Best Locations to Buy CBD Oil Near Me

Ever wondered how you can get your hands on a CBD oil near you? Then you have just stumbled across the right place. The sales of CBD oil have been on an upward trend since 2017, and forecasts indicate they will only get better. Restrictions put in place by State and Federal laws have created lots of misperceptions on who can purchase the CBD oils. So how does one go about it?Intending to Buy the CBD Oil near me?First, start by understanding the laws. Currently, only 9 states across the country allow for the use of marijuana on recreational grounds, Washington, D.C can be included. Not everyone has the opportunity to walk right into a dispensary and make an order for fine CBD oil, this privilege is determined by where you reside. Despite the acceptance of legal recreational weed, some of the 9 states require special medical marijuana cards or a medical prescription from a physician. If you are in a state that requires so, it's quite simple to obtain an online recommendation in a matte r of minutes. As of 2018, 29 of the 50 states within the union permit the use of medical weed in one way or the other. Cannabis CBD oil used for special treatment fall right within that category given it's an affiliate product. Now, where does the complication arise? When it comes to qualifying for a medical card, that's easy. The downside is having to go through a long and tiresome bureaucratic process with the state Health Board. All the best on that! Even after going through the entire charade, the most stringent medical states have few authorized dispensaries open. They are located in areas that are totally inaccessible. Our CBD oil is derived from Hemp, which is why it is legal in all 50 states. This article is the perfect guide for those anyone searching â€Å"Where to but CBD oil near me†.History of Hemp CBD oilCultivation of the first hemp plants began over 10,000 years ago. The first sighting was made in an ancient Taiwanese village. Distinguished as one of the first plants cultivated by man, hemp and cannabis are widely regarded as the foundation of Chinese medicine. As it thrived into mainland China, it gradually spread into India, Europe, and Arabia over the next millennia. Hemp found its way into America during the colonial times by explorers and was mainly used as medicines, fabrics, and textiles. Accidentally discovered from the hemp plant in 1940, CBD emerged as a powerful substance that can alter our percepti on of human health and disease.What is CBD?According to the latest research, cannabidiol extracts derived from cannabis plants can be used as oil. Mainly rich in Cannabinoids, they are bound to receptors within the brain. Another widely known cannabinoid is the tetrahydrocannabinol, abbreviated as THC. It was in 1960 when scientists were able to isolate the THC compound from cannabis. CBD is a structural isomer of THC that accounts for 80 percent of the plant extract. They both share the same chemical composition except for the atom arrangement which differs slightly. There is a unique ring in the stricture that opens and closes. When it opens its CBD when closed its THC. The CBD compound has existed much longer than THC but its true value has manifested in the past few decades. We have only begun to understand how it modulates the effects of THC and acts as a unique compound in itself. Within CBD are pain relieving properties, anti-seizure properties, anti-cancer properties, and blocks out the worst effects of THC. All this argument has been backed by research and testing where examinations are done out in the field among marijuana uses. Those with CBD registered less adverse effects from their marijuana usage. The research has also been corroborated in animal studies among other groups. We are seeing some cancer research groups champion for the use of CBD in cancer chemotherapy. Others have argues for its use in offsetting diabetic neuropathy that is the leading cause of blindness nationwide.Is there a Difference between Hemp and Cannabis CBD Oil?CBD oil has become the preferred term when talking about the different oils derived from the hemp plant. In the real sense though, they are quite different. Some Cannabis CBD oil varieties may have high concentrations of THC – just under 10 percent. In other cases, the concentration in CBD oil is less than 2 percent. Industrial hemp has even lower concentrations – under 0.3 percent. Cannabis Oil: Primarily derived from marijuana, cannabis oil has a high percentage of THC. In that regard, it can only be bought in a place where marijuana is legalized. Another alternative would be through prescription. The level of compound (CBD or THC) will vary in different products. Commercially produced cannabis oils tend to contain more standard CBD and THC concentrations. Hemp seed oils: Industrial hemp seeds get cold-pressed to create nutty oils. Such products contain few traces of cannabinoids, one of which is CBD. In addition, within the hemp seed oils are vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. This makes them suitable for cooking, creating biofuels or skin care products.Does CBD oil result in a high?From a user point of view, CBD simply tastes as an essential oil. To be more precise, the taste can be likened to that of a flower. Cannabinoid does not give you the buzzing high feel synonymous with smoking marijuana. Considerations Actually, it is common knowledge that the hemp-based oil creates no psychoactive responsiveness whatsoever. Contrary to misconception, it will not cure cancer or any other disease. It will, however, help when treating mild conditions like arthritis, pain or anxiety. It's best to consume to receive a prescribed dosage from a medical practitioner. Just as with most remedies in life, the positive effects start to kick in a week or so.

Life History Essay

The purpose of getting a life history on a person is to be able to â€Å"paint a picture† of who they are. The information from the history should not just be a random collection of facts. The history should be an account of the person’s life story, including important themes in their life that reflect the development of their personality and their relationships with other people. Life histories play key roles in psychological treatment and research. While the following guidelines are rather typical of the sort of questions asked, interviews vary considerable depending on who’s doing them and why. Your purpose in conducting this interview is educational. While your objective is collecting the same information you might in a real clinical or research situation, keep in mind this is a didactic exercise. Therefore, be willing to sacrifice sensitive or upsetting information to protect the comfort and privacy of your subject. Be sure to let him or her know (s)he does not need to talk about anything (s)he doesn’t want to. While doing the interview, pay careful attention to how the person is responding to your questions, and always be respectful of his/her privacy. If it seems like the person is uncomfortable discussing some aspect of his or her life, don’t press for an answer. Move on to the next part of the interview. Each of you will interview a classmate. Then, that classmate will interview you. I expect each interview to take about 1.5 hours. You should take notes, and if you have access to a tape recorder, I would recommend using it too. Be sure to check your recorder to see that it is working, though, and take notes anyway–machines fail at the darndest times! Be sure to print a copy of these guidelines and bring them with you. Don’t be afraid to refer back to them for questions and guidance about topics to broach. This assignment is due on 5/29/00. Beginning the Interview It is best to begin the interview by giving the person free range to tell their life story. Where they start their story and how they tell it will reveal what immediately strikes them as important. So begin the interview with the following instructions: â€Å"I’d like to find out about your life history. Could you tell me about it? Describe it to me as if you were telling me your life story.† Most people will leave out certain details. If the details seem important, use open-ended questions to probe for more information, such as â€Å"And then what happened?† or â€Å"What did you do after that?† We also want to find out about how people thought and felt about what happened to them. If they omit this information, use such questions as â€Å"How did you feel about that?† or â€Å"What did you think about that at the time?† The Importance of Reflection It is best if the interview doesn’t turn into a â€Å"question and answer† session where you ask questions and they give short answers. It’s difficult to do, but try to turn the interview into a smoothly flowing discussion. Use the technique known as â€Å"reflection† to encourage a person to talk more about something. Simply reflect back to the person some important aspect of what they have just said. You may simply repeat the exact words the person used, or you may sometimes add in some thought or feeling that you detected in what the person said. Reflections are NOT in the form of a question. If you can do this effectively, you won’t have to bombard the person with all of the questions listed above. Here are some examples: Person: â€Å"My father and I used to play ball in the backyard. We had a lot of fun with that.† You: â€Å"You and your father had some fun times.† Person: â€Å"When he said that to me, it really annoyed me. I couldn’t believe my best friend would say something like that.† You: â€Å"He could really get you angry with his remarks.† Other examples of open-ended reflections might be: â€Å"I guess you really enjoyed that time of your life.† â€Å"It sounds like it upset you when he said that.† â€Å"It seems like that was a very important event for you.† When a question does seem necessary, open-ended questions are most likely to lead to richer responses (rather than â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†). Open ended questions invite answers that are descriptive and elaborative, rather than monosyllables. â€Å"How do you feel about school† is an open-ended questions, because it allows great latitude in the response that might be given. â€Å"Do you like school† would merely prompt a few word response; similarly, a multple-choice format limits responses. There are situations where open-ended questions are not optimal (e.g., â€Å"When and where were you born† is fine). But usually, the goal is getting the subject to talk about important topics, rather than answer hundreds of questions you think might be relevant. Open-ended questions are usually best for initiating a flowing conversation. Areas to Explore People will also leave out certain topic areas that are important. You will need to ask questions about this areas, but always try to do so in an open-ended way that allows people to express themselves freely, according to what strikes them as important. You should get information about all of the following areas. Start with the first open-ended question, and work your way down to the following questions, if needed. 1. The history of parents and grandparents: â€Å"Tell me about your parents’ lives.† â€Å"What can you tell me about your grandparents’ lives?† (Inquire about their lives before and after marriage, including important events in their life, their childhood, education, occupation, ethnic and religious background. If they leave out a parent or grandparent, inquire about them) 2. Early childhood (before school): â€Å"What do you know about yourself as a baby.† â€Å"What was your mother’s pregnancy like?† â€Å"Were there any family stories or jokes about what you were like as a child?† â€Å"What are your earliest childhood memories?† â€Å"What do you remember or know about major early events in your life – like eating habits, walking, talking, and toilet training?† â€Å"Were there any stresses in your family at that time?† 3. School Years: â€Å"What were your early years in school like?† â€Å"Do you remember the very first day of school?† â€Å"How did you do at school work through the years?† â€Å"What were your relationships like with your teachers and schoolmates?† â€Å"Who were your friends and what sorts of things did you do with them?† 4. Adolescence: â€Å"What was your adolescence like?† â€Å"How was your social and school life at that time?† â€Å"When did you enter puberty. How did your life change then? â€Å"What was your relationship with your friends during your teen years?† â€Å"What was your relationship with your family at that time?† â€Å"When did you start to date, and what were those relationships like?† 5. Adult Life (including college): â€Å"What has been important about your adult life?† â€Å"What have your adult relationships with friends and co- workers been like?† â€Å"What has your relationship with your (husband/wife, fiance, boyfriend/girlfriend) been like? â€Å"What types of jobs have you worked at, and what did you think about those jobs?† â€Å"What was college like for you?† â€Å"What hobbies or other interests do you have?† 6. Family Information (if you didn’t already get this info): â€Å"What has your family been like over the years.† â€Å"Tell me about your brothers and sisters† (age, education, marital status, their relationship with the interviewee) â€Å"How would you describe the personalities of the people in your family?† â€Å"What role did each parent take in raising you?† â€Å"Were there any emotional problems in the family, or conflicts between family members?† â€Å"Did your family ever move? What was that like?† â€Å"What is the ethnic background of your family?† â€Å"What has been your religious upbringing, and your attitudes about religion?† â€Å"Describe your own family.† (relationship with children, how children relate to each other and spouse, typical activities, etc.) Questions & Answers about the Assignment Here are some questions a classmate asked. I felt it might be helpful to share them, and my replies, with the rest of you. I do have a tape recorder ( I am not sure if I trust it very much, what if it doesn’t pick up the voice or ), Point the mike at the interviewee, talk a few minutes, then play it back to see if it’s working. If your partner has a tape, use it too as a back-up. I actually do use two sometimes in my work. And, of course, take notes in case the darn thing decides to fail when you need it most. but what should I do about notes? (i don’t write very fast at all) And how can/should an interviewer take notes so as to minimize its interference in the interview? Learning to use shorthand is part of learning to be a good inteviewer. Just write what you must to reconstruct the conversation. You can go back and fill in the details later. It’s ok to ask the interviewee to wait while you write (â€Å"just a second, please†¦ok, thanks, go ahead.†). This is less disruptive than you might imagine, as long as you don’t do it too frequently. Are we supposed to ask All the questions? That is a stupid lead-in on my part, but it seems like that would take longer than 1.5 hours. I actually expect the interviews will run about 2 hours, but if I assigned that people would run over anyway, so I thought I’d do you a favor by starting with a lower expectation. Try to pace yourself. If you find you’re spending lots of time on one part of your subject’s life, move the conversation (â€Å"great. Thanks. Now, could you tell me about [new topic]†). I don’t expect anyone will follow the guidelines exactly. That’s why I’m offering them as guidelines rather than a rigid set of questions. Are there wrong responses to this interview? I would not want to ramble and be a bore. I like to talk/share. I am trying to decide if I should warn my interviewer. That really is the interviewer’s job†¦to politely redirect the subject when (s)he rambles off. Some of that is inevitable, even desirable, but it is important to redirect things when the subject lapses into long, relatively unimportant tangents. Besides what if you just don’t remember or it takes too long to try and remember or you only remember vaguely or if things are difficult to explain? Well, you won’t be able to say much about those things. That’s ok. It’s not as though I think about these things all that often or in specific articulable terms, ya know? Or do I sound like an idiot? No, I feel the same way about some of the questions. For example, I don’t know much about my toilet training. I suppose if I was still in diapers at age 4 I probably WOULD know about it, so often, when something in early childhood is unremarkable, we don’t know much about it. That’s fine. Should we try to think of responses? What should/can I do to be a better interviewee/interviewer? I don’t think you need to prepare to be interviewed. Of course, there’s no harm in thinking a little about the questions ahead of time, but I think it would be a poor idea to prepare your responses. That wouldn’t give your interviewer a very natural experience. By the way, what is the age range difference between what is referred to in/by Schoool Years versus Adolescence? School Years generally refers to middle- and later-childhood, say the ages of 6-12. Also, What is due on the 26nd? Notes? A write-up of some sort? Q & A transcript type record? No. Both interviews should be complete by that date. Your write up will be due on the last meeting of class. You say this is a Didactic experience—as opposed to what? What sort of instruction is that intended to give us? Did you mean to convey anything specific, may I ask? Not to sound suspicious, just trying to understand. I’m trying to remind you that this is a learning experience. So, if you start discussing things that are upsetting to the interviewee, or (s)he is reluctant to discuss, I wouldn’t encourage you to â€Å"push† or â€Å"dig deeper.† One might do such things during a professional assessment, or as a therapist, but this is an educational experience for the interviewer, not a clinical intervention to benefit the interviewee. Consequently, it’s appropriate to sacrifice information that be essential in a different context. For example, if you find that your subject was beaten as a kid, you might not push for details in this exercise (that would be an unwarrented intrusion), although I certainly might in a â€Å"real† clinical or research interview.

