Math Approaches Traditional or Reform Essay - 1059 Words

Math Approaches: Traditional or Reform Presently there is an argument regarding whether it is better to teach mathematics in a reform or traditional approach. Understandably, educators want to teach children in the best way that will benefit students as a child and a learner. Different people can argue that their approach is more effective than traditional methods, and likewise for the reform approach. However, research reveals that there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each teaching approach. Traditional Approach Traditionally math has been taught in a teacher-centered environment. With this traditional approach students give all their attention to the teacher, and work problems using a given method. The National†¦show more content†¦As a result of this approach, students often are unable to take what they have been taught and transfer it to problems that are slightly different from those they have been working in class (Kohn, 1999). Students may easily add numbers when they are stacked on top of each other, but may struggle when they are lined up horizontally. Children become good at learning rules in order to ensure good grades, but are unable to actually do the mathematics. This traditional system seems to reward students for learning the rules, but does not give students the opportunity to actually do the mathematics (Van de Walle, 2007). In a traditional teacher-directed classroom students work alone, and do not learn to collaborate with other students in the classroom. Be cause of this, students may lack the social skills needed to perform well in the real world (Mascolo, 2009) . Traditional classrooms, and their paper-and-pencil exercises, cause social isolation and dependence on teachers instead of their own knowledge (Kamii Lewis, 2009). Reform Approach Many schools are changing the way math is taught. The classrooms are becoming more student-centered instead of the traditional teacher-centered classrooms. The National Mathematics Advisory Panel defined this approach as â€Å"instruction in which students are primarily doing the teaching† (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Teachers in theShow MoreRelatedBenefits Of Studying And Learning Mathematics Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesmathematics course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 4). Deficiencies in math skills occur for a variety of reasons. Today, more than 50% of all college students are over the age of 24 (Center, 2016) and need to improve or change their job skills. Those same students may never have had a college preparatory course. Many veterans returning to civilian life did not complete algebra 2 or higher in high school (Molina Morse, 2015). Finding new ways to help students brush up on their basic math skills, while getting them ready forRead MoreCERAE Content Experience Reflection Analysis1964 Words   |  8 Pages Content Experience Reflection Analysis Evaluation Submitted by: Alyssa Keith C. Gorigao IV-JOANS Submitted to: Sir Ferdinand Corpuz Calculus Teacher Math Before Christ Content: Math started before Christ. Predynastic Egyptians  of the 5th millennium BC pictorially represented  geometric  designs. It has been claimed that  megalithic  monuments in  England  and  Scotland, dating from the 3rd millennium BC, incorporate geometricRead MoreArticle Critique : The Journal Of School Psychology1334 Words   |  6 Pages Article Critique Alyssa J. Brincka Arizona State University â€Æ' Article Critique The Journal of School Psychology published an article in 2014 titled Divorce, approaches to learning, and children’s academic achievement: A longitudinal analysis of mediated and moderated effects. The article was funded through grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute of Education Sciences (Anthony, DiPerna, Amato, 2014). Lead author Christopher J. Anthony isRead MoreThe Alternative Philosophies Of Education1607 Words   |  7 Pagesin order for mastery. Alternative Philosophies of Education Progressive approaches to early childhood education from Europe use physical activity throughout the school day to help shape intelligent and creative children. These approaches are the Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia which are seen as â€Å"strong educational alternatives to traditional education and as sources of inspiration for progressive educational reform† (Edwards, 2002, p. 2). Waldorf education created by Rudolf Steiner focusesRead MoreWhy Do Americans Stink At Math?1917 Words   |  8 Pages Americans teach math totally different then Asia, in United States math divide to 4 different class algebra12 , geometry ,trigonometry and calculus ,students will choice the one they think is fits ,there is different way in Asia, in Asia Ministry of Education will map out the system ,and every year they will change different book ,inside the book not just algebra12,geometry and trigonometry and calculus is everything mix together ,students can not choice, every year is more difficultRead MoreThe Education Of High School Students Essay1183 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction In today’s education of high school students, are we keeping up with the 21st century, or, are we still doing the same old thing? The British started the idea of traditional schools hundreds of years ago. After the American Revolution around the late 1700’s, and the early 1800’s, government-supported schools started. These schools educated students of all ages in one room with one teacher. These schools were not free. In the late 1800’s, high schools were considered to be preparatoryRead MoreCharter Schools Vs. Public Schools2223 Words   |  9 PagesAt the foundation of the American public school system is the belief that every child deserves a quality education. To this end, the public school system in America has undergone many reforms. One of which has been charter schools. Charter schools are independent public schools of choice working under the auspices of a charter and not governed by the board of education. The charter can be written by parents, teachers, school administrators, community leaders, educational businesses, etc. ItRead MoreEssay about Philosophy of Education1276 Words   |  6 Pageshistory, math, science, and computers. U.S. schools should provide students with basic facts regarding the books, people, and events that have shaped our nation’s heritage and instill traditional American values. It should not take the launching of Sputnik or the 1983 A Nation At Risk to raise the standards of education. All students should get a body of information, and then build upon it. During the social reform era of the 1960s and 1970s, progressivism was prosperous, but now more traditional, essentialist-likeRead MoreMy Personal Philosophy : My Educational Philosophy1747 Words   |  7 Pageshome life and strive to provide what the student may be lacking from outside or in-house resources. The concept â€Å"From the Tablet to the Table† deviates from technology and social media that plagues our young people to around the table dinners, traditional teachings, good talks, and other verbal communication. Introduction I sustain myself with the love of family. Maya Angelou The foundation of a child’s family relationship is revealed by the way they handle social relationships, lifeRead More No Child Left Behind Assessment Essay1289 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"quality of assessment is one of the key features of good teaching and setting appropriate assessment tasks should question students in a way that demands evidence of understanding† (Jimaa, 20011, p. 217). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education reform program is a good example of this concept. The ambitious federal education bill that President Bush signed into law in 2002, NCLB, required the federal government to use its spending power to prod school districts across the country to rely on scientific

The Life of Mind Free Essays

Riza Abilova Id: 20120438 ARW I, Section 4 Date: March 29, 2013 Discussion essay Second draft Does is living with less have a beneficial influence on people’s life in U. S? A person’s lifestyle is like a mirror. It shows who and what a person is, what he or she does, how he or she dress and what conditions he or she prefers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Life of Mind or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some people are happy with a small amount of money with comfortable living while others want to earn large amounts of money and become rich. However, living with less is like having minimalist lifestyle which involves material limitations, less consumption, more space, less unnecessary possessions and so on. Furthermore, as Graham Hill (2013) entrepreneur and founder of LifeEduited. com and TreeHugger. com reports, â€Å"I sleep better knowing I’m not using more resources than I need. I have less and enjoy more† (n. p) (as cited on www. nytimes. com). Living with less brings appreciably more satisfaction, relaxation and enjoyment. Moreover, people will not get attached to things. For one thing, people who depend on their possessions and luxury life, in many cases lose part of life that is really important. The minimalist lifestyle in U. S is a beneficial way to allow pleasure and better health and spending less time on new technologies but on the other hand people get losing this knowledge of modern society of this country. One of the advantages of living with less in U. S is that people can take more joy and time. Living with fewer possessions is not only having joy but also is very closely related to the times and technology. The fewer possessions you have to worry about, the more time you have to spend with friends, family or in nature or beautiful places in life. Technology is incredible and infinitely developing, but occupies most of our time. For example: social technology provides the ability to connect, communicate and also play games and others. As Albert Einstein who theoretical physicist and one of the founders of modern theoretical physics (1921) demonstrated, â€Å"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity†. (n. p) However, one should note here that technologies can take away a large part of the time of your life. If on the one hand it can be said that it is beneficial having enjoyment and more time, the same is true for better health. Another beneficial advantage of living with reducing possessions in the United States is that people feel less stress. Living with less material stuff allows people the ability to not worry about their obligations. Therefore, living with fewer possessions allows less worrying about obligations which includes cleaning, repairing, breaking, and obsolete of these materials. Material objects not only lead to physical fatigue but disorders like depression too. As American Psychiatric Association (2011) shows, â€Å"depression is a common and highly treatable disorder affection over 17 million American adults annually† (n. ). It is generally agreed that stress and nervous feelings brings a negative effect on disorders. With living with less stuff, you can avoid depression and aggression by obligations of items. Another way of looking to this lifestyle, it is about surplus of knowledge of new technologies. One of the unbeneficial ways of living with less is that using less modern tec hnologies. For instance, if people stick to this way of life, and they prefer not to use the new technologies, gadgets and other things, it will be bad influence on the formation of person as a modern one. Many people will consider as a primitive man who is absolutely nothing know, it is difficult to have a dialogue with someone who cannot understand what others mean. Likewise, as Jonas Salk who was an American medical researcher and virologist (1979) shows, â€Å"This is perhaps the most beautiful time in human history; it is really pregnant with all kinds of creative possibilities made possible by science and technology which now constitute the slave of man – if man is not enslaved by it†(n. p) . In reality, all technologies are developing that is why future without him nothing would do. The most importantly is that being a successful person makes a big influence on the skill of modern technology not only for work but also for self-improvement. One should, however, not forget that if people have lack of knowledge of new technologies, in many cases, they can’t find perspective job to successful career. Our modern world is difficult to imagine with lack of knowledge of computer technology, and successful professional worker without this knowledge. The United States is one of the most highly developed states in the world that is why new technological hings have an important part of their life. A minimalist lifestyle offers the enormous benefits and if Americans want to take more joy and time and feel less stress, they need to start living with less. As Julie Schor who is a professor of Sociology at Boston College (2002) shows, â€Å"we need to invest more meaning into material objects to slow down the buy-use-discard cycle of U. S. consumer goods†(p45-60). This means, society of this country should really think about material possessions, whether want to buy it, whether it is beneficial or useful etc. How to cite The Life of Mind, Essays

