Implementing Immunizations Essay Example for Free

Implementing Immunizations Essay Implementing Immunizations Implementing immunizations into the clinics can be challenging for the facility and the staff. There are several methods that have been implemented to monitor the methods used by the staff to give the immunizations to the patients in the clinics. There have been several obstacles and challenges that the staff and leaders have faced. As with any changes that take place in patient care within an organization methods must be set up to monitor those changes. Changes promote challenges not just to staff leaders but the organization as a whole. Communication with any changes can be challenging for the leadership and staff (Surdu, 2010). Methods to Monitor Change In implementing changes there needs to be methods to monitor those changes. The first method is to monitor the reimbursement value units per visit associated with the immunizations. The need to monitor the increase of visits, the percentage of increase of the reimbursement value units now that the immunizations that are given in in the clinic since they are ordered immunizations ordered directly by the physician and not given on protocol (Surdu, 2010). Another method to monitor the change of implementation is to survey the patients to see how they have responded to immunizations being given directly in the clinic. This can be done in a survey form either via email or sent in the mail so patients can voice their opinion on the changes that have been implemented (Helfrich, Blevins, Smith, 2011). The leaders in the clinic can sit down with the staff to get their opinion and suggestions on how the changes of giving immunizations in the clinic are affecting their time management with patients. This can be very helpful to  leaders in adjusting the change that have been implemented because no change should never be set in stone. The input of the staff can be crucial when monitoring changes that have been implemented to determine whether they are successful or not (Helfrich, Blevins, Smith, 2011). The final method used to monitor that immunizations are properly being implemented in the clinic setting are going to be chart audits by the leadership. This will be used to ensure that the proper immunizations are given to the patients and that patient care is not being compromised (Helfrich, Blevins, Smith, 2011). Of all of the monitoring methods mentioned above the main issue is patient care. The â€Å"Patient Medical Center Home Model† consists of modeling the care around the patient. Ensuring that patient care is at the forefront of the facility, monitoring the changes is one way to ensure that this takes place. The quality control standards of the â€Å"Patient Medical Center Home Model† consist of upper management performing quality control chart checks on a monthly basis. These chart audits are done to ensure that the standards are being met which are determined by the Department of the Army. This is one of the main differences that a military treatment facility is held to as a standard versus a civilian facility. Therefore this can be seen to some as has bureaucratic red tape in some instances, whereas in others it does have its advantages (Marshall, Doperak, Milner, 2011). Organizational Relationship The relationship between organizations process systems and professional roles on a staff can be essential to the success of an implemented change. The Department of the Army has specific protocols when implementing changes such as implementing immunizations into the clinic setting. Organizational process systems will provide how changes will be implemented in the facility. In the facility changes come from Western region then trickle down from the Command or another words upper management. The changes are then implemented throughout the clinics in the facility. The responsibility falls on the clinic officer in charge to implement the changes throughout each clinic (Marshall, Doperak, Milner, 2011). In a military treatment  facility changes are implemented differently than in the private sector. In the organization upper management solely consists of military personnel while leadership within the clinic is a mixture of military and civilian personnel. The process of changes is not set in stone but guidelines are set forth from Western region. The actual written standard operating procedure for the facility is implemented and brought to the forefront by upper management. Then upper management delegates the implementation down to the clinic officer in charge for actual rollouts into each clinic (Marshall, Doperak, Milner, 2011). The roles of the leadership in the clinics are essential to the success or unsuccessful implementation of change. The attitude of the leadership carries weight on how well the rest of the staff receives the change. Leaders on the clinic level have to accept changes whether good or bad and expect staff to challenge them. Leaders have to be strong and accept the change themselves and to support upper management. There are problems dealing with changes when issues arise between created civilian and military personnel. These issues are not easily dealt with and when changes are ensuing within a facility this causes undue stress within the organization. This is one reason that leadership needs to bring forth and implement changes within an organization as all one team because staff is well suited at picking up any rift within the management team (Marshall, Doperak, Milner, 2011). Communication Techniques Communication techniques are one of the mainstays in addressing any issues when implementing changes in any organizational plan. There are several ways in an organizational plan change that communication can take place such as talking directly to leadership on the front lines who deal with the change or all the way up the chain dealing with upper management. Without communication problems with the changes that have been implemented will not be resolved and the changes will not be successful (Marshak. Grant, 2011). One communication technique that can be used is that leadership can address staff that seems to have issues with the changes that have been implemented. They can speak to staff on an individual basis using a closed-door setting to try to alleviate any issues that are affecting any of the employees work.  Employees may feel more comfortable speaking with a member of the leadership team on a one-on-one basis to voice their concerns with the change. Sometimes most of the issues dealing with an employee that have issues with changes that have been implemented, the staff member has questions or does not understand why the change has been made. This issue is best addressed in a one on one sit down conversation with the employee in a closed-door situation (Marshak. Grant, 2011). Another communication technique used to address any implementation issues with the changes can be providing specific emails to a particular person. By addressing issues to one particular person within the organization instead of problems associated with the change can be addressed centrally and immediately if necessary. If issues cannot be handled by this one person than the contact person can go to their resources and take care of the issue or issues at hand. Emails are the preferred method of communication unlike phone calls at a military treatment facility. Phone calls should only be used for emergencies, where there is an immediate response that is needed. In other words the majority of the issues dealing with the implementation of the changes that occur can be dealt with through emails. These issues are not needed to be dealt with in an immediate time frame and can be dealt with and a normal work week depending on the issue that have arisen (Marshak. Grant, 2011). Without proper communication, the need to communicate and how the communication is to take place the change implementation may well as not have ever taken place. Communication for a successful organization does need to take place in several forms; this is in the hands of a successful management and leadership (Borkowski, 2005). Conclusion In implementing changes there needs to be several methods to monitor how those changes are affecting the organization on the clinic level and as the organization as a whole. Many times staff along with the patients; both whom are giving input on the change in which the organization is trying to improve care on how the changes are taking place. The organization must be  willing to change its process in its systems whether or how management runs a certain part of their business develops a new process or because of a change implementation downsizes a facility. In order for the change to be successfully implemented communication is essential for this to take place. There are many techniques that organizations can use to accomplish this task. The communication technique will depend on the change implemented and the structure of the organization. Staff leaders whether at the clinic level or upper management are still the main key whether the organizational plan that has been set forth if the changes that have been implemented will be successful. Reference Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational behavior in health care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Helfrich, C., Blevins, D., Smith, J. (2011, July). Predicting Implementation From Organizational Readiness for Change: A Study Protocol. Implementation Science , 6(76). Marshak., R., Grant, D. (2011, Sep). Creating Change by Changing the Conversation. OD Practitioner, 43(3), 2 7. Marshall, R., Doperak, M., Milner, M. (2011, Nov). Patient-Centered Medical Home: An Emerging Primary Care Model and the Military Health System. Military Medicine, 176(11), 1253 1259. Surdu, G. (2010, Winter). Organizational Change- Different A. Romanian Economic and Business Review, 5(4), 48-54.