Les miserables: character analysis

Jean ValjeanJean Valjean is a central character of Les Miserables. His story is that of misery, pain, and injustice. Valjean is an epitome of change. He makes transitions from one kind of man to another, as dictated by his drastic experiences in life. Valjean’s life is a story of how an honest and good man can be hardened by society in general, and prison in particular.Because of Valjean’s unfortunate experience in prison, he hardens into a criminal and a social outcast. This transformation in Valjean’s life is a recognition of the observed truth and pattern of human behavior, wherein man changes, either for better or for worse, as a result of external forces such as society. The most important part of Valjean’s personality is his resilience and positive attitude towards life and change in general. He accepts the positive effect of other people in his life, and learns to love and care for such people.Ultimately, however, the good character of Valjean surfa ces, and even the bishop realizes that, as shown by this passage:â€Å"The bishop approached him and said, in a low voice, ‘Do not forget, ever, that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.' Jean    Valjean, who had no recollection of any such promise, stood dumbfounded. The   Ã‚   bishop had stressed these words as he spoke them. He continued solemnly,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   perdition, and I give it to God!†FantineFantine is one of the characters in Les Miserables who lived the less appealing life. She had been deprived of good opportunities since her childhood, such as education and care. Thus, she grew up to be an uneducated girl whom everyone else found easy to victimize.Fantine can easily be categori zed as a victim of society, since she had been deprived of education without her fault, and yet society readily found her corrupt and unfit for fruitful activity and relationships. A lot of people took advantage of her lack of knowledge, education and experience, and thereafter left her out in the cold. Fantine’s character is a perfect illustration of the bigotry in human society and the story of her life is but a perfect example of the way injustice ruins lives.Brought by her experiences, Fantine learned to have a different view of morality, as expressed in her statement, â€Å"[T]he guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness.†CosetteThe character of Cosette is in many respects similar to that of Valjean, an effect largely influenced by the latter’s taking charge over her education and upbringing. Thus, like Valjean, Cosette exhibits her kindheartedness and morality through her actions, thereby manifesting that her initial exp erience with the cruel Thà ©nardiers did not corrupt her character. Cosette, at one point in the story, said, â€Å"[W]e bow to the man who kneels. A faith is necessary to man. Woe to him who believes in nothing.† Such a statement reflects her belief about man, and shows how pure Cosette’s character has remained.Fortunately for Cosette, she had not been exposed to the kind of cruelty and hardship that Valjean went through, although she expressed resentment over Valjean’s overprotective stance. When viewed as a whole, Cosette’s character does not provide a lot of conflict, she being one of the lucky personalities in the story.

Human Resource Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Strategy - Essay Example The mission of Edward Jones Company is to help individuals reach their long-term financial goals. Edward Jones Company is providing services like financial consultations and advices in the field of investment, stocks, mutual funds, and fixed-income investments. The company also provides complimentary portfolio review in accounting services. Basic education is also provided to the customers in terms of knowledge on savings. Their team of advisors also assists in portfolio management and objective advice to the people (EdwardJones, 2015). Edward Jones is different from google in that the latter is moving widespread and has large customer base. They provide affordable services such as investments and withdrawal without payment of tax (EdwardJones, 2015). They have also digitalized their operations and can operate online. However, google is more diverse in terms of services they provide as compared to Edward Jones. Google also deal with platforms and operating systems among other services. Apart from the daily loads of information they deliver to consumers, the Google company also had developed Android technology from the alliance of 75 technologies and by theuse of Android technology, developers can create various applications for their mobiles (Latif, 2014). The use of Android technology reaps for the Google Company 2.8 million. The use of Android technology has also enabled Google Company to continue providing an extensive range of services and products inform of innovations and significant experiences. For example, Google chrome is specially designed for users who would like to spend most of their time online in websites. Chrome is a new approach to operating system (Latif, 2014). Google is far much larger in size as compared to Edward Jones. This can be told by the diversity of services they offer and their consumer base. Google has

Functions of Uniformed Police Officers Research Paper

Functions of Uniformed Police Officers - Research Paper Example Other authorities are to maintain peace and security in their respective areas. A uniformed police officer performs many functions, such as, traffic control, crime prevention, and implementation of law. In this paper, we will describe crime prevention, which is one of the most important functions of a uniformed police officer. Crime Prevention Lab (2010) states, â€Å"Many crime prevention programs rely heavily on police activity† (p. 85). Crime prevention is an attempt to either prevent the crimes or reduce the level of criminal acts. Reducing the risk of being a victim is the basic objective of crime prevention. Gilling (1997) states, â€Å"Crime prevention incorporates not only the practices of the entire criminal justice system, but also those of many other social and public policies† (p. 2). A uniformed police officer reduces the crime rate and disorderly situations implementing effective crime prevention strategies. Crime prevention is a function, which involves d eploying protective people, prevention policies, and strategies (Hayes, 1997). These strategies are implemented in various judicial and extra judicial settings. It is one of the prime responsibilities of a uniform police officer to take proper measures to reduce the level of crimes in the country because crimes and violence not only make the lives of people insecure but also proves to be a risk for economy of a country. Implementation of crime prevention strategies plays a great role in the successful prevention and reduction of crime levels in a country. Sherman (2002) states, â€Å"Comprehensive crime prevention strategies frequently involve the mobilization of community members to participate actively in planning and implementing prevention activities† (p. 168). These strategies not only help the government in reducing the level of crimes but also help in generating the sense of security in the public living in any specific society. Crime prevention is a skill-based activi ty (Arrington, 2007, p. 27). The ultimate goal of crime prevention is to provide people with trustworthy security by eradicating crimes from the society. In order to achieve the goal of crime prevention, uniform police officers put an end to those specific factors or opportunities, which enable a criminal to get involved in any specific criminal activity. The main goal of crime prevention is not only to secure the lives and properties of the public but also to eliminate those reasons, which act as the root cause for the unlawful activities. It is one of the main goals of uniformed police officers to reduce or remove the opportunities for criminals from the country, and this goal can be achieved by increasing the desire among the public to act as the contributor to the improvement of society. Uniformed police officers create fear of punishment in the minds of criminals in order to prevent them from getting involved in any sort of criminal activity. Fear of punishment cannot be inject ed in the minds of criminals rather it is created by taking such steps, which should practically detain the criminals in order to create a risky environment for criminals. Crime rate in small part of a country puts a negative and fearful impact on whole country. People avoid going to those areas where there is no protection of life and property because security is always the first priority for every individual. It is the major responsibility of the uniformed police officers to apply such crime prevention