Clinical Information System

Question: Evaluate whether implementing Clinical Information System (CIS) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) enhances the workflows of healthcare workers and improve the quality of care provided to critically ill patients. Answer: 1.1 Introduction Clinical Information System or CIS is the computerized system that stores, double checks and organizes the medical information. Paper charts are replaced by the CIS system as it serves to keep together several information electronically, which includes prescriptions, health history, dictation and doctor's notes. CIS has significantly helped in improving patient care as it contains several safety features, which reduces the probability of errors significantly. CIS is equally private and secure as it permits only the caregivers who are qualified to access the patient records, as compared to the conventional paper charts (Moher et al., 2015). There are several advantages of the implementation of CIS in healthcare as in case of any emergency, the physician can have immediate access to the entire medical history of the patient. When a patient makes an office visit, the physician can go through his medical records and place the test orders directly from the system. Immediate access is to t he test results for the doctors is another advantage and adding to the list, the doctor can send the prescription to the pharmacy directly, that helps the patient on an easy collection of medicines (Mador Shaw, 2009). Apart from the above clinical advantages of CIS, it has a very important role to play in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) for improving the patient outcome. It enhances the workflow of the healthcare workers and improves the quality of care provided to the critically ill patients. It is a common belief that in the 21st century, the healthcare system will require the intensive application of the CIS in the ICU for managing and acquiring data, data transformation for availing information and dissemination of information for using it to improving patient care. It is more important and evident to use CIS in the ICU than at any other arena of healthcare, as it involves complex decision-making processes. Critical illness dynamic requires physiological data that are time stamped and are integrated with the clinical context. Processing of this data takes place through a wide array of nonlinear and linear analytical tools (De Georgia et al., 2015). Advanced data analytics can take place only th rough the CIS and it helps the physicians to make informed and timely decisions for improving the outcomes of the patients. Therefore, integrated informatics for critical care architecture is essentially required for the integration, synchronization, acquisition, storage and integration of all the patient data into a searchable and single database that is waveforms and numeric. This helps to process the data for extracting features that are clinically relevant from the original raw data for translating them into information that is actionable. Technological advancements are working to bring all these features together (Haynes et al., 2010). The present systematic review deals with the evaluation of the implementation of CIS in the ICU and determines whether it improves the patient outcome by enhancing the workflow of the healthcare workers and improves the quality of care provided to the critically ill patients. The review will investigate the impact of the implementation of CIS in ICU on the different activities of the nurses in ICU like documentation time, direct patient care and quality of care. The findings from the various literature will be thoroughly analyzed by the researcher and the outcome will be represented statistically, followed by an extensive discussion of the findings and the actual impact of the clinical information system. Various studies have been conducted on this aspect by different authors, however, no single study have been found that could address the complete implementation of the CIS in ICU and its impact on the nursing activities of documentation time, direct patient care and quality of care. This article aims to fill this gap and will develop a clear understanding of the findings of the investigation by systematically reviewing peer-reviewed articles. Figure 1: Health Information System Forming the Clinical Information System 1.1.1 Aim of the Study The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate whether implementing CIS in the ICU enhances the workflows of healthcare workers and improve the quality of care provided to critically ill patients. 1.1.2 Objectives of the Study The objectives of this systemic review are as follows: Reviewing the available literature describing health information systems, with a particular focus on CIS in the ICU and the evaluation of such systems. The impact of using CIS on documentation time, direct patient care and quality of care. 1.2 Background Information Introduction of computers to the hospitals took place in 1970 when they started to develop Electronic Medical Records (EMR) that included POMR (Patient Oriented Medical Record) introduced at the University of Vermont. University of Utah introduced HELP (Health Evaluation through Logical Processing) and the Duke University introduced TMR (The Medical Record). Harvard introduced the COSTAR (Computer Stored Ambulatory Record) and was programmed by the Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System. For the outpatient and inpatient settings, RMRS (Regenstrief Medical Record System) of Indiana was the first of its type (Nadelson Nadelson, 2014). Not all these EMRs were associated with the intense ICU environment based on the real time data. Weil and Shubin have been credited for the introduction of computers in the ICU in the year 1966 with the purpose of automatic collection of the vital signs from the monitor place on the bedside. It proceeded to the development of CARE (Clinical Assessment, Research and Education System) that was a clinical decision support system developed for aiding in the treatment of the surgical patients, who are critically ill (Amarasingham et al., 2009). The system helped in the continuous monitoring of the metabolic ad physiologic functions of the patients who were critically ill and managed the electrolytes and fluid data with the respiratory and cardiac functions. Hewlett-Packard introduced the PDMS (Patient Data Management System) but it failed to excel in the ICU because of its complex menu, old user interface and was incredibly slow. In the year 1980, blood pressure and heart rate were automatically monitored and its advancement was marked by the data representation in the graphical displays. 1990 introduced internet access to the ICUs that increased and improved the clinical functionality significantly. Web based software supported the cumulative patient data by presenting and recording the patient data continuously by providing links to the nursing documentation, physician notes, imaging and laboratory data from the EMRs and representing them collectively as CIS (Darbyshire, 2004). In the year 2003, GE introduced the Centricity system for the critical care patients and in 2007, Philips introduced its ICIP (IntelliVue Clinical Information Portfolio). This was the first of its kind CIS that was introduced in the ICU for the critical patient s. Centricity Critical Care (CCC) by GE automatically collected data from the ventilators and monitors and displayed it in the spreadsheets of the typical paper type ICU charts. Data collection took place from the medical devices through their interfaces that are connected by the UID (Unity Interface Device) network. ICIP by Philips supported manual and automatic documentations of the physiologic data that had the time resolutions of five minutes (Van Der Meijden et al., 2003). It was supported by a relational database that helped to achieve the essential clinical information like text notes, lab results, patient demographics and medications. From the above inventions, it can be seen that different technological advancements at different times have helped the healthcare professionals to improve the patient care by getting better information of the patient. Detailed information of the patient, through either EMRs or CIS, helped the doctors and surgeons significantly to avoid errors and reduce the time of treatment and that would eventually contribute towards the improved patient outcome. Automation of the processes drastically changed the concept of documentation (Hyrinen, Saranto Nyknen, 2008). Records were no longer missing and were kept confidential more effectively than the conventional systems that significantly reduced the documentation time. It had a direct effect on the quality of care as proper and rapid interpretation and representation of data helped in providing the correct intervention to the patient, without any attempt of experimentation (Bosman, 2009). Direct patient care also improved with technological a dvancement as patients in ICU are in the condition of critical illness. Therefore, their treatment, patient education, counseling and medication are all important factors for the doctors and the nurses and digitalizing them effectively was of help, especially in case of shift change and worsening of the conditions. Figure 2: Components of CIS Figure 3: The Systematic Review Design The above flow diagram describes the design of the present systematic review and the pattern that will be followed by the researcher in answering the research questions. Following the sections of abstract and introduction, the researcher will develop the research questions in the review questions chapter which will be followed by the review method identification. Thereafter, the results will be derived from the study and they will be discussed thoroughly in the discussion part. Next, a conclusion will be drawn to the study followed by the limitations of the study with future recommendations. The researcher will follow the ethical considerations while conducting this study and will avoid the conflicts of interest. This study pattern will finally provide with a justifiable systematic review of the research topic. 1.3 Literature Review The section of literature review includes the knowledge and substantive findings of the methodological and theoretical contributions to any particular topic. The literature review part in this study will discuss the previous comparative studies that the various researchers have carried out to demonstrate the application of CIS in the ICU. The researcher in this section will analyze the topic of application of CIS in the ICU and this is not a part of the actual systematic review. This is only a prologue of the actual systematic review that the researcher has carried out in order to exhibit the various research works that have been carried out on the research topic by various researchers. Plenderleith (2013) carried out a research work regarding the application of CIS in the ICU and found that it helps to manage data in large numbers that are generated daily in the ICU. Appropriate linkage to the systems like monitoring, laboratory helps to simplify the acquisition and data accuracy is increased that are sent to the patient records. Once the data enters the CIS, they are observed from different viewpoints without repeated entries for improving the patient care. The feature of decision support in CIS provides it a versatile dimension. Data concentration at one point simplifies the process of audit, improves the quality and helps to obtain the information from the management more easily as compared to the conventional paper notes. In the ICU, on an average, 1100 data items are acquired everyday for each patient. These data includes data for physiological measurements and intervention records for continuation notes and drug administration. For the conventional system of data recording based on papers, manual entry of data used to take place on multiple paper sheets that included duplicate entry of information. This process often led to poor legibility mistakes and transcription errors. Cross-referencing of data does not happen and they are poorly filed. The patients take the notes away after they leave the ICU and therefore, for performing quality improvement audits, huge collection of paper becomes mandatory. Viewing the information from different aspects is essential in ICU. When data is entered in the system, different contexts can be applied to its presentation. For example, ventilator parameters are observed on the specific screen for ventilator and the data subset is found on a summary screen (Fraenkel, Cowie Daley, 2003). Existing data is incorporated automatically in a different context even if they are from a separate assessment. This feature is helpful in the collection of the information for scoring systems and augmented care pathway. R outine calculations that include production totals of fluid balance, physiological variables and drug prescribing that is weight based are automatically performed. The patient charts are filed after collection in a standardized and accessible format without spreading it as multiple note sets (Ammenwerth et al., 2003). The reviewing of the entire event becomes simplified like summary of the duration of the ventilation of the patients. The collection becomes simultaneous unlike through the conventional way of collecting the forms. Reviewing compliance and performing audit for the care bundles becomes simple as the data becomes easily available. The most innovative invention for the CIS is the decision support that analyzes the data pattern and helps to trigger suggestions (Wang Liao, 2008). This includes the suggestion for considering ventilator bundle if the patient is on a ventilator and is intubated. Suggestion for considering sepsis in case if the patient is having a tachycardia, pyrexia and increased count of white cell. For drug prescriptions, dose checking can be advised if gentamicin is prescribed for a patient who has a raised creatinine level (Heeks, 2006). Although this feature is applied for generation of prescriptions, but it is well expanded in other aspects as well like a symptomatic indication for acute lung injury. All these factors do not contribute to the wellbeing of the patient directly, but they act together to provide outputs that are significantly positive and improves the patient outcome (Ammenwerth et al., 2004). Donati et al. (2008) opined that although CIS have been implemented in many ICUs for a long time, little evidence has been derived about their impact in the staff perceptions and quality of care of the patients. Therefore, the authors compared the time required by CIS and manual patient charting on paper for evaluation of the perception of the staff members while working in an ICU. Useful information can be obtained remotely and from bedside by CIS in an ICU. CIS is constructed on an architecture that based on client-server interface with workstations placed on the bedside for each patient. The physiologic variables are interpreted by electronic charting that provides information to different bedside devices through various interfaces. The sophisticated forms of the CIS include doctor order entry, electronic medical record and radiographic image displaying by PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems). Laboratory and monitoring interfaces are used for automatic collection of data by CIS. All the relevant information of the patient are stored in the database of the CIS like current medication, drug history, specific information, laboratory results and drug interaction warnings. The study design was based on the evaluation of the benefits of using CIS in the ICU on the basis of reduced data time. From the study, it was found that it took 274 minutes for each patient every week for manually recording vital signs, calculating scores, blood gas analysis, chart therapy, fluid balances and laboratory data. However, after the introduction of CIS, the time for the same activities was reduced to 21 minutes every week for each patient. There was a marked difference between the activities examined before and after the introduction of CIS. It was found that prior to installation of CIS, the time spent by the nurses for charting was 17.4% and the time spent for gathering patient data was 6.7%. After the installation, the charting time was decreased by 10% and the dat a gathering time was reduced by 4%. A significant amount of time was saved after the implementation of CIS as manual charting was no more required and the saved time is utilized in patient care. When the demand for nursing time in the ICU increases, priority is given to patient care and results in delayed documentation. More the illness of the patient, more is the generated data in the ICU and the potential benefits of CIS becomes more as considerable is saved in charting and gathering (Haux, 2006). During the study, the data collection periods and the staff members like consultants, nurses and physicians were similar to avoid any bias in the results. The only variable in the study was the patients as they were constantly changed throughout the study. From the study, it was also seen that there was significant time loss with the use of computer as well. Since computers are being intensively in daily lives, therefore, adaptation to the CIS system was easy and rapid for the staff memb ers for accessing patient data. The health professionals easily extracted massive amount of ICU data and considerable time was saved as the applied software system was significantly flexible and allowed sufficient customization to the nurses and physicians as per their requirements (Samaras Horst, 2005). Downtimes were effectively handled to avoid any data loss. Increased time for patient care resulted in improved patient outcomes and better patient compliance. According to Saleem et al. (2015), there are facilitators and barriers to the use of CIS in the ICUs and record keeping for anesthesia. The authors evaluated the use of CIS for the care and recovery settings of post anesthesia and operating rooms. The study was carried out at three medical centers. The administrative staff and clinicians at the workstations placed at bedside, nursing stations, operating rooms and in the physicians rooms use the applications. It facilitates the creation of the assessments, electronic data records and multiple procedures for medical devices. For achieving the objective of the study, an ethnographic study was carried out by the authors where the participants were the end users of CIS and ARK (Anesthesia Record Keeping). Optimization of the ARK and CIS systems was hindered by the software challenges, poor usability, integration issues, hardware challenges, lack of coordination, training concerns and inadequate technical support. These barriers were multi faceted with related sub-barriers and were described along with the participants quotes. Qualitative field observations were used for the analysis of data, they were represented at a level that could be integrated through the cases for showing the behavior pattern and the themes associated with the implementation of the ARK and CIS systems. The barriers presented in the research are addressed by collaboration and cooperation with the vendors and relevant changes have to be made in the system for including them in the ICU documentation. The most important ability is the integration of ARK and CIS with the other applications and meeting the customizations requirements, software challenges and better data display organizations (Kushniruk Patel, 2004). Hardware challenges can also be sorted out by external technical support and with the collaboration and cooperation of the vendors. The study identified several barriers to the implementation of the CIS in the healthcare systems and ther e probable outcomes and solutions have also been derived, with proper recommendations. The methods of human factor engineering are used for applying an approach that is user centered to the requirements specifications, system integration, implementation of the application and application evaluation. Although the benefits of the application of the CIS have been discussed in several other studies, this research proved to discuss the barriers of the system. However, the barriers can be overcome by proper measures and CIS can be utilized to deliver better patient outcome and increased satisfaction and support for the healthcare professionals, working in ICU (Petter, DeLone McLean, 2008). Gmez Tello et al. (2011) carried out a research work for determining the functional and technical standards with the application of CIS in the ICU. CIS is a useful tool for management of patient data in the ICU. It is very important to describe the minimum suitable specifications for making the tool helpful and operative. The results of the process of healthcare are improved by the CIS as it optimizes the quality and safety and collaborates to improve the patient management process. The objective of the study was to prepare a document with the recommendable operating and technical requirements for CIS. The study was carried out in a hospital in Spain and designated a team of software and clinical experts to attain the objective of the study. For the study, ten participants were employed by the engineers and managers from five different Spanish companies manufacturing CIS. There were two phases in the project where the first phase involved checklist completion for establishing the pre sent situation of the application of CIS and the second phase was result discussion by a team of experts. From the study, it was determined that according to the nursing perspectives, incorporation of the essential resources in the system is necessary for carrying out the necessary activities of patient care. CIS must have the tools for care planning with subsequent generation of its activity reports. The advantage of CIS was easier and better to access by the users helped to take decisions that are based on the integrated and consistent information on the prime indicators. The identification of the trends and occult relations for the data developed the management and clinical hypothesis. The requirements from CIS were to achieve a set of characteristics that is useful in ICU settings (Wu Wang, 2006). For this, four different sections were designed like functional, technical, management and data safety. All these sections were met satisfactorily by the CIS and its utilization in th e ICU as per the requirements was successfully established. The study concluded with the saying that CIS is a very versatile and useful tool for using in the ICU and it can be customized as per the client requirements. Synthesizing the research articles, it can be said that all the researchers aimed at a common aspect that ICU significantly helps in the daily activities of the nurses in the ICU and other departments in a hospital. The researchers from the various studies stated that compared to the traditional methods of data keeping, CIS had been very for maintaining the records as a huge amount of data is generated from the ICU every day. Proper maintenance of this data is essential for effective treatment and it takes a long time for maintaining such a huge data. Nurses devote a large portion of time in documentation and therefore, the quality of patient care decreases due to reduced duration of direct patient care. However, in most of the studies, implementation of CIS had a positive impact on patient care as the load of documentation was reduced and the nurses could devote more time to direct patient care. This invariably increased the quality of patient care and therefore, the findings from t he articles from this section of literature review were aligned with the topic of the present research and the selection of the articles proved to be fruitful in finding the significance of the research topic, as a prologue. References Allan, J., Englebright, J. (2000). Patient-centered documentation: an effective and efficient use of clinical information systems.Journal of Nursing Administration,30(2), 90-95. Amarasingham, R., Plantinga, L., Diener-West, M., Gaskin, D. J., Powe, N. R. (2009). Clinical information technologies and inpatient outcomes: a multiple hospital study.Archives of internal medicine,169(2), 108-114. Amarasingham, R., Pronovost, P. J., Diener-West, M., Goeschel, C., Dorman, T., Thiemann, D. R., Powe, N. R. (2007). Measuring clinical information technology in the ICU setting: application in a quality improvement collaborative.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association,14(3), 288-294. Ammenwerth, E., Brender, J., Nyknen, P., Prokosch, H. U., Rigby, M., Talmon, J. (2004). Visions and strategies to improve evaluation of health information systems: Reflections and lessons based on the HIS-EVAL workshop in Innsbruck.International journal of medical informatics,73(6), 479-491. Ammenwerth, E., Grber, S., Herrmann, G., Brkle, T., Knig, J. (2003). Evaluation of health information systemsproblems and challenges.International journal of medical informatics,71(2), 125-135. Apkon, M., Singhaviranon, P. (2001). Impact of an electronic information system on physician workflow and data collection in the intensive care unit.Intensive Care.

