Essay on CDS Case Study - Operations Management - 3944 Words

1.0 INTRODUCTION Operations management is defined as â€Å"the activity of managing the resources which produce and deliver products and services† (Slack et al. 2010 p4). This encompasses the entire activity carried out within the organization. With increasing pressure on organizations to deliver optimally at reduced cost, the role of operations has been transformed from that of strategy implementer to one of strategy driver. Operations strategy looks at the patterns of strategic decisions and actions in a bid to set the roles, objectives and activities of the operations (Slack et al. 2010). An understanding of these strategies is important in ensuring that organizations are well aware of the requirements needed to meet the corporate†¦show more content†¦Hence, it is important to analyse the process through which market needs are aligned with operational realities, thereby ensuring that operation can deliver what it is being asked of them and that this alignment will endure over time (Zanon et al. 2013). Evidenced in CDS operations is the implementation of two of the identified perspectives; Market requirement and Operations resource perspective. 2.1 MARKET REQUIREMENT PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS A market requirement perspective focuses on what market position requires of operations (Slack et al. 2010). Its focus is not just on the industry, but it considers where the organization intends to compete as well as the nature of competition ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ (Lowson 2002). Hill (1985), suggested that to win orders in the market place, organizations operations strategy and the marketing strategy need to be in sync. CDS Marketing function identified a trend that seems to have worked for retailers in the decorative product industry. They realised the importance of fashion trends and its appeal to people. This market requirement led to the creation of a whole new industry. The need for premium, high quality household product characterised by the many different colour range became a market qualifying criteria that drove marketing’s strategy. This strategy was in line with the overallShow MoreRelatedOperations Management in Cds747 Words   |  3 PagesQuestion: Why is operatio ns management important in CDS? Answer: Reason of existence of any organization is its production ability, service providing ability. 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First Aid and Buttercups Cc Pin Free Essays

Name: Kirsty Beale Nursery: Buttercups CC PIN: MU2. 4 Contribute to Children and Young People’s Health and Safety 3. 1 Identify non medical incidents and emergencies that may occur in the work setting * Fires * Flooding * Loss of property * Lack or loss of electricity,gas,water and heat * Data loss * Breach of confidentiality * Legal issues * Personal relationships * Bad management * Bad planning . We will write a custom essay sample on First Aid and Buttercups Cc Pin or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 Identify the signs and symptoms which may indicate that a child or young person in injured or unwell. * Temperature over 37. 5c * Unresponsive * Lethargic * Nausea * Vomiting * Dizziness * Difficulty breathing * Rash * Diarrhoea * Chronic Headaches * Stomach pains 4. 2 Identify circumstances where children or young people may need urgent medical attention. * Broken bones * Unconscious/unresponsive * Shallow Breathing Asthma attack * Temperature over 80c * In severe pain * Dislocation * Confusion * Allergies * Chocking 4. 3 Outline own role and responsibilities in the event of a child or young person requiring urgent medical attention. If I found a child showing any of the above symptoms I would evaluate what the symptoms are to the treatment needed if non-emergency I would immediately alert the appointed first aider so the child’s care can proceed. Related reading: Situations That Require Urgent Medical Attention If the child needs more substantial medical care an ambulance will be called and the parent/carer of the child will be informed what is wrong and where the child will be, when the situation is under control the settings medical forms will be filled out for legal purposes. 6. 2 Describe Personal Protective Clothing that is used to protect spread of infection. * Disposable gloves * Disposable aprons * Wounds to be dressed properly * Appropriate clothing and footwear to be worn * Body piercing’s covered or removed * Offensive tattoo’s covered or removed * Hair tied back How to cite First Aid and Buttercups Cc Pin, Essay examples