W4As Premier Kayak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W4As Premier Kayak - Essay Example As such, the inefficiencies in previous booking and reservations system required designing a new model which would address the disclosed gaps. The model was noted to provide access to an accurate schedule of booked customers who already paid and the information is provided to crucial personnel at Premier Kayak to enable staff members, especially tour guides, to provide the needed service. The model thereby prevents overbooking and ensures accuracy in making reservations for scheduled tours only in defined number of kayaks at a particular available date and time. The key innovations that Premier Kayak’s reservation system which avoided making the reservation system a painful process to customers included defining the available slots for the kayaks in any particular day, time, and location to prevent overbooking. Likewise, only customers who confirmed reservations through payments made online would be confirmed for the kayak tours. In addition, these schedules have defined tour guides who could access the information and abide by the reservations made. As such, the reservation system, which is available and accessible to customers and employees, would avoid overbooking or the need for rescheduling. This prevented having to refund customers due to unavailable tour guides or lack of kayaks at preferred booking dates. The new method also prevented having to contend with irate customers or the need to make refunds. Overall, the system improved Premier Kayak’s image as a reliable and dependable organization in their field of endeavor. The evaluation method that is recommended to make certain that the innovations perform as expected is through customer feedback surveys (Foot, 2013). The survey would gather information pertinent to the customers’ satisfaction on services rendered by Premier Kayak. Likewise, the 360 degree assessment is another evaluation tool that solicits information from various

Complete Cultural Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Complete Cultural Interview - Assignment Example ore time I would talk more to this interesting person; I would ask him whether the tourism there is well developed, what the coat’s of arms and the flag’s historical peculiarities and also I would ask him a lot of questions about his profession and whether it is popular in Pakistan. Frankly speaking, I had and still have no preconceived ideas concerning my interviewee and his answers. Speaking about the biases or limitations to my interview I should say that my hands were tied by the moral prohibition not to ask very personal questions concerning family life and religion. In conclusion I should say that from the interviewee answers we can infer that the process of globalization has made significant changes to Pakistan and people started communicate via their devices and nowadays stay less in life-contact. However the same globalization didn’t change the Muslim religion in this country so much, their traditions remained untouched, but during some holidays people prefer to send greeting massage than physically go and meet each other. My interviewee answers illustrate and confirm the fact of the technological impact to the people’s everyday life in

Literature Research and PICO Question Annotated Bibliography

Literature Research and PICO Question - Annotated Bibliography Example Indeed, the authors argued that ascertaining the wishes or choices of the patient for their care is a fundamental requirement in establishing an effective care plan. The study found that around 42% of the 380 participants with advanced cancer preferred palliative care of a more conservative nature, with the said percentage of patients actually choosing only one or two modes of treatment. Still, in addition to this preference, the authors also looked at what demographic characteristics predict the possibility of a choice between CPM and AAMM. Maida, et al. (2010) found that younger, non-Caucasian cancer patients who have with them substitute decision makers (SDM) are more likely to prefer more aggressive means of coping with the disease condition. This study was chosen as a significant literature because it aimed to quantify the characteristics and preferences of patients with their end-of-life care. By doing so, the study provides a rich background for the PIO question exploring which could be more effective in providing comfort at the end of life, CPM or AAMM, as perceived by the patients themselves. Rose, J. H., O’Toole, E. E., Dawson, N. V., Lawrence, R., Gurley, D., Thomas, C., et al. (2004). Perspectives, Preferences, Care Practices, and Outcomes Among Older and Middle-Aged Patients With Late-Stage Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22 (24), 4907-4917. Much like the earlier study by Maida, et al. (2010), this research aimed to look into the preferences of terminal cancer patients in their care at the end of life. However, this study took a more qualitative approach, actually exploring the preferences for the care of the patients, and the degree by which these preferences were perceived to have provided comfort to the patient before their death. By utilizing a more in-depth exploration of the perceived effectiveness of different palliative methods, the researchers were able to point out which methods were most effective in promoting comfort

Leveraging IT and a Business Network by a Small Medical Practice Essay

Leveraging IT and a Business Network by a Small Medical Practice - Essay Example The case is about Eastern Cardiology Services (further - ESC), which has been founded by Dr. Jeff Curtin with the aim of providing high-quality medical services on the private grounds in the sphere of cardiology. His aim was to create a small enterprise, which will combine the service delivery with the use of advanced computer technologies. The key issues, existing in the company at the very beginning of its operation were the following: 1. The firm had to achieve high level of quality, through the understanding, that often the quality if information delivered to the patient could become a matter of his life-or-death. The issue in this relation was that the small firm like ESC could not afford implementation IT in combination with medical services through trial and effort, as it was usual for large companies. 2. The second issue was related with the fact that the newly opened enterprise had to prove the accuracy of the records given to the patients. As far as the information had to be easily retrievable the newly developed IT had to be connected with the medical equipment for medical investigation - this was a serious matter to resolve. Among the issues, which the enterprise had to face and resolve, were the issues related to the necessity of aligning corporate management with IT use. Thus, it is seen that the main issue, though described here through several separate key problems, are certainly connected with the necessity to implement IT technologies into all spheres of the ESC activity - both directly and indirectly connected with the medical service delivery. These issues are the result of understanding that for SME to survive in the area of medical service delivery, something new and unique should be invented, to distinguish them from the large medical establishments, which mainly display a kind of 'line production' service delivery. One more important issue here was making each consumer feel unique and exclusive, and receive the best service through the IT which the enterprise uses. 4. For the development of the IT necessary to be used in the enterprise, it was important to find the research opportunities, which would satisfy financial demands of stakeholders and result in general improvement of the ESC operation. 5. The management of the enterprise had also to understand that as soon as the IT system was developed, it would have to be constantly improved, as in the process of its implementation and operation new limitations were going to be displayed and thus eliminated. The problem there was that this process needed constant financing, which had also to be agreed with stakeholders. 6. Finally, it was of course necessary proving the benefits of IT implementation to the stakeholders. Thus, in identifying the key problems of the enterprise at that time, it is clearly seen, that the principal strategy developed by ESC was aimed at implementing IT, as the key to its success in delivering medical services. Though the enterprise understood the necessity for such actions, but many factors were simply forgotten

Impact of Health Care Costs on service Delivery Essay

Impact of Health Care Costs on service Delivery - Essay Example Market forces have increased competition among health care providers, with greater scrutiny of services, accountability for outcomes and emphasis on patient satisfaction. Therefore health care facilities are becoming more service-oriented (Singh & Shi, 2004). It is stated by the National Coalition on Health Care (2007) that high health insurance premiums resulting in a greater number of uninsured people in the community financially affect health care providers and hospitals. Providing affordable health insurance to all Americans would alleviate substantial financial demands on health care facilities. Cooper (1994) observes that health care costs have compelled hospitals to employ new methods to monitor reduced costs and improve quality care and patient satisfaction. These efforts will increasingly expand to include outpatient and physician services. Hospitals will also be under increasing scrutiny by various public and regulatory agencies for their business ventures, hospital-physician relationships and mergers. While financial options will be increasingly limited, the aging of the population will put even greater demands on hospital service delivery, especially on long-term care. Although managed care with strict rationing brought with it concerns about medical errors and reduced services in the late 1990s, practically all U.S. hospitals have established continuous quality improvement programs in order to comply with standards: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organisations (Wolper, 2004). Wilson & Porter-O’Grady (1999) state that the relationship between cost factors and quality indicators becomes very important to the viability of the health system. Continual cross-consultation and performance comparison activities will require much stronger, more accountable clinical relationships between providers, including physicians. A seamless organisational structure is required in which all the care workers including physicians will need to

What is a monopoly Essay Example for Free

What is a monopoly Essay Monopoly is at the opposite end of the spectrum of market models from perfect competition. A monopoly firm has no rivals. It is the only firm in its industry. There are no close substitutes for the good or service a monopoly produces. Not only does a monopoly firm have the market to itself, but it also need not worry about other firms entering. In the case of monopoly, entry by potential rivals is prohibitively difficult. A monopoly does not take the market price as given; it determines its own price. It selects from its demand curve the price that corresponds to the quantity the firm has chosen to produce in order to earn the maximum profit possible. In assuming there is one firm in a market, we assume there are no other firms producing goods or services that could be considered part of the same market as that of the monopoly firm. The result is a model that gives us important insights into the nature of the choices of firms and their impact on the economy. There are some Advantages of a Monopoly. The Monopolies avoids duplications and hence wastage of resources. Enjoys economics of scale, due to it being the only supplier of the product or service in the market, makes many profits and be used for research and development to maintain their status as a monopoly. They also use price discrimination to benefit the weaker economic section of society. To avoid competition, they can afford to invest in the latest technology and machinery. There are some Disadvantages of a Monopoly. Monopolies have poor levels of service, there is no consumer sovereignty, the consumers are charged high prices for such low quality goods, and lack of competition could lead to low quality goods, as well as out dated goods. First off, any market type can see super normal profits in the short-run. What is more important is what happens in the end. Pure monopolies are not the only monopoly that can make profits. Natural Monopoly or a price discriminating monopoly can make profits as well. The only difference between them is â€Å"why† they are monopolies to begin with. Oligopolies are not monopolies, although they do tend to make above normal profits. Monopolistic competition does not yield these types of profits in the end. Economic profit goes to zero here in the end because there is a lack of barriers here to prevent competition from entering.