Williams College 2017-2018 Supplemental Essay Prompts

Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is ranked number 1 in liberal arts colleges in the U.S.Williams College is one of the most popular liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Being a liberal arts college, Williams only has an undergraduate enrollment of around 2200 students, with approximately 550 students in each class. The small student body allows students to get to know their entire class, encourages classroom engagement, and fosters stronger relationships with professors. Like most liberal art colleges, Williams College follows the 4-1-4 academic calendar, with two 4-course semesters and one 1-course winter term in January. Williams has strong departments in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, art history and economics. Want to learn more? Here are 10 fun facts about Williams College. If you’re interested in applying, you can check out successful personal statement examplesin our database! Williams also has a writing supplement that is entirely optional. You do not have to submit it if you don’t feel the need to. Just in case you do, here are the essay prompts you can choose from: Please respond to one of the prompts below in a short essay of 300 words or fewer. Essay Prompts #1 At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why? Essay Prompts #2 Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams? Essay Prompts #3 Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers? Interested in reading successful essay examples that got students accepted into Williams? Unlock all of them in one go withour curated package.Ourpremium plansoffer different level of profile access and data insights that can help you get into your dream school. Unlock any of ourpackagesor search ourundergraduate profile databaseto find specific profiles that can help you make an informed choice about where to apply!

