Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses Research Proposal

Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses Research Proposal A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INFORMATION BOOKLET ON EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF STAFF NURSES WORKING IN SELECTED COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF GUJARAT STATE   INVESTIGATOR Bhavisha R. Patel ABSTRACT Disaster has been Mankind’s constant though inconvenient companion since time immemorial. The fury of nature can be as disastrously beautiful as the gifts of nature received gratis. Natural disaster continues to strike unabated and without notice and is perceived to be on the increase in their magnitude complexity, frequency and economic impact. India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. The main objective of the study was assessing the knowledge and practice of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. The conceptual frame work is based on System theory model. Materials Method used for the study was after a preliminary study on Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses conducted at Adalaj CHC, a pre-post interventional study was performed on 8 CHCs of Gujarat State. Four districts of Gujarat state i.e. Ahmedabd, Gandhinagar, Panchamahal and Bharuch were selected randomly. Each CHCs of selected districts were randomly selected. While sample selection was done by Lottery Method. One group pre post design used for the study Data collection includes personal data, knowledge of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured knowledge questionnaires, Practice of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured observation check list. An Information Booklet was introduced in terms of knowledge and Practice performing by Staff Nurses on Earthquake Preparedness. Reliability of the tool was confirmed by Pearson test and validity was done from experts of different health department. Results of or Forty staff nurses were included from Eight CHCs of Gujarat state. For the knowledge it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test knowledge score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 15.82 and the mean post test score is 29.75. The Standard Deviation of pre test knowledge score is 2.77 and that of the post test is 1.84. The calculated‘t’ is 13.92 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance. For practice of the samples it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test practice score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 35.47 and the mean post test score is 48.025. The calculated‘t’ is 21.37 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance There was significant difference between pretest mean score and posttest mean score for knowledge and practice of samples regarding Earth quake Preparedness of Staff Nurses. After administration of an Information Booklet, there was improvement in samples’ Knowledge and Practice. So it was concluded that An Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness increased the knowledge and practice of staff nurses working in selected CHCs of Gujarat State. Introduction â€Å"Hospitals Safe from Disasters Reduce Risk, Protect Health Facilities, Save Lives,† (World Health Day). Disaster caused by nature’s fury is not uncommon in this planet, earth. In fact, scientists believe that the birth of this planet, earth was the result of an explosion that occurred in the solar system, from time immemorial this planet has witnessed numerous natural disasters. In the past, man used to view this natural disaster as the â€Å"ACTS OF GOD† Gradually; science opened the doors of knowledge and enabled man to understand the mysteries of nature. On January 26, 2001 Gujarat was rocked by a violent earthquake. Thousands of people died and there was loss of about 400 crore rupees to the nation. It was one of the severest earthquakes to have hit the country. In served to highlight the gaping holes in the nation’s disaster management ability. This devastating incident made the investigator take up the present study. Nurses in any location will be on the front line as caregivers and managers in the event of a damaging, disaster. Having read the views of various authors the investigator is able to visualize that disaster situations are very different from routine nursing care situation. Nurses need to have adequate knowledge and training to work in such a unique, chaotic, stressful situation and to identify and meet the complex, multi various health needs of victims of disaster. India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical. At the global level, there has been considerable concern over natural disasters. Even as substantial scientific and material progress is made, the loss of lives and property due to disasters has not decreased. In fact, The human toll and economic losses have mounted. It was in this background that the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, declared the decade 1990- 2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through concerted international action, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: 1. To assess the knowledge of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. 2. To assess the practice of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY: H1: The mean post test knowledge scores of the Staff Nurses after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness will be significantly higher than their mean pre test Knowledge scores as evident from the Structured Knowledge Questionnaire at .05 levels. H2: The mean post test practice scores of the Staff Nurses after the Administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness will be significantly higher than their mean pre test practice scores as evident from the structured observational Checklist at .05 levels. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Effectiveness: it refers to the power of the information booklet to bring about changes in knowledge and practice of staff nurses regarding earthquake preparedness. Informational Booklet: A handy written material, which will enhance the knowledge of staff nurses regarding earthquake preparedness improve practice of the staff nurse. Earth Quake: A sudden violent shaking of the ground as a result of movement within the earth’s crust. Preparedness:- is concerned with forecasting and working, education and training of population, organization for and management of disaster including preparation of operational plan, training of relief groups, ensuring adequate supplies of necessary funds. Knowledge: It is the ability of staff nurses to respond to a structured knowledge questionnaire regarding earthquake preparedness resulting as evident from knowledge score. Practice: It refers to the abilities of the staff nurse to guide and provide care to the earthquake preparedness with the use of informational booklet. At Evidence by Structured Observational Check List. Staff nurse: staff nurse (male and female) who are working in community health center. Community health center: In this study CHC refers to community health center covering a population of 80,000 to 1.20 lake with 30 beds and specialist in surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics with X-ray and laboratory facilities. DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:- The study is delimited to Staff nurse of selected CHC of Gujarat state accessible during the data collection will be selected for the sample. The study is delimited to Staff nurse who are willing to participate in the study. The study is delimited to the CHC of selected district of Gujarat State only. The study is delimited to the 40 staff nurses only. RESEARCH DESIGN Research design selected for the present study was one group pre test post test design. The investigator had developed structured Knowledge Questionnaire and Structured Observational Checklist for evaluation of pre test and post test. RESEARCH SETTING:- The present study was conducted in the selected Community Health Center of Gujarat State. Investigator was divided Gujarat state in five regions (north, east, and west, south and central) and from that investigator will select any four districts by lottery method). From each district by lottery method investigator will select two Community Health Center. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Materials Method used for the study was after a preliminary study on Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses conducted at Adalaj CHC, a pre-post interventional study was performed on 8 CHCs of Gujarat State.. Four districts of Gujarat state i.e. Ahmedabd, Gandhinagar, Panchamahal and Bharuch were selected randomly. Each CHCs of selected districts were randomly selected. While sample selection was done by Lottery Method. One group pre post design used for the study Data collection includes personal data, knowledge of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured knowledge questionnaires, Practice of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured observation check list. An Information Booklet was introduced in terms of knowledge and Practice performing by Staff Nurses on Earthquake Preparedness. The main area of knowledge and Practice include – Introduction of Earthquake, Types and Phases of Disaster, Earthquake Preparedness and Care of Victim. Reliability of the tool was confirmed by Pearson test and validity was done from experts of different health department. Results for Forty staff nurses were included from Eight CHCs of Gujarat state. For the knowledge it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test knowledge score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 15.82 and the mean post test score is 29.75. The table also shows that the Standard Deviation of pre test knowledge score is 2.77 and that of the post test is 1.84. The calculated‘t’ is 13.92 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance. For practice of the samples it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test practice score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 35.47 and the mean post test score is 48.025. The table also shows that the Standard Deviation of pre test practice score is 3.17 and that of the post test is 2.03. The ca lculated‘t’ is 21.37 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance There was significant difference between pretest mean score and posttest mean score for knowledge and practice of samples regarding Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses. After administration of an Information Booklet, there was improvement in samples’ Knowledge and Practice. So it was concluded that An Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness increased the knowledge and practice of staff nurses  working in selected CHCs of Gujarat State. CONCLUSIONS The following conclusions can be drawn from the study findings. For personal data investigator concluded the results and it is revealed that 18(45%) of the samples are in the age group of 31-40 years, 37(92.5%) are female, 40(100%) has not attend training regarding Disaster Management, 35(87.5%) have the professional qualification of GNM and 17(42.5%) have 6-10 years clinical experience and 39(97.5%) have not any experience related Earthquake Management. From knowledge questionnaire it is revealed that the mean difference in the area related to the Introduction of Earthquake is 3.30, in area related to Earthquake Types and Phases is 1.82, in area related to Earthquake Preparedness 5.42 and while area related to Care of Victim is 3.37. Samples have gained more knowledge in the area related to Earthquake Preparedness and Care of Victim. Obtained mean difference in all area of knowledge the calculated‘t’ is greater than tabulated‘t’ (1.68) and so the investigat or concluded that there is significant increase in the mean post test knowledge score as compared to the mean pre test knowledge score after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness which is statistically proved and so the null hypothesis Ho1 is rejected and research hypothesis H1 is accepted.. Mean post test knowledge score is higher than mean pre test knowledge score with the mean difference of 13.92 which is statistically proved that the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness is effective in terms of knowledge among the samples. The calculated‘t’ (13.92) is significantly greater than the tabulated ‘t’(1.68) so there is significant increase in the knowledge of samples after the administration of the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness. For The Observational Checklist It is is revealed that the mean difference in the area related to the Arrangement of infrastructure and equipments is 6.25, in area related to Preparation of Emergency kit articles is 2.025, in area related to Communication Facility 3.75 and while area related to Round the clock inspection of medicine and repair of equipment is 0.53. Samples have gained more practice in the area related to Arrangement of infrastructure and equipments and Communication Facility .Obtained mean difference in all area of practice the calculated ‘t’ is greater than tabulated ‘t’(1.68) and so the investigator concluded that there is significant increase in the mean post test practice score as compared to the mean pre test practice score after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness which is statistically proved and so the null hypothesis Ho2 is rejected and research hypothesis H2 is accepted. Mean post test practice s core is higher than mean pre test practice score with the mean difference of 12.55 which is statistically proved that the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness is effective in terms of practice among the samples. The calculated‘t’ (21.37) is significantly greater than the tabulated ‘t’(1.68) so there is significant increase in the practice of samples after the administration of the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness. From all the above mentioned findings, it can be concluded that the administration of an Information Booklet was definite increase in both Knowledge and Practice of Staff Nurses. This clearly indicates that an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness was effective in improving the Knowledge and Practice of the Samples. BIBLIOGRAPHY:- NEWSPAPERS â€Å"Coping with Calamities†. The Times of India, 31st January,2001. â€Å"Courses on Disaster Management Need Upgrading.† The Times of India, 18th January, 2002. â€Å"Networking Relief and Rehabilitation†. The Times of India, 30th January, 2001. â€Å"Press for Quack-Resistance Building Norms† The Times of India, 31st January, 2001. JOURNALES Anne G.H. Coping with Disaster. â€Å"American Journal of Nursing†. 1980 Dec; 80(4): 683. Berglin SL. Emergency Nurses in Community Disaster Planning. â€Å"Journal of Emergency Nursing†. 1990, 16(4): 290- 292. Bhatia, S.C., et. Al. â€Å"A Probabilistic Hazard map of India andAdjoining Regions†. Ann. Geofis, 1999, 42(6), 1153-1155. Bland, John. Superfluous to Requirement. â€Å"World Health†. 1991, 22(1), 17-20. Bittner, Patricia, Disaster Preparedness. â€Å"World Health†. 1991,22(1), 13. INTERNET www.who.int/disaster/repo/5522pdf prehospital disaster search www.redcross.int Disaster and triage http//206.39.77.2/DMCR/triage/rules.htm www.database .disaster BOOKS Best John w. â€Å"Research in Education†. New Delhi; prentice Hall of India Private Limited, 1992. B.T.Baswanthappa.â€Å"Nursing Theories†. 2ndEdition, Jaypee Brothers, New Delhi, 2005. B.T.Baswanthappa.â€Å"Nursing Research†. 2nd Edition, Jaypee Brothers, New Delhi, 2005. C.V.R Murty. â€Å"Preparing for Earthquakes: Where India Stands†. Vol 3, No.3, May 2000. Garrett, H. and K. Woodworth, R.S. â€Å"Statistics in Psychology and Evaluation†. Bombay: Vakils Feffers and Simons Ltd., 1981. Polite, D.F.. and Hungler, B.P. â€Å"Nursing Research; Principles and Methods†. Philadelphia: J.E. Lippincott Company, 1999. W.H.O, â€Å"Coping with Natural Disaster the Role of Local Health Personnel and the Community†, Geneva: WHO, 1989.

