The effectiveness of Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Research Paper

The effectiveness of Total Quality Management and Continuous Quality Improvement in the Healthcare setting - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that as the healthcare industry continues to meet the challenges of escalating costs, high turnover in personnel, and continuing customer service complaints, healthcare has turned to Total Quality Management to address the issues and implement solutions. The present research has identified that Total Quality Management (TQM), also called Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), has been utilized to assess efficiency, quality of care, cost-effectiveness and safety issues. The researcher states that Swedish hospitals employed TQM and CQI when confronted with avoidable patient injuries, the wastefulness of healthcare resources, and public criticism of health care management and quality of care. Their use of Total Quality Management resulted in mixed reviews. Øvretveit noted the obstacles of costs and time constraints, especially on physicians’ time, that limited the comprehensive use of TQM. The notice was made regarding the hierarchies indwelling in hospital social strata, that of both the physicians and the nurses, and the disregard of management to institute real change. According to the research findings, TQM teams were set up, but the meetings were reduced as more pressing factors (patient emergencies) limited the meeting times and the efficacy of the process.   Often decisions impacting patient care bypassed the TQM process for a quicker resolution to an immediate issue.... confronted with avoidable patient injuries, wastefulness of health care resources, and public criticism of health care management and quality of care (Ovretveit , 2003, 6). Their use of Total Quality Management resulted in mixed reviews. Ovretveit noted the obstacles of costs and time constraints, especially on physicians’ time, that limited the comprehensive use of TQM (11). Notice was made regarding the hierarchies indwelling in hospital social strata, that of both the physicians and the nurses, and the disregard of management to institute real change. TQM teams were set up, but the meetings were reduced as more pressing factors (patient emergencies) limited the meeting times and the efficacy of the process. Often decisions impacting patient care bypassed the TQM process for a quicker resolution to an immediate issue. The Korean Hospitals have been most successful at implementing TQM as they have built in a TQM or CQI department from the beginning. Rather than making TQM a s econdary model for management, the Korean hospitals have embraced TQM as their total problem-solving solution. This resulted in Korean hospitals having created and managed TQM programs in 72% of their hospitals (Lee, 384). The major impact of this study determined that the climate of organizational change and the implementation of statistical data were the primary factors in the successful use of TQM and CQI (Lee, 391). Unfortunately, the openness to institutional change and the collection of statistical data were two of the most common issues reported as detrimental to change. Zbaracki (1988), in his article, â€Å"The Rhetoric and Reality of Total Quality Management,† states there are several places that the TQM implementation can go off track. The hospital setting has its peculiarities of

Financing of Home Care Essay Example for Free

Financing of Home Care Essay In United States of America, health is an interesting topic in the society that does not only influence the well being of millions of Americans, but also influences the strength of Americas’ economy. This nation spends more on health care per person than any other nations. America is said to be having the highest infant mortality rates and a relatively low average lifespan. (Baer, 1989) For many families, lack of Health care is the source of vulnerability for the household’s economic status, as sickness or injury without health care can be a financial burden pushing families to poverty. According to the Census Bureau, the number of Americans having Private health coverage has fallen by one percent in the recent years. Home care is a term that is used to refer to the services that are usually provided in the home. They include giving patients professional services from physiotherapist, social workers and nurses. There is also the use of supplies, inclusion of therapies and incorporation of durable medical equipment. (Baer, 1989) The government has set the rules that have to be followed by each and every home care. In the home care, a range of services are therefore provided to the patients. The services include home making services, medication administration, blood transfusions, physical and occupational therapists among other services. Medicare on the other hand covers the home care services for the patients that have the following characteristics; †¢ They receive services from a Medicare †¢ They are under the physician’s care plan †¢ Those that are homebound †¢ Those that need nursing care that is very much skilled or physical therapy There are various ways through which homecare is financed. They include the following; †¢ Government funds †¢ Volunteers †¢ Commercial insurers †¢ Donations or charities †¢ Patients These are the major ways that home care systems are financed. Research reveals that systems are not for making profits. Looking at the various sources of finance for home care, there are different percentages of income that comes from each source. The government in most cases gives the highest percentage of income to the home care. This is approximately sixty percent of the total amount sourced. Donations then follow next with twenty percent. (Ehrenreich, 1970) Commercial insurers give approximately ten percent of the total amount of money that is used in the homecare systems. Patients are normally charged a small fee when they visit the home system and this amount to approximately five percent of the total revenue. There are normally volunteers who help out in providing some of the services free of charge and this helps to ease the burden of the costs that are incurred. Research reveals that there exists a very good relationship between the financiers and the homecare system. There is no one who ever wants to give his or her money without wanting to know how it has been used. Taking an example of the government as the main source of finance for homecare systems, it is always concerned with the faring on of the home care. (Ehrenreich, 1970) The government is normally very concerned with issues that affect home care especially in relation to the finances therein. The administrators of the home cares normally have the responsibility of giving account of how the finances have been spent in the home care. Looking at it from the administrator’s point of view, they normally wish that the government would do more than just send the finances to them but actually be more concerned with the whole project or the issues taking place in the home care system. To the administrators, the finances that are given by the government are not sufficient to cater for everything in the system and therefore planning becomes very hard in such a situation. The patients on the other hand are very grateful that the government decided to cater partly for their services given in the homecare because they don’t pay a lot of money. Research carried out in the year 2006 May in the United States amongst various patients reveal that patients come from different social status. There are those from affluent families, middle and then low income families. (Schaeffer, 2002) For the low income