single sex education Essay Example

single sex education Essay Example single sex education Essay single sex education Essay Single Sex Education Single sex education consists of separating males and females and putting them in different classrooms or buildings in order to teach them differently. This type of schools relieves some of the pressure that parents have due to the stories they hear about the kids in co-education schools. Single sex education is psychologically, educationally and socially more effective than co-education due to scientific researches that have been held over more than a 100 elementary schools. Many people look at the idea of single sex schooling as a negative way of teaching. They ctually dont look at all the facts that have been proven scientifically. Scientific researches have concluded that there are brain differences between both boys and girls. They both need different teaching styles that will benefit each one academically in a specific way. For example, in an only-girls class, talking and discussing is used as a learning tool which results in an observation. While in a boys class, talking mainly results in a punishment. Other studies by David Chadwell have also proven that The composition of the male eye makes it attuned to motion and direction. Boys interpret the world as objects moving through space, he says (as mentioned in Kaufmann, C. ,n. d. , para. 4). This is why its suggested that the teacher should keep moving while explaining to keep them concentrated. However, girls are oriented towards shapes with a lot of details so to get their attention; the teacher sits them in a circle. David Chadwell also stated that the male eye is attracted to cool colours like blue, silver, grey, brown and black, while the female eye is attracted towards warm colours like red, yellow and orange. In addition to the sight, they also hear differently. Girls have a more finely tuned aural structure; they can hear higher frequencies than boys and are more sensitive to sounds,(as mentioned in Kaufmann, C. , n. d.. Para. 7) for example, girls get annoyed when a teacher raises her voice, while boys enjoy it as they find it exciting. Another reason for supporting single sex schooling is that it is more comfortable for the students to share their opinions and respond to questions in class. This causes them to become more competitive. They also act freely and arent afraid to be themselves as there is no pressure of trying to impress the opposite sex. Students choose the subjects they would like to study without having to think how theyd appear in front of the opposite sex. For example, girls can study math, science and technology subjects without the fear of appearing as tomboys; boys can study arts, poetry, music and advanced subjects without being afraid to be called a nerd or a freak. Scientists also found out by tests that girls mature earlier han boys and this might be the reason for the different thinking ways of the two sexes. Finally, an important factor found in single sex schools more than the co- educational ones is the fairness factor. In 1993, two professors in the American University, Myra and David Sadker, published a research that noted student-teacher interactions. They reached a conclusion which stated that in co-educational schools, female teachers always prefer male students and male teachers prefer female students. For example, when boys keep calling out answers and yell, the teacher oesnt remind them that they have to raise their hands first. While if a girl yells out Proponents of single sex schooling claim that the amount of academic improvement in this type of education is more than that in co-education. The idea of separating both genders eliminates any distractions that can be caused due to the relationships that could occur between them or the way both genders care about what the opposite sex thinks. When only one sex is available, it is easier for the teacher to find the most suitable technique for teaching her students. She becomes more effective due to the time spent trying to engage with the students through physical activities. Its also easier to explain topics that might embarrass girls when taught in front of boys, for example, the menstruation cycle. Opponents think that the social skills of students are affected by this type of education in a negative way. They assume that they wont know how to handle and socialize with the opposite sex. However, this idea can be easily refuted by scientific researches that have interviewed people who were n single sex schools and now are working and socializing normally. When interviewed, they totally disagreed with this assumption. They also said that single sex education tends to break social stereotypes that can be found in most of the co- educational schools. One of the most important social advantages of single sex schools is that the amount of bullying is very low. This is very important because some children who go through bullying eventually end up having socializing problems or becoming criminals. In single sex schools, students arent Judged by what they study, how they dress or how they look. They are accepted the way they are. It is a new experience that everyone should try. A new feeling not everyone gets the chance to feel! The school eventually becomes like a second home to the students and the people in the school are considered as a second family. People against this type of schooling should reconsider the idea and try it because there is a big possibility they will change what they think of it!

Analysis Of The Book The Circle

Dave Eggers’ The Circle, it set certain reverberations echoing in my mind, especially through the correlation of The Circle’s three slogans, â€Å"SECRETS ARE LIES, SHARING IS CARING, PRIVACY IS THEFT† (Eggers 305), with 1984’s â€Å"WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH† (Orwell 6). I then began to see, like others, that Eggers’ dystopia is a contemporary 1984; therefore, I felt it would be appropriate to compare them. In almost all the reviews and essays written on The Circle, there is not†¦ Grand Central Publishing released Flora Rheta Schreiber’s book Sybil. Through the book Dr. Wilbur, Sybil’s therapist psychoanalyses Sybil’s sixteen different personalities. The book went through all the different personalities and what is the cause of her dissociation. After her analysis was complete Dr. Wilbur thought a book should be written, this was when Flora was introduced into the picture. Flora had had previous work as a journalist and editor of varying psychiatric papers and articles. After†¦ The Hughes Brothers imprint their religious point of view in their 2010 American post-apocalyptic film, â€Å"The Book of Eli†. In this dramatic tale Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a mysterious wanderer that carries the world’s only remaining copy of King James’s Bible. He ventures 30 years across a desolated post-apocalyptic landscape in the attempt of finding a safe haven for this sacred book. Determined to complete his mission, Eli’s quote â€Å"We walk by faith, not by sight† from the Bible conveys a†¦ J07 -- THE BOOK OF TELLS 1 Citation. Collett, P. (2003). The book of tells: How to read people’s minds from their actions. London, United Kingdom: Doubleday. Tells are a recognizable action or a method of performing an action that reveal something about a person that is not otherwise easily observable (Collett, 2003, p.15). The Book of Tells, written by social psychologist Dr. Peter Collett, decodes tells to explain what these subtle clues of human behaviour and motivations are telling us. By delving†¦ establishing and emphasizing whatever specific emotion that the artist wishes to portray. It can also signify a call for extra attention from the reader to a specific page, as the line work suddenly changes in style between pages. In â€Å"The Outside Circle†, the line work on the 26th page is conveying the shattered life and transitioning that the character Joey Caver is going through, and is a visual representation of his emotions negatively being broken down. Lines are everything within a comic as†¦ Major Works Review General 1. Title- The Book Thief 2. Author- Markus Zusak 3. Date of Original Publication- 2005 4. Novel Type- Historical Fiction Structure 1. Point of View- Death 2. Relationship to Meaning- As an omniscient force Death can provide insight on several different events happening all over the world at different points in time, and thoughts running through all the characters’ heads, while also being able to share his own thoughts and feelings about humanity. 3. Plot Structure- a. Exposition-†¦ transporting them. As a result between with a death of 9.6 and 10.8 million Africans arrived in the Americas alive. With the odds against Aminata Diallo, she faces many losses but through these losses Aminata manages to re-defines herself. In "The Book of Negroes" the novel focuses on Aminata 's self-discovery through her many loses, including her loss of innocence, the loss of safety, and the loss of relationships. Aminata first losses her innocence at the age of 11 when colonist invaded her small†¦ Comparatively: A Review Circles are globally ubiquitous. They occur naturally, are used for style, and used as metaphors. One metaphorical use of circles is found in Zen Buddhism. An EnsÃ…  is a hand drawn circle, generally in one brush stroke. It is elegant in its simplicity and symbolises enlightenment, the void, and the wholeness of the universe. In Peter Singer’s book The Expanding Circle, he argues that moral progress comes when people use their reason to progressively expand their circle of empathy from†¦ The novel, The Book Thief, was published in the year 2005 and falls under the genre of historical fiction. In the novel, death narrates the story beginning in 1938. Liesel Meminger is presented as the book thief and is faced with many hardships at the beginning of the novel. She has lost both her parents including her little brother, Werner. This girl is faced with agony and death at such a young age in her life. This forms Liesel into a person who isolates her inner humanity and compassion towards†¦ According to Psychology Today, on average kids spend 5-7 hours a day looking at screens. This is a staggering amount, accounting for around half of daylight hours. In The Circle, a novel by Dave Eggers, a young girl named Mae in a job with a large technology company spends close to her entire day on a screen, leaving little time for interactions with people. Instead she relies on how others perceive her online, rather than as a real human being. Truman’s entire life is fake in The Truman Show, a†¦

Arabian Oryx in Arabian Peninsula and UAE Assignment

Arabian Oryx in Arabian Peninsula and UAE - Assignment Example In common usage of the term, biodiversity is normally used to explain entire species living in the specified area. If taken into consideration the largest region, the whole world, then a summary of biodiversity is termed as the life on earth. In conservation and evaluation biodiversity has four main types of diversities that are considered as landscape, ecological, species and generic. The varieties of these levels, as well as variability among or within them, are essential biodiversity concepts. Understanding these dynamics of the elements of complexity in time for the diverse ecosystems of the earth and habitats is very hard and in the field of scientific research. Despite losing the complexity of biodiversity concepts as well as dynamics, to the lowest level, as species go to form the biological diversity (Lachman et al., 2007). To go beyond this assessment of previous achievements, nonetheless, two obvious need of research is required. They are: to understand and improve the incentives and motives behind the biodiversity loss and protection and to improve new methods to optimize the multiple utilization of biodiversity, considering possible conflicts as well as trade-offs for the benefit of acquisition of scientific knowledge and enrichment. Hence, a qualitative maintenance of ecological balance would accentuate the minutest aspects of compatibility with species that are absolutely prevalent in females and males. This is meant for the purposes of maintenance of balance within the family and also maintaining balance in ecology. The conceptual clarity on the categories of the family of Oryx is required for analysis of their suitability and examination of an understanding. Such an understanding substantiates a positive thrust in maintaining balance in nature for the purposes of development of species.  The UAE has organized various breeding pairs consisting of captured ones for the purposes of maintaining a positive outlook for the balanced ecological system by ensuring non-poaching and limitation of hunting for enabling destruction for the purposes of freedom and ensuring behaviour that would augment the jeopardy of endangered species.     