Immigration In America

Immigration In America Immigration played a very important role in American history and is perhaps one of the greatest controversial issues of our present time. There are many sides to immigration, and no matter where you are from, most views on immigration are saddening. Most immigrants lead lives that the rest of us only read about in books. Something that we must remember is that at one time in our history, American encouraged relatively open immigration to settle its empty lands before the era of rapid communications and transportation. Mexicos relationship to the United States has a long history. In 1835 Texas, then Mexican territory, declared its independence and ten years later was annexed to the United States. After that came the U.S.-Mexican War. When it was over, the U.S. had acquired half the land that once belonged to Mexico, including all or parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. With the land, the United States of course got Mexicans, many of them. The California Gold Rush brought in more, and others came later, lured by the prospect of making a better living here. Sometimes the Mexicans were invited, as they were during World War II by a treaty that allowed an unlimited number of temporary workers to fill agricultural jobs here. By the end of the program in 1964, more than 4.5 million Mexicans had come to work temporarily in the United States, far exceeding the number of permanent legal immigrants. Legal immigration, which had also increased steadily over the years, was eventually checked. But illegal immigrants, without having to cross an ocean to get there as did immigrants from Europe and Asia, started pouring in at the rate of hundreds of thousands a year. By the early 1980s, some 55 percent of all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. came from Mexico, accounting for an estimated two-thirds of all Mexican immigration. The U.S. government has cracked down over the years. It has erected barbed wire fences and high metal walls along the long border. It has raided businesses that purposely employ illegal workers in order to pay lower wages. Some of these businesses degrade the immigrant. They make them work endless hours and they do not pay overtime. They offer no insurance benefits and they allow them to live in very poor living conditions. Most of the immigrants do not know their rights. But still the immigrants come, sometimes risking their lives to cross the guarded borders, and when they do, most manage to keep their ties to their families in Mexico, something that few other immigrant groups can do. Immigration has lasted for many decades and to this day it shows little sign of slowing down. Immigrants come into the United States from all over the world. They come in for reasons such as to gain a better or higher education. Some come in seeking their fortune. Most immigrants come in to the United States because they have nothing, and only want to be able to survive. This is especially true for Mexican immigrants because of their countrys poverty. The United States became a poor Mexicans protection, his escape hatch, his alternative to the submission expected of him in the Old World. This may jar Americans who see the rough lives many immigrants leadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦To the man who departs pesoless yet returns with cash to spend, the United States affords dignity, respect, and sweet vindication. 1. Sam Quinones, Antonios Gun and Delfinos Dream. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2007), 8. Not every man that leaves their county to seek a better life in the United States of America is able to fulfill their dream. This may be because some U.S. companies may contribute unwittingly to the exploitation of foreign workers. According to an article written in Business Week by Steve Hamm and Moira Herbst, In some cases companies target young men and women hungry to get well-paid tech jobs in the United States and charge them with exorbitant fees for visas, which is not allowed under American immigration laws. Even after paying, some workers never get a visa; those who do may find that the company they paid has no job for them. 2 Steve Hamm and Moira Herbst, Business Week: Americas High-Tech Sweat Shops, (The McGraw-Hill Companies, October 12, 2009), p. 034. Those immigrants that go back to Mexico to leave their families money and gifts are demonstrating to their people some of the American ways. Millions of money is transported from the U.S. into Mexico every year by illegal immigrants. Yet there are those times when law enforcers humiliate the immigrants by taking their belongings away from them. They take their hard earned money and the immigrants are deported, going home with nothing to show and penny-less as before. Then there are those that not only take their belongings, but also abuse them. The book Tangled Destinies: Latin America The United States by Coerver and Hall, talks about many incidents dealing with immigration. Two particular incidents really caught my attention. This is what I read, Two incidents in 1996 brought the tensions over illegal immigration, particularly from Mexico, into high relief. On 1 April 1996, Riverside County sheriffs deputies in southern California were videotaped beating two unresisting illegal al iens, while others scattered, after an hour-long, high-speed chase. One was a woman, Alicia Sotero Vasquez, who was dragged by her hair out of the pickup in which the illegals had been riding. Clearly ill and terrified, she appeared on television the next day with the Mexican consul to protest her treatment. Latino protests in Los Angeles accelerated through the week, culminating but not ending in a 6,000-person protest march in downtown Los Angeles on April 7. He two aliens brought suit against the County, later settling for $740,000. 3 Don M. Coerver, Linda B. Hall, Tangled Destinies: Latin America The United States, (Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press, 1999), p. 214. The second incident involved seven migrants that were killed in an accident. They were assumed planning to evade the Border Patrol and instead had a taste of bad luck and ended up in a ditch. In neither of these two cases were the victims immediately identified, when to begin with the victims in both ca ses were supposed to have been smugglers that the Border Patrol was searching for. Unfortunately the real smugglers got away while innocent people were brutalized and some even killed. The question is, Could this have been prevented if handled differently by law officers? The Mexican migrant, also known as a Wetback, who only violates the immigration law does not consider himself a criminal or lawbreaker. He is playing a game, trying to outwit the authorities, in hopes of bettering himself. To be sure the stakes are high (his survival), but there are few sanctions. If he stays clear of the drug traffic, stealing, drunkenness, fighting, etc., that is if he does not violate local, state, or other federal laws, the worst that can happen to him when apprehended is a trip to the closest detention center. He is held there for a short period of time and then he is taken back to Mexico. This procedure seems a rather inconvenience because, more than likely, the immigrant heads for the United States once again, in hopes of returning to his job. Knowing the life