terms, it is required the information provided must be timely and adequate for an individual to collect a reward from the offerer. In a situation in which the information was already known when it was provided by the informant, a reward cannot be given (Weber & Mayer, 2011). In relation to this, it can be argued that Frank presented the lost wallet when Marcia had already addressed the urgency that she needed from it. The advertisement made my Marcia indicated that she was to be contacted on Monday, while Frank contacted her on Tuesday. As such, it can be argued that Frank’s submission was untimely and inadequate. Moreover, in the legal terms it is required that the individual performing the required action be aware of the offer and purpose of performing such a service (Kraft, 2013). As such, any person that performs the required action without the knowledge of the offer or the purpose of his or her action is not entitled to the collection of the reward. In relation to this, Frank is not entitled to the collection of the reward, as he was unaware of the offer made by Marcia and purpose of his action. When Frank returned the lost wallet to Marcia, he did not ask for the compensation for his service as promised by Marcia. This action made Marcia realize that frank was unaware of the offer she had made. Moreover, Frank made his ignorance clear to Marcia when he returned to collect the reward after reading about the offer in the advertisement that had been posted by Marcia. As a result, Marcia acted in line with the law and declined to issue the promised offer to Frank. In this case, Marcia can be considered innocent.
The rule, which denies the person who lacks the knowledge of the offer or the purpose of his or her action from collecting rewards, is founded on the concept that in the absence of such knowledge the meeting of minds cannot exist (Goldenberg, 2014). Meeting of minds is significant in facilitating or advancing the realization of the terms provided by the contract. In relation to this, it can be argued that there was not meeting in minds between frank and Marcia as frank was unaware of the conditions provided by the contract prior to making his submission or presenting the lost wallet. Furthermore, it is vital to note that having the knowledge of the statutory remedy does not qualify the claimant to recovering a reward. Therefore, Frank could have managed to collect the rewards from Marcia in a situation in which he was aware of the offer and purpose of his action prior to delivering the wallet to Marcia.
References
Cappelli, P; Keller, R. (2013). Classifying Work in the New Economy. Academy of Management Review, 38(4), 575-596.
Cappelli, H; Keller, JR. (2013). A Study of the Extent and Potential Causes of Alternative Employment Arrangements. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 66(4), 874-901.
Bidwell, J; Briscoe, F. (2009). Who Contracts? Determinants of the Decision to Work as an Independent Contractor among Information Technology Workers. Academy of Management Journal, 52(6), 1148-1168.
Goldenberg, P. (2014). Protecting the Reliance. Columbia Law Review, 114(4), 1033-181.
Gunasekara, C. (2011). Independent Contracting in Low Skilled, Low Paid Work in Australia. International Journal of Employment Studies, 19(1), 50-69.
James, Jr; Harvey S. (2003). Employment Contracts, US Common Law and the Theory of the Firm. International Journal of the Economics of Business, 10(1), 1-49.
Jansen, N; Zimmerman, R. (2011). Contract Formation and Mistake in European Contract Law: A Genetic Comparison of Transnational Model Rule. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 3194), 625-662.
Rosenberg, A. (2013). Contract’s Meaning and The Histories of Classical Contract Law. McGill Law Journal, 59(1), 165-207.
Weber, L; Mayer, J. (2011). Designing Effective Contracts: Exploring the Influence of Framing and Expectations. Academy of Management Reviews, 36(1), 53-75.
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The topic for this essay is to write about “What do you understand about Monitoring and Evaluation in Public Health”
It should be written in two full pages and proper grammar must be employ for this paper and its due tomorrow Saturday . The writer must use proper grammar as this is a very important paper that will be use for competition to see the best writer.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Monitoring and Evaluation in Public Health
In the sector of public health, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aims at knowing if the anticipated results will be achieved as designed in the health action plan. Moreover, M&E helps to determine if the public health strategies are bringing about positive contributions for health in the community.