Technology in Automotive Powertrain Assembly MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Technology in Automotive Powertrain Assembly. Answer: Introduction: The company is a small Artificial Intelligence company in Brisbane; they are interested in using the tech of robotics in the fields of mining, transport, manufacturing and domestic consumption. They have already started a small robotics business but would like to expand the business with a five-year plan, basing on their competency in the ICT field. The companys CEO would like the company to expand in the direction of robotics and expand into Asia and the whole of Australia. The report is to be presented to the board members so that they can be informed in this field as they make the decision on what area they will expand in. As the ICT manager I have been tasked with carrying out the research and compiling this report to provide the required data. The report aims at informing the executive management on the topic of robotic technology deeply so that they can make a decision on whether they will implement the CEOs recommendation for it to be the way they expand the business. When they have all the information, both positive and negatives, they can then better make the decision on what to do in the best interests of the organization. The objectives of the report include; defining robotic technology, to find if the applications of this technology are in line with the five-year strategic plan of the company, to give the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology. Also to give the various risks the company may face, the social, moral and legal problems that may arise, to give solutions to all the problems that will be present and finally to give recommendations on the topic and whether or not it is profitable to the business if implemented. The methodology used to get data was through interviews and questionaries granted to people in the robotics field. The report will first define the key terms of the report that is robotics clearly, what it means and what exactly it is. It will then give the applications of robotics in the different industries the company wants to expand into.Then it will give the advantages and disadvantages of using robotic technology in the business like addressing the risks that the robotics technology has on security and technology in the company, then it will give a list of solutions to the problems from the use of robotics. Then it will discuss the findings of the research and finally give the recommendations on the research topic. The definition of robotics. Robotics is the field in technology that appertains to the draft, manufacture, working, and use of robots. A robot is a motorized apparatus which can be programmed to do duties and interrelate with its surrounding, without help from human touch at all.Simply it is the study of robots. These robots are apparatuses that can be used to perform tasks (Kurfess, Ed.,2004). Some of them can do tasks on their own. Other robots need humans to operate them. Furthermore, it is a field in engineering; this discipline interrelates with computer science, artificial intelligence, bioengineering, mechatronics, electronics, and nanotechnology.(Deb Deb, 2010) Robotics can be applied to different fields in todays market, but this report will focus on the areas our company intends on expanding into and focusing on. The fields include mining, domestic use, transport, and manufacturing areas. First in the mining sector the applications of robotics include; Material management automation. The robotics technology can be applied here to make work easier; these mines can use automated trucks to transport heavy goods from one point to another for processing through dangerous areas safely without putting workers in danger. Rio Tinto applied this method in 2008 and had great success and improved business for themselves. Tasks that are dangerous and repetitive are now automated, and also by doing this, it will reduce gas consumption and environmental depletion at the same time (Qian et al, 2006). Other applications are operations, like computerized belt scanning, used every day to observe the wear in the mineral conveyor belt. GPS steered robots used for making maps of the tunnels in the mines and also detecting where the minerals are or if there is gas by using a vision system. All these applications have the same objective to reduce danger to employees and to increase efficiency and productivity (Qian et al, 2006). Next field of implementation is the manufacturing sector. Material handling robots can computerize some of the repetitive and dangerous duties in a production line in factories. Assembly robots can be equipped with vision structures and force sensing which help and aid it to put together the manufactured product to its final form reducing costs (Bischoff, Kurth, Schreiber, Koeppe et al, 2010,). Then the dispensing robots are used for gluing, painting, spraying and applying adhesive to make the end product consistent and safe. The final product is then subject to inspection by robots made for this purpose. They are good to see if the products meet the industry standards hence these robots inspect the products ineptly and will and discover any errors made (Engelberger, 2012). Another area is applying the robotics at home. These applications include it can be used for cleaning different parts of the house like the vacuum cleaner is used to clean dust around the house. Then there are computerized pool cleaners which have a timer to clean pools; there are automatic litter changes which change cat litters. Another one is the lawn mower which helps keep the outside clean. Another application is food preparation; there are new technologies in the robotics which contribute to making cooking easier (Sahin, Guvenc,2007).They include automated barbecue makers, ovens, and fryers which do not need much human handling as long as you have set a timer to prepare food. Another application is entertainment; there are many robots and other equipment using robotics that can be used to bring happiness to people. Like a doll which dances and makes children happy and also machines for karaoke. Finally, it can be used to aid in learning at home; they can use them to learn about topics that interest those (Zhang et al. 2004). The final area is the transport sector. The applications include first there will be automated cars which will increase the efficiency of travel and keep the roads accident-free. Then it can be used to give tickets to travelers in public transportation; this is efficient as they do not tire and are not prejudiced. They are also used to move the trains and buses from one point to another. They can be used to load and offload heavy goods safely from the cars thus avoiding harm to humans. Finally, they are used to lead people from one point to the next to get to their transportation safely and fast (Murata, Kurokawa,2007). Advantages and disadvantages of robotics technology The use of robots has several benefits to businesses and people around them they include; the first land can be reclaimed and put to better use. These lands are ones that are occupied by the millions of cars owned by humans hence when these automated cars are used they need little space for storage hence the rest of the garages and land are put to use in expanding businesses (Navarro, Galn, 2008, May). It also increases productivity in companies because firstly, Robots manufacture perfect and excellent work. They also make mistakes rarely and also their work is more precise as compared to employees. They produce large amounts of property in a short period. They can also work consistently with no need of vacations or breaks (Hernando, Galan, Navarro, Rodriguez-Losada, 2011). Next advantage is that it ensures that there is safety in the workplace by. First, the robots keep the employees from doing the challenging and dangerous work. They can work in unsafe conditions, like inadequate lighting, chemicals that are toxic or small spaces. They can also lift heavy loads and not get hurt or tired. Robots increase the safety of employees by ensuring that humans do not get into accidents when doing dangerous jobs (Groover, 2007). It also increases savings made by businesses. When the robots are used in production, they save time used in production thus the firm produces more goods. They reduce waste of materials because tasks are not repeated. Robots save organizations funds in the long run with quick returns from investments made, fewer worker injuries thus they do not require compensation (Melhuish, Ieropoulos, Greenman, Horsfield,2006). They have also led to job creation because these robots require special handling hence new employees will be hired to do these tasks thus benefiting the people. Also, those with knowledge of programming will also get jobs in production and maintenance of the robots (Vertut, Ed.,2013). They have also taken the tedious work from employees, and they can now be assigned to new challenging jobs for them. Also, they have kept the companies competitive as the companies want to be the best in the field they are in(Murata, Kurokawa,2007). The use of robotics can also have adverse effects on businesses. First, by using these robots in the workplace, these offices are prone to cyber-attacks. It can be possible because the robots can be hacked if proper care is not taken and the malicious software installed in the robots program can then infect the office computers and hence expose the data of the company to the hackers (Yim, Shen, Salemi, Rus, Moll, Lipson, Chirikjian,2007). The robots can also go off program and cause harm to the individual employee when they malfunction. When they do this, they will cause losses to the company because of the cost incurred when repairing the machines and also treating the employee. Another disadvantage is that they have made some jobs obsolete thus humans will be fired as the robots can do these tasks efficiently and cheaper (Carlsson, Ed.,2012). The followingproblem is that there is difficulty in understanding that the business will initially have to make a significant investment to implement robotics in the firm. Itexpects to see results immediately with reduction of cost, but it will take time for the use of robots in the company to produce results. Also, the machines have to be regularly maintained thus the cost will go up. Also, these devices require specialized training to handle hence this will add on to the cost to the company (Sullins, 2008). From an ethical and social standpoint, the use of robotics technology is quite controversial in today's society because there will discuss different issues. First is that there will be difficulty in determining how the wealth will be distributedthe machines have created that. Also, human behavior will be different as they interact with the devices they may be affected negatively if they only interact with the robots. Also, there is the issue of humans creating artificial intelligence is ethically wrong as they are acting as God which is incorrect. Finally, it is morally wrong for machines to take jobs from people (Bekey,2012). Some of the solutions that can be implemented to solve these problems that come with using the robotics technology include; first the robots can be fitted with software that protects it from hacking and viruses hence, in the long run, safeguarding the data in the office (Navarro, Galn, 2008, May). Also, the companies can carry out research on the robotics tech and how much it will cost to implement it. Thus with this information, they can be ready when they decide to use the technology. Hence they will know what is required of them before hand and also they will know the market they are entering. Finally, people can be educated on robotics technology deeply so that they do not feel anxious about them and see how beneficial they are (Pan, Polden, Larkin, Van Duin, Norrish, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion from the above report, we can say that robotics technology has a various application the fields the business can grow into. They have been statedclearly. Thus we can see that they are many and we can be sure that if we start production of such technology, it will be profitable to our company. We can also see how useful this technology is to the different places it's can be used in however there are also adverse effects, but as stated above there are various solutions that can use. The ethical and legal standpoint offer a challenge, but it can be dealt with carefully as this is a profitable way of expansion. Recommendations I would recommend that the company start the expansion as suggested by the CEO as this is the right path to take with todays market. It will ensure profitability. Also, I would indicate that the company set apart the necessary fund to be used to start the implementation of this sector of the business. These funds will be utilizedfor production, training, hiring and also ensuring that every requirement is met. I would also recommend that my ICT team get a bettereducation so that they can combat any cyber issues that may arise (Viswanadham,2002). References Bekey, G. (2012). Current trends in robotics: technology and ethics. Robot ethics: the ethical and social implications of robotics. MIT Press, Cambridge, 17-34. Bischoff, R., Kurth, J., Schreiber, G., Koeppe, R., Albu-Schffer, A., Beyer, A., ... Hirzinger, G. (2010 , June). The KUKA-DLR Lightweight Robot arm-a new reference platform for robotics research and manufacturing. In Robotics (ISR), 2010 41st international symposium on and 2010 6th German conference on robotics (ROBOTIK) (pp. 1-8). VDE. Carlsson, B. (Ed.). (2012). Technological systems and economic performance: the case of factory automation (Vol. 5). Springer Science Business Media. Deb, S. R., Deb, S. (2010). Robotics technology and flexible automation. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Engelberger, J. F. (2012). Robotics in practice: management and applications of industrial robots. Springer Science Business Media. Groover, M. P. (2007). Automation, production systems, and computer-integrated manufacturing. Prentice Hall Press. Hernando, M., Galan, R., Navarro, I., Rodriguez-Losada, D. (2011). Ten years of cybertech: The educational benefits of bullfighting robotics. IEEE Transactions on Education, 54(4), 569-575. Kurfess, T. R. (Ed.). (2004). Robotics and automation handbook. CRC press. Melhuish, C., Ieropoulos, I., Greenman, J., Horsfield, I. (2006). Energetically autonomous robots: Food for thought. Autonomous Robots, 21(3), 187-198. Murata, S., Kurokawa, H. (2007). Self-reconfigurable robots. IEEE Robotics Automation Magazine, 14(1), 71-78. Navarro, I., Galn, R. (2008, May). Cybertech Robotic Competition. In International Conference on Research and Education in Robotics (pp. 134-144). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Pandya, A., Auner, G. (2004). Robotics technology: a journey into the future. Urologic Clinics of North America, 31(4), 793-800. Pan, Z., Polden, J., Larkin, N., Van Duin, S., Norrish, J. (2012). Recent progress on programming methods for industrial robots. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 28(2), 87-94. Qian, S. H., Ge, S. R., Wang, Y. S., Wang, Y., Liu, C. Q. (2006). Research status of the disaster rescue robot and its applications to the mine rescue [J]. Robot, 28(3), 350-354. Sahin, H., Guvenc, L. (2007). Household robotics: autonomous devices for vacuuming and lawn mowing [Applications of control]. IEEE Control Systems, 27(2), 20-96. Sullins, J. P. (2008). Friends by design: A design philosophy for personal robotics technology. InPhilosophy and Design (pp. 143-157). Springer Netherlands. Vertut, J. (Ed.). (2013). Teleoperation and robotics: applications and technology (Vol. 3). Springer Science Business Media. Viswanadham, N. (2002). The past, present, and future of supply-chain automation. IEEE Robotics Automation Magazine, 9(2), 48-56. Yim, M., Shen, W. M., Salemi, B., Rus, D., Moll, M., Lipson, H., ... Chirikjian, G. S. (2007). Modular self-reconfigurable robot systems [grand challenges of robotics]. IEEE Robotics Automation Magazine, 14(1), 43-52. Zhang, H., Gan, Z., Brogard, T., Wang, J., Isaksson, M. (2004). Learning skills: robotics technology in automotive powertrain assembly. ABB review, 1, 13-16.