patients, the amount of funds that are given by the government are not enough because this compels the system administrators to charge them a fee which to them is a lot comparing it to their level of income. The patients who have middle income think that the government’s support is fair and they as patients can now afford it. For the affluent, they do not even feel the pinch of giving the little cash for getting services in the homecare but nevertheless acknowledge that the government is of great help. Donations and charities in form of funds given to the home care are given by organizations and individuals. There are various non-governmental organizations that give their donations to home care systems. According to the administrators in home care systems, donations and charities help a great deal in the smooth running of the systems. They concur that without the help of these non-governmental organizations, and then they could not have managed to do so many things in the home care systems. Patients also as stakeholders are grateful to the invaluable help of non-governmental organizations and individuals for this has enabled very many of them to access services that they could have otherwise not been able to. According to the administrators, the help given by no-governmental organizations though it helps it is not sufficient and therefore much still needs to be done. Looking at the relationship of the non-governmental organizations with the home care systems, one can say that there exists good relationship as the NGOs normally try to catch up on how the home cares are faring on. Research reveals that the relationship of the financier with the homecare is very important. A part from the financial help, there needs to be a mutual relationship between these two parties so that they can understand each other well. Looking at the provider or the financiers’ point of view, there is so much expectation from the home care system. From the government’s point of view, home cares expect so much from the government and there is the tendency to think that the government has got a lot of money lying idle which can be used in the home care system. According to the officials in the government of United States, the administrators have to know that the government is doing its best to see to it that these systems are run smoothly without financial strain. This is done so that every citizen benefits from these services and especially those from low income families per say. (Warren, 2005) Conclusion In home care, mostly the medical services are given in the home. In this case the patients are given professional services by nurses, social workers and home care assistants. These services include physiotherapy. Each and every home care system has to follow the rules that are set up by the government. (Strunk and Gabel, 2002) Home care systems are financed by various stakeholders. They include the following; the government, donations from individuals and from non-governmental organizations, small fee paid by the patients and from commercial insurers. Among these sources the government gives the highest percentage of finances to the home care systems. This is sixty percent of the total finances in the home care systems. According to the administrators in home cares, this amount is not sufficient to cater for all the needs in home cares. They say that the government needs to add more funds. According to the patients, the government is really playing a big role in enabling them to access these important services. (Strunk, and Gabel, 2002) To the low income patients, the funds are not enough and they should be increased so that they (patients) pay much lesser than what they are currently paying. The relationship that exists between financers and the home care systems is good. The administrators however say that the financiers need to be more concerned with all the activities that take place in the home care. Government officials say that home care administrators expect so much from them but they are doing their best to see to it that the home care systems do not strain financially at all. Reference Baer, H. (1989): The American Dominative Medical System as Reflection of Social elations in the Larger Society. Social Science and Medicine, 28(11):1103-1112 Ehrenreich, J. (1970): The American Health Empire: Power, Profits and Politics; NY Random House, Schaeffer, S. (2002): Rising Health-Care Expenses Outpace U. S. GDP Growth, HealthCare costs rose 9. 3% in 2002 PP 207-217 Strunk, B. and Gabel, J. (2002): Tracking health care costs- Growth accelerates again In 2001; Health affairs; Pp 45-67 Warren, E. (2005): Sick and Broke; New York; Melbourne Press

Role of Greed and Grievance in Civil War

Role of Greed and Grievance in Civil War The role that greed and grievance play in civil war is its emergence. Their role is a crucial and controversial one in the creation of civil wars. There have been various arguments concerning their role in its emergence, with most for greed as the key factor as the backbone of all conflict including civil war while a few others also consider grieves role. However, it is my opinion that both work hand in hand to create the violence that is civil war. Some could even see how one begets the other, legitimizing the creation of one through the existence of the other. Either way the role both greed and grieve play is one of an instigator. This paper will illustrates how both factors have intertwining roles in the occurrence of civil war; the aim is to show how one factors role influences the other and how one factors role can overlap and blur the other out. This will be done by looking at various explanations for civil war attributed to greed and grieve individually. To discuss these terms and their role in the emergence of civil war it is crucial to understand what they mean and why they are considered active role players in the creation of civil war. Civil War is conflict that arises when militant groups of people attack a government and or civilians persistently (Collier, 2003:54).What exactly is greed and how does it come into play in the occurrence of civil war? Greed according to the English dictionary (dictionary.com) is ‘excessive or rapacious desire especially for wealth or possessions. It is the need to acquire more than you need taking or having more of what you already have. So who is the greedy in civil war? Based on the definition, do the greedy exist in the sense of the word? If they do, then it is crucial to ‘investigate how the greed generates grievance and rebellion, legitimizing further greed (Keen,2000:32) as part of its role in the occurrence of civil war through, the actions of the greedy. Various economic and political factors contribute to the emergence and creation of civil war starting from inequality in terms of resource allocation to participation in the decision making process. There have been various arguments as to what really causes civil war; the prominent answer is economic inequality. The general idea is that people want more access to resources and because they cannot get it, they take it by force. In this sense, then yes the greedy exist and play a major role in the occurrence of civil war. On the other hand, those who do not have access to recourses at all and just want to enjoy the benefits and access to it in the first place (not more access) are not greedy but needy. The actual participants(people doing the actual fighting, and protesting) of civil war are not acting according to greed, for greed as earlier defined is wanting more of what you already have. They on the other hand just want access to resources denied of them, denoting previous lack. It is easy to link economic need and lack of resources to greed