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis of Homebase

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis of Homebase Homebase is the UKs second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. It has more than 300 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, and is planning to add to its store chain with around 15 new stores a year. It sells over 30,000 products across DIY and decorating, home and garden ranges, and has a growing internet offering. Homebase serves over 70 million customers per year through its stores and offers customers the convenience of home delivery for bulky, high-value items. Its Ideas magazine is the number one home interest magazine in the UK, with a circulation of almost half a million. In 2006 Homebase won Britains Best Superstore Manager of the Year at Britains Best Retailer Awards and in 2005 it was awarded DIY Retailer of the Year in the National Home Awards. Homebase was the first UK DIY retailer to achieve Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certificati on. More information on Homebase can be found on Situation analysis With sales of nearly  £6bn in the past financial year, Home Retail Group is the leading home and general merchandise retailer in the UK. Although company is already the number one in many of its product categories, there is still potential to increase its market share. Our combined position accounts for just 10% of a market valued at  £60bn. As many of these markets are fragmented and its market share has built quickly, there are further opportunities for growth. Homebase proves theres No Place Like Home for charities In August 2006 Homebase launched its first two year partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care (www.mariecurie.org.uk) and the Irish Cancer Society in the Republic of Ireland (www.cancer.ie), under the banner of Theres no place like home ; The charities were chosen in a company-wide staff ballot where 39% of Homebase staff voted to support them ; The aim of the two year partnership was to raise  £500,000 to pay for 25,000 hours of home nursing. Homebase staff and customers have exceeded all expectations in the first year of the partnership, smashing the original target and raising an astonishing  £78 5,000 already ; Over the past 12 months, the campaign has seen everything from head shaves and dress down days to staff abseiling down buildings for the charities. The money raised in the first year will help to provide a fantastic 39,250 hours of nursing. External Analysis-Macro Environment Political Employment rate in UK is increased to 74.7% since the last year and it is suppose to increase as well at the end of the current year which could be beneficial for the company because the purchasing power of the customers has increased and at the same time it will increase the cost of the company by increasing the pay rate of their own employees. Terrorism is also affecting the customer little bit but it increases the online sale. If the company go in the developing countries for manufacturing, it may reduce the cost because the low pay rate in the developing countries at the same time it may affect the reputation of the company. Economical Consumer price inflation rose up to 2.2% in January 2008 influenced by the oil and food prices which can influence the price strategy of the organization as well as the promotion and distribution and also can effect the purchasing power of the consumer. Oil prices are increasing rapidly in these days and the prices has been reached to its record which increases the cost and in return the high prices. The value of dollar against Euro is decreasing which can affect the profit margin. Social The rate of population in UK is increasing dramatically which is a big cause of unemployment. Increasing number of visitors especially on London Olympics 2012 can be a opportunity to sponsor time or individual and increase globally the companys image and recognition. Technological Due to the increasing internet awareness among the customer the online sale is increasing day by day. It saves the time and cost as well. 52% of business suffered a malicious premeditated e-security breach during 2005 which can affect the customer data, as well as the customer trust to by online. It can affect the reputation of the brand. After the introduction of the new security system PayPalà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¢ the online payment from credit card has become more secure which increase the customer confidence on the brand which increase the reputation of the brand. Legal The World Trade Organization members countries have the right to impose the safeguard measures and it has a legal processing to imports. When the company goes to importing it should be aware and follow the changes in the regulations. Environmental By following the government waste strategy the company should increase the amount of recycling which strengthen the reputation of the company. The public of UK is environment conscious and may be a burning issue of the world in near future so the company should improve its recycling policies. External Analysis-Micro Environment The micro environment also known as task environment are the internal forces that have a direct affect in the companys strategies. These factors include buyers, suppliers, all type of competitors, new entrants and substitutes employees and marketing intermediaries (media). Industry analysis The following analysis is based on Michael Porters 5 Forces Model (1996) and it helps understand the competitive environment for HomeBase Threats of New Entrants Factors Level of threat implication Product differentiation High Home products are very common products so the marketing of the company sells. Capital requirement Medium A lot of capital require to introduce a new product to compete the existing products Brand identity Low Home base has a strong brand name in whole US and UK Distributional channel Low Franchisee will be consider the brand identity in the first step Economies of scale medium New entrant have to entrant in a large scale to compete in the market Threats of substitute products Factor Level of threat Implication Few substitute products Low In household products there are very few products which can be replaced Bargaining power of customer Factors Level of threat implication Product quality High Some of the competitors claim to provide similar quality products to the customer Type of customer high As the management of the store is responsible for a good sale so there is a strong customer bargaining Brand identity Low Marketing strategy is strong thats why the brand is recognized all over the US and UK Bargaining power of supplier Factors Level of threats implication Cost of supplier High This company is in developed countries thats why the labour cost