Amazon.Com Case Studies Free Essays

string(564) " shipping might affect future financial outcome \? Certain products \(high volume/weight\) have high shipping costs which could confront with local offline retailers Threats \? eBay, Barnes Nobles, and Wal-Mart \? Population segment not targeted to on-line sales due to their lack of internet access \? Weak economic performance of Germany and France in the last year \? Competition will increase due to the low barriers to entry in the market: offline companies are coming online \? Heavy investments in Partnerships \(Dustin Nadeau Donatas Sumyla\." Name: PRASHANTH BALAKRISHNAN Student ID: 071090070 Course: BIS 541/03 –MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS Program: CEMBA Commonwealth Executive Master of Business and Administration TMA 1: â€Å"Amazon. com†- A Business History Tutor: Prasanan P. T. We will write a custom essay sample on Amazon.Com Case Studies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Kannan Submission Date: 07. March. 2009 [pic] TABLE OF CONTENTS ChapterTitlePage 1. 0Executive Summary 2. 0Problem Statement1 3. 0Analysis of Causes 3. 1 Amazon’s Debt 2-3 3. 2 Competition3-4 3. 3 Expansion4-6 4. 0Decision Criteria and Alternative Solutions 4. 1 Reduce expenditure in inventories and better management7 in supply chain 4. Presenting a competitive edge to competitors7 4. 3 Expansionto Asia8 5. Recommended Solutions 5. 1 Technology Integration and RD9 5. 2 Strategic Cost Analysis9 5. 3 Differentiation9 5. 4 Inventory10 5. 5 Visionary Informative10-11 5. 6 Keep customers in the loop on everything11 5. 7 Shipping Delivery11 5. 8 Expansion to Asia Region11-12 5. 9 Word-of mouth advertisement12 6. 0 Expand the product lines13 6. 0Appendices14-16 7. 0References17 Executive Summary The study comprises of Amazon. om which started its history by selling books and now one of the online market leaders globally not only for books but products from various categories. Comp any started with a mission to be Earth’s most customer centric company. In order to become the largest and convenience online store for all, there are major problems or threat being faced by Amazon. com in succeeding its mission. The major problems are Amazon facing high amount of debt, it’s less initiative in not expanding to other developed countries, and also competition from other online retailers and one tough opponent is Barnes Nobles. Many plans of actions can be taken and some of it is; Amazon. com should decrease long–term debt by increasing expenditure on research and development, increasing word-to-mouth advertisement and good customer service. Amazon. com should also expand the five most common languages in Asian region. Focus marketing strategies on customer feedback to find out what Asian customers tend to buy and willing to spend on. Strategize new plan on improving sites to be informative and attractive as much as possible so Amazon. com should also adapt to the best technology where it can sustain as a strong innovator in ever increasing retailer market. Amazon. com also must strive to give customers the best service in shipping and delivery as it’s an important aspect in online business to out beat its entire competitors on this online industry. Problem Statement The main problem faced by Amazon. com now being an online retailer can be divided to three in overall. Amazon. com is in confronting huge debt behind their successful screen. Amazon. com is lack of expansion to other regions or Asia which be said as another big market for a huge online bookseller as Amazon. com. Another problem is the competition being faced by them with one of the tough opponent as BarnesNobles. Analysis of the Problem Amazon. com’s in Debt 3. 1 Amazon’s Debt One of major causes of Amazon’s huge debt is its large expenditure. In order to keep its advantageous position, Amazon has no choice but to continue to spend astronomical amounts of money on sales marketing, research development and general administrative costs. (Table 1 Table 2) â€Å"One misstep, and its love affair withy investors and sources of capital could be over. (Kimberly Weisul, 1999) †¢ Competitors Although Amazon won the battle soon after entering the online cd and music market, there are some competitions in other product lines that may be too immensely strong to beat. For example, in March of 1999, Amazon introduced an auction service. After a few months effort, its auction business performed slightly, indicating how difficult it is to challenge the giant’s eBay and Y ahoo! Auctions. |Auction Sites |27-Sep-99 |Multiplier needed to equal eBay listings | |Amazon Auctions |4. 0% |15. 3 | |eBay |73. 60% |   | |Yahoo! Auctions |21. 60% |3. 4 | Source: Auction Web sites and C. E Unterberg Towbin †¢ Consumer Behavior Amazon. com is widely regarded as having one of the best management team of any internet company. However, there are some outside forces that are not easy to manipulate. Security; as the number of Internet crimes increases, customers are becoming aware of the possible danger involved in the process of on-line shopping. This security problem may not be difficult to improve since security technology is innovated quickly, but to convince customer of this is not as easy ? Etailers vs. retailers Another factor is hard to manage customer purchasing habits. Most consumers still prefer the capability of seeing a product before buying it. Additionally, the number of people buying personal computers and that of the Internet population will dir ectly affect Amazon’s sale. . 2 Competition †¢ Michael Porter’s Model ? Supplier ; Amazon started to build its own distribution centers in different locations and moving the products directly form the factory rather than from other distributors such that Amazon can lower its marginal costs. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999) ? Consumers ; Amazon. com continues to spend a lot of money in advertisement to reach customers as well as to increase customer awareness of eCommerce in general and brand name in particular. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999) ? Substitutes; The Substitute of eCommerce, the traditional retailers, is still more attractive than the Etailers. For example, we as consumers more than likely would rather go to the bookstore and browse through a book before we buy it. (Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999 ) 3. 