Greenhouse gasses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greenhouse gasses - Assignment Example The 19th century alone saw increase of 10 percent in carbon dioxide concentration in the earth’s atmosphere thanks to the burning of fossil fuels. It is being said that the Industrial revolution has contributed 40 percent to carbon dioxide and it is being estimated that if the activities continue at such pace the global temperature would rise by staggering 2 degree centigrade by 2050. The main constituents of green house gases are carbon dioxide itself, nitrous oxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, besides these gases, deforestation is a serious threat and every tree cut gives rise to emission of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Deforestation results in rise in number of floods and droughts because the trees stop the flow of floods. This climate change will hit different parts of the world in different manner and it is being believed that dry regions would get further drier and temperatures would soar in those parts of the world where as cold and wet regions would get further wet and temperatures will remain low throughout the duration of year. The overall climate change will affect the available natural water, with rise in sea levels, the salt water would join the ranks of fresh water resources, and this can also result in increasing level of sediment. Existence of †Dead Zone† with low concentration of oxygen would be on a more frequent display .The Overall Scenario will have direct implications on human life in form of asthmas and other respiratory illnesses associated with heat waves and different environmental conditions. Ecology constitutes the study of overall natural system that encircles plants, animals, woodlots, lakes, and human beings themselves. Strong relationship exists between human beings and their surroundings. The mankind has a great impact on how the surroundings are today and how they will be 50 to 100 years down the lane. The Ecosystem in itself is at a great threat from

Prevention Of Pressure Ulcer

Prevention Of Pressure Ulcer Pressure ulcers, or bed sores, or have been affecting humans for ages, and addressing the overall prevention of pressure ulcers is now a prominent national healthcare issue. Despite of all the advances in medicine, surgery, nursing care, pressure ulcers still remains a major cause of mortality. Pressure sore is a common problem among old people and those who are immobilise or limited activity like post-operative and other bedridden patients. (Bergstorm, 2005) Many studies state that elderly are prone for pressure ulcer throughout the world and its becoming a crucial issue (Nakagami et al., 2007). Pressure ulcer can be defined as a type of injury that affects areas of the skin or underlying tissue of the body due to application of too much pressure on it. (Grey et al 2006) It develops as a result of tissue necrosis of the skin over the bony prominence, due to the obstruction of the blood vessels flow caused by the application continual pressure on it. (Lyder, 2003) The total expenditure for the prevention of pressure ulcer is substantially less when compared to its treatment (Lapsley H M and Vogels R, 1996). It can cause severe infirmity and high health-care expenditure. The estimated annual expense for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers has been expected nearly  £1.4 to  £2.1 billion in the United Kingdom and is measured as a massive economic problem (Bennet et al., 2004). After cancer and cardio vascular disease, pressure ulcers are the third most money consuming disease (Schoonhoven et al., 2002) According to European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) the occurrence rates of pressure ulcers are ranging from 8-23%. In acute care hospitals in the western countries the reported prevalence has wide-ranging between 9-22%. Improving the standard of pressure ulcer care could in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the estimated annual expenditure and quality of life (Tannen A et al., 2004). According to Whittington et al (2000) the prevalence of 15% of pressure ulcers are recorded on admission, whereas for the 60% of the individuals there was no specific information about the presence or absence of the pressure ulcers. In another study, it is clear that 12.8% have already had the infirmity on their admission. According to Rycroft-Malone, (2000) pressure ulcers can develop at any area of the body, but commonly occurs over bony prominences. ( Murdoch, 2002; Jones, 2001) The areas can supposed to develop pressure sores are sacrum, heels, elbows and back of the head. The appearance of pressure sore is very fast and hence the early assessment and steps to prevent is very necessary (George and Malkenson, 2008). Pressure intensity and duration are the two main factors for the pressure ulcer formation because of pressure. Pressure intensity is the volume of external pressure applied on internal tissues whereas duration is the amount of external force is sustained by internal tissues (Cullum et al., 2000) According to NICE guidelines (2003) the risk factors influencing to develop pressure ulcer in an individual includes intrinsic risk factors and extrinsic risk factors. The intrinsic risk factors such as reduced mobility or immobility, sensory impairment, acute illness, level of consciousness, extremes of age, vascular disease, severe chronic or terminal illness, previous history of pressure damage, malnutrition and dehydration. And extrinsic risk factors are pressure, shear, and friction. Shear is defined as the applied force that can cause an opposite, parallel sliding motion in the planes of an object. The amount of pressure exerted has got a direct affect on Shear. (Pieper B, 2007, Nix DP, 2007). Friction is defined as a superficial, mechanical force directed against the epidermis, resulting in increased susceptibility to ulceration (Pieper B., 2007). Pressure ulcers are classified according to different stages as defined by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP). Originally there were only four stages, but in February 2007 these stages were revised and two more categories such as deep tissue injury and unstageable were added to it. Stage I -Redness of a localized area, usually over a bony prominence. Darkly