Emiratization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 20000 words

Emiratization - Essay Example The research used a literature review and a primary research involving interviews of fifteen managerial respondents from across different sectors of UAE. The findings showed that there was a need for the government to change both policy and structural framework to provide better direction and support to organisations towards getting Emiratisation on the road to success. At the policy level, the government needed to amend the aims of Emiratisation, in addition to quotas it should use measures like ‘number of trainings provided to Emiratis’. There is also a need to modify the curriculum at the higher educational level to better match the organizational needs to create public awareness and affect a change in the mindset of the Emiratis to make them more amenable to accepting different levels of jobs in diverse sectors. The government may also subsidize private sector salaries to make jobs attractive to Emiratis while at the same time reduce the burden on the organisations. At the structural level, it is recommended to make Tanmia more focused and powerful and to encourage Abu Dhabi Emiratisation Council or ADEC to play a more active role by helping organisations develop their internal targets and plans for Emiratisation, and by streamlining the educational institutes with the market needs. The organisations are recommended to initiate a culture change so that the top level and the HR managers as well as other employees are ready and prepared to take in local Emiratis as equals with equivalent skills and competence. The organisations also need to place measures for accountability of managers towards Emiratisation targets and to share their experiences openly with ADEC and other organisations. The research concludes by highlighting scope of future research to explore the means and ways of making these recommendations a reality as well as for assessing the true potential and impact of these recommendations. The current research is

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Analysis - Essay Example By providing this scenario, he invokes a 'catch twenty-two' type situation in the mind of his reader and a sense of absurdity. He then further stimulates this sense of the bizarre by stating that in order "to punish the agent" (4), the government must first attain the name of the informant from the reporter and if the journalist chooses not to provide such information under privilege, the informant "may never be caught" (8). At this point, Volokh gains the interest of his reader, enough to induce him/her to read further. Having gained the reader's attention, Volokh then moves from the hypothetical to reality by introducing the Plame Affair, an incident with which most readers would be familiar and would probably have views on, and a more recent incident in Providence, R.I where a reporter "was convicted of criminal contempt" (13) for not naming the person who "gave him a tape of a city official accepting a bribe" (14). By referring to these actual cases, the reader is more likely to agree with his questions: "Should there be a journalist's privilege What should its scope be And who exactly qualifies as a journalist" (16/17). In other words, he sets the scene and lays the groundwork first before moving to his real contention. At this point in his article,... nd that states are divided on the issue with some acknowledging a journalist's privilege to different degrees, while others "and the federal government" (27) are not. This inference of authority being in such disarray, and his poignant use of language, such as "a cryptic three-paragraph concurrence" (20), "should try to strike a proper balance" (23), and "the situation is a mess" (29), help to stimulate the reader's sense of helplessness and vulnerability. Volokh then broadens his line of reasoning from discussion on whether there should be a journalist's privilege and its scope to who "qualifies as a journalist" (17), and further expounds the problem by raising the issue of the "hundreds of thousands" (31) of bloggers who write on the internet, "some of which come with a condition of confidentiality" (32/33). By appealing to the First Amendment once again, he asserts that "freedom of the press should apply to people equally" (35) including bloggers. This however, creates another problem, suggests Volokh, because if "everyone is a journalist" (37) and these privileges are granted to everyone, the "mainstream journalists" (39) will suffer. Informants will be able to bypass any risk of reprisal by publishing through "a friend who has a blog and a political axe to grind" (40), rather than a conventional reporter, who "may turn him in" (39). "On the one hand" (43), he claims information from informants assist reporters to "uncover crime and misconduct" (44), and if the journalists had to disclose the names of their informants, the source of information would disappear. "On the other hand" (45), however, he claims that some information is "rightly made legal" (46). The "best solution" (47) to this paradox, according to Volokh, may be to adopt the same laws

Motivation in a Pharmaceutical Company in Greece