in the U.S. as compared to the one in Mexico will keep him going back, regardless of the inconvenience. Becoming a wetback has been more the role of the male, since it entails long journeys, working with groups of men, hard labor, and a dangerous undertaking. A small percentage of the aliens who are apprehended are women and children. Unskilled women can work in a variety of jobs in agriculture, as dishwashers in restaurants, as hotel maids, as housemaids, or in custodial jobs. Nevertheless; they are most likely treated like the slaves of our history. Why would any individual in Mexico want to play this game? Many times they learn of commuters and they hear the exaggerated stories about the wealth of the United States, the jobs available, the high wages and the ease of crossing the border. It is not difficult to comprehend the poverty-induced desperation which will compel a man to endure whatever hardship and humiliation in order to be able to obtain a few pesos for the sheer survival of his family and himself. Most wetbacks understand that they will not be successful. But when one is at the bottom of the social heap, there is no place or position below. This leaves people with hope. Hope that they can hold on to a job without official detection. Many wetbacks have high aspirations. Some talk of saving money to buy land back in Mexico. Others seek to buy a car and go into the taxi business. Some wetbacks may allow themselves to be apprehended by border patrol agents because they feel that the United States prisons offer more than the poor rural areas in which they reside. Once they are apprehended though, they realize that they have to commit a crime or violate deportation regulations in order to actually be imprisoned. The results, they commit a crime and hope to get caught. Once in prison in the United States, they are provided with medical care, adult education classes, good clothes, warm and fairly comfortable living accommodations, and three meals per day. It is also possible for a prisoner to work in one of several occupations and send a check home to the family. In his book, Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints, Marcus Eli Ravage writes that Immigrants cannot easily become part of the American culture. He writes about living conditions that are degrading to immigrants and about the never ending hours of labor that immigrants work in sweatshops or on the streets. They pay high rent as if they were paying for extravagant apartments, yet this is not the case. 4 Marcus Eli Ravage, Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. (San Diego: Greenhaven Press), l992. This book has different viewpoints on immigration. Lets look at illegal immigration in a different prospective. Yes, it is human to feel sadness for the migrant that is only trying to survive. Many of us Americans are doing the same thing. Some of us multitask with two and even three jobs. Some of us are lower-class American citizens, yet others are even classified below that, which is poverty. Look at the many single-parent families in America. These families, when facing tragedys such as divorce, fall from one class to another in a matter of days. What about the many Americans being laid off? They are losing their homes, and have to completely change their lifestyles. Some are working jobs they never before thought they would. For the many families in crisis in America, life for them is similar to the lives that most migrants have to face. Sometimes the only difference is that we are American citizens, and they are not. Another issue is that in which a migrant is hired for a job before an American because of the ability for the employer to pay lower wages, and be okay with it. Most migrants accept what is offered, as long as they are able to provide for their families. This causes ill feelings towards Americans that are also trying to provide for their own families. Sometimes people have immigrant women cleaning their houses for very low wages, and when those employees are no longer with them, they find it hard to pay higher wages to the U.S. citizen willing to do the job. Who is in the wrong? People have different opinions about issues such as these. Many say that America is supposed to be the land for ALL people. What happens when there are more people than there are resources, such as in Africa where people are dying of starvation? There is not enough medicine for everyone so people are dying of many illnesses. This is not what America wants to happen. Yet there are millions of immigrants coming into the United States. Yes, some become legal immigrants in time. But do they abide by our laws? Do they make an effort to learn the English language? Or do they tell you they do not speak English. It seems that they want to be here so bad yet they do not care to learn the language. An article in the USA Today, July 30, 2010 issue talks about the problems that the state of Arizona is encountering as a consequence of illegal immigration. A retired Army sergeant says that when he approaches Spanish-speaking grocery store clerks in his hometown of Buckeye, near Phoenix, they rarely help him. They reply, No Ingles. 5 Alan Gomez and Kevin J ohnson, USA Today, Friday, July 30, 2010. 3A. Many states feel that the federal government is not controlling the illegal immigrants coming into the states. They feel that as a result our schools are overcrowded. There is much more violence in our cities, and states are facing economic and environmental problems. 6 USA, 3A. Is it time to put a stop to this ongoing situation that has worsened throughout the years? An Arizona Republican Governor, Jan Brewer definitely believes that the problem must be addressed. Jan Brewer is taking the immigration crisis in Arizona into her own hands. A new immigration law, the Arizona SB 1070 law, requires police to check the immigration status of people they lawfully stop and suspect are in the country illegally. Other states have immigrant laws as well. Colorado restricts undocumented immigrants from receiving in-state tuition. Nebraska requires verification of immigration status to obtain public benefits. There are hundreds of immigration-related laws on the books across the United States that regulate employment, law enforcement, education, benefits and health care, but Arizonas strict new law has generated the most controversy. As a result many people have been arrested for protesting and causing chaos in Arizona. According to the El Paso Times, The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to stop the Arizona law from taking effect on July 29, saying that immigration policy is a national responsibility and a patchwork of state laws will only create more problems than it solves. 7 El Paso Times, June 18, 2010, 4A. But according to experts, that is precisely what exists. During the first three months of 2010, lawmakers introduced more than 1,000 bills and resolutions, though it is too early to tell how many will become law. Bills on topics such as employment verification and drivers license requirements are on the table in 45 states. Legislators in five states-South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Michigan-have introduced similar bills to Arizonas SB 1070. 