Success depends on group cohesion Essay Example

Success depends on group cohesion Paper Starting with the basics, an efficient and effective sports team is a collection of two or more athletes who have a common identity, set of goals, objectives and fate. Its members show structured patterns of interaction and styles of communicating. They view the structure of the team in the same ways. There is a mutual reliance upon one another to be connected personally and perform their skills. In other words, the team is a source of mutual benefit for the members. The athletes of a team need to be attracted to each other and think of themselves as a part of a we that differentiates them from they. The definition of cohesion `a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency of a group to stick together and remain united in the pursuit of its instrumental objectives and/or for the satisfaction of member affective needs (Carron et al., 1998, p. 213) Group cohesion is a set of forces acting on members of a group, this tends to keep them within the group. Involves resistance to group disruption, commitment to group goals and individual responsibility for the achievement of goals.  Factors in developing a team  concept and cohesiveness Situational Factors. Players in Close Proximity to each other will tend to bond together. Team changing rooms, residences, and shared means of transportation increase interaction. A team becomes more distinctive when it is identifiable in such as a uniform, mottoes, initiations and privileges. Even though the actual season lasts a few months, a team that practices all year will become more united. The Size of a team has significant impact on unity. Task cohesiveness decreased with increase in size. We will write a custom essay sample on Success depends on group cohesion specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Success depends on group cohesion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Success depends on group cohesion specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Personal Factors. Similarity in commitments, ability, attitudes and goals are all associated with team unity. However, the most important factor in the development of cohesiveness is individual satisfaction. Recognition from others (parents, team mates, coaches and the public), improvement of skills, affiliation, and quality of the competition are components of this factor.  Leadership Factors. A way in which cohesiveness may backfire is when a new coach is brought in. One of the effects of high cohesion is that there is an over estimation of members contribution to success. Non-members are considered to be irrelevant to achieving team goals.  This is likely when a popular and successful coach has been replaced. It is one of the main reasons why successful football, rugby and hockey teams tend to hire assistants as head coaches. A good example of this is the Liverpool boot room Roy Evans was the last example of this. They are part of the organizations history already. Sometimes outside hiring results in the need to replace talented players who have been with the team for a long time. Compatibility between team mates and the coach is a vital factor in team cohesiveness. Lastly, the more the coach allows his players to participate in decision-making, the greater the team will become united.  Team Factors. When you put the same people in a close geographic location over a significant period of time, a group is formed that has five significant components (roles, norms, stability, goals and rewards and communication). These parts become contributors to the success or failure of a group in meeting goals. This is as true for a sports team as another other type of group. As a result of on-going interactions that take place among team members, Informal Roles evolve (team leader, enforcer, team clown, etc) examples of all of these are such as Roy Keane, Tony Adams, Paul Gascoigne respectively. If, for a period of time, someone who has played even an informal role, leaves the team, the management may have to hire a new player to fill the informal role. A teams effectiveness is high when the players understand their roles (Role Clarity), accept their roles (Role Acceptance) and try to perform the roles to the best of their ability (Role Performance). A coach can improve role clarity, acceptance and performance by making the behaviour requirements explicit, minimize the status difference between roles, and create an effective goal-setting program. The impact of an effective goal-setting program is to direct the players attention and behaviour, provide motivation to develop strategies for goal achievement, increase interest and prolong activity. The presence of Norms is also associated with increased cohesiveness. Norms signal a teams feelings about behaviours that are acceptable. When a new member comes to a team, it is the manager/player interaction norms that are confronted first. As cohesion increases so does conformity to the groups standards of behaviour. If a player ignores norms, punishments are given. This is true even when a player performs above the standard expected. The teams productivity norm is a key factor in the relationship between cohesion and productivity. When cohesion is low and there is a high norm for productivity, that team will outperform teams with a low norm. If team cohesion is high and norm for productivity is low, the performance level will be low. And finally, if a teams cohesion is high and the norm for productivity is high, performance will be high. A norm that has been established on a team will last for at least four generations after the original players have left. This is an indication of the stability of a teams norms. A problem exists when a manager takes over a team that has developed negative norms. Examples of such norms include abusive behaviour toward officials or other team members, a lack of commitment to team practices, and a focus on individual verse team goals. In such cases, the manager would have to enlist the formal and informal leaders to create a positive norm. Should these leaders not cooperate, the organization might need to replace personnel. The modern day sports world offers much recognition and rewards to individual players. It makes the coachs job of creating team unity more difficult. By emphasizing the groups goals and objectives over a single players, the manager will create greater group cohesion.  As a team reaches higher levels of cohesion, communication also increases. On the other side of the same coin, the more task and social communications occur, the greater the sense of team cohesion is produced.

3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses

3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses 3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses 3 Sentences with Disguised Subordinate Clauses By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, a phrase that supports the main clause of the statement but should be distinct from it lacks an essential element that identifies it as a subordinate clause: a comma separating it from the main clause, thus obscuring the subordinate clause’s function. A discussion, followed by a revision, explains the solution to each sentence. 1. A hillside above the highway gave way showering the roadway with rocks. â€Å"Showering the roadway with rocks† is a subordinate clause describing the consequence of the hillside giving way, so the phrase should be set off from the main clause with a comma: â€Å"A hillside above the highway gave way, showering the roadway with rocks.† 2. The only way you survive is you continuously transform into something else. The transition from is to you seems awkward because there’s no grammatical continuity; in proper speech or writing, one simply does not use those two words consecutively. The solution? Because â€Å"The only way you survive is† is a subordinate clause, set it off from the main clause with a comma: â€Å"The only way you survive is, you continuously transform into something else.† Alternatively, insert the transitional pronoun that between the words, converting the subordinate clause into an integral part of the main (and only) clause: â€Å"The only way you survive is that you continuously transform into something else.† (Or revise the sentence to â€Å"The only way to survive is to continuously transform into something else.†) 3. Product defects that create a public health hazard will eventually be exposed to the light of day in the public arena and, when they are, the company pays the price. At first glance, this sentence may seem correct: An apparent parenthetical, â€Å"when they are,† is introduced into the sentence after the conjunction, seemingly modifying the phrase â€Å"the company pays the price.† But that concluding phrase is an independent clause- a grammatically complete statement that could stand on its own as a separate sentence- and â€Å"and when they are† is not a parenthetical, but a subordinate clause associated with it. Therefore, a comma should precede, not follow, the conjunction and, separating the two independent clauses. However, the second comma remains where it is to separate the clause subordinate to the second main clause: â€Å"Product defects that create a public health hazard will eventually be exposed to the light of day in the public arena, and when they are, the company pays the price.† (â€Å"When they are† may appear to serve both as a subordinate clause and as a parenthesis, but it is essential to the sentence, pertaining to the catalyst for the company’s comeuppance, so it cannot function in the latter role.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Anyone vs. EveryonePeople vs. Persons

Student Essay

Student Essay Student Essay Student Essay: Useful Tips They say that student essay is just an awful task, which is hated by all the students, especially, student essay about education, as this is the task each student has to come through. Well, maybe this saying is right in some way, however, nowadays with the appearance of the Internet and different custom essay writing services student essay is not an executioner any more. If you have an access to the Internet you have an access to all the kinds of student essay writing tips, and student essay about education is not a problem as well. Here are several tips for you at the subject how to write student essay written by the professionals of our custom writing service who have completed hundreds of different student essays and won the highest grades to their customers. While you are writing your student essay, you have to remember one of the main principles of the successful student essay writing: do not tell what you want to tell, show it. Use the words in order to draw the pictures and to show the reader the text you are writing. Keep your reader hooked, instead of making him or her bored with your monotonous presenting the sequence of circumstances. Make a whole story from your student essay ( Choose the topic you are interested in and have a passion for. It is possible to write good student essay only on the topic, which is really interesting to the writer. If you like the subject, you are writing about in your student essay that means that you know a lot about it, that is why it will not take much time from you to search the necessary information. Do not write either too short or too long sentences in your student essay. You see if the sentences are too short all your student essay seems to be chopped and cut short. If you write too long sentences, your essay may seem to be too complicated and confusing. Write the sentences of average length, in order to show that you are able to express your ideas in a logical and clear way. Proofread the student essay after you think that it is completed. Different grammar mistakes, or wrong usage of words, or incorrect sentence structure, all this badly influence upon your grade for the student essay and show your indifference to the reputation and grade you are going to get. Read also: Term Paper on Personal Success Creative Writing Thesis Writers of Term Papers Dissertation Writers Dissertation Service