Motivation in a Pharmaceutical Company in Greece The pharmaceutical sector faces stiff competition but a motivated salesforce can provide competitive advantage and facilitate in consolidating the presence of a firm in a highly regulated market. This study will test the relevance of modern motivation theories in the context of the recent financial crisis and add to the literature. The need for motivating sales representatives in the pharmaceutical sector is discussed in the presence of downward employment pressures on the sector in Europe. This research will attempt to determine the applicability of the extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for salesforce motivation in pharmaceutical firms of Greece. The most significant extrinsic factors determined by literature include salary, opportunity of hierarchical advancement and bonuses, while the most important factors in terms of intrinsic motivation include challenging assignments, flexible work arrangements, team-based job design, verbal recognition, career development and self-efficacy. This research will identify the techniques that can be used to enhance salesforce motivation in pharmaceuticals sector of Greece. Determinants of sales representatives motivation in a Pharmaceutical company in Greece during the current recession 1.0- Introduction The sales representatives working for pharmaceutical firms in Europe face significant probability of downsizing due to the increasing focus on salesforce effectiveness measures as opposed to the traditional approach of placing importance to the size of the salesforce (Herwig 2003, pp. 42-56). The recent financial crisis has also led to the dwindling of jobs in Greece and across the European continent. The pharmaceutical industry is faced with cut-throat competition and a highly motivated salesforce can provide competitive advantage to a firm and facilitate continuing profitability and consolidation of the market share in a highly regulated market (Danner and Ruzicic 2006, pp. 2-5). This research proposal is intended to develop an appropriate approach to measure the significance of the determinants of motivation in the context of Greece and the financial crisis. 1.1- Statement of the problem What factors determine the motivation levels for sales representatives at pharmaceutical firms in Greece given the conditions prevalent during the current financial crisis? 1.2- Aims and Objectives This research aims to determine the interaction of motivational factors for the salesforce teams in pharmaceuticals with changing economic conditions. It will test the relevance of modern motivation theories in their attempt to explain the importance of the determinants of motivation in the context of an impending financial crisis in Greece. The following are the objectives of this research. To identify the factors that help determine the motivation levels for sales representatives unique to the pharmaceutical sector in Greece. To study the cultural factors that influence motivation of sales representatives. To test the impact of a lack of job security on the motivation levels of salesforce in the pharmaceutical sector. To determine the methods of motivation acceptable to sales representatives. To identify the most useful technique that can be used to enhance motivation levels of sales employees. 1.3- Significance of the research There is a scarcity of sector related studies of salesforce motivation in the context of Greece; therefore, this research highlights the debate regarding the importance of motivating sales representatives in the pharmaceutical sector (Shim 2006, pp. 6-8). This study tests the relevance of motivation theories in the context of the recent financial crisis and adds to the modern literature that can be further studied in a regional context. The need for motivating the salesforce in the pharmaceutical sector is discussed in the presence of downward employment pressures on the industry. This study intends to incorporate the cultural differences and their impact on the success of motivation techniques utilised by firms (McAlister and Vandlen 2006, pp. 1-2). 2.0- Literature Review Erez and Isen (2002, p. 1055) use the expectancy theory to predict the motivation level of an individual and test the extent of motivation created in individuals based on their perception that hard work will result in superior performance in terms of rewards, recognition and satisfaction. The study indicated that when the link between performance and outcome is specified, all three components of expectancy motivation are influenced positively (Erez and Isen 2002, pp. 1065-1066). Seijts et al., (2004, p. 227) define goal setting theory as the contention that goal commitment leads to a higher task performance compared to a vague performance goal. The results indicate that goal orientation can complement the motivation created through goal setting and influence an improvement in performance of an employee. Maslow (1954) developed a theory of motivation and personality that provided a hierarchy of needs with the satisfaction of physical needs at the lowest level of hierarchy and self actualisation at the highest level; the theory argued that the first level of hierarchy must be fulfilled before an individual can proceed to the next level. Borkowski (2010, pp.118-124) discussed the ERG theory that provides an alternative approach to the hierarchy of needs by identifying three categories of needs: existence, relatedness and growth. The existence includes all the basic necessities required by an individual to survive, relatedness facilitates the development of relationships in the society and growth relates to achievement and success (Locke and Latham 2006, pp. 265-267). However, the ERG theory suggests that an individual can attain higher levels of hierarchy before fulfilling the lower level of needs. This theory also accounts for the difference in needs between different cultures and