Keeping Pets

The disadvantages of keeping prairie dogs as pets far outweigh the advantages. But the cuteness factor of these unique creatures keep the pet trade moving along with more and more people wanting prairie dogs as pets. Before you take on one of these animals into your care, you should weigh all of the factors of ownership so there will be no surprises once the prairie dog is in your home. Advantages Without a doubt, the cuteness and uniqueness factors of the prairie dog are what interest people the most.Not very many people have prairie dogs so some individuals might get the thrill of having the only prairie dog or dogs in the neighborhood. Their sweet faces and rounded bodies are adorable which attract many to wanting to own one of these animals. Their compact size also means they don't take up a lot of space unlike larger animals such as dogs. Besides their constant need for companionship, care for the prairie dog is minimal. They require a clean cage, food and water, and toys for pl ay and exercise. They can be litter box trained and can be fed a high-quality rabbit pellet along with other vegetation.Disadvantages Some prairie dogs do adapt to captivity but not very often. They can become friendly and sociable with humans but when they don't bond with their owner, they can become stressed and bite. Because these are social creatures, they require a lot of attention from their owner. When left alone, prairie dogs can become depressed leading to behavioral problems. When prairie dogs are handled properly when young, they can socialize and become unique pets. However, many of these animals have been taken from their wild habitat and do not adjust to captivity.This causes many behavior issues such as depression and biting. Because prairie dogs chew, they can escape many types of cages and when loose in the house, they can cause quite a bit of damage. Prairie dogs can also carry diseases. An outbreak of monkeypox was noted in pet prairie dogs in 2003. Plague can als o be transmitted to humans through prairie dogs. The chance of this occurring is low however; cases of human plague have been reported to the CDC as a result of contact with prairie dogs. Finding a veterinarian that is knowledgeable with these animals can be difficult.If an owner is faced with a sick prairie dog, they may not have anyone who can diagnose the problem until it is too late. One of the biggest disadvantages of owning prairie dogs is the legality issue. Following the reported cases of monkeypox in 2003, laws were specifically made to ban the capture of wild prairie dogs and restrict the travel of existing captive prairie dogs. The new laws have made it illegal to move prairie dogs from one state to another or even within a state. Some states have made it illegal to own these animals. If you are planning on relocating, you have to receive special permission to do so.The law does allow owners to transport prairie dogs only in the case of seeking veterinary care or movement to a shelter to be euthanized. Overall, prairie dogs are not the best choices for pets. They should not be owned by someone who does not have the time to devote to their care and more importantly, they should not be purchased for children. The numbers of prairie dogs in the wild have steadily been declining in recent years. Many believe that should the promotion of prairie dogs as pets continue, their future could end up like the black-footed ferret – an animal which has reached near extinction in the wild.