even more so as the focus is often on how the elite manipulate the situations to create civil unrest and strife, and how they and a few others benefit from it. The error is in considering these groups of people to be the only actors of civil war. The aim here is not to diminish the role of greed, for it plays just as important a role as grieve does as will be later discussed. The aim is to point out that it is important to consider those acting from greed and those from grieve, and the role of grievance in causing civil war before giving all the credit to greeds role as the dominant player in the creation of civil conflict. It is impossible for one factor (grieve or greed) to stir up conflict without the presence of the other factor. The greedy, often times are some entrepreneurs, rebel lords and their gangs, and a few elites (including some governments) that have something to gain from civil unrest are motivated by their greed, their desire to hoard more resources, their access to it, and the benefits gained from said resources (in form of employment, education, wealth etc). Their interest is vested in the continuation of war and so they manipulate the grieve that exists in the society which more often than not is a result of their greed. These are the few Collier talks about when he says, ‘civil war creates economic opportunities for a minority of actors even as they destroy it for the majority (Collier, 2000:91). This brings me to the point that the greedy are few but their impact and influence on the occurrence of civil war is big. Greed plays a minor yet visible role in civil war. The greedy few use the genuine grieve of the majority to advance their own economic agenda. According to Collier (2000), gr ieve is used to recruit actors in civil war. To understand the role of grieve; it is important to define it and consider what constitutes the sentiment. Grieve refers to pain over injustice or unfortunate circumstances as used in the English dictionary ‘grieve is to feel great sorrow, be mentally distressed or oppressed and wronged (Dictionary.com). This attribute is evident when considering factors that contribute to civil war. Looking at the case of Rwanda (Caplan, 2007) where the Tutsi had previously oppressed the Hutus during colonialism. The Hutu ethnic group embarked on an ethnic cleansing mission of the Tutsi ethnic group when they gained political power. This example illustrates how grieve came into play for Rwandas civil war. Ethnic differences, which resulted in oppression of one group by the other, created tension and grieve that erupted into violence. The role of Grieve and greed as creators of civil war is evident in that they are the foundations for each explanatory factor given for the occurrence of civil war. They are the driving forces behind factors contributing to civil war like ethnic differences, manipulative leaders and so forth. For each factor attributed to greed, there is grieve working with it making it possible for greed to be pursued, and for each grieve backed reason for civil war, greed is presently active. Both factors work together, greed creates grieve and it is also possible for greed to emerge from that grieve (Cramer, 2002) without one, the other really does not exist in civil war. Thus far, the contribution and role of greed and grieve as individual factors in the occurrence of civil war in a country has been show, now focus is directed to illustrate how their individual roles intertwine and work hand in hand. This aspect of the essay is going to examine the roles both grieve and greed play in different gr eed or grieve specific explanations offered for the cause of civil war. The most prominent explanation or contributing factor to civil war in literature and media seems to be economic agenda (Collier 2003) (greed explanation) and inequality (grieve explanation) between groups and people in the society as previously noted. The idea behind this is that people engage in conflict in order to advance their own economic agenda, be it access to previously denied resources or to gain more access to said resources. Collier (2000:93-95) uses a number of proxies to explain how greed motivates conflict. For instance, the availability of primary loot-able resources(also discussed in Collier, 2008) in a country creates an avenue for conflict to develop out of greed because of what is to be gained from looting (be it profit from actual sale of good or use of it). Another proxy used was the number of young men without job prospects whose income earning potentials and educational levels are low (Collier, 2000:95). According to this analogy jobless young men with no prospects living in a country with an abundance or somewhat large number of â€Å"primary resources† is a recipe for conflict in said society because of idleness and availability of loot-able resources and of course greed. These young jobless men without prospects do not have jobs or proper paying jobs because they have been denied access to proper and good or any form of education(also a factor that contributes to grieve). They may even have one but cannot get any or good employment because of inequality in the society. A country with large â€Å"commodity exports† obviously has the resources to make things better for these people or at least the means (sale of said commodity resources) to make things better. The availability of young men and primary export commodities shows how greeds role as a generator of civil war works. The explanation also illustrates how grieve (also an instigator of civil war) plays its role i n this dominantly greed backed explanation. Grieve experienced over the unfavorable conditions and employment status or lack thereof of these â€Å"young men† led them to resort to conflict to acquire some of the economic resources not made accessible to them. Colliers argument is that countries with â€Å"large primary resources† are prone to more civil war. The logic of his argument is that ‘resource-rich countries have a higher probability for conflict than resource-poor ones (Soya, 2000:120). Well certainly, there is some credit to this logic because resource poor countries have little or no resources. The difference between these two types of countries is that resource rich countries have resources. The scarcity of said resources within the country where the benefits of such resources are not visible or made equally available to its citizens are bound to experience rebellion from the majority of the population considering how only a minority benefits. The sense of injustice and feeling of unfairness likely to arise from the knowledge that certain resources are available but to only a few elite is enough to bring about grieve. This is also likely to motivate rebels and cause an uprising, and not only the idea that there is excess to acquire and more to be made from black market so let us loot and make our own profits like Collier and Soya would have us believe. The greed proxies (available young men, primary resource and education level) and explanations show greeds role at work, and shows that of grieve in civil war, illustrating how one cannot work without the other. The grievance factors of civil war and some of the grieve backed explanations for civil war like differences and animosity existing between groups in the society, and how they contribute to the emergence of civil war also illustrate the role of greed. The first of many is ‘raw ethnic or religious hatred (Collier, 2000:95). The logic behind this is that people are afraid of what they do not know or understand. Therefore, a society that is deeply separated based on different ethnicities and religious views will experience civil unrest at some point or the other because the