Article response paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Response paper - Article Example The problems of the ESL students are mainly at the sentence level. Their writing problems are different as compared to the students of native speakers. It begins at the word and sentence levels. They face difficulties in every component of the sentence, and with spelling, grammar and word usage. The essential difference between the native speakers and ESL students is that the former can speak English correctly, as such they can also write correctly. The latter have skills in their native language. They have ideas but their issues relate to the use of appropriate words and grammatical errors confront them. Personal observations/comments On close examination of the article, I realized the importance of the rater and the challenges the ESL students have to face in reading or writing in English. They have problems in several segments of life, and racial segregation overrides all other considerations. Low self-efficacy, financial difficulties, separation from immediate family members and friends, highly different cultural environment, all these contribute to the problems related to assimilation in the mainstream society. Student behavior in classroom in America differs much and the discipline is loose. They can come late to the class, question teachers, cut jokes and this type of behavior is not accepted in the Chines classrooms. Their main difficulties are in the areas of form, morphology, terminology and syntax which vary from their native language. They may have ideas but lack expression; as such the audience may not be able to follow the contents. The difficulties for acquisition of skills in writing differ for various cultural groups of ESL students. Before reading the article I used to consider the problem of the ESL student’s writing in isolation. On the strength of the various issues mentioned in the article, I now realize that it is but one of the multifarious problems faced by the student and the improved ability of the student in writing may addres s to partial solution of some of those issues. ESL students are a heterogeneous lot. Much difference exists even when the students are from the same country as they belong to different States/Regions, where slang, tradition and culture differ. With such varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds the assessment of their English writing is beset with problems. Some sort of reconciliation will have to be worked out to arrive at an authentic solution, as it concerns the career of the combustible younger generation. In a competitive job market, each mark, each recommendation counts. So, the rater may build or break the career of an ESL student, unintentionally though, with the deficient system of rating. The author is aware of this complexity and has mentioned twenty reviews and given details of those empirical studies as for the factors affecting rating of ESL writing in North American school contexts, segregating them as rater-related and task-related and has highlighted their importan t components. These factors are not exclusive and research on the subject is a continual process and the author has informed that in the light of the experience gained, gaps and proposed directions for future research have been identified. The author emphasizes a number of times in the article that assessment of writing is the problematic area for which no cut and dry formula cannot be submitted as the final word on the subject. He quotes Speck and Jones (1998), â€Å"there are more problems than solutions -problems of inter-grader

Capstone simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capstone simulation - Essay Example To start with, a company has to understand its present position in the industry. Position means that a company should assess its strengths and weaknesses as well as the possible opportunities and threats (Betts & Ofori, 2000, p.512). After having such an understanding, the company will be in a better position of minimizing its weaknesses, and at the same time exploiting every opportunity that comes its way. Another factor to address is the competitive nature of the market. Betts and Ofori (2000, p.515) asserts that competition trends in the market have to be studied closely in order to determine a specific company’s capability of selling its products. Companies that produce similar products need to be analyzed and their marketing abilities discussed. Through this consideration a company will be able to determine the possible threats posed by new entrants into the business, as well as threats of potential substitutes. In addition to that, a company will be in a position to determine the bargaining power of both the suppliers and buyers. This factor analyses all the market forces that are linked to competition intensity within a certain industry (Betts & Ofori, 2000, p.515). The extent of rivalry that exists between the competing companies needs to be determined, since any competitive move made by a single company may greatly affect other companies. Betts and Ofori (2000, p.525) argues that market attractiveness is also another factor that needs to be addressed when developing a strategic plan in a global context. This is where the business strength is analyzed, by assessing the possible factors that determine the market attractiveness. This can be done through carrying out an assessment of market growth-rate and the company’s profitability. Market attractiveness is a critical factor in business, since if a company has low market attractiveness it is likely to suffer from low sales. As a result a business has to keep high

Accident Analysis Essay Example for Free

Accident Analysis Essay In January 25, 1990, Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing 707 left Bogota, Colombia for New York. After more than an hour of delay, the plane ran out of fuel and crashed in the town of Cove Neck, Long Island, New York, killing 73 people, including 9 crew members and 65 of the 149 passengers, and injuring the rest. Analysis of this accident would show how human error, faulty systems and bad weather conditions caused this accident. The flight crew did not officially declare that they were running out of fuel until it was already too late. The accident could have been avoided if the flight crew has clearly stated that they were really in trouble. Language barrier could have played a part since the crew only asked for â€Å"priority† which in Spanish could mean that they were in trouble. The crew should have notified their fuel load to Air Traffic Control when they were put on hold for the first time. This simple information could have made the difference. ATC could have suggested earlier an alternate airport had they known this information. Instead, the pilots literally went around in circles waiting for further instructions. By the time the flight was cleared for landing, it only had enough fuel for one last approach. When the plane was on its final approach, it encountered wind shear, a change of wind direction over short distances. ATC only informed the flight crew of wind shear at 1500 feet. The crew had to abort their approach because they would fall short of the runway. The flight was doomed after that incident. Even if they were redirected to an alternate airport prior to the approach, they would not have enough fuel to make it to Boston. The question now is why the flight crew didn’t consult their flight dispatch about possible alternate airports which are not as busy as the John F. Kennedy International. The answer maybe the breaking of the sterile cockpit rule below 10,000 feet. The sterile cockpit rule below 10,000 feet states that pilots should not talk about things that are not necessary during crucial stages of the flight, which is usually below 10,000 feet. The pilots mind may have wandered off due to the long delay the Air Traffic Control has given them. In a sense, Air Traffic Control failed to prioritize air traffic in JFK international. Though Avianca flight 52 did not declare its fuel load problems earlier, it did say that it wanted priority. In like mentioned earlier, due to language barrier, â€Å"priority† may have been already a distress call. Air Traffic Control confirmed this request but what kind of priority is a seventy seven minute delay? Obviously, the failure of the flight crew and Air Traffic Control to communicate properly resulted to this horrible accident. This accident could have been avoided if the airline had their own operational control dispatch system that could have assisted them when Air Traffic Control has apparently ignored them. A standardized terminology in fuel related problems also contributed to the plane’s crash. If there was only a universal term to describe what the flight was actually experiencing, the language barrier between Air Traffic Control and the pilots would have been irrelevant. To sum up, the plane crash was a result of contributing factors, communication problems, probable mental lapse of the pilots, lack of proper terminology, and unfavorable winds. This accident proves that constant communication is important in air travel and a high level of concentration is required for the job. Pilots should be trained extensively before giving them their licences, including language training that ensures pilots can converse well in English. In this aspect, a standard language for aeronautical terms should be established. Though the wind shear caused further delay, the plane could have made another attempt if only it had not been idle for more than hour.

Tips for Succcessful Essay Writing :: Education

Tips for Succcessful Essay Writing Being able to write a good essay does not come easy to the majority of current English students. The ability to excel in writing is not always something we can easily learn. Talented writers have the capability to reach into their soul and write from the heart. However, everyone does not possess this remarkable gift. Most of us struggle to achieve a level of adequate writing. Writing takes intense time and much thought to develop a well-planned essay. Bringing together all aspects of writing, such as: good descriptions, a proper structure, a good introduction and a clever title will give the audience a clear picture of what makes an essay good. Believe it or not, titles play an important role in the writing process. How many times have you flipped through a magazine and stopped only because you saw a title of an article that interested you. The title announces the topic clearly and as briefly as possible, as in the essay "Unlikely Learning". This essay deals with unlikely situations that you are placed in, because of your high school courses. The title of this essay would be considered a descriptive title. The other type of title is a suggestive title. This type of title is primarily used in an informal writing. The title, "The Value of Honesty", in our eyes, would be an example of a suggestive title. It describes the attitude of the author but not the exact topic. Yes, the essay is about honesty, but it is also about truthfulness. The title of an essay should not be the assignment given, or to restate the thesis, but it should attract the reader and make them want to read on. An introduction, in simple words, glves a background to the topic. It is one of the most important parts of the essay because it keeps the reader's interest of what they are about to read. The introduction will make the readers feel that what the essay is about will be of importance and interest to them. The thesis sentence is stated in the introduction. It is the one sentence that will tell the readers what the whole essay is about. The introduction is not very long but it is clear, precise, and to the point. A good introduction can either begin with a quote or ask questions. It can also contaln opinion words to either agree or dispute the topic of the writing.