3 Expansion †¢ Lack of Spanish website version (Latino and Hispanic Americans are the fastest-growing online ethnic group) †¢ Amazon. com is very less popular or it can said there are people without knowing the existence of Amazon. om †¢ Website is not more expanded with more languages options where currently there are options only for Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and China (www. amazon. com) Competition with Barnes Nobles Amazon. com Weakness ? Difficulties of handling large number of customers ? Limited operating history ? Security awareness ? Low margins in the sector ? Risk of introduction of wrong new categories which could damage company’s bran d ? Company’s offered free shipping might affect future financial outcome ? Certain products (high volume/weight) have high shipping costs which could confront with local offline retailers Threats ? eBay, Barnes Nobles, and Wal-Mart ? Population segment not targeted to on-line sales due to their lack of internet access ? Weak economic performance of Germany and France in the last year ? Competition will increase due to the low barriers to entry in the market: offline companies are coming online ? Heavy investments in Partnerships (Dustin Nadeau Donatas Sumyla. April 2006) Barnes and Nobles and Amazon. com are competing, but both stores and other online stores recognize what works and are studying one another – often duplicating one another’s business strategies. This has resulted in them having more similarities than differences and it helps the consumers find similarities across the Web such as; †¢ When a description of an item is given, Amazon and Barnes and Nobles both place the shopping cart option prominently displayed to the upper, right portion of the screen. This makes it very efficient and useable for the viewer and they do not have to search around the page for this button. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ In pricing, both Amazon. com and Barnesandnobles. com display the average price or their items above their own discounted rates so that the users feel as though they are saving money. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ Both sites are â€Å"Flexible†, there is an option of buying things at a later date and placing them in the shopping cart temporarily. This option is called the wish list and it is displayed just beneath the â€Å"Add to Cart† button. Users can access this saved information and acce ss it on their next visit. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢ Both sites offer â€Å"Security† that provides safe shopping, privacy and efficiency by requiring customers to join as members at a certain point during a transaction. Membership is free and requires an email address, full name, home address and phone number. It allowing customers to maintain an order status and helps provide a history of what they bought. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) †¢   Both sites are very â€Å"Scalable†, allowing for a huge selection of items to be added to the product catalog or taken away. A Field size is accommodated in the database. (Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001) 4. 0 Alternative Solutions 4. 1 Reduce expenditure in inventories and better management in supply chain ? Use increased income to pay down long-term debt ? Keep operating costs low (efficiencies of scales) ? Increase expenditure on Research Development arena ? Strategic cost analysis ( WOU , MIS notes) ? Determining Differentiation ( WOU , MIS notes) 4. 2 Presenting a competitive edge to competitors †¢ Create more expertise in marketing and more product launches compared to competitors; †¢ Do a more through research on the customers needs and come up with something new that has its own brand and establishes as only Amazon. om could have the product. (Sujan Sarkar. April 23, 2007) †¢ A new Strategy on only books should be brought up in order to outcome one tough opponent as Barnes Nobles. For example, Amazon. com’s booth’s can be set up in country sides where there is no access for Internet and give knowledge to country people that there also business through online. This is because; giving more exposure and awareness to people might be a business opportunit y as well. †¢ Product review information; Customers would have n a clear description, synopsis and other customer’s review on the book as it gives a clear rating of the book and there won’t be any sort of disappointments for them after purchase. 4. 3 Expansion to Asia †¢ Create different website versions based on the five most common language in Asian region †¢ Focus marketing strategies on customer feedback to find out what Asian customers tend to buy. †¢ Word of mouth advertisement (Onder Savas Devrim Dirik. January 9, 2003) †¢ Continue expanding its product lines 5. 0 Recommended Solution Implementation 5. Technology Integration and RD Amazon. com should increase expenditure in the research and development arena. We believe that Amazon should prepare itself for additional telecommunications implementations such as high speed internet and network security. These types of implementation, though representative of considerable RD costs, are pro bably most significant factors that etailers must prepare for near future. As users, connections increase in speed, any delays on the part of the etailer they are connecting to will become obvious and less tolerable. Amazon can stay ahead of the pack by preparing a unique and comfortable interface for the users. 5. 2 Strategic Cost Analysis Amazon. com should also use Strategic cost analysis process where identify the firm’s value chain, diagnose the key elements that drive the costs of each value activity, identify competitors value chains, develop a strategy to lower relative costs by controlling cost drivers, ensure that any cost reduction does not erode differentiation in service and test the cost reductions if its sustainable in the end of the analysis. . 3 Differentiation They should also consider by costs by determining Differentiation where the process goes as determine who the real buyer is, identify buyer’s value chain and put in rank order the buyer’s reason to purchase, asses the current potential sources of diffentiation, identify the cost of these resources, design a value chain to maximize value relative costs, test for sustainiablity and reduce costs in activi ties that do not affect the chosen forms of differentiation. 5. Inventory; There are programs built to be extremely user-friendly, and most offer great support along the way of usage for online businesses to maintain the book database. Amazon should invest in software to best highlight and maintain the data on the site and importantly back up systems. Keep inventory accurate and up to date; This is also an important aspect that Amazon can out beat its competitors with as this is first step towards building a long-term relationship with that customer. Inventory of the books stock-out and sold out will be kept up to date on the site. 5. 