pigmented skin may not have visible blanching; as its colour may differ from the surrounding area. Stage II loss of partial thickness dermis showing as a shallow open ulcer with a red or pink wound bed, without any slough. It may also present as or open or ruptured serum filled blisters. Stage III The layer of subcutaneous fat may be seen but bone, muscle or tendons are not exposed. Slough may be present but does not cover the depth of tissue loss. Stage IV exposure of bone, tendon or muscle. Slough or may be present on some parts of the wound bed. Unstageable Loss of the thickness of the skin in which in which the base of the ulcer is covered by slough (yellow, tan, gray, green or brown) in the wound bed. Deep tissue Injury Purple or maroon localized area of discolored skin or blood-filled blister due to damage of underlying soft tissue due to pressure. The area may be preceded by tissue that is firm, painful, and mushy compared to adjacent tissue. (NPUAP 2007) To prevent the formation of pressure sores nurses are adopting a variety of measures such as risk assessment and risk assessment tools, changing the position of the bedridden patients regularly, inspecting the pressure area regularly and while doing personal care, applying ointments or creams over the pressure areas, providing comfortable mattresses such as air bed, water mattress for the bedridden and immobilise patients, placing pillows under the places prone to form pressure ulcer for the vulnerable peoples, maximise nutritional status, etc. However the efficiency of all these methods is in discussion and argument. This essay report will collate all the various available literatures regarding the prevention of pressure ulcer and suggest the better and good practice to prevent the formation of pressure sore among the high risk people. The standard of nursing care is very important for the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. The caring of patients, who are at risk with pressure ulcer, is the main challenge for nurses (Sinclair et al., 2004). According to Lewis M et al 2003 the first step nurses should make out is the risk assessment of patients and it is better to identify the patient at risk in the early stages, so we can prevent the pressure sores. It consists of level of mobility, nutritional status, level of consciousness and neurological status, incontinence, sensory impairment, complete patient history, and physical and psychosocial examination assessing mental status and cognitive ability. To support caregivers there are assessment scales to identify the patients at risk. According to Walker D K et al 2010 skin care and moisture are essential to prevent pressure sore. Maintaining skin integrity is important for the patient`s at risk. Moreover excessive of moisture and dryness can breakdown the skin`s resistance. Wherever moisture is present,it is important to clean the portion thoroughly. Patients identified at risk should be bathed once a day. PH balanced cleanser is used to protect the skin from moisture and dryness,it is a natural protection mechanism of a skin. When cleansing the skin daily or in the presence of moisture, it is necessary not to use extreme force or friction. Eventhough moisture cannot be controlled, use skin barriers to protect skin from moisture. Dry skin also needs to be prevented by using a pH-balanced moisturizer. The studies conducted by saleh et al,(2008) and Lindergren et al., (2002) evidenced that use of risk assessment scale is successful in predicting the formation of pressure sore(Decubitus Ulcer).The studies substantiated the role of risk assessment scales and their usefulness in the prevention and management of pressure sores. According to Lindergren et al., 2002 states the reliability of risk evaluation scale in the prediction of pressure sore formation. However, the revision conducted by saleh et al. (2008), argues about the reduction in the occurrence of clinical acquired pressure scores through the regular application of risk assessment scales. Their learning also states that judgement of clinical assessment is also same valuable as associate with the detection of pressure sore through risk assessment scale. In addition, Defloor and Grypdonck, (2004) also stated that assessment tools have a vital role for the prevention of pressure sore. There are many limitations for the risk assessment tools which may lead to provide wrong positive results. The reliability, specificity and feeling of the scale are influenced by the preventive method applications. Nurses are using a variety of risk assessment tools based on practical experience they acquired. The risk assessment tools are assessed by means of numerical scores. The variables like level of continence,medications and nutritional status will give an average score for the risk patients(Whitening, N. L., 2009). Braden scale is the universally used risk assessment scale which includes the variables like sensory perception, activity, mobility, moisture and the nutritional status. The risk assessment scale works in such a way that as soon as the patient admitted in the hospital two step evaluation is carried out within the first six hours. The t wo steps include the skin assessment and the risk assessment to identify the possibility of formation of pressure sore (O Neil, 2004). Frequent evaluation and assessment should be done in every consequent evaluation at every 12 hours on patients who are at high risk .In the same way patients who are at low risk also needs to be evaluate frequently to observe or to identify any new risk factors and providing suitable preventive measures (O Neil, 2004). The most commonly used tool assessing the pressure sore in U.K is the Waterlow pressure ulcer risk assessment tool. And it is user friendly and recommended by the nurses in U.K. Pancorbo-hidalgo et al. (2006), suggests that the Waterlow pressure ulcer risk assessment tool has well pressure sore guessing ability and sensitivity which may result to get wrong positive results. With the waterlow pressure ulcer risk assessment tool among the seven assessment studies conducted by pancorbo-hidalgo, P.L. et al. (2006) they got only few findings with corrects values. Bergstorm et al. (2001) agrees that risk assessment is done by scales like Braden scale or the Norton scale in the hospitals which is more reliable. However