The importance of the meaning and measurement of “affordable” in the Affordable Care Act Essay

Affordable Care Act Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of this paper is to research about the general health care condition of the United States citizens. The paper also argues about the advantages of individual payment of health insurance as opposed to compulsory insurance. Financial benefits of obamacare affordable care Act are also illustrated throughout the paper. The paper also illustrates about the rising costs of health care in United States where the US has the highest healthcare expenditure globally. The U.S healthcare system is also compared with other systems adopted by other developed countries to show the pros and cons of the United States system. The paper describes also about PPACA and how it solves many serious challenges which are faced by the small business owners such as lack of affordable coverage, rising health insurance costs, limited choice of health plans and escalating costs of health care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affordable care Act refers to the healthcare reform law in the United States. It is aimed at making health insurance and healthcare to be more available and more affordable to more American citizens. The act does this by new regulations, new rules and consumer protections the industry of healthcare, through establishing a marketplace purposed for insurance which is subsidized and also by expanding and reforming public programs on healthcare programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Affordable care Act also incorporates measures which are aimed at reducing healthcare spending in United States. Many American citizens are unaware that since 2010 when the Affordable care Act became into law after being signed they have been enjoying from the protections, rights and benefits of obamacare (Faria, 2012). Before this Affordable care Act many small businesses and low and middle income earning American citizens found it challenging to afford healthcar e for their families and also for themselves (Burkhauser & Lyons, 2011). In the past the many sick people were denied health treatment or coverage with diminutive right for appealing. Insurance companies charged individuals more on basis of their health status where women were required to pay higher rates. Affordable care Act entails provisions which are aimed at solving all these challenges. Obamacare gives rise to clear financial benefits for all stakeholders: the government, the individual and the insurance companies. BODY Macroeconomic angle Non –return on high healthcare expenditure America’s high healthcare expenditure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States expenditure on health care is very high becoming a great concern however it is the medical expenditure growth rate and not its level which determines the financial security of United States. United States expenditure exceeds one -sixth of the economy of the country and the percentage keep rising every year. Unfortunately, this system does not deliver value to match the annual health care expenditure totaling to approximately 2.7 trillion dollars. Experts claims that approximately 20% to 30% of that spending which totals to about 800 billion dollars annually is spent on care that is inefficient, redundant and wasteful (Miller, 2001). This rise in healthcare expenditure harms the country in many ways. For seniors and families, the increasing medical care cost means increased expenses making them to make hard choices regarding to rent, needed care and balanced food. For the local, state and federal governments, increasing health costs result to higher Medicaid and Medicare costs, and decreased funding on key priorities like education, public safety and infrastructure (Oberlander, 2012). For the fortune 500 employers and small businesses these costs makes it challenging for them to add new workers, maintain retiree coverage becomes a great challenge for them and they are unable to compete in world economy. The net outcomes of increasing health care costs are ominous and far –reaching: increased costs for health insurance, erosion of global competitiveness, fraying of nation’s safety net and fiscal insolvency which is long-standing. Although health reform law has made important steps in spreading out coverage, more efforts should also be directed to reducing the increasing healthcare cost (Sade, 2012). Comparison with other developed nations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   U.S health care expenditure is the highest compared to other nations yet the American citizens experiences more illnesses and die sooner compared to citizens from other developed countries. United States is ranked 37th position out of 191 nations according to the world health organization (WHO) health care systems rankings. This means that despite the fact that the united states citizens spends a lot of money on healthcare and the cost is still increasing however they are offered product which is ranked 37th position in quality. When comparing United States with other nations which are developed, it is evident that America performs poorly on infant mortality and life expectancy. Also United States tops list of deaths which are perceived to be preventable when diagnosed early and adequate early care is administered. Typical American citizen has very few doctor appointments annually compared to citizens from other nations but yet spends more for this privilege. When U.S citizen is admitted one day in a hospital, it would 5.6 times more when compared to what it would cost a Japan citizen. Also United States top all other developed nations in healthcare cost where it spends 8,233 dollars more per individual annually than other developed nations, although 47 million of those U.S citizens are still uninsured ( Hodge, Arias and Ordell, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The figure $8,233 per citizen annually spent by united states is over two and a half times more compared to what other developed countries spend per citizen annually globally including Europeans nations which are relatively rich such as united kingdom, Sweden and France. On an advanced global scale, it is clear that health care costs of United States represents 17.6% of the nation’s GDP.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to reports from OECD (organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) which is an international economic group which consists of 34 member countries, American citizens are not getting what they expect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States has fewer physicians per individual compared to most other OECD nations. For example United States had 2.4 physicians per 1000 citizens in 2010 which is below 3.1 which is OECD average. In 2009, the hospital beds number in United States was 2.6 per 1,000 individuals which is lower than 3.4 beds which is OECD average.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Between 1960 and 2010, Life expectancy in the U.S increased by approximately nine years however those years were few compared to Japan where there was an increase of 15 years and also it was below 11 years which the average in OECD nations. Also, in 2010 the average U.S citizen lived 78.7 years which is below 79.8 years which is the average.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, United States tops globally in the cancer treatment and health care research, for example. The breast cancer survival rate is very high in United States compared to other OECD nations and also U.S is among the best in survival from colorectal cancer. The poor general health condition of American citizens   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States citizens spend a lot of money on healthcare and the cost is still increasing however they are offered product which is ranked 37th position in quality. This means that Americans are offered poor general health care. U.S healthcare system does not deliver value to match the annual health care expenditure totaling to approximately 2.7 trillion dollars. Experts claims that approximately 20% to 30% of that spending which totals to about 800 billion dollars annually is spent on care that is inefficient, redundant and wasteful. Also United States tops list of deaths which are perceived to be preventable when diagnosed early and adequate early care is properly administered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The leading cause of disability and death in United States is the chronic diseases. They lead to 7 out of 10 deaths annually. Stroke, cancer and heart disease leads to more than 50% of all deaths annually.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Out of 107 million American citizens approximately 1 out of every 2 adults aged 18 or much older had at least 1 of 6 reported chronic ailments which includes asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Typical American citizen has very few doctor appointments annually compared to citizens from other nations but yet spends more for this privilege. When U.S citizen is admitted one day in a hospital, it would 5.6 times more when compared to what it would cost a citizen from other nations. When comparing United States with other nations which are developed, it is evident that America performs poorly on infant mortality and life expectancy. United States has fewer physicians per individual compared to most other OECD nations. In 2009, the hospital beds number in United States was 2.6 per 1,000 individuals which is lower than 3.4 beds which is OECD average. These facts from various resea rches shows that American citizens experiences poor general health condition despite the fact that they spend the highest amount on healthcare but they end up getting poor quality compared to other developed countries. Therefore, it is evident that despite the fact that although America is among wealthiest countries globally however, it is far from becoming the healthiest nation (Sage, 2011). The nine health domains studied by Committee on Population, and Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice. When United States is compare with peer nations which are average America is ranked poorly in the following nine health domains. Adverse birth results: For many years America has experience huge infant mortality rate of high income nations and also ranked poorly on other birth results, like low birth weight. Kids in America are unlikely to live to age 5 compared to kids in other nations with high incomes. Injuries and homicides: Violence, deaths emanating from motor vehicle accidents and injuries which are not related to transportation occur at much more commonly in U.S than in other nations and are a primary cause of deaths in kids, young adults and adolescents. Since 1950s, Young adults and adolescents in United States have died at an alarming rate from homicide and traffic accidents than in other nations. Sexually transmitted infections and Adolescent pregnancy: since 1990’s , among all the developed nations the united states adolescents have had high chances of acquiring infections which are sexually transmitted and also have the highest number of pregnancies. HIV and AIDS: America is the second leading nation among 17 peer nations with high pervasiveness of HIV infection. Drug-related mortality: united states lose more life years to alcohol and also other drugs compared to individuals from peer nations, even after excluding deaths emanating from drunk driving. Diabetes and Obesity: For many years America has experienced the highest rates of obesity among the developed nations. High occurrence rates for obesity are experienced in United States kids and also in every age group subsequently. From 20 years onward the adults in America have among the highest occurrence rates of diabetes among peer nations. Heart disease: Death rate in America emanating from ischemic heart disease is second leading among the 17 peer nations. Citizens from united states attain age 50 with less favorable cardiovascular risk profile compared with their peers in Europe and also adults aged over 50 years have higher chances of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease compared to older adults in developed nations. Chronic lung disease: Lung disease are more common and linked with high mortality rates in America compared to UK and other European nations. Disability: older adults in United States depicts higher occurrence of activity limitations and arthritis compared to their counterparts in Japan, UK and other European nations (Sade, 2012). Comparison with other developed nations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years, Violence, deaths emanating from motor vehicle accidents and injuries which are not related to transportation occur at much more commonly in U.S than in other nations and are a primary cause of deaths in kids, young adults and adolescents. Since 1950s, Young adults and adolescents in United States have died at an alarming rate from homicide and traffic accidents than in other nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America has experience huge infant mortality rate of high income nations and also ranked poorly on other birth results, like low birth weight. Kids in America are unlikely to live to age 5 compared to kids in other nations with high incomes (Majette, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   since 1990’s , among all the developed nations the united states adolescents have had high chances of acquiring infections which are sexually transmitted and also have the highest number of pregnancies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America is the second leading nation among 17 peer nations with high pervasiveness of HIV infection. united states lose more life years to alcohol and also other drugs compared to individuals from peer nations, even after excluding deaths emanating from drunk driving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years America has experienced the highest rates of obesity among the developed nations. High occurrence rates for obesity are experienced in United States kids and also in every age group subsequently. From 20 years onward the adults in America have among the highest occurrence rates of diabetes among peer nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Death rate in America emanating from ischemic heart disease is second leading among the 17 peer nations. Citizens from united states attain age 50 with less favorable cardiovascular risk profile compared with their peers in Europe and also adults aged over 50 years have higher chances of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease compared to older adults in developed nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lung disease is more common and linked with high mortality rates in America compared to UK and other European nations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Older adults in United States depicts higher occurrence of activity limitations and arthritis compared to their counterparts in Japan, UK and other European nations (Sade, 2012). Financial justification for system overhaul   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United States healthcare system in not universal, where some people benefits more from the system compared to others. This system does not deliver value to match the annual health care expenditure totaling to approximately 2.7 trillion dollars. The Experts claims that approximately 20% to 30% of that spending which totals to about 800 billion dollars annually is spent on care that is inefficient, redundant and wasteful. United States top all other developed nations in healthcare cost where it spends 8,233 dollars more per individual annually than other developed nations, although 47 million of those U.S citizens are still uninsured. This necessitates an overhaul of the entire healthcare