Causes of lung cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causes of lung cancer - Essay Example Smoking, exposure to radon gas, reactive metals and genetic vulnerabilities has come up as the major causes of lung cancer. Research has identified cigarette smoking as the main cause of lung cancer in the world today. Stoppler (Para. 5) identifies that smoking contributes to over 90% of the total lung cancer infection in the world today. The level of smoking among direct smokers is quantized depending on the number of cigarettes they smoke per day and the number of years that one has smoked. The higher the product of the two, the more is the risk of getting lung cancer. Indirect smokers are those that inhale cigarette smoke within a smoker’s environment and are ultimately subjected to the risk of getting infected with lung cancer. Bhang smokers who smoke cigarette have a higher risk of contracting lung cancer since they have a tendency to take deep puffs exposing their lungs to a more contact with the smoke. Tobacco smoke contains carcinogenic compounds that trigger cancerous cells to grow more rapidly into a tumor. Research has proved that tobacco contains over 4,000 chemical compounds including nitrosamines and polycyclic hydrocarbons that are cancer causing compounds. The chances of developing cancer increase as the level of smoking increases. ... In essence, Radon gas is the second, after smoking, a common cause of Lung cancer in the world today (Stoppler Para. 1-2). When Uranium gas decays spontaneously, it releases many chemical compounds including Radon gas that has exposed many homes to the risk of developing lung cancer. Although uranium is a rare compound, its emissions can travel over long distances in the soil and can accumulate in the houses to reach toxic levels. The fact that Radon gas is odorless and is colorless, it is hard to detect it or measure its levels. Consequently, most families will be exposed without their knowledge unless experts assess the presence of the gas. When, Radon gas is inhaled, its radio activities are severe enough to trigger abnormal cell growth. In case of long exposure, the illness becomes severe and effective treatment cannot be realized. The third leading cause of cancer, as the Center of Disease and control (Para. 7) states, is exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos are silica compound fibers that were commonly used in work environments for thermal insulation and acoustically treated rooms. For instance, most music studios have asbestos linings to protect them from external sound mechanisms. The employees in such studios are highly exposed to the risk of developing lung cancer during their life time. When an individual inhales asbestos fibers, they attach to the lining of their lungs and can persist in this position for a long time. The fibers have carcinogenic compounds that affect the normal cell growth in the lugs eventually leading to cancer of the lungs. Research has it that cigarette smokers who are exposed to asbestos have the highest chances of developing complications. About 50% and 90% of all the smokers who

