Friday, May 29, 2020

Why Being Smart Wont Lead To Academic Success

Self-discipline is a balancing act. Many bright, intelligent, ambitious students have crossed my path throughout my years as aone-on-one academic tutor. Sometimes these students’ parents are confused as to why they don’t seem to be getting the grades they should be getting, or why they aren’t as successful as they are very well capable of being. Well, it’s not just the parents who are concerned – more often than not, it’s the students themselves. And when I say students, this applies to sixteen-year-olds in high school, all the way to professionals in their mid-thirties trying to get into a graduate program. What distinguishes top achievers from others? Are they simply smarter? If so, what explains the wide range of performance among individuals of equal â€Å"intelligence†? In a longitudinal study of 140 students by Professor Angela Duckworth, self-discipline predicted final grades, school attendance, and standardized achievement test scores. In a replication with 164 eighth-graders, a behavioral delay-of-gratification task, a questionnaire on study habits, and a group-administered IQ test were added. Self-discipline measured in the fall accounted for more than twice as much variance as IQ in final grades, school selection, school attendance, hours spent doing homework, hours spent watching television (inversely), and the time of day at which students began their homework. The effect of self-discipline on final grades held even when controlling for first marking period grades, achievement test scores, and measured IQ. These findings suggest a common reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline. Thus, building self-discipline may be the royal road to building academic achievement. Professor Duckworth’s study shows that often, success is not so much about being smart, but about studying smart with the right strategies. For all students, regardless of age or â€Å"intelligence,† the key to high achievement lies in figuring out how to incorporate a productive, efficient study system into their already busy lives. For more study tips from our study skills tutors in Boston and New York, check out these blog posts: Achievement Goals And Why They Matter, Study Skills: 5 Simple Steps for Straight A’s!, and Summer Academics: Make The Most of the â€Å"Lazy† Months. ;

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Moral And Ethical Controversies Of Assisted Suicide

Moral and Ethical Controversies of Assisted Suicide The practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide are something that takes place in hospitals around the world both legally and illegally. It is the act of intentionally causing a patients death or allowing a patient to take their own life by prescribing lethal doses of medication. Until very recently, it was only legal in one state in the United States, Oregon. However, just this past November, Washington also hopped on board. Opinions about the topic vary; some justify it by saying they are putting an end to the patient’s suffering, some simply see it as killing, and others think it depends on the situation. With that being said, if it is ok, at what point do we know? How does this fit†¦show more content†¦This is a case in which those who support euthanasia justify themselves. In most cases euthanasia is usually done by giving a patient a lethal injection or giving them an overdose of medication. Assisting a patien t’s suicide can be characterized by a doctor prescribing lethal doses of medication to a patient; â€Å"Pharmacists dispense them, sometimes with instructions to ‘take all of this with a light snack and alcohol to cause death’† (American Thinker). Advocates of assisted suicide strongly believe that no one should be forced to stay alive if they do not want to, but the problem with this is that sometimes it is done without the patient’s consent, or without them being in the correct state of mind to know what exactly they are agreeing to. Anyone has the right to commit suicide if they wish to, but euthanasia and assisted suicide is one person aiding the death of another, and that is what is immoral. It changes from the right to die to the right to kill. Oregon was the first and only state for nearly ten years to legalize assisted suicide. According to USA Today, â€Å"In 1994 Oregon voters by a margin of 51 percent approved the Death with Dignity Actà ¢â‚¬ , which was passed in November of 1997 (USA Today). The Supreme Court ruled that there was no constitutional right or prohibition of euthanasia or physician assisted suicide, thus allowing Oregon to experiment with the legalization of it. The Act â€Å"allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Public Policy Analysis The Affordable Care Act ( Aca )

Introduction â€Å"The purpose of public policy is to direct problems to government and secure government’s response, while politics is the use of influence to direct the responses toward goals† (Milstead, 2013, p. 12). Policies are used as guidelines to reach a common goal. In healthcare, policies can affect and have an impact on how we provide care for our patients’. For this reason, it is important for nurses to be knowledgeable and involved in important healthcare decisions. â€Å"Knowledgeable nurses in advanced practice must demonstrate their commitment to action by being a part of relevant decisions that will ensure the delivery of quality health care by appropriate providers in a cost-effective manner† (Milstead, 2013, p. 1). Public Policy Analysis Health care driver policy was designed to address The Healthcare reform is a public policy that is currently impacting the nursing practice. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to address the cost, quality of healthcare and access to healthcare in the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is â€Å"the 2010 health reform act that could extend insurance coverage to as many as 32 million Americans. The law also included regulations that affect the quality of coverage insurers must offer. Additionally, the law created a range of initiatives focused on encouraging reform in how medical care is organized and delivered, with a goal of reducing costs and improving quality and outcomes. Finally, otherShow MoreRelatedHealth Care Is A Controversial Matter That Unceasingly1502 Words   |  7 PagesHealth care is a controversial matter that unceasingly comprises of disagreements within the government. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one hot button issue th at has been in the news since being signed into law. 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Every stateRead MorePersonal Values And Beliefs And Values872 Words   |  4 Pagesbeliefs and values are on par with the present health care policy in the United States (U.S.). I value and believe in compassion, empathy and respect. People have the right to access basic medical care when they are sick. So, there should be universal healthcare for the people at a cost that is affordable to them. The health care charge must be on the basis of income with a cap. The people who are under the poverty line should receive health care at free of cost. As the i ncome level increases, there