system which is both complex and gigantic. When comparing America healthcare system to Dutch system there are many improvements that are required in order for the US system to be successful. Some of these improvements should be trying to make it transparent and simpler for consumers to purchase health insurance easily through aggressive regulation of the insurance marketplace in such a manner that the products are universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obamacare has four types of fundamental insurance packages which includes platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Dutch system has just one type of package for fundamental insurance. The system should not discriminate some applicants by charging them higher premiums depending on their age, health status, gender and just like Dutch system they should charge all the applicants the same price. Under the obamacare system the older applicants are supposed to pay three times as much in terms of premiums than the young ones. This means in obamacare system an applicant is supposed to input and then verify their age in order for their charge to be determined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The system in US should be modified to be transparent where consumers should be allowed to compare prices and buy insurance through private sector portal websites instead of government run website. This will led to an aggressive way of restructuring and regulating the private sector industry as consumers will be able to compare the prices and decide which insurance to buy thus reducing consumer exploitation and increasing transparency. In this way the government will be able to reduce the rising healthcare costs and the number of the insured citizens will increase (Pipe, 2013). Microeconomic angle: Opposing views and rebuttals The individual’s point of view The individual mandate: compulsory insurance Opposing view: compulsory insurance places financial burden on citizens   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Universal healthcare system where compulsory insurance is introduced to everyone would do more harm to the citizens due to the financial burden it would implicate to the citizens. This would give the insurance companies a chance to increase the premiums since government will not be able to cover everyone where some people will be coerced to purchase insurance from the private sector insurance companies since it is a compulsory insurance. The poor and low income earners would be required to dig deep into their pockets and purchase the insurance despite the fact that insurance premiums are rising. During presidential campaign in 2008, president Barrack obama who was then a Democrat senator assured American citizens to improve the health care where he claimed that 47 million American citizens were not in a financial position to afford health insurance. He instead advocated for creation of government run, federally administered health care sys tem where people would pay individually for their health care and insurance instead of compulsory insurance which overburdened the poor. He also explained that people could be offered subsidized government coverage making insurance affordable to many. Requiring for citizens to buy mandatory health care insurance from private companies at any price they decide to charge will be directly overburdening the citizens while promoting the insurance industry. This is because insurance premiums rise faster than income thus reducing the disposable income of the citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the poor and those who earn low incomes they will be forced to choose low premium plans which have high deductibles and co-payments. This is because they cannot afford the best plans due to high premiums. Therefore many poor citizens will be left with healthcare insurance which is unaffordable to use but they are mandated to purchase such insurance anyway         Compulsory insurance is extremely regressive and in some cases the mandated insurance plus the co-payments can add up to almost a third of the income which is a great financial burden to the citizensRebuttal 1: The ‘health promotion’ theory of insurance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health promotion refers to the approach of allowing people to increase power over the health determinants thus improving their health. It is the most sustainable, efficient, effective and ethical approach to attaining good health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA invests in research to identify relative value of healthcare procedures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA solves many serious challenges which are faced by the small business owners such as lack of affordable coverage, rising health insurance costs, limited choice of health plans and escalating costs of health care. PPACA is highly popular as the most fundamental health care legislation since establishment of Medicaid and Medicare about 10 years ago. The act was enacted in 2010 and it was aimed at taking effect in phases in a period of 8 years and incorporates reforms like expansion of Medicaid eligibility, subsidizing of insurance premiums, providing businesses with incentives to offer health care benefits and prohibiting the insurers from denying some applicants coverage for the pre-existing conditions. It persuades states to introduce exchanges of health care where small businesses and adults who are uninsured can purchase insurance from a variety of the private insurers. One element of PPACA is promoting comparative effectiveness res earch. This is aimed at comparing treatment options which are available. The core benefit of PPACA is to reduce the number of the uninsured individuals and providing them with high value healthcare (Gray & Sullivan, 2011). It uses a mixture of subsidies, tax credits and mandates in encouraging people and corporations on buying coverage and also it protects applicants who are hard to insure including those who possess conditions which are pre-existing. Other elements of legislation will be aimed at encouraging evidence based decision making and improving healthcare practices. United States tops globally in the cancer treatment and health care research by PPACA, for example. The breast cancer survival rate is very high in United States compared to other OECD nations and also U.S is among the best in survival from colorectal cancer thus ensuring high value healthcare. The comparative effectiveness research (CER) involves a board which lowers overall expenditure through determining whic h procedures, treatments and medicines which are most perfect, their price tags and identifying those who ignore justifying identifying the evidence based health benefits. Through PPACA as the acknowledgement Medicare has been successful in rewarding certain health coverage providers and punishes some providers on basis of value of care. Through PPACA Medicare is required to measure performance and change payments of providers on basis of scoring system in its current value based purchasing program (Skocpol, & Williamson, 2011). PPACA promotes consumption of ‘high value’ healthcare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The core benefit of PPACA is to reduce the number of the uninsured individuals and providing them with high value healthcare. It uses a mixture of subsidies, tax credits and mandates in encouraging people and corporations on buying coverage and also it protects applicants who are hard to insure including those who possess conditions which are pre-existing. Other elements of legislation will be aimed at encouraging evidence based decision making and improving healthcare practices. Through PPACA as the acknowledgement Medicare has been successful in rewarding certain healthcare providers and punishes some providers on basis of value of care. PPACA solves many serious challenges which are faced by the small business owners such as lack of affordable coverage, rising health insurance costs, limited choice of health plans and escalating costs of health care. Through PPACA Medicare is required to measure performance and change payments of provid ers on basis of scoring system in its current value based purchasing program. PPACA is highly popular as the most fundamental health care legislation since establishment of Medicaid and Medicare about 10 years ago. The act was enacted in 2010 and it was aimed at taking effect in phases in a period of 8 years and incorporates reforms like expansion of Medicaid eligibility, subsidizing of insurance premiums, providing businesses with incentives to offer health care benefits and prohibiting the insurers from denying some applicants coverage for the pre-existing conditions. It persuades states to introduce exchanges of health care where small businesses and adults who are uninsured can purchase insurance from a variety of the private insurers. One element of PPACA is promoting comparative effectiveness research. This is aimed at comparing treatment options which are available. The comparative effectiveness research (CER) involves a board which lowers overall expenditure through determin ing which procedures, treatments and medicines which are most ideal, their price tags and identifying those who ignore justifying identifying the evidence based health benefits. United States tops globally in the cancer treatment and health care research by PPACA, for example. The breast cancer survival rate is very high in United States compared to other OECD nations and also U.S is among the best in survival from colorectal cancer thus ensuring high value healthcare (Kotlikoff, 2007). Rebuttal 2: The ‘financial security’ model of health insurance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Individual’s financial risk due to unforeseen illness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurance companies play a great role in managing the risk of individuals. These companies enable individuals to share their liability through pooling the personal risk and assist them through reducing chances of facing financial desolation. Due to many risks that individuals faces on a daily basis, these insurance companies have advanced over the years to meet the needs of the average human beings and have come up with different products and policies which covers almost entire risks. These companies normally provide financial coverage of loss that a certain person is expected to suffer as a result of unforeseen events thus reducing the effects of a certain event. They compensate the financial damage and people whose peril can be pooled. An individual who want to be insured is expected to pay a premium which is dependent on the probability of the event occurring where high probabilities will lead to high premiums. In a case of health insur ance the insurance is able to insure individuals through pooling the risk of illness. The health care cost is easily balanced in the pool since some individuals go through life devoid of catching a cold whereas others have to spend many dollars for treatment. The act of pooling the peril with other individuals is a prudent decision since no individual is able to predict what their health will be, and also how much they will have to pay in order to be treated. It is therefore advisable for individuals to pay for their individual health insurance to avoid financial challenges that may face them in case of unforeseen illness (Woolf & Aron, 2013)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The escalating costs of health insurance prior to PPACA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA solves many serious challenges which are faced by the small business owners such as lack of affordable coverage, rising health insurance costs, limited choice of health plans and escalating costs of health care. The core benefit of PPACA is to reduce the number of the uninsured individuals and providing them with high value healthcare. It uses a mixture of subsidies, tax credits and mandates in encouraging people and corporations on buying coverage and also it protects applicants who are hard to insure including those who possess conditions which are pre-existing. Other elements of legislation will be aimed at encouraging evidence based decision making and improving healthcare practices. Before PPACA the health insurance costs were very high and still escalating year after year. This was as a result of requiring citizens to buy mandatory health care insurance from private companies at any price they decide to charge which directly ov erburdening the citizens while promoting the insurance industry. This made insurance premiums to rise faster than income thus reducing the disposable income of the citizens. The number of uninsured Americans was very high where 47 million American citizens were not in a financial position to afford health insurance. President obama was against this and he launched PPACA aimed at reducing the escalating health insurance costs. He also advocated for creation of government run, federally administered health care system where people would pay individually for their health care and insurance instead of compulsory insurance which overburdened the poor. He offered subsidized government coverage making insurance affordable to many. PPACA reduced the rising costs of health insurance which resulted to increased number of people who were insured (Hofer, Abraham, & Moscovice, 2011). Cost-sharing requirements under older health insurance regime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was a universal insurance regime where every person was supposed to be responsible for his or her health insurance. This regime required citizens to buy mandatory health care insurance from private companies at any price they decide to charge which directly overburdening the citizens while promoting the insurance industry. This made insurance premiums to rise faster than income thus reducing the disposable income of the citizens. The number of uninsured Americans was very high where 47 million American citizens were not in a financial position to afford health insurance. The insurance market place was not controlled by government which gave the insurance companies a chance to raise the premiums. Every individual was required to be covered where those who did not have a cover were faced by financial fines. Non-insurance or under-insurance as result of the above   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This healthcare coverage approach made many people who were unable to pay the good plans to opt for the buying covers that were not helpful to them just because they wanted to fulfill the requirement. Many other people were unable to purchase any cover as a result of increased premiums as a result of uncontrolled insurance marketplaces. Also, most of the people were under insured due to financial constraints. This made many people in reality to be non -insured since the covers they purchased could not be used to compensate them during an event of illness. Also those who were under insured were not able to get fully compensation in an event of illness. Therefore, this led to poor general healthcare situation for many citizens (Hoffman, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA places reasonable limits on financial insecurity due to health hazards   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA is aimed at reducing the number of the uninsured individuals and providing them with high value healthcare. It uses a mixture of subsidies, tax credits and mandates in encouraging people and corporations on buying coverage and also it protects applicants who are hard to insure including those who possess conditions which are pre-existing. Other elements of legislation will be aimed at encouraging evidence based decision making and improving healthcare practices. Through PPACA as the acknowledgement Medicare has been successful in rewarding certain healthcare