The Nursing Shortage and the Nursing Work Environment Essay Example for Free

The Nursing Shortage and the Nursing Work Environment Essay 1. Introduction 1.1 Nursing as challenging profession: significant physical and psychological demands on nurses of all levels 1.2 Qualified nurses as the core key to success in the delivery of healthcare services 1.3 Qualified nursing staff, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other essential healthcare services as contribution to modern world Problem Statement 2.1 The current situation with shortage of qualified nurses in the USA 2.2 The year of 2004: the positive shifts in dealing with nursing shortage 2.3 Population aging and retiring nurses as the main reason of severe nursing shortage Research Question 3.1 The impact of job-related stress on health care organizations and qualified nurses 3.2 Measures to be taken to alleviate job-related stress for nurses 3.3 Reduction of job-related stress as the solution to nursing shortage Research Hypotheses 4.1 Hypothesis 1: Nurses will indicate that they experience job-related stress. 4.2 Hypothesis 2: Job-related stress is a factor in a nurses decision to leave nursing. 4.3 Hypothesis 3: Nurses who have learned to manage their stress will be more likely to continue their careers. Literature Review Job-related stress may have serious implications for patient safety. Increased patient loads, for example, have been associated with elevated stress levels, the increased likelihood of an accident, and a greater risk of the nurse being involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit (Miller, 2004). One study found that 79% of RNs believed that the shortage of qualified nurses has already affected the quality of patient care (Buerhaus,   Donelan,   Ulrich,   Linda Norman,   et al, 2005). Although some studies have found that stress levels may be affected by the mode of nursing, other research has indicated similar levels of stress in functional nursing, team nursing, and primary nursing settings (Mà ¤kinen, Kivimà ¤ki, Elovainio, Virtanen, Bond, 2003). Sources of Stress Stress in nursing comes from physical and mental exertion while working with patients and the emotional stress that comes from dealing with injured, sick, and dying people. Job stress may also affected by staff reductions, especially if those reductions result in increased responsibilities for the remaining staff members (Hertting, Nilsson, Theorell, Larsson, 2004, p. 148). The long-term effects of staff reductions include feelings of distrust towards the employer; (2) concurrent demands and challenges; (3) professional ambiguity; (4) unmet desires for collaboration with other professionals; and (5) efforts to gain control (Hertting, Nilsson, Theorell, Larsson, p. 148) For many nurses, some job-related stress may come from internal sources. Antai-Otong (2001) observed that one pervasive cause of stress among nurses is the feeling that nurses must do everything for everyone all of the time and be perfect while doing it. These unrealistic expectations for perfection may lead to chronic anger, hostility, or repressed aggression, especially if the individual lacks sufficient coping skills to address these emotions (Antai-Otong). To cope with this stress, Antai-Otong recommended that nurses receive training in conflict management, anger management, self-renewal techniques, assertive communication, and other forms of creative stress management. Finally, stress also appears to be affected by age and experience. In studies comparing stress and job satisfaction of older nurses with that of younger nurses, older nurses with more years experience showed less stress and reported more positive experiences as a nurse than their younger counterparts (Ernst, Messmer, Franco, Gonzalez, 2004). Younger nurses reported concerns over compensation, workload, and lack of recognition (Ernst, et al). Ernst, et al., (p. 222) speculated that older nurses had less reason to be worried about income than their younger counterparts because the older nurses were paid more. They also speculated that the expectations and goals of the nurses in the study had become more realistic as they matured, resulting in greater job satisfaction (Ernst, et al., p. 225). Providing Ways to Improve Retention Incentives may be used to motivate nurses to improve their performance or to stay with an employer. Incentives do not necessarily have to be monetary. In some cases, non-monetary incentives such as the opportunity to work in a positive work environment may outweigh relatively small financial incentives. Other incentives that may be used to encourage nurses to stay are educational opportunities, flexible scheduling, health and safety considerations, and the nature of the overall organizational culture (Cohen, 2006). Many nurses are concerned with the balance of their professional and personal responsibilities. Quality of work life (QWL) has been defined as the balance between the individuals professional responsibilities and personal life (Ming-Yi Kernohan, 2006). QWL has been linked to job satisfaction and improved retention. Factors that affect the QWL of nurses include socioeconomic factors, demographic characteristics of the individual nurse (e.g., age, marital status, and other personal characteristics), organizational aspects, work aspects, human relation aspects, and the opportunity for self-actualization through nursing (Ming-Yi Kernohan). Of these, the individuals demographic characteristics and the socioeconomic status of the health care facility and the surrounding area are beyond the control of the organization. Other factors, such as providing opportunities for self-actualization, may be affected by organizational policies but are not exclusively within the domain of the organization. The remaining factors – organizational aspects, work aspects, and human relations aspects – are within the control of the organization. Organizations that wish to improve their retention rates for high-performing nurses may wish to examine how these factors can be adjusted to improve the QWL of nurses working within the organization. Lambert, Lambert, and Yamase (2004) noted that stress is often associated with uncertainty and a lack of information. Providing nurses with information, training, and continuing education can help alleviate these feelings and may help to reduce the overall levels of stress. Lambert, at al. also recommends exercise, physical exertion, and expressing feelings to an inanimate object as appropriate stress-reduction techniques. Environmental changes, such as brightening the environment with flowers and other aesthetically appealing items, may also help reduce the stress levels in the workplace (Lamber, et al.). Finally, Lambert, et al. suggested searching for any possible philosophical or spiritual implications that might help the individual to understand and to cope with the stresses that come along with patient care. Conclusion There is a strong reciprocal relationship between job stress and nurse retention. As nurses within a given facility begin to experience increased stress, the likelihood that some will quit or look for a job elsewhere appears to increase. Consequently, the work loads of the remaining nurses increase, which ratchets up the stress levels, resulting in more nurses leaving the organization. This cycle is not limited to organizations, but also appears to occur within the nursing profession. References Antai-Otong, D. (2001). Creative Stress-Management Techniques For Self-Renewal. Dermatology Nursing, 13, 1, 31-37. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Beaudoin, L., Edgar, L. (2003). Hassles: Their Importance to Nurses Quality of Work Life.   Nursing Economic$, 21, 3, 106-114. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Buerhaus, P., Donelan, K., Ulrich, B., Norman, L., Williams, M., Dittus, R. (2005). Hospital RNs and CNOs Perceptions of the Impact of the Nursing Shortage on the Quality of Care. Nursing Economics, 23, 5, 214-221. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from ProQuest Database Cohen, J. (2006). The Aging Nursing Workforce: How to Retain Experienced Nurses. Journal of Healthcare Management, 51, 4, 233-245. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier. Ernst, M., Messmer, P., Franco, M., Gonzalez, J. (2004). Nurses Job Satisfaction, Stress, and Recognition in a Pediatric Setting. Pediatric Nursing, 30, 3, 219-227. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Hertting, A., Nilsson, K., Theorell, T., Larsson, U. (2004). Downsizing and Reorganization: Demands, Challenges, and Ambiguity for Registered Nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45, 2, 145-154. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Lambert, V., Lambert, C., Yamase, H. (2004). Psychological Hardiness, Workplace Stress and Related Stress Reduction Strategies. Nursing Health Sciences, 5, 2, 181-183. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Mà ¤kinen, A., Kivimà ¤ki M., Elovainio, M., Virtanen, M. Bond, S. (2003). Organization of Nursing Care As a Determinant of Job Satisfaction Among Hospital Nurses.   Journal of nursing management, 11, 5, 299-306. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier Database. Miller, D. (2004). Where Have All the Nurses Gone? The Impact of the Nursing Shortage on American Healthcare. Association of Operating Room Nurses. AORN Journal, 80, 1, 141. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from ProQuest Database. Ming-Yi H., Kernohan, G. (2006). Dimensions of Hospital Nurses’ Quality of Working Life.   Journal of Advanced Nursing, 54, 1, 120-131. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from Academic Search Premier. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2002). Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from http://www.ahca.org/research/rnsupply_demand.pdf U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004). The Registered Nurse Population. Findings from the March 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions. Retrieved July 27, 2007, from ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/workforce/0306rnss.pdf