quite high Supplier concentration Low The company support community traders Competitive rivalry Factors Level of threats Implication Brand identity high The brand value of each company as well as the target market makes the differentiation to the customer Industry grown High Due to the recent growth in the household items the competition is very high Cost of structure High Competitors follow the same scheme of economies of scale with relatively low cost and high profit Diversity of competitors High Now a days there are some companies who are introducing the efficient products Conclusion: after analysing the Porters 5 forces in this company it is noticed that the retail market is attractive for Homebase. Though Homebase is a leader in the market the company has to develop more technological and attractive products to compete the other companies as well as company has to improve its growth strategies to keep the customers and to fulfil their needs. Market segmentation Consumer market The Homebase has become the leader in its market because it covers almost every household item like from gardening to decorating. Now a days due to development in technology the customer is becoming more and more aware of the quality so they demand for high quality products because they have choice. Products Homebase concentrate on household products and the is still trying to cover everything regarding home. Company deals with the following types of products. Kitchen items Bathroom products Furniture and homewares Lighting Flooring and tiling Decorating Home electrical Heating and cooling Tools Building and hardware Gardening Outdoor living Main competitors following are some principal competitors for the Homebase, Home Depot, Inc.; Eagle Hardware and Garden Inc.; Hechinger Stores Co.; Builders Square Inc.; Payless Cashways Inc.; Orchard Supply Hardware Corp.; Lumbermens Building Centers. Though Homebase has quite strong competitors but still it is leading the market and providing the quality products as well as quality service to its customer and also it is successful to keep its customers till now. The company has to continuo the performance to maintain the standard. Brand Since last few years Homebase has worked focused on customer favour by providing products in low rates with a shopping experience that combines excellent service with a comprehensive range of household items. Homebase proves theres No Place Like Home for charities In August 2006 Homebase launched its first two year partnership with Marie Curie Cancer and the Irish Cancer Society in the Republic of Ireland, under the banner of Theres no place like home ; The charities were chosen in a company-wide staff ballot where 39% of Homebase staff voted to support them ; The aim of the two year partnership was to raise  £500,000 to pay for 25,000 hours of home nursing. Homebase staff and customers have exceeded all expectations in the first year of the partnership, smashing the original target and raising an astonishing  £785,000 already ; Over the past 12 months, the campaign has seen everything from head shaves and dress down days to staff abseiling down buildings for the charities. The money raised in the first year will help to provide a fantastic 39,250 hours of nursing. After doing this Homebase has become a strong brand in all over the UK and Irish republic. Internal analysis Resources Physical resources Number of stores: 310 Countries operating: UK IRISH REPUBLIC 2. Human resources More than 8400 employees including stores and offices are working in Homebase 3. Financial resources Pro forma of 52 weeks to 3 march 2007 4 march 2006 Sales  £1,594.2m 1559.0 benchmark Operating profit  £53.4m  £51.4m Benchmark operating margine 3.4% 3.3% Like-for-like change in sales 1.4% 3.1% New space contribution to sales change 3.6 3.1% Total sales change 2.2% 0.0% Benchmark operating profit change 4% n/a Number of stores at period end 310 297 Of which contain a mezzanine floor 165 144 Competences and capabilities Using the 5Ms is possible to analyse the competences and capabilities of the company. Market The Homebase is the leader in the retail market and it is providing quality products in cheaper rates and due to this Homebase is being recognized all over the uk as well as Irish republic. Materials The company is investing a lot of capital to introduce new stores so that the customers can buy quality products from their locality. The key element to the new store design is part of the business strategy to make-up merchandising fixture. Men More than 8400 employees including stores and offices are working on Homebase. Money Financial resources Pro forma of 52 weeks to 3 march 2007 4 march 2006 Sales  £1,594.2m 1559.0 benchmark Operating profit  £53.4m  £51.4m Benchmark operating margine 3.4% 3.3% Like-for-like change in sales 1.4% 3.1% New space contribution to sales change 3.6 3.1% Total sales change 2.2% 0.0% Benchmark operating profit change 4% n/a Number of stores at period end 310 297 Of which contain a mezzanine floor 165 144 Machines Number of stores à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾ 310 Countries operating à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾ UK IRISH REPUBLIC S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths Leverage purchasing scale High loyalty Strong brand name Increase share in large product markets Expand homebase store network Extend and exploit multi-channel leadership Weaknesses More capital require for new stores High supply cost High operation cost Opportunities Further to go on importing Opportunity to explore other overseas sourcing locations Additional benefits to come from supply chain Other cost reduction processes Threats Strong competition in retail market Customers are becoming more and more aware of quality due to improvement in technology and want high quality products on cheap prices Increase in the sales of competitors Though there is competition in the market the Homebase has a strong brand name and the company is improving their performance as well as it is investing in the product quality and opening new stores. There are still lot of opportunities for the company. Market plan On the basis of the previous audit marketing and the company strengths the objectives and the targets of the company are as follows; Objectives and targets Reduce plastic bag consumption by 25% by the end of 2008 Attain ISO 14001 status for 5 Distribution Centres Attain recycling rates of 50% across the Group Energy Achieve energy accreditation for the Group from the Carbon Trust Reduce energy consumption by 2% KwH/sq ft Purchase at least 30% green power Products Review current policy guidelines for product selection Attain accreditation for sustainable paper sourcing Maintain existing recycled paper content of catalogue at 13% Community Raise at least  £1.6m