there is no universally accepted risk assessment tool to be adopted to prevent pressure sore. Besides this, the utilization of the risk assessment tools has their own limits in clinical systems. Alternatively, Saleh et al. (2008) argues that medical judgement is successful as risk assessment tools to determine the suitable to be delivered. Nevertheless, Pancorbo-Hidalgo et al, (2006) Braden and Norton scales were noticed to be well again at risk calculation than the scientific judgements. On the other hand, according to NICE guidelines (2003) risk assessment tools can only be used as an aide-mà ©moire and should not replace clinical judgment. Normal supply of oxygen and nutrients are essential for the tissues, to maintain health. (Gottrup 2004). When patients sitting or lying, the pressure form particular part of the body results in the decrease of oxygen causes pressure sore (Defloor 2005). The study conducted by Kaitani et al., 2010, Vanderwee et al., 2007 and Pearson et al., 2010 reveals the importance of changing the position for the bed ridden or immobilize patient in preventing pressure sore occurrence. Their studies evidenced the effectiveness of repositioning in regular intervals among the vulnerable patients. Repositioning is considered as an effective control method against pressure sores (decubitus ulcer). According to Vanderwee et al., (2007) the effectiveness of force of pressure greater in sideway position. He also suggested that supine position is the comfortable position to reduce the effect of pressure on the bony prominence. The experiment conducted by Vanderwee et al. (2007 reveals that more regular rep ositioning does not actually decrease the occurrence of pressure sore. But he recognizes that turning of patients is an effectual preventive method. The incidence of pressure ulcer is more in patients who are lying down in side way position. The risk has been reduced when the patients are lying down in supine position. On the other hand the study conducted by Peterson et al. (2010) argues that the effectiveness of repositioning is less or not reliable even though it is done by any experienced nurse. And he found that after maintaining an appropriate pressure below 33 mm of Hg reduce the incidence of pressure ulcer. He states that by doing this there is still chance of occurring pressure sore in the risk areas. While turning the patient they are not unloading the all areas prone to pressure effect with the skin. Even though the standard methods for preventing pressure sores are maintained the skin breakdown happening as the risk areas are not relieved from pressure. The study conducted by Kaitani et al. (2010) evidenced that patients suffering from pressure sore have done only a fewer change of positioning and turning. In their studies they states that they didnt noticed any patients with pressure sore who has been changed their position frequently in a regular intervals. From the findings of Hobbs (2004) also reveals that there is no decline of incidence in pressure sore in the hospital due to the routine repositioning on older people. Similarly Peterson et al 2010 found that still the incidence of pressure ulcer are increasing in the clinical settings where standard turning of patients has already been done. In EPUAP guidelines (2009), suggests that repositioning is an effective method which will decrease the extent and occurrence of pressure over susceptible points like sacrum, heels, elbows and back of the head bony prominences. However, there was no research study conducted by any researchers to calculate the time gap needed to turn the patient that means there is no evidence of turning intervals from any previous studies or researches. It is very important to inspect the support surface while doing repositioning. Patient must be repositioned in regularity after inspecting the tissue viability, mobilising level, medical condition and evaluation of skin integrity. It is also subjected by the supportive surface So repositioning can reduce the incidence of pressure sore to an extent. In hospitals and health care homes it is suggested that repositioning to be done in every 4 hours and by the use of air mattress the incidence of the occurrence of pressure sore can be prevented. Many of the patients feels very discomfort while turning frequently, to avoid frequent turning pressure reducing support surfaces can be used to relieve pressure. Importantly pressure relieving support surface devices has vital role in the prevention of pressure. According to Cullum et al., 2001 it is divided into two, low tech devices and high tech devices. Low tech devices are comforting support surface to dispense the body weight over an area whereas high devices are alternating support surface where inflatable cells consecutively inflate and deflate. According to Lewis M, et al (2003) if the patients having a moderate to high possibility of developing pressure sore, dynamic support surfaces include a large cell alternating pressure mattress, a low air loss or air fluidized bed, or other pressure redistributing systems can be recommended. In a study conducted by Nixon et al (2006)found that in operating tables, specialized foam mattress overlays are effective to reduce the incidence of postoperative pressure sores while in other settings, specialized foam and overlays were the only surfaces that were constantly better to standard hospital mattresses in reducing incidence of pressure ulcers. To decrease the contact between bony prominences and support surfaces, pillows and foams are used. In addition to that for reducing the friction and shearing damage, lifting devices such as slide sheets, slings or sleeves can be used to move the patients. On the other hand, it is unclear about the evidence for the advantages of higher-specification constant low-pressure and alternating-pressure support surfaces for preventing pressure sores. However, there is clinical evidence of a difference in risk of developing pressure ulcers when using high-specification foam mattresses, compared to standard hospital mattresses. (NICE 2005) Decisions for pressure relieving device should determine at risk assessment. It must include level of risk, comfort, patient`s preferences, general health and timing of the surgery. . The studies conducted by Holm et al. (2007) and Ferguson et al. (2000) evidenced