society is invested in the differences that exist. Take for instance the Biafra war of Nigeria. The Biafra civil war broke out because of the three major ethnic groups (Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo) in the country, out of which the Igbo were not represented in government. They no longer were actively included in politics after years of being at the forefront of Nigerian politics, and running the country with the las t president (removed through a coup dà ©tat) being from the Igbo ethnic group (Ralph, 2004). Their lack of representation meant their access to certain resources were limited. The ethnic groups in power based on solidarity-favored members of their own ethnic group, their regions had better systems of education, and employment opportunity was regularly based on whom you knew and what ethnic group you belonged to. They only cared about and helped â€Å"their own people† while members of other ethnic groups were being slaughtered and maltreated. This goes to show how deeply rooted the society was in ethnic identities and differences. So much so, that the Igbo felt oppressed and resentment grew. The situation escalated because of problems surrounding the presence of crude oil in the region of the country occupied by the Igbo. The profits made from the resources found in their regions or â€Å"their lands† was not distributed equally around the regions of the nation and es pecially not in the regions, they were found in. In addition, the Igbo leaders decided to keep the profits to themselves to improve the standard of living of maltreated ethnic group members (Global Security.org). Out of grieve over the extent of inequality in the nation the Igbo felt the need to secede. The Nigeria Biafra war illustration of ethnic identities and differences creating civil strife supports the idea that ‘societies that are highly fractionalized by both ethnicity and religion (Collier, 2000:95) will have more incidence of civil war. Furthermore, the illustration not only shows grieve playing its role as a creator of civil war by supporting the grieve backed explanation for causes of civil, in this case ethnic differences and inequality, it also shows greeds role in the occurrence of the Nigerian Biafra civil war. The Igbo were oppressed, agreed but they did not threaten to secede up until they lost their position of power in government (an Igbo was in the presidential office) and found an excuse (Using the proceeds to help the oppressed) to keep the benefits and profits from the valuable natural resource found in the southeast region of Nigeria, where the Igbo reside to themselves. The presence of such a valuable resource like crude oil turned the Igbo greedy an d their state of oppression created an avenue for that greed to show. They wanted to keep the benefits from crude oil to themselves and break from the country. With the already existing situation of the ruling ethnic groups (Hausa and Yoruba), isolating resources based on ethnicity, and their greed in taking and keeping the benefits of the resources without any of it trickling down to the Igbo added to the existing rage and grieve over inequalities that abound in the society and oppression. More importantly, it legitimized the greed of the Igbo group; if it was all right for the ruling groups to hoard resources, it was all right for them to take their resource and keep it for themselves. The ruling groups out of greed kept resources for themselves, this resulted in the neglected groups (Igbo) grieve. Because of their greed, the ruling ethnic groups (Hausa and Yoruba) desired to keep the resource within their grasps and power so they can benefit more from it. This greed possibly led them to resist the secession of the Igbo group away from the nation. The Igbo on the other hand out of grieve over limited access to resources grew greedy and wanted to break from the country at the discovery of a valuable resource (crude oil) they wanted to keep to for themselves. This just goes to show how greed causes grieve and how both factors work together to manipulate situations in a way that results into violence. Another grieve backed factor for civil war that shows the role of both grieve and greed as creators of civil war is the idea of economic inequality again. This factor shows the perfect relationship between the roles of greed and grieve. The latter stemming from the unavailability of certain things like land for instance which Collier (2000) uses as proxy for inequality to others because the elite of the society have access to it. The greed of some in accumulation of resources for themselves and in the process causing grieve for those who do not have access to or are unable enjoy certain benefits derived from it. Ultimately greed from one side coupled with grieve from another equals civil war or at least leads to some form of conflict and even more so in a country with weak governance. A weak government implies ‘government economic incompetence (Collier, 2000:96) and an inability to control or prevent an outbreak of conflict in case one arises from said incompetence. Where there is an incompetent government, greed and grieve have an avenue to breed and reinforce each other in the creation of civil war. An incompetent government is to some extent responsible for economic inequality. The government is tasked with the duty of making resources available to its citizens equally or at the very least provides social safety nets when and where needed. If the government fails to provide these resources in an equal manner and create an equal atmosphere, inequalities are bound to be more apparent in the society and grieve from such inequalities as explained earlier may erupt into civil war. In addition, having a government that supports greed and is itself greedy and corrupt is another aspect in which a weak governance can and often adds to the incidence of civil war an d reinforce the role of greed and grieve as its creators. Through its greedy activities like accepting bribes from elites to maybe get more electricity in certain parts of the country or a government that fails to maintain public amenities such as the public school system because funds for such maintenance out of greed are diverted into their personal accounts creates grieve. Those that cannot afford private school for their kids or those that cannot afford to bribe them are ultimately denied the use of and access to basic resources. This type of behavior creates the foundation for inequality starting from basic education, which would later reflect in other areas of life like employment and income amongst other things. Government incompetence enhances the role of grieve and greed and creates a breeding ground for them to fester. A government with no desire to end conflict because of how they benefit from it be it through bribes from those that want to keep the situation the way it i s or based on their own interest legitimizes greed which goes on to create grieve which may or may not turn into greed and the cycle continues. Ultimately the role of greed and grieve in civil war is the creation of civil war. Factors that explain why civil wars occur are based on greed or grieve and are generally categorized as grieve based or greed based showing how important their role is in civil war. Without the presence of these factors (Greed and Grieve) civil war does not exist, it does not escalate and it does not continue. They are the fuel to the fire that is civil war. In conclusion, greed and grieve as creators of civil war reinforce each. One does not exist without the other and so to ignore the role of one in causing civil war is to leave the glass half-empty. To understand how various explanations of civil war factors work, it is important to recognize that both grieve and greed work together to effectively create the situation. For without greed, grieve cannot effectively play its role and create civil war, and neither can greed without grieve. Bibliography Amartya Sen. (2008). Violence, Identity, and Poverty. Journal of Peace Research. 