After evaluation, program managers are able to decide what services need to be improved as well as disseminate to stakeholders regarding the success of the program (Sturmberg & Martin, 2013). During the evaluation, information is gathered systematically and this helps the stakeholders in understanding the program, making decisions on future program planning, and improving its effectiveness. Some of the questions that are relevant during evaluation include; if the program is meeting the anticipated needs, the people being served by the program, the program’s cost-effectiveness, if the expected outcomes have been achieved, the actions being done differently by the community after the public health program implementation, the weaknesses and strengths of the program, if there were unintended program impacts, and the activities that contribute most.
Evaluation can be done at various points of a program life. A needs assessment is done before the program commences. It aims at determining the program’s needs and how they can be addressed. Process evaluation is done during the beginning stages of the implementation. It purposes at seeing if the program is progressing as planned. Outcome evaluation takes place during program maturity to assess if the objectives are being fulfilled. Impact evaluation is done during the program’s full maturity to determine the unforeseen or expected impacts brought about by the program (Sturmberg & Martin, 2013).
On the other hand, monitoring involves observing and recording a program or project’s activities regularly and as they are taking place. Information on all the project’s aspects is gathered routinely. After assessing how the activities are progressing, feedback is given on the progress, and decisions made for improving the performance. Basically, monitoring public health programs aims at achieving different intention (Sturmberg & Martin, 2013). First, it promotes accountability. Second, it verifies if funds are being used for the intended purposes. Monitoring can also guarantee continued funding.
Similar to evaluation, monitoring should be conducted before the public health project or program begins. This aims at assessing risks and a sit visit. There should also be monitoring after the program has taken off and before it is completed. This should be based on compliance supplements, funding source requirements, and risk.
Monitoring and evaluating programs are based on the fact that resources, environments, and needs change. Hence, being always ready to meet the change challenge via continuing feedback is a chance that evaluation offers. Both processes are for the best interests of all who are part of the program (Publishing, 2013). They support program sustainability, which ensures long-term resource planning. Both processes are systematic and tailored to programs or projects’ unique elements. Data is collected and conclusions drawn based on program practicality, relevance, and utility.
For all public health professionals, evaluation and monitoring skills are cardinal to the effective design as well as implementation of programs (Publishing, 2013). They are also necessary for using and analyzing data for advocacy of public health programs and projects. They are extremely useful and valuable tools for people aiming at strengthening the existing programs’ quality. The population being served also benefit in that improved outcomes are promoted.
Description
This is a continuation of the health promotion program proposal, part one, which you submitted in Unit 6. Please approach this assignment as an opportunity to integrate instructor feedback from part I and expand on ideas adhering to the components of the MAP-IT strategy. Include necessary levels of detail you feel appropriate to assure stakeholder buy-in.
This paper below is a continuation of a previous paper you guys completed for me , and all what is require this week is to make corrections on the graded paper base on the comments of the prof and then respond to the following questions in 4 pages adding it as another section B to the revise paper. This section alone should contain a minimum of 4 pages. Follow the instructions below to complete this paper.
For this assignment add criteria 5-8 as detailed below: and label that section on your paper PART TWO
5. Propose a health promotion program using an evidence-based intervention found in your literature search to address the problem in the selected population/setting. Include a thorough discussion of the specifics of this intervention which include resources necessary, those involved, and feasibility for a nurse in an advanced role. Be certain to include a timeline
6. Thoroughly describe the intended outcomes. Describe the outcomes in detail concurrent with the SMART goal approach
7. Provide a detailed plan for evaluation for each outcome
8. Thoroughly describe possible barriers/challenges to implementing the proposed project as well as strategies to address these barriers/challenges.
Paper Requirements
• Your assignment should be 7-8 pages (excluding title page, references, and appendices)
• Remember, your Proposal must be a scholarly paper demonstrating graduate school level writing and critical analysis of existing nursing knowledge about health promotion.
The health problem is obesity in Washington, District of Columbia. In the United States, obesity and overweight are today so prevalent considering that 66 percent of Americans are either obese or overweight. In Washington DC, the number of those who are obese exceeds those who are overweight. Obesity remains one of the main public health problems, and is even regarded as a long-standing epidemic by health officials. In 2012, the prevalence of obesity in District of Columbia was 21.9 percent(Trust for America’s Health & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014). In essence, Washington, D. C. is presently the 2nd least obese state countrywide. The purpose of this proposal is to address existing nursing knowledge related to health promotion of childhood obesity in Washington, D.C. A health promotion program is developed in this proposal to meet the need of obese children in Washington, D.C.