5 Visionary Informative A picture is worth a thousand words; Uploading pictures by decreasing explanations or descriptions could attract customer’s attraction and curiosity in exploring the book. Somehow it boosts up sales compared to other online booksellers who give attention in words. Product Review Information; In case of books, editorial reviews are provided by the company and it applies for all books. Customers can also rate each other’s review. A rating is placed against each review so that customers can decide whether to read or not based on that. Most online booksellers do not include this but they display the customer’s satisfaction on the delivery service provided by them which is less important to boost up sales. People out there want to pay you for your books; Amazon should use own merchant service account or a service offered by a listing site, make sure that customers can buy books quickly and painlessly with a credit card while you have them on the brink of finalizing said purchase. Don’t judge a book by its cover; First impressions are lasting impressions. When a customer receives the book they’ve ordered, make sure the first thing they see is a product and package that you are proud to have supplied by using use clean, new boxes without writing (or envelopes for low-cost paperbacks) for shipments. Customers will be expecting an excellent service but if its vice versa then they are chances for them to switch to other online retailers. 5. 6 Keep customers in the loop on everything; Amazon should update the status of order to customers on the order made and also keep them in loop by e-mail the listing service directly with questions about their orders and keep updating the latest events and new stocks of books through emails. 5. 7 Shipping Delivery Follow-up; After shipping out an item to the customer, Amazon should send them an e-mail a day or two after expecting that they’ll receive their package, asking them if they’ve received it and are satisfied, and reminding them that there customer rep are there to help should they have any questions about their order. This is also a great time to remind them that you have similar items in stock or to offer them a coupon towards future purchases. 5. 8 Expansion to Asia Region Amazon should strive to expand its expertise to Asia region as well as high potentials are there which huge population. Education is becoming one important aspect in Asia and lack of important reference books are always a problem in many parts of Asia. It should diversify its marketing capability in Asia too to capture the market. Amazon is very less popular in Asia regions. Amazon. om should take Asia to consider for its business expansion. Amazon could also diversify its marketing and research ability to expand mostly to the developed countries of other territory. In order to grow big and always sustain in the market and competition, Amazon should takes this sort of steps to expand. International Sites; Amazon. com has got an added advantage of international sites on Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, France and China. All about what the customers have to do to browse the site with their language is by clicking to their national site. For example, if you clink Japan, immediately the whole website will change its descriptions and instructions into Japanese language. This is not at all applicable for a customer in Malaysia or any other regions of Asia. It should expand and add more languages options in its site to accumulate its customers. Giving customers what they want is also one strategy not all online business can do but if this can be proven in Amazon’s case then it have all the potential to be the one. 5. 9 Word-of mouth advertisement Amazon also should increase its word-of mouth advertisement. This might seem odd for an industry leader to rely upon such a quaint tactics as this, but we truly believe that in the world of Internet this is a powerful tool. We are quick to visit sites that our friends identify as being fabulous, and Amazon might capitalize on this by rewarding its customers who can reel in a new prospects. 6. 0 Expand the product lines Amazon should expand its product lines. Given’s Amazon’s vision and its unique position in the etailer industry, the cost associated with entering new markets is significantly lower than that of its competitors. There is no reasons to let this advantage slip away unused. Conclusion In order to stay focus on business Amazon. com has various ways and strategies that can be implemented with proper organizations communication networks. Financial reports should be reviewed annually and quarterly if necessary to come up with decisions whether to boost up sales or to maintain on a certain criteria for the wellness of business. Amazon. com also should have a frequent customer feedback program where they could exchange view on the services and products most desired to be acquired online by customers. Top level management meetings should be initiated to assure goals are achieved. A proper corrective action should be determined after the first year if annual objectives weren’t accomplished. However there are difficulties and competitions to overcome, and how companies attack these difficulties will separate the winners form the losers. Appendix |AMAZON. COM, INC. HISTORICAL INCOME STATEMENTS | |(in millions, except per share data)(quarterly information unaudited) | |Amazon. com Investor Relations | | | | | | | |Calendar Years Ended – December 31, | | |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 |2004 |2003 |2002 | |Media |   | $ 5,350 | $ 4,630 | $ 3,582 | $ 3,046 | $ 2,589 | $ | | | | | | | | |2,270 | |Other |   | 448 | 326 | 263 | 222 | 130 | | | | | | | | | |110 | |International |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Media |   | 5,734 | 4,612 | 3,485 | 2,885 | 2,513 | | | | | | | | | |1,780 | |Other |   | 94| 57| 20| | | | | | | | | |8 |2 |- | |Consolidated |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |Media |   | 11,084 | 9,242 | 7,067 | 5,931 | 5,102 | | | | | | | | | |4,050 | |Other |   | 542 | 383 | 283 | 230 | 132 | | | | | | | | | |110 | Table 2- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) |Total U. S. Home, Work and University Locations, Unique Visitors (000) | |Source: comScore Media Metrix | |Rank |Property |Unique Visitors |Rank |Property |Unique Visitors | | | |(000) | | |  (000) | |   |Total Internet : Total Audience |191,863 |   |   |   | |1 |Google Sites |151,010 |26 |Target Corporation |28,628 | |2 |Yahoo! Sites |146,131 |27 |Time Warner – Excluding AOL |27,209 | |3 |Microsoft Sites |125,568 |28 |Weatherbug Property |26,944 | |4 |AOL LLC |108,441 |29 |Bank of America |26,322 | |5 |Fox Interactive Media |90,510 |30 |United Online, Inc |26,048 | |6 |Ask Network |74,742 |31 |Gorilla Nation |25,585 | |7 |eBay |72,160 |32 |ATT, Inc. 25,574 | |8 |Amazon Sites |64,768 |33 |Answers. com Sites |25,563 | |9 |Wikipedia Foundation Sites |62,737 |34 |Demand