8 El Paso Times, 4A. Many believe that because of the federal governments negligence to face immigration responsibilities the states are scrambling. States have a long history of enacting immigration laws. In 1996, after Congress denied welfare to most legal immigrants, states stepped in with laws to provide safety-net services. After the September 11 attacks, state lawmakers passed bills aimed at protecting national security. People were concerned about dangerous immigrants in their midst and thought they should take matters into their own hands. The increase in state laws parallels the changing settlement patterns of undocumented immigrants. Between 1990 and 2008, illegal immigration slowed significantly in California but grew in Georgia, North Carolina and other states because those states are not the typical immigrant-receiving states and therefore are not accustomed to having large immigrant populations. Because of this Arizona law, undocumented immigrants who decide to leave the United States because of increasing enforcement and decreasing job prospects now face one more obstacle: the threat of arrest and deportation by border officers inspecting outbound traffic. When illegal immigrants are detected trying to leave the country, they are not just ushered across the line. Instead, their information is entered into a database before they are allowed to return to Mexico. 9 The Arizona Republic, Aug.3,2010. The objective is not to deter illegal immigrants who want to leave America but to catch those who have criminal records or are involved in smuggling. Round the clock screening of southbound traffic is being conducted by officials. The scrutiny is designed to catch smugglers delivering currency and firearms to Mexican cartels. Immigrants coming into the United States for the purpose of doing illegal activity will have to face consequences. Arizonas climate is scorching hot and almost unbearable in the summer. Temperatures may go up to the 120s, especially in the desert. Whatever the temperature, people are still making the attempt to get into the United States, but more than ever, people are risking their lives to return home, regardless of the heat. Associated Presss Amanda Lee Myers writes that The number of deaths among undocumented immigrants crossing the Arizona desert from Mexico is soaring so high this month that the medical examiners office that handles the bodies is using a refrigerated truck to store some of them. 10Associated Press, July 18, 2010. Myers writes that Dr. Bruce Parks, a medical examiner in Pima, Arizona has stated that his office, which handles immigrant bodies from three counties, is storing 250 immigrant bodies from July 1 to July 15.11 Associated Press, 4A. Authorities believe the high number of deaths are likely due to above-average and unrelenting heat in southern Arizona this month and on going tighter border security that pushes immigrants to more re mote, rugged and dangerous terrain. KOAT TV meteorologist Joe Diaz reported in mid July that Tucsons average nighttime lows in the first 15 days of July are the hottest for that period in recorded history. What is our President doing about this new Arizona immigration law? President Obama told the nation that he wants a nationwide immigration law. He wants immigration reform and says that Arizona has taken a step in the wrong direction. President Obama gave a speech on immigration on July 1, laying out his case for bipartisan immigration reform and calling out Republicans for uniformly opposing an initiative some of them supported when it was proposed by President Bush. The only thing Arizonas law will produce is chaos: Obama was right to take particular notice of the extremism of Arizona, says The New York Times in an editorial.12 The New York Times, July 2, 2010. The Times goes on to state, Its deeply unjust immigration law isnt just an invitation to racial profiling, but also a usurpation of federal authority and a prelude to the chaos that will ensue if different states have different immigration rules. Obamas right that illegal immigration cant really be handled in a piecemeal fas hion, says The Denver Post in an editorial, but that doesnt just apply to states taking the law into their own hands. Thanks in part to Arizonas law, the already overworked federal courts that handle immigration law are about to drown in cases. For border enforcement to work, Obama needs to hire more judges. Hasty immigration politics leaves courts overwhelmed. 13 The Denver Post, July 2, 2010. Obama warned of a patchwork of immigration laws arising as states and localities go their own ways. Barack Obama says he does not approve or oppose the boycotts that some cities and groups have called for in response to the Arizona law, which makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. He reaffirmed his opposition to the law, saying its the wrong approach. He has asked the Justice Department to review the law to determine whether it violates civil liberties. Obama says he will continue to push lawmakers to work on a bipartisan approach to comprehensive immigration reform. Immigration played a very important role in American history, and like I stated before, it is perhaps one of the greatest controversial issues of our present time. Yes, I will continue to feel saddened by the experiences that so many people live. My belief is that we are all created equal and we all come from the heavens above, but unfortunately the world is different for all of us, and not always are we all free to live our lives as we choose. I do not care for the drug trafficking taking place, nor do I care for the violent crimes being committed by so many immigrants. I do believe that the federal government has allowed this to happen over the years. If Americas lax immigration system would come to an end and instead enforce its immigration laws with not only consistency but also common sense, America would be a safer place for all of us. For the immigrants crossing the border, sufficient law enforcement is the only way to keep them from entering the United States. For those immigrants coming in by sea or air, we must have strict policies and we must make sure that the people working at entry points do their jobs in assessing the security needed to keep illegal migrants from entering the U.S. Airport inspectors, no matter what delays they may be encountering, must carefully examine visas before stamping their approval. They must request required documentation, regardless of the hassle it may involve. As Americans, we do not want our country to become like Africa, with so many people that it cannot provide for them. We want to have plenty of resources, and we want to live freely, as our country is The Land of the Free. End Notes Alan Gomez and Kevin Johnson, USA Today, Friday, July 30, 2010. 3A Ibid.,3A. Associated Press, July 18, 2010, 1A. Ibid., 1A Don M. Coerver and Linda B. Hall, Tangled Destinies: Latin America and the United States, (Albuquerque: The University of New Mexico Press), 1999. Kevin Kiley, The Arizona Republic, August 3, 2010. Marcus Eli Ravage, Immigration: Opoosing Viewpoints. Viewpoint 2. (San Diego: Greenhaven Press), 1992. Ramon Bracamontes, Immigration, El Paso Times, June 18, 2010, 4A. Ibid., 4A Sam Quinones, Antonios Gun and Delfinos Dream, (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press), 2007. Steve Hamm and Moira Herbst, Americas High-Tech Sweatshops, Business Week. October 12, 2009, Pages 34-39. The Denver Post, July 2, 2010. The New York Times, July 2, 2010.