Framework For Understanding Organizational Ethics Commerce Essay

Framework For Understanding Organizational Ethics Commerce Essay Organizational ethics is one of the most important, yet perhaps one of the most overlooked and misunderstood concepts in corporate America and schools of business. Organizational ethics initiatives have not been effectively implemented by many corporations, and there is still much debate concerning the usefulness of such initiatives in preventing ethical and legal misconduct. Simultaneously, business schools are attempting to teach courses and/or integrate organizational ethics into their curricula without general agreement about what should be taught, or how it should be taught. Societal norms require that businesses assume responsibility and ensure that ethical standards are properly implemented on a daily basis. Such a requirement is not without controversy. Some business leaders believe that personal moral development and character are all that are needed for effective organizational ethics. These business leaders are supported by certain business educators who believe ethics initiatives should arise inherently from corporate culture and that hiring ethical employees will limit unethical behavior within the organization. A contrary position, and the one espoused here, is that effective organizational ethics can only be achieved by proactive leadership whereby employees from diverse backgrounds are provided a common understanding of what is defined as ethical behavior through formal training, thus creating an ethical organizational climate. In addition, changes are needed in the regulatory system, in the organizational ethics initiatives of business school s, and in societal approaches to the development and implementation of organizational ethics in corporate America. According to Richard L. Schmalensee, Dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, the question is, How can we produce graduates who are more conscious of their potential . . . and their obligation as professionals to make a positive contribution to society? He stated that business schools should be held partly responsible for the cadre of managers more focused on short-term games to beat the market rather than building lasting value for shareholders and society (Schmalensee 2003). This introductory chapter provides an overview of the organizational ethical decision making process. It begins with a discussion of how ethical decisions are made and then offers a framework for understanding organizational ethics that is consistent with research, best practices, and regulatory developments.Using this framework, the chapter then discusses how ethical decisions are made in the context of an organization and poses some illustrative ethical issues that need to be addressed in organizational ethics. Defining Organizational Ethics Ethics has been termed the study and philosophy of human conduct, with an emphasis on the determination of right and wrong. For managers, ethics in the workplace refers to rules (standards, principles) governing the conduct of organization members. Most definitions of ethics relate rules to what is right or wrong in specific situations. For present purposes, and in simple terms, organizational ethics refers to generally accepted standards that guide behavior in business and other organizational contexts (LeClair, Ferrell, and Fraedrich 1998).1 One difference between an ordinary decision and an ethical one is that accepted rules may not apply and the decision maker must weigh values in a situation that he or she may not have faced before. Another difference is the amount of emphasis placed on a persons values when making an ethical decision. Whether a specific behavior is judged right or wrong, ethical or unethical, is often determined by the mass media, interest groups, the legal system, and individuals personal morals. While these groups are not necessarily right, their judgments influence societys acceptance or rejection of an organization and its activities. Consequently, values and judgments play a critical role in ethical decision making, and society may institutionalize them through legislation and social sanctions or approval. Individual vs. Organization Most people would agree that high ethical standards require both organizations and individuals to conform to sound moral principles. However, special factors must be considered when applying ethics to business organizations. First, to survive, businesses must obviously make a profit. Second, businesses must balance their desire for profits against the needs and desires of society. Maintaining this balance often requires compromises or tradeoffs. To address these unique aspects of organizational ethics, society has developed rules-both explicit (legal) and implicit-to guide owners, managers, and employees in their efforts to earn profits in ways that do not harm individuals or society as a whole. Addressing organizational ethics must acknowledge its existence in a complex system that includes many stakeholders that cooperate, provide resources, often demand changes to encourage or discourage certain ethical conduct, and frequently question the balancing of business and social interest s. Unfortunately, the ethical standards learned at home, in school, through religion, and in the community are not always adequate preparation for ethical pressures found in the workplace. Organizational practices and policies often create pressures, opportunities, and incentives that may sway employees to make unethical decisions. We have all seen news articles describing some decent, hard-working family person who engaged in illegal or unethical activities. The Wall Street Journal (Pullman 2003) reported that Betty Vinson, a midlevel accountant for WorldCom, Inc., was asked by her superiors to make false accounting entries. Ms. Vinson balked a number of times but then caved in to management and made illegal entries to bolster WorldComs profits. At the end of 18 months she had helped falsify at least $3.7 billion in profits. When an employees livelihood is on the line, it is difficult to say no to a powerful boss. At the time this chapter was written, Ms. Vinson was awaiting sentencing on conspiracy and securities fraud and preparing her 12 year old daughter for the possibility that she will be incarcerated. Importance of Understanding Organization Ethics Understanding organizational ethics is important in developing ethical leadership. An individuals personal values and moral philosophies are but one factor in decision-making processes involving potential legal and ethical problems. True, moral rules can be related to a variety of situations in life, and some people do not distinguish everyday ethical issues from those that occur on the job. Of concern, however, is the application of rules in a work environment. Just being a good person and, in your own view, having sound personal ethics may not be sufficient to handle the ethical issues that arise in the workplace. It is important to recognize the relationship between legal and ethical decisions. While abstract virtues such as honesty, fairness, and openness are often assumed to be self-evident and accepted by all employees, a high level of personal, moral development may not prevent an individual from violating the law in an organizational context, where even experienced lawyers debate the exact meaning of the law. Some organizational ethics perspectives assume that ethics training is for people who have unacceptable personal moral development, but that is not necessarily the case. Because organizations are comprised of diverse individuals whose personal values should be respected, agreement regarding workplace ethics is as vital as other managerial decisions. For example, would an organization expect to achieve its strategic mission witho ut communicating the mission to employees? Would a firm expect to implement a customer relationship management system without educating every employee on his or her role in the system? Workplace ethics needs to be treated similarly-with clear expectations as to what comprises legal and ethical conduct. Employees with only limited work experience sometimes find themselves making decisions about product quality, advertising, pricing, hiring practices, and pollution control. The values that they bring to the organization may not provide specific guidelines for these complex decisions, especially when the realities of work objectives, group decision making, and legal issues come into play. Many ethics decisions are close calls.Years of experience in a particular industry may be required to know what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. Even experienced managers need formal training about workplace ethics to help identify legal and ethical issues. Changing regulatory requirements and ethical concerns, such as workplace privacy issues, make the ethical decision-making process very dynamic. With the establishment of values and training, a manager will be in a better position to assist employees and provide ethical leadership. Understanding Ethical Decision Making It is helpful to consider the question of why and how people make ethical decisions. Typically it is assumed that people make difficult decisions within an organization in the same way they resolve difficult issues in their personal lives. Within the context of organizations, however, few managers or employees have the freedom to decide ethical issues independently of workplace pressures. Philosophers, social scientists, and various academics have attempted to explain the ethical decision-making process in organizations by examining pressures such as the influence of coworkers and organizational culture, and individual-level factors such as personal moral philosophy. Figure 1.1 presents a model of decision making. This model synthesizes current knowledge of ethical decision making in the workplace within a framework that has strong support in the literature (e.g., Ferrell and Gresham 1985; Ferrell, Gresham, and Fraedrich 1989; Hunt and Vitell 1986; Jones 1991; Trevino 1986). The model shows that the perceived intensity of ethical and legal issues, individual factors (e.g., moral development and personal moral philosophy), and organizational factors (e.g., organizational culture and coworkers) collectively influence whether a person will make an unethical decision at work. While it is impossible to describe precisely how or why an individual or work group might make such a decision, it is possible to generalize about average or typical behavior patterns within organizations. Each of the models components is briefly described below; note that the model is practical because it describes the elements of the decision-making process over which organiza tions have some control. ________________________________________________________________________ Figure 1.1 Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in the Workplace Individual Personal moral factors philosophy Stage of moral development factors Ethical issue intensity Organizational factors Organizational culture Coworkers and superiors Opportunity Ethical/Unethical, Decision ________________________________________________________________________ Ethical Issue Intensity One of the first factors to influence the decision-making process is how important or relevant a decision maker perceives an issue to be, that is, the intensity of the issue (Jones 1991). The intensity of a particular issue is likely to vary over time and among individuals and is influenced by the values, beliefs, needs, and perceptions of the decision maker; the special characteristics of the situation; and the personal pressures weighing on the decision. All of the factors explored in this chapter, including personal moral development and philosophy, organizational culture, and coworkers, determine why different people perceive issues with varying intensity (Robin, Reidenbach, and Forrest 1996). Unless individuals in an organization share some common concerns about specific ethical issues, the stage is set for conflict. Ethical issue intensity reflects the sensitivity of the individual, work group, or organization, and triggers the ethical decision-making process. Management can influence ethical issue intensity through rewards and punishments, codes of conduct, and organizational values. In other words, managers can affect the perceived importance of ethical issues through positive and negative incentives (Robin, Reidenbach, and Forrest 1996). If management fails to identify and educate employees about problem areas, these issues may not reach the critical awareness level of some employees. New employees who lack experience in a particular industry, for example, may have trouble identifying both ethical and legal issues. Employees therefore need to be trained as to how the organization wants specific ethical issues handled. Identifying ethical issues that employees might encounter is a significant step in developing employees ability to make decisions that enhance organizational ethics. New federal regulations that hold both organizations and their employees responsible for misconduct require organizations to assess areas of ethical and legal risk. Based on both the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the United States Sentencing Commission guidelines, there are strong directives to encourage ethical leadership. If ethical leadership fails, especially in corporate governance, there are significant penalties. When organizations communicate to employees that certain issues are important, the intensity of the issues is elevated. The more employees appreciate the importance of an issue, the less likely they are to engage in questionable behavior associated with the issue. Therefore, ethical issue intensity should be considered a key factor in the decision-making process because there are many opportunities for an organization to influence and educate employees on the importance of high risk issues. Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, boards of directors are required to provide oversight for all auditing activities and are responsible for developing ethical leadership. In addition, court decisions related to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations hold board members responsible for the ethical and legal compliance programs of the firms they oversee. New rules and regulations associated with Sarbanes-Oxley require that boards include members who are knowledgeable and qualified to oversee accounting and other types of audits to ensure that these reports are accurate and include all information material to ethics issues. A boards financial audit committee is required to implement codes of ethics for top financial officers. Many of the codes relate to corporate governance, such as compensation, stock options, and conflicts of interest. Individual Factors One of the greatest challenges facing the study of organizational ethics involves the role of individuals and their values. Although most of us would like to place the primary responsibility for decisions with individuals, years of research point to the primacy of organizational factors in determining ethics at work (e.g., Ferrell and Gresham 1985). However, individual factors are obviously important in the evaluation and resolution of ethical issues. Two significant factors in workplace integrity are an individuals personal moral philosophy and stage of moral development. Personal Moral Philosophy Ethical conflict occurs when people encounter situations that they cannot easily control or resolve. In such situations, people tend to base their decisions on their own principles of right or wrong and act accordingly in their daily lives. Moral philosophies-the principles or rules that individuals use to decide what is right or wrong-are often cited to justify decisions or explain behavior. People learn these principles and rules through socialization by family members, social groups, religion, and formal education. There is no universal agreement on the correct moral philosophy to use in resolving ethical and legal issues in the workplace. Moreover, research suggests that employees may apply different moral philosophies in different decision situations (Fraedrich and Ferrell 1992). And, depending on the situation, people may even change their value structure or moral philosophy when making decisions. Individuals make decisions under pressure and may later feel their decisions were less than acceptable, but they may not be able to change the consequences of their decisions. Stage of Moral Development One reason people may change their moral philosophy has been proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg, who suggested that people progress through stages in their development of moral reasoning. Kohlberg contended that different people make different decisions when confronted with similar ethical situations because they are at different stages of what he termed cognitive moral development (Kohlberg 1969). He believed that people progress through the following three stages: The pre-conventional stage of moral development, in which individuals focus on their own needs and desires. The conventional stage of moral development, in which individuals focus on group-centered values and conforming to expectations. The principled stage of moral development, in which individuals are concerned with upholding the basic rights, values, and rules of society. Obviously there is some overlap among these stages, such that cognitive moral development should probably be viewed as more of a continuum than a series of discrete stages. Although Kohlberg did not specifically apply his theory of cognitive moral development to organizations, its application helps in explaining how employees may reason when confronted with an ethical dilemma. Kohlbergs theory suggests that people may change their moral beliefs and behavior as they gain education and experience in resolving conflicts, which in turn accelerates their moral development. A question that arises is whether moral philosophy and moral development can predict ethical behavior in businesses and other organizations. Fraedrich and Ferrell (1992) found that only 15 percent of a sample of businesspersons maintained the same moral philosophy across both work and nonwork ethical decision-making situations. One explanation may be that cognitive moral development issues that relate to a persons nonwork (e.g., home, family) experiences are not the most significant factors in resolving ethical issues within an organization. The ethics and values of an individuals immediate work group, rather than his or her moral development, may be the most important consideration in determining ethical conduct in organizations. Nevertheless, most experts agree that a persons stage of moral development and personal moral philosophy play a role in how values and actions are shaped in the workplace. This may be especially true for top managers, who usually set the formal values of an organization. However, the informal use of these values and expectations plays a major role in the daily decisions that employees make. Many of these informal rules comprise the organizations ethical climate in the context of its corporate culture. Former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski set the leadership tone at his company and stood trial for allegedly taking $600 million in unauthorized bonuses, loans, stock sales, and other payments from the company. In his trial, the court wanted to know what the board of directors was doing while Kozlowski furnished his luxury Manhattan duplex with millions of dollars in rugs, china, and bookcases, and spent $1 million for his wifes birthday party-all billed to the company. Kozlowskis personal ethics were on trial, but his ethical leadership influenced everyone in the organization (McCoy 2003). Organizational Factors Although individuals must make ethical and legal decisions at work, it is also true that they often make these decisions in the context of committees and group meetings, and through discussions with colleagues. Decisions in the workplace are guided by an organizations culture and the influence of others-coworkers, supervisors, and subordinates. Organizational Culture Organizations, like societies, have cultures that include a shared set of values, beliefs, goals, norms, and ways to solve problems. As time passes, an organization comes to be seen as a living organism, with a mind and will of its own. Although most organizational cultures reinforce ethics, some organizations, like Tyco, create a culture that supports unethical decisions. If a company derives most of its profits from unethical or illegal activities, individuals who join this organization will have a difficult time surviving unless they too participate in these activities. For example, even though Enron had a code of ethics and was a member of the Better Business Bureau, the company was devastated by unethical activities and corporate scandal. According to Lynn Brewer, former Enron executive and author of House of Cards: Confessions of an Enron Executive, many Enron managers and employees knew the company was involved in illegal and unethical activities. Many executives and board members at Enron did not understand how organizational ethical decisions are made and how to develop an ethical corporate climate. They did not realize that top executives and boards of directors must provide ethical leadership and a system to resolve ethical issues. In the case of Enron, managers eventually paid for these ethical lapses through fines and imprisonment. The ethical climate of an organization is a significant element of organizational culture. Whereas an organizations overall culture establishes ideals that guide a wide range of member behaviors, the ethical climate focuses specifically on issues of right and wrong. The ethical climate of an organization is its character or conscience. Codes of conduct and ethics policies, top managements actions on ethical issues, the values and moral development and personal moral philosophies of coworkers, and the opportunity for misconduct all contribute to an organizations ethical climate. In fact, the ethical climate actually determines whether certain issues and decisions are perceived as having an ethical component. Organizations can manage their culture and ethical climate by trying to hire employees whose values match their own. Some organizations even measure potential employees values during the hiring process and strive to hire individuals who fit within the ethical climate rather than those whose beliefs and values differ significantly. As previously mentioned, some business leaders believe that hiring or promoting ethical managers will automatically produce an ethical organizational climate. However, individuals may have limited opportunity to apply their own personal ethics to management systems and decision making that occurs in the organization. Ethical leadership requires understanding best practices for organizational ethical compliance and a commitment to build an ethical climate. Over time, an organizations failure to monitor or manage its culture may foster questionable behavior. Sometimes entire industries develop a culture of preferential treatment and self- centered greed. The once conservative mutual fund industry found itself in a major scandal in 2003 related to allowing large customers to engage in short-term and after-hours trading, in violation of their own organizations rules. The mutual fund organizations gave hedge fund customers the right to make frequent trades in and out of funds, a practice not accorded ordinary investors. Firms such as Janus, Alliance Capital, and Pilgrim violated their own rules and now have legal problems. Another example of an unethical industry culture is reflected in New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzers settlement in which 10 major Wall Street firms were collectively fined a total of $1.4 billion because their investment bankers had exerted undue influence on securities research to enhance relationships with their investment banking customers (Anonymous 2004). Small investors were the victims of these unethical and illegal cultures of preferential relationships with certain customers. The Influence of Coworkers and Supervisors Just as employees look for certain types of employers, they are also particular about the people with whom they work. Managers and coworkers within an organization help people deal with unfamiliar tasks and provide advice and information in both formal and informal contexts on a daily basis. A manager may, for example, provide direction regarding certain workplace activities to be performed. Coworkers offer help in the form of discussions over lunch or when a supervisor is absent. In fact, one often hears new or younger employees discussing some fear about approaching the boss on a tough ethical issue. Thus, the role of informal culture cannot be underestimated. Numerous studies (e.g., Ferrell and Grisham 1985) confirm that coworkers and supervisors have more impact on an employees daily decisions than any other factor. In a work group environment, employees may be subject to the phenomenon of groupthink, where they go along with group decisions even when those decisions run counter to their own values. They may take refuge in the notion of safety in numbers, when everyone else appears to back a particular decision. Indeed, coworker peers can even change a persons original value system. This value change, whether temporary or permanent, is likely to be greater when a coworker is a supervisor, especially if the decision-maker is new to the organization. Employees may also resolve workplace issues by unquestionably following the directives of a supervisor. In a company that emphasizes respect for authority, an employee may feel obligated to carry out the orders of a superior even if those orders conflict with the employees values of right and wrong. Later, if a decision is judged to have been wrong, the employee is likely to say, I was only carrying out orders, or My boss told me to do it this way. Supervisors can also have a negative effect on conduct by setting a bad example or failing to supervise subordinates. ClearOne Communications Inc. relieved its CEO and CFO of their respective responsibilities after they were named as defendants in a complaint from the Securities and Exchange Commission (Wetzel 2003). A civil complaint alleged that they directed sales personnel to push extra products to customers beyond their orders to inflate sales and earnings. Eliminating such unethical managers within an organization can help improve its overall ethical conduct. In this case, it was alleged that the CEO and CFO not only directed unethical actions but also contributed to an unethical corporate climate. Finally, it should be mentioned in passing that individuals also learn ethical or unethical conduct from close colleagues and others with whom they interact regularly. Consequently, a decision maker who associates with others who behave unethically will be more likely to behave unethically as well. Opportunity Together, organizational culture and the influence of coworkers may foster conditions that limit or permit misconduct. When these conditions provide rewards for financial gain, recognition, promotion, or simply the good feeling from a job well done, the opportunity for unethical conduct may be encouraged or discouraged. For example, a company policy that does not provide for punishment of employees who violate a rule (e.g., not to accept large gifts from clients) provides an opportunity for unethical behavior. Bellizzi and Hasty (2003) found there is a general tendency to discipline top sales performers more leniently than poor sales performers for engaging in identical forms of unethical selling behavior. Neither a company policy stating that the behavior in question was unacceptable nor a repeated pattern of unethical behavior offset the general tendency to treat top sales performers more leniently than poor sales performers. A superior sales performance record appears to induce more lenient forms of discipline, despite the presence of other factors and managerial actions that are specifically instituted to produce more equal forms of discipline. Based on their research, Bellizzi and Hasty concluded that an opportunity exists for top sales performers to be more unethical than poor sales performers. Opportunity usually relates to employees immediate work situation-where they work, with whom they work, and the nature of the work. The specific work situation includes the motivational carrots and sticks that supervisors can use to influence employee behavior. Organizations can improve the likelihood of compliance with ethics policies by eliminating opportunities to engage in misconduct through the establishment of formal codes and rules that are adequately enforced. However, in the sales person example, it is possible that the codes and rules were not adequately implemented. It is important to note that opportunities for ethical misconduct cannot be eliminated without aggressive enforcement of codes and rules. One important conclusion that should be drawn from the framework presented here is that ethical decision making within an organization does not depend solely on individuals personal values and moral philosophies. Employees do not operate in a vacuum, and their decisions are strongly affected by the culture and ethical climate of the organization in which they work, pressures to perform, examples set by their supervisors and peers, and opportunities created by the presence or absence of ethics-related policies. Organizations take on an ethical climate of their own and have a significant influence on ethics among employees and within their industry and community. Ethical Issues This section briefly describes three highly visible ethical issues facing corporate America. The issues are presented to provide concrete examples of the types of misconduct that should be identified and prevented through organizational ethics programs and ethical leadership. An ethical decision is a problem situation requiring an organization or individual to choose among several actions that must be evaluated as right or wrong, ethical or unethical. Ethical issues are presented that have been associated with the major ethical scandals of the early 21st century.2 Conflict of Interest A conflict of interest exists when individuals must choose whether to advance their own interests, the interests of their organization, or the interests of some other group or individual. An illustrative alleged conflict of interest is when Citigroup made a $1 million donation to the 92nd Street YMCA nursery school as an alleged quid pro quo so that financial analyst Jack Grubmans children could attend the exclusive nursery. Grubman, an analyst for Salomon Smith Barney, supposedly upgraded his rating for ATT stock after Sanford Weill, CEO of Citigroup, the parent company of Salomon Smith Barney, agreed to use his influence with the nursery to gain admission for Grubmans children. Although Grubman denied elevating his rating for ATT to gain his childrens admission, they were in fact enrolled (Nelson and Cohen 2003). To avoid conflicts of interest, employees must be able to separate their private interests from their business dealings. Likewise, organizations must avoid conflicts of interest when providing goods and services. Arthur Andersen served as the outside auditor for Waste Management, Inc. while simultaneously providing consulting services to the firm. This led the Sec