Corporate Governance in Family Businesses in Serbia

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN FAMILY BUSINESSES IN SERBIA PhD Katarina Djulic, Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, [email  protected] edu. rs MSc Tanja Kuzman, Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration PhD Katarina Djulic is Assistant Professor at FEFA on subjects of Corporate Finance and Corporate Governance. She also works as Senior Consultant in KPMG Serbia. She worked as an Associate Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group, on the Corporate Governance Program. She holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Belgrade, a Master of Law (LL.M. ) from Northwestern University, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University JFK School of Government, and a PhD degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics. Prior to joining IFC, Ms Djulic worked as a legal adviser to firms in Belgrade and New York and afterwards at the Ministry of Finance, first as an adviser to the Minister and then as an Assistant Minister in cha rge of the Financial System Division. She also worked for European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London in Office of General Council.PhD Djulic was a member of Board of Directors in DDOR, Novi Sad, a member of Supervisory Board in Jubanka, Beograd and Chairwoman of Supervisory Board in Central Securities Depositary and Clearing House, Republic of Serbia. MSc Tanja Kuzman is Teaching Assistant at Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration. She teaches Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance. She is also Advisor for Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance in Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Executive Director of the Institute at Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration and a Member of the Board of Directors of Alumni FEFA.She holds University of Sheffield Masters Degree with Distinction in Banking and Finance, where she was proclaimed as one of the best students, and a BA from the Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration. She was awa rded with two HEAD’s list certificates for outstanding academic achievement of the University of Sheffield and in February 2011 she started her PhD studies in Finance. From September 2009 to December 2011 she worked as Coordinator of the National Competitiveness Council of the Republic of Serbia and Junior Advisor for Economy and Finance in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration.In July 2011 she has spent a month working for European Commission, Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs in Brussels, on the issues related to the financial stability and financial institutions of the European Union. She has finished training on European Negotiations organized by Centre des etudes europeennes de l’ENA from Strasbourg. Abstract Family businesses constitute the world’s oldest and most dominant form of business organizations. In many countries, including Serbia, family businesses play the key role in the economy growth and workfor ce employment.Yet many of them fail to be sustainable in the long-term often due to some specific governance challenges (family business succession, professionalization of the management etc. ). In Serbia, it has recently been recognized that family businesses need more institutional support in the area of corporate governance. The corporate governance scorecard (questionnaire on key aspects of corporate governance) for family businesses in Serbia was developed as part of cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the IFC.This paper presents the results of the scorecard used in assessing corporate governance in seven family businesses in Serbia. Analyses of the results represent a unique case study that provides an overview of the quality of corporate governance in family-owned companies in Serbia. It shows that the state of corporate governance in family businesses on the Serbian market has a lot of distance to go to reach best practice. All companies recognize th e fundamental importance of family governance to their business. However, they lack knowledge and guidance on how to systematically deal with governance challenges.Key words: family businesses, corporate governance, scorecard, board of directors, transparency, controlling environment. Paper classification: Case study. INTRODUCTION Family businesses are one of the oldest and most common forms of business organizations, drivers of economic growth and economic development, representing a large percentage of the total number of companies in the world. Family businesses in most countries in the world account for over 70% of the total number of businesses and have very significant impact on economic growth and employment. For example, in the U.S. family businesses create 59% of new jobs, while their share in the GNP is 50%, and they represent nearly 90% of all businesses (Kuratko and Hodgetts, 2004). Family businesses in Spain and Latin America produce, respectively, 75% and 60% of the GD P (Network for Family Enterprise, 2008). Poutziouris (2000) also notes that in addition to economic growth and employment, family businesses build entrepreneurial spirit and enable knowledge transfer between generations as well as development of a sense of loyalty, long-term commitment and corporate independence.Therefore it is considered that the creation, growth and sustainability of family businesses is crucial for the development of national economy. According to data of the KPMG Canadian Centre for family business in next 20 years 15 trillion dollars of wealth in the world will be transferred from one generation to another. The same source also points out that 70% of family businesses do not survive the transition to the second generation, 90% do not survive the transition to the third generation, and 95% of family businesses do not plan succession.Other sources confirm these findings indicating that only 5-15% of the family businesses continue to exist in the third generation of the successors of the founder (Davis and Harveston, 1998; Neubauer and Lank, 1998; Poutziouris, 2000, Ibrahim and Dumas, 2001; Grassi and Giarmarco, 2012 ). The reasons for the unsustainability of family businesses are sometimes exactly the same as the reasons for all other businesses. Management processes, informality and lack of discipline are the most common weaknesses of family businesses (IFC, 2008). In the process of managing the family usiness, unlike other businesses, feelings and family problems can be involved complicating in that way the management process. On the other hand, the lack of procedures and informality in the conduct of business, can lead to inefficiencies and conflicts, while lack of planning in terms of succession, property management and absence of policies for the employment of family members leads in most cases to the failure of the family business. All the above mentioned reasons for the failures of family businesses stem from various weaknesses in Co rporate Governance (hereinafter: CG) practices employed in family businesses.Therefore, several researchers have investigated the relationship between the level of CG and family businesses as to determine whether these two variables are positively or negatively correlated. In their study Cheung et al (2010) have found that quality of CG appears very significant for family businesses. They have shown that good CG practices in family businesses are linked to higher stock returns and lower unsystematic risks (Cheung et al, 2010). Results of their study for family businesses are consistent with findings of Renders et al (2010) who found a positive correlation between CG practices and company performance.Furthermore, Renders et al (2010) have proven that higher CG ratings lead towards improved operating performance and higher market values of companies. These positive effects of CG ratings on market values of companies have also been recorded in emerging and transition countries (Gary an d Gonzales, 2008; Khanchel El Mehdi, 2007; Black et al, 2006; Durnev and Kim, 2005; Black, 2001). Notwithstanding, Cheung et al (2010) and Geksen and Oktem (2009) find that family businesses have poor CG practices.Cheung et al (2010) explain that family businesses, which in most cases have concentrated ownership structure, are associated with low level of CG. Furthermore, their finding indicates a concerning fact that family businesses improve their CG practices slower than their peers (Cheung et al, 2010). Geksen and Oktem (2009) also find that practices which prevail in family businesses strongly contradict the recommendations of the CG codes of best practices. When it comes to Serbia the picture is more or less the same as in all developing countries.We have large number of family businesses which went from being an entrepreneurial project to holding structures, now with several hundreds of employees. Family businesses in Serbia perceive CG as something abstract, fleeting, someth ing that is hard to define and measure, and hence there is the conviction that CG does not bring concrete, tangible and quick benefits. Better business results which follow concerted CG efforts are nearly never exclusively linked to improved CG mechanisms as from stances of family businesses in Serbia.At best, they are ready to admit that CG can contribute to moderately improved business results. Despite this perception, the goal of the authors was to investigate the level of CG in family businesses in Serbia in order to be able to recognize the main weakness/problems and provide recommendations which could solve them. This paper presents the findings of analysis of CG practice in 8 Serbian family businesses that responded to the invitation for assessing CG practice using the scorecard methodology.The scorecard was developed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) as part of the Program for Improving CG, with the support of the IFC and with participation of one of t he co-authors of this paper. The scorecard consists of questions that are systematically organized into CG areas that reflect the basic principles of good corporate governance. Based on the scorecard the CG rating in Serbia can be created and even though it is quite hard to produce a quantitative evaluation of CG the scorecard can still be a valid indicator of good or bad CG practices. The paper is divided in three additional sections.The introduction is followed by a presentation of the methodology used in assessing corporate governance practice. In second part, results of the assessment of CG in family businesses in Serbia are presented. In conclusion, closing considerations followed by recommendations for further CG improvements in family businesses in Serbia are noted. METHODOLOGY The CG scorecard for family businesses in Serbia, developed as part of cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and IFC, is a questionnaire whose questions are systematically presented under headings that reflect the basic principles of good CG.Responses to questions generate a score that is expressed as a percentage and indicates what percentage of best practice was applied by a given family business in a particular CG area. The main goal of the scorecard approach is to enable companies to easily assess their own CG practices, to allow investors to determine their preference regarding the level of CG which companies need to have in order to be considered as possible investment and to enable comparison across countries and industries (Bassen, 2004; Strenger, 2004).The scorecard is divided into the following five areas of corporate governance: 1) commitment to good CG practices; 2) board of directors; 3) supervision, control and independent audit operations; 4) transparency and disclosure; 5) owners; Each of these areas has a relative importance expressed in percentages in relation to the total of 100%. In view of the fact that each area is significant in its own way and has a different contribution to governance, their relative importance differs accordingly.A relatively greater weight is carried by two areas for which experience shows that they represent vital points of good CG in a company –company commitment to CG principles and supervision, control and independent audit operations. As a result these two areas are weighted with 25%, board of directors and owners are weighted with 20%, while transparency and disclosure is weighted with 10% in the final score. In each of the specified areas there is up to eight questions that reflect recommended practice for realizing principles to which a particular area is dedicated.Answers to those questions are graded with marks from 1 to 10, where each mark is related to certain percentage of the mark for that specific area. A total result of around 50% means that a company has implemented CG practices as required by relevant legislation. In order to achieve a score of over 50%, a comp any needs to go beyond the requirements of statutory regulations. Finally, a particular quality of the scorecard is that it takes account not just of the overall score, but also of the scores of individual CG areas, which gives a test company a clear indication of the areas in which its CG practices lag behind the company average.The CCIS and the IFC, with participation of both authors in the process, have conducted an assessment of CG practices in 8 family businesses in Serbia. Family businesses were guaranteed confidentiality in respect of scoring and results, with a view to ensuring objectivity and realistic assessment of current status. ASSESSMENT RESULTS Commitment to good CG practices As first area in the scorecard it consists of questions which provide a general sense of the level of CG practices employed by the family business.The scorecard for this area seek to establish: (i) the existence of a CG code (whether developed in-house or whether an existing code has been adopted ), (ii) to what extent the company’s internal corporate documents reflect the CG principles, (iii) whether implementation of CG principles is discussed in company (if yes, how often and on which level), and (iv) do principles of CG and corporate social responsibility take into account the interests of various stakeholders, thus preventing conflicts.The figure below summarizes the scores of family businesses for this area (companies are designated by letters to ensure confidentiality of results). [pic] Chart 1: Commitment to good CG practices. CG Codes are not present in six out of eight family businesses, implying that those companies have not developed their own codes and have not adopted the existing codes of CCIS or Belgrade Stock Exchange. Despite that fact, owners and higher management have shown a great level of consciousness regarding the importance of CG and further improvements they need to make in CG area.When it comes to conversations about CG and succession proces s in most cases owners and family members talk about those issues from time to time and except family members involved in family business management others lack the interest or they are rather passive in the whole process. Internal documents exist in all companies but they usually satisfy the minimum requirements prescribed by law and do not encompass the CG best practices and principles. Most of internal acts exist formally due to legal requirement but they are not implemented in conduct of family business.Furthermore, owners and higher management have clear strategy for future development of family business, but that strategy in not formalized in the form of document. Due to that fact family members adhere to goals mentioned and set through formal or informal conversations between family members and higher management. Although poorly implemented in practice, family businesses show a clear vision of how their business should be organized and in which direction should be developed. All family businesses recognize the importance of corporate social responsibility.Therefore they pay more attention to local communities in which they undertake their operations but their corporate social responsibility in most cases boils down just to the philanthropic activities. In conclusion we can state that in family businesses in Serbia there is the absence of CG codes, that business strategies are not formalized in the form of documents, that internal documents fulfill legally determined norms but do not encompass the CG best practices and principles, that owners and higher management attach a high level of importance to CG and that family businesses in Serbia undertake large number of philanthropic activities.Board of directors In assessing the functioning of the board of directors questions in this section try to give a snapshot of practices regarding the management of family businesses and the role of the owner in them. In this CG area family businesses are asked whether there is a clear demarcation between operational and strategic/supervisory level in the company, is there a ormal board of directors or some other body which is responsible for the formulation of the strategy and supervision of the management, if there is a board of directors is there an internal act on the functioning of the board which defines needed competencies of the members of the board of directors and their responsibilities, is the function of the general manager and president of the board of directors clearly separated, how compensation of the members of the board is determined, is there a process of evaluation of effectiveness and quality of the work carried out by the board, whether the board establishes committees which could contribute to the quality of their work, is there the annual plan of board of directors meetings and whether members of the board of directors get the materials for the meeting in advance. [pic] Chart 2: Board of directors. In all of the tested comp anies there is the absence of Board of directors. Members of the families often have management functions and are directly involved in the operational management of the business.On the other hand, they are usually the ones determining the strategic path of future development of the family business implying in that way that there is no clear distinction between operational and strategic/supervisory level. In most cases owners convenes meetings when he assesses the need for doing so and only in two family businesses there is clear and established dynamics of these meetings. Only in one of the tested companies owner of the family business is not as the same time a director and there is no overlapping of responsibilities and in just two companies owner sees themselves as president of the board of directors in future. Three of the tested companies have family meetings during which they discuss performance of the family business, family issues which can influence the business and its futu re development.When it comes to the professional management, in only two of the companies tested, managing of the company is undertaken by family members and externally hired professionals which proves the low level of consciousness and the need for professionalization of the management. In most of the family businesses there is no established and formalized reward system. Absence of reward system is also a potential problem, because it reduces the possibility of objective and adequately rewarding or punishing of employees. The commonly established practice in tested companies shows that owners usually determine the rewards, its level and they make assessment of the effectiveness of the management. Even though the test has shown that owners of family businesses have aversion for professionalization of the management they feel reluctant in hiring external experts and consultants from time to time.Based on the results of the scorecard we can conclude that in family businesses there is no formally established board of directors and that there is no clear distinction between operational and strategic/supervisory roles. Supervision, control and independent audit operations In this area the questions concern internal controls, internal audit function, external audit and reporting mechanisms in the company. Seeking to determine whether the company has any kind of internal supervision system in place, the scorecard focuses on functions rather than on formal bodies. It tries to gauge comprehensiveness, sophistication and effectiveness of the existing system. The area has a 25% weight in the final grade.Two groups of questions focus on the system of internal controls – Has the company formalized its procedures? If yes, who is in charge of development of such a system? Have the owners formally discussed risks and have they analyzed the existing procedures and the company’s modus operandi in light of the identified risks? How does the company ensure that it is compliant with relevant laws and regulations? The next two groups of questions relate to the internal audit function – Does it exist in any form? Is it formalized? What kind of resources does it have at its disposal? Is it