The mission of the Allianz Group

The mission of the Allianz Group Companys overview Allianz Group is one of the worlds leaders providing insurance and financial services. Allianz SE, the holding company is at the top of the international group with its head office in Munich. Allianz was founded in Berlin, Germany in 1980 (Allianz, 2010). With approximately 152,000 employees worldwide, the Allianz Group serves approximately 75 million customers in about 70 countries. On the insurance side, Allianz is the market leader in the Germany market and has a strong international presence (Allianz, 2010). Allianz has more than 100 years of eventful history. Though Germanys defeat in World War I restricted Allianzs international business, but Allianz slowly ventured outside Germany to other European markets (Allianz, 2010). In the era of National Socialism in post 1933 Nazi Germany, Allianz conformed to the norms of the era. After suffering some business problems during World War II, Allianz started to rebuild post 1945. Starting from the 1950s throughout 60s, 70s and 80s Allianz started to get international by spreading its activities to many countries in Europe and Americas. Allianz began to venture the Asian markets from the 1990s (Allianz, 2010). Allianz Group also expanded its asset management business. Today, Allianz Group is one of the worlds leading financial service providers (Allianz, 2010). The mission of Allianz The mission of Allianz is to achieve sustainable growth of our competitive strength and values. In order to achieve this mission, they implemented a series of measures which characterize as 3+one program. They have an overall 3+1 program: Protecting and enhancing the capital base. Substantially strengthening the operating profitability. Reducing complexity. +One: Increase sustainable competitiveness and value. The organization structure of Allianz Board of Management Supervisory Board International Executive Committee International Advisory Board and Joint Advisory Council Employees The organization culture of Allianz Allianz Group culture combines German characteristic and international flair. In Munich, a lot of language will be using by the people when they talking to each other such as French, German, English, Italian, Chinese and etc. However Allianz values local cultures and markets situation does not dictate a one size all fit solution for the individual location. That why Allianz has defined a strategy framework to guiding standards. So that Allianz Group in the worldwide can adopt the cultural and business requirement to specific regions (Allianz, 2010) The macro environment analysis PEST analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. PEST is stand for Political, Economic, Social, and Technological factors of the external macro environment. Political factors include government policies relating to the industry, tax policies, laws and regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs etc. The economic factors relate to changes in the wider economy such as economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate etc. social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, changes in tastes and buying patterns etc. The technological factors relate to the application of new inventions and ideas such as RD activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. It is an important tool to understanding risks associated with market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business or organization (Thompson, 2002). Following are the different factors affecting the Allianz insurance in UK. Political Some of these factors had a good impact to the travel, car and home insurance in the UK. The government travelers awareness campaign has brought awareness to the public about the dangers of traveling uninsured highlighting the expensive costs of medical treatments abroad. The travel industry has supported and benefited from this as it increased their sales prospects. The minimum car insurance implemented by the government is third party cover. This has a very good impact on the car insurance industry as this guarantees a sale on every car in the UK and because 76% of adult in the UK have a full driving license, all of them are potential customers (Birtles, 2002). Legal General data revealed that most critical illness cover claims are made by people under 40. (Speedy, 2004) This has been good news for age dedicated home and health care insurance companies as less cover claims means less liabilities. However, according to the Bank of England, the rising tax is slowing down the consumer spending. This has badly affected the whole of the insurance industry as people had less money to spend on higher premiums or packages. Economic In todays world people are more work-orientated, so earning more again translating to larger disposable incomes allowing people to live comfortably take advantage of more expensive schemes in insurance such as taking fully-comprehensive cover rather than third-party (Speedy, 2004). Another economical fact is that we are currently at the boom stage of economic cycle and so people are better off. This means that as stated above people are able to live more comfortably and on a general level are better able to afford things like food, shelter, clothing and health care. This translates to fewer illnesses which mean that insurance companies have less payout to make as less people fail ill (Speedy, 2004). Another important factor to notice about the general public in a boom phase of the economic cycle is that people are more likely to pay for products in the service industry. So things that they may have refrained from due to a lack of money like health insurance will be more welcome during a period of boom so increasing revenue for insurers (Birtles, 2002). Social In todays society there has been an increase in young drivers. They choose to insure on parents cars along with saving the money to buy their own cars. Young drivers aged between 17 and 25 also have a higher chance of being in an accident so they are more costly for an insurer to cover so insurers charge more. For this reason the increase in young drivers translates into larges revenues for insurance companies due to the larger premiums. (Birtles, 2002) Another change in todays society is the increase in the racing culture with large emphasis placed on driving faster and better looking cars. Modified cars are a cheaper alternative to buying a sports car also increasing insurance costs (Speedy, 2004) . In comparison with 30 years ago the average person earns much more today translating to larger disposable incomes. This has leading to more people being able to afford second cars and so being insured on them giving more business to insurance companies (Speedy, 2004). Technology The success of internet and an integrated information and communications technology system has allowed any business to increase sales and reduce transaction costs. The internet has completely changed the delivery service process. Today, internet is used to