Media |25,447 | |10 |FACEBOOK. COM |57,232 |35 |CareerBuilder LLC |24,750 | |11 |Glam Media |55,293 |36 |Everyday Health |24,717 | |12 |Turner Network |54,877 |37 |Shopzilla. com Sites |24,097 | |13 |Apple Inc. 54,194 |38 |Photobucket. com LLC |23,928 | |14 |CBS Corporation |53,539 |39 |WordPress |23,730 | |15 |New York Times Digital |49,110 |40 |Real. com Network |23,359 | |16 |Viacom Digital |46,510 |41 |Expedia Inc |22,703 | |17 |Weather Channel, The |40,056 |42 |JPMorgan Chase Property |22,399 | |18 |craigslist, inc. 39,437 |43 |Monst er Worldwide |22,244 | |19 |ATT Interactive Network |38,184 |44 |Gannett Sites |21,829 | |20 |Adobe Sites |35,315 |45 |WorldNow – ABC Owned Sites |21,586 | |21 |Comcast Corporation |33,940 |46 |WebMD Health |21,185 | |22 |Wal-Mart |33,513 |47 |iVillage. com: The Womens Network |21,002 | |23 |Superpages. com Network |32,558 |48 |NBC Universal |20,974 | |24 |Verizon Communications Corporation |32,412 |49 |WhitePages |19,351 | |25 |Disney Online |30,345 |50 |ESPN |19,266 | Table 3; Media Matrix; http://www. comscore. com References 1] Chao Janice C. Rice, Brandi S. Dec 8, 1999 http://www. rhsmith. umd. du/faculty/jbailey/ents630/amazon. pdf 2] Dustin Nadeau Donatas Sumyla. April 2006- Amazon. Com Inc 2004. (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 3] Clementina Imobhio May 5, 2001 – E-Transaction: Shopping Carts Comparison (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 4] Paul Larson. February 14, Amazon. com – Motley Fool Research, Stock Report http://www. fool. com/search/index. aspx? go=1site=USMFq=am azon. com (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 5] Onder Savas Devrim Dirik. January 9, 2003 – Informat? on Management (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 6] Strategic Analysis of Amazon. com (Accessed Feb 19, 2009) 7] www. wikinvest. com/wiki/E-Commerce, (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 8] www. ikinvest. com/stock/Amazon. com_(AMZN), (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 9] www. wikinvest. com/stock/Barnes_%26_Noble_(BKS), (Accessed Feb 20, 2009) 10] Sujan Sarkar. April 23, 2007 – Amazon vs. Barnes Noble: www. santarosa. edu/~ssarkar/cs66sp07/fprj/abn. htm (Accessed Feb 16, 2009) 11] Table 1- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) 12] Table 2- Source; www. amazon. com (Investors Relations) (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) 13] Table 3; Media Matrix; http://www. comscore. com (Accessed Feb 17, 2009) ———————– AMAZON Supplier New Entrance Substitute Consumers How to cite Amazon.Com Case Studies, Essay examples

Deconstructing Mixed Methods Research

Questions: 1. Briefly describe the type of design used by Torres and the timing of the data collection.2. Briefly describe the theoretical lens that underlies the study.3. Briefly describe the data analysis procedures used in the study.4. Explain the rationale for using the mixed method design in this study. Answers: 1: Type of design used by Torres and the timing of the data collection In the article presented by Torres, the applied research design was descriptive research design. Mixed research design is the field of study where the researcher is able to apply and depict each individual participant or respondents/qualitative and quantitative observations taking active participation in the research. A mixed research design enables the researcher to describe each and every individual who take part in the research study (Leech, Onwuegbuzie, 2010). In this research, all the potential respondents were actually individually approaches by the leaders just because of the visible services available in Latino community. The study however provided an understanding of the perceptions of the individuals both in oral terms as well as written consent. The article prepared by Torres, (2009) has portrayed the fact that the study conducted by Torres was actually a qualitative study. The researcher aimed attaining representative sample of the respondents depending upon the age, gender and the generation levels. All the questions that were asked were open ended in nature and the data collection method so applied was semi-structured interviews, where the researcher had selected the questions to enable the respondents to craft and indicate the definition of success. The time taken for each interview was around 45 minutes to 60 minutes. 2: Theoretical lens Theoretical lenses can be of two distinct types namely quantitative and qualitative lenses. Applied theories like as interactionism, phenomenology often assist the researcher to undergo and outline a set of research question that may in future help the researcher to propose explanations and causes. The study based on the Latino community by Torres implied to a consensus analysis of a mixture of quantitative and qualitative respondents of 46 Latino adults. Mixed method researches usually deconstructed through the social sciences in the clinical and health and medical sciences. However, the author has also unfolded the fact that in conducting the mixed research, the researcher needs to collect and evaluate both qualitative and quantitative data. 3: Data analysis procedures used in the study In this research, the overviews and the perceptions of the respondents belonging to Latino Community were analyzed through the application of the strategies that aligned with the grounded theories. Torres used and applied the formula of open coding where all the data were divided and then analyzed accordingly. Accordingly the researcher then developed category themes. Again Torres also depended upon cultural consensus analysis in the phase 2 of the research which ultimately aimed at exploring the cultural consensus analysis of the cultural models that are applied in Latino intercultural competence (Torres, 2009). 4: Rationale for using mixed method design Here in this particular research, Torres applied the mixed method design so as to eradicate the challenges that could have limited the outcomes of the research, if single design (either qualitative or quantitative) was applied. However, Torres has applied the mixed research design so as explain and construe the theoretical lenses of the cultural models used in Latino intercultural competence. References Hanson, W. E., Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Petska, K. S., Creswell, D. J. (2005).Mixed methods research design in counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 224235. Leech, N., Onwuegbuzie, A. (2010). Guidelines for conducting and reporting mixed research in the field of counseling and beyond. Journal of Counseling and Development, 88(1), 6170. Torres, L. (2009). Latino definitions of success: A cultural model of intercultural competence. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 31, 576593.