45 (1), p Caplan, Gerald. (2007). Rwanda:Walking the Road to Genocide. In: Allan Thompson The media and the Rwanda genocide. London: Pluto Press. p20-40. Collier, Paul. (2008). The Conflict Trap. In: Collier The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. New York: Oxford University Press. p17-37. Collier, Hoeffler, and Sambanis. (2005). The Collier-Hoeffler Model of Civil War Onset and the Case Study Project Research Design. In: Paul Collier, and Nicholas Smbanis Understandying Civil War. 2nd ed. Washington DC: World Bank. p1-35. Collier, Paul. (2003). What makes a country Prone to Civil War. In: Paul Collier,World Bank Breaking the conflict trap: civil war and development policy. Washington, DC: Oxford university press and World Bank. p53-91. Collier, Paul. (2000). Doing Well out of War: An economic Perspective. In: Mats Berdal and David M. Malone Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars. London: Lynne Rienner. p91-112. Cramer, C. (2002). Homo Economicus Goes to War: Methodological Individualism, Rational Choice and the Political Economy of War. World Development. 30 (11), p1845-1860. David Keen. (2008). Greed: Economic Agendas. In: Keen Complex emergencies. Cambridge: Polity Press. p25-50. David Keen. (2008). Combatants and their Grievances. In: Keen Complex emergencies. Cambridge: Polity Press. p50-62. David Keen. (2000). Incentives and Disincentives for Violence. In: Mats Berdal and David M. Malone Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars. London: Lynne Rienner. p19-42. Global Security. (nd). Biafra War. Available: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/biafra.htm. Last accessed 5 January 2010. Indra de Soya. (2000). The Resource Curse: Are Civil Wars Driven by Rapacity or Paucity. In: Mats Berdal and David M. Malone Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars. London: Lynne Rienner. p113-136. Jacoby, Tim. (2008). Grievance. In: Jacoby Understanding Conflict and Violence: Theoretical and Interdisciplinary Approaches. London: Routledge. 103-123. Raph Uwechue. (2004). The Revolution of January 1966- Mismanaged and Misunderstood. In: Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War: Facing the Future. Victoria: Trafford. p23-33.

textile in turkey :: essays research papers

Certain goods can be imported only through specialized customs offices. Customs formalities for textile fabrics are carried out by Bursa and Halkali Specialized Customs Directorates. Exceptional circumstances for importation of these products through other Directorates are defined in the legislation establishing such specialized customs Directorates. An importer only needs a tax number to import all but restricted items, e.g., firearms, hazardous materials, etc., which can be imported only by authorized establishments, or for which the approval of the Directorate General of Security is required. Agricultural imports, though, often do require import licenses and control certificates. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issues certificates. Turkish documentation procedures require a commercial invoice, a certificate of origin and a bill of lading or airway bill to accompany all commercial shipments. Import licenses and phytosanitary certificates are necessary for food and agricultural commodity imports. Commercial Invoice--The commercial invoice must be submitted in triplicate, including the original copy; and must contain a complete description of the goods and all required payment terms. The original must be endorsed by the exporter as follows: "We hereby certify that this is the first and original copy of our invoice, the only one issued by our firm for the goods herein mentioned." The Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States must certify the document. At least one copy of the invoice should accompany the goods, and the original should be sent to the importer through the correspondent bank. Certificate of Origin--The certificate of origin is to be prepared in duplicate. No corrections are permitted on this document, which is to be prepared in English by a local chamber of commerce. The Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the United States must certify the certificate of origin. One copy of the document must be surrendered to the customs authorities at the time of importation.

Gloria Anzaldua

In the essay How to Tame a Wild Tongue from Borderlands/La Frontera, Gloria Anzaldua paints a moving portrait of the search for identity in a world that refuses to allow one. The physical borderland between the U. S. and Mexico helps create, but is also secondary to, the psychological â€Å"fence† that a person is put on when they are denied a culture and a place in society. Anzaldua talks about the dilemma she faced about her own language and how she represents herself through her chosen language, the confusion about their race, and what troubles she faced when teaching about Chicano literature.Anzaldua discusses her experiences growing up between many cultures. As a woman of many identities, she has suffered oppression because of whom and what she represents in an American culture that is threatened by anyone who is not of white color. When she talks about the several languages she had to speak to get by these barriers, she encountered most issues with those of Anglos. Anglo s were considered the England or English people.Anzaldua states, â€Å"On one side of us, we are constantly exposed to the Spanish of the Mexicans, on the other side we hear the Anglos’ [constant] clamoring so that we forget our language (454). She explicated the different ways Spanish people spoke, from standard Spanish to Chicano Spanish (in which consonants were dropped in some words or leave out initial syllables) to Tex-Mex (where words were English but with Spanish sounds). Anzaldua expressed it as a result of pressure on Spanish speakers to adapt to English.Another issue that Anzaldua points out was the Chicanas or Latinas having low estimation of their native language. Women felt uncomfortable speaking to their Latinas or Chicanas because throughout their whole lives they were absorb into the different native tongues from generations, what school taught them, or what the media demonstrated. But Anzaldua doesn’t want to contradict herself in that form. She take s pride in her language, before she does herself (451).When Anzaldua first taught high school English to Chicano students, she was on the verge of losing her job just because she wanted her students to read Chicano literature. But even before reading Mexican literature, she was always interested in the Mexican movies and music; but those Chicanos who were slightly Americanized, or as they say agringado Chicano, felt ashamed being caught listening to their music. There was also great difficulty in acknowledging that there is more than one way of being: people fear that which is different, even though its existence s the â€Å"other† is what defines them. The Mexicans would define themselves either as Raza when referring to Chicanos or tejanos when we are Chicanos from Texas. But it’s not enough to say you’re Hispanic to the Mexicans. If you were asked â€Å"what’s your ethnicity†, would you say you’re Hispanic: just to represent your culture or would you tell your true nationality? In finale, â€Å"yet the struggle of identities continues, the struggle of borers is our reality still,† says Anzaldua (456).