Vulnerable population and setting: the vulnerable population is children and the setting is schools and at homes. Currently, as regards childhood obesity in Washington, DC, and the current obesity rate is 21.4% and it ranks 3rd out of 51 states in the U.S. This rate is for 10 to 17 year old children (Trust for America’s Health & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014). In my proposed health promotion program, what I will specifically address is diet and lifestyle. I will seek to alter the diet of the 10-17 year olds and promote lifestyle changes by recommending healthier lifestyles such as exercising and doing physical activity.The proposed outcome is to reduce the rate of childhood obesity in Washington, D.C. to 12.5% or less within the next 12 months from the current 21.4%.
Risk factors for childhood obesity
The risk factors for childhood obesity include the following: (i) diet: consuming foods with high-calories like vending machine snacks and baked foods, is a key risk factor in addition to desserts, candy and soft drinks that have sugar (Pratt et al., 2013). (ii) Lack of physical exercise: in essence, a child who does not exercise has a higher chance of gaining weight since he/she does not burn calories by doing physical exercise. Playing video games and watching TV are some of the inactive leisure activities which contribute to this health problem (Voigt, Nicholls& Williams, 2014). (iii) Family history: a child is at a great risk of being obese if she/he comes from a family of overweight children. The child might also have a higher likelihood of becoming overweight particularly within an environment in which foods of high calorie are available all the time and doing physical activity is not encouraged. (iv) Psychological factors: it is notable that some children eat too much in order to deal with problems or cope with emotions for instance stress, or just to deal with boredom (Schaub, 2014). (v) Socio-economic factors:Pratt et al. (2013) stated that foodstuffs that will not spoil very fast, for instance cookies, crackers and frozen meals usually have a lot of fats and salts. These types of foods are typically less costly relative to healthier foods. They are also an easier option compared to healthier foods.
Literature Review – evidence-based interventions
Interventions for childhood obesity include the following: (i) weight-loss surgery: this procedure could be an effective and safe option for very obese children who have not been able to reduce their weight with the use of conventional methods of weight-loss. Nonetheless, just as with any sort of surgery, there are possible long-lasting complications as well as risks associated with weight-loss surgery (Schaub, 2014). This procedure is essential especially if the weight of the child poses a greater threat to his/her health compared to the possible risks of surgery. (ii) Healthy eating:parents are the people who purchase food, cook it and decide the place wherein the food would be eaten. Even small changes in diet could make a significant difference in the health of the child. Pratt et al. (2013) pointed out that vegetables and fruits should be chosen when purchasing groceries, sweetened beverages should be reduced, the number of times a child eats should be limited, the number of times the family eats out particularly at fast-food eateries should be limited, and appropriate portions of food should be served.
(iii) Doing physical activity: physical activity is an essential part of weight for children. This is primarily because it burns calories, builds strong muscles and bones, and assists the child to sleep well during the night. In essence, these kinds of habits established when the child is still young will help them to maintain healthy weight regardless of the social influences, hormonal alters, as well as rapid growth that usually result in overeating (Davison et al., 2013). (iv) Medications: the prescription medicine for weight loss available in the United States presently is orlistat/xenical. This drug is approved for children who are older than twelve years, and it serves to prevent fat absorption in the intestines. In case the child has a high level of cholesterol, it is recommended to provide him/her with a statin medication (Sung-chanet al., 2013).
Review of the strengths and weaknesses of the sources used
See Appendix 1
Implementation Plan
The proposed project would be carried out over a period of three months starting August 15, 2014 and ending October 25, 2014. The implementation will entail the following: (i) communicating with partners in my state to support the provision of much healthier and high-quality foods in schools; (ii) initiate promotional and marketing programs to encourage parents to get their children physically active. (iii) Recommending to policy makers to reduce advertising and marketing to children; and (iv) Providing resource opportunities and education for primary care providers and other healthcare practitioners to promote prevention of childhood obesity. The specific implementation plan table is included in Appendix 2.