providers and punishes some providers on basis of value of care. PPACA solves many serious challenges which are faced by the small business owners such as lack of affordable coverage, rising health insurance costs, limited choice of health plans and escalating costs of health care. Through PPACA Medicare is required to measure performance and change payments of providers on basis of scoring system in its current value based purchasing program. PPACA is highly popular as the most fundamental health care legislation since establishment of Medicaid and Medicare about 10 years ago. The act was enacted in 2010 and it was aimed at taking effect in phases in a period of 8 years and incorporates reforms like expansion of Medicaid eligibility, subsidizing of insurance premiums, providing businesses with incentives to offer health care benefits and prohibiting the insurers from denying some applicants coverage for the pre-existing conditions. It persuades states to introduce exchanges of health care where small businesses and adults who are uninsured can purchase insurance from a variety of the private insurers (Hoffman, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The comparative effectiveness research (CER) involves a board which lowers overall expenditure through determining which procedures, treatments and medicines which are most ideal, their price tags and identifying those who ignore justifying identifying the evidence based health benefits. United States tops globally in the cancer treatment and health care research by PPACA, for example. The breast cancer survival rate is very high in United States compared to other OECD nations and also U.S is among the best in survival from colorectal cancer thus ensuring high value healthcare. One element of PPACA is promoting comparative effectiveness research. This is aimed at comparing treatment options which are available (Sade, 2012). Financial relief to the individual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurance companies enable individuals to share their liability through pooling the personal risk and assist them through reducing chances of facing financial desolation. They play a great role in managing the risk of individuals and providing financial relief to individuals who are faced by a calamity which they had insured. These Due to many risks that individuals faces on a daily basis, these insurance companies have advanced over the years to meet the needs of the average human beings and have come up with different products and policies which covers almost entire risks. These companies normally provide financial coverage of loss that a certain person is expected to suffer as a result of unforeseen events thus reducing the effects of a certain event. They compensate the financial damage and people whose peril can be pooled. An individual who want to be insured is expected to pay a premium which is dependent on the probability of the ev ent occurring where high probabilities will lead to high premiums. In a case of health insurance the insurance is able to insure individuals through pooling the risk of illness. The health care cost is easily balanced in the pool since some individuals go through life devoid of catching a cold whereas others have to spend many dollars for treatment. The act of pooling the peril with other individuals is a prudent decision since no individual is able to predict what their health will be, and also how much they will have to pay in order to be treated. It is therefore advisable for individuals to pay for their individual coverage to avoid financial challenges that may face them in case of unforeseen event. Rebuttal 3: The ‘brute luck’ theory of health insurance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Underwriting; Insurers’ discrimination on the basis of unavoidable risk factors, resulting in high insurance costs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The insurance companies look at many determinants when determining the premiums to be paid by the applicant for them to be covered for a certain risk. Some applicants are supposed to pay higher premiums due to their health status, gender, race, religion, national origin, age among other factor. For instance, older adults are asked to pay higher premiums by health insurance providers than the premiums expected for young adults and kids. In this regard the insurers charge different premiums depending with groups on basis of their risk. These health coverage providers categorize their insureds into different risk pools on basis of their differences in their risk probabilities (Hoffman, 2011). PPACA prohibits above-mentioned discrimination   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPACA is against these discriminatory laws and requires the coverage providers to stop this discrimination and charge the applicants fairly without considering their pre-conditions. It protects applicants who are hard to insure including those who possess conditions which are pre-existing from this discrimination. This is aimed at ensuring that no one is penalized for their propensities and genetics or for factors and events which are beyond their control (Hoffman, 2011). Financial relief to the ‘unlucky’ individual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurance companies play a great role in managing the risk of individuals and providing financial relief to unlucky individuals who are faced by a calamity which they had insured. This is because they enable individuals to share their liability through pooling the personal risk and assist them through reducing chances of facing financial desolation. As a result of many risks that individuals faces on a daily basis, these insurance companies have advanced over the years to meet the needs of the average human beings and have come up with different products and policies which covers almost entire risks. These companies normally provide financial coverage of loss that a certain person is expected to suffer as a result of unforeseen events thus reducing the effects of a certain event. They compensate the financial damage and people whose peril can be pooled. An individual who want to be insured is expected to pay a premium which is dependent on the probability of the event occurring where high probabilities will lead to high premiums. In a case of health insurance the insurance is able to insure individuals through pooling the risk of illness. The health care cost is easily balanced in the pool since some individuals go through life devoid of catching a cold whereas others have to spend many dollars for treatment. The act of pooling the peril with other individuals is a prudent decision since no individual is able to predict what their health will be, and also how much they will have to pay in order to be treated. It is therefore advisable for individuals to pay for their individual coverage to avoid financial challenges that may face them in case of unforeseen event. This is because if they are unlucky they will be provided with financial relief by their health insurance providers (Hoffman, 2011).. The insurers’ point of view Opposing views & rebuttals Objection 1 & rebuttal Objection: Insurance companies’ bottom lines hurt through limitations on deductibles, co-insurance and co-payments, and prohibition on underwriting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employee expenses on cost sharing include coinsurance, deductibles and co-payments. Insurers companies are experiencing unfavorable impact due to the limitations on co-payments, coinsurance, deductable and prohibition on underwriting as they increases the risks therefore increasing the amounts paid as compensation thus reducing their returns. Rebuttal 1: Insurers’ losses from reduced profit margins mitigated through broadened customer base   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurers’ losses from reduced margins can be reduced by increasing their customer base. This is because insurance use the pooling of risks approach where broadened customer base will result to high returns. This is because more customers will lead to more funds in funding pool of risks while the amount paid out to the unlucky individuals as compensation will be low than the premiums paid therefore leading to increased profit margins. Also, increased broadened customer base also serves as a way of diversifying the risks. Rebuttal 2: View disproved by financial statements and stock market movements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Such a view which is refuted by stock market movement and financial statements should not be used and should be regarded as void. Stock movements are un predictable and an insurance company should not be forced to compensate an unlucky individual who loses unless such a claim is validated. Objection 2 & rebuttal Objection: Compulsory acceptance of foreseeable risks unfair burden on insurers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   PPAC protects the applicants from the insurer’s discrimination where the insurance companies are forced to accept foreseeable risks thus reducing the profit margins. This mandatory acceptance of these foreseeable risks will lead to increased expenses which are paid to the unlucky individuals as compensation which eventually leads to reduced returns. This act is unfair to the insurers since they should be given an opportunity to consider whether to accept or reject insuring individuals with foreseeable risks. This is because increase in amounts paid for these foreseeable risks as compensations will reduce the profits margins to an extent of making losses which may lead to such companies deciding to exit the industry due to constant loss making.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rebuttal: Insurers allowed to underwrite avoidable risks and discriminate on the basis of lifestyle choices   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurers should be allowed to discriminate based on lifestyle choices and underwrite avoidable risks. This is because the individual to be covered should be responsible. The fear that individuals may have that they may not be compensated if the risk was avoidable would prevent them from making choices which are reckless thus protecting the insurance companies from paying unfair amounts as compensation. Also individuals should be responsible and they should put necessary measures or efforts to ensure that the risk doesn’t occur, so as not to overburden the insurance provider with expenses which are avoidable. In this regard individuals should be ready to bear the responsibilities for the consequences of their freely made decisions. Summing up & Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affordable care Act also incorporates measures which are aimed at reducing healthcare spending in United States. Many American citizens are unaware that since 2010 when the Affordable care Act became into law after being signed they have been enjoying from the protections, rights and benefits of obamacare. Before this Affordable care Act many small businesses and low and middle income earning American citizens found it challenging to afford healthcare for their families and also for themselves. In the past the many sick people were denied health treatment or coverage with diminutive right for appealing. Insurance companies charged individuals more on basis of their health status where women were required to pay higher rates. Affordable care Act entails provisions which are aimed at solving all these challenges.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cost of health care in United States keeps rising year after year at an alarming rate. This rise in healthcare expenditure harms the country in many ways. For seniors and families, the increasing medical care cost means increased expenses making them to make hard choices regarding to rent, needed care and balanced food. For the local, state and federal governments, increasing health costs result to higher Medicaid and Medicare costs, and decreased funding on key priorities like education, public safety and infrastructure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years America has experienced the highest rates of obesity among the developed nations. High occurrence rates for obesity are experienced in United States kids and also in every age group subsequently. From 20 years onward the adults in America have among the highest occurrence rates of diabetes among peer nations. However, United States tops globally in the cancer treatment and health care research, for example. The breast cancer survival rate is very high in United States compared to other OECD nations and also U.S is among the best in survival from colorectal cancer thus ensuring high value healthcare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, although obama care has been faced by many challenges however it has resulted to many benefits than costs. Before this Affordable care Act many small businesses and low and middle income earning American citizens found it challenging to afford healthcare for their families and also for themselves. In the past the many sick people were denied health treatment or coverage with diminutive right for appealing. Insurance companies charged individuals more on basis of their health status where women were required to pay higher rates. Affordable care Act entails provisions which are aimed at solving all these challenges. Although it have been faced by many challenges obamacare remains a good system which should not be done away with since it gives rise to clear financial benefits for all stakeholders: the government, the individual and the insurance companies. References Burkhauser, R. V., & Lyons, S. (2011). The importance of the meaning and measurement of â€Å"affordable† in the Affordable Care Act. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research. Faria, M.A. (2012). ObamaCare: Another step toward corporate socialized medicine in the US. Surgical Neurology International, Jan. 2012, 386+. Gray, B. J., & Sullivan, K. C. (2011). Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). New York: Nova Science Publisher’s, Inc. Hodge JG., Arias J., and Ordell, R. (2011). Nationalizing Health Care Reform in a Federalist System. Arizona State Law Journal, 42(4), 1245-1275. Hofer, A.N., Abraham, J.M & Moscovice, I. (2011). Expansion of Coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Primary Care Utilization. The Milbank Quarterly, 89(1), 69–89. Hoffman, A.K. (2011). Three models of health insurance: The conceptual pluralism of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 159(6), 1873-1954. Kotlikoff, L. J. (2007). The healthcare fix: universal insurance for all Americans. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Majette, G.R. (2011). PPACA and public health: Creating a framework to focus on prevention and wellness and improve the public’s health. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 39(3), 366-379. Miller, E. A. (2001). The Affordable Care Act: advancing long-term care policy in the United States. Norwood, NJ: New Age International. Oberlander, J. (2012). The future of obamacare. The New England Journal of Medicine, 367(23), 2165-7. Pipes, S. (2013). The cure for Obamacare. New York: Encounter Books. Sade, R.M. (2012). Introduction: The health care reform law (PPACA): Controversies in ethics and policy. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 40(3), 523-525. Sage, W.M. (2011). Brand new law! The need to market health care reform. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 159(6), 2121-2146. Skocpol, T. & Williamson, V. (2011). Obama and the transformation of U.S. public policy: The struggle to reform health care. Arizona State Law Journal, 42(4), 1203-1232. Woolf, S.H., & Aron, L.Y. (Eds.) (2013). U.S. health in international perspective: shorter lives, poorer health. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13497. Source document