Health care Reforms in G8 Countries and Turkey

Introduction One of the main objectives of the governments of G8 countries is to promote and improve the health status of their citizens. In order to achieve this objective, G8 countries have focused on providing effective, accessible, as well as, affordable health care to their citizens. Consequently, health care policies in G8 countries revolve around two fundamental issues.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health care Reforms in G8 Countries and Turkey specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first issue is the manner in which a basic package of high quality health care should be provided. The second issue is how to â€Å"finance and manage health services in away that guarantees their availability and accessibility† (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). In order to address these issues, health care has been considered a public good in G8 countries. A public good is normally provided by the gove rnment and benefits everyone in the community. The governments of G8 countries are, thus, justified to provide health care services due to the following reasons. First, majority of the citizens can not access health services due to the high costs (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). Consequently, the governments provide health services in order to promote access regardless of the ability to pay. Second, health care is a basic right of all citizens, and thus, it should be provided by the government. Additionally, there are no substitutes for health care. Hence all citizens must be able to access quality health services. Third, the governments are able to mobilize additional funds for health care by providing universal health cover to their citizens (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). The additional funds are used to improve the quality of health care services. Finally, a healthy nation tends to be more productive. This has prompted G8 governments to provide affordable heal th services in order to enhance their productivity (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). This paper focuses on the health care reforms in the G8 countries. Health care in G8 Countries in the Last 15 Years The G8 consists of the eight largest economies in the world. Despite the fact that all G8 countries are developed, some of them have poor health care systems. The quality of health care among the G8 countries depends on the availability of resources and health policies adopted by each country. In the last fifteen years, health services in G8 countries, except US, have been provided by the governments. The governments either provided the services directly or contracted private providers to deliver the services. However, the percentage of health care costs paid by the governments varies from country to country. For example, in UK the government pays all the fees while in Japan, the patient pays between 10% and 30% of the total cost (Claudia, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Both taxation and national health insurance covers are used to finance health services in the G8 countries. Unlike other G8 countries, health care in US is mainly financed through private insurance. The health covers are either provided by the employers or purchased directly by the citizens. The US government has minimal participation in the provision of health services. The health care programs that are supported by the US government include Medicaid and Medicare. Generally, access to quality health services has increased in most G8 countries. The UK, German and France have had the best health care systems in terms of quality, accessibility and affordability (Claudia, 2010). In these countries, the governments pay for nearly all health care expenses. Additionally, a lot of capital is invested in the health care sectors. Russia’s health care system remained ineffective in the last fifteen years due to poor management and lack of financial resources. The US health system has also recorded poor performance in the last fifteen years. In particular, high costs prevent majority of US citizens from accessing quality health services (Juni, 2006). Nearly all G8 countries have faced challenges in providing health services. The common challenges include rising costs, inadequate personnel and declining service quality. These challenges have promoted the G8 governments to reform their health care systems. Health Care Reforms In UK, health care reforms began in 1948 with the establishment of the National Health Services (NHS). The objective NHS is to â€Å"provide health care for all citizens based on need and not the ability to pay† (Juni, 2006). NHS is funded by the public through taxation. All legal residents of UK are eligible for the services offered by NHS, irrespective of their nationalities or tax history. NHS hospitals provide all medical services in cluding surgeries and prescriptions free of charge. Additionally, meals, care workers, ambulance services, therapies and in-clinic nursing services are provided for free (Claudia, 2010). Only general physicians are allowed to refer a patient for acute care in a NHS hospital. The general physicians are also given feedback on the treatment given to the patient and recommendations for follow up actions. In US, earlier reforms in the health care system involved the formation of the â€Å"Veterans Health Administration, the Military Healthcare System and the Indian Health Services† (Juni, 2006). These programs provide subsidized health care services to specific groups such as the military. Publicly funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare provide subsidized health care to vulnerable groups such as the poor, the old (over 65 years) and the disabled. Major reforms began in 2010, with the enactment of the new health reforms bill. The new health bill aims at improving access to h ealth services through universal health cover. Under the new legislation, all US citizens will be required by law to obtain health insurance (Arrieta Guillein, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health care Reforms in G8 Countries and Turkey specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government will provide tax credits to those living below the poverty line to enable them obtain health insurance. Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing to offer covers to citizens with preconditions. The health insurance covers will cater for all medical services demanded by all US citizens. Russia adopted a socialist approach to provide health care between 1917 and 1990. During this period, the government provided all health care services through taxation (Claudia, 2010). Thus, all citizens were able to access services such as prescriptions, surgeries, therapies and other treatments for free. Following the c ollapse of the Soviet Union, Russia adopted a mixed model of healthcare provision (Claudia, 2010). In this case, the private and public sector participates in financing and provision of health services. The private sector provides health insurance and health facilities while the government subsidizes the cost of treatment and also provides health workers (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). Reforms in Turkey’s health care system began in 2003. The reform program â€Å"aims at increasing the ratio of private to state health provision and making health care available to all citizens† (Feldster, 2009). Private insurance companies partnered with private hospitals to provide quality health care. In 2006, laws that facilitate provision of universal health cover were enacted in order to enhance access to health services. The government funds nearly 70% while the private sector funds 30% of all health expenses (Feldster, 2009). The family practitioner model was introduced in 2010 to provide low cost medical services by local doctors. The family practitioner model provides treatment to citizens of all ages. Members of a family can receive treatment from the same doctor. However, the doctors are not specialized, and thus, services such as surgery are obtained in centralized government hospitals. Healthcare in Germany is provided by the government through a universal health cover system. The insurance cover is provided in two forms namely the sickness fund and private insurance (Agrell Bogetoft, 2001). Membership in sickness funds is compulsory and contributions are made by employers and employees. Overall, the government funds nearly 77% of the total health care budget. The remaining 23% is funded by the private sector (Agrell Bogetoft, 2001). The funding from both the government and private sectors caters for treatment, medicine costs, as well as, the cost of staying in hospitals. Following a sharp increase in costs, the government introduced new h ealth financing reforms in 2007 through an act of parliament.