The School: Postmodernist Ideas Essay -- essays research papers

The School: Postmodernist Ideas Barthelme's "The School" is the first postmodernist story I have ever read. When I read it for the first time, my lips formed a bitter smile. In my imagination, postmodernist stories differed from the classical ones in the arrangement of the ideas and in the standard that postmodernists reject society. True, â€Å"The School† does differ in composition, for example the absence of introduction, but though it sounds somewhat comical, it does also have an incorporated pessimism that makes me reflect on the story. I think this pessimism is the cause that postmodernists reject society. The notion of rejection comes in the story through the death cases. It seems strange why Barthelme uses the notion death in his story, but I think the reason is that this is the best way to stress that every living thing is losing its importance. Hopeless pessimism interweaves with the idea of rejection, and I find them together everywhere, in every death case. For Barthelme, what is lost is unrecoverable. Pessimism, mostly expressed in taking death naturally, spreads uniformly all over the story, from the first paragraph about the orange trees to the last when the new gerbil enters the classroom. In this school, where the children are supposed to receive education, everything dies. The fish, the salamander, and the orange trees die though children take much care of them. The teacher is pessimistic although life goes on and a new ...

E350 Review Essay -- Product Review

Introduction Two door coupe with a V6 engine that can change the thinking of a person. Wasn’t that a confusing and a technical sentence to digest, let it be a bit easier to understand that can put some adrenaline in your thinking? The all new E350 two door car is here which has a power turbine of 6 cylinders in V Formation. Well that’s the converted one, we humans are always in search of showing the other person that you are not worth in this game. The E350 is with the same tag line as mentioned and to hell with other car manufacturers. The E350 is designed with new specifications and listed above all coupes in the Indian auto industry. Well this is a fact which cannot be changed even with the use of some technical jargons to fill up the gap. The E350 is one of the aggressive looking coupe models in the list of the Mercedes Benz. The E350 does not have any collaboration with AMG or Brabus. It is one of the sleek looking cars which have the capacity to do wonders in every possible ma nner. Step inside the E350 and get a feel of true German sports car. Having the E350 in your hands The new car has lots of space which can accommodate 4 adults in ease. Well it’s a two door car and the front seats need to be pulled ahead with force. A cup holder is present between the front and rear seats which gives the passenger some leg room. The cup holder box separates the front and rear seat area where the passenger can stretch his legs. An automatic belt feeder is present in the E350 which straps the passenger and driver. The centre console is present on the steering wheel where the belt feeder button can be activated. Electronic seats are given to the E350 which make it easy to drive the car. You can adjust them according to your needs... ...nt in the car which is activated when there is pressure in the front of the car. Bump sensors are present in the E350 which are activated when there is pressure due to mishap. Automatically doors are unlocked when an accident takes place. This is one of the wonders of enhanced engineering inventions. Cutting points are marked inside the car which is highlighted if the rescuers need to cut the vehicle. Emergency lights are activated when the car has stopped. If the accident has greater impact on the body its engine and petrol supply is cut off. Verdict The E350 is a good deal when it comes to sport driving in India. It has features which are seen in European cars. The E350 is smooth and elegant to drive. You can sense comfort and luxury right when you step inside the vehicle. Cost of the E350 is also perfect as a V6 engine delivers close output to other cars.

