Managing Financial Resoures and Decisions 4. Answer 13 questions.No Assignment

Managing Financial Resoures and Decisions 4. Answer 13 questions.No more than 2500 words allowed - Assignment Example Issuing Equity is another smart option that can be used by the company. This involves issuing shares to investors at a price determined by the company and using them to raise finance for the equipment needed by the scientists Lease is when the other company or financing organization buys the equipment and let our company use it against monthly charges known as rentals. The benefit of this option is that the company will not have to bear the entire cost of equipment upfront and in case the company does not need equipment in the future it won’t have to pay the rental and will not have to invest huge amount into buying the product. Hire-Purchase is like a loan to the company. The difference here is that instead of lending you the money, the bank or other financial institution buys you an asset and charges a mark-up against this assets which is amortized by the monthly payments which includes payment of both principal and the mark-up. ... vidends are only paid in the profitable years, whereas in case of loans, lease and hire purchase interest has to be paid every period regardless of the fact the company makes a profit or loss. Hence obtaining credit loans, lease and hire purchase is burden on the company’s resources as creditors have a right to sell of company’s assets if they are not paid. Keeping in mind the company is young and does not have enough resources or plowed back profits, it is the best option for the company to raise finance by issuing equity. However, the company should make sure that it floats as much shares in the market so as they will not lose the control of the business or not third party investors will be able to collude to form a holding company. 1c) There will be a different set of requirements and documents that different funds providers will ask from the company before expending them a loan. Banks would ask for collateral and a business plan before deciding on whether it would l end the company or not. Bank would also ask for projected cash flows and income statement in order to make sure that the funds that the bank is obtaining are yielding the required return in order to pay the bank. Similarly, a bank would also ask for the balance sheet to make sure that in the event of default, the company has enough assets and the bank could sell them to recover its lending. Equity investors would want a prospectus which will have to be published in the newspaper. Other than equity investors would be interested in knowing the future plans of the company, the growth rate and name of directors and people running the company. Leasing company would need to know how long the company intends to use the assets, what will be the cash flow generation of the assets and what are the resources

Effect of Management Change | Case Study

Effect of Management Change | Case Study 1.1 BACKGROUND Change has always been with man from creation. Man and plants have evolved and adapted to the environment anytime the need arises. Failure to change, most often than not leads to extinction. The general perception is that changes are made always for the better, but sometimes, it is for the worst. At other times also, there is no need for change. Change is an inevitable phenomenon. A system would have to undergo change at some point in time. The effectiveness of the change to a large extent depends on how it is managed. For an organization to survive, it is necessary for it to continue to adapt to its changing environment. Change is the singular factor that upgrades a system to suit its current environment. Change in management is one typical way of effecting change. Change in management can take the form of privatization, re-shuffling or merging. Most times, old managers leave with their ideologies and new managers come in with new ones. Vodafone Ghana is one company in the Telecommunication Industry which has experienced management change in recent times. Vodafone Ghana, formerly Ghana Telecom, was the national telecommunication company of Ghana. In 2006, it had around 400,000 customers for fixed and mobile telephony and internet services. On 3rd July 2008, the sale of the company for $900m to Vodafone group was announced. After the transaction closed, Vodafone had a 70% stake in the company, while the Ghanaian Government retained a 30% stake. On 16th April 2009, the company was rebranded as Vodafone Ghana. The rebranding, seeks to lead to a stiff competition among the operators in the Ghanaian mobile market. 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT. Changes in almost all organizations are not freely welcomed by the organization members. The reluctance to change is mostly as a result of fear of the unknown. Changes in management in organizations are resisted by staff for lack of knowledge of the impact the change will bring. The impact could be positive or negative. The change will at the tail end affect the performance of the staff and for that matter the organization as a whole. Change in management actually changes the status quo of how things are done. How the change is managed to get everyone along is crucial to the effectiveness of the organization. The performance of the organization is also translated in the response by the organizations external customers, government and regulatory bodies to the change. 1.3 PURPOSE/AIMS The purpose of the study will be to assess the performance of Vodafone Ghana, as there has been change in management. The research will assess the performance of the then Ghana Telecom and its management team for the last two years and do a comparative analysis with the performance of the now Vodafone Ghana and its new set of management team. At the end of the study, the research will find out which of the two management teams led to a higher performance of Vodafone Ghana. 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of the study will include the following; To identify the effect of change in management on the performance of Vodafone Ghana. To identify the factors that necessitated the change in management of Vodafone Ghana. To ascertain the challenges of the process (change in management) and how it was managed to ensure that it is on track to achieving the required performance. 