societies and caters to the explanation of the frustration-regression principle; implying that an individual may need existence related objects once relatedness is not satisfied (Bernard 1992, pp. 56-59; John 2005, pp. 16-19). McClellands theory of needs suggests that three needs of an individual need to be satisfied including achievement, power and affiliation; individuals are motivated by a combination of these needs and some individuals may exhibit a strong tendency to be motivated by one of these factors (Borkowski 2010, pp. 125). Schultz et al., (2006, pp. 23-27) discuss the equity theory predicts that workers often tend to react to the speed of the individuals surrounding them at work. The study tests the relevance of equity theory in explaining worker motivation and find that workers tend to react to the speed of co-workers but the reactions tend to vary significantly from one individual to another. Malik and Naeem (2009, pp. 26-28) study the motivational preferences of pharmaceutical salesforce in the context of the developing world and identify using a questionnaire analysis that the three most important motivators include pay and fringe benefits, job security and promotion opportunities. It is also found that the motivation created through pay and fringe benefits has similar impact on all demographics. The motivational impact of job security was the highest amongst sales representatives with less than ten years experience owing to the high unemployment and the recent financial crisis. Therefore, it is prescribed that special emphasis should be placed on severance pay, outplacement and early retirement before initiating downsizing of pharmaceuticals salesforce (Woodbine and Liu 2010, pp. 28-30). McAlister and Vandlen (2006, pp. 1-3) highlight the importance of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for salesforce motivation in pharmaceutical firms. The most significant extrinsic factors found in the study include salary, opportunity of hierarchical advancement and bonuses, while the most important factors in terms of intrinsic motivation include challenging assignments, flexible work arrangements, team-based job design, verbal recognitions, career development and self-efficacy. The study also argues that taking cultural and generational differences into account can also prove to significantly improve salesforce motivation. Singh (2010, p. 72) also studies the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, that may lead to higher job satisfaction in pharmaceutical salesforce and finds that growth, relationships with co-workers, promotion expectation, recognition, job security, operational procedures, delegation and quality of work supervision can lead to significant increase in m otivation (Jansson and Vessman 1997, pp. 202-203). The internal promotion schemes and growth from inside the company can improve motivation amongst salesforce. The study also indicates that demographics have no significant impact on motivation levels in sales force (Gonsalves 2008, p. 3). Longino (2007, pp. 1-13) found that salesforce motivation and performance in pharmaceutical firms is significantly high when an appropriate territorial distribution and design is used by these firms. Danner and Ruzicic (2006, pp. 1-7) argue that pharmaceutical salesforce are no more governed by the size of the team and instead by salesforce effectiveness; the widespread downsizing in the salesforce of pharmaceutical firms around Europe can lead to major concerns regarding job security and de-motivate the sales representatives. Therefore, increasing job security proves to be the most important factor for salesforce motivation in pharmaceuticals during the current financial crisis (Barnett 1999, pp. 6-10). 3.0- Research Methodology The research will utilise a combination of the qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the significance of the factors that lead to increased motivation for sales representatives (Longino 2007, pp. 1-4). The determinants of motivation highlighted by the literature review will be the focus of the analysis in the context of Greece and the recent financial crisis. The measurement of the impact of these factors on motivation levels will be quantitative; however, the research will be reinforced by a qualitative analysis of the motivation techniques used by pharmaceutical firms using a case study approach (Hongchatikul 2008, pp. 12-13). The secondary research will examine the literature that focuses on developing innovative means for handling sales representatives with different profiles and segments. Primary data for this research will be collected by developing a questionnaire for the sales representatives working at pharmaceuticals firms. 3.1- Sampling Methodology The sampling methodology chosen for this study involves a multi-stage sampling process involving two distinct phases of selection process of the firms used for analysis (Alan 2011, pp. 21-26). The initial stage involves the selection of the sectors that are the focus of this research; this is based on conscious selection of the large scale pharmaceutical firms operating in Greece. The second stage includes the selection of the sales representatives for questionnaires using a non-probability sample as the goal is to select a maximum size for the sample and the minimum sample size will be a hundred sales representatives (Gordy 2000, pp. 139-148). The research may also involve interviews with pharmaceutical firm managers depending on the resources and the cooperation available from the companies. 