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The new legislation guarantees access to health insurance, and provides incentives to enhance effective coordination of health care (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). Additionally, it introduced a unitary contribution rate, and enhanced competition among insurers, hence reducing the cost of health insurance. The French health system is funded through pension schemes, family allowances, as well as, health insurance. Pensions and family allowances are managed as a national fund. There are also smaller funds that cater for workers in specific professions. All health â€Å"funds are private but are highly regulated by the government† (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). The funds cater for hospital care, prescriptions, cash benefits and outpatient services. The other services offered include preventive care for mothers and children which are provided through community –based health facilities. Health workers such as nurses, midwives social workers are provided to care for chi ldren and other patients. Health care in Italy is financed and provided by both the government and the private sector. The government provides health care through the National Health Services (NHS). NHS pays the family doctors, nurses, and the costs of treatment. However, medicinal drugs can not be obtained without a doctor’s prescription (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). The drugs prescribed by a family doctor are partly paid for by the patient. Over-the-counter drugs, on the other hand, are fully paid for by the patient. The family doctor is assigned to a maximum of 1500 patients and must visit the patients at least five times in week. Both Japan and Canada have universal health covers through which they provide health care to their citizens. In Japan, the government pays 70% of the health care costs while the patient pays the remaining 30%. The funds from the government cater for parental care, disease control, and screening examinations (Agrell Bogetoft, 2001). P atients can access medical services from doctors of their choice, and have a right to health insurance from any provider. In Canada, health care is provided freely at the point of treatment or use (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). Health services are mainly provided by private organizations. However, the government regulates the private providers in order to enhance the quality of health care. The government pays for the drugs, treatment and salaries of the health workers. Effectiveness of the G8 Health Care Systems In general, the reforms adopted by the G8 countries have helped them to improve the effectiveness of their health systems. At least 85% of Canadians are satisfied with their health care system. The Canadian health system is also cost-effective since 96.2% of adults spend less than five percent of their disposable income on medical expenses such as prescription drugs (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). In UK, the reforms have enabled the government to deliver health services closer to th ose who need them most. Consequently, health care costs have significantly reduced, and the service quality has improved tremendously. In Turkey, the increased participation of the private sector raised competition for patients. Consequently, the quality of health care in public and private hospitals has improved. The number of health practitioners and health facilities has increased by 30% following the introduction the family practitioner model (Claudia, 2010). Majority of the rural population can now access health care through universal health cover and government subsidies. The life expectancy in German increased to 78 years while the infant mortality rate reduced to 4.7 for ever 1,000 live births. Currently, German is one of the countries with the highest number of physicians (Claudia, 2010). The health financing reforms introduced in 2007, has enabled majority of Germans to access better health care through health covers. The French health system is considered the best in Euro pe and among the G8 member countries. This is because it provides a variety of high quality health care services for free. At least 65% of France’s citizens are satisfied with their health system. Italy’s health system is the second best after the French system. At least 95% of Italians are able to access quality medical services. In Japan and Canada, access to medical services has significantly increased in the last decade. Unlike other G8 countries, U.S and Russia still have ineffective health care systems. Russia has the worse health system among the G8 countries. Its health system initially helped in reducing infectious diseases and increased bed capacities in hospitals (Feldster, 2009). However, the introduction of the mixed model led to inefficiency in the health system. Consequently, the health of Russia’s population has deteriorated in nearly all measures. In United States, the main challenge is high costs of accessing health care. Additionally, the qual ity of health services is very low. Only 40% of US citizens are satisfied with their health care system (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). However, the challenges facing the United States’ health care system are likely to be addressed by the new health reforms laws. In conclusion, providing health care through universal health covers has enabled most G8 countries to achieve the objective of delivering quality and affordable health care. However, the existing health care systems are still faced with challenges such as rising costs, inefficiency and administration problems (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). Role of the Private Sector In all G8 countries, health care services are provided by both the government and the private sector. The government and the private sector participate in financing and actual provision of health care services. The private sector plays three fundamental roles which include the following. First, private health providers deliver health care services d irectly to the citizens. The private providers include private hospitals, doctors working in the private sector and private health organizations (Feldster, 2009). Second, private insurance companies provide covers that enable citizens to access medical services. Finally, employers in the private sector help in financing health care by purchasing health covers for their employees. The extent to which the private sector participates in the provision of health care varies from country to country. United States has the highest percentage of private sector participation in the provision of health care services. Nearly 70% of US citizens access medical services through private insurance. The insurance covers are directly purchased by citizens and employers (Feldster, 2009). In France, the private sector dominates in the provision of health covers. All insurance plans or health funds are arranged by the private sector under the regulation of the government. In Japan, the private sector fun ds only 30% of the health care costs. Besides, the government provides most health care services through public health facilities (Juni, 2006). There is minimal involvement of the private sector in UK, Canada, German, Turkey and Italy. In these countries, the governments pay for at least 75% of the total health care costs. Most health care facilities are owned by the government and the health workers are directly paid by the governments. In countries such as Italy and UK, the services provided in public hospitals are better than in most private hospitals. Private verses Public The above analysis indicates that access to quality and affordable health care is high in G8 countries where health services are provided by the public sector (government). However, in US where the private sector dominates the provision of health care, medical services are inaccessible and of low quality. Thus, we can conclude that the public sector can provide health care in a better way than the private sect or. The effectiveness of the public sector can be explained by the following reasons. First, empirical studies reveal that 1% of the population pays for nearly 25% of health care costs. 