Conflict of Interest Essay Example for Free

Conflict of Interest Essay Abstract Information about the financial health of public companies provided by auditors ideally allows investors to make informed decisions and enhances the efficiency of financial markets. However, under the current system auditors are hired and fired by the companies they audit, which introduces incentives for biases that favor the audited companies. Three experiments demonstrate bias in auditors judgments, and show that these biases are not easily corrected because auditors are not fully aware of them. The first experiment demonstrates that the judgments of professional auditors tend to be biased in favor of their clients. The second and third experiments explore more closely the psychological processes underlying the bias. The results suggest that the closeness of the relationship between auditor and client may have a particularly strong biasing influence on auditors private judgments. Key words: Conflict of interest; Auditor independence; Self-serving bias; Motivated reasoning Auditor Independence, Conflict of Interest, and the Unconscious Intrusion of Bias By certifying the public reports that collectively depict a corporation’s financial status, the independent auditor assumes a public responsibility transcending any employment relationship with the client. The independent public accountant performing this special function owes ultimate allegiance to the corporations creditors and stockholders, as well as to the investing public. This public watchdog function demands that the accountant maintain total independence from the client at all times and requires complete fidelity to the public trust. -Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing on behalf of a unanimous United States Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Arthur Young Co. (1984) Independence is central to the function served by auditors. Although managers may have an interest in exaggerating, misrepresenting, or falsifying reports of their firm’s performance, an independent audit report is supposed to provide a credible, unbiased appraisal of the firms financial status. The importance of auditor independence is reflected in the Code of Professional Ethics of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and has been reinforced by numerous legal decisions, such as that rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the opening quote. Recent events, however, have led many to question whether the modern practice of public accounting is independent enough. In the wake of a number of accounting scandals, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) conducted a series of hearings on auditor independence in 2000. The SEC instituted modest changes to disclosure rules after the 2000 hearings and the issue receded from the public agenda until the failure of the Enron Corporation and the role of its auditor, Arthur Andersen, in that failure brought the issue of auditor independence to the fore. In analyzing the problem of auditor independence, both the academic accounting literature and the mass media have implicitly adopted what could be considered an â€Å"economic† perspective on the problem. Theoretical papers, empirical analyses, and media discussions of the Conflict of Interest 4 issue of independence assume, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, that auditor bias is a matter of deliberate choice (Antle, 1984; DeAngelo, 1981; Simunic, 1984). Auditors are assumed to have the ability to complete high-quality, independent, unbiased audits if they choose to do so. Bias, to t he extent that it is thought to exist, is seen as a deliberate response to incentives. This â€Å"economic† account of independence and bias is challenged by psychological research which suggests that biased information processing is not only pervasive, but is typically unconscious and unintentional—i.e., seldom a matter of deliberate choice. Applied to auditing, this research suggests that auditors who face conflicts of interest may find it difficult, if not impossible, to avoid bias even if they attempt to do so. Whether auditor bias is a matter of conscious choice or is unintentional and unconscious has wide-ranging implications for policy, because conscious corruption and unconscious bias respond to different influences. In this paper, we first review findings from empirical research on biased information processing. Then we report results from three experiments. The first experiment documents biased judgment among professional auditors. The second and third experiments delve deeper into the psychological processes at work and examine the causes of bi ased judgment. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the practice of and rules surrounding auditing. Motivated Information Processing Research shows that people evaluate evidence in a selective fashion when they have a stake in reaching a particular conclusion. They tend to focus on evidence that supports the conclusion they would like to reach and evaluate that evidence in an uncritical fashion (Holyoak Simon, 1999; Koehler, 1991; Lord, Ross, Lepper, 1979; Russo, Medvec, Meloy, 1996; Russo, Meloy, Medvec, 1998, see Rabin Schrag, 1999 for a theoretical model). When evidence conflicts with their desired conclusions, people tend to either ignore it or subject it to particularly critical scrutiny (Ditto Lopez, 1992). This selective information processing effect is so strong that when people on different sides of an issue are exposed to the same information they can all feel that the information supports their position. As a result, they may even hold more strongly disparate opinions after receiving the same information (Lord et al., 1979). One important influence on how people evaluate information is accountability. When people know that they will be accountable for their decisions, they show more concern for how their decisions will be received. When they do not know the preferences of their audience, this heightened concern leads to more systematic cognitive processing and a more thorough justification of the conclusion (Tetlock, 1983). However, when the preferences of the audience are known, accountability need not lead to more thoughtful processing, but can instead increase the likelihood that the decision-makers judgment will be consistent with the known preferences of the audience (Tetlock, 1983). In an audit, there can be little doubt regarding the preferences of the management of the client firm: They want to get an unqualified audit report. The effect of accountability cannot be easily explained by simple self-interest, because most of the research on accountability has not included any rewards for agreeing with the individual to whom one is accountable (Tetlock, 1992). But this is not to say that self-interest does not influence judgment. When a particular interpretation of the evidence will benefit them materially, people gravitate toward that interpretation, even when they hold an explicit goal of being impartial. For example, people tend to think that the allocation of resources that benefits themselves is fair (Messick Sentis, 1979), and believe that others will share their perspective (Diekmann, 1997; Diekmann, Samuels, Ross, Bazerman, 1997; Messick Sentis, 1983). Moreover, they are typically unaware that they are processing information in a self-serving fashion and, thus, are unaware that they are biased. Thompson and Loewenstein (1992) found evidence of a self-serving bias in negotiators’ reports of fairness. In their experiment, participants played either the role of management or union in a wage negotiation, and both roles were given the same information about the details of the situation. Before they negotiated, both parties were asked what they believed a fair outcome to be from the vantage point of a neutral third party. Their responses were egocentrically biased; individuals representing the union tended to believe that a higher wage was fairer, whereas those representing management tended to report that a lower wage was fairer. The parties then proceeded to trade bids until they came to settlement, and delay was costly to both parties. The magnitude of the egocentric bias—the difference between the two sides perceptions of a fair wage—predicted the length of time it took parties to come to agreement: The more egocentric the parties ex ante perceptions of fairness were, the longer strikes tended to last. Later research demonstrated the same result in real negotiations between union and school board presidents in Pennsylvania (Babcock, Wang, Loewenstein, 1996). In the studies cited above, the pre-negotiation fairness judgments had no direct consequence for the negotiators, so it is unlikely that the bias resulted from strategic misrepresentation. However, subjects were not given any incentive to report their judgments accurately, so the studies do not reveal whether people are able to provide impartial judgments when they are motivated to do so. Two studies (Babcock, Loewenstein, Issacharoff, Camerer, 1995; Loewenstein, Issacharoff, Camerer, Babcock, 1993), however, offered a clear incentive to participants to be accurate in their private fairness judgments. Participants whose judgments came close to the determinations of an impartial judge were given a cash bonus. This incentive did not eliminate egocentrism in participants reports, suggesting that their roles influenced their assessments of fairness in ways they could not disregard even when it was in their interest to do so. Kunda (1990) argued that this motivated reasoning leads to biased conclusions whenever there is sufficient ambiguity in the evidence to allow for a biased interpretation. Thompson and Loewenstein (1992) explicitly manipulated ambiguity and confirmed Kundas prediction: Greater ambiguity leads to more bias. In general, as Babcock and Loewenstein (1997: 120) concluded on the basis of the aforementioned studies: As soon as asymmetries are introduced between the parties—for example, different nonagreement values or costs of non-settlement, or subtle differences in roles—both parties notions of fairness will tend to gravitate toward settlements that favor themselves. They will not only view these settlements as fair, but believe that their personal conception of fairness is impartial. In sum, research on information processing and bargaining suggests both that people process information in a biased, self-interested, fashion, and that this bias is strong, automatic, and unconscious. Implications of Motivated Information Processing for Auditor Independence The research on motivated information processing has significant implications for auditor bias. Very few auditors begin their work hoping to find a client has breached accounting standards. Rather, auditors typically start with a desire to reach a positive conclusion about their clients and issue an unqualified audit report. Auditors generally want to be rehired by their clients, and it is often the case that an unfavorable audit report is likely to result in a client firm changing auditors (Levinthal Fichman, 1988; Seabright, Levinthal, Fichman, 1992). Even if the accounting firm is large enough that one account is a trivial percentage of its revenues, individual auditors’ jobs and careers may depend on success with specific clients. Perhaps more importantly, accounting firms often treat auditing work as a way to build relationships that will allow them to sell other services including management consulting, information technology assistance, or tax accounting. Although some have argued that the contingent rents available through consulting services should not influence audit quality (Antle, Griffen, Teece, Williamson, 1997; Dopuch, King, Schwartz, 2001), other recent evidence suggests that it may (Frankel, Johnson, Nelson, in press). An auditor’s job is complex, involving the accumulation and synthesis of a great deal of information about a client firm. The information available to auditors often includes the kind of ambiguity that facilitates motivated information processing. Joseph Berardino, Arthur Andersen’s former chief executive, in his congressional testimony on the Enron collapse, commented that: Many people think accounting is a science, where one number, namely earnings per share, is the number, and it’s such a precise number, that it couldn’t be two pennies higher or two pennies lower. I come from a school that says it’s really much more of an art (as quoted in Harris, 2001). This imprecision allows motivated reasoning to insinuate itself into auditors judgments. Historically, those who have defended auditors against charges of bias have emphasized their high ethical standards and professional values. For example, at the SEC hearings on auditor independence, Gary Shamis, Chairman of the Management of an Accounting Practice Committee at the AICPA, stated that: Conflict of Interest 9 We take the existing independence rules quite seriously, and consequently abide by all the existing rules. We are professionals that follow our code of ethics and practice by the highest moral standards. We would never be influenced by our own personal financial well being (Shamis, 2000) While it is likely that most auditors attempt to remain independent, neither ethical codes nor training are likely to be effective remedies against a bias that is unconscious and unintentional. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of auditors do not deliberately author biased reports. Instead, auditors’ roles influence their professional assessments so that their private beliefs become consistent with the interests of their clients. Although it is possible that auditors sometimes intentionally misrepresent their findings in public, it is more likely that self-interest operates indirectly, by unconsciously influencing auditors’ assessments of a client’s financial condition. The Studies The three experiments reported here bring together research on motivated reasoning and accountability to study the psychology auditors judgments. Experiment 1 presents data from professional auditors and tests the hypothesis that their judgments may be biased in favor of client firms (Hypothesis 1). The second and third studies examine the causes behind this effect; they examine factors that could moderate the magnitude of bias, and test the extent to which the bias can be consciously undone. Participants were asked to produce two judgments: one public and the other private. For the public judgments, subjects were given an explicit incentive to be biased. For the private judgments, they were given an incentive to be unbiased; they were paid on the basis of how close their judgments came to those provided by an impartial panel of experts. If participants were fully aware of the bias in their public reports, and if properly motivated to do so, they should have been able to adjust their evaluations to eliminate the bias in their private judgments. If they were not fully aware of the bias, as the research on motivated information processing would suggest, then their private estimates should have been biased as well (Hypothesis 2). Experiment 2 specifically tests the consequences of financial incentives on bias. To the extent that financial incentives affect the strength of the auditors desire to reach a particular conclusion, one might expect to observe parallel changes in the magnitude of bias. Experiment 2 tests the hypothesis that the greater one’s financial interest in a particular outcome, the more biased one will be in the direction of that outcome (Hypothesis 3). The third study examines the effect of the relationship between the auditor and the principal. Material interests are not the only factors that can undermine the impartiality of judgments. Personal relationships and affiliations can have a similar effect. The power of affiliations is evident in sports fans; questionable referee calls often provoke outrage by the fans of the call’s loser, but rarely by fans on the winning side. Indeed, one of the first studies that documented the self-serving bias involved sports teams. In their classic study of a particularly rough football game, Hastdorf and Cantril (1954) showed that fans from each side blamed the other team for behaving more aggressively; this result also held for fans who had not seen the game live but only watched a film of the game. These fans obtained no material benefit from their energetic advocacy but nevertheless made judgments that favored their own teams. The self-serving bias does not require the powerful affiliations associated with sports teams. Thompson (1995) has shown, in a simulated labor dispute, that it takes only a whiff of affiliation with a partisan to create sympathetic leanings. Naturally, this tendency is only strengthened when people feel accountable to the partisan (Lerner Tetlock, 1999; Tetlock, 1992). Most auditors are likely to have frequent close contact with a client, creating much stronger affiliations. Indeed, it is the cooperation of the client that makes it possible for auditors to do their jobs. Thus, Experi ment 3 tests the hypothesis that the closer one’s personal relationship with a particular individual, the more biased one will be in that person’s favor (Hypothesis 4). EXPERIMENT 1: Role-Conferred Biases Method Participants were 139 professional auditors employed full-time by one of the Big Four accounting firms in the United States. Their ages ranged from 23 to 55, with a mean of 29 years (SD = 6.2). Fifty-six percent of the participants were male. They had a mean of five years (SD = 5.7) working as an auditor. Nine participants requested, after they had handed in their questionnaires, that their responses be excluded from subsequent data analyses. Participants were given five different auditing vignettes and asked them to come to a judgment regarding the proper auditing in each case. The problems were intentionally chosen to be somewhat difficult accounting problems for which generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) did not provide an unambiguous solution. Each of the vignettes depicts a situation in which accounting issues that are not clearly addressed by current rule-based accounting standards. The issues addressed include the recognition of intangible assets on the financial statements (vignette 1), the restructuring of debt with dilutive securities (vignette 2), the recognition vs. deferral of revenues (vignette 3), capitalization vs. expensing of expenditures (vignette 4), and the treatment of research and development costs on the financial statements (vignette 5). Subjects were told that these cases were independent of each other and hypothetical, although are intentionally realistic. It was our goal to design these vignettes such that the issues that are described are more general and do not particularly apply to any one  industry, to ensure that auditors specializing in one industry will not have a specific advantage or disadvantage in answering any of the questions. All participants saw all five vignettes in the same order. The five vignettes are listed in Appendix A. The experiment had a 2 (role: hired by issuer or by outside investor) X 2 (question order: make accounting valuation first vs. evaluate other’s accounting first) between-subjects factorial design. The role manipulation varied whom participants were told they were working for. Half the participants’ materials informed them that they had been hired as the external auditor for the firm in question. The other half of participants were told that they were working for an outside investor considering investing money in the firm. The question order manipulation varied the order of the questions that followed every vignette. Those in the choice-first condition were first presented with (1) the firm’s unaudited accounting, and were asked whether they would accept it as complying with GAAP; and (2) what the right accounting would be. Those in the valuation-first condition got these two questions in the reverse order. All participants were also asked how confident they were about their judgments. Results Neither age nor years of auditing experience affected the dependent measures reported below. Therefore, we do not report them in any of the subsequent analyses. We hypothesized that participants would be more likely to come to the conclusion that the accounting behind a firm’s financial reports complied with GAAP if they were working for the firm than if they were not (Hypothesis 1). To test this hypothesis, we conducted a 2 (role: hired by issuer or by outside investor) X 2 (question order: make accounting valuation first vs. Conflict of Interest 13 evaluate other’s accounting first) MANOVA using the five approval decisions as dependent variables. The results show a significant main effect of role. Consistent with Hypothesis 1, those working as external auditor for a firm were significantly more likely to approve its accounting (M = 29%, SD = 24%) than were those who represented outside investors (M = 22%, SD = 21%), F (5, 107) = 2.9, p .05. Neither the main effect of question order nor its interaction with role is significant. We also expected, consistent with Hypothesis 1, that in addition to being more willing to endorse the firm’s own accounting, participants would be more likely to come to valuation decisions that were favorable to the target firm when they were considering the problem from the perspective of an outside auditor then when they had taken the perspective of a potential investor. To test this prediction, we first generated standardized scores for each item by computing a zscore of the valuation and reverse-scoring items as appropriate so that higher scores indicated valuations more favorable to the target firm. We then computed an average valuation for each participant and submitted these valuations to a 2 (role: hired by issuer or by outside investor) X 2 (question order: make accounting valuation first vs. evaluate other’s accounting first) ANOVA. The results show a main effect of role: Those playing the role of outside auditor came to more favorable valuations (M = .08, SD = .56) than did those working for a potential investor, (M = -.11, SD = .50), F (1, 134) = 4.07, p .05. Neither the main effect of question order nor its interaction with role is significant. Discussion The results of Experiment 1 are broadly consistent with research on accountability that shows that people tend to be proactively responsive to those to whom they expect to be accountable. When people are accountable to others with known preferences, then their judgments tend to be consistent with the preferences of those to whom they are accountable (Tetlock, 1983). An auditor who feels accountable to the client is more likely to issue a clean, unqualified audit report than one who feels accountable to an audit partner within his or her own firm (Buchman, Tetlock, Reed, 1996). However, it is worth noting that the accountability manipulation used in Experiment 1 was weak compared with the standard accountability manipulations in which people are led to believe that they will actually be meeting with a real person to whom they will need to justify their decisions. In Experiment 1, no mention was made of such accountability and participants were not required to justify their opinions. Nevertheless, this weak manipulation had an effect. We speculate that one reason for its effectiveness may be that the participants were familiar with the role of auditor, and so were able to easily put themselves in the role of being employed by, and accountable to, the client firm. One notable feature of the results of Experiment 1 is the low levels of endorsement. Nearly three quarters of the time, participants rejected the accounting proposed in the vignette as not complying with GAAP. This fact stands in contrast to the fact that the vast majority of all audit reports are unqualified. Two facts can explain the low endorsement rates in Experiment 1. First, the proposed accounting we gave participants in each vignette was intentionally designed to be fairly aggressive. Second, participants general suspiciousness was heightened because: (1) before they responded to the questionnaire, participants had to sign the consent form which, according to the rules of the institutional review board that approved it, had to include the name of the study: Auditor independence and bias; and (2) the participants had all been recently hired away from Arthur Andersen, and several expressed the concern that their ex-employers fate would be assumed to reflect badly on them. It is, perhaps, striking that the experiments manipulation worked despite participants heightened suspiciousness. Experiment 1 leaves a number of important theoretical questions unanswered. What, exactly, is it in the relationship between auditor and client that leads it to have the power to sway auditors judgments, given the clear ethical standards of their professions prohibiting such influence? Experiments 2 and 3 test two possible answers to this question: financial incentives and personal relationships. Because these two factors are confounded in actual auditor-client relationships, the experiments are conducted with participants who are not professional auditors. However, due to the fact that these non-auditor participants were unfamiliar with GAAP and so could not judge compliance with it, we created a slightly different experimental paradigm. EXPERIMENT 2: The Role of Financial Incentives Method Participants. One hundred twelve individuals participated for pay. Participants were recruited with advertisements in local newspapers and with flyers posted on the campuses of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Forty-nine percent of the participants were male. They ranged in age from 20 to 41, with an average age of 24 years (SD = 5.18 years). Procedure. Participants were run in groups of four. They were assigned to one of four roles: the buyer, the buyer’s auditor, the seller, or the seller’s auditor. Principals (the buyer and the seller) were seated next to their auditors. All four participants received the same packet of information about the target firm, named E-Settle (see Appendix B). After reading through these materials, the principals made public reports on the value of the firm. The auditors then reviewed these reports and offered either an unqualified endorsement of the principal’s assessment or offered their own assessments that could include suggestions for revision. In addition, all auditors were asked to specify both the most they thought the buyer should consider paying and the least they thought the seller should consider accepting. Both the principals’ and the auditors’ public reports were viewed by both principals. Armed with their own estimates and those of their auditors, principals then negotiated the purchase of the firm. The principals were paid based on their negotiated outcomes. In addition to the auditors’ public reports, which went to both principals, the auditors each completed a private report that went only to the experimenter. This private report instructed auditors to report their true belief in the value of t he target firm, and told them, â€Å"Your goal is for this assessment to be as impartial as you can make it.† Participants were told that their estimates of the firm’s value would be compared with the opinions of nonpartisan experts. The panel of experts consisted of eight professors of accounting and finance at Carnegie Mellon University’s Graduate School of Industrial Administration. The experts had assessed the value of the firm at $14 million. If a participant’s valuation were within $3 million of the experts’, he or she would receive an additional $3 payment. Participants were then asked to express how confident they were in the accuracy of their private appraisals. They were given the opportunity to bet on their private appraisals. If they chose to take the bet, they stood to win more money ($6 instead of $3, but their appraisals had to be more accurate (within $1.5 million instead of $3 million). Finally, participants answered questions designed to assess the degree to which they believed their own appraisals of the target firm (E-Settle) may have been bias ed by the roles they played: Conflict of Interest 17 1) To what extent do you believe your private appraisal of the value of E-Settle was biased by your role? The response scale ran from 0 (no bias whatsoever) to 10 (powerfully biased). 2) To what extent do you think your role interfered with your ability to give an impartial estimate of E-Settle’s value in your private assessment? The response scale ran from 1 (it did not influence me at all) to 7 (I found it impossible to make an impartial assessment). 3) How do you believe your role influenced your estimate of E-Settle’s value in your private appraisal? The response scale ran from -$3,000,000 (It led me to make an appraisal that was at least $3 million below what it would otherwise have been) to +$3,000,000 (It led me to make an appraisal that was at least $3 million above what it would otherwise have been). Design. The experiments manipulation of incentive structures included three conditions: Fixed fee, Pay for performance, and Future business. In the fixed fee condition, auditors were paid a fixed $9 fee regardless of their reports and regardless of the principal’s outcomes. In the pay for performance condition, auditors received a $3 base payment plus the same contingent payments as their principals: $.50 per $1 million in sale price either above $0 (for the seller) or below $30 million (for the buyer). This manipulation was designed to mirror a practice that the SEC has made illegal in which auditors have a direct financial stake in the success of a client firm. In the future business condition, auditors received a $3 base payment; after the negotiation was complete, principals could choose to award future business to the auditor, worth anywhere from $0 to $10. The decision of how much business to give to the auditor did not influence the principal’s own earnings. This manipulation was designed to mirror the incentives present for auditors who would like to continue offering profitable services to a client who has the choice of hiring them or some other firm. Results Public reports. After reading about the target firm, principals provided estimates of its value. A 2 (role: buyer vs. seller) X 3 (pay: fixed, pay for performance, future business) ANOVA revealed a main effect for role. Sellers estimated the value of the firm to be higher (M = $21.5 MM, SD = $8.5 MM) than did buyers (M = $12.3 MM, SD = $12.3 MM), F(1, 49) = 18.94, p .001. After having seen this report, auditors had the option of either unconditionally endorsing the principal’s report or suggesting changes. A logistic regression reveals that neither role nor the extremity of the principal’s valuation influenced the frequency of endorsement. However, pay condition was a significant predictor of the tendency to endorse, B = -.75, p .05. Auditors in the fixed payment and pay for performance conditions were about equally likely to issue unconditional endorsements (50 percent and 47 percent respectively). However, auditors in the future business condition were less likely to issue an unconditional endorsement (17 percent) and instead tended to offer suggestions for revision (see Table 1), χ2(2) = 4.89, p .05. In professional auditing, issuing a conditional endorsement of a client’s financial statements suggests that the auditor believes there are problems. However, participants in the present experiment were not constrained in this way. In their reports, about 12 percent of auditors suggested that their principals had been too extreme in their valuation of the company, and advised moderation (lower prices recommended to sellers and higher prices to buyers).