even sell insurance policies. Internet proving to be one of the widely used distribution networks for selling insurance policies. Also internet is used for sending premium notices to policy holders through e-mails (Shinde, et al., 2008) Besides that, internet has a premium calculator which accurately displays the amount of premium month wise and the remaining balance. One just has to enter the age, name of the insurance policy, the sum assured and whether there is an accident cover or not. By keying in this information, the entire premium amounts are shown within no time. This has helped the customer in a way so that they dont have to travel all the way to the branch to ascertain the amount of premium to be paid (Shinde, et al., 2008) The international consideration Allianz operate almost in every continent. The regions are Eastern Europe, Central Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Americas and Middle East Africa. Allianz is deeply rooted in their domestic market which is Western, Northern Southern Europe. Western Europe is the home of Allianz. (Allianz, 2010) When Allianz wants doing an international business, Allianz will consider the human resource, financial and legal requirement into particular country. Allianz start a new venture in China, financial will incurred in that China will lower than having a new venture in Europe. Furthermore Allianz can get a large human resource in China. This is because the population in China is very large. Allianz also can save cost. The wage pay to the labor is lower and produced the production in a lower cost (Allianz, 2010). When a company intend to going international, they will consider the macroeconomic that will affect in their business. Before enter to a new country or new venture. They will do a research about the external environment of that country or region first and then only decide whether to start the new venture into that country or not. While Allianz also does the something. The macro environment that consider to the company are political or legal condition, economic condition, social issue environment and technology. Those are significant to evaluate a country before doing an international business (Allianz, 2010). There are several methods of going international when a company intends to go international. The company can go international based on export based, non-equity based and equity based. For Allianz which a company just provide services, it use equity based method to going international which include joint ventures and foreign direct investment (FDI). The first company or office that Allianz venture in is in London with open a subsidiary company (Allianz, 2010). Allianz officially ventured into Malaysia in 2001when it became the controlling shareholder of Allianz General Insurance Malaysia Berhad (AGIM). In 2007, the general insurance business of AGIM was transferred to its wholly owned subsidiary, AGIC. Following the completion of the transfer of general insurance business, AGIM changed its name to AMB and became an investment holding company (Allianz, 2010). There are several issues that faced Allianz in Malaysia. One of the issues that face in Allianz currently is the managing climate change risk. Managing climate change risk is one of the biggest challenges the financial services industry is facing today with several impact on the insurance industry. In the past 30 years, claims payments to the victims of great natural catastrophes have increased 15 fold to approx. 30 billion Euros (approximately RM120 billion). Allianz settles 40% of industrial insurance claims are due to natural catastrophes (Allianz, 2010) To manage climate change risks, Loeffler (2010) recognize climate change as a matter of great strategic consequence for Allianz. Allianz need to assess together with their clients on how to mitigate the risks. At the same time the challenges for Allianz is to adapt to the impact of climate change and to safeguard insurability of risk in future. In 2007, Allianz established Allianz Climate Solutions as a subsidiary with the explicit aim to develop new products and identify investment trends related to climate change. The insurance business needs to act as an early warning system and help business and society understand the new risks. There are several ways to prepare for the effects of climate change. Providing risk coverage for emerging technologies for example plays an important role in their future development. Securing the insurability of risks is essential for economies to be able to operate (Loeffler, 2010) The growth of business New venture Conclusion

Creationsim vs. Evolution :: Science Religion Essays

Creationsim vs. Evolution Intro Who or what really is our greatest of great ancestors? Most major religions and early groups of people have an answer to this common question. The Greek myths declare that only Geia (the Earth) and a great sea of Chaos were in the beginning, and in a soap opera fashion the gods eventually came forth, who eventually created humans (Bierlein 47-8). The Chippewa/Algonquin Native Americans believe that the great Earth Mother had two sons, a good one and a bad one that ended up creating the plants, animals, and humans (61). In the Christian, scientific Western Hemisphere, we believe in two possible answers -- one, that we descended from Adam, who was created from the mingling of the dirt of the ground with God's breath into His image (a doctrine held by religious Creationism), or two, that we evolved from monkeys which evolved from bacteria, which evolved from non-living chemicals and lightning (the scientific theory of evolution). These two theories both have credibility - the Bible is one of the oldest and most extensive historical documents we have, recorded with great precision, while evolution is very logical and builds on numerous scientific disciplines. Yet creation and evolution seem diametrically opposed. If we were created randomly and purposelessly, as evolution suggests, then the creation account of a sculptor molding his clay to make man appears erroneous. So scientists often call the Genesis account a â€Å"myth† – a story conceived by early man to explain away his questions. Christians are often offended by implications like these, and end up attacking science’s claims. In turn, many scientists feel distaste for people who don't accept their elegant theory and their mounds of evidence, and thus reject the others' view. Though a war has been established pinning these two theories against each other, this dichotomy is actually a false one. Christians do not need to give up their faith and scientists can start believing in God. These two clashing but persuasive theories, creation and evolution, can be reconciled. First, these theories need to be defined. Definition Evolution is the theory that all living organisms can be traced back to a common ancestor, which came into being from non-living elements, by natural laws. Darwin’s contribution to this theory was the mechanism by which species could evolve – natural selection.