Frankenstein is perceived as a horror story. Essay -- English Literatu

Frankenstein is perceived as a horror story. When we analyse the monster, however, the story becomes much more complex. Discuss this statement with close reference to Shelley’s presentation of the monster in the novel. Frankenstein is a novel with great hidden depths and a whole new outlook on life itself. Frankenstein was written in 1818 by Mary Shelley. The novel was a deep insight to a number of things, this including the gothic period. In her 1831 introduction to the novel, Shelley declared her desire to ‘curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart’ This was the first of many signals to the reader that Frankenstein should be placed in the genre of the gothic Frankenstein was written with a great ‘scare factor’ from Gothicism which is part of the Romantic Movement. At that period in time-Gothicism was extremely popular as it was exciting, dark and dramatically horrifying. The book had a tendency to tap into people’s fears. It made the impossible become reality and the absurd become believable. However, Frankenstein was much more than just a horror story and because of this, it was written to deal with more complex issues/themes. Frankenstein was written with such great detail and invisible links to more larger arguments. It deals with issues such as; is it right to play God? Is it right to judge on appearances? Also, HOW and WHY a physically hideous murderer is the most sympathetic character in the novel. The novel also contains elements of science fiction with victor and his ‘great experiment’. At that period in time, science and technology was just beginning to progress at such an alarming pace and inventors were extremely enthusiastic towards science. Victor Frankenstein ... ...nthusiasm for science and the French revolution meant she was used to seeing corpses. This was also incorporated within the novel when she made references to bringing the dead back to life. Mary Shelley’s presentation of the monster shows us that we should never judge on appearances and there is always more to a person than what meets the eye. So in an odd way then, Shelley leaves us to decide whether we think ‘the monster’ IS human or NOT and the ways our experiences shape us into the people we become. In addition to this-the story of Victor Frankenstein and his great creation is much more than a typical horror story. It is an insight to Mary Shelley’s life and a way of describing her pain and loneliness. So, to conclude Frankenstein is a ‘horror’ story which in fact is enormously realistic and covers everyday issues and a diverse amount of themes.