the significance of nutrition in pressure ulcer prevention. This study suggests that older people are mostly affected due to pressure ulcer. This is because of their less skin integrity and low nutritional status. The nutritional status of the elderly people is usually related with the level of intake of food and fluids along with various nursing intervention methods (Holm et al., 2007). Management of pressure sore and its treatment closely related with the clients nutritional status. The people with less nutritional status have a high risk of occurrence of pressure ulcer. The nutritional status of the patient has to be assessed by the nurse initially. Adequate quantity of proteins, calories, minerals, vitamins and fluids are necessary to maintain the skin integrity and wound healing promotion (Ferguson et al., 2000). The advancement and management of pressure sore highly influenced by their nutritional status. For doing an successful preventive measures it is essential to carried out with proper nutritional evaluation techniques and planning (Ferguson et al., 2000).pressure sore and nutritional status are closely related to each other and are directly proportional to each other.patients who are with less nutritional status or malnourished are likely to be more prone to develop pressure sore (Thomas, 1997).To reduce the incidence both dieticians and nurses should work jointly. To assess the nutritional status of the patient and the level of malnourishment and proper planning and interventions to be done to improve the status if inadequate (Ferguson et al., 2000).According to EPUAP (2009) recommendation every health care system should do screening and evaluation tests of the nutritional level of the vulnerable people who are at risk of pressure sore. Pressure sore in majority cases are preventable and controllable. A targeted control measure is far better than pointing on treating previously recognized pressure sores. Preventive measures to deceits (pressure) sore saves time and money. By doing an effective preventive techniques can also minimise the loss of energy and reduction in the work load over the health care delivery personnels and staffs mainly nurses. Bergstrom N., Braden B., Kemp M., Champagne M. Ruby E.(1998) Predicting Pressure ulcer risk. A multisite study of the predictive validity of the Braden scale. Nursing Research. 47(5), p.261-26 Bergstrom N, Braden B. A prospective study of pressure sore risk among institutionalized elderly. J Am Geriatric S Bennett G, Dealey C, Posnett J. The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK. Age Ageing 2004; 33:230-5 Cullum N, Nelson EA, Nixon J (2000) Pressure sores. Clinical Evidence: 979-98 Defloor, T. and Grypdonck, M. F. (2004) Validation of pressure ulcer risk assessment scales: a critique. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 48(6), p. 613-621. Defloor T, De Bacquer D, Grypdonck MH. The effect of various combinations of turning and pressure reducing devices on the incidence of pressure ulcers. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2005; 42(1):37-46. European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (2009) pressure Ulcer Prevention Quick Reference Guide. NPtJAP, Washington DC. Ferguson, M., Cook, A., Rimmasch, H., Bender, S. and Voss, A. (2000) Pressure ulcer management: the importance of nutrition. MEDSURG Nursing, 9(4). Gottrup F.( 2004) Oxygen in wound healing and infection. World Journal of Surgery;28(3):312-5. Gray,J.E.Enoch,S.Harding,K.G.(2006) ABC of wound healing.Pressure ulcers.British medical journal.332.p.472-476 Holm, B., Mesh, L., and Ove, H. (2007). Importance of nutrition for elderly persons with pressure ulcers or a vulnerability of pressure ulcers: a systematic review. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(1), p. 77-84. Jones I, Tweed C, Marron M (2001) Pressure area care in infants and children: Nimbus Paediatric System. Br J Nurs 10 (12): 789-95. Kaitani, T., Tokunaga, K., Matsui, N. and Sanada, H. (2010). Risk factors related to the development of pressure ulcers in the critical care settings. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 414-421. Lewis,M., Pearson,A., Ward,C. (2003) Pressure ulcer prevention and treatment: Transforming research findings into consensus based clinical guidelines. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 9, p.92-102. Lindgren, M., Unosson, M. and Krantz, A. M. (2002) A risk assessment scale for the prediction of pressure sore development: reliability and validity. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 38, p.190-199. Lyder, C., Yu C, Stevenson, D., Mangat, R., Empleo- Frazier, O., Emerling, J. and McKay J. Validating the Braden Scale for the prediction of pressure ulcer risk in blacks and Latino/Hispanic elders: a pilot study (1998). Ostomy Wound Manage. 44(3A) p.42S-49S. Murdoch V (2002) Pressure care in the paediatric care unit. Nursing standard 17(6): 71-6 National Institute for Clinical Excellence. (2003) Pressure ulcer prevention. Clinical guideline 7. Nix DP. Support surfaces. In: Bryant R, Nix D, eds. Acute Chronic Wounds: Current Management Concepts. 3rd ed. St Louis MO: Mosby; 2007:235-248. Nixon, J., Nelson, E.A., Cranny, G., Iglesias, C.P., Hawkins,K., Cullum, N.A., Philips, A., Splisbury, K.,Dorgerson,D.J., Mason, S.,2006b. Pressure relieving support surfaces: a randomised evaluation. Health Technology Assessment 10(22) Nakagami G., Sakai K., Matsui N., Sanada H., Kitagawa A., Tadaka E. and Sugama J. (2008) Validation and determination of the sensing area of the KINOTEX sensor to develop a new mattress with an interface pressure-sensing system. BioScience National Pressure Ulce Advisory Panel (NPUAP) (2007, February). Pressure ulcer definition and stages. Retrieved 4/13/2007, from http://www.npuap.org Pancorbo-Hidalgo, P. L., Garcia-Fernandez, F. P., Lopez-Medina, I. M. and Alvarez- Nieto, C. (2006) Risk assessment scales for pressure ulcer prevention: a systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 54, p. 94-110. Peterson, J. M., Schwab, W., Oostrom, V. H. J., Gravenstein, N.and Caruso, J. L. (2010). Effect of turning on skin-bed interface in healthy adults. Journal of advanced Nursing, 66(7), p. 1556-1564. Pieper B. Mechanical forces: pressure, shear, and friction. In: Bryant R, Nix D, eds. Acute Chronic Wounds: Current Management Concepts. 