for charity partnerships Achieve gold status for payroll giving ( at least 10% of workforce) Establish arrangements for community investment Establish a volunteering policy for the Group Workplace and HR Improve employee engagement scores. Improve take up of share save schemes Reduce average absence per employee Reduce RIDDORS by 10% Customers Increase levels of customer satisfaction (reduce no of orders which  generate one complaint) Group growth strategies Growth through leveraging purchasing scale Growth through increasing market share in targeted large product market Growth through extending and exploiting multi- channel leadership Growth through expanding the store network (10 homebase stores in a year) Marketing mix To implement the above strategies the following points can be applied: Product / branding Homebase is working efficiently in these days by following their strategies and because of this it is leading the market in all over the UK and Irish republic. Well I believe that regarding to the objectives of increase the brand image is recommended that the company is to associate the environmentally friendly image such as reducing the use of plastic bags. And further more the company should go on importing as well as explore the other overseas resources locations so that the brand can win the global recognition. Though the company has started its own recycling program in which some products are totally recyclable and some are partly, but in future environment will be a burning issue so organization should do some more for this which protect as well as beneficial for the brand in future. Price The differentiation strategy allows the company to implement a value-based pricing approach. Place Develop a multi-channel distribution has been successfully implemented in the company. On the other hand company should increase its online sale. Promotion target People concerning about environmental issues House wives Communication To promote the product benefits To make the product known To increase online buyers The massage It is suggested to use the objectives that concern with the knowledge or awareness in the mind of the customer. Media selection Advertisement on the magazines which are usually being sent to the houses monthly or weekly Attracting customers by making sales on special occasions Online advertisement Using the logo in other web sites to link with the companys web site Series of the press releases to be sent to magazines and access online TV campaign to roll out nationality on terrestrial TV Posters People To monitoring services online as well as make available news tools to the customer shopping online To incorporate orders online, to store products and others To help increase the sells and to ensure the customer service quality Process Products purchase online delivery with in a week Credit card to be charged at time on the shipment of the order and confirmed by e-mail Use the latest security methods such as PayPalà ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¢ Return policy should be with in the existing 30 days after the purchase Physical evidence Receipts and inventory bills Software to develop the e-commerce Budget breakdown To achieve the above marketing planning objectives it is set an overall cost of  £8.5 million. And this overall cost is divided into the following categories; Product 16% of the total cost is for the market research and for the development of the product, RD. The estimate cost in  £1360015.7 Place 8% of the cost is to be spend on the continuous refurbishment and maintenance of the stores, distribution and transportation, and the estimate cost is  £680,000. Promotion 60% of the total cost is to be used for the promotion of the product which includes the media advertisement such as advertisement in TV programs, magazines, posters in public transport, etc. The estimated cost is  £5100,000. People 10% of the cost is to be spent on HR, training, recruitment and IT outsourcing. The estimate cost is  £850,000. Process 4% of the total cost will be spent on the development of the operation processes and for this the estimate cost is  £394400.63 Physical evidence 2% of total cost is to be spent on the reservation for the physical evidence and process to maintain the e-commerce. And the estimated cost for this is  £170000 Total cost The total cost for the whole process of the above marketing planning to achieve the mentioned objectives is estimated as  £8500000.

Schizophrenia: The Disease and Treatment Options :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenia: The Disease and Treatment Options Leann was a beautiful 17-year- old with a great future ahead of her. She was the star of TV commercials, and sang in the high school choir. She was the envy of all the schoolgirls and the teachers' favorite. She lived in Crawford, Colorado and helped her family on the farm. She had high hopes of becoming a beautician and hairdresser and going on to college or technical school to develop her talent. Now, at age 45 she lives in an apartment in an assisted living center in Grand Junction, where she has lived for the last 23 years of her life. She endures the multitude of medications. She sits in her room, writes songs and sends them to famous country singers, like Toby Keith, hoping to hear her song on the radio someday. She walks downtown to the swimming pool and goes for a swim every once in a while during the hot summer days. She tries to live as normally as she can. About every night we get a call at our house around 6:00 every evening. On good nights she talks about her day and asks us how we are, and what we are going to do the next day. She talks about how she sent her song to some singer and sent something else to the White House. She tells me that I should go to Mesa State College and study to be a hairdresser. On bad nights, however, it is a totally different story. During one of her bad night conversations, she talks about off the wall things that none of my family can understand. She talks about how she thinks my sister can "call events" (tell the future) and how somebody told her that it was true. We try to tell her that my sister can't tell the future, but she doesn't believe us. She talks about how people just come into her apartment and harass her. She thinks that everything she sees is connected with some big plan or conspiracy against her. Often, she will be talking about one thing, and then giggle and just jump to something totally different. All the random changes in subjects and crazy ideas are typical to those who suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, a disorder that affects over 2 million Americans (Mayo Clinic, 1998). Often Leann hears voices and sees people who do not exist and that is how she gets all her ideas about her or others reading minds and telling the future.