College Sports :: essays research papers

Are things equal between the sexes in college sports? "Monday night football won't be shown this week, instead women's field hockey will be aired." Monday night football has been a long lasting American pastime and a change like this would tend to really shock and upset millions of dedicated football fans. This group, made up of mostly men gather round the tube each week for a chance to watch men running around a field carrying a ball and running into each other. The situation I stated earlier probably won't happen, at least not in the near future. Men's sports still seem to dominate, and in order to allow this to be changed, certain steps must be taken. First of all, the situation needs to be addressed as a serious problem, then those people affected need to be determined. Next, the cause of the problem needs to be addressed and finally, it is time to think of solutions. So, first of all, is there really a problem? Why does it matter that men get all the attention in sports? That's the way it has been for hundreds of years dating back to the first Olympics. But then again why should men get all the attention, women work just as hard as men at their sports, why not give them some credit? Men and women are treated differently in sports ranging from the size of budgets, the number of scholarships given, and in how many athletes are participating in sports. Men's athletic budgets are without a doubt a lot higher than women's athletic budgets. On average men's athletic budgets are nearly five times that of women's (Moline 18). An example of this is at schools that offer women's sports of field hockey and volleyball that have budgets less than 20% of that which is allocated for men's sports. Overall operating funds for women's sports are about three times that of men's. Funding for individual sports is different but when all added together men receive a lot more money for their sports than women. Another difference between men's and women's sports is the number of athletic scholarships given to athletes of differing sexes. Male athletes, as a whole, receive twice the number of scholarships that women athletes receive. In a survey conducted by the NCAA( national collegiate athletic association) of 253 division 1 schools, athletic scholarship funding was 69.5% for men and 30. College Sports :: essays research papers Are things equal between the sexes in college sports? "Monday night football won't be shown this week, instead women's field hockey will be aired." Monday night football has been a long lasting American pastime and a change like this would tend to really shock and upset millions of dedicated football fans. This group, made up of mostly men gather round the tube each week for a chance to watch men running around a field carrying a ball and running into each other. The situation I stated earlier probably won't happen, at least not in the near future. Men's sports still seem to dominate, and in order to allow this to be changed, certain steps must be taken. First of all, the situation needs to be addressed as a serious problem, then those people affected need to be determined. Next, the cause of the problem needs to be addressed and finally, it is time to think of solutions. So, first of all, is there really a problem? Why does it matter that men get all the attention in sports? That's the way it has been for hundreds of years dating back to the first Olympics. But then again why should men get all the attention, women work just as hard as men at their sports, why not give them some credit? Men and women are treated differently in sports ranging from the size of budgets, the number of scholarships given, and in how many athletes are participating in sports. Men's athletic budgets are without a doubt a lot higher than women's athletic budgets. On average men's athletic budgets are nearly five times that of women's (Moline 18). An example of this is at schools that offer women's sports of field hockey and volleyball that have budgets less than 20% of that which is allocated for men's sports. Overall operating funds for women's sports are about three times that of men's. Funding for individual sports is different but when all added together men receive a lot more money for their sports than women. Another difference between men's and women's sports is the number of athletic scholarships given to athletes of differing sexes. Male athletes, as a whole, receive twice the number of scholarships that women athletes receive. In a survey conducted by the NCAA( national collegiate athletic association) of 253 division 1 schools, athletic scholarship funding was 69.5% for men and 30.

Mid-Semester Coursework Assignment

City University of Hong Kong School of Law LW3902 The Law Relating to Companies Mid-Semester Coursework Assignment Semester B, 2012/2013 Instructions to Students: 1. The assignment is worth 50% of the overall mark for this course. The total word limit is 1,500 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography. You must do a word count and indicate the number of words on the cover page. If a paper exceeds the allowable word limit, only the first 1,500 words will be read and marked. 2. Your answers must be double spaced, and typewritten in 12 point, Times New Roman font.Failure to comply with this format will result in a penalty of five (5) marks. 3. Indicate the course code and title, your name, student number, seminar section, and lecturer’s name on the cover page of your assignment. 4. The deadline for submission is Friday 15 March 2013 at 5 pm. Additional instructions on the submission of your coursework assignment will be provided to you on Blackboard / in class. 5. You must stri ctly adhere to the policy of City University of Hong Kong on plagiarism, which is a serious academic offence. Suspected plagiarism may be subject to disciplinary action.You may discuss your work with others, but you must provide your own answers. In case of doubt as to what amounts to plagiarism, please consult your lecturer. All coursework assignments will be reviewed on Turnitin for plagiarism and originality. 6. Any sources for your answers must be footnoted in the paper. You should cite authority (i. e. cases and/or statutes) to support your legal arguments, and these sources must be acknowledged. 7. Examples of proper citation: Case: Liu Hon Ying v Hua Xin State Enterprise (HK) Ltd [2003] 3 HKLRD 347 Statute: s. 75(1) of the Companies Ordinance (Cap 32) 8. Extension to the deadline for submitting the assignment may be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Prior to obtaining any extension to the deadline, you must first approach your lecturer well in advance with a reason a nd supporting documentation for the request. 9. Any late submissions without permission will incur a penalty of 5 marks per day. For example, for a 2-day delay, a student’s mark may be reduced from 80 marks to 70 marks. No assignment will be accepted after 22 March 2013. 