Drug testing in the Workplace

Drug testing in the Workplace Free Online Research Papers Testing employees or job applicants for drug or alcohol use invokes a controversial area of policy and law that is still establishing its parameters. Today, in many industries, drug testing has become a everyday business, just like a job interview for example. Drug testing at the workplace is up 277 % since 1987 ( American Civil Liberties Union ) and as a result Employee Privacy is becoming increasingly an issue, not only for employees and employers but also for lawyers and unions. While increasingly employers have to ensure that their employees are fit for duty the use of drug and alcohol testing is becoming more and more an controversial issue. On the one hand, drug abuse is a serious problem especially in the US, where 5 % of the worlds population consumes 60 % of the entire worlds supply of illegal drugs. Nine percent of current employees and 12% of job applicants test positive for illegal drug use, the U.S. Department of Labor has reported. Given these numbers, and the fact that drug abuse is estimated to cost business $100 billion per year in lost profits, it is no wonder that many businesses are considering drug testing. On the other hand for many employees drug testing can seem unnecessary, disruptive and a violation of privacy. Drug testing opponents also claim that drug testing is often inaccurate and unproven as a means of stopping drug use. Given those facts the question arises if drug testing for job applicants as well as for current employees is the best option to choose for employers. The topic has gotten more and more attention during the last years and the drug and alcohol testing laws are still changing rapidly. In addition they vary tremendously from state to state. A number o state courts have set out rulings defining when and why drug tests may be given. Considering all the states and their particular laws cant be undertaken in this paper. Therefore, the considerations are of general character and are not to be distinguished between different states. The right to privacy is the right to be left alone. It is highly valued in the U.S society that employees have privacy rights at work, subject to some limitations. The US and state constitutions give the employees a right to privacy, but it does not apply in the employees relationship with his employer. Many states sanction some sort of drug testing in the workplace but many do not regulate it much. In these states it is a employers right to ask for a drug test without a warrant or a particular reason. The can choose employees randomly just by drawing a name.However, this applies only for the private sector. In the public sector the workers have additional protections. Specifically, the Fourth Amendment to the US constitution prohibits the government from searching or ordering a search of a persons bodily fluids without a proper reason to do so. For the government to legally require drug testing, it must have a need to drug test that is so strong that this need outweighs an employees constitutional right to privacy. Otherwise the test violates the fourth amendment, prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures.Companies cannot usually conduct blanket drug tests off all employees or random drug tests. However, the courts have generally ruled that companies may test for drugs among employees whose actions could clearly cause human injury or property damage if their performances would be impaired by drugs, and in cases where there is good reason to think that employees are using drugs. Additionally there are a number of employees who, because of their specialized positions or type of work, can be tested more freely for drugs and alcohol use. For example the Department of Transportation requires drug testing for some critical positions, such as Airline Pilots and other high risk jobs. Another factor that has to be considered is if the company or government uses reasonable and accurate procedures to test. If they do drug testing of public employees is usual ly legal. Furthermore it has to be distinguished between testing job applicants and testing existing employees. It is more common to test job applicants for traces of drugs and just a few requirements have to bee fulfilled to legalize the test. These requirements include: The applicant knows that such testing will be part of the screening process for new employees All applicants are tested similarly and a state-certified laboratory administers the tests Besides those requirements there has to be a reasonable suspicion of drug use based on the following facts: -direct observation of drug use or of physical symptoms -abnormal conduct behavior while at work or significant deterioration in work performance -a report of drug use reported by a reliable and credible source or any kind other evidence drug possession usage or selling Once the decision to drug test someone there are several actual drug testing procedures. Although there are a lot of different methods the vast majority of drug testing procedures is either urine analysis or hair testing. Blood tests for drug purposes are very unusual because those tests can detect drugs only for a very short period of time, usually not even a day. Other methods such as the saliva and sweat testing are often discussed but it is still not clear how accurate they are. Among the two most popular methods, urine analysis and hair testing, employers usually choose the urine analysis. Even though, hair testing is more accurate and can detect drug use for months or even years after use, it is common to pick the cheaper method which is urine analysis. Nevertheless, urinal tests can detect drugs for a couple of weeks at the most. The urine drug testing is broken down into two basic types:the urine drug screen and the urine drug test. Neither of these tests actually test for drugs in the urine. They are looking for drug metabolites. A drug metabolite is what is left over of the original psychoactive molecule after the body breaks it down and passes it through the system. Drugs, in order to be detected in the urine must be absorbed, circulated in the blood and deposited in the bladder. This process takes approximately three hours for most drugsexcept alcohol which can take only 30 minutes. Thus, an individual who was tested just 15 or 20 minutes after using drugs would probably (but not always) test negative unless he was a chronic user who would have identifiable drug residue in his/her urine at all times. Chronic users of marijuana, for example, may test positive for marijuana use several months after use of the drug. A nice illustration of the actual drug testing procedure is given on the BBC Sports Homepage for the UEFA ( European Football Association ) . Every single step of the procedure is described and one extract states, Having washed their hands, the athlete takes the pot and produces the sample. Their midriff and genitals must be clearly visible so the testing officer can see the urine going directly from body to pot. This reveals how serious drug tests are considered not only in Business companies but as well for any kind of athlete. Once someone is tested positive there are several scenarios and consequences that could occur. If the person is a current employee the employer might have legally-justifiable reason to fire or deny a promotion, while potential