3rd ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby; 2007:205-234. Rycroft-Malone J and McInnes E (2000) Pressure ulcer risk assessment and prevention-technical report London, Royal College of Nursing Saleh, M., Anthony, D. and Parboteeah, S. (2009). The impact of pressure ulcer risk assessment on patient outcomes among hospitalised patients. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18, p. 1923-1929 Schoonhoven, L., Haalboom, J, R, E., Bousema, M, T., Algra, A., Grobbee, D, E., Grypdonck, M, H., Buskens, E. (2002) Prospective cohort study of routine use of risk assessment scales for prediction of pressure ulcers. BMJ, 325, p.1-5. Sinclair, L., Berwiczonek, H. and Thurston, N. (2004) Evaluation of an evidence based education program for pressure ulcer prevention. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing. 31(1), p. 43-50. Tannen A, Dassen T, Bours G, Halfens RJG. A comparison of pressure ulcers prevalence: concerted data collection in the Netherlands and Germany. Int J Nurs Stud 2004;41:607-12 Thomas, D. R. The role of nutrition in prevention and healing of pressure ulcers. (1997). Clinical Geriatric Medicine. 13, p. 497-511. Vanderwee, K., Grypdonck, M. and Defloor, T. (2007) Non-blanchable erythema as an indicator for the need for pressure ulcer prevention: a randomized-controlled trial Journal of Clinical Nursing .16, p.325-335. Walker D K, Sell S V, Kindred C. (2010) Pressure Ulcer Prevention Utilizing Unlicensed Assistive Personnel Crit Care Nurs Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 348-355 Whitening, N.L. (2009) Skin assessment of patients at risk of pressure ulcers. Nursing Standard. 24(10), p.40-44. Whittington, K., Patrick, M., Roberts, J, L. (2000) A national study of pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence in acute care hospitals. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence, 27, p. 209-215.

Business Ethics Essay -- Ethics

According to Wikipedia, ethics, also known as â€Å"moral philosophy†, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality. Concepts such as good and bad, noble, right and wrong, justice and virtue. To business, ethics is a tool to examine principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Therefore, business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline. Ethics is a part of the larger social ethics, and also always affect business development. In other words, business ethics is a factor of determining the fundamental purposes of a company. Marketing ethics is a subset of business ethics. Because in marketing, ethics deals with the principles, values and ideas by marketers; it shows how they behave in business cases. Marketing ethics affects other processes of business. Visual communication is part of marketing ethics, it is observed and serves as an instrument of epistemic closure restricting worldviews with stereotypes of gender, social status and race relationships. Pricing is how firms work out price between produce processing and customers, Anti-competitive practices with supply and chains, Content of advertisements, like products regarded as immoral or harmful to public. Children and marketing could be concerned in this case. Children is a weak group and should get more protection in business sales action. In fall 2008, China’s baby milk crisis was about thousands of Chinese babies have developed kidney stones after drinking milk contaminated with melamine. An industrial chemical has highlighted the need for the country to improve detection standards for chemical contaminants in foods. In this case, the milk’s company failed to study ethics, instead of seeking profit wit... ...h person has grown up with a particular cultural background and their own understanding of right and wrong. From a businessperson’s point of view, Social factors also play and important part and so does education and up bringing it. To firms, it has significant meaning to promote ethical spirit with business development. Because ethics is a primary element to all business, ethical is an essential part of the foundation in society. A business or society that lakcs ethical principles is bound to fail sooner or later. References †¢ www.wikipedia.com ( vocabulary & definition search) †¢ CCTV4 â€Å"Face to Face† TV Program ( Statistics approve) †¢ Shang Hai University Survey ( Published by China daily ) †¢ Financial Time ( Resources& Example) †¢ (Published by Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier) †¢ www.baidu.com (Resources&Example)

An Organizational Failure: Blockbuster Essay

1. Describe and discuss how the organization’s culture facilitated the failure. Philips (2011) believes that success or failure of any great company depends on â€Å"Events, internal and external† (p. 3). Blockbuster also appears to be a victim of certain events at internal as well as external level. Based in McKinney, Texas, Blockbuster and founded in 1985 (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012) and it ushered in a new era as far as video rental retail industry was concerned. The company gave birth to video rental places that had significant amount of movies under one roof (the first store had 8,000 movies) and were not associated with bad movies or bad neighborhoods (Greenberg, 2008). Initially, the company’s strategy was to expand aggressively and the leadership defined Blockbuster’s vision to become McDonald’s of the video rental business. Referring to the company leadership’s ambitious goals, Greenberg writes: The Blockbuster strategy was simple à ¢â‚¬â€œ pump as much money as possible into buying local and regional chains while keeping centralized control over the look and feel of the individual stores. By the VSDA convention the following year, Blockbuster had acquired two other chains and its more than 250 stores dotted the country. At the convention, Huizenga’s marketing executive Tom Gruber outlined vision for the future of the company, and it was expansive. Gruber had spent eighteen years working for McDonald’s before joining Blockbuster, and both he and Huizenga were explicit: Blockbuster wanted to be the McDonald’s of home video (the comparison was so deliberate that at one trade show presentation, huge photographs of Huizenga and McDonald’s leader Ray Kroc were projected side-by-side). (p. 128) So, Blockbuster came into