independent from the management? The third group of questions relates to the external audit and tries to capture the company’s experience with external auditors in the ast couple of years – Does the company have an external auditor? Who is the external auditor of the company? Has the external auditor ever issued a qualified opinion? The last question relates to the supervisory level of the company (the board if it exists or the owner(s)) and seeks to define to what extent and in which way the management communicates with the company’s supervisory bodies. [pic] Graph 3: Supervision, control and independent audit operations. In the tested companies, internal controls are either altogether absent or they have been introduced in response to customers’ or regulatory demands without any prior analysis of internal risks in the company.The tested companies that operate in regulated industries (food production, medical supplies, transportation) and that are export-oriented received relatively higher scores since there is a large number of international industrial standards in these industries/markets that allow companies to adopt these standards routinely rather than to develop independently in-house internal control systems. Although these standards represent a type of internal control system, an internal control system should not be reduced to their implementation. In order for an internal control system to fulfill its purpose, it must be implemented in an adequate control environment and be based on a company-specific and comprehensive risk analysis and assessment. None of the tested companies has any form of internal audit function and the entire supervision is performed by the owner personally and, sometimes , the employed members of the family.This monitoring style lacks a structured approach and a supporting system. Supervision is performed either continuously, which is extremely cumbersome keeping in mind operational responsibilities of the owner, or on an ad hoc basis. Often, the owner does not have sufficient technical knowledge to supervise all the business processes in the company and as a consequence he focuses on the business areas where he feels comfortable resulting in considerable supervisory â€Å"blind spots†. Supervision further suffers as the business expands since at certain point in time, the owner’s physical capacity becomes limitation for an effective supervision. Finally, since the owner often operationally anages the company, he effectively supervises himself which is far from good practice. The external audit function seems to be understood inadequately. The companies still perceive external audit primarily as an expense so the function is introduced only if it is legally required. It often happens that the owner does not have any direct communication with the external auditor. The contact person for the external auditor is, in the majority of cases, the head of accounting (whose work is verified by the auditor). Where the function exists, the auditors, as a rule, are small, local businesses that issue unqualified opinions. Their mandates are automatically extended for the period of 3 – 4 years.Transparency and disclosure Although a great majority of family businesses in Serbia are small and medium non–listed companies, some of them are rather big and require a solid organizational structure, some have extensive international business operations, and others seek significant external funding (from banks primarily but also from individual investors and private equity funds). Due to these considerations, the scorecard has a part that relates to transparency and disclosure. However, since the scorecard primarily focus es on non-listed companies, this CG area has relatively smaller significance and it contributes only 10% to the final grade.In this domain the scorecard seeks to determine whether the company has a reporting policy (formalized or not), whether it uses its website for publishing relevant information and, finally, whether all relevant information is also released in English (which allows a company to reach a far broader investor and/or client base). After this, the scorecard focuses on specific types of information which practice indicates to be of greatest interest to stakeholders. Thus it seeks to determine whether the company releases in timely manner: (i) its financial statements, (ii) its management report, (iii) materially significant information, (iv) biographical information of all members of management i. e. family members that are involved in business, and (v) related party transactions. [pic] Graph 4: Transparency and disclosure.The poor results presented in chart 4 are not surprising since, as already mentioned, the tested companies are mostly small and medium family businesses. In addition, there are no legal requirements for non-listed businesses regarding transparent business operations. Thus, the research confirms once again the assumption that companies in Serbia, as a rule, tend to fulfill only the legally prescribed minimum. Some companies have decently informative websites but they contain only marketing information relevant for customers. The companies that export have also websites in foreign languages. No single company in the tested group has a structured approach to information disclosure. Some of the tested companies do have monthly or quarterly bulletins that are distributed to their customers.Financial statements, as a rule, are not public and if some financial information is available on the company website, it is out of date. Only one company in the tested sample regularly prepares an annual report because it participates in interna tional tenders and this exercise helps it present its business efficiently to a more sophisticated business community. A majority of the interviewed owners stated that they would like to keep their business within the family and that they did not plan an IPO. Finally, most of the tested businesses engage in related party transactions but, as expected, these transactions are not regulated neither are they transparent.The research indicates that Serbian companies are still not adequately motivated to publish information and still continue to misunderstand the importance of transparency in business. Owners The last CG area of the scorecard deals with owners. This part of the scorecard focuses on key issues of family governance and has a 20% weight in the final grade. The scorecard tries to determine if there is any formal document which spells out family business guiding principles such as â€Å"family protocol†, â€Å"family business rules† etc. Formally establishing the se rules could result in the most important piece of work achieved by the family business in managing its family component and the process of succession. The econd group of questions tries to determine quality, effectiveness and timing of communication between family members that are actively involved in the business ant those members that pursue other interests and thus are not familiar with the day-to-day state of the family business. The purpose of this communication is to provide a forum that allows all the family to learn more about the family business and to provide them with an opportunity to express their views on family issues that impact the business as well as business issues that impact the family. The third group of questions enquires about the family grooming plan. The grooming plan outlines the most important business skills required by successors to effectively manage the family business at the transition date. The scorecard tries to determine how the family prepares the next generation for management succession and if it has a formalized grooming plan.The fourth group of questions asks if the family has developed an employment policy for family members. It’s understandable that the senior generation would like to have all their children involved in the family business. However, allowing children a safe employment haven just because they have no better alternative, can cause major problems. Thus, having criteria that outline what is required and expected from the family members who wish to be employed in the family business is crucial. The fifth and sixth groups of questions try to determine if the family members have any formal form of communication which would allow them to manage the key family component separately from managing business operations.The purpose of this forum is to lay out agreed ground rules and objectives for the firm and to discuss major issues (like succession) while minimizing the threat that conflicts in the famil y could jeopardize the business. [pic] Graph 5: Owners. The tested companies scored the highest in this CG area. The primary reason for such a good result is great commitment of the first generation to prepare the second generation for the future transition. Although only one of the interviewed owners is familiar with basic CG mechanisms that family businesses have at disposal for managing ownership and management succession, all of them expressed great readiness to learn and to apply these mechanisms in their businesses.In fact, all the interviewed owners have been trying to find ways to manage these challenges and all of them expressed a great concern regarding succession process in their businesses. Now, there might be some research bias since the tested businesses volunteered to engage in the CG testing and all were attending a workshop on CG organized by CCIS. It is probably true that a random sample would yield lower scores in this CG area as it would in Commitment to good CG practices. Still, we believe that a succession threat is looming over the first generation of Serbian entrepreneurs and that all of them are experiencing problems due to a lack of the entrepreneurial tradition in Serbia and a lack of CG knowledge.None of the businesses had any form of family protocol neither did they have any formal for gathering family members involved in business to discuss family issues that affect the business and to prevent conflicts. Further none of the businesses had a formal channel of communication between the family members involved in business and those that are not but they all claim that communication is regular and intensive. The grooming plan is, as a rule, somehow implemented in practice but it is not formal neither does it lay out ground rules for the second generation aspiring to join the family business. Finally, no formal family employment policy exists in any firm but there are certain guiding principals that are clear to both family and non-fam ily employees alike in almost all businesses.We can conclude that the research has indicated (i) a great need for raising awareness among Serbian first generation entrepreneurs on CG issues and mechanisms; (ii) an avoidance of the first generation to formalize the ground rules assuming that this formalization would lead to family conflicts and that it might destabilize both the family and the business; (iii) a fear that the upcoming ownership and management succession will not be performed smoothly and successfully; and (iv) an honest commitment of the family businesses to implement good CG mechanisms if it would help them overcome governance obstacles. CONCLUSION Serbia has a relatively short entrepreneurial history. Serious attempts to establish a family business could be linked primarily to the post-Milosevic period, i. e. after 2000. This research is providing a scan showing where the first generations of Serbian entrepreneurs, i. e. the first generation of owners of Serbian fam ily businesses is today from the governance point of view and what kind of family governance challenges they face. As it was already mentioned, there is a certain bias which should be taken into account when interpreting the scores of the tested businesses.All of the tested businesses attended a workshop organized by CCIS for family businesses, they were present when the scorecard was launched and they applied to participate in a pilot CG testing voluntarily. This indicates that these businesses will most likely show greater commitment to CG and a deeper understanding of the family governance issues relatively to an average family-owned firm in Serbia. This also explains relatively higher scores in the CG areas Commitment to good CG practices and Owners. Still, we believe that the results obtained from this pilot testing are a good approximation of general state of affairs in Serbian family-owned businesses.Specifically, most of the family businesses in Serbia will sooner rather tha n later face serious succession challenges. Most of them still avoid putting these issues formally on the agenda, but there are triggers that will or have already forced them to do so. These triggers might be results of some positive or some negative circumstances. â€Å"Positive† triggers include: age and retirement plans of the first generation owners and/or CEO; a boom in the economy or the firm’s industrial sector which could lead to a rapid expansion of business; an external take-over initiative coming from a strategic partner; a need for a significant external funding to finance the rapidly growing business etc.On the other hand, typical â€Å"negative† triggers would be: health problems and physical and/or physiological exhaustion of the first generation owner/CEO; marriage problems of the first generation owners or their children; financial problems; a significant loss of the market share; conflicts among the owners and/or their heirs etc. The testing co nfirmed that the interviewed owners had serious doubts that the management and ownership succession could occur smoothly i. e. without seriously destabilizing the family business. What are obstacles that prevent the Serbian family owners from tackling the succession challenges more successfully? According to the testing and the interviews, there are three major challenges that need to be resolved. First, there is a substantial lack of CG knowledge among owners of family businesses in Serbia.CG is usually perceived as an expensive exercise created primarily for listed companies. Most of the interviewed owners were not aware that a significant body of research in CG refers to family businesses only. Second, tackling succession presses some emotional and financial concerns of the first generation. Often, the founder of the firm, who belongs to the first generation, has invested emotionally a lot in the family firm. He feels that the family firm is a great part of his life and his legac y for the generations to come. From the financial point of view, the greatest assets of the founder(s) have, as a rule, been invested in the family business and they are quite illiquid.Lacking any reasonable diversification, the founder is exposed to a serious financial risk. Without a clear exit strategy and a meaningful succession plan, the founder creates a void in the governance and ownership systems which present a great burden for the heirs. The results have also shown that most of the interviewed owners lack time, capacity and knowledge to successfully resolve these issues. Relatively higher scores in the CG area that relates to Supervision and control mechanisms could be explained by an obvious need to professionalize the firm and to decentralize the management. Most of the businesses are economically healthy and have had a rapid expansion of business that outgrew its respective organizational structure.The owners show the greatest readiness to implement practical supervisio n CG mechanisms since they expect that these mechanisms would increase effectiveness of their control over the business and the â€Å"outside† managers and thus reduce a burden which they barely handle. However, we have to emphasize that better supervision, although of a great value, cannot substitute for unresolved succession issues. Poor management and ownership succession would almost certainly lead to a collapse of the family business in the next generation despite good internal controls, internal audit function or any other form of internal and/or external supervision. Low scores in the CG area that relates to Board indicate that most of the businesses have not separated the supervisory and strategic level on one hand and the operational level on the other.This leads to a common situation that even in rather big family-owned businesses in Serbia that employ more than 1000 employees, we still have so-called one-man show and the key man risk. This risk scatters away invest ors and leaves these businesses without substantial external funding. It is rather common that many rapidly developing Serbian businesses finance their investments form short-term lending since banks refuse to carry governance risks over an extended period of time. This lack of good professionals at the helm of their companies, most of the interviewed owners explain with a lack of qualified managers to whom they could entrust the family business.Finally, the lowest score in transparency area is somewhat expected. As already mentioned, these businesses are not listed and there are no legal rules that would insist on greater transparency for bigger, closed companies. While this is understandable, it also indicates that the Serbian businesses do not see any value in transparency per se which begs further investigation. Our assumption is that in very non-transparent, public and private sectors in Serbia too much of transparency is perceived as an unnecessary exposure to both the governm ent tax authorities and competitors. The businesses are convinced that transparency would only lead to vulnerability without bringing any other value-added.Scorecard results imply that in family businesses in Serbia CG is on a low level, that there is a huge space for improvements and even quick wins which can significantly contribute to the business operational functioning as well as contribute to its overall performance. The authors will continue to further employ the scorecard and assess the CG level in family businesses as to create a solid basis for scientific conclusions in the area, but as well to see whether improvements through time will be made. LITERATURE Black, B. (2001) The corporate governance behavior and market value of Russian firms. Emerging Markets Review, 2, p. 89–108. Black, B. , Jang, H. and Kim, W. (2006) Does corporate governance predict firms’ market values? Evidence from Korea.Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 22, p. 366–413. Bassen, A. (2004) The importance of good corporate governance by institutional investors: The Scorecard for German Corporate Governance. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 2(3), p. 244-263. Gheung, Y. , Stouraitis, A. and Weiqiang, T. (2010) Does the Quality of Corporate Governance Affect Firm Valuation and Risk? Evidence from a Corporate Governance Scorecard in Hong Kong. International Review of Finance. 10(4), p. 403-432. Davis P. S. and Harveston P. D. (1998) The Influence of Family on the Family Business Succession Process: A Multi-Generational Perspective, Family Business Review, 22. Goksen, N. and Oktem, O. 2009) Countervailing institutional forces: corporate governance in Turkish family business groups. Journal of Management and Governance. 13, p. 193-213. Grassi Jr S. V. and Giarmarco J. H. (2008) Practical Succession Planning for the Family Owned Business, Journal of Practical Estate Planning, 10(1), p. 27-60. Ibrahim A. and Dumas C. (2001) Strategie decis ion making in small family flrms: an empirical investigation, Journal of small business strategy, 12(l), p. 1-11. International Finance Corporation (2008) IFC Family Business Handbook, Belgrade. Durnev, A. and Kim, E. (2005) To steal or not to steal: Firm attributes, legal environment, and valuation. Journal of Finance, 60, p. 461-1493. Gary, U. and Gonzalez, M. (2008) Corporate governance and firm value: The case of Venezuela. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16, p. 194–209. Khanchel El Mehdi, I. (2007) Empirical evidence on corporate governance and corporate performance in Tunesia. Corporate Governance:An International Review, 15, p. 1429–1441. KPMG Enterprise (2011) Family Business Succession, Managing All-Important Family Component, Canada. Kuratko D. K. and Hodgetts R. M. (2004) Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process & Practice, 6th Edition, United States, Thomson Publishing. Network for Family Enterprise (2008) www. fbn-i. org/fbn/main. nsf/doclu/facts.N eubauer Fred and Alden G. Lank (1998) The Family Business: its Governance for Sustainability, New York, Routledge. Poutziouris Panikkos Zata, (2001), Venture capital and small and medium-sized family companies: an analysis from the demand perspective, Family Business Review, 14(3), p. 277-291. Renders, A. , Gaeremynck, A. and Sercu, P. (2010) Corporate-Governance Ratings and Company Performance: A Cross-European Study. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 18(2), p. 87-106. Strenger, C. (2004) The Corporate Governance Scorecard: a tool for the implementation of corporate governance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 12(1), p. 11-15.