Gay Marriage Should be Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Thirty-six states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet a few states have passed laws that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Several other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States' homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry, and others believe that gay people should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals. I think that the United States should allow same-sex couples to marry just like heterosexual couples. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of permitting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as â€Å"a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.† Furthermore, it defines a spouse as â€Å" a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife† (What 1). Under these guidelines, it is quite obvious that gay couples would not be eligible for marriage. People against homosexual marriage also say that it is a person’s choice to be gay. Since the individual chooses to be a homosexual, they should not be given special privileges. Another argument that you hear is that these couples should not get married simply because of the torment and ridicule they would be faced with in their everyday lives. There are news reports from across America telling about how a gay person was beaten or killed just because they were looked at as different. Some of these people would end up the target of verbal abuse and maybe even physical abuse, just because some heterosexual people see them as different. Gay Marriage Should be Legal :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Thirty-six states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet a few states have passed laws that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Several other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States' homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry, and others believe that gay people should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals. I think that the United States should allow same-sex couples to marry just like heterosexual couples. There are many opponents of gay people as it is, and they all have their reasons to dislike the idea of permitting them get married. One of the main reasons is that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation. Because gay couples are unable to have children, they should not be allowed to marry (Schiffen 495). Another main argument is that the word marriage means the union of one man and one woman. This is a long-standing theme of most major Western religions. Under a proposed bill known as the Defense of Marriage act, marriage is defined as â€Å"a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.† Furthermore, it defines a spouse as â€Å" a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife† (What 1). Under these guidelines, it is quite obvious that gay couples would not be eligible for marriage. People against homosexual marriage also say that it is a person’s choice to be gay. Since the individual chooses to be a homosexual, they should not be given special privileges. Another argument that you hear is that these couples should not get married simply because of the torment and ridicule they would be faced with in their everyday lives. There are news reports from across America telling about how a gay person was beaten or killed just because they were looked at as different. Some of these people would end up the target of verbal abuse and maybe even physical abuse, just because some heterosexual people see them as different.

Daniel Allistair Kaffee

I do know you. Daniel AlliStair Kaffee, born June 8th, 1964 at Boston Mercy Hospital. Your father's Lionel Kaffee, former Navy Judge Advocate and Attorney General, of the United States, died 1985. You went to Harvard Law on a Navy scholarship, probably because that's what your father wanted you to do, and now you're just treading water for the three years you've gotta serve in the JAG Corps, just kinda layin' low til you can get out and get a real job. And if that's the situation, that's fine, I won't tell anyone. But my feeling is that if this case is handled in the same fast-food, slick-ass, Persian Bazaar manner with which you seem to handle everything else, something's gonna get missed. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I allowed Dawson and Downey to spend any more time in prison than absolutely necessary, because their attorney had pre-determined the path of least resistance. I do know you. Daniel AlliStair Kaffee, born June 8th, 1964 at Boston Mercy Hospital. Your father's Lionel Kaffee, former Navy Judge Advocate and Attorney General, of the United States, died 1985. You went to Harvard Law on a Navy scholarship, probably because that's what your father wanted you to do, and now you're just treading water for the three years you've gotta serve in the JAG Corps, just kinda layin' low til you can get out and get a real job. And if that's the situation, that's fine, I won't tell anyone. But my feeling is that if this case is handled in the same fast-food, slick-ass, Persian Bazaar manner with which you seem to handle everything else, something's gonna get missed. And I wouldn't be doing my job if I allowed Dawson and Downey to spend any more time in prison than absolutely necessary, because their attorney had pre-determined the path of least resistance.