Enron Weather Derivatives Case Summary Essay

Pacific Northwest Electric was a significant producer of electric power. Seasons are a big deal to electricity companies: the colder the weather, the more electricity consumers use to power their heating. Looking back the last few years, CFO Mary Watts (an incredible electricity pun!) noticed a trend of relatively warm winters which in turn resulted in less-than-optimal financial results. Though the 1990’s are remembered as a time of a healthy economy, PNW suffered from a stagnant earnings-per-share growth during this period. After receiving a report of yet another warmer winter coming, Watts turned to a product offered by Enron Corporation that claimed to minimize weather-related volume risk. There are many reasons derivatives could help PNW’s exposure to weather risk. For example, on a much smaller scale ice cream stores often go out of business because though summer sales are great, managers do not know how to take out loans and insurance to keep paying employees and other expenses during the off-season. PNW works the opposite way, with less demand in the summer, but the loss of demand in the winter months could be compensated for by using the derivatives product and smoothing revenue. The risk of stock-outs and lost-opportunity costs could be hedged. The derivatives could also help stimulate sales and overall diversify investment portfolios with correlation between weather and return, whereas futures were only being used to hedge against price risk by agreeing to deliver or accept a commodity at a certain time and price. The way the product worked is that PNW would be able to determine how much margin it would lose if the weather, measured by temperature, differed from the average readings in their geographic location. How much risk tolerance as far as planned income loss from weather could be set up by the company. In the end, the company would receive a payment to offset lost income from reduced demand if the result was below the original threshold. This would be called a floor, because the variable fell below the threshold though upper potential was still available. Other structures could be a ceiling cap that compensates if variable goes above or a collar which combines attributes of both the floor and ceiling cap and can be great when it essentially. funds the purchase of insurance. A swap can produce similar results, except for its actions are triggered singularly whereas the collar relies on two separate tools. It is important to note that weather derivatives would not be included under an accounting rule that pertained to hedges under a market index rather than customized contracts. Watts took into consideration correlation and geographic differences to realize that PNW needed protection from weather risk. Contracts she would approve to enter into with Enron would require an initial payment for entry, but would mean the company would receive a one-time payment at the end that adjusted to weather results and agreed tolerance levels. Whether or not the premium is worth it depends on the weather which has experienced a bad historical trend but in the end is quite unpredictable. The decision for a conservative company to enter this kind of contract is one that requires thought, but the largest focus should be setting threshold levels.