being with a big bang and a unique presentation which was reflected in its slogan â€Å"Wow, What a difference† (Greenberg, 2008). In the beginning, the company even hired greeters who would welcome customers at each location’s entrance whereas the employees were provided with manuals about how to deal with customers. That was the beginning. The strategy and vision worked amazingly well. However, as the company travelled with fanfare down the road, it developed a culture that might have its roots in complacency. The obsession with expansion seemed to derail a process the leadership should have put in place. Rayburn (2009) recalls how Blockbuster’s culture became a liability for the company and ultimately led to its bankruptcy. In 1999, a company called Globix (Rayburn was representing it at that time) was trying to strike a deal with Blockbuster in order to deliver movies to customers online. However, Blockbuster decided to partner with Enron instead of Globix. Rayburn (2009) goes on to point out that though Blockbuster was discussing future developments in advance and contemplated â€Å"about a digital media strategy way before consumers wanted the service and the Internet was even able to support it, that foresight on their part never materialized into any real online video strategy over the next ten years† (para. 4). What surprises Rayburn (2009) is that there was no deal between Blockbuster and Enron as was announced in 2000. In his view, Blockbuster had a great chance to be in the driving seat and â€Å"should have been in the position Netflix is in today as they were the first movers in the market. Yet ten years later, the company still can’t seem to get their act together when it comes to digital media† (para. 5). Apparently, it took a bankruptcy to do the course correction as far as the company’s future direction is concerned. Blockbuster’s mission statement now takes into account today’s reality. It says (Retail Industry, 2012): Our corporate mission is to provide our customers with the most convenient access to media entertainment, including movie and game entertainment delivered through multiple distribution channels such as our stores, by-mail, vending and kiosks, online and at home. We believe Blockbuster offers customers a value-prices entertainment experience, combining the broad product depth of a specialty retailer with local neighborhood convenience. (Blockbuster’s Mission Statement) The timeline of the company’s existence shows the culture of inaction at the top level delayed changes for a very long time. The company introduced Blockbuster Total Access program aimed at online as well as in store renting as late as November 2006 (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012). On the other hand, Netflix started its journey in 1996 and introduced its subscription service in 1999 and by 2010 it had 20 million subscribers (Netflix, 2012). 2. Apply the appropriate learning disabilities and laws that describe this situation. Like other organizations that hit stumbling blocks, Blockbuster had its hurdles in the shape of certain learning disabilities. One such disability is what Professor Senge (2006) calls ‘the fixation on events’. He writes: Conversations in organizations are dominated by concern with events: last month’s sales, the new budget cuts, last quarter’s earnings, who just got promoted or fired, the new product our competitor just announced, the delay that just was announced in our new product, and so on. The media reinforces an emphasis on short-term events – after all, if it’s more than two days old it’s no longer â€Å"news.† (p. 21) Another learning disability Blockbuster may have fallen prey to is ‘the parable of the boiled frog’. Senge (2006) explains that â€Å"Maladaptation to gradually building threats to survival is so pervasive in systems studies of corporate failure that it has given rise to the parable† (p. 22). Blockbuster also seemed to pay attention to events and little focus on learning new things and look beyond the horizon. Plus, it remained complacent as the leader of video rental company until Netflix and RedBox surged ahead to the extent that Blockbuster had to file for bankruptcy. Levy (2010) also blames Blockbuster for not being proactive in learning and bringing the desired changes. He believes â€Å"Change management is not just a tool to deflect distracting maybe-we-should’s, but it’s also a way to handle legitimate we-need-to’s that were missed at the start or that are responses to a changing business environment† (para. 7). So, instead of take charge in a fast changing rental business, Blockbuster refused to budge from its brick-and-mortar edge. Gradually, that edge fell apart like house of cards because the leadership failed to set in motion certain processes that should have allowed Blockbuster to remain the leader of the video rental retail industry. Moreover, the company’s leadership had their eyes set on something else, too. Is there any reason to believe that Blockbuster once tried to purchase Circuit City in 2008? According to Farfan (2010) it did happen but Circuit City rejected the offer and later on Blockbuster withdrew its offer. â€Å"Just two years later, Circuit City is out of business, and Blockbuster is struggling to stay out of bankruptcy court itself. The combination of the two companies seems somewhat symbiotic today, in a sad like-attracts-like kind of way† (Farfan, 2010, para. 11). 3. Explain the elements of the organization’s culture that will lead to similar failures in the future. Lack of focus and clarity in the vision may bring problems for the company in the future as well. Similarly, overconfidence in having physical locations may overshadow the future planning once again. The leadership must look into the fact whether the video store locations in different parts of the country are a benefit or a disadvantage. It may be very difficult to let go those locations, but if it is the right thing to do keeping in view how consumers want movies and games then the company should get rid of those locations. Though the company has new management after it was taken over by Dish Network Corporation, the mission statement still attracts critics. Commenting on Blockbuster’s future, Levy (2010) argues that the company’s mission statement has competing priorities. He points out: This muddled vision (officially the corporate mission statement) provides no clear guidance against which various corporate managers can test their ideas and initiatives. Drop prices? It’s in there. Raise them to cover our depth? It’s in there. Compete with Netflix? It’s in there. Have brick-and-mortar high-monthly-nut locations? It’s in there. Make money? Oops, that’s not in there. (para. 6) The new leadership at the company seems to recognize the reality and wants to let investors and other stakeholders know that it is evolving as the media entertainment industry is transforming. â€Å"While transforming and diversifying its store-base continues as a company priority, BLOCKBUSTER now offers convenient access to media entertainment anywhere and any way consumers want it – whether in stores, by mail or digital download† (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012). 