3.2- Resources The dissertation will accomplish a review of the literature on sales force motivation, motivation techniques and the impact of a recession on sales force motivation levels. The research resources include eminent online journals including the Science Direct, Blackwell Synergy, Jstor, Ebrary, Springer Link, Ingenta Connect, Google Books and Google Scholar, and the books and publications available at the library. The resource pool will be filtered after conducting a preliminary review of the literature available and the relevant literature will be sorted for inclusion into the dissertation. 3.3- Ethical Obligations It is crucial to uphold the integrity of research process and the ethical conduct of the researcher is manifest from the fact that a replica of all the literature and data used for the research will be maintained and made available upon request. The contact to the moral risks posed during the exploration process is also diminished by certifying that the researcher uses a manageable sample for case analysis to be able to conduct an in-depth analysis of the motivation techniques used by the selected firms (Nelson 2004, pp. 4). 4.0- Conclusion The research on salesforce motivation in the pharmaceuticals sector in Greece will not only add to the existing pool of literature on salesforce motivation but it will also create interest in the testing of modern theories of motivation and the impact of the recent financial crisis on the determinants of salesforce motivation (Iguisi 2009, pp. 147-149). This provides incentive for sector based studies on salesforce motivation and an opportunity to compare the results obtained in different industries and across diverse cultures and economies. References Alan, B., (2011). Business research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Barnett, C., (1999). Motivation theories: Integration. New Hampshire: Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire. Bernard, W., (1992). Human motivation: Metaphors, theories and research. Michigan: Sage Publishers. Borkowski, N., (2010). Organisation behaviour in healthcare. Sudbury: Jones and Barlett Publishers. Danner, S., and Ruzicic, A., (2006). The European pharmaceutical industry: Delivering sales excellence in turbulent times A roadmap for getting the basics right and exploring the future. Munich: Roland Berger. Erez, A., and Isen, A., (2002). The influence of positive effect on the components of expectancy motivation. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 87 (6), pp. 1055-1067. Gonsalves, B., (2008). Retaining and motivating your sales force in Asia. New York: Mercer Series. Gordy, M., (2000). A comparative anatomy of credit risk models. Journal of Banking and Finance, Vol. 24 (1), pp. 119à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"149. Herwig, J., (2003). Motivate and reward: Performance appraisal and incentive systems for business success. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. Hongchatikul, U., (2008). The impact of organisational development interventions on employee commitment and motivation and customer satisfaction: A case study. Bangkok: Graduate School of Business, Hua Mak Campus. Iguisi, O., (2009). Motivation related values across cultures. African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 3 (4), pp. 141-150. Jansson, S., and Vessman, J., (1997). The industrial point of view: Competence development in Pharmaceutical industry. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Vol. 61, pp. 202-203. John, M., (2005). Organizational behaviour I. Essential theories of motivation and leadership. New York: M.E Sharpe Incorporation. Locke, E., and Latham, G., (2006). New directions in goal setting theory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 15 (5), pp. 265-268. Longino, E., (2007). Sales management control, territory design, sales force performance, and sales organisational effectiveness in pharmaceutical industry. Boca Raton: Eric Longino. Malik, M., and Naeem, B., (2009). Motivational preferences of pharmaceutical sales force: Empirical evidence from Pakistan. Pakistan Economic and Social Review, Vol. 47 (1), pp. 19-30. McAlister, R., and Vandlen, C., (2006). What types of rewards or recognition practices motivate individuals to be creative and innovative, particularly those in RD functions whose products are developed over long time periods? Cornell: Cornell University. Nelson, K., (2004). Motivating high performance in pharmaceutical sales teams: Key compensation and team process factors. New York: Lantern Group. Rye, D., (1998). 1,001 ways to inspire: your organization, your team, and yourself. Victoria: Castle Books. Schultz, K., Schoenherr, T., and Nembhard, D., (2006). Equity theory effects on worker motivation and speed on an assembly line. Boston: Harvard Business School. Seijts, G., Latham, G., Tasa, K., and Latham, B., (2004). Goal setting and goal orientation: n integration of two different yet related literatures. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 47 (2), pp. 227-239. Shim, S., (2006). Adoption of pharmaceutical sales force automation systems: An exploratory study. South Orange: Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University. Singh, V., (2010). Job satisfaction among pharmaceutical sales force in South Africa: A case with special reference to Cape Town. Ä °Ãƒâ€¦Ã… ¸letme AraÃ…Å ¸tÄ ±rmalarÄ ± Dergisi, Vol. 2 (2), pp. 63-74. Woodbine, G., and Liu, J., (2010). Leadership styles and the moral choice of internal auditors. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organisation Studies, Vol. 15 (1), pp. 28-35.

