Critique of Research Studies Part-3 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critique of Studies Part-3 - Research Paper Example The research had two groups, with one on the self-management services program while the other one was Non-SMS. The researchers assumed that the differences between the two groups were the result of the self-management services program. The research used Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows (version 16; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) as the main statistical analysis tool. Comparison of the two groups in the study relied on the v2 test and variance analysis. In order to estimate the time and ratings of the dialysis process, the researchers opted for the Kaplan–Meier method. These methods successfully helped control for the occurrence of confounding variables. The researchers minimized the occurrence of both type 1 and 2 types of errors by ensuring a careful calculation of a significant p-value that served as a guide in the rejection of either the null and the alternate hypotheses. The nurses charged with the role of data collection and entry did a diligent job because th ere was no issue of missing data since data was available for the 54 patients. Findings The researchers present comprehensive finding from the two groups with emphasis accorded to the statistical significance. In all cases, the p-value is provided and there is evidence of effect size as the researchers focused on establishing the differences between the two groups of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. There is good user of tables and figures in the representation results. The confidence intervals seem reasonable in addressing the parameters for an unknown population. Moreover, the presented findings from both groups and variables considered suffice to allow a meta-analysis in comparison to different sets of data obtained from related studies. Discussion Interpretation of Findings It is evident that the researchers embarked on an extensive process of interpreting the presented results. There is an elaboration of the meaning and significance of measuring all the variables highlighted in the report. Apparently, the researchers have discussed the results within the framework described in the introduction. Therefore, the discussion exhibits relevance to the context of chronic kidney disease and the effect of the self-management services. The researchers have made a point of justifying all the causal inferences inherent from their findings. Evidently, all interpretations provided in the discussion section have a good basis contextually, making them well founded. In addition, there is evidence of consistency of the discussions offered and the research limitations. As expected, the research presented its unique limitations especially in definition of the effect size that highlights the difference between the SMS and Non-SMS groups. The researchers also paid attention to the generalizability of the findings to a greater population. Implications/recommendations The researchers highlight the implications of their study in accordance to the presented findings . It becomes apparent that the self-management services program designed to address the issues that the patients consider as critical effective in reducing the rate at which the

The Role of Religion in the Formation of America Essay

The Role of Religion in the Formation of America - Essay Example â€Å"Religion was an important issue for many Americans in their personal lives at the time of the American Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution†¦ Religion played a formative role in many of the colonies at the time of their founding.† (Merriman, 68) Plymouth Plantation was founded by a group including separatists, who are known as the Pilgrims, and it was one of the earliest colonies to be founded by the English in North America which provided the first sizable stable English settlement in the region. Plymouth Plantation was an important settlement for the people were fleeing religious persecution and searching for an appropriate place to worship their God. Thus, the people of the Plymouth Plantation were very religious and its social and legal systems were intimately linked to the religious beliefs of the settlers. The influence of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation on the formation of our country is indisputable and the people and events of this colony have formed part of our folklore. Similarly, the works of Roger Williams, the controversial young Puritan minister and the founder of Rhode Island, have greatly influenced the formation of our country.

Sales and Marketing Hotel Lodging Industry Essay

Sales and Marketing Hotel Lodging Industry - Essay Example New products contribute substantially to profitable sales (Drejer, 2002). The necessity of adding new products that will yield profits to sustain corporate growth is clear. Products also level out seasonal impacts, spread risks, use talents, capitalize on tax advantages, and replace obsolescent items. Sales and marketing work together in order to ensure effective service delivery and customer satisfaction processes. In lodging industry, business success depends on producing the right product at the right time. New-product development is risky, for market opportunity is couched in uncertainty and instability, and competitive system and the unpredictability of customer reaction increases the risk. in spite of benefits and opportunities proposed by this model, recent years there is a growing number of research studies proving its limitations and weaknesses for modern business. Applied to consumer behavior, it is possible to say that sales managers give a special attention to importance of channels of distribution and marketing mix. Distribution channels are the vehicles for matching companies with customers. They establish the arrangements and paths for the flow of product and title to ultimate users. They move products and information to markets and provide the funnel for the feedb ack of information to the producer. As networks of marketing agencies, they constitute a system-a loose but formal coalition of independent entities linked together to distribute products and services.. As the links between companies and markets, they can impede or foster the effectiveness of the rest of the marketing mix. Distribution channels cover a wide range of situations. At one end are found the complicated linkage of manufacturers and their branches, agents and brokers, other wholesalers, and retailers for the movement of certain consumer goods. At the other is the direct distribution of heavy machinery. Between lie a variety of channel assortments (Mintzberg et al 2004). Which one works best depends on the company and its products and markets at a certain time. Distribution channels are essential components of economic system. The efficient movement of goods and competition both depend on sales management. Nevertheless, as economists often assume, the channels do not perfor m cost-less activities. Using resources to sort supply and match it with demand, they try to bring both activities into balance. Through channels, companies organize supply and markets and endeavor to develop their own best opportunities (Drejer, 2002). In lodging and hotel industry, market segmentation is one of the main concepts used by marketing companies to divide the market between particular target groups and meet needs and wants of target customers. Divergent service policies adjust product lines to individual market segments -- they implement market segmentation. By assuming that demand is heterogeneous, market positioning strategy obtains a better match with distinguishable market segments. Service differentiation gives marketers a share of a broad, horizontal market, whereas market segmentation tends to result in cultivation of a market position in depth. Given