Different Cultures Between Saudi Arabia and United States

Seeing as that I am a Saudi Arabian descent and living in the United States, I have been exposed to many misunderstandings, stereotypes, and invalid generalizations about my culture. There have been many instances in which I encountered stereotypes, mostly presented to the American public through various media types, which have limited Americans from realizing or seeking to comprehend more about my culture and heritage.As Thomas Sowell points out â€Å"one of the obstacles to understanding what behavioral characteristics follow each group around the world is the widespread use of the term â€Å"stereotypes† to dismiss whatever observations or evidence may be cited as to distinguishing features of particular group behavior patterns. † (Sowell, 11).From my perspective, three beliefs that most 21st Century Americans have in regards to Saudis which are stereotypical are: 1) our women are submissive and have no voice or rights in our society, 2) Saudis are either fanatics or support terrorist activity in the name of religion, and 3) lastly each family in Saudi has its own oil well and therefore no other businesses are required. There are specifically two Saudi laws which Americans have heard about via the media which have formed American opinion about Saudi Arabia’s attitude towards women.The first law enforces that women must cover their hair and body with a black veil and garb. Another Saudi law which has been granted much media attention is that Saudi women are not allowed to drive. These laws are looked upon by Americans as boding poorly for Saudi women. Because this conduct is in such sharp contrast with the United States’ attitude towards women and their more revealing attire, the media has hyped upon how these Saudi laws are examples of how Saudi women are submissive because they have neither stood upon for their rights, such as drive or dress as they desire, nor sought to have a voice in society.What we see instead is a strong fam ilial structure with nepotism occurring in society (Lewis, 68-69) While it is true that such laws have led to women having no public role in their society because they are seemingly â€Å"protected† by their Saudi men, it is unfair to conclude that Saudi women have no rights or voice in society. Saudi women do indeed have rights such as being guaranteed certain shares in inheritance, are allowed to own property, are permitted to choose or refuse potential husbands, and are considered equal to men in the eyes of God (http://www. saudinf.com/main/h61. htm).Furthermore, many Saudi women come to the United States to better educate themselves and return to Saudi to seek employment as nurses, doctors, professionals, and teachers. Upon returning to Saudi they have a hand in better educating or helping the next generation of women seek out their own respective goals. Hence, while it is a valid generalization that Saudi does not promote a public scope or ideology for its women, it doe s instead enable women to better improve upon themselves and expect protection for Saudi men that women might not have in the states.Lastly, a large number of Saudi women have accepted the scope of their responsibilities as a maternal figure in their families and feel that they are submissive to their religion and rearing their children appropriately (http://www. saudinf. com/main/h62. htm). While in the United States, we are seeing that women are being forced to work and provide for their family units without choice, face a higher possibility of divorce, see that rape and sexual harassment statistics have increased, instances of teen pregnancies have rose, and lastly cases of broken homes have increased.From my experience, women’s liberation and freedom is coming at a high cost to society’s families and while the belief that women are submissive and lack a voice in Saudi might be true from some perspectives, it is obvious that in the United States this stereotype migh t actually be occurring due to jealousy perhaps on the part of women who do not have the luxury of selecting if they decide to seek employment or remain at home to raise their children (http://www. wrmea. com/archives/may-june01/0105035. html).Another emphatic belief that Americans seem to have about Saudis is that we are either fanatics, villains, or that we support terrorist activity in the name of religion. Obviously Saudi Arabia which houses the Kaaba, the cube figure which is the most sacred site in Islam, represents our religion and is the direction to which the 5 daily prayers are made. For Americans, the media has publicized how Saudi is the birthplace of fanatic behavior and dramatizes the pilgrimage made to the site as well as how Saudi men dress in the distinct head piece and robe.After September 11th, Americans became overwhelmed with even more media publicity about how the attackers were of Saudi descent and how Saudi wealth has indirectly added in efforts to attack Wes terners, and other such activities. Prior to 9/11, Saudi was simply the land of oil and most Americans could not even find it on the globe! In our modern day world, the news, publications, and movies all instilled within Americans the belief that Saudis were temperamental, geared towards violence, and oil rich businessmen.In fact, comic often portrayed us as villains and school textbooks have been found to associate Islam with violence and intolerance. (http://www. adc. org/index. php? id=283). Due to its rich status, Saudi did not have strong external relationships which could overcome their stereotypes until recently. This belief is not a valid generalization by any means! It is far from the truth as Saudis have sought to limit the ultra conservative factions within their country because besides tarnishing its reputation in the world it also causes commotion and upheaval in Saudi Arabia as well.For Saudi, it is of utmost importance in its abroad relations to keep allies and busine sses purchasing its oil and it can not afford to alienate its friends. As Saudi is the predominate supplier and largest producer of oil to countries abroad, Americans have the misconception that each Saudi family must contain their own personal oil well in their own backyard. This is a laughable belief, but it is not the first time I have experienced Americans believing it to be a valid one. In fact, the country produces an average of 10. 2 million bbl/d of total oil, comprising crude oil, and natural gas liquids.The belief that Saudi has individual oil wells in each individual property is preposterous. In conclusion, I would like to emphasis the significance of acknowledging that Saudi Arabia is seeking to better improve its external relationships with other countries and improve its global image. The leadership in Saudi has sought to control its ultra conservative factions which have impaired its ability to ensure peace and tranquility both within its borders as well as with out. Generally, the media has created an atmosphere of fear and ignorance about other cultures.This psychological manipulation of Americans has lead to further stereotypes which harm cultural diversity and understanding. Many communities have created outreach programs between different cultures in an effort to achieve better communication, understanding, tolerance, and acceptance. These efforts have enabled Americans to began to open the lines of communication and acquire a grasp that our differences are key to learning how to respect other cultures and not fall to misconceptions about other groups of people.