The Truth of War Exposed in A Farewell to Arms Essay -- Farewell Arms

The Truth of War Exposed in A Farewell to Arms The soldier takes his last breath as he faces the menacing glare of the beast known as the enemy gun.   Emotions run through him as he awaits the final blow that will determine his destiny.   Memories flash through his mind, none of which will be of any significance once he leaves this world.   Out of the barrel of the gun, had suddenly come terror, murder, and chaos, all at once.   "I say it's rotten.   Jesus Christ, I say it's rotten." (Hemingway 35)   Summarized in two sentences is Ernest Hemingway's personal attitude towards World War I.  Ã‚      In A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway, the characters criticize the war and views it as the source of their misery.  Ã‚   Instead of finding the patriotic and courageous hero engaged victorious battle scenes, this novel portrays the so-called hero as a brazen who lacks any ambition.   This is the story of war seen through the cynical eyes of a Red Cross ambulance driver who lived the horrors.   Through a combination of ironic, cynical and apathetic tones, Hemingway's contempt towards World War I is reflected in the nature surroundings and the voice of his characters. Primarily, Hemingway attempts to expose the truths behind the war through his characters by using a tone of cynicism.   In the dialogues and streams-of-consciousness, characters repeatedly avow their reprobation for the war. "Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene." (185)   These words that once held meaning has now lost its significance.   No longer is the war about patriotism or courage; instead it is replaced by a certain crookedness, the national glories lost somewhere in-between the madness.   War is now where the soldiers  ... ...; and to achieve national glory, spirits are broken repeatedly until the point where they only wish to die.   The result is war, an outcome of the cruel and senseless world where violence is the backslash of violence.   There is no glory here; there is only condemnation.   The cynical words of Hemingway's characters are his own, the apathetic attitude of Fred is meant to represent himself, and the irony of the destruction on nature, is just one more reason why Hemingway opposes the war.   Hiding behind his characters, it's the diary of Hemingway himself.    Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. 1929. New York, NY: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Nagel, James. "Catherine Barkley and Retrospective Narration." Critical Essays on Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Ed. George Monteiro. New York, NY: G. K. Hall & Co., 1994. 161-174.

Archimedes Essay -- essays research papers

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician and scientist. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily in the year 287 B.C. He was educated in Alexandria, Egypt. Due to the lack of information about Greek mathematics, many Greek mathematicians and their works are hardly known. Archimedes is the exception. Archimedes was very preoccupied with mathematics. For instance, he often forgot to eat and bathe because of his always wanted to solve problems. He found areas and volumes of spheres, cylinders and plain shapes. He showed that the volume of a sphere is two-thirds of the volume of the smallest cylinder that can contain the sphere. Archimedes was so proud of this concept that he requested that a cylinder enclosed a sphere, with an explanation of this concept, be engraved on his grave. Archimedes also gave a method for approximating pi. He was able to estimate the value of pi between 3 10/71 and 3 1/7. Math wasn’t as sophisticated enough to find out the exact pi (3.14). Archimedes was finding square roots and he found a method based on the Greek myriad for representing numbers as large as 1 followed by 80 million billion zeros. One of Archimedes accomplishments was his creation of the lever and pulley system. Archimedes proved his theory of the lever and pulley to the king by moving a ship, of the royal fleet, back into the ocean. Then, Archimedes moved the ship into the sea with only a few movements of his hand, which caused a lever and pulley device to move the ship. This story has become f...

Communication and the internet Essay

Many people would say that the internet is the most important invention ever. The internet has changed the way many people live. Decades ago, no one would know that the internet even existed whereas nowadays every home has access to it. One of the main reasons internet was introduced was for communicating. There are many different forms of communication online today that people in the past wouldn’t have thought possible. Many people will say advancement in communications is a blessing because it allows for us to connect with families and friends from afar, enables us to express ourselves in many ways, provides a medium for meeting new people with similar interests, and increases our productivity. The internet has transformed all forms of communication since the beginning of its existence.. The internet was first used by the U.S military for communications purposes. The internet, from the communication point of view, has brought on new developments and techniques to keep in touch not only for individuals, but for businesses as well. An example of how the internet has impacted communication would be an example of doctors now communicating through live video feeds via the internet with patients or other doctors to diagnose patients or to even guide and advise surgeons through complicated procedures. Email (electronic mail) was one of the biggest breakthroughs in communication when the internet was introduced. With email, it became possible to send messages and letters across the world in a matter of seconds to the recipients address. As technology improved, it became possible to ‘attach documents, photographs and even sound clips or songs to emails which made mail by post redundant.