Quality, Productivity and Process Improvement for the California DMV Essay

Quality, Productivity and Process Improvement for the California DMV - Essay Example However, they want to provide efficient services to their customers. For this reason, the director of the company along with the steering committee took steps to plan a business re-engineering project. They monitor each aspect of the business functions of the agency thoroughly. This is done to find those weak points which required to be changed. In this situation when the agency’s motive is to increase their quality of service and performance, re-engineering of the business process is done. Re-engineering involves uprooting the weak points in the system totally, planning out a new framework for a solution and finally implementing the designed solution. The business policies supporting these systems also need to be changed along with the new framework. This will not only bring productivity but enhance the performance level of the company as a whole. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Analysis 5 Discussion 7 Application 8 Conclusion 9 References 11 Introduction The Cali fornia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is a state government owned agency which registers the vehicles and boats in the state of California. They issue driver's licenses in the state to the vehicle owners. The agency also regulates the car dealers, commercial vehicles, the private driving schools and the traffic schools. The Department of Motor Vehicles works in coordination with the Superior Courts of California. It is responsible for carefully monitoring the wrong practices, if any, and regulates the licensing activities. Its headquarters is in Sacramento. There are about 9,000 employees working in the agency in different places. Nowadays, DMV has converted its licensing and registration activities into online services through an automated system called Automated Management Information System (AMIS) (Carroll, 1991, p. 210-211). In this study we are going to analyze the problem areas of DMV, the hurdles that it faces due to the old framework of the agency, and the degrading qual ity of services provided by the employees. After exploring these issues and finding out the causes behind their occurrence, the probable solutions can be suggested. The agency deals with a large number of vehicle owners around the country. Moreover, the task of regulating and monitoring can be really vital when the agency is state owned and is controlled by the Superior Courts of the state. But it is generally seen that state owned agencies are usually run on the age old policies and regulations. They do not introduce any new framework or structure or strategy into the system to encourage growth. This leads to regarding quality services. The employees become corrupt and involved in taking bribes. Analysis DMV in California is a state owned agency regulating and monitoring the vehicles and boats and their owners in California. The agency is run by the government under the supervision of the Superior Courts. So it can be understood that the framework of rules and regulations is old, t he structure of the organization and the functions and strategies need to be changed or amended. Major changes were required in the service delivery departments of driving license, personal and commercial vehicles. DMV mainly wanted to improve the quality of services they were offering to their customers. The performance of the employees as well as the IT department was poor due to their outdated technology and networking. So it is important to first see what quality means and how they can improve

Academic Performance and Personal Growth and Development Essay

Academic Performance and Personal Growth and Development - Essay Example The purpose and goal of any educational institution are to introduce and instal a set of knowledge and skills to the students and together with the parents and/or guardians act as the custodians of personal development through discovering and nurturing talents. A given education institutions will have students from all economic, social and cultural divides; students talented differently, with different perspectives on the education and learning systems and with different post-school aspirations, and it’s the work of the institution and relevant stakeholders (Joyce, 2011) to match these traits to help them achieve maximum in school life. These students may explicitly and/or implicitly depict or showcase their attributes in that some are physically active in both the academic and extra curriculum activities whereas others may be passive in any of them or both (Rayner & Cools, 2011). This will in one way or the other influence their academic performance and personal growth and de velopment both at the college and after college which is similar but different to some extent and this paper seeks to contrast the academic performance, leadership/ administrative roles and post-school lives of active and passive students. Apart from ensuring students cognitively understand the subject matter; institutions are also interested to ensure that graduates can make good leaders, an attributed nurtured within the institution. Active students tend are involved in leadership roles to a greater extent than the passive students but comparatively lack administrative skills; a factor that can be attributed to rationality and perceptions between these students (Scherer, 2010).