Gynocentric Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gynocentric Feminism - Essay Example In the past years, women were excluded from important activities in the society and, therefore, were denied the ownership of certain rights such as the right to expression, participation, and education among others. Although women had the power to change the situation, they did not have the courage to exercise this power. Every woman has an erotic resource lying deep within them and the spiritual plane. This resource is rooted in the power of their unrecognized or unexpressed feeling. However, in order to perpetuate the resource, various male models of power that bring oppression must be distorted. This is because oppression suppresses the erotic resource of the women making them powerless in the society (Allen 166). Men have made women to believe that it is only the suppression of the women’s erotic resource, within their lives, that can truly make them strong. However, that belief is illusory because it is framed by the male models of power which only aims at taking the advantage of female existence. However, through gynocentric feminism approach, women have come to distrust the male models of power. They have discovered the potentials and possibilities that lie within themselves. Their erotic resource offers a provocative and replenishing force to a woman (Ptacek 12). It is a source of information and power that can help them to explore the world. It is also a measure between the beginning of a woman’s sense of self and the pandemonium of their strongest feelings. In addition, it is â€Å"an internal sense of satisfaction† where once a woman has experienced it, she gets to aspire. Furthermore, this measure can be well understood by observing the current public housekeepin g of the modern cities in America. The city departments, controlled by men, have snatched women, their responsibility as housekeepers. This has affected their sense of self and they no longer aspire to carry out their responsibilities as housekeepers.

Microelectronics Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microelectronics Writing - Assignment Example Its main purpose, in fact, does not differ much from the old cameras that actually use films instead of digital file storage media. The said media can either be a digital memory card or an internal storage that is built-in to the camera. Just like the old cameras, it is meant for capturing moments in pictures. One major innovation that is made possible with the use of microelectronics though, is that a digital camera could also take videos. The old analog ones have a functionality that is limited in taking only still pictures. The first digital camera model that was produced and sold in the market was the Dycam Model 1. It was sold only for a very short period, from 1990 until 1991. (Raskin) In order to retrieve the pictures taken and to print these in black and white, this camera had to be connected to a computer. This was soon followed by a long line of digital camera models from Kodak and Nikon. With the introduction of JPEG and MPEG formats for still pictures and videos respectiv ely, further developments in the digital camera were made. Nowadays, many digital cameras have more powerful lenses and better picture resolutions. More importantly, these have become much easier to operate. As the features and capabilities began to improve, these devices have also become more in demand. Only very few photographers have, in fact, continued to rely on the analog cameras. When a digital camera takes a picture, light is allowed to strike â€Å"a digital sensor array instead of a piece of film† in the case of an analog one. (Digital Darrel) This digital sensor is actually made of pixels, which are arrays of tiny sensor points. The image taken are then stored as millions of dots of lights or megapixels. The resolution of the picture or its sharpness depends on the amount of megapixels that the digital camera is capable of. The bigger the megapixels, the better the quality of the pictures the camera can produce. This goes the same for the videos made through the di gital camera. The images or videos are then recorded in the storage medium. This may be built-in memory chip of the camera or in an external device such as an SD card or an MMC. If the photographer wants to download the pictures to the computer or to have these printed, he may have to use a cable, which usually comes along with the camera when purchased. However, the latest digital camera models already have Bluetooth capabilities. With Bluetooth, the downloading and printing can be done even without the use of cables as long as the printer or the computer is also Bluetooth-enabled. The reason why many photographers find the digital camera a great choice for a gadget is that everything is automatic. A photographer can take more pictures in less time with a digital camera because he does not have to wait for one or a couple of seconds for any film to be ready. Aside from this, the latest models of this device actually have features that would make the photographer take better angles. In fact, these would also immediately adjust the distance without any prompting through its automated zooming system. Another important characteristic is that the digital images can be downloaded to a computer and can be subjected to editing with the use of the photo-editing software such as Photoshop and Corel. As a video recorder, a digital camera is definitely lighter and handier. However, it may have some limitations in taking videos when compared to the digital video

Improving our Enlisted Evaluation Process Essay

Improving our Enlisted Evaluation Process - Essay Example The participants were all employees of Edryn, with no biases or references towards race, gender, or nationality, and were directly surveyed so that no proxies were used. Observations were made from the primary research method only. The survey encompassed a total of fifty descriptive questions explicative of the participants' view on coworkers as a whole, citing relevance towards: 'Teamwork;' 'Measurement;' 'Training;' 'Customer satisfaction;' 'Continuous improvement.' The answer parameters were scaled from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating 'Do not agree at all,' and 5 indicating 'Strongly agree.' The definitive for Teamwork was questions 1-10 on the survey. Teamwork as it correlates to the facility can be holistically described by these parameters, abstracted in order from the survey questions: a developed sense of belonging; harmonious; commitment to team goals; pride; freedom of information; helping one another; knowledge based; total involvement. Teamwork as it correlates to the facility can be holistically described by these parameters, abstracted in order from the survey questions: a developed sense of belonging; harmonious; commitment to team goals; pride; freedom of information; helping one another; knowledge based; total involvement. Teamwork as it correlates to the facility can be holistically described by these parameters, abstracted in order from the survey questions: a developed sense of belonging; harmonious; commitment to team goals; pride; freedom of information; helping one another; knowledge based; total involvement. In regards to measurement, the participants gauging of the establishment were approached with these abstracted concerns, voiced in a positive approach towards both internal and external suppliers: performance standards; systems of measurement; internal performance standards; tracking improvements; awareness of cost and work; quality of product and service; quality of process; potential of improvement; reliance on data for improvement. The answer parameters were scaled from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating 'Do not agree at all,' and 5 indicating 'Strongly agree.' Organizational Improvement Data Analysis Table 1 shows the dispersed quantitative responses of all participants. Table 2: Data Analysis shows the average, median, mode, standard deviation and variance between all test dimensions. The average measures the mean; this is used to describe the intermediate values across the boards. The median defines the midpoint in the series of responses, and the mode is used to note the most commonly occurring value. Standard deviation measures the spread of the test scores; this is used to define the difference average difference in the data set, and is the square root of the variance. Variance measures the dispersion of the test scores as the average squared deviations from the mean. The data analysis uses a 0.05 significance level to gauge the probability of rejection with the sample size and standard deviation to signify the confidence intervals for east dimension. Table 2: Data

Is leadership and management the same of different Analyse different Essay

Is leadership and management the same of different Analyse different perspectives and present your argument - Essay Example The question is worth-discussing, so this work will try to define who leaders and managers are and what are their tasks through the history of leadership and management beginning from 80th till the formation of modern approach. Leaders and managers: who are they? One of the simplest approaches to differentiation of management and leadership was presented by Prof. John Kotter in his book â€Å"A Force for Change†. â€Å"The purpose of leadership is seen in bringing about movement and useful change and the purpose of management is to guarantee stability, consistency, order and efficiency† (Kotterman, 2006). Both, leadership and management are important for success of any organization. From definition suggested by Kotter it is clearly seen that it is not only possible to interchange these concepts, but it should be mentioned that these concepts define quite different things: management is for stability, leadership is for change. Moreover, it is quite relevant to note that managers and leaders can be people from the same class. A very interesting explanation of management and leadership is given in the book â€Å"Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge† (1985): â€Å"Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing† (Fairholm 1998, p. 17). ... This interest was caused by the growing development of Japanese business world. Japanese organizations had their secret: they substituted mechanical function of managers by a facilitative and developmental function (Fairholm, 1998). In America this tendency was ‘wrongly copied’ and managers were mixed up with leaders by a mistake. This process is perfectly described in the following citation: â€Å"To punish managers for letting us down, we blessed leaders with the good-guy styles and damned management with the bad-guy ones. The next step was to portray leaders as transformational and managers as transactional† (Kotterman, 2006). It is clearly seen, that in 80s it was rather hard to differ between managers and leaders. Moreover, a function of managers was even neglected and very often at that time managers were described as ‘control freaks’ (Kotterman, 2006). Kotter’s claim was one of the most understandable at that complicated period: he claim ed that managers have to deal with difficulties and leaders are focused on change and innovation. Generally, in 80s the main interest of scientists and researchers was focused on leaders, while the function of managers was not interesting for them anymore. Managers’ function to motivate employees for successful performance was taken away from them by leaders. In the book â€Å"Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations† (1985) Bernard Bass claims that leaders have to be responsible for human resources motivation. The main drawback of researches and studies of that time was a lack of attention to the performance of leader’s functions. In other words, these studies were not practically implemented (Fairholm, 1998; (Martin, 1999). It