1Instructions: Answer both questions. Question 1 (50%) Lee used to work as a chef at Golden Wok of Fortune, a famous dim sum restaurant in Mong Kok, Kowloon. During his employment, Lee gained a lot of experience in the art of making, preparing and serving dim sum. In particular, Lee learnt the secret ingredients for the restaurant’s special sauce, which made its dim sum items so popular. Since he was a child, Lee had dreamed of starting his own dim sum business, and after many years of dedicated service to Golden Wok of Fortune, Lee decided to leave the restaurant.However, Lee’s employment contract with the restaurant contained a non-competition clause which forbade him from setting up a competi ng dim sum business in Mong Kok within 1 year of termination of employment. It also contained a confidentiality clause which prohibited him from disclosing the ingredients of any recipes that Lee had learnt in the course of his employment. To circumvent these restrictions, Lee incorporated a catering company called Fragrant Kitchen Ltd. specializing in the preparation and sale of dim sum items for office parties and other special events.The head office of the company was based in Shatin, but had branches located in Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. Lee appointed himself CEO of the company, and was the only director and shareholder. The products of Fragrant Kitchen Ltd. were very popular because of its special sauce, which tasted suspiciously similar to that of Golden Wok. Lee also embarked on a very successful marketing campaign, with the motto: â€Å"Enjoy excellent dim sum in the comfort of your own office or home. Don’t come to us, we will come to you! Due to the attractive pri ces offered by Lee’s new company, many of Golden Wok’s previous customers stopped patronizing Golden Wok. Golden Wok has since become aware of Lee’s connection with Fragrant Kitchen, and is considering legal action against Lee. Advise Golden Wok. Question 2 (50%) Michael and Joshua, both of whom are freelance interior decorators, decided to go into business together in 1990. Michael contributed HK$500,000, a vehicle and some supplies and equipment to the business. Joshua did not contribute any money or assets, but agreed to work full time for the business.Michael and Joshua did not sign any partnership agreement. In the course of their long collaboration, Michael paid Joshua a monthly wage of HK $16, 000, and also paid himself out of the business bank account. Only Michael had signing authority on the business bank account. Joshua was very dedicated to the business and all of his customers were impressed with his decorating skills. Michael, on the other hand, pl ayed a largely managerial role in the business and left most of the decorating work to Joshua.Michael pocketed 2 all of the profit generated by Joshua’s decorating work, but re-invested some of the money in the business over the years. In 2011, Michael acquired a new office building for the business, which Joshua helped decorate and furnish. In 2013, after 23 years of working side by side, the relationship between the two men began to sour. Joshua now wishes to be acknowledged as a partner and claims to be entitled to 50% of the business’s assets. Does a partnership exist? Advise Joshua. 3

Essay about George Orwell Essay

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. George Orwell re-uses many of his themes in order to get his point across. In â€Å"Why I Write†, Orwell states that one of the reasons he writes is for political purpose. He expresses this theme in his essays, â€Å"An Episode of Bed-wetting† and â€Å"St. Cyprian’s†, as well as his novels, â€Å"1984† and â€Å"Animal Farm†. In â€Å"An Episode of Bed-wetting† and â€Å"St. Cyprian’s†, Orwell expresses how he feels about the politics in the school, St. Cyprian’s. While attending St. Cyprian’s Orwell and many of the other boys who were not rich, were treated unfairly. Sambo, the headmaster, and Flip, his wife, always seemed to look down upon the boys who were not rich and did not have titles. Orwell even tells the reader, â€Å"The rich boys had milk and biscuits in the middle of the morning, they were given riding lessons once a week, Flip mothered then and called them by their Christian names, and above all they were never canned† (Atwan 166). In â€Å"An Episode of Bed-wetting†, Orwell mentions â€Å"the Sixth Form†. It was a group at school made up of older boys â€Å"who were selected as having ‘character’ and were empowered to beat smaller boys† (Atwan 16). It was made clear by Orwell that this tradition was a bit strange. But after his second beating he claimed, â€Å"the second beating seemed to me a just and reasonable punishment† (Atwan 18). Orwell is trying to make the reader understand that the administration at St. Cyprian’s has corrupted the boys by making them think that the Sixth Form is an appropriate way of handling matters. Orwell states in â€Å"Why I Write†, that he is â€Å"against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism† (Atwan 418). George Orwell published â€Å"1984† in 1949, the same year that the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. The arms race that followed the Soviets’ development of nuclear weaponry quickly escalated into the Cold War, which raged for the next four decades as the enormous ideological gulf separating capitalism and democracy from totalitarianism and Communism led to mutual hatred between the United States and the Soviet Union, the world’s most powerful nations. Also, many of the methods that the Party in â€Å"1984† uses to sustain its absolute power, such as the rewriting of history and the use of political icons, were actually  employed in Communist nations around the world. Big Brother is similar to Lenin in the Soviet Union and Mao in China. In â€Å"1984†, Orwell portrays the perfect totalitarian society, t he most extreme realization imaginable of a modern-day government with absolute power. The title of the novel was meant to indicate to its readers in 1949 that the story represented a real possibility for the near future: if totalitarianism were not opposed, the title suggested, some variation of the world described in the novel could become a reality in only thirty-five years. Orwell portrays a state in which government monitors and controls every aspect of human life to the extent that even having a disloyal thought is against the law. In â€Å"1984† Orwell writes, â€Å"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past† (Orwell 63). The Party has complete political power in the present, enabling it to control the way in which its subjects think about and interpret the past: every history book reflects Party ideology, and individuals are forbidden from keeping mementos of their own pasts, such as photographs and documents. As a result, the citizens of Oceania have a very short, fuzzy memory, and are willing to believe anything that the Party tells them. â€Å"Animal Farm†, by George Orwell, is said to be most famous in the West as a stinging critique of the history and rhetoric of the Russian Revolution. Retelling the story of the emergence and development of Soviet communism in the form of an animal fable, â€Å"Animal Farm† allegorizes the rise to power of the dictator Joseph Stalin. Although Orwell believed strongly in socialist ideals, he felt that the Soviet Union realized these ideals in a terribly perverse form. His novel creates its most powerful ironies in the moments in which Orwell depicts the corruption of Animalist ideals by those in power. Even though â€Å"Animal Farm† serves not so much to condemn tyranny or despotism as to indict the horrifying hypocrisy of tyrannies that base themselves on, and owe their initial power to, ideologies of liberation and equality. The gradual disintegration and perversion of the Seven Commandments illustrates this hypocrisy with vivid force. In â€Å"Animal Farm†, Orwell writes, â€Å"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others† (Orwell 112). In this statement, the rulers (the pigs), are re-writing laws to make things favor them. Also, many people will misread the word â€Å"equal† in the  first part as a relative term rather than an absolute one. Once a misreading like this takes place, the core ideals of the animal farm, and any human nation, gradually become corrupted. Orwell uses polemics in order to make his reader think his views are correct. Politics are extremely important to George Orwell, which is why he always seems to write about it. Works Cited: Atwan, Robert. Ten on Ten. Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press: Boston, 1992 Orwell, George. 1984. Harcourt Brace Javanovich, Inc.: London, 1949 Orwell, George. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story. Harcourt Brace & Company: London, 1946