Questions: Mobile Phone and Personal Navigation Devices Essay

Overview As TomTom, one of the largest producers of satellite navigation devices in the world, entered 2010 it faced stiff competition from its traditional rivals such as Garmin and from new competition from cell phones. Although its sales reached an all time high of â‚ ¬1.74 billion in 2007 by 2008 sales had slipped to â‚ ¬1.67 billion. That year the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. The decline in sales continued with 2009 sales slipping to â‚ ¬1.48 billion, although the company managed to post net income of â‚ ¬86 million that year. TomTom employed over 3,000 employees in 40 countries. Since its founding in 1991, the Netherlands-based company experienced steady growth. It offered an array of information services and devices aimed at the consumer and business markets. It led the navigation market in Europe, and was second to Garmin in the United States. In 2007, it outbid Garmin to acquire Tele Atlas in a vertical integration strategy to control the map creation process. TomTom paid â‚ ¬2.9 billion for Tele Atlas. As 2009 came to a close, Google announced it would offer turn-by-turn navigation within cell phones. Google said the product, initially limited to driving directions in the U.S. would be free to consumers. As the U.S. and European markets for navigation devices matured, TomTom was faced with decisions related to the relative emphasis it should place on its stand-alone navigation devices, built-in navigational units for automobiles and aviation, and business devices and services aimed at companies with large mobile workforces. Suggestions for Using the Case Students should find the TomTom case interesting since many of them probably own a GPS unit or use a smartphone- based GPS application. The Nintendo case is excellent for drilling students in applying the concepts and analytical tools covered in Chapters 4 and 5. The case provides sufficient information to allow students to fully examine the competitive forces at play in the personal navigation industry, consider the industry’s driving forces and key success factors, and examine TomTom’s internal situation. In addition, the case’s decision focus allows students to consider what TomTom must do to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. To give students  guidance in what to do and think about in preparing the TomTom case for class discussion, we strongly recommend providing class members with a set of study questions and insisting that they prepare good notes/answers to these questions in preparing for class discussion of the case. You may also find it beneficial to have your class read the Guide to Case Analysis that is posted in the student section of the Online Learning Center for the 18th edition at www.mhhe.com/thompson. Students will find the content of this Guide particularly helpful if this is their first experience with cases and they are unsure about the mechanics of how to prepare a case for class discussion, oral presentation, or written analysis. TomTom: New Competition Everywhere! *This teaching note was prepared by Professor Woody Richardson, Mississippi State University. We are most grateful for his insight, analysis and contributions to how the case can be taught successfully. * In our experience, it is quite difficult to have an insightful and constructive class discussion of an assigned case unless students have conscientiously have made use of pertinent core concepts and analytical tools in preparing substantive answers to a set of well-conceived study questions before they come to class. In our classes, we expect students to bring their notes to the study questions to use/refer to in responding to the questions that we pose. Moreover, students often find having a set of study questions is useful in helping them prepare oral team presentations and written case assignments—in addition to whatever directive questions you supply for these assignments. Hence, we urge that you insist students spend quality time preparing answers to study questions— either those we have provided or a set of your own questions. The case can be used effectively for a written assignment or oral presentation. Our recommended questions for written assignments are as follows: You have recently been hired by TomTom as a new market analyst and have been asked to assess the attractiveness of the personal navigation industry and determine TomTom’s competitive strength. Please prepare a 5-6 page report that evaluates competition in the industry, assesses industry driving forces, and lists industry key success factors. Your report should also include an assessment of TomTom’s internal  situation and makes specific strategy recommendations that will allow TomTom to improve its market and financial performance. Assignment Questions 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing?  2. How well is the strategy working?  3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? Teaching Outline and Analysis 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing? For the most part, TomTom has followed product development and market development strategies with clear emphasis on differentiating its product. Its 2007 acquisition of Tele Atlas was clearly illustrative of vertical integration. Through the years its acquisitions and patent development display elements of an offensive basis of competitive attack based on pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market share away from less innovative rivals. A good use of the history section of the case is to have students classify or label TomTom’s historical actions related to products and markets into product development or market development. The results might look like the following table. Time Action Described in Case Strategy Early 1990s Software development for handheld computers to commercial applications. Product Development & Market Development 1996 Announced first navigation software Market Development 2001 Entered Mobile car satellite navigation market Market Development 2006-2008 Acquired Datafactory AG to power TomTom Work Acquired Applied Generics for Mobility Solutions. Acquired Tele Atlas for map creation Product Development Product Development Vertical Integration 2009 TomTom for the iPhone released Market Development The TomTom Group consisted of TomTom (Business to Consumer), Tele Atlas (Business to Business), WORK (Commercial Fleets), and Automotive (Auto Manufacturers & Suppliers). In response to the economic downturn that began in 2007, increased competitive threats, and growth declines in the U.S. and Europe, the company shifted its business mix toward value-added services. The potential results of this attempt to make personal navigation devices (PNDs) a smaller proportion of total revenue were at best uncertain. 2. How well is the strategy working? The short answer is that up until the global economic downturn beginning in 2007 and continuing in 2008, TomTom’s strategy had produced outstanding results. However, as the losses in 2008 indicate, the strategy bears scrutiny. The downward pressure on prices due to competition and the slowing of discretionary expenditures due to the global recession produced a financial strain on TomTom. An examination of Case Exhibits 3 and 4 reveals the following trends from the first Quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009: ÃŽ ½ European Revenue Down 22% ÃŽ ½ North America Revenue Down 52% ÃŽ ½ Global PNDs sold Down 29%. At the same time, the selling price and overall operating margins had been decreasing since 2007. The gross profit margins from 2006-2009 were as  follows: 2009 2008 2007 2006 50.6% 53.3% 56.0% 57.6% This caused net income to drop much more precipitously than the decline in sales. Couple this information with a debt load over â‚ ¬1 billion due to the acquisition of Tele Atlas and the company appeared to be in a financial bind. For all of 2008, the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. 3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? The outlook for industry profitability is not what it was 5 years ago. Students should be able to develop an outlook by using Porter’s Model of Industry Attractiveness as discussed in Chapter 3 of the text. Rivalry among Competing Sellers Rivalry will intensify as industry growth in US & Europe slows. Margins will continue to decline. Firms will fight to utilize capacity through further price cuts. Growth in China & India would mitigate the rivalry intensity. Buyers Big Box stores exert strong pressure on price, terms & delivery. Car makers also exert strong influence owing to their purchasing power. Suppliers Very limited influence as all key components are controlled through vertical integration. Threat from Substitute Products Major Threat – Cell phones for PNDs predicted to dominate by 2013. Less Threat – Fleet management & Automotive markets. Potential New Entrants Nokia’s acquisition of Navteq signals their intent to integrate phone and navigation services. Google’s announcement also signals its entry into the market. Up until recently the industry was much more attractive. Physical maps were not much of a threat as a substitute, but by 2009 the industry was undergoing a sea change regarding cell phones as substitutes. For the younger consumers who have never not known cell phones, the expectation that navigation be a common feature will be a strong force in the market just as many in this generation only wear watches as fashion ornaments because they are never without their cell phone. These tech-saavy consumers may eschew separate devices for navigation. 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? Strengths Weaknesses †¢ Brand Name Recognition †¢ Map creation capabilities †¢ Innovative features — Mapshare — Points of Interest — Traffic updates †¢ Automotive partnerships †¢ European market share †¢ Sales declines †¢ Shrinking margins †¢ Debt load since Tele Atlas acquisition †¢ Relative weak sales outside Europe & the United States †¢ Stand alone (separate) products Threats Opportunities †¢ PND unit sales decline †¢ Multifunctional devices (cell phones/smart phones) popularity is growing †¢ Strong Competition from Traditional competitors – Garmin & Magellan †¢ Strong Competition from new competitors – Nokia & Google †¢ Potential legislation to restrict/ban navigational devices from autos †¢ Aging satellites that support GPS †¢ Growth of India & China †¢ 65% of U.S. adults don’t own any kind of navigation device of any kind †¢ High fuel prices encourage better fleet management & fuel efficiency for consumers †¢ Environmental concerns encourage better fleet management & consumer behavior to be â€Å"green† 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? This is a difficult question. Certainly the move to reduce the company’s reliance on PNDs, a product category with declining sales, prices, and margins seemed a prudent measure. The efficacy of this strategy will depend on at least two key questions. ÃŽ ½ How fast will the PND market continue to shift to cell phones? If the analysts are correct and the cell phones will dominate the delivery for personal navigation devices then TomTom may need to accelerate its plans to reduce its dependency on this category. Students should recognize that as the demand for stand-alone PNDs declines the price will drop even more precipitously. ÃŽ ½ How fast can TomTom grow its non-PND business lines? One bright potential bright spot for TomTom could be the demand for more partnerships with car makers. Car makers will likely offer navigational devices as standard features rather than luxury options. TomTom could be well positioned (if it chooses to do so) to garner a share of this market similar to its deal announced at the end of 2008 with Renault. Of course, the car makers would continue the downward price pressure, but would represent a sizable market opportunity. Of course, should legislation be introduced to ban navigational devices in automobiles this would have a profound effect on TomTom and its competitors. Some students will be quick to point out that the markets in China and India would be lagging the U.S.  and Europe and would therefore be ripe for market penetration without any significant outlay for new product development. However, better students will point out that China and India both have significant cell phone penetration and they may actually be more desirous of product integration and multi-bfunctionality. 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? First, there appears to be no â€Å"magic bullet† capable of taking a strong #2 player such as TomTom to number one in the industry unless Garmin were to make a major misstep. The diffi culty of making a recommendation is further exacerbated by the move to cell phones for PNDs. However, TomTom might consider some of the following actions. ÃŽ ½ Focus on information solutions, specifically the â€Å"Better Routing† & â€Å"Better Traffic† information goals mentioned in the case. Provide these solutions regardless of type of device. ÃŽ ½ Defend and Develop markets not dependent on cell phone devices (e.g. coast guard, maritime, aviation, and fleet management markets.) ÃŽ ½ Seek more automotive partnerships – use the Renault and Avis experiences to ramp up sales in this area. ÃŽ ½ Extend product life – attempt to recoup R&D efforts by seeking markets in developing countries where the disposable income may be reaching the threshold to adopt PNDs. ÃŽ ½ Aggressively market fleet management solutions. ÃŽ ½ Develop more applications/partnerships similar to the iPhone experience. Find a way to â€Å"ride the dragon.† Find a way to participate in the growth in multifunctional cell phones. Even a small portion of this huge market would be extremely lucrative. Epilogue Immediately following Google’s October 28, 2009 announcement mentioned at the end of the case, TomTom and Garmin offered Black Friday discounts of 25% up  to 40% on some units. In 2010, the company generated sales of â‚ ¬1.521 billion with a net income of â‚ ¬108 million. TomTom announced in a February 25, 2011 Reuters report by Roberta B. Cowan that it faces â€Å"such a rapid decline in its key market for personal navigation devices (PNDs) that its shift into new businesses may not be fast enough to compensate.† The company forecasted that the overall PND market would decline by 10 to 15 percent in 2011 and that its earnings would not grow.