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It is believed that, the results of this study will do the following; Enable internal and external customers to know how the management team of the then Ghana Telecom fared in the last two years of their being as against the first two years of Vodafone Ghana. Inform the current management team of their performance in Ghana as far as Vodafone Ghana is concerned. Serve as a source of secondary data for further research in the area of change in management. 1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS The research question for this study will be: What are the effects of Change in Management on the Performance of Vodafone Ghana? The null hypothesis for the study will be: Ho: change in management does not significantly affect performance. The alternative hypothesis for the study will be: H1: change in management significantly affects performance. 1.7 SCOPE AND ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY The research will be grouped into five chapters. The first chapter is Introduction. The introduction will include an overview of the background of the study, the focal point of the statement of the problem, an explanation of the study, key objectives of the study, the reasons for the study, the question and hypothesis. The second chapter will review literature, that is, the theoretical and the empirical. It will explain relevant theories that relate to the subject area as well as give a description of literature that has been practically observed and validated objectively on the subject matter. It will again explain certain terms in the research. The third chapter will present the methodology. It shall give a general description of the design of the work. It will include population and sampling, instrumentation and statistical analysis. The fourth chapter will be results and discussions, where data collected will be analyzed and findings experimented. The fifth chapter will draw conc lusions and give recommendations. LITERATURE REVIEW It is often said that two heads are better than one. Most often than not, we see individuals coming together to undertake projects that cannot be done individually. One of the most known ways is through organization. An organization according to (Robbins Coulter, 1999) is a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some specific purpose. Organizations in trying to accomplish their goals get proper management systems in place. 2.1 THEORETICAL LITERATURE DEFINITION Management is the process of achieving organizational goals by engaging in the four major functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Bartol Martin (1998). Bartol and Martin emphasized on the fact that, it is an ongoing process that begins with planning and ends with controlling. It never ends because the controlling checks if the organization is on the right path as far as the plans (objectives) are concerned and as such, the results serve as input again in the process. Robbins Decenzo (2001) also defined the term management as the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with other people. Like Bartol and Martin, the process in their definition pointed to the four main functions of management. Thus planning, organizing, leading and controlling. However, they believed that managers should not only be able to engage in the four major functions but managers should be able to do that simultaneously as the functions are interrelated and interdependent. Efficiency in their definition means making best use of the resources available. This brings into play the scarcity of the resource which has numerous uses. It is always prudent to minimize waste as much as possible when using these resources. Minimizing waste in the use of resources will lead to high productivity and efficiency. Effectiveness means choosing the right goals, strategies and tasks in a present condition. In essence, effectiveness is doing the right things while efficiency is doing things right. There are two well known ways of achieving efficiency and effectiveness which are; The organization increasing the output with the same level of input. The organization producing the same output with a reduced input level. Koontz Weihrich (1990) also defined management as a process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals working together in groups efficiently accomplish selected aims. Koontz and Weihrich like Robbins and Decenzo, and Bartol and Martins, believed that managers engage in the main functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. They also believed that management does not necessarily apply to a particular organization but rather, all kinds of organizations. Aside that, they believed that irrespective of the level a manger finds himself he needs to manage. They also underscored efficiency and effectiveness in trying to achieve the set goals. They however, believed that all managers focus on making surplus. This may not be necessarily true as some managers are found managing non-profit making organizations. Most managers in non-profit making organizations normally focus on the well-being and satisfaction of some people rather than making profit. All the stated definitions basically emphasize on management being putting in place the right atmosphere and conditions so that the set goals can be accomplished. All the definitions also highlight the major functions that are performed by managers and the fact that it should be done in an efficient and effective manner. Management is therefore a phenomenon that applies not only to organizations but also the daily lives of individuals. MANAGERS Managers are individuals who are engaged in the combination of the four functions of management to accomplish organizational goals. LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT Managerial jobs in organizations allow for the categorization of managers into three levels. Top Managers: It is the highest level and concerned with creating the organizations goals, overall strategy and operating policies. (Griffin, 1999). According to Rue Byars (2003), Senior management are not involved in the organizations day to day problems, but concentrate on setting the direction of the organization. Jennifer M George (2004), argued that top managers are responsible for the performance of all departments and therefore a cross departmental responsibility. Top managers are responsible for the successes and failures of the organization and most often have their performance scrutinized by the organizations internal and external customers. In Management by Robbins Coulter (1999), top managers are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and policies that affect the organization. Middle Managers: Managers at this level are responsible for the implementations of policies and plan drafted by top management and playing a supervisory role and co-coordinating the activities of the lower-level managers. Griffin (1999). According to Jennifer M. George (2004), middle level managers are responsible for finding the best way to organize human and other resources to achieve the organizational goals. To increase effectiveness, they evaluate the goals that the organization is pursuing and make suggestions to top managers. First Line Managers: The managers at this level are placed at the base of the managerial hierarchy and are often referred to as supervisors. They are responsible for the daily supervision of the non-managerial employees who perform many of the specific activities necessary to produce goods and services. They work in all departments of an organization. Jennifer M. George (2004). Its argued by Griffin (1999), that the common titles held by managers at this level are supervisors, coordination and office managers. These positions are often first held by employees who enter management from the ranks of operating personnel. According to Bartol Martin(1998), first line managers are extremely important to the success of the organization due to the special role of seeing to the day to day activities of the organization. These managers operate at the interface between management and the other work force and due to this can easily find themselves in the middle of conflicting demands. MANAGERIAL SKILLS Due to the validity and difficult nature of a managers job, certain skills are required to successfully carry out the duties and roles of a manager. Research by Robert L. Katz, during the early 1970s identified three essential skills or competencies needed by managers. The importance of these skills varies according to the managers level within the organization. Technical Skills: These are skills that reflect both an understanding of and a proficiency in a specialized field. Bartol Martin (1998). These skills are needed by both first line and middle level managers in their operations. It becomes less important as a manager moves into a higher level of management. However, top managers need some percentage of proficiency. For instance, an accountant must be proficient in the rules and standards of accounting, and be able to help its clients when faced with problems relating to the duties. Robbins Coulter (1999). According to (Bartol Martin, 1998) the technical skills are needed most by first line managers since they are directly involved in the supervision of the technical and professional employees, who are not managers. Middle level managers also need sufficient technical skills to recognize major problems. Top level managers will need some technical skills especially when technology is an important part of the product or service the org anization is offering. Human Skills: These are skills associated with a managers ability to work well with others, both as a member of a group and as a leader who gets things done through others. Bartol Martin (1998). Managers deal with humans and therefore need human skills to function effectively. Robert L. Katz indicated that, human skills are more important at the top level than the lower level. Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. How to communicate, motivate, lead and inspire enthusiasm and trust are some good human skills that managers should possess. Robbins Coulter (1999). Bartol Martin (1998) argued that human skills are needed by all the three levels of managers, since they deal with humans, and get things done through them. Managers without sufficient human skills are likely to have problems with internal and external customers. Conceptual Skills: These skills are related to the ability to visualize the organization as a whole, discern interrelationships among organizational parts, and understand how the organization fits into the wider context of the industry, community and world. Bartol Martin (1998). Conceptual skills are needed by managers for effective decision making that will positively affect the organization. Robert L. Katz proposed that these skills become more important as a manager moves into top management position. MANAGEMENT SKILLS AT DIFFERENT HIERARCHICAL LEVELS. SOURCE:BARTOL AND MARTIN, 1998 Griffin (1999) states that, the skills needed by a manager to perform activities go beyond the three skills. Four other skills are expected of a manager. They are; Diagnostic skills Communication skills Decision-making skills Time management skills WHAT MANAGERS ACTUALLY DO. Henry Mintzberg, a management scholar observed the activities of several top managers and discovered the work methods of managers as well as the major roles that they play. EXTENDED MODEL OF THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS. Management scholars Steven J. Carroll and Dennis J. Gillen went beyond the four major functions of management. These functions were used to form basis for the establishment of the managerial process. These management gurus upon their review of major studies on managerial work identified several key elements in the management process. There was the addition of work agenda, work methods and roles fused into the core management functions with a managers knowledge base and key management skills being contributing factors to high performance. WORK METHODS Mintzberg found that in their actual work methods, the managers differed drastically from their popular image as reflective, systematic planners who spend considerable quiet time in their offices poring over formal reports. Bartol Martin (1998). Three of the findings of Mintzberg give the revelation of what high-level managers actually do. UNRELENTING PACE: Managers are very busy people who work from dawn to dusk and are engaged in several activities. BREVITY, VARIETY AND FRAGMENTATION: Managers are very brief in their activities like meetings, attending to telephone calls, addressing the issues subordinates continue to bring to interfere with their work. VERBAL CONTACT AND NETWORKS: Managers prefer verbal communication through either phone conversations or meetings to written communication using memos and formal reports and rely heavily on networks to obtain and transmit information. MANAGERIAL ROLES According to Kreitner (1989), a research was conducted by Henry Mintzberg who concluded on what managers actually do. Mintzberg criticized the traditional functional approach as unrealistic, as they tell little about what managers actually do. Many other authors