50% of the population pays for only 3% of the health care costs (Parmmolli, Riccaboni, Magazzini, 2011). Since, a high percentage of health care costs are paid by the minority, pooling of resources through a compulsory universal health cover becomes apparent. It is only the government that has the capacity to implement a compulsory universal health cover (Juni, 2006). Second, provision of health care by the public sector addresses equity issues. Since the private sector is driven by the profit motive, it restricts access to health care through the price mechanism (Feldster, 2009). The public sector, on the other hand, enables everyone to access health care regardless of their purchasing power (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). Second, provision of health care by the public sector improves the quality of hea lth services. For instance, the additional resources resulting from a universal cover can be used to acquire more health facilities. Third, provision of a public good such health care requires a high level of administration that a single enterprise can not arrange. It is only the government that can arrange for such high level of administration through its ministries (Arrieta Guillein, 2011). Additionally, the private sector might not be able to access the large capital that is required to offer universal health covers. Fourth, providing health care through publicly owned universal covers is likely to be more acceptable than private insurance (Juni, 2006). This is because a universal cover is relatively cheaper and is not subject to contractual obligations. Finally, the rapid economic growth in G8 countries provides a favorable environment for implementing universal health care (Claudia, 2010). The high employment rates in G8 countries means that majority of the citizens can contri bute to health funds. Additionally, G8 countries have high tax revenues that can be used to meet the costs of health care services. Conclusion Health care is an important sector since it determines the productivity and welfare of the population. It is against this backdrop that G8 countries have focused on providing affordable and quality health care to their citizens. Health care is considered a public good in most of the G8 countries. Consequently, the governments are more involved than the private sector in the funding and provision of health services. All G8 countries, except the US, provide health care through universal insurance covers and taxation (Feldster, 2009). In US, the private sector dominates in the provision of health care through private health insurance. The governments pay for the costs of treatment, prescription drugs, costs of staying in hospitals and the salaries of health workers. The private sector mainly participates in the provision of health covers (Arriet a Guillein, 2011). The challenges facing G8 countries in providing health care services include rising costs, mismanagement of funds and inadequate funds. In general, provision of health care through the public sector has enabled G8 countries to provide affordable and quality health care to their citizens. Thus, we can conclude that the public sector can provide better health care than the private sector. References Agrell, P., Bogetoft, P. (2001). DEA-Based Incentive Regimes in Health Care Provison. Journal of Economics and Management, 3(2), 78-91. Arrieta, A., Guillein, J. (2011). The Private Health Care Sector and the Provison of Parental Crae Services in America. World Development, 39(4) , 579-587. Claudia, C. (2010). Macrosystematic Reforms in the Health Care System for Eastern European Countries. Journal of Economics and Management, 10(2), 124-128. Feldster, M. (2009). Balancing the Goal of Health Care Provision. Social Science and Medicine, 31(6), 45-49. Juni, M. (2006). P ublic Health Care Provision: Access and Equity. Social Science and Medicine, 43(5), 759-768. Parmmolli, F., Riccaboni, M., Magazzini, L. (2011). The Sustainability of European Health Care System: Beyond Income and Ageing. Journal of Economic s and Management, 10(1), 199-209. This research paper on Health care Reforms in G8 Countries and Turkey was written and submitted by user Avery Estes to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Young Learners English Fingerplay Songs

Young Learner's English Fingerplay Songs Fingerplays - Learning Through MovementHere are a number of English fingerplay songs which combine movements of the hands and fingers with key vocabulary. The act of singing and acting out on the fingers children make both a kinetic and musical connection to the new words, also known as a  multiple intelligences approach  to learning.  Fingerplays are usually chanted, although some songs also have movements which are in parentheses after each spoken line. Three Little Monkeys Three Little Monkeys can have as many verses as you like to  practice the numbers. Here are the last two verses as examples. Verse 1 Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,  (tap three fingers on palm) One fell off and bumped is head.  (one finger falls off, then hold head) Mama called the doctor and the doctor said:  (hold imaginary telephone to your ear) No more little monkeys jumping on the bed.  (shake finger) Verse 2 Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,  (tap three fingers on palm) One fell off and bumped is head.  (one finger falls off, then hold head) Mama called the doctor and the doctor said:  (hold imaginary telephone to your ear) No more little monkeys jumping on the bed.  (shake finger) Little Bunny Foo-Foo Verse 1 Little bunny Foo-Foo hopping through the forest  (raise your hand up and down as if hopping along through the forest) Scooping up the chipmunks and bopping them on the head.  (pound fist into palm) Down came the good fairy and she said:  (drop shaking hand from above to below) Little bunny Foo-Foo, I dont want to see you  (shake finger) Scooping up the chipmunks and bopping them on the head  (raise your hand up and down as if hopping along through the forest) Ill give you three chances,  (raise three fingers) And if youre not good, Ill turn you into a goon.  (raise both hands up into the sky and shake them as if frightened) Verse 2 So, the very next day...(repeat except the fairy Godmother says two chances) Verse 3 So, the very next day...(repeat except the fairy Godmother says one chance) Final Moral The moral of this story is: Hare today, Goon Tomorrow!(play on words of the common saying: Here today, gone tomorrow) Clap Your Hands 1 Clap, clap, clap your hands as slowly as you can.  (clap your hands slowly) Clap, clap, clap your hands as quickly as you can.  (clap your hands quickly) 2 Shake, shake, shake your hands as slowly as you can.  (shake your hands slowly) Shake, shake, shake your hands as quickly as you can.  (shake your hands quickly) 3 Rub, rub, rub your hands as slowly as you can.  (rub your hands slowly) Rub, rub, rub your hands as quickly as you can.  (rub your hands quickly) 4 Roll, roll, roll your hands as slowly as you can.  (roll your hands slowly) Roll, roll, roll your hands as quickly as you can.  (roll your hands quickly) Tips for Teaching Fingerplay Songs Write key vocabulary for each song on the board. Practice each movement, and check for understanding.Model the song a few times yourself. Dont be shy!Have students contribute other movements to Clap Your HandsHave different students lead the class in the songs once theyve learned the songs by heart.Ask students to create their own songs.Use  grammar chants  to help students learn simple grammar structures.