My Journey :: fictional narrative

It was late afternoon, when I just stepped into the house. The silence had captured the room. I was tired. My body felt like dead, but my mind was beyond that. A blue, blue frame caught my eyes. The deep blue sank my thoughts deeper and deeper and made them flow away as the waves pushed them more into the magic, no ending space. I was looking at the world itself, and seemed like it was standing at the palm of my hand. Some things seemed awkward while this world was rotating. Lots of mysteries surrounded my boat, as I was going further in this magnificent journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fishes along with other ocean creatures were curios to know where this boat was going to bring us all. I was curios too. My curiosity reached to the point, where few houses appeared and beautiful palms seemed to wave at me from far. I left the boat closer to the shore and I followed the way that the palms were. The houses were one into another, very close to each other. The streets were narrow and everything seemed empty and lifeless. The darkness that surrounded the place, made it become more mysterious than it was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was walking alone and looking at every corner of the place, I sow few old people. My thoughts went deeper than ever. My mind was telling me to continue my walk, but my body seemed frightened and frozen. But my curiosity to know that, how this beautiful place had only few people and that they were all old made my body to go on further. It was a very different place from others. I was thinking as I was going through this streets and looking at the houses, to knock in one of them, but my phone went off and my thoughts got stuck in that house. It was a big and very old house. It was my friend who called. I sow myself cutting the conversation with him to go back into the journey and get back my thoughts. I sat back at the same place I was, and the house appeared in front of me. I looked at the house, and its doors and windows and the whole house was trying to tell me something that I could not understand. In front of the house, was a beautiful girl. She was the first young person there.

What made Delaney’s play dramatic for its audience?

A Taste of Honey was first produced at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1958. Britain in the 1950's was much different than it is now. During the 1950's single parents were a tiny minority of the population. Couples who were living together without getting married would have been condemned by society . Male homosexuality were a criminal offence and it was generally not safe for homosexuals to appear in public. Statistics show that in 1958 approximately 1 in 100 marriages ended in divorce compared to 1995 when approximately 1 in 3 marriages ended in divorce. Also in 1958 there were black communities in the United Kingdom in London, Bristol, Cardiff and Liverpool but they were not common elsewhere. In the 1990's approximately 1 in 20 British citizens is of African, Asian of Caribbean origin. The play A Taste of Honey explores all of the above themes which at the time in 1958 were controversial. The play confronts a range of social issues such as single motherhood, black and white, gay and straight and class. These issues are discussed in a frank manner and from a female point of view both of which were unusual for Britain in the 1950's. During the 1950's. The country was deeply religious quite unlike the Britain of today. During the 1950's the theatre going audience would largely have been made up of the upper classes. A favourite show at that time was â€Å"My Fair Lady† which is a play about a girl named Eliza Do-Little who is taught how to become a â€Å"proper â€Å"Lady. It would only have been in very rare circumstances that the working classes would have attended. To see a play of this nature covering such unsavoury topics would have shocked the middle class audience. You can read also Audience Adaptation Paper Although they were aware of the above issues it was unlikely that the average theatre going audience at that time would have had any direct contact with the themes covered. To see a play that was to display such a rollercoaster of emotions would have been quite dramatic in itself. A quote from Deuteronomy 5-6-21 â€Å"You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the lord will not forgive anyone who misuses his name â€Å"Throughout the play Helen and Peter often use blasphemous phrases when angry, which is something that the middle class audience would have found shocking. An example of this is where Peter says â€Å"God! We've got a founder member of the Lord's Day Observance Society here. † Another example is where Helen is speaking to Jo and Helen shouts â€Å"For God's sake shut up! Close your mouth for five minutes. â€Å"The devil is also referred to which is another element that would have startled the audience, not only is the devil mentioned but he is mentioned in front of children. The play is written in a way very similar to that of a soap opera. It has a timeless quality and it would not be out of place if a scene appeared in a soap opera such as Coronation Street today. Coronation Street first appeared in the early 1960's. The play was written to portray the lives of the working class. It was written in a very honest way