employers might justifiably refuse to hire the person. If someone is fired for failing a drug test or injuring himself and then test positive, state or local drug testing laws (or other laws) might even allow the employer to deny the unemployment, workers compensation or disability benefits. As previously stated drug testing laws vary by municipality and state. Additionally, by example, the Feds encourage treatment and rehabilitation verses punishment. Lastly, not every employer and state has a mandatory zero-tolerance policy. So, there might be a second chance.This chance could mean that instead of firing the employer might offer an employee assistance program or ask to attend a drug treatment program. Usually both parties benefit from those kinds of solutions because it costs employers a lot of money to fire employees and hire replacements. So, treatment programs might be a cheaper alternative and produce sober, grateful, more-dedicated employees. However if a person refuses treatment after failing drug testing, he or she is likely out of a job even if it is a responsible, recreational drug user who doesnt really need formal help. Even by accepting treatment the employer might be under no obligation by law to give time off or sick leave pay. Persons who does not want to submit drug tests do not have to, that is their right but they might face the same consequences as someone who failed the test. Those persons are essentially proven guilty. The worst possible consequence of drug use is imprisonment but it is not likely. . There is still too much controversy over privacy invasion and drug testing accuracy and as previously indicated the Federal Courts encourage treatment and rehabilitation, not arrest. After providing the facts concerning this controversial issue the next section of the paper focuses on the alternatives o drug testing, the pros and cons as well as the authors own opinion in some parts. The first and major question is, if it is any business of anyone no matter if employer or government what the employee does in the time out of work. Drug testing is not done in the employees home. Testing is always done while the employee is on the job, about to start work or immediately after work. Nevertheless it is the employers business when drug abuse, even though done in private life, will effect performance or safety on the job. The employer should have the right to be concerned about an employees substance abuse at home if it may adversely impact on his business production and on his or others workplace safety. Everyone should have the right for a healthy and safe workplace environment. Nevertheless, employees also still have rights to privacy and accuracy in testing. Employees that will be tested should get a notice before the test is administered. Furthermore it should be guaranteed that accredited laboratories advise the tests. Lastly, the test results must be treated in t he same manner as other confidential personnel information. There are categories of employees who will need to be drug tested regarding to security and safety concerns. The first category would be the employees working with weapons such as in the military or police departments. These people are in charge of the public safety and they need to be drug free, because they need all their potential and skills to be able to do their job as they are supposed to do. Another category that should be tested is firemen, doctors and even nurses. For example, firemen have one of the most dangerous jobs. They have to fight against natural forces, and their job is about saving lifes. They cannot do their job properly and it is even dangerous for their own safety if they use drugs. In the same way, doctors (and nurses, the ones that are directly connected to the patients) are not allowed to make mistakes. One example is prescribing medicine or a wrong diagnosis. This can really hurt the patient, and even kill him. Also, employees driving a vehicle or flying aircrafts should be submitted for drug testing. They are responsible for other people’s lives and it would make sense that these people agree to be tested. For example, it is important that a bus driver or pilot agrees to be drug free. A study was conducted at Stanford University in which airline pilots smoked relatively weak government- issued marijuana cigarettes for the test. Each pilot was then tested on computerized flight simulators. The testing resulted in simulated airline â€Å"crashes† right after the marijuana use. (ohsinc.com/what_every_employer_should_know_part2.htm) More alarming was the fact that it also resulted in â€Å"crashes† a full 24 hours later, after every pilot reported no residual effects and each had stated they had no reservations about flying. Another category for drug tests is employees that work for the government. The main reason is not because of the public safety, but more because of the illegality of drugs. They have to respect the laws and be examples in being drug free. Drug users are approximately three times more likely to have an accident, one-third as productive, and have a much higher rate of being tardy and absent than other workers. Another study by the U.S. government found that those who illegally use drugs are 3.6 times more likely to injure themselves or another person in a workplace accident. Also they are 5 times more likely to be injured in an accident off the job which, in turn, affects their attendance and/or performance on the job. But there are also limitations to drug testing. False positive drug-test results can occur after eating a lot of poppy seed or drink herbal teas made from coca leaves. These are cross-reactants that look exactly the same to the laboratory as illegal drugs. But if the test is done properly, a second test is conducted using a different testing process that serves to confirm whether or not the first analysis was accurate. Additionally, the employee always has the right to explain the false result. There are voices that say that drug testing has nothing to do with impairment and everything to do with discrimination and is a violation of human rights. They argue that drug testing deters highly qualified workers from applying, discriminates against medical marijuana patients and hat there is no differentiation between responsible use and abuse. As a matter of fact, drug testing can lead most likely to a higher unemployment rate. Looking at the numbers of employees that are involved in drugs and that would test positive, this is an issue for the government. To reduce this number, drug-abuse prevention programs in companies could be undertaken. As a result, some of those who do apply would probably stop using drugs because of fear of being caught, and some who are later â€Å"caught† could undergo treatment and go straight. The U.S. Navy had a decrease to fewer than 4% down from 28% of its active personnel engaged in illegal drug use since the 1980 ´s. This is specifically due to the implementation of a comprehensive drug-abuse prevention program, including random drug testing of all active and reserve duty personnel. Additionally to these programs, company wide anti-drug abuse policies, drug awareness programs and employee assistance and rehabilitation programs can be adopted and implemented. To conclude, I would say that I definitely agree with alcohol and drug testing. Moreover, I think that not only specific categories should be tested, but all employees. There is no need to distinguish between categories, because it is a fact that in the United States.drugs are illegal and taking a closer look at the issue reveals that almost everyone using drugs can hurt someone else when the performance is influenced. Even athletes who just compete for themselves affect their performance and this has consequences for a many people. People who bet on them or spectators who paid money to see a good performance are betrayed in a certain way. The number of drug users is shocking and the government and employers have to react to this fact accordingly. A recent national Gallup survey shows that even employees demonstrated an increasing intolerance among drug abusers and an acceptance of employers taking strong steps to provide drug-free workplaces. 