Freud psychology paper-1.in Psychology. Discuss their life, work in Essay

Freud psychology paper-1.in Psychology. Discuss their life, work in psychology and theories - Essay Example His mother, Amalia Nathansohn Freud â€Å"...was an intelligent descendant of a famous Talmudic scholar... [in] Poland...† while his father, Jacob Freud, worked in a small weaving mill which he owned and managed (Puner, 1992, p. 2). His mother was 20 years younger than his father; whereas, Jacob was a widower who had 2 wives before Amalia; two sons, named Emanuel and Philipp; and two grand kids--John and Pauline, children of Emanuel. Freud was very close to his mother; she called him her â€Å"...golden Sigi† (Storr, 2001, p. 1). She indulged him in his demands, and attended to his every need. His father, on the other hand, was stern and strict; and castigated him whenever he can. Jacob Freud was Sigmund’s symbol of authority from his childhood years and all throughout his adult years. Despite Sigmund’s warring relationship with his father, he also considered him his playmate. They took walks in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, while sharing stor ies and thoughts along the way (Puner, 1992). In 1859, driven by financial hardship and the iron-fisted politics of the royal Habsburg Family, Jacob and Amalia Freud, together with Sigmund, and younger daughter Anna, migrated to Vienna; while his half-brothers, Philipp and Emanuel, together with Emanuel’s family, took a different route and ventured to England where they eventually became successful in the textile business (Reef, 2001). The Freuds lived in a little apartment in a Jewish neighborhood, in the Glockengasse section of Vienna. Their family grew rapidly, adding four girls: Rosa, Marie, Adolfine, and Pauline; and a boy, Alexander, to the brood (Reef, 2001). Life was not easy for them but their predicament did not trample their father’s spirit. Sigmund often described him as an optimist who was â€Å"always expecting [for] something to turn up† (Reef, 2001, p. 15). Jacob Freud always emphasized the value of education. He taught Sigmund as soon as he was able to understand; and enrolled him in school when he reached the right age (Reef, 2001). Sigmund always enjoyed learning; he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and because of his passion for education, he quickly adapted to this new challenge, and became one of the topnotch students in his class (Reef, 2001). His diligence, as well as his mother’s undying support, awarded Sigmund certain comforts that not all of his family enjoy--his own cabinet, his own room, and an oil lamp. He spent his free time reading books, jotting down details of his dream, and observing happenings on the street (Reef, 2001). He chose to eat in his room to be closer to his books; and befriended other kids, one of which was Eduard Silberstein, whose thirst for knowledge matched his (Puner, 1992). His other siblings grew up in his shadow and were on-lookers as he won prices and excelled in school (Reef, 2001). Some members of his family, his sister Anna for instance, gave up her dreams to make w ay for Sigmund’s studies. His family obeyed his wishes, and supported him in his endeavors. Despite his unrelenting demands, he had a kind heart and enjoyed the simplicity of his life; did not yearn for material possessions (Puner, 1992). In 1873, at 17 years old, he graduated from the Gymnasium and decided to pursue a medical degree at the University of Vienna. But before he decided this course, he intended to study law, and dreamt of becoming a high ranking official in the government. He was influenced, at that time, by a poet who professed that he

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example Some argued that the faucet-mount of PUR will disrupt pitcher product Brita, others believed that the product simply is establishing another market niche and finally other groups are convinced that Brita will simply have to do nothing to foster faucet-mounts (Deighton 1). These are three essential courses of actions that Clorox will have to consider. Clearly, there is another market that faucet-mount is trying to target. For Clorox to be essentially informed more concerning this at the bottom line, prior to the actual necessary decision to protect Brita, market segmentation or customer analysis is necessary. This will not only settle the three varying views as stated earlier, but it will also establish the relevant truth whether faucet-mount has the potential to hurt the established market for Brita. Here is the reason. Market segmentation or customer analysis is a relevant marketing technique that will surely guarantee how to deal with issues concerning the actual management of demand (Lancaster and Massingham 78). This technique puts into consideration the basic elemental mix in marketing like product, price, place, and

The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing - Case Study Example This should be made possible by ensuring that the prices offered by all the dealers are equal through auditing process (Kourdi, 2009). The company needs to make a thorough auditing of all the dealers to ensure that none of them sells the product either above or below the recommended company price of $12, 000. Customers must be made to understand that they can only get good after-sale support services from the local dealers and not the distant dealers. The dealers may be connected to a digital sale receipt program that allows them to enter sales records and prices offered on the product. The same information should be reflected on the receipt given to the customer (Frasco, 1991). The company’s technical team must also follow up with the program to ensure that fabrication of data is made impossible. Steve Marsh can adopt rebranding of the PSX-360 product. The rebranding of the commodity entails a number of aspects. As it can be revealed that the external dealers are the main cau se of deteriorating sales to Steve’s organization. The audio industry in which Pro-Audio operates seems to be taking the structure of a monopolistic competition where there are several numbers of sellers who are competing on same commodity or service. In this case, there are both first and second movers in quantity and price. All dealers have been identified to enjoy benefits of second movers (Gopalakrishnan, 2007). They have adopted high discounting techniques that have led to deteriorating sales in Pro-Audio. Consequently, the external dealers have led to the deterioration of the PSX-360 image within the market. Product rebranding entails changing on the products attributes such as color, name, adding aspects of the PSX-360 functionality, logo, advertisement themes and strategy that its marketers use in selling the product (Gopalakrishnan, 2007).  

Education should be Free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education should be Free - Essay Example However, some say that this could have a destructive effect on student’s development. Due to free education they will be free from any financial pressures and thus, concentrate less on their studies. But that is one side of the picture. Most college students usually do a part time job to meet their educational finances. These jobs take time away from the students and they usually experience time constraints, which could be very harmful for their development. Due to heavy work load these students become the victim of depression and stress whose harmful effects emerge later in their lives in the form of fatal illnesses. If free college education is granted to these students then they would have more time to study. Moreover, they will have time to sleep and rest instead of being always tired from time consuming jobs. They would be free from any tension regarding time or money and would be always prepared for their classes and their homework. The opposition would say that this program would require heavy funding from the government which could harm the public treasury of the country. But, when we ponder over it then many productive outcomes emerge, if we adopt this approach. Currently, many under developed countries consist of children who are uneducated and there is a high literacy rate prevailing in those countries. . If government is not spending at all on their education then according to the opposition’s logic these countries should be amongst the richest countries of the world.