4. Recommend specific actions the organization can take to prevent future failures from occurring. First of all, it should keep an eye on technological advancements that are happening at a very fast speed. It will allow the company to feel the pulse of what is going on and what might occur down the lane. The company should hire a chief learning officer in order to make learning an integral part of the organizational culture. At the same time, by developing a culture of learning will help the company adjust to changes and challenges that may be thrown at it. As Philips (2011) mentioned in his book, Blockbuster has to make sure events taking place within the organization and outside the organization should not come as surprises. He advises that learning and changing at a required pace is necessary for organizations. Moreover, if the company believes physical locations still make the company a leader it should build a unique culture of customer service so that people crave for Blockbuster visits. Philip (2011) reminds policy makers that â€Å"Just as history is not made by great men alone, so companies and countries don’t go bust just because one or two people chase the dream too hard. They need a support staff† (p. 59). Since Dish Network has its own subscribers, it should attempt to attract additional customers through combinations of Blockbuster-Dish Network offerings. Similarly, the company should not underestimate other companies just because they are startups. Actually, there may be reasons to learn from new business models in the industry. Woloszynowicz (2010) informs his readers that Netflix was not a success in the beginning as its IPO dropped from $15 per share to $6 per share after it was launched. On the other hand Blockbuster leadership interpreted slide in Netflix’s share as a failure and thought the company is not going to make any difference in the industry. References Blockbuster Corporate. (2012). Company Overview. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://blockbuster.mwnewsroom.com/Company-Overview Greenberg, J. M. (2008). From BetaMax to Blockbuster: Video stores and the invention of movies on video. Boston, MA: MIT Press. Levy, S. B. (2010, September). Blockbuster Goes Bust – Outfoxed by Redbox, Licked by Netflix. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://lexician.com/lexblog/2010/09/blockbuster-goes-bust-outfoxed-by-redbox-licked-by-netflix/ Netflix. (2012). A brief history of the company that revolutionized watching of movies and TV shows. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from https://signup.netflix.com/MediaCenter/ Timeline Phillips, T. (2011). Fit to bust: How great companies fail. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page. Rayburn, D. (2009, July 16). Ten Years Later, Blockbuster Still Lacks A Digital Media Strategy (BBI). Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://blog.streamingmedia.com/the_business_ of_online_vi/2009/07/tens-years-later-blockbuster-still-lacks-a-digital-media-strategy.html Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and

Importance of deadlines Essay

I have never worked in any job were it is acceptable to miss deadlines. Deadlines should never be disregarded as they are. I can offer no explanation as to why people routinely complain about instructors who do not return graded tests and papers when promised; faculty routinely complain about colleagues who neglect to complete their work on time; and I have seen administrators that simply plead with faculty, time and again, to complete long-overdue assessments or other important work. I’ll grant that in the current economic circumstances, with many academic units at many colleges, universities and branches underfunded and understaffed, faculty and staff alike are being asked to do more and more work with fewer people, fewer resources, and less time. But if we’re being honest we have to admit that the problem of faculty who are unaccountable to deadlines is an older problem than the current economic crisis; within academe the problem is endemic, systemic, epidemic. Regardless of the cause, when the routine, sometimes mundane business of the university is neglected or even just delayed, complications and stress cascade through the ranks, amplifying the problems that fellow faculty, staff, and even students must then deal with and solve. Even worse, sometimes the most egregious offenders when it comes to blowing off deadlines are senior faculty, who should, frankly, know and behave better. One step toward reducing the stress and work we create for others, and ourselves, might be to take more seriously the deadlines that often accompany our work, but that are sometimes neglected when faculty perceive, often quite wrongly, that there are no negative consequences for missing a deadline. Some deadlines are absolutely rigid, such as the filing dates for theses and dissertations, the sorts of deadlines that must be met if one hopes to graduate on time. These rigid deadlines are the types of bureaucratic  deadlines that we have to navigate routinely in order to complete graduate degrees, apply for grants, or otherwise navigate the complex institutions of the modern academy. Other deadlines are effectively rigid. When your department chair or a fellow faculty member assigns you a task with a due date, it behooves all faculty members to regard those sorts of deadlines as rigid, especially if you don’t have tenure. Such deadlines might be negotiable in some