agree with Mintzberg and believe that the functional approach portrays the management process as far more systematic and rational and less complex than it really is. Mintzberg and his team said that to study managers and to know what they do, it is good to focus on the key roles they play, using a method called structured observation. This method involves recording the activities and correspondence of five top-level executives. Mintzberg identified ten roles he believed are common to managers at all levels. These ten roles are grouped into three categories. They are; Interpersonal Roles: This is the role that involves interpersonal contact with subordinates and peers. Figurehead, Leaders and Liaison are the interpersonal role managers play. Figurehead Role. It represents a symbol of legal authority and involves the performance of certain ceremonial duties like signing documents and receiving visitors. Leader Role. It seeks to motivate workers to get the job properly done Liaison Role. It serves as a link in a horizontal and vertical chain of communication. Informational Role. This is the role that provides information relating to the task. This role is important because information is the lifeblood of organizations, and includes nerves center, dissemination and spokesperson roles. Nerves Centre. It serves as a focal point for non routine information; receiving all type of information. Disseminator. Deals with the transmission of information to subordinates. Spokesperson. Deals with the transmission of selected information to outsiders. Decisional Role. With this role, managers balance competing interests and make choices. It enhances the development and implementation of strategies. The decisional roles are entrepreneurs, disturbance handlers, resource allocators and negotiators. Entrepreneur: Designs and initiates changes in the organization. Disturbance Handler: Takes corrective action in non routine situations. Resource Allocator: Takes decisions on allocation of resources to individuals and units. Negotiators. Participates in negotiation sessions with other parties like vendors and unions to make sure the organizations interest are adequately represented. Jones George (2004) in their book Essentials of Contemporary Management outlined Mintzbergs ten managerial roles. However, information technology has major effects on how managers perform their roles and on the skills they develop to perform the roles effectively. CHANGE The dynamic nature of business organizations naturally brings change. It is imminent for organizations to focus on change with competition increasing both domestically and globally. Companies that were enjoying mono-power are now been faced with competition from all the corners of the world. Bartol Martin (1998) defined change as any alteration in the status quo. They identified innovation to be one of the most applied forms of change. Innovation according to Bartol Martin (1998) is a new idea applied to initiate or improve a process, product or service. Hardly do people (employees) accept management action that endeavors to facilitate change as the existing processes and procedures may be seen consummate. The management of change in an organization has become an area of possible conflicts because of problems of understanding and communication. John Harvey-Jones (1993) stated that, it is impossible to change organizations which do not accept the dangers of their present way of doing things. A managers ability to manage change efficiently in an organization has become an indispensable skill in todays management. FORCES OF CHANGE A variety of forces influence change in an organization. Some of these forces are external whiles others may be developed internally. Recognizing and adapting to internal and external changes can mean the difference between continued success and going out of business. EXTERNAL FORCES All organizations are open systems and they therefore interact with the external environment of which they are part. The following factors may necessitate change: Escalating competition and globalization. Rapid development in new technology and the information age. Increased government regulation pressure. Scarcity of resources. Increased demand for quality. Increased demand for high levels of customer service and satisfaction. INTERNAL FORCES Internal forces for change also develop from a variety of sources. Some of these sources include; Ethical difficulties that arise because of employee behaviors. Decisions that entail changes and innovation. Organizational culture shifts. Reorganization. PROCESS OF CHANGE The process of change is likely to be associated with certain features. Hannagan (2004) in the book, Management Concept and Practices outlined the features as uncertainty about the causes and effect of change, unwillingness to give up existing practices, and awareness of problems in the change process. These characteristics according to Hannagan arose from a natural reaction to; Deny that the change is necessary. Resist any change irrespective of the merits. Avoid changes when they are introduced. Hannagan further suggested that managers should be able to determine the actual causes of change and remain flexible enough in their approach to overcome them in an appropriate manner. In the process of change, it is prudent to consider the degree of interaction between independent variables in the organization. The workers, technology and the organization structure seriously depend on each other and they therefore need to be recognized in the change process. The task of the manager is to direct energy away from feeling of powerlessness and looking backwards and towards seeing the opportunities for the future. This is important because in the process of change, people are likely to be threatened by the future while they need to recognize the dangers in the present position and the opportunities in the new ones. The process may involve denial of the need for change and resistance to it, until the change is able to be explored when opportunities will be discussed and commitment created. Hannagan (2004) outlined that the experience of the feeling of loss can take the following forms; Security: People feel unsecure of their position in the organization and how it will change. Competence: Becoming worried about their ability to carry out new tasks. Relationships: They may feel the familiar contacts will be lost with other employees, with managers and teams and groups. Territory: They may feel uncertain about their work space or job responsibility. Direction: They