Health promotion/disease prevention conceptual or theoretical model
The health promotion/disease prevention theoretical model applied is the Relapse Prevention theoretical model. As per this theoretical model, people who are starting regular physical activity as well as exercise programs may be helped by interventions which assist them to expect factors or barriers that could contribute to relapse. The key concepts of this theoretical model include lifestyle rebalancing, cognitive reframing, and skills training (Davison et al., 2013). Relapse Prevention theoretical model is applied in the implementation and evaluation of this proposal in that through training programs that would be offered to parents in Washington, D. C, parents would obtain the skills necessary to promote health and prevent obesity in their children and change their lifestyle. For instance, they will know which physical activities their children can do or which foods and beverages to avoid in order to stay healthy.
PART 2
In this second part of the proposal, a health promotion program is proposed using an evidence-based intervention found in the literature search to address the problem in the selected population/setting – childhood obesity in schools and at homes. An in-depth discussion of the specifics of the this intervention is provided which comprise resources necessary, those involved, as well as the feasibility for a nurse in an advanced role. The intended outcomes are described comprehensively concurrent with the SMART goal approach along with a detailed plan for evaluation of each outcome. Lastly, the potential challenges/barriers to implementing the proposed project in addition to strategies to address these barriers/challenges are thoroughly described.
Health promotion program: lifestyle changes
The health promotion program for addressing the obesity in children is lifestyle changes, which basically includes encouraging (i) health eating; and (ii) doing physical activity and exercises in children.
Resources necessary
The key resources include: (i) personnel, 6 people would be hired to help me implement this project; (ii) materials such as computers to prepare PowerPoint presentations to be used during training programs; (iii) time, this project will take 12 months to complete; and (v) money. This project proposal is estimated to cost $120,627 over the course of its implementation. This figure is broken down as shown in Appendix 3.
People involved
To effectively address the problem of childhood obesity requires a multi-sectoral, sustained response that involves the general public, non-governmental and health professional sectors. It also includes visible leadership from ministers in Washington D.C. working together (Gollust, Niederdeppe& Barry, 2013). Nonetheless, the key people who would be involved include parents and caregivers in Washington, DC especially those with obese children. They will be involved by taking part in symposiums that my 6 colleagues and I will hold to educate them on appropriate diet and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity. In essence, caregivers and parents would be provided with nutrition education which will help develop and awareness of health eating habits and nutrition.
It is of note that caregivers and parents could help in preventing obesity in children simply by providing healthy snacks and meals, as well as daily physical activity (Rudolf, 2013). They will be encouraged to reduce sedentary activities of children by limiting amount of time that children play video games and watch TV. School heads in Washington D.C would be encouraged to increase the amount of time children engage in active play and to provide healthier foods.This strategy is essential considering that children spend a significant amount of their time in schools.
Feasibility for a nurse in an advanced role
An advanced practice nurse would be required in order to provide preventative care, treatment, as well as management of obesity in children with the use of advanced diagnostic reasoning, clinical skills, and advanced therapeutic interventions. It is of note that an Advanced Practice Nurse assesses and documents progress of the patient towards achievement of anticipated outcomes and offers consultation to other healthcare providers in order to optimize the plan of care and effect system of change (Pearson, 2011). The Advanced Practice Nurse will be a Nurse Practitioner who will address the weight of the patient and encourage them to lose weight.
Timeline
This program would be implemented over a period of 12 months. See the table showing timeline in Appendix 4.
Intended Outcomes
The following are the intended outcomes of the health promotion program:
Intended Outcome 1: To reduce the overall rate of childhood obesity in Washington, D.C. to 12.5% or less within the next 12 months from the current 21.4%.
Intended Outcome 2: to increase the accessibility of nutritious foods and reduce the marketing, accessibility and availability of beverages and foods which are high in sugar, fat and/or sodium to children by February 2015.
Intended Outcome 3: To make physical and social environments in Washington, D.C. wherein children learn, play and live more supportive of healthy eating and physical activity by April 2015.