circumstances, but they aren’t to be disregarded altogether. Blowing off your campus bookstore’s deadline for textbook orders, for example, may seem like a trivial lapse. But potentially, missing even such a seemingly small deadline creates additional work for the already-swamped employees placing the orders, and it can result in higher costs for students if books have to be rush-shipped or if the window to order used texts is missed. Even though you are unlikely to suffer personally for missing the deadline, others may suffer. A whole other set of the deadlines that we face in academe are self-imposed, milestones that we set for ourselves in order to complete the nebulous, long-running projects that often comprise research and scholarship. Even though such self-imposed deadlines are â€Å"soft,† in that there is no enforcer that will come forward and punish, chastise, or cajole us if we miss them, I think that it’s generally a bad idea to miss even the deadlines that we set for ourselves. Assuming, and this is a big assumption, that the deadlines we set for ourselves are realistic. These soft deadlines can’t be taken too lightly — the ability, or inability, to set and meet goals without external guidance or enforcement will determine whether or not a tenure-track faculty member is able to meet expectations for scholarly productivity and ultimately win tenure. One of the tricks to managing these soft deadlines is learning to set goals that are both meaningful and realistic. It is much easier said than done, and hopefully an advanced graduate student receives extensive mentorship on how to manage the research workload. Cooperative, self-policing structures like writing groups are one way to formalize soft deadlines and hold ourselves  accountable to ourselves and to others to complete, or at least make progress on, our long-term projects. An important part of managing our work is knowing how to differentiate between soft and rigid deadlines, and how to prioritize deadlines across all of the varieties of work required of faculty. Deadlines matter in our interactions with students as well. My feeling is that if I am going to hold students strictly accountable to a deadline, then I too need to be accountable in similar ways. When I give my students writing assignments, each assignment is accompanied by a specifically articulated series of deadlines for when drafts and peer reviews are due, a deadline for each stage of the writing process, each of which students are expected to meet. But my assignments also include deadlines for myself, essentially promises of when I will return things like graded papers. Holding students strictly to deadlines, but then failing to return work in a timely manner, sends a message of hypocrisy to students that they immediately detect and disdain. I hold myself as accountable to self-imposed deadlines, just as I hold my students accountable. By advertising my own deadlines for tasks like grading, in this case on the writing assignment itself, I create a mechanism that forces me to be accountable. When it comes to interacting with colleagues, I also work hard to meet deadlines. As a junior faculty member, I never want to be the squeaky wheel, never want to be the committee member who fails to turn in work on time and holds up other people and an entire process. My unwillingness to be branded as a shirker is in addition, of course, to the glaringly obvious point that it is simply a common courtesy to meet administrative deadlines. Everyone in the university has work to do, much of it important work, and failing to do our own work in a timely, professional manner unnecessarily delays the work of others. There are certainly times when we realize that we will be unable to meet a deadline. If you foresee missing an externally imposed deadline, it’s both courteous and good policy to let interested parties know, sooner rather than  later, that you may be delayed in delivering your work. Such a warning at least allows others involved in the work to improvise an accommodation. Simply allowing a deadline to pass without a word of warning is discourteous and doesn’t allow others to help ameliorate the effects of your own delays. And missed deadlines are almost always noticed, even when the matter at hand may seem trivial. As you progress in your career, you may be asked to peer-review manuscripts that have been submitted to journals in your subdiscipline. It is especially important to meet an editor’s deadlines when conducting reviews of manuscripts. Some disciplines have a culture of turning reviews around quickly, while other disciplines (particularly in the humanities) are notorious for a tradition of taking months, sometimes even over a year, simply to review manuscripts. As a result of slow turnarounds and senior scholars who can sometimes be cavalierly unconcerned about conducting reviews in a timely manner, junior scholars often suffer. I once had a journal hold onto an article of mine for four months, during which time a staffer sent me a cryptic message implying that the article was undergoing review. After four months had passed, I was notified that the editor had decided not to send out the article for review, and to reject it outright. The editor was well within his rights to reject the article, but to take four months to do so was lazy and unprofessional in the extreme, and borderline unethical. Secondarily, because the article had not been sent out to reviewers, but simply sat on the editor’s desk, I did not even have the benefit of the feedback of reviews. Those four months were time that I could have spent revising the article, or submitting it at a different journal. Unfortunately, such stories are legion, and I have heard much more egregious examples of how editors’ or reviewers’ failures to keep to a reasonable schedule have hurt the publication prospects of junior scholars. Unfortunately, we are often tasked with work that feels trivial or futile. Or meaningful work simply piles up into seemingly unmanageable stacks. Every faculty member I know feels overwhelmed at some point in the semester. Nonetheless, when we neglect to complete work in a timely manner, our  colleagues and students sometimes suffer. Sometimes there isn’t as much accountability in the academy as there should be, which is all the more reason to hold ourselves accountable