28% of employees who were asked what they thought was the greatest problem facing the United States today answered â€Å"drugs†. 22% of employees whose companies have drug-testing programs feel it is â€Å"not strong enough†. Lastly, 97% of employees favor drug testing in the workplace at least under some circumstances. I strongly believe that addicted people can have a bad influence on their job environment and non-users should absolutely have the right to work in a safe working environment and to not have their jobs and benefits undermined by drug abusers. Research Papers on Drug testing in the WorkplaceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresResearch Process Part OneTwilight of the UAWPETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic Engineering

Definition and Examples of False Analogies

Definition and Examples of False Analogies The fallacy  of false analogy is an argument  based on misleading, superficial, or implausible comparisons. Also known as  faulty analogy, weak analogy, wrongful comparison,  metaphor as argument, and analogical fallacy. The analogical fallacy, says Madsen Pirie, consists of supposing that things which are similar in one respect must be similar in others. It draws a comparison on the basis of what is known, and proceeds to assume that the unknown parts must also be similar (How to Win Every Argument, 2015).   Analogies are commonly used for illustrative purposes to make a complex process or idea easier to understand. Analogies become false or faulty  when they are overextended or presented as conclusive proof. Etymology: From Latin  fallacia  deception, deceit, trick, artifice Commentary There are seven windows given to animals in the domicile of the head: two nostrils, two eyes, two ears, and a mouth...From this and many other similarities in Nature, too tedious to enumerate, we gather that the number of planets must necessarily be seven. (Francesco Sizzi, 17th-century Italian astronomer)[F]alse analogy is central to jokes whose humour derives from ill-judged comparisons, as in the old joke where a mad scientist builds a rocket to the sun but plans to embark at night to avoid being cremated. Here a false analogy is created between the sun and a light bulb, suggesting that when the sun is not shining it is not turned on, and hence, not hot. (Tony Veale, Computability as a Test on Linguistic Theories. Cognitive Linguistics: Current Applications and Future Perspectives, ed. by Gitte Kristiansen et al. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006)When you find yourself reasoning by analogy, ask yourself two questions: (1) are the basic similarities greater and more significant than the obvi ous differences? and (2) am I over-relying on surface similarities and ignoring more essential differences? (David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen, Writing Analytically, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) The Age of False Analogies We are living in the age of the false, and often shameless, analogy. A slick advertising campaign compares the politicians working to dismantle Social Security to Franklin D. Roosevelt. In a new documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Kenneth Lay compares attacks on his company to the terrorist attacks on the United States.Intentionally misleading comparisons are becoming the dominant mode of public discourse...The power of an analogy is that it can persuade people to transfer the feeling of certainty they have about one subject to another subject about which they may not have formed an opinion. But analogies are often undependable. Their weakness is that they rely on the dubious principle that, as one logic textbook puts it, because two things are similar in some respects they are similar in some other respects. An error-producing fallacy of weak analogy results when relevant differences outweigh relevant similarities.  (Adam Cohen, An SAT Without Analogies Is Like: (A) A Confused Citizenry... The New York Times, March 13, 2005) The Mind-As-Computer Metaphor The mind-as-computer metaphor helped [psychologists] to focus attention on questions of how the mind accomplishes various perceptual and cognitive tasks. The field of cognitive science grew up around such questions.However, the  mind-as-computer metaphor  drew attention away from questions of evolution... creativity, social interaction, sexuality, family life, culture, status, money, power... As long as you ignore most of human life, the computer metaphor is terrific. Computers are human artifacts  designed to fulfill human needs, such as increasing the value of Microsoft stock. They are not autonomous entities that evolved to  survive and reproduce. This makes the computer metaphor very poor at helping psychologists to identify mental adaptations that evolved through natural and sexual selection. (Geoffrey Miller, 2000; quoted by  Margaret Ann Boden in  Mind as Machine: A History of Cognitive Science. Oxford University Press, 2006) The Darker Side of False Analogies A false analogy occurs when the two things compared are not similar enough to warrant the comparison. Particularly common are inappropriate World War II analogies to Hitlers Nazi regime. For example, the Internet has more than 800,000 hits for the analogy animal Auschwitz, which compares the treatment of animals to the treatment of Jews, gays and other groups during the Nazi era. Arguably, the treatment of animals is terrible in some cases, but it is arguably different in degree and kind from what happened in Nazi Germany. (Clella Jaffe, Public Speaking: Concepts and Skills for a Diverse Society, 6th ed. Wadsworth, 2010) The Lighter Side of False Analogies Next, I said, in a carefully controlled tone, we will discuss False Analogy. Here is an example: Students should be allowed to look at their textbooks during examinations. After all, surgeons have X-rays to guide them during an operation, lawyers have briefs to guide them during a trial, carpenters have blueprints to guide them when they are building a house. Why, then, shouldn’t students be allowed to look at their textbooks during an examination?There now, [Polly] said enthusiastically, is the most marvy idea I’ve heard in years.Polly, I said testily, the argument is all wrong. Doctors, lawyers, and carpenters aren’t taking a test to see how much they have learned, but students are. The situations are altogether different, and you can’t make an analogy between them.I still think it’s a good idea, said Polly.Nuts, I muttered. (Max Shulman, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Doubleday, 1951)