Plan for evaluation of each outcome
Evaluating Intended Outcome 1: the first intended outcome would be evaluated by analyzing it to determine whether or not the overall rate of childhood obesity in Washington D.C has actually reduced to at least 12.5% by August 2015.
Evaluating Intended Outcome 2: analyzing to determine the extent with which beverages and foods high in sugar, fat and/or sodium are accessed, available to, and marketed to children in Washington, D.C by February 2015.
Evaluating Intended Outcome 3: ensuring that there are more physical and social environments in Washington, D.C in which children live, play and learn that are more supportive of healthy eating as well as physical activity by April 2015.
Barriers to implementing the proposed project and strategies to address them
Resistance and lack of cooperation from some parents and schools: this project will entail suggesting to schools, as well as parents and caregivers to provide healthier, nutritious meals and physical activity to children. School heads and parents may resist this project citing high costs of foods which are more nutritious. Generally, more nutritious and healthier foods are more costly compared to less healthy foods such as cookies, crackers and frozen meals which usually have a lot of fats and salts. As such, some parents and schools may find healthier foods to be cost-prohibitive (Phillips, 2012). To address this barrier, I will inform them of the benefits of providing healthier foods and physical activity to children by informing that it is imperative in fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity.
Inadequate financial resources: this proposed project is estimated to cost a total of $120,627, which is a substantial amount and I cannot raise the whole of this amount by myself. Personally, I can only raise $2,043 leaving a huge deficit. I will overcome this challenge by seeking financial assistance from friends, family members, government and non-governmental agencies, as well as corporate and individual sponsors.
References
Davison, K. K., Jurkowski, J. M., Li, K., Kranz, S., & Lawson, H. A. (2013). A Childhood Obesity Intervention Developed by Families: Results from a Pilot Study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity; 10: 3.
Gollust, S. E., Niederdeppe, J., & Barry, C. L. (2013).Framing the Consequences of Childhood Obesity to Increase Public Support for Obesity Prevention Policy.American Journal Of Public Health, 103(11), e96-e102. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301271
Phillips, F. (2012).Facing up to childhood obesity.Practice Nurse, 42(11), 14-17.
Pratt, C. A., Boyington, J., Esposito, L., Pemberton, V. L., Bonds, D., Kelley, M., & … Stevens, J. (2013). Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR): Interventions addressing multiple influences in childhood and adolescent obesity. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 36(2), 406-413. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2013.08.010
Rudolf, M. (2013). Tackling Obesity Through the Healthy Child Programme: A Framework for Action. Leeds Community Healthcare.
Schaub, J. P. (2014). Childhood Obesity: Solutions to a Growing Problem. Integrative Weight Management, 123.doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0548-5_9
Sung-Chan, P. P., Sung, Y. W., Zhao, X. X., &Brownson, R. C. (2013). Family-based models for childhood-obesity intervention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Obesity Reviews, 14(4), 265-278. doi:10.1111/obr.12000
Trust for America’s Health & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2014). The State of Obesity: Washington, DC.Available at http://www.fasinfat.org/states/dc/ (Accessed July 20, 2014).
Voigt, K., Nicholls, S. G., & Williams, G. (2014).Childhood Obesity Interventions, Equity, and Social Justice.Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199964482.003.0005
Appendix 1: Review of the strengths and weaknesses of the sources used
Source
Strength
Weakness
1
Davison, K. K., Jurkowski, J. M., Li, K., Kranz, S., & Lawson, H. A. (2013). A Childhood Obesity Intervention Developed by Families: Results from a Pilot Study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity; 10: 3.
Source is up-to-date and relevant
Does not describe the causes or risk factors
2
Pratt, C. A., Boyington, J., Esposito, L., Pemberton, V. L., Bonds, D., Kelley, M., & Stevens, J. (2013). Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR): Interventions addressing multiple influences in childhood and adolescent obesity. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 36(2), 406-413. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2013.08.010
Source is up-to-date.