without the use of â€Å"rose coloured spectacles†. Originally the play was going to be a novel but after seeing a Terence Rattigan play Delaney became disillusioned as Rattigan did not seem to be writing about the sort of places and people that she knew in Salford. The theatre of the 1950's, seemed to describe † safe ,sheltered, cultured lives in charming surroundings and not life as the majority of ordinary people knew it. This was the lifestyle that was more familiar to the Middle Classes. There is irony in the title â€Å"A Taste of Honey† this implies that it is a taste of something sweet or something pleasant. The only real â€Å"sweet† thing throughout the play is the relationship between Boy and Jo. Like Coronation Street the play is set in Salford in the North of England close to Manchester. As previously stated the play is set in a shabby, uncomfortable flat in a poor part of Manchester in Northern England. When Peter first visits the flat he asks â€Å"What on earth made you choose such a ghastly district? † Peter goes on to say â€Å"Nobody could live in a place like this† Jo replies â€Å"Only about a thousand people. Later on he is desperate to leave the flat and says â€Å"Those bloody little street kids have probably pulled the car to pieces by now†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † â€Å"I just want to get the hell out of this black hole of Calcutta. † The above quotes give some insight into Peter's status simply by the fact that he owns a car as this would have been out of reach of most working class people. There is also a hint that Peter is racist with his comment about Calcutta. The middle class audience may have found this element of Peter amusing as they realised that they had more in common with Peter than the other characters. Today such a reference would be totally unacceptable. At this time in Manchester, following a gradual recovery from the war there were many buildings and homes that were sub standard needing urgent modernisation. Often there would be several families sharing the same latrine and bathing facilities. On occasions there would be no bathing facilities at all and a trip to the public baths would be the only place that a bath could be taken. This lack of facilities would have been unheard of amongst the upper classes. Over a period of time these buildings were upgraded or knocked down. This was referred to as slum clearance. A perfectly acceptable phrase then but now more pleasantly referred to as urban regeneration. The focus of the play is on Helen and Jo mother and daughter, their problems and their attempts to cope with life. The act opens with them in the process of moving into their new flat. The flat is in very poor condition cold and damp. Helen has a cold but despite this she is still able to bicker constantly with her daughter. The conversation is like verbal sparring. They bicker constantly over trivial matters such as making coffee or how often to bathe. It soon becomes clear that their relationship is one of ill concealed hostility. Jo does not call Helen mother or mum but refers to instead by her name Helen. The way in which Helen speaks to her daughter would be considered unacceptable today. â€Å"You stupid little devil† and â€Å"You silly little bitch â€Å". This language would have had even greater impact in the 1950's and was deliberately selected by the author to shock the middle class audience. Both Helen and Jo demean each other with comments such as Jo saying to Helen â€Å"You don't look forty. You look sort of well -preserved sixty† Each remark is rebuked and followed by a defensive comment. Helen is described as a crude semi- whore like and a drunk. She is barely forty and has been married and divorced, but her daughter Jo is the result of a brief fling . Peter, her latest conquest is a middle class, wealthy alcoholic womaniser. He is uncouth and racist. Peter often has a dirty tale to tell and is suggestive. He seems to have the manners that would normally be associated with the working class rather than the middle class. Jo attempts to improve their surroundings . Jo yearns for a real home and despite the dreadful condition of their new flat she attempts to give it a homely touch. She wants to plant bulbs and buy a new lampshade. It is the simple things in life that appeal to Jo. Jo is the result of a brief fling that has been raised in difficult circumstances . She has not had the benefit of one loving parent let alone two. There has been no father figure just a constant stream of Helen's boyfriends . This is illustrated when Jo says' you should have asked him to stay. It wouldn't be the first time I've been thrown out of my bed to make room for one of you is†¦ ‘ The fact that Helen is referred to as Helen by Jo reflects the lack of maternal feelings on Helen's behalf. The play at this point raises awareness amongst the middle classes about the plight of the single parent and I am sure that the audience though shocked at the reality would have some sympathy for both women although in different ways. Single parents would have been unheard of amongst the middle classes and if such a situation arose the female would have been forced into marriage to avoid a scandal. Jo is afraid of ‘darkness inside houses' which is an insight into the loneliness and fear that she feels as she is often left alone by her mother. The home is seen as a place