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Globalization - Essay Example The increase of emission of green house-gases to the atmosphere has been the current global environmental challenge since it is a reality that global temperatures are increasing and it is a fact that human activity has been a major cause of this environmental problem since the atmosphere is getting concentrated with green house gases (Kemp, 1994). Climate change is a fundamental issue that will continue to affect the health of the future generations. Most of the natural resources on earth are non-renewable while their demand is overwhelmingly high and as a result of increased human activity to balance this phenomenon; technology has been implemented to overcome the challenges presented by this threat but not without some consequences of green house gas emissions which have eventually resulted to global warming (Kemp, 1994). Recent research has proven that the world temperatures are rising due to the human-induced green house emissions especially carbon dioxide, which is emitted as a result of combustion of fossil fuels, agriculture, and land clearing (Hams, 2004). Even though this effect was discovered in 1824, it has with time increased to intricate levels thus raising an international environmental concern. The sensitivity of climate is commonly rated according to the response of the equilibrium level of the green house gases and it is usually measured according to the response of temperature with reference to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A minute increase in temperature can result to several global consequences like an increase in sea level as well as a dramatic change in precipitation patterns hence resulting to extreme weather conditions such as heat waves, draught, floods, tornados among others (Hams, 2004). As a result of environmental degradation, global warming is expected to continue even beyond 2100 and the rise of sea levels is also expected to continue past that time (Houghton, 1997). The effects of global warming negatively affe ct both the environment and human life through the rising sea levels, agricultural setbacks, ozone layer depletion, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions, as well as the spread of diseases. It has been observed that the intensity, frequency, and power of hurricanes have increased annually from the 1970s and there has been a strong direct correlation between the tropical sea-surface temperature and the strength of the hurricanes. However, the relationship between global warming and hurricanes is still under controversy. A report released by the IPCC Working Group II confirmed that the consequences of global warming as a result of globalization has caused several deaths through extreme weather events like heat waves and flooding (Houghton, 1997). Primary and secondary consequences of global warming have been observed to influence human activities as well as ecological systems since some species have been forced out of their natural habitats as a result of unf avorable conditions presented by climate change (Hams, 2004). The life timing patterns have also changed thus affecting migration dates which create a predator-prey balance. As a result of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the ocean PH is reducing and this eventually leads to severe negative effects on coral reefs. The thawing of the tundra is another global environmental problem which has been on the

Creer devlpment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Creer devlpment - Research Paper Example Although, the major consideration remains unchanged that is the achievement of an ultimate high value objective set for professional growth. It is equally important that the selected career path should have potential to contribute towards the social well being of the masses to ensure that it imparts a sense of satisfaction for the individual. Keeping the aforesaid in mind, I have selected the â€Å"Social Support and Health Advocacy† as an area of career development program. The field of choice is closely related to the communication domain because it requires a close interaction with masses to know exactly their demands and needs as well as communicating the assessed requirements to the health officials and other public and non-public organizations. The field of the â€Å"Social Support and Health Advocacy† primarily cover two sub-domains i.e. the Social Support; the Health Advocacy. Social support is concerned with general public communications which may include one t o one interactions, corner meetings, conventions, large scale public gatherings to acquire input from the masses about the system, its short comings and the procedural and administrative recommendations to ratify these issues. Goldsmith (2012), who is an Associate Professor of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois has surfaced several aspects of communication that are commonly used and employed in social support, especially in health, anxieties and stress issues. He suggests that our frequent communication with our families, children, elderly persons of the securities and other interactions on these issues is the best kind of social support and if we can refine this communication issues can be addressed in a befitting manner. An expert communicator can devise ways and means to improve the quality of this communication by selecting good and effective observations. Moreover, an effective communicator can extend his social support by identifying various approaches that may help social interactions and communications more fruitful and result oriented in the elimination of daily stresses and major crises that may come across our lives. Social Support is an important area where communication can play a significant role to improve the quality of an individual’s life. However, it requires a well planned and targeted attainment of skills and expertise to ensure a career growth with significant achievements in the field of effective communications. Beyond the core communication skills like grammatical correction and purposefulness, an effective communication must have expertise in the prevailing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), a close look on the social setup and values while a comparative study of people and societies around the world to ensure the incorporation of a global perspective in your communications. These requirements can lead to a number of studies and courses in ICT, social science core expertise, philosophy and interpe rsonal as well as inter organizational communication skills. However, the selection of courses and expertise from these domains may have subjectivity because of personal trends, likings and approach. â€Å"Health Advocacy†, the other sub-domain of my professional career plan demands even more effective communication skills. Primarily, healthcare advocacy is directly concerned with people

The Relationship between Social Media and Brand Management Dissertation

The Relationship between Social Media and Brand Management - Dissertation Example Hence, it is noteworthy that social media has become one of the key business communication tools, which has helped modern organizations to promote their brands worldwide. On the other hand, the online marketing concept has triggered impressive transformations, especially in the domain of brand management, thereby eliminating the risks inherent to the traditional marketing concept (Brindle, 2011). Â  The use of social media for brand management was also considered quite helpful for both the customers as well as for the company, owing to its ability to target customers in clusters and reach them with efficiency, within a very short time span. It is also noteworthy that the brand image of a company is perceived as one of the most valuable assets in the modern day context. This particular assertion becomes quite apparent with reference to the strategies applied by Alibaba Group to promote its brand in a popular Chinese social media named Sina Weibo. Alibaba Group is noted as one of the most popular Chinese e-commerce retail outlets, which deals in all kinds of products. Prior to the inception of social media, brand managers engaged in different companies followed various marketing communication strategies, such as storytelling, aggressive and frequent advertisement as well as newsletter distribution to the customers. In this regard, it can be mentioned that the traditional metho ds of brand promotion were less cost-efficient in comparison to the modern brand promotion strategies, which certainly raises a noteworthy challenge to modern organizations. However, the advent of online brand management strategy has proved cost efficient as well as less time-consuming in nature to mitigate previous stress factors associated to company’s customer relationship strategies through brand management (Jenkinson et. al., 2005). Â