lose a clear view of where they are going. It is important that the manager reckon that these feelings are part of the transition process. It is the task of management to recognize these sentiments and endeavor to minimize it. This transcends provision of information as workers are not likely to change their behavior simply because they have being told. Change therefore needs to be managed carefully. TRANSITION IN THE CHANGE PROCESS From denial and resistance to exploration and commitment. SOURCE: MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, 4TH EDITION BY TIM HANNAGAN. CHANGE MANAGEMENT It is obvious that a system that is not functioning well needs to be changed. The effectiveness of the change however to the large extent depends on how it is managed. Change aims at moving organization from the current position to place it in a desirable way in which its objectives can easily be accomplished. For the change to achieve its purpose it need to be managed properly. Hannagan (2004) outlined the various steps; Vision: A process of reminding everybody and clarifying to everybody the direction of the organizations. Strategy: Outline how this is to be achieved through the development of objectives and goals. Monitoring change: Progress is measured in order to observe and encourage change. Different strategies are developed and implemented depending on the stage of the change. At the stage of denial, the manager has to provide information and give time in order to explain the information and advocate action. Also at the resistance stage managers have to accept peoples response and encourage support. In the exploration stage, the manager needs to focus on the priority, train people involved in the planning. In the commitment stage of the process, long-term goals are established with emphasis on building team. SOURCE: MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES, 4TH EDITION BY TIM HANNAGAN PERFORMANCE People run and steer the affairs of organization. People are the main underpinning for goal setting and objectives accomplishment. The performance of an organization thus depends on the sum total of the performance of its members. Pattanayak (2006). Pattanayak believed that the success of an organization will depend on how it accurately measures performance of its workers. He further argued that the performance of an employee is his resultant behaviors on task which can be observed and measured. Performance refers to the contribution made by an individual in the accomplishment of organizational objectives. Pattanayak (2006). The performance of individuals in an organization is the resultant behavior on task which can be observed and evaluated. Normally organizations assess performance by looking at quantity, time of completion, cost involved and most importantly quality. One way of urging people to work in an organization is giving them feedback on the results of their action. It is important that feedback on both success and failures are provided on regular basis. Most organizations use performance appraisal systems or techniques in trying to provide feedback. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Pattanayak (2006) acknowledged that performance appraisal system provides management an opportunity to recall as well as feedback to people as to how they are doing, so that they can correct their mistakes and acquire new skills. Pattanayak defined performance appraisal as all those procedures used to evaluate the personality, the performance, and the potential of its group members. Performance appraisal techniques used could either be formal or informal. INFORMAL PERFORMANCE APPPRAISAL Pattanayak defined informal performance appraisal as a continuous process of feeding back information to the subordinates about how well they are doing their work in the organizations. Pattanayak believed that it is normally conducted on the day-to-day basis. FORMAL PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Pattanayak argued that formal performance appraisal occurs usually annually on a formalized basis and involves appraise and appraiser in finding answers to the following questions. What performance was set out to be achieved during the period? Has it been achieved? What has been the shortfall and constraints? What are we going to do now? How will we know that we have done it? What kind of feedback can be expected? What assistance can be expected to improve performance? What rewards and opportunities are likely to follow from the performance appraisal? EMPIRICAL LITERATUIRE Change has always been part of organizations. Day in and day out, organization are seen trying to adapt to a changing environment. A study by Agudze, Simon and Sunu on the influence of price on customer loyalty of selected supermarkets in Accra outlined the fact that organizations are affected by change in price. The study revealed that Melcom will lose 42% of its customers if prices should increase (change), at Game it was realised that 62% of their customers will stop buying if prices increase (change), and at Maxmart the survey showed that 50% of their customers will not purchase from the shop if prices should increase. Also on a thesis by Hans-Jà ¼rgen Brà ¼ck on the impact of organisational change management on the success of a Product Lifecycle Management Implementation -an investigation into the Electronics Manufacturing Industry, 59% of the respondents to the eighth questionnaire indicated that productivity is slowed down a little bit in the phase of implementing change, whereas 35% did not realize any negative influence on productivity. However, 6% indicated a significant decrease in productivity. The research also brought out the fact that vision is very important in the change process. The researchers fourth questionnaire focused on vision which half of the respondents indicated that it was very important. Moreover another survey by Natalie L. Petouhoff, PhD, Tamara Chandler, and Beth Montag-Schultz on The Business Impact of Change Management revealed that Organizational Change Management (OCM) programs have significant effect on Returns On Investment (ROI). The survey showed that ROI was 143% percent when an excellent OCM program was implemented. ROI however was 35% when OCM program was poor or there was no OCM program at all. 3.0 METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN The study will be cross sectional as data collected from the field will be used within a short period of time. The study will take a period of nine months to be completed. The purpose of the study shall be descriptive in nature as a gap will be dealt with and employ both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative research will be based on knowledge, views, perceptions, observations and opinions of the effect change in management will have on the performance of Vodafone Ghana. The quantitative research shall also be based on the design and issue of questionnaires to customers, top management and employees to solicit for the objectives of the topic that will be expressed in terms of figures for the study. 3.2 POPULATION OF THE STUDY The population of interest for the study shall include all employees and customers at Vodafone Ghana. 3.3 SAMPLE FRAME The sample frame for the study will be all Vodafone customers within the age bracket of 20 to 40 years in Accra and selection of employees at Vodafone Head office at Circle. The reason for the chosen sample is due to the fact that, the study seeks to investigate the performance of Vodafone