The Ka and Molar Mass of a Monoprotic Weak Acid

The Ka and Molar Mass of a Monoprotic Weak Acid Chemistry Lab 152 Professor: James Giles November 7, 2012 Abstract: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the pKa, Ka, and molar mass of an unknown acid (#14). The pKa was found to be 3. 88, the Ka was found to be 1. 318 x 10 -4, and the molar mass was found to be 171. 9 g/mol. Introduction Acids differ considerable as to their strength. The difference between weak and strong acids can be as much as 10 orders of magnitude.Strong acids dissociate more completely than weak acids, meaning they produce higher concentrations of the conjugate base anion (A-) and the hydronium cation (H30+) in solution. HA(aq) + H20 (( A- + H3O+ With the following formula the degree to which an acid dissociates (Ka) can be calculated and given a numerical value. Ka = [A-][H3O+] / [HA] Ka is the conventional way of measuring an acid’s strength. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the Ka of an unknown acid, along with its pKa and mol ar mass. Experimental The unknown acid for this experiment was #14.The experiment began with the preparation and standardization of NaOH solution. It was calculated that 2. 00 grams of NaOH pellets were needed to prepare 0. 5 L of 0. 1 M NaOH solution. The solution was then standardized by conducting three titration trials. It was calculated that 0. 7148 grams of KHP were necessary to neutralize 35 mL of the 0. 1 M NaOH. Three samples of KHP were weighed approximating this number (Table 1). Each sample was mixed with 40 mL of deionized water and 2 drops of phenolphthalein in 3 Erlenmeyer flasks. Each flask was then titrated with the NaOH to a light pink endpoint.The volumes of NaOH were recorded, averaged, and the standardized. The molarity of the NaOH was found to be 0. 0981. Assuming a molar mass of 100 g/mol, it was calculated that 0. 3930 g of acid was needed to neutralize 40 mL of the standardized NaOH solution. This amount was weighed out on an electronic balance to full preci sion and added to a clean 250 mL beaker. The acid was first diluted with 10 mL of isopropanol and then 90 mL of water. A pH meter was immersed in the acid solution and an initial pH reading of 2. 61 was recorded.A buret filled with the NaOH solution was incrementally added to the acid solution and the changing pH values were recorded (Table 2). As the pH meter approached the equivalence point the amount of NaOH added each time was reduced. As the Table 2 shows, the pH rose significantly with the addition of little NaOH over this interval. This information was plotted using Graphical Analysis producing a titration curve graph of pH vs. NaOH (Graph 1). Additional calculations and graphs were produced to help identify the equivalence point: ? pH/? V vs. NaOH (Graph 2) and Vtotal x 10-ph vs. NaOH (Graph 3) Tables and CalculationsPreparation of 500 mL of 0. 1 M NaOH M = moles / volume 0. 1 M NaOH = moles NaOH / 0. 5 L H20 = 0. 05 moles NaOH 0. 05 moles NaOH x 39. 986 g/mol NaOH = 1. 99 g NaOH Preparation of KHP 0. 1 M NaOH = moles NaOH / 0. 035 mL NaOH = . 0035 moles NaOH 0. 0035 moles KHP x 204. 233 g/mole KHP = 0. 7148 g KHP Table 1: NaOH Titration Trials |Trial |KHP |NaOH (to titrate to endpoint) | | |(grams) |(mL) | |1 |0. 7159 |35. 75 | |2 |0. 7147 |35. 65 | |3 |0. 7149 |35. | | | | Avg. 35. 66 | Standardization of NaOH 0. 0035 moles NaOH / . 03566 mL NaOH = 0. 0981 M NaOH Table 2: pH vs. NaOH Values |NaOH |pH |NaOH |pH |NaOH |pH |NaOH |pH | |(mL) | |(mL) | |(mL) | |(mL) | | |0 |2. 61 |19. 2 |4. 54 |22. 15 |6. 56 |25. 4 |9. 74 | |2 |2. 94 |19. 4 |4. 58 |22. 2 |6. 2 |25. 9 |9. 82 | |4 |3. 18 |19. 6 |4. 61 |22. 25 |6. 87 |26. 4 |9. 96 | |5 |3. 3 |19. 8 |4. 65 |22. 3 |6. 98 |26. 9 |10. 02 | |6 |3. 4 |20 |4. 68 |22. 35 |7. 06 |27. 4 |10. 11 | |7 |3. 49 |20. 2 |4. 72 |22. 4 |7. 14 |28. 4 |10. 21 | |8 |3. 58 |20. 4 |4. 77 |22. 5 |7. 24 |29. 4 |10. 1 | |9 |3. 66 |20. 6 |4. 84 |22. 6 |7. 44 |31. 4 |10. 46 | |10 |3. 73 |20. 8 |4. 88 |22. 7 |7. 58 |33. 