of sanctuary, a place of warmth, comfort and love but this is not the case for Jo. Helen is not interested . in any of this she does not wish to make a home for Jo. She is very self centred and feels a bitterness towards Jo. When Jo tries to ask Helen for details about her father Helen replies ‘I didn't do it on purpose. How was I to know you'd materialize out of a little love affair that lasted five minutes? ‘ Jo accuses her mother of being indifferent and running away from her problems. Helen suffers from a lack of morals and does not think twice about leaving Jo unsupervised and alone. Jo displays a responsibility and maturity far beyond her years. Something that has always escaped her selfish immature mother. Nothing must stand in the way of her having a good time. It is clear that Peter had no idea that Helen had a daughter. Jo tries to ruin Helen's relationship with Peter in an attempt to keep her mother for herself. Jo is afraid of loosing her mother yet again. Jo eventually finds a boyfriend, â€Å"boy† He is a 23 year old black sailor. He is on leave over the Christmas period. He appears very casual but is sexually interested in Jo who is just fourteen but lies and tells boy that she is eighteen. Helen is yet again absent. Boy spends Christmas with Jo. Out of desperation and loneliness Jo is intimate with boy which in turn leads to a pregnancy. Although only fourteen she is not naive. She is fully aware that boy is only after ‘one thing ‘although professing to love her and is suspicious as to whether he will return. Boy leaves not knowing that Jo is pregnant. The themes that are explored here are those of underage sex which although fully aware went on the middle class audience would have been shocked to see it portrayed so vividly. Racism is also in evidence here. Simply because Jo's boyfriend is black, he is not worthy of a name and is referred to as boy. This is an example of how black people were thought of as the underclass and boy is often associated with the slave trade. Miscegenation was very much frowned upon by the upper classes. Increasingly lonely Jo invites Geoffrey, a gay man who she met at a fair to stay with her. The middle class audience are now confronted with homosexuality and although aware of its presence in their society. It would have been an activity that would have been conducted behind closed doors. They would not be used to having such a subject flaunted in public. Geoffrey flourishes in the role of caring for and protecting Jo. He cleans and helps with preparations for the birth of the baby. Geoffrey knows that because of his homosexuality this is probably the only chance he will ever have of being a father figure. Geoffrey knows also that he will never be able to have an openly gay relationship because it will be condemned by society and he will be the victim of abuse. Geoffrey and Jo get on well together in an attempt to be ‘normal. ‘ And fit in with an intolerant society. Geoffrey asks Jo to marry him. Jo is not in control of her emotions. She hates the idea of love and motherhood but at the same time is in need of someone to love her. Jo says to Geoffrey ‘You've got nice hands, hard. You know I used to try and hold my mother's hands but she always used to pull them away from me. So silly, really. She had so much love for everyone else but none for me. †She refers to Geoffrey as her big sister, and he is very tolerant of her mood swings. Geoffrey brings Helen back to visit Jo. She is very critical and hostile towards him. Peter arrives and is also very hostile towards Geoffrey. They make jokes about his homosexuality which reflects society attitude towards homosexuality. Peter says ‘Well, is anybody coming for a few drinks? You Staying with the ladies, Jezebel. Peter also refers to Geoffrey as Mary. Helen refers to him as ‘an arty little freak. ‘ In the final scene of the play Jo is in the latter stages of her pregnancy. Jo and Geoffrey are still getting along well. Jo does get upset at one point when Geoffrey buys her a baby doll to help her to learn how to look after the baby. It is a white doll not a black one. Jo threatens to kill the baby. Helen leaves Peter and returns to the flat. Peter has been chatting up a younger woman . Helen seems willing to help Jo and Geoffrey is driven out of the flat. Helen feels that Geoffrey has taken her place. Sadly this situation changes when Jo tells Helen that the father is black. It is at this point in the play that the father of Jo's baby is referred to as Jimmie rather than boy. Helen leaves the flat to go for a drink but the implication is that she may have left for good. Jo is left on her own, smiling but unaware that Geoffrey will not return. The characters in the play are depicted as honest and realistic and full of substance the play gave an accurate account of working class lives . Delaney wanted her characters to be resilient, not depressed by the harshness of their environment. They have to take everyday knocks in their stride . It would have been unusual in the 1950's for a black man and a homosexual man to be presented as natural characters and not placed in the play as freaks or to provide comedy. The comedy in this play comes from the characters themselves and the situations in which they find themselves. The play ends sadly for Jo who will once again be alone. She will however, have a child and something