The Health Care Crisis Essay -- Medical Insurance essays research pape

The cost of insurance has increased dramatically over the past decade, far surpassing the general rate of inflation in most years. Between 1989 and 1996, the average amount an employee had to contribute for family coverage jumped from $935 to $1778. In 1990, American companies spent $177 billion on health benefits for workers and their dependents; that number rose to $252 billion by 1996, or more than double the rate of inflation. Among the cost drivers: an aging population – the number of senior citizens who need health benefits is increasing dramatically every year; medical technology advances – which decreased the death rate; new drugs – expensive and effective, which make us live longer; and of course the increase of fear in medical litigations among doctors. Increase in usage will surely increase the cost of health care. On average, between the ages of 45 and 65, a person’s usage of health care triples. Eighty year-olds use nine times more health car e services than 45 year-olds. By the year 2030, the number of people over 65 is expected to double. The cost for medical services have increased as well. Since 1980, medical cost have risen 281%. The number of organ transplants has doubled in the past 15 years, and all transplants cost over $100,000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From my point of view, I think that increase in medical litigations is one of the most important factor of health care crisis. Americans spend far more per person on the costs of litigation than any other country in the world. The excess of the litigation system are an important contributor to â€Å"defensive medicine† – the costly use of medical treatments by a doctor for the purpose of avoiding litigation. As multimillion-dollar jury awards have become more commonplace in recent years, these problems have reached crisis proportions. Insurance premiums for malpractice are increasing at a rapid rate, particularly in states that have not taken steps to make their legal systems function more predictably and effectively. Doctors are facing much higher costs of insurance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because the litigation system does not accurately judge whether an error was committed in the course of medical care, physicians adjust their behavior to avoid being sued. A recent survey of physicians revealed that one-third shied away from going into a particular specialty because they feared it would subject them to greater liability exp... ...undable health credit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am in favor of the plan Universal Health Care Vouchers (UHCV). It is paid for by a dedicated Value-Added tax of 8%-10%. All insurers would be required to offer a specified health care plan to everyone, with payments adjusted for the risk level of each patient, so that coverage for sicker patients will be reimbursed at a higher rate. Individuals could choose any health care plan they desire, paying for the basic plan with their UHCV, and for any extra services they desire from their own pocket. Over time, this will replace Medicare, as older Americans will simply keep their current voucher plan when they turn 65, and it would replace Medicaid immediately. It would also end the problem of poor people seeking primary care in emergency rooms, by allowing them to have coverage for regular primary care in a doctor's office. Employers would no longer have to provide insurance coverage, reducing the cost of employment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am willing to pay higher taxes to solve the health care crisis because I would rather pay a few percent of my salary and have a much better health care insurance for my family than paying $150-$300 every time I go visit the doctor.

Ten Characteristics of a Good Teacher

From time to time during the 15 years I have been working in the field of English language teaching and training, I have put myself in the position of language learner rather than teacher. In addition to enjoying language study and  finding the process fascinating, I find it beneficial to view the process through the eyes of a student. Even though I have felt at odds with some teachers and their methods, I have learned something from every teacher I have ever had ­ even the worst ,  of them.There is a line in Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince that applies to any endeavor, but especially teaching. It reads: â€Å"That which is essential cannot be seen with the eye. Only with the heart can one know it rightly. † The essence of teaching is difficult to qualify, but that line leads directly into my most essential criterion. 1. I want a teacher who has a contagious en ­ husiasm for his t teaching—one who, as Rich ­ rd Via says, loves his students and his wor k. Mr. Via is an educational specialist in using drama techniques to teach EFL at the East-West Center in Hawaii.I was fortunate enough to attend his teacher-training seminar in Korea in 1976. It was a pleasure to be in his audience. His enjoyment in transmitting knowledge and participating in the seminar was apparent and infectious. His passion for teaching instilled a passion for learning in all the participants. For me, the most crucial factors in effective teaching are who the teacher is and how he acts in the classroom. This influences the way the stu ­dents react d toward the target language and, therefore, their success in learning it.2. I want a teacher who is creative. Teaching must be more  than simply opening a book, doing exercises, and following an outline written by someone else. In the tedium of repetition, the student can go through the motions of doing the exercises without his mind being engaged. What can a teacher do to engage the student’s mind? There are a myriad of techniques that the creative teach r can employ—information-gap exercises, e games, songs, jazz chants, problem solving, and other techniques that allow the student to utilize the skills he has already developed in his first language. 