Internal Audit Function and Fraud Detection in Government Essay Example for Free

Internal Audit Function and Fraud Detection in Government Essay CHAPTER ONE 1. 0Introduction This chapter will cover the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, the objectives, the research questions, and the scope, the significance of the study and the structure of the report. 1. 1Background of the Study According to Hector Perela, (2009), Internal auditing function with other intervention mechanisms like financial reporting and external audit to helps maintain cost-efficient contracting between owners and managers. It is designed by government agencies to add value and improve organizational performance. It helps organizations accomplish their objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approaches to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes. † Internal audit helps organizations to ensure that financial and other records are reliable and complete. As well as ensuring that management adheres to policies and procedures for orderly and efficient conduct of the business, proper recording and safeguarding of assets and resources. The purpose of internal audit as far as the organization is concerned is to get accounting errors corrected and control weaknesses eliminated. The most testing time for the internal auditor is the report he/she writes to achieve this end. No precise legal definition of fraud exists; many of the offences referred to as fraud are covered by the Theft Acts of 1968 and 1978. Generally, the term is used to describe such acts as deception, bribery, forgery, extortion, corruption, theft, conspiracy, embezzlement, misappropriation, false representation, concealment of material facts and collusion. For practical purposes fraud may be defined as the use of deception with the intention of obtaining an advantage, avoiding an obligation or causing loss to another part. Internal Audit, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK) On one hand, fraud detection in government agencies involves employees or managers of the victim organization (commercial angles news letters 2001), the most effective tools for fraud detection are internal audit review, specific investigation by management, employee notification, and accidental discovery. Fraud detection helps Management to address its responsibility through development of an appropriate design of the system of internal control and the effective operation of that system. Numerous fraud prevention and detection techniques are now utilized to reduce the direct and indirect costs associated with all forms of fraud. These various techniques include but are not limited to: fraud policies, telephone hot lines, employee reference checks, fraud vulnerability reviews, vendor contract reviews and sanctions, analytical reviews , password protection, firewalls, digital analysis and other forms of software technology, and discovery sampling (Thomas and Gibson, 2003). Government departments implements the ideas and decisions of executive government in a particular area of governance. Each department is led by a minister in charge or commissioner, and the main work of the department is determined by legislation. Despite the internal audit function, many government agencies fail to detect fraud for example loss of huge monies in NAADS. The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is a Ugandan government agency created in 2001 to improve rural livelihoods by increasing agricultural productivity and profitability.

Creating Safe Environments Essay Example for Free

Creating Safe Environments Essay Collaboration with parents is one of the most challenging and critical issues that cause misunderstandings within the classroom and throughout the school building. It is a non-negotiable expectation among parents and teachers that include building a network between and among parents and teachers. It involves a sense of mutual respect as well as an understanding of different viewpoints. Teachers should be mindful that building relationships early in the school year will result in a positive classroom environment in which students have a secure place to learn. Parents and teachers should share expertise regarding the student in which information about learning styles are presented in a non-threatening manner. Teachers should be able to use limited amounts of teacher language so parents are able to understand expectations within the classroom as well as establish guidelines for following up on strategies at home. As a parent, I would appreciate a relationship with the person who spends most of the day with my child. I would gain insight into the way my child thinks in various situations to create a deeper understanding of relationships in the real world. The need for character education for parents lies in the fact that children should be shown examples of good character both at home and at school. â€Å"School has to build the work that the family does† (Lickona, 2009). Parents should unequivocally be involved and taught character education strategies. Much of what we see as teachers is a reflection of a poor home environment as parents who live complicated lives. Many are single parents and lack the time or resources to handle the complex problems of children today. They want nothing more than for their children to be successful, but as educators, it is our responsibility to provide resources for parents such as strategies and techniques, parenting courses with childcare and methods which foster values that all people should acquire in society. In this ever changing world, I, as a parent would welcome some insight to how my children are becoming part of the world they live in. This collaboration in character education should be purposeful as is our teaching. The purpose of character education should change the way the classroom works and feels, not just the way each member acts (Lichona, 1991).