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Internet And Digital Technologies

Question: Discuss about the Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Internet And Digital Technologies. Answer: Critical analysis of the impact of internet and digital technologies on each of the Five Competitive Forces External business environment analysis is a vital strategy of the organizations that help them to identify and understand the potential opportunities and threats and take actions accordingly. One of many important and effective tools for external environment analysis is the Porters Five Forces Framework. This tool is beneficial for competition analysis, which addresses the factors, such as, industry rivalry, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants and threat of substitutes (Rothaermel 2015). Industry rivalry refers to the competition from the existing rivals. This is a major factor that determines the organizational performance as well as competitiveness. A good understanding of the industry rivalry helps in adopting the most suitable marketing strategy. Competition may come from innovation, promotional activities, non-price competition, degree of transparency etc. (Grant 2016). Bargaining power of suppliers originates from the input market. All kinds of supplies can give the suppliers bargaining power with the firm that can have an influence on the business operation. The bargaining power of buyers originates from the output market and the behavior of the customers can shape the organizational performance through the demands and purchasing behavior. Threat of new entrants comes from new competitors in the market. When an industry becomes profitable, it attracts new entrants along with some other impacts. Lastly, threat of substitutes originates from substitute products or services and ease of switching (E. Dobbs 2014). According to Benmamoun et al. (2016), the internet and digital technology sector of Kuwait has become increasingly significant for the economy in the last few years. The mobile and internet infrastructure and the services have presented the great potential for the organizations. However, as the competition is increasing not only in the domestic market, but also in the international market due to increased FDI and global business policies, the external environment analysis required to find out the impact of the digital technologies on the five competitive forces. The impact of internet and digital technologies of Kuwait on the each of the five competitive forces are as follows. Threat of new entrants The digital business has changed the nature of the competition. Here the threats of new entrants not only come from the physical stores, but also from the digital platforms. The biggest example of this type of competition is the emergence and popularity of the e-commerce websites, such as, Amazon, Ebay and Souq. There are digital business models and platforms for new technology, that are available to every business in the industry and there can be arrival of new business entities in the digital world at any point of time due to reduced barriers to entry (Evans 2015). Digital businesses require less capital and can yield large economies of scale at a shorter time. There is also enhanced cyber security resulting in increased value proposition of the business. The nature of business is far more transitory and dynamic due to the enhanced internet and digital technology, which makes the competition intense (Pagani and Pardo 2017). Threat of substitutes In the digital business, the threat of substitutes comes from either purely digital substitute products or from a hybrid digital or physical substitute. The example of hybrid digital business model is that of the taxi services, Uber, Abi Taxi and Q8 Taxi in Kuwait who provide a mobile app to the customers to book the physical service (kuwaitlocal.com 2018). The incidence is similar in case of home delivery services in Kuwait where people choose the app for convenience. The switching cost is less in case of digital business substitutes, for example, it takes smartphones and mobile internet and only a few second to download and install the app and start using the service. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers have a great bargaining power in the internet and digital business. They can either speed up or slow down the integration of the digital business model depending on its impact on their own business. If the suppliers follow traditional business model, they would not accept the digital business easily and would enforce their bargaining power for not using the new technology. In case of ride-sharing or room sharing businesses, which is supported by the new technology using businesses are promoted for convenience for both the supplier and the buyers, however, the traditional businesses do not support this type of business idea and hence, may not provide adequate support for the business establishment (Rothaermel 2015). Bargaining power of buyers The consumers have immense bargaining power in the modern world due to instant access to the information through the internet, access to the social media, reviews, feedbacks, access to substitute products or services and price sensitivity (Evans 2015). It is the biggest force of competition as the digital businesses have emerged from the needs, demands and expectations of the customers. The level of convenience and quality of products and services are influenced by the bargaining power of the consumers. Industry rivalry All types of businesses face the challenge of industry rivalry as there are many existing firms in that industry. In case of internet and digital technology industry of Kuwait, there are multiple companies that are close rivals of each other. Some of the major telecom companies of Kuwait are Qualitynet, Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), KIPCO, Mobile Telecommunications Co (MTC) / Zain, Ooredoo Kuwait, Kuwait Telecom Company (KTC) / Viva, FASTtelco, and CITRA (Palejwala 2013). In the age of digital businesses, the intensity and degree of rivalry has increased considerably. The barriers to entry and exit have decreased due to low cost business models. Many times, the entrants do not have to own any physical asset, infrastructure or large capital and hence, they can give hard competition by spending on the quality of products and services and enhancing the customer experience (Palacios-Marqus, Soto-Acosta and Merig 2015). Internet and digital technologies have changed the course of business. These have widened the horizon of business from local to global. The five competitive forces are greatly influenced by the internet and digital technologies that have changed the way of business in Kuwait in the last few years. Four threats of entry to new entrants in small scale entrepreneurship in Kuwait and ways to overcome them The major four threats of entry that the new entrants in the small scale entrepreneurship in Kuwait faces are the government regulations, switching cost, financial constraints, and economies of scale (Koch 2011). Like the other Middle East countries, Kuwaits economy is also heavily dependent on the oil production and export. Although the economy has developed significantly, yet the predominance of oil still exists. Kuwait is an expensive place for doing business. There is requirement to have a Kuwaiti agent for the business entities. The oil and gas production and exploration sector has a closed nature, and their aversion to risk have resulted in slow growth of the business sector, especially for the small scale entrepreneurship (Alhajeri 2012). The small scale entrepreneurs face a lot of government regulations, that make their entry into an established market difficult. Being small in size, these businesses often face challenges to meet the business requirements set up by the government. Switching cost for the customers is high while changing the preference to established companies to new companies. The people in Kuwait mostly prefer to trust and do business with known firms, rather than with new firms. The most common problem for the small scale businesses is the lack of adequate capital (Burns 2016). The small businesses often cannot enter the market due to lack of capital and necessary infrastructure. Lastly, economies of scale is a major threat to entry to the small scale businesses. The sectors are already established and being small scale entrepreneurs, they cannot afford to produce on a large scale and enjoy the benefits of economies of scale. To overcome the above mentioned constraints, firstly, the small scale businesses should focus on getting adequate capital through loans from the banks and other financial institutions. The complex business environment of Kuwait requires patience, persistence and flexibility and hence, to face the government relations, personal relations and careful planning are important in Kuwait (Kenny and Dyson 2016). The small scale businesses should focus on the market entry strategies that would minimize the switching cost of the consumers and should also focus on delivering the best quality of product and services at a lower cost. Once they capture the market share by building a close relationship with the customers, they should focus on expanding and enjoying economies of scale. Thus, it can be said that, Kuwait being one of the most developed countries in the Middle East still has predominance over the oil industry for economic growth. The small businesses face the challenges of inadequate capital, government regulations, switching cost for the consumers and economies of scale that creates threats of entry into a new market. The small scale entrepreneurships in Kuwait must handle these challenges through building relationships and getting adequate finances to establish the businesses successfully in the market. References Alhajeri, A., 2012.The Financing and Success Factors of Small Business in Kuwait. [ebook] Available at: https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/5315086/Small_BusinessPDF.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Benmamoun, M., Sobh, R., Singh, N. and Moura, F.T., 2016. Gulf Arab E?Business Environment: Localization Strategy Insights.Thunderbird International Business Review,58(5), pp.439-452. Burns, P., 2016.Entrepreneurship and small business. Palgrave Macmillan Limited. Dobbs, M., 2014. Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates.Competitiveness Review,24(1), pp.32-45. Evans, N., 2015.How digital business disrupts the five forces of industry competition. [online] CIO. Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/2976572/emerging-technology/digital-disruption-from-the-perspective-of-porters-five-forces-framework.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Kenny, B. and Dyson, K., 2016.Marketing in small businesses. Routledge. Koch, D., 2011.Challenges to SME Development in Kuwait. [ebook] UNDP Kuwait. Available at: https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/KWT/SME%20Challenges%20Final%20Report%20KUWAIT%20Nov%2011.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. kuwaitlocal.com, 2018.Kuwait Local | Q8 Taxi. [online] Kuwaitlocal.com. Available at: https://www.kuwaitlocal.com/business/q8-taxi [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Pagani, M. and Pardo, C., 2017. The impact of digital technology on relationships in a business network.Industrial Marketing Management,67, pp.185-192. Palacios-Marqus, D., Soto-Acosta, P. and Merig, J.M., 2015. Analyzing the effects of technological, organizational and competition factors on Web knowledge exchange in SMEs.Telematics and Informatics,32(1), pp.23-32. Palejwala, M., 2013.Kuwait Telecom Industry. [ebook] Capital Standards: Industry Report. Available at: https://www.infomercatiesteri.it/public/images/paesi/107/files/Kuwait%20Telecom%20Industry_pdf%202_13%20Capitalstandards.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015. Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education.