3. I want a teacher who can add pace and humor to the class.The humor of one of my teachers had the effect of alleviating my nervousness—of reducing my effective filter. There was a rapport among the students and the teacher because we were all laughing together. We had a good time learning, and we made a lot of progress because we were not afraid to make mistakes; we could take chances. As Krashen would say, the effective filters of the students were low, facilitating acquisition. Another teacher that I had maintained an excellent pace in the class. She never lost an instant consulting a list or thinking about what to do next; she had prepared—that was evident—and she was going  to capitalize on every seco nd.I was somewhat nervous in her class, but I didn’t have time to worry about it because events moved so quickly. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat so that I wouldn’t miss anything, and my adrenalin was a positive force. I should add that humor is a double-edged sword: it can backfire, for what is funny to one person may not be funny to another. Humor across cultures can add a layer of difficulty to communication. 4. I want a teacher who challenges me. I had several teachers who always spoke to me in Spanish, both in and out of class.I felt they were showing confidence in me and chal ­lenging me to speak Spanish. The student’s passive l knowledge of the target language is always greater than his active knowledge. There is no reason why a teacher should use any language other than the target language except possibly for purposes of expediency. When a teacher reverts to the native language, he is showing a lack of patience with the students’ struggles in the target language. In addition, switching codes is confusing. I was given a test in which all the in ­ tructions were read to me in English, so that I would be sure to understand every ­ thing.Then I had to answer in Spanish. But the test had three parts and I had to continue switching codes back and forth from English to Spanish; I found this very confusing. It is like going off a diet—once you cheat a i little, then you want to cheat a little more. If someone speaks to me in English, this activates my English channel and I am prepared to think in English. Speaking in the target language to the learner prepares and challenges him to speak in that language. In addition, I want a teacher who can maintain a  level of difficulty high enough to challenge me, but not so high as to discourage me.5. I want a teacher who is encouraging and patient, and who will not give up on me. Some of the teachers that I have had demonstrated incredible patience with all of th eir students, never allowing even a shadow of displeasure to cross their faces in reaction to continued incorrect speaking after endless correction (which may say something about the policy of correction). When the teacher is positive—encouraging initial and repeated attempts—the students will apply themselves more diligently.Motivation thrives on success. One teacher I had appeared on several occasions c to give up on me. She would struggle to have the other g members of the class repeat the combination of an indirect object pronoun followed by a direct object pronoun—the nemesis of the Spanish-language student. They would have numerous chances to supply the correct combination in various tenses, but I often was given only one opportunity. For the life of me, I do not know why the teacher gave me only one chance.Was it because I was struggling and she wanted to spare me any unpleasantness? Or was it because in her mind I  didn’t need the practice? I fe lt that I needed the practice and wanted at least a chance to try. I felt that the teacher was discouraged and had lost confidence in my ability to progress. As a result, I lost my incentive and became unsure of myself. 6. I want a teacher who will take an interest in me as a person—one who will try to discover discussion topics that interest me. When I was teaching, one of the first things I did was to try to find out what my students’ interests were: hobbies, past employment, family, travel, etc. The easiest, most accessible area of conversation is oneself.The initial and intermediate stages of development for the language student do not abound with opportunities for coherent self-expression. Most of the time, we language students feel fairly incompetent because we cannot express ourselves adequately, as we are accustomed to doing in our native language. Thus, if we can discuss some little accomplishment we’ve had, or something that we take pleasure in or are proud of, so much the better. 7. I want a teacher who knows grammar well and who can explain something on the spot if necessary.I also want a teacher who is realistic and has the simple courage to admit that he doesn’t know an answer if indeed he doesn’t. I have had some teachers who, probably as the result of the de-emphasis on grammar explanation in the structuralist tradition, did not provide enough explanations. It seems to me that a more eclectic approach would take into consideration the needs of the adult learner, who should be given some insight into the intricacies of grammar. 8. I want a teacher who will take a minute or two to answer a question after class, or who will take five minutes to  correct something that I have done on my own.I had several teachers who did this willingly and who encouraged the students to do extra work on their own. I also had a teacher who made some corrections for me at my request, but somehow I felt as if I had encroached on he r time. Is teaching to be exactly 50 minutes of the hour and no more? First, we as teachers need to encourage students not only to study what is required, but to pursue on their own areas in which they are interested. Acquisition is facilitated when it concerns information that we need or are interested in.And second, we need to appreciate our students’ efforts. 