Sertive style Essay Example for Free

Sertive style Essay â€Å"A Telephone Call† by Dorothy Parker is a short story that focuses on a woman waiting for a man to call her. He told her, â€Å"I’ll call you at five, darling† (Parker, 1) but as time passes he still has not called. She begins to bargain with God by begging Him to make the man call her as well as by keeping her from calling the man (Parker, 1). The woman in this short story takes a classic lamb’s approach to asserting herself. She begs and pleads with God by attempting to make her reasoning and logic seem sound while also attempting to make God feel compassionate towards her strong desire to have the man call her as he said he would. The lamb’s approach to assertiveness is not effective nor is it appropriate for a grown woman to use in her quest to get what she wants (Sichel, 14). Instead, Sichel suggests that the most effective form of assertiveness is the self-assertive style which does away with the threatening and whining that accompany other forms of assertiveness (14). Assertive style #1 is based on avoidance and using tactics to evoke guilt, to manipulate, to bully, to scare or to threaten (Sichel, 15). In â€Å"A Telephone Call† the woman uses the guilt tactic in order to try to get God to make the man call her immediately. She uses phrases such as, â€Å"let him call me now† or â€Å"I won’t ask anything else of you† (Parker, 1) in order to try to get God to feel sorry for her and to guilt Him into making the man call. As the story progresses, the woman begins to take a whining approach to convincing God to prompt the man to call right away. She rambles on about why he may not have called yet but then continues to plead with God to make the telephone ring. This technique is highly ineffective in getting what one wants because whining is very annoying and is particularly irritating coming from a grown woman. Attempting to make God do anything is a fruitless pursuit to begin with and adding pleading and begging to the mix is not an effective way to get what one wants. Assertive style #2 is concerned with narcissistic exaggeration that uses black and white statements to evoke a sense of drama into assertive statements. The lamb’s approach to assertiveness using this style depends on the use of phrases such as, â€Å"you’re never† and â€Å"it’s impossible† (Sichel, 15). The woman in â€Å"A Telephone Call† uses similar phrases in her attempt to get God to make the telephone ring. The woman also gets quite dramatic as is evident in her ramblings about possible reasons why the man has not called yet. She begins to wonder if he does not like her as she thought he did and goes on to believe that God is angry with her which leads to the ultimate dramatic expression that she wishes the man were dead (Parker, 1). Further, her constant waffling back and forth evokes a strong sense of drama into the short story because one second she is trying to convince herself that there is a very good reason why the man has not called yet and the next second she is wishing him ill will or even death (Parker, 1). Again, this type of assertiveness is neither effective nor mature. Phrases that use words such as â€Å"never† and â€Å"impossible† are highly dramatic because they are words that display exaggeration rather than problem solving techniques. Drama rarely leads to positive solutions but usually leads to the mind going off on tangents that never solve anything as is the case in â€Å"A Telephone Call. † Assertive style #3 focuses on the disavowel of assertion in order to appear nice. The lamb’s approach to using this assertive style is to appear nice by using such phrases as, â€Å"don’t you think it would be good? † (Sichel, 15). This type of questioning allows a person to get their anger out while also using a nice tone of voice in hopes that they will still get what they want. The woman in â€Å"ATelephone Call† is a master at this technique. During her pleading with God she says, â€Å"Ah, don’t let my prayer seem too little to you God† (Parker, 1). The reader is well aware of how desperate and angry the woman is becoming as the story progresses but the way she phrases this question evokes niceness without backing down on the anger. Similarly, she later asks God, â€Å"Are you punishing me God, because I’ve been bad? † (Parker, 1). It is clear from this statement that she is getting increasingly desperate and angry while also realizing that yelling and screaming at God will get her nowhere. This technique is not effective either. God, and most humans as well, can tell the difference between a sincere assertive question and an angry rant disguised by a nice tone of voice. The woman in this story is clearly desperate but goes about stating her case to God in an immature and childish way that garners no results. Assertive style #4 deals with indirect and evasive techniques instead of strong assertive behavior. The lamb’s approach to this style is to mask tough questions with gentle phrases such as, â€Å"do you think you might want to? † (Sichel, 15). Once again the woman in â€Å"A Telephone Call† uses this style in order to convince God to make the telephone ring. She does not ever come right out and say something truly assertive by telling God specifically what she wants and why it is important to her. Instead, she takes on a whining and manipulative tone of voice that relies on pleading and begging to get what she wants. At one point in the story she says, â€Å"I’ll be good, God. I will try to be better, I will, if you will let me see him again. If you will let me telephone me. Oh, let him telephone me now† (Parker, 1). These types of statements are whiny and manipulative and do not focus on the reasons why the woman wants God’s help and reassurance. Instead, they focus on pleading with God in the hopes that He will get tired of listening to her begging and grant her request. This type of assertiveness is rarely effective because it relies on the breaking point of humans in order to get what one wants. It is similar to a child whining until his or her parents get tired of hearing it and just give in to make it stop. Assertive style #5 deals with the issue of denial of ownership. The lamb’s approach to this style is to mask anger with words such as â€Å"never† (Sichel, 16). The woman in â€Å"A Telephone Call† uses this technique throughout the short story as she continues to bargain with God in hopes that the man will call. Towards the end of the story the woman’s begging and pleading begin to focus on God himself and the fact that he cannot possibly understand what she is going through. â€Å"You don’t know how it feels. You’re so safe, there on your throne, with the blue swirling under you. Nothing can touch you; no one can twist your heart in his hands† (Parker, 1). Again, instead of clearly stating her reasons why she hopes God can help her, she puts the blame on God. She takes the ownership of the problem off of herself and tries to make God see that, as a human woman, she is truly suffering, which is something that she does not feel God is taking seriously enough. Instead of talking with God about what her possible role in the problem could be, she makes herself appear to be an angel while the man who does not call and the entire situation are made to appear as the evil ones. This is not an effective assertive technique because it does not require a person to take responsibility for the problem as well as the eventual solution. Similar to the other styles, it relies on whining and begging and other childish behavior rather than adult behavior. â€Å"A Telephone Call† is a highly entertaining and amusing story. If the woman in the story had used the lion’s approach to assertiveness the story would have taken a dangerous and angry turn which would not have produced such an enjoyable story. Similarly, if the woman had taken the self-assertive approach in the story it would have turned out rather boring. However, this is a story and the lamb’s approach to assertiveness is neither amusing nor effective in real life. If a real woman had a similar problem and strongly wished for a man to call her she may indeed turn to God for help. However, in order to effectively state her case and make her wishes known there are several suggestions and recommendations she should follow in order to ensure that she is taking the very best approach to getting what she wants and avoiding the type of drama that the woman in the story displayed. First, she must eliminate all whining and manipulation. These tactics result in an avoidance of the true problem and makes the woman appear immature and desperate instead of assertive enough to state her case in a strong tone of voice. Second, the woman in the story would have been much more effective if she would have avoided narcissistic exaggeration and drama. These just add additional hurdles to overcome when trying to get what one wants. Instead, the woman would have been more effective if she would have told God why she thought the man should call and why it was so important to her to have him call. It would also be effective to remember to say â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you† while making the request. Similarly, the woman would have been more successful if she had simply stated her case without trying to sugarcoat her anger. This is rarely effective because it makes a person appear fake rather than genuine. The woman should have explicitly stated what she wanted from God and politely requested that He work with her to find a solution. At the same time, the woman was also indirect and evasive when she was trying to convince God to make the telephone ring. Again, she would have been more successful if she would have told God specifically what she wanted Him to do in order to help her. Instead of begging and pleading, she could have simply made her request in a direct and up front manner. Finally, the woman in the story denied ownership of her role in the problem. This usually backfires because people who need help should take an active role in proposing a solution rather than denying any responsibility for the problem. The woman would have been more effective in her request if she would have told God exactly how she felt, why she felt that way and once again asked God for help. The self-assertive approach to asking for something is the most effective because it uses mature techniques that allow a person to speak their mind and make their case in a calm and collected manner that motivates those around them to want to help rather than give in to avoid a dramatic display of childish behavior. Parker, Dorothy. â€Å"A Telephone Call. † 20 March 2009 http://www. classicshorts. com/stories/teleycal. html. Sichel, Mark. â€Å"The Five Styles of Avoidance and Self-Assertion. †