Properly describes the interventions for childhood obesity
It is research-based
Does not describe pharmacological interventions
3
Schaub, J. P. (2014). Childhood Obesity: Solutions to a Growing Problem. Integrative Weight Management, 123. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0548-5_9
Source is up-to-date and provides a clear description of the health problem along with apt interventions
Does not specify what policy makers can do to prevent the health problem
4
Sung-Chan, P. P., Sung, Y. W., Zhao, X. X., &Brownson, R. C. (2013). Family-based models for childhood-obesity intervention: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Obesity Reviews, 14(4), 265-278. doi:10.1111/obr.12000
Source is up-to-date
Is research-based
Does not describe what schools can do to provide healthier meals for children
5
Voigt, K., Nicholls, S. G., & Williams, G. (2014). Childhood Obesity Interventions, Equity, and Social Justice. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprofoso/9780199964482.003.0005
Source is up-to-date
Clearly describes the interventions for childhood obesity
Does not clearly describe the causes or risk factors
Appendix 2: The implementation plan is as follows:
Communication idea
Timeline
1
Communicate with partners in Washington, DC about increasing meal reimbursement in order to support the provision of high-quality and much healthier foods in Washington DC schools
August 15, 2014 to August 22, 2014
2
Begin and expand promotional and marketing programs to encourage parents in Washington DC to get their children physically active.
August 23, 2014 – August 30, 2014
3
Encourage the increase of healthy and fresh foods in Washington, DC by supporting farmers markets in Washington DC through advising relevant authorities to create a farmer’s management network.
September 3, 2014 – September 10, 2014
4
Create a statewide childhood obesity prevention social marketing campaign that will provide families in Washington DC tools and information for preventing childhood obesity.
September 11, 2014 – September 16, 2014
5
Launch a healthy living challenge to the children of Washington DC that would incorporate obesity prevention social marketing campaign.
September 18, 2014 – September 28, 2014
6
Recommend to policy makers in Washington DC to improve physical activity as well as nutrition policies within child care settings in Washington, DC.
October 2, 2014 – October 7, 2014
7
Provide resource opportunities and education for primary care providers and other healthcare practitioners to promote prevention of childhood obesity.
October 10, 2014 – October 17, 2014
8
Promote healthier environments in pre-school and school settings
October 18, 2014 – October 23, 2014
9
Recommend policy makers to reduce advertising and marketing to children
October 24, 2014 – October 25, 2014
Appendix 3: budget for this project showing the financial resources required
Budget Item
Cost ($)
1
Recruiting 6 personnel who will help in the implementation each costing $ 2,105 per month for 12 months
$75,780.00
2
Hiring conference room to train parents on ways to prevent obesity in their children costing $877 per month for 12 months
$10,524.00
3
Materials such as flyers, brochures, magazines and handouts which contain text that encourage parents in Washington DC to ensure physical activity and healthy eating for their children
$905.00
4
Running campaigns and promotional activities on radio and television in Washington, DC that encourage parents to ensure physical activity and healthy eating for their children
$33,418.00
5
Total cost of project
$120,627.00
Appendix 4: Timeline
Communication idea
Timeline
1
Communicate with partners in Washington, DC about increasing meal reimbursement in order to support the provision of high-quality and much healthier foods in Washington DC schools
August 15, 2014 to October 22, 2014
2
Begin and expand promotional and marketing programs to encourage parents in Washington DC to get their children physically active.
October 23, 2014 – December 30, 2014
3
Encourage the increase of healthy and fresh foods in Washington, DC by supporting farmers markets in Washington DC through advising relevant authorities to create a farmer’s management network.
December 3, 2014 – February 10, 2015
4
Create a statewide childhood obesity prevention social marketing campaign that will provide families in Washington DC tools and information for preventing childhood obesity.
February 11, 2015 – April 16, 2015
5
Launch a healthy living challenge to the children of Washington DC that would incorporate obesity prevention social marketing campaign.
April 18, 2015 – May 28, 2015
6
Recommend to policy makers in Washington DC to improve physical activity as well as nutrition policies within child care settings in Washington, DC.
May 6, 2015 – June 20, 2015
7
Promote healthier environments in pre-school and school settings
June 18, 2015 – July 23, 2015
8
Recommend policy makers to reduce advertising and marketing to children
July 24, 2015 – August 25, 2015
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