9. I want a teacher who will treat me as a per ­ on, on an equal s basis with all the members of the class, regardless of sex, marital status, race, or my future need for the language. In some of my classes women were given discussion topics relating only to the home and family, and men were rarely asked to talk about their families. Men were also given more â€Å"talk† time than the women. This can be discouraging to the student, and that is not conducive to progress. As teachers, we must look  carefully at our classes to be certain that we are including everyone equally.I know that I have probably been gu ilty of bias toward the brighter and more energetic students—they’re more challenging for the teacher and more interesting for the class. But now 1. Editor’s Note: on the spot = without further consideration; at once; immdeiately. 2012 37 that I have been a victim of bias my ­ elf, I will cers tainly be more aware of treating my students equally. 10. Finally, I want a teacher who will leave his emotional baggage outside the classroom. The classroom is a stage,  and to be effective the teacher must in some cases be an actor.I do not want to interrupt my concentration by worrying about what might be bothering the teacher. Nor do I want a teacher who sustains himself through ridicule or sarcasm, playing havoc with the emotions of his students and thereby blocking any learning/acquisition that might take place. Conclusion The qualities that I have discussed can be separated into four areas—(1) affective characteristics, (2) skills, (3) classroom managemen t techniques, and (4) academic knowledge: Affective characteristics enthusiasm  encouragement humor interest in the student availability mental healt Skills creativity challenge Classroom Management pace fairness Academic Knowledge grammar A teacher’s effectiveness depends on his demonstration of the affective characteristics. These are inborn in some of us, but they are also within the grasp of most teachers. Most of us want to be encouraging, enthusiastic, and available, but we just have to be reminded once in a while. The classroom management techniques of peace and fairness are often overlooked, but they can be crucial to effective teaching.These are not techniques that require training, but again, simply awareness. The specific teaching skills of creativity and challenge are associated more with the types of materials and activities, and their level and appropriateness. Ease and facility in these two areas come with experience and familiarity with the syllabus and mate rials. Lastly, a teacher who knows his grammar gives himself credibility and stature in the eyes of his students. With a little training in how to explain grammar and how to teach it, teachers have an indispensable tool.

Wives as Deputy Husbands

â€Å"Wives as Deputy Husbands† by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Article Review â€Å"Wives as Deputy Husbands† by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was written to give the author’s opinion on the roles of women in the 17th and 18th century. Some historians thought women were merely there to do housework and take care of the children. They thought they were helpless. On the contrary other’s thought they were very involved in various affairs such as: blacksmiths, silversmiths, tinworkers, shoeworkers, tanners, etc. They thought they may have been very independent.However, this article is used to understand how households were run and how women fit into both female and male roles. The author’s thesis of this article is to inform the reader that women had more roles in colonial times than people rarely consider. Ulrich’s contention is that â€Å"the husband was in control of the external affairs and of the family, a husband’s decision would incorporate hi s wife’s opinion, and should fate or circumstance prevent the husband from fulfilling his role the wife could stand in his place† (Paragraph 4. ).Women didn’t only depend on their husband. She was not helpless. Her commitment to her husband did allow him to be able to trust her with difficult tasks that a servant couldn’t be trusted with. A wife specialized in housekeeping skills but it also included the responsibilities of being a deputy husband. Ulrich says â€Å"Economic opportunities were limited for women; however, female responsibility was a very broad topic† (Paragraph 8. ). A woman could do any task as long as it furthered the good of her family and her husband deemed it acceptable.Wives could double as their husbands and became respected companions and shared the spouse’s authority. There was no sharp division between home and work in the colonial time period. Many people worked on a farm which also doubled as their home. This was al so true for male and females, their spaces overlapped. While the husband was around her responsibility was limited. When he was absent her responsibility was more weighted. If a woman became a widow, and she had no sons, and chose not to remarry she could inherit the deceased spouse’s estate.Many of the male’s responsibilities were less desirable to a woman than doing housework was. This work may prepare her to function competently in a male’s world, though. This article is specific to female roles. The textbook and class discussions/lectures mainly taught about the people of colonial America as a whole. We learned a lot more about men’s roles and female responsibility wasn’t mentioned very often. The article taught me that women were very important to not only the household but the entire family.In her husband’s absence she would take on his responsibilities as well as the household one’s and not only be able to survive but thrive. I think it was important to read this article because both women and men were present in this time period. Without women there would be no men (literally), so why would we study the important of one? To understand he time period I think all genders and races need to be studied to a certain extent. The strengths of this article were that Ulrich added many examples to help understand how not all women were shrew and servile but rather very independent.A weakness was that she also presented arguments from the opposing sides which in some cases were slightly confusing. Yes, it does fit into the prevailing interpretation because men weren’t present in every situation and when they weren’t women were to maintain the household and affairs. This information is indeed different that what I previously learned about gender roles; women stayed at home to cook, clean, and take care of children while men worked. Overall, this article was very informative and helped me understand how families worked together to be successful in the colonial time period.