Preventing Cardiovascular, Diabetes, and Cancer (CDC) Strips

Preventing Cardiovascular, Diabetes, and Cancer (CDC) Strips Novel Strategies Halt Cardiovascular, Diabetes, and Cancer Strips Summary Since the authors found firstly there are cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancers (CDC) strips and disclosed their mechanisms, classifications and clinical significances, there is an arising problem how to prevent and halt CDC strips. Fortunately, the authors had already developed new strategies which based previous works for the prevention of coronary heart disease (CVD), cardiovascular events (CVEs) and healthcare, etc. These novel strategies, which including sleep, emotion, exercise and diet intervention (SEEDi), E (e)nvironment + SEED intervention [E (e)SEEDi] and even Hu’s healthy lifestyles[E (e)SEED-BasED ones] intervention (HHLi), also called â€Å"Chinese vaccine† or â€Å"hero for human health (H.H.H)†, as the core elements of â€Å"Grade 210 prevention†, play an important role in the prevention and management of human chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) when combined with RT-ABCDEF strategy, for example, obesity-OSA-hypertension (OOH) sy ndrome, C-type hypertension (CtH) and sudden cardiac death (SCD), and especially in halting CDC strips the authors discovered. Keywords: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, prevention, healthy lifestyles Since the authors found firstly there are cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancers strips and named them CDC strips, and disclosed further their mechanisms, classifications and clinical significances,1 there is an arising problem how to prevent and halt CDC strips. In this article, with several conceptual and technical breakthrough, the authors will introduce several novel strategies which were developed based on previous work for effectively preventing and halting CDC strips.2-6 The authors have already developed new strategies in previous works for the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular events (CVEs) and healthcare (http://www.chinagene.cn/CN/news/news370.shtml).3 These novel strategies, which based on sleep, emotion, exercise and diet (SEED) intervention, was also called â€Å"Chinese vaccine† or â€Å"hero for human health (H.H.H)†. As the core elements of â€Å"Grade 210 prevention†, they play an important role in the prevention and management of human non-infectious chronic disease (NCD) when combined with RT-ABCDEF strategy,5 for example, sudden cardiac death (SCD) and obesity-OSA-hypertension (OOH) syndrome Dr. Chun-Song Hu and Prof. Da-Yi Hu discovered and first named,7 especially in halting CDC strips. Introduction of Novel strategies Since healthy â€Å"SEED† rulers were developed in 2005 according to great clinical experiences, authors conducted positively these novel strategies in clinical for primary and secondary preventions of CVD, CVEs and healthcare, and cited the related article,2, 3, 6 then developed further into â€Å"E (e)SEED† due to the important role of environment. Together with Prof. Sheng-Shou Hu, these new strategies were still developed into more novel â€Å"E (e)SEED-BasED† healthy lifestyles by innovated idea, and named â€Å"Hu’s healthy lifestyles (HHL)† in 2009. The key tips of these strategies for NCDs, especially CDC strips are showed as follows (Table 1). 2. Novel strategies for the early evaluation of RFs CVD is the number one killer and a leading cause of death in the world. There was 17.5 million death cases every year, which bring a big burden and great challenge for public health. Moreover, it plays a key role in the development of CDC strips. Single gene defects, target diseases have now come to include multi-genetic and multi-factorial diseases, such as CVD, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease, T2DM or T1DM, and human cancer, especially CDC strips. Therefore, to screen and evaluate early CV status is very important to the prediction and prevention of CVEs and CDC strips. Both previous experimental and clinical studies confirmed the role of single factor in the development of human disease. However, little is known about multi-factors’ role (more than 5 to10, even 20 or more). The authors developed Chinese E (e)SEED-BasED score (CEBS) according to â€Å"E (e)SEED-BasED† healthy lifestyle. These healthy elements and related RFs play a very important role in human health. That is to say, if people intervene early with these RFs, they can keep effectively from CDC strips. As showed in last table, the authors have already developed these new strategies for better healthcare. In Round 3 application of GCE project (http://www.grandchallenges.org), authors further developed a novel strategy that was based on a QA list and CEBS (Table 2). According to CEBS, people can determine CDC strips hazard levels from low, moderate to high, thus, adopt effective measures including follow-up, and intervention with SEED, E (e)SEED or HHL, these are SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi, or HHLi. The authors believe CEBS will be better for the early evaluation of NCDs, especially CDC strips based on previous work and this creative idea. Here, the authors may compare easily with other scores, such as QRISK a new CVD risk score for the United Kingdom,8-11 Framingham CVD algorithm (FA) and Scottish score (ASSIGN) (Table 2). These scores focus on standard, common, classic, multiple modifiable or non-modifiable (eg. positive family history) RFs, but the authors think that CEBS is advantaged, validated, global with 15 classifications of core RFs. 3. RT-ABCDEF strategy and Grade 210 prevention for NCDs or CDC strips RT-ABCDEF strategy developed in previous work is very suitable for the management and prevention of human disease,5 especially NCDs or CDC strips. The key tips as follows (Table 3): As we all known, early prevention is the best choice of treatment. Efforts to achieve the ambitious goals of Healthy China or World 2020 require new synthetic strategies for delivering healthy policy, primary and secondary prevention. Here the authors named it â€Å"Grade 210 prevention†. Due to HHL containing preventive and care strategies for these core RFs, it’s core elements of â€Å"Grade 210 prevention†. Therefore, it’s worthy of conducting and application in the global nations, not just healthcare providers and medical organizations. Of course, collaborative efforts among governments, private healthcare providers, insurers, policymakers, nonprofit organizations, and the global public are necessary for â€Å"Grade 210 prevention†. Generally speaking, it’s a synthetic core strategy of healthcare for everyone or anyone and from birth to death. 4. SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi or HHLi for CDC strips Most of patients with NCDs, including chronic heart failure (CHF), particularly those with more severe HF, and T2DM or T1DM, need the option of palliative care as assessed by symptom burden, depression, and spiritual well-being just as advanced cancer patients do.12 That is to say, palliative care is effective on most of CDC strips. The development of CDC strips results from the shared many RFs related to lifestyles according to the authors’ â€Å"Bad SEED† +/- â€Å"bad soil† Theory or Doctrine.1 Thus, it needs synthetic strategies to prevent and control the development of CDC strips. Therapeutic lifestyles interventions, such as SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi or HHLi , which based on E (e)SEED-BasED lifestyles, eg. HHLi related rational drug interventions (Table 4), can significantly improve nutrition and physical activity behavior and can reduce many of the RFs associated with common NCDs, especially CDC strips. The authors think that it was very useful and effective to most of CDC strips in the global. Therefore, people may call it â€Å"Chinese vaccine† or â€Å"hero for human health (H.H.H)†. It may help reducing in morbidity and mortality of CDC strips. For example, among 74,607 men and women, aged 60 or more, without CHD, stroke, or cancer at enrolment, the Mediterranean diet, modified so as to apply across Europe, was associated with increased survival among older people and is associated with longer life expectancy among elderly Europeans.13 These results also help explain the role of SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi or HHLi. â€Å"Rainbow diet† we conducted in HHL is also very helpful due to balanced nutrition. For example, coffee consumption was verified to be helpful in the prevention of NCDs,14 including CDC strips. Besides, green tea and grape are also useful foods as interventional choice of diets, because increasing consumption of vegetables and fruits may elevate the levels of anti-oxidative components.15 According to updated study in Nature,16 diet is the main factor which linked with gut microbial ecology and health because unbalanced dietary nutrients can cause intestinal inflammation, and induce human aged. Another clinical t rial showed that both walking and vigorous exercise are associated with substantial reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular events among postmenopausal women.17 Yuga, Chinese Taiji and Qigong are also useful physical activity for the prevention of CDC strips. As a part of HHLi, rational drug choice also plays an important role in initiation, progression, treatment and prevention of NCDs, especially in effectively halting the development of CDC strips. These drugs include aspirin (ASA),18, 19 ACEI/ARB, CCB, cannabidiol (CBD)20 and coenzyme Q-10,21 as well as others. Several animal experiments and clinical trials showed, as chemo protective agents, statins (pravastatin, rosuvastatin) did not only prevent and decrease CHD and CVEs,22, 23 and not indicate an increase in over all cancer risk (simvastatin, pravastatin),24, 25 but also be protective against the development of DM and various cancers (lung cancer,26 pancreatic cancer,27 RCC,28 colon cancer29) , and PCOS (atorvastatin) (Table 4).30 That is to say, statins may help preventing and halting CDC strips. Glutathione (GSH) plays important roles in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism, and regulation of cellular events, and its deficiency contributes to oxidative stress, aging and the pathogenesis of many diseases,31 of course, including NCDs, especially CDC strips. Thus, the authors think that GSH is an effective cytoprotective chemo agent for treating NCD,32, 33 such as CDC strips (Table 4). As essential and critical trace elements and antioxidants, studies have indicated that selenium and zinc may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and be useful for secondary prevention of CHD.34-36 However, their deficiency associated with numerous diseases including CVD, DM, and cancer.37, 38 Hence, these antioxidants may be useful as therapeutic agents for CDC strips. Besides, Vit D and n-3 fatty acids,39 and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),40-45 eg. Ginseng, Barbary Wolfberry fruit, Cordyceps militaris, Ganoderma lucidum, SR10 and Astragalus are also very helpful in the preventive of CDC strips (Table 4). Of course, when people dedicated to reducing morbidity and mortality from CDC strips, enhanced collaboration is critical because CDC strips share many RFs and opportunities for prevention, eg, by assessing and regularly updating an individual’s family history. As to a positive history of family, eg, patients with CHD and T2DM or cancer, just like successful gene therapies,46, 47 RNAi or knockout technology is a new choice when all strategies are no use, but need to evaluate its early and late effects as our trials.48, 49 At the same time, it still need to make sure the protection of some genes,50-52 not just medical hypotheses. Moreover, it’s necessary to identifies susceptibility loci when began RNAi or knockout technology.53, 54 An updated research showed that an intensive lifestyle intervention focusing on weight loss did not reduce the rate of CVEs in overweight or obese adults with T2DM.55 This confirmed that it needs comprehensive strategies, just like SEEDi, E (e )SEEDi, or HHLi, for CVD, T2DM, cancers, of course, including CDC strips, not just focusing on weight loss. Some times, it even needs RNAi. One of the authors’ goals is to stimulate substantial improvements in Grade 210 prevention, and early detection through collaboration between key organizations, greater public awareness about HHL, legislative action that results in funding and staff for and access to China Center of Research and Development for Hu’s Healthy Lifestyles (CCRDHHL, a preparatory organization we expect and an effective platform for prevention, early detection, and treatment of NCDs, especially CDC strips, http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=spaceuid=71966do=blogid=491168) programs and research, and emphasis of a series of new concepts authors conducted, and meets the need for curriculum-based health education regarding â€Å"the Grade 210 prevention† and motivation of people to incorporate HHL practices into their daily lives. 5. Clinical practice in CDC strips OOH syndrome the authors found and first named in 2006 is one of classic NCD and a synthetic killer which including 3 independent risk factors and characterized by â€Å"a shaped and sounded killer at night, but a shaped and no sounded killer at day†. According to the authors’ preliminary clinical data (manuscript not published yet), it’s high risk to occur T2DM, CHF and various acute CVEs, even cancers, eg. prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. That is to say, it’s a status of pre-CDC strips, or already met a branch (Type A) of CDC strips. Recently, the authors found that a group of patients with hypertension which related to â€Å"new type stress† due to bad lifestyles, and named it for â€Å"C-type Hypertension (CtH)†. Its main clinical features are on that there is temporary absolutely increase or continuously slowly increase levels of human cortisol, a biomarker of CtH, and it often appears among young or middle aged subjects and is a new ignored killer due to easy to suffer from AMI, CHF, Stroke or SCD. Thus, CtH results from bad â€Å"SEED† bad lifestyle, not bad â€Å"Soil†Ã¢â‚¬â€genetic factors. Some patients with hypertension among OOH syndrome may diagnose as CtH because here obesity resulted from bad lifestyles. OOH syndrome and CtH are easy to develop to CDC strips if there are long-term lasting co-RFs which would lead to T2DM and cancers. SCD as an acute CVE, often occurs in patients with CHD, younger or older, especially in patients with OOH syndrome, CtH or CDC strips (Type A or B). And SCD often occurs as the endpoint event of CDC strips. Because both OOH syndrome or CtH and various SCD have the common RFs, that is to say, â€Å"Bad SEED† +/- â€Å"bad soil†, therefore, SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi, or HHLi is a good choice for halting the development of CDC strips in OOH syndrome or CtH and for removing RFs induced SCD. All in all, OOH syndrome, CtH, CDC strips, and SCD are highly linked, they need urgently SEEDi, E (e)SEEDi, or HHLi to enhance quality of life (QOL) and life expectancy, and the earlier, the better. Maybe people can call this â€Å"OCS status† (OOH-CDCs-SCD). Update, the authors developed general formula for management of human disease, especially NCDs, which including OOH syndrome and CDC Strips as follows: General Formula = 3Ãâ€"RT-ABCDEF + E (e)SEED-BasED + 210. As to detailed explanation of this formula, people may easy to know from above.