Los Zetas

RUNNING HEAD: Los Zetas Nolita Oliveira Wayland Baptist University Dr. Paul Lankford Borderland Beat Reporter Overmex (2010, August 26), reported 72 illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador and Brazil, were found dead on a ranch in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, which is 150 km from the U. S. border city of Brownsville. This discovery came from one survivor who found his way to the Navy troops and reported members of the Los Zeta cartel at the nearby ranch. According to the Borderland Beat; 21 rifles, six 5. mm M4 carbines, three 7. 60 mm AK-47, seven 12 gauge shotguns, five . 22 caliber rifles, 101 magazines, two ammunition belts, six thousand 649 cartridges of various calibers, four bullet proof vests, one helmet, four trucks, one with the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), were also found at the ranch. With such a rich supply of ammunition and a massacre of men and women with their hands and feet tied, the question remains, how have the Los Zetas become so powerful? Los Zeta’s was originally founded by a group of highly trained Mexican Army Special Forces deserters and has expanded to include corrupted former federal, state, and local police officers hired by Mexico’s Gulf Cartel (Los Zetas, 2010, November 22). The group originally consisted of 31 members with the first leader, Lieutenant Arturo Guzman Decena using his Federal Judicial Police radio code to become identified as Z1. This code was given to high-ranking officers for the Commanding Federal Judicial Police Officers in Mexico. Zeta is also named for the letter in Spanish. Decena was born in 1976 and trained with an elite Mexican military group called Grupo Aeromovil de Fuerzas Especiales (GAFE) which were trained in counter- insurgency and locating and apprehending drug cartel members, with Decena came 30 other GAFE deserters. Decena was killed in 2002 and his second-in-command Z2 was captured in 2004 (Decena, 2010, November 27). The current leader is Z3 Heriberto Lazcano. Los Zeta’s was originally hired to track down and kill rival cartel members and provide protection for the Gulf Cartel. Their power has grown and their savagery has had no boundaries. In 2003 Los Zetas negotiated a pact with the Gulf Cartel and the Beltran –Leyva Cartel to engage their own drug shipments (Los Zetas, 2010, November 22). Seven years later after the pact, Los Zetas have violently turned against their former partner, the Gulf Cartel, and have formed alliances with the Juarez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel and the Beltran- Leyva Cartel. The other major faction alignment includes the Gulf Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel, and La Familia Cartel. In response to the Los Zeta’s savagery the Sinaloa Cartel hired another armed enforcer gang, Los Negros, to fight back. Los Negros have also turned their back and become independent are gaining more control of regions. As with other terrorist organizations, such as al Qaeda, there are roots to the source of the evil. According to Brookes (2005), it is important to understand the many reasons for the terrorist phenomenon includes radical religious ideology, poor governance, a lack of economic opportunity, social alienation, demographic pressure, and political isolation (page 11). Although Los Zeta’s. Los Negros, or other Mexican Cartels have not been listed as terrorist organizations by the U. S. Department of State their actions are in compliance with the different definitions of terrorism. Narcoterrorist would describe what these Mexican Cartels are. The statutory definition used by National Counterterrorism Center NCTC states that terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence directed against non-combatants (Benjamin, D. 2010,August 5). According to Narcoterrorism (2010, December 6), former Peru President coined the term narcoterrorism when describing terrorist-type attacks against nation’s anti-narcotics policy. The term was originally understood to mean â€Å"the attempts of narcotics traffickers to influence the policies of a government or a society through violence and intimidation and to hinder the enforcement of the law and the administration of justice by the systematic threat or use of such violence (Narcoterrorism). FARC, ELN, Hamas, Taliban, and AUC in Colombia, and PCP- SL in Peru are all known terrorist organizations that engage in drug trafficking activity to fund their operations and gain recruits and expertise. Describing the horrific killing and torturing tactics Los Zetas use against their countrymen, government, innocent men, women, and children could be best described as simply terrorist, the best term when describing them would be narcoterrorist. Their battle against their own and the United States is not deeply rooted to a religion or some other similar ideology known terrorist organization’s base their practice on. These cartels are simply money hungry, power tripping, double crossing, unfaithful to any cause, and will burn their own to reach their desired level. The War on Drugs is not a new concept simply invented overnight by someone to calm people down or put the fear into those pushing and selling. According to Head (2011), there is a history dating back to the early 1900’s when the Harrison Tax Act of 1914 was enforced to restrict the sale of heroin and cocaine. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 attempted to tax marijuana because it was an alleged â€Å"getaway drug† for heroin uses and was popular among Mexican- American immigrants. President Eisenhower was considered the first president to literally call for a war on drugs and he stressed his determination by establishing mandatory minimum federal sentences for possession of marijuana, cocaine, and opiates. The increase in federal penalties was under the Narcotic Control Act of 1956. Today the war on drugs has made it difficult to determine what is legal and illegal. Depending on the drug and the wording of drug policy legislation, narcotics are illegal except when prescribed to a certain individual. In 1996 California legalized marijuana for medical use and both the Bush and Obama administration have arrested California medical marijuana distributors (Head). The current strategy for the War on Drugs as determined by President Obama’s drug policy coordinator, which is end War on Drugs terminology and attempt to rebrand federal antidrug efforts as simple harm- reduction strategies (Head). Head also quoted â€Å"you can’t declare war on inanimate objects, social phenomena, moods, or abstractions— and it’s a rhetorical convention that has determined the way our country views drug policy enforcement (Head). If you can’t declare war on these inanimate objects, social phenomena, moods or abstractions, and you can’t declare war on a country without resources to fight a war, than how do you rid the world of narcoterrorist? It’s simply not possible. Mexico has been the main foreign supplier of marijuana and methamphetamines to the U. S. Dr ug cartels have been illegally transporting an estimated 70 % of foreign narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States and other countries but were not transporting in such violent methods as used today (Mexico Drug War, 2011, January 3). Mexican Drug War also states that Mexico only accounts for a small share of worldwide heroin production but is the major distributor of heroin introduced into the United States. The U. S. Department estimates 90% of the cocaine is mainly produced by Colombia but entered into the U. S. through Mexico. Mexico and the U. S. borders have been used since the mid- 1980’s when Mexico had established organizations competent and reliable to transport Colombian cocaine. Mexican cartels were given 30 % to 50 % of the cocaine shipment which led the cartels to become traffickers and distributors. Although the first few decades after the development of the cartels was passive, since 2006 the Mexican Cartels have turned deadly battling for territory rights and turning on each other. According to Timeline of the Mexican Drug War (2010, December 18), the deployment of Mexican Army soldiers into Michoacan to end drug violence was regarded as the first major retaliation made against cartel violence in Mexico and was regarded as the starting point of the Mexican Drug War between the government and drug cartels. The war escalated with each increase in military troops making Los Zeta’s violence against Mexicans harsher and frequent. It was reported 150 Mexican soldiers and police officers were killed as opposed to the 500 cartel gunmen killed in 2006. Violence surged and by 2008 there was a record of 5, 630 death. The kidnapping, torture, and decapitation of seven off duty soldiers and one police commander were included in this death toll. In 2008 high ranking police officials and government officials were gunned down or executed. The decapitated heads of the off duty police officials were left in a shopping center to be found with a threatening note to the military. Their terrorism tactics have since left their marks to be remembered. With Los Zetas becoming more violent and demanding more plaza’s the need for outside and local forces free from corruption is highly in demand. Regardless of the attempts to weed out those with possible links to Los Zetas or any cartel will remain impossible to prevent the introduction of new and easily corrupted officials. This can be said for their recruitment of poor, military, law enforcement and government officials. According to Los Zetas, their main recruits are all corrupted ex- federal, state, and local police officers as well as the poor men and women and former Kaibiles from Guatemala. This group does recruit women to help run the organization. The Kaibilies are special operations force of the Guatemala military and specialize in jungle warfare tactics and counter- insurgency operations (Kaibilies, 2010 November 2). There is also hierarchy within the group, just like other organized crime organizations. According to Los Zetas there are five groups. The first group consisted of the Los Halcones (The Hawks) and they were responsible for monitoring the distribution zones. The second group is the Las Ventanas (The Windows) who are bike-riding mid- teens responsible for warning the presence of police and other suspicious individuals near small stores that sell drugs. The Los Manosos (The Tricky Ones) gathered the arms. Los Zetas employ prostitute women who are called Los Leopardos (Leapards). The Los Zetas also have the Direccion (Command) which consists of 20 communications experts who intercept phone calls, follow and identify suspicious automobiles and are also known to accomplish kidnappings and executions. All of these groups form the composition of Los Zetas (Los Zetas). Los Zetas can also be compared to al- Qaida, in that their myriads of extensive criminal activities. They kidnap, murder- for- hire, use extortion, money- launder, smuggle humans and are involved with oil siphoning. Like al Qaeda, they have adopted a cell- like structure to limit the information known about members within the organization. Los Zeta’s boldness and cells are spread globally and it has been reported that the FBI were warned that a Los Zetas cell in Texas would use full tactical response if they intervened on their operations. Los Zetas have been able to take over and lord over a great deal of territories by battling it out with their enemies. Los Zetas is mainly based in the border region of Nuevo Laredo and have established lookouts in airports, bus stations, and main roads. They are also along the Gulf Coast region, Tabasco, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Chiaps, Pacific Coast states, including Guerror, Oaxaca, Michocan, and in Mexico City. Los Zetas hires Mexican gangs such as the Texas Syndicate and MS-13 to carry out their contract killings (Los Zetas). According to the NarcoGuerra Times the DEA officials in Canada, Italy, and Mexico had arrested 175 members of the Zetas who were connected with the Ndrangheta. Los Zeta’s has been operating in approximately 47 countries and have been said to have established connections with the Italian Calabrian mafia known as Ndrangheta (NarchGuerra Times, 2009, September 19). There is research showing the Zetas and Ndrangheta had been working together for more than two years, since Europe needed the cocaine. The main reason their connection is important is because Ndrangheta is considered a major transnational criminal organization dealing in nuclear waste. Their partnership has also allowed the Zetas to advance their money laundering, real estate and human trafficking into Europe (Narco Guerra Times). Forming alliances with foreign countries organized criminal divisions will only make it harder for the Mexican government fight their war against the cartels and for these countries to fight their wars on drugs. America has been battling with the war on drugs and so have other countries’ making it harder to clean up the streets is becoming more impossible with each cell developed in other locations. Mexico’s battle with corruption within all the levels of police departments and constant recruitments with gangs across the border and international waters has made it harder for Homeland Security to fight the battle. Mexico’s war against the cartels seem to only be escalating the issue and although many of the main cartel members throughout the different territories have been brought to justice, it seems their war on that side of the border is not accomplishing much but more bled shed on both sides of the border. As one of the strongest and dominant countries, America could provide the assistance needed. Many may debate this or feel America has their hand in too many countries affairs but the fact remains the brutality and narcoterrorist tactics used by Los Zetas and other cartels will continue to increase. This is not saying President Calderon has rejected American help or has been using other security tactics to help prosecute criminals associated with known narcoterrorist organizations. According to Hansen (2008, November 20), Mexico has pursued different methods for security tactics including extraditing alleged criminals to the United States, including the head of the Gulf Cartel. They have also been actively attempting to dismantle illegal methamphetamine labs, cocaine shipments, and eradicate marijuana. This shows promise but only twenty six meth labs were dismantled between 2002 and 2007. President Calderon developed a 2008 constitutional reform that merged their Federal Preventive Police (PFP) and the Federal Agency of Investigation (AFI). The AFI is similar to the FBI and gathers intelligence and the PFP is responsible for maintaining public order but does not have investigative abilities. President Calderon constitutional reforms of 2008 also called for reforms on criminal procedures. The reforms include oral trials with public proceedings, sentencing based on the evidence presented during trial, judges who are allowed to quickly rule on search warrant requests (Hansen). Their old ways used written trial procedures that could last for years. These efforts show some willingness to adopt new and effective methods using foreign help and using modern legal methods but it is still not enough. According to Hernandez (2010, February 25), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) based out of Vienna stated that Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina were sending out the wrong messages in their legislative and judicial developments that were aimed to decriminalize the possession of some drugs. With their declaration Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina rebutted and claimed that the INCB was overstepping their organizations mandated and were unwarranted intrusions in their countries sovereign decision-making and that the INCB has no jurisdiction over police changes made within sovereign nations. In 2009 Mexico decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine (Hernandez). Brazil replaced prison sentences with education and treatment for small-time drug offenders in 2006. In 2009 Argentina’s Supreme Court declared punishment for possession of marijuana for personal use as unconstitutional. Argentina also called INCB’s arrogant for questioning the highest judicial authority of a sovereign state. Hernandez also stated that the INCB was deeply concerned with the United States moving towards legalizing or regularizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes may send the wrong message to other countries. The INCB had a legitimate concern for these countries actions of making it easier for criminals to pursue selling and people using marijuana and other drugs. In the United States inmates are allowed to pursue an education or gain their GED to help them gain employment when released but this does not prevent repeated offenders. Taking tough actions and measures is the only way to decrease crime and drug usage. Mexico’s President taking two steps forward and then two steps back is only causing confusion for others to know what actions they need to take. The hard core facts that these Mexican narcoterrorist organizations were developed by corrupted ex military or law enforcement officials make it hard for the rest of the world to believe Mexico is competent to battle against the cartels or protect heir citizens from the unthinkable. With Mexico’s incompetence comes inpatient Americans’ willing and ready to battle for their land. When the Arizona rancher was found dead on his land it was automatically assumed illegal immigrants had killed him. Arizona government officials quickly used his death as an example to push forwa rd their Senate Bill 1070. Now other states have developed similar versions for their own state immigration laws. The growing concern has somewhat shifted from illegal immigration, to how to battle Los Zetas and other cartels. Arizona’s Bill may have opened people’s eyes to the growing problem of illegal immigrants advancing in the United States, but no one in their right mind could have ever imagined seeing those poor immigrants hog tied, gagged, and executed by Los Zetas; for trying to make it across the border. The American people don’t want the Mexican’s killed, simply accounted for. When talking about Los Zeta’s and their narcoterrorist ways, it seems impossible not to think of them as terrorist in the same class as al Qaeda. They may not share the same fanatical ideology as al Qaeda but their terrorist tactics used against the Mexican and American people is on the same level. With the vast growth of their cells spreading globally and forming alliances with known organizations handling nuclear waste, the threat they pose to all those against them is even scarier than those threats by al Qaeda supporters living in the United States. Mexico has been using underground tunnels and smuggling drugs, humans, and weapons across both sides of the borders for decades. There have been reports that al Qaeda has helped train Los Zetas recruits with similar tactics. These Mexican military deserters have trained in the same American military installation, Fort Bragg, as known al Qaedan terrorist members have. The connection is too great and should not be ignored. Los Zeta’s is in a country that has a poor economy but extremely rich in the illegal drug trade. The promise of pay, respect, and fear is what appeals to those who join their ranks. This can be said for any organization. The Mexican government will not be able to use only their military forces to combat against these cartels. Los Zetas has proven they have no loyalty to any one organization but to themselves and their greed for territory and wealth has been fueling their fire. President Calderon should not wait for a full out battle to develop between the cartels and the cartels against the Mexican military. Zetas is growing rapidly and stronger with support and alliances from other countries. Instead President Calderon should call upon Mexico’s allies for help battling them and cleaning up their streets. These cartels have gained their intelligence from working on the inside and gaining as much intelligence, expertise, and experience as possible. Their knowledge, tactics, and alliances will keep them thriving and defining who they are. It is up to the Mexican government to develop solutions to their economic crisis, drug laws, and protection of the people. Their military can only combat so long for so little pay and then they will turn to the darker side. If they paid their people enough salary there would be fewer traitors. It’s like a mother developing rules for her children and expecting them to follow without having to actually enforce them. Countries have been known to break down barriers such as Germany. Countries have also sat by and watched a power hungry Jew hating man murder thousands of innocent people before calling in the big guns. Countries should not sit idly by and watch thousands of people get slaughtered because some men in uniform are greedy for territorial rights and making money by distributing, marketing, laundering drugs, humans, and weapons. There are American military installations located across Border States and if that is what it takes, so be it. References Arturo Guzman Decena. (2010, November 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:30, January 2, 2010. From http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Arturo_Guzm%C3%A1n_Decena&oldid=399212394 Benjamin, D. (2010, August 5). Briefing on the release of country reports on terrorism for 2009. U. S. Department of State: Diplomacy in action Retrieved January 2, 2010 from http://www. state. gov/s/ct/rls/rm/2010/145734. htm Borderland Beat Reporter Overmex (2010, August 26). Zetas Massacre 72 Illegal Immigrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas. Borderland Beat: reporting on the Mexican Cartel drug war. Retrieved December 2, 2010 from http://www. orderlandbeat. com/2010/08/zetas-massacre-72-illegal-immigrants-in .html Hansen, S. (2008, November 20). Mexico’s Drug War. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2010, December 30 2010 from http://www. cfr. org/publications/13689/mexicos_drug_war. htm Head, T. (2011). History of the War on Drugs. About. com Civil Liberties. Retrieved 2011, December 2, 2010 from http://civilliberty. about. com/od/drugpolicy/tp/W ar-on-Drugs-History. Hernandez, D. (2010, February 25). The International Narcotics Control Board criticizes several Latin American countries. La Plaza: News from Latin American and the Caribbean. Retrieved December 22, 2010 from http://latimesblogs. latimes. com/laplaza/2010/02/united-nations-latin-america-international-narcotics-control-board-incb-mexico-brazil-argentina. html Kaibilies. (2010, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 2, 2010 from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Kaibiles&oldid=395893797 Los Zetas. (2010, November 22). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 27, 2010 from http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Los_Zetas NarcoGuerra Times (2009, September 19). Zetas/La Compania, Ndrangheta and the Nuclear Options. NarcoGuerra Times. Retrieved from http://narcoguerratimes. wordpress. com/2009/09/19/zetasla-compania-ndhrangeta-and-the-nuclear-options/ Narcoterrorism. (2010, December 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 2, 2010 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Narcoterrorism Timeline of the Mexican Drug War. (2010, December 18). In Wikip edia, The Free Encyclopedia Retrieved January 2, 2010 from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? ttle=Timeline_of_the_Mexican_.