4 |10. 58 | |11 | 3. 88 |21 |4. 94 |22. 8 |7. 73 |35. 4 |10. 67 | |12 |3. 91 |21. 2 |5. 02 |22. 9 |7. 89 |36. 4 |10. 75 | |13 |3. 97 |21. 4 |5. 11 |23 |8. 03 |39. 4 |10. 87 | |14 |4. 04 |21. |5. 25 |23. 1 |8. 17 |42. 4 |10. 96 | |15 |4. 11 |21. 7 |5. 32 |23. 2 |8. 38 |44. 4 |11. 02 | |16 |4. 19 |21. 8 |5. 45 |23. 3 |8. 51 | | | |16. 5 |4. 24 |21. 85 |5. 52 |23. 4 |8. 65 | | | |17 |4. 29 |21. 9 |5. 62 |23. 6 |8. 92 | | | |17. 5 |4. 34 |21. 95 |5. 71 |23. 8 |9. 9 | | | |18 |4. 4 |22 |5. 86 |24. 1 |9. 27 | | | |18. 5 |4. 45 |22. 05 |6. 1 |24. 4 |9. 39 | | | |19 |4. 52 |22. 1 |6. 4 |24. 9 |9. 62 | | | Graph 1: pH vs. NaOH Titration Curve [pic] Estimated volume of NaOH at equivalence point based on titration curve: 22. 30 mL NaOH. Table 3: ? pH/? V vs. NaOH Values |NaOH |? pH/? V |NaOH |? pH/? V |NaOH |? pH/?V |NaOH |? pH/? V | |(mL) | |(mL) | |(mL) | |(mL) | | |2 |0. 12 |19. 2 |0. 2 |22. 1 |3. 2 |24. 4 |0. 46 | |4 |0. 12 |19. 4 |0. 15 |22. 15 |3. 2 |24. 9 |0. 24 | |5 |0. 1 |19. 6 |0. 2 |22. 2 |3 |25. 4 | 0. 16 | |6 |0. 09 |19. 8 |0. 15 |22. 25 |2. 2 |25. 9 |0. 28 | |7 |0. 9 |20 |0. 2 |22. 3 |1. 6 |26. 4 |0. 12 | |8 |0. 08 |20. 2 |0. 2 |22. 35 |1. 6 |26. 9 |0. 18 | |9 |0. 07 |20. 4 |0. 35 |22. 4 |1 |27. 4 |0. 1 | |10 |0. 15 |20. 6 |0. 2 |22. 5 |2 |28. 4 |0. 1 | |11 |0. 03 |20. 8 |0. 3 |22. 6 |1. 4 |29. 4 |0. 075 | |12 |0. 06 |21 |0. |22. 7 |1. 5 |31. 4 |0. 06 | |13 |0. 07 |21. 2 |0. 45 |22. 8 |1. 6 |33. 4 |0. 045 | |14 |0. 07 |21. 4 |0. 7 |22. 9 |0. 1 |35. 4 |0. 08 | |15 |0. 08 |21. 6 |0. 7 |23 |1. 4 |36. 4 |0. 04 | |16 |0. 1 |21. 7 |1. 3 |23. 1 |2. 1 |39. 4 |0. 03 | |16. 5 |0. 1 |21. 8 |1. 4 |23. 2 |1. |42. 4 |0. 03 | |17 |0. 1 |21. 85 |2 |23. 3 |1. 4 | | | |17. 5 |0. 12 |21. 9 |1. 8 |23. 4 |1. 35 | | | |18 |0. 1 |21. 95 |3 |23. 6 |0. 85 | | | |18. 5 |0. 14 |22 |4. 8 |23. 8 |0. 3 | | | |19 |0. 1 |22. 05 |6 |24. 1 |0. 4 | | |Graph 2: ? pH/? V vs. NaOH [pic] Estimated volume of NaOH at equivalence point based on ? pH/? V vs. NaOH graph: 22. 30 mL NaOH. Table 4: Vtotal x 10-ph vs. NaOH Values |NaOH |Vtotal x 10-ph |NaOH |Vtotal x 10-ph | |(mL) | |(mL) | | |19. 8 |0. 000443 |21. 6 |0. 000121 | |20 |0. 000417 |21. 7 |0. 000104 | |20. 2 |0. 000385 |21. 8 |7. 70E-05 | |20. 4 |0. 000346 |21. 85 |6. 60E-05 | |20. 6 |0. 000298 |21. 9 |5. 0E-05 | |20. 8 |0. 000274 |21. 95 |4. 30E-05 | |21 |0. 000241 |22 |3. 00E-05 | |21. 2 |0. 000202 |22. 05 |1. 80E-05 | |21. 4 |0. 000166 | | | Graph 3: Vtotal x 10-ph vs. NaOH [pic] Estimated volume NaOH at equivalence point based on Vtotal x 10-ph vs. NaOH graph: 22. 20 mL NaOH Calculating Ka of Unknown Acid pH at ? equivalence point volume: 3. 88 Ka = 10 -3. 88 = 1. 318 x 10 -4 Ka = 1. 318 x 10-4 Calculating the Molar Mass of the Unknown Acid 0. 0981 M NaOH = moles acid / . 02330 L NaOH = 0. 023 moles acid 0. 3930 g acid / 0. 0023 moles acid = 171. 9 g/mol Analysis of Error There is a high degree of agreement among the 3 graphs and therefore a low degree of error in this experiment. According to the Graphical Analysis program, Graphs 1 and 2 indicated that the total volume of NaOH at the equivalence point was 22. 30 mL. Graph 3 indicated a volume of 22. 20 mL, a difference of 0. 1 mL. Discussion Based upon the range of possible values for Ka, anywhere from 3. 2 x 109 for Hydroiodic acid (one of the strongest) to 5. 8 x 10-10 for Boric acid (one of the weakest), this experiment’s unknown acid solution (Ka = 1. 18 x 10-4) falls roughly in the lower quarter of strength. This estimate fits its titration curve. In general, strong acids quickly go from a very low pH to a very high pH, e. g. , 2 to 12, while weak acids quickly go from a lower pH to a higher pH, e. g. , 6 to 10. The unknown solution for this experiment jump from 5 to 10 pH, which is consistent with a Ka of 1. 318 x 10-4 and a weaker acid. References Darrell D. Ebbing and Steven D Gammon, General Chemistry, 9th ed. Cengage Learning: Ohio, 2009. Department of Physical Science—Chemistry, Mesa Community College. The Ka and Molar Mass of a Monop rotic Weak Acid (handout).