of her own to love. There is however, a positive note a new beginning, a new life . It creates a positive feeling for life. At last Boy has a name Jimmie. The play helps the audience realize that no matter what colour, or class, or sexuality we are all equal. The fact that the play ends with a song is uplifting. Throughout the play it was boy who made up these little songs and who sang them to her. The fact that she is singing a song as she is alone brings back memories of a time when she was happy. When life for her was sweet. It was a time when she had ‘A Taste of Honey' The themes explored in depth above of the class system, dysfunctional families, (a single mother with a child of dual heritage living with a homosexual male who is not related to her. Racism, homophobia, alcoholism, prostitution, dialogue, offensive language all contribute to the fact that Delaney's play was dramatic for its audience. The dialogue is witty sharp and unsentimental. The issues covered in the play are still fresh and anyone one of them could be headline news tomorrow. It portrays complex relationships which are constantly at the forefront in today 's society. Some critics actually saw Delaney's work as a protest against working class poverty and the hopelessness of a flawed social system. The play demanded attention and as a result the public began to change their attitude towards art and society. I think that the ending of the play is one of the most dramatic moments throughout. Jo is left on her own, waiting to give birth to a black child, which as discussed before was frowned upon in that time. This would be said to be a Hollywood ending as many of us believe that Hollywood endings are make believe, they are this to impress the audience as situations in this matter would not have happened, which leads us to think is it real? This then relates to a book â€Å"The Catcher in The Rye† because the book is about phoneys, although how it is all real and makes us think of the situation. This in relation to â€Å"a Taste Of honey† is quite similar, because although the ending is dramatic, situations like this happened in the 1950's and the fact Jo was abandoned because of her black child was not frowned upon, because it seemed like the right thing to do.

Moving from prescribing medications by brand name to INN

Abstract Drug prescription is not only a routine in medical use functioning, but also plays pivotal role in improving the health status of patients seeking such services. The nature and efficacy of pharmacy services depends on the extent of professionalism, which define the methods and ethical standards with which one carries out such duties.Furthermore, pharmaceutical services vary from one place to another, and often governed by the prevailing state laws. This research paper therefore, presents a detailed discussion of two main aspect of pharmacy. The first section entails the shift in the drug prescription methods, from the initial brand based method to the modern based on the active ingredient making up the medicine. The second section outlines the contribution of a pharmacist in influencing the brand of medicine that can be prescribed in a clinical process. Introduction The efforts aimed at changing the health care provider’s prescribing behaviour to achieve consistency with the ever changing best medical practises is the chief challenge ensuring the safest dispensation and use of medicine. Due the emergence of new data about the use of drugs such as their effectiveness, dosing options, side effects, indications as well as contraindications, the existing pharmaceutical options also keep on evolving (Garcia-Gollarte et.al, 2012). As a result of the new changes in the medical practises, there are resulting gaps between the prescription options based on evidence, and the usual practises in most clinics. For example, other than the common error of under dozing and over dozing, the prescribers may occasionally give particular medicines for wrong conditions. Biological Medicines and Biosimillar medicines The biological medicines are also referred to as biologics, and consist of organic compounds made through biotechnological mechanisms. The biologics appeared for use in the 1980s, and have since then advanced to bring improvements in the treatment of many diseases. Their uses as alternative medicine have revolutionized the treatment of diseases, which has led to the improvement of health status across billions of people in the world. Consequently, this category of drugs has become popular since their introduction, a process whose end has seen the diminishing power of the original biological medicine. There are many manufacturing companies, who have acquired the permission to manufacture similar brands of the original biological medicine, commonly trending the medical market as biosimillar medicines. As a result of the existing complexity in the process of manufacturing the original medicine, the biosimillar medicines do not qualify for the generic class of medicine (Dylst, Vulto & Simoens, 2013). This is mainly due to the fact that this category is not typically identical to the original medicine. There are concerns regarding the authenticity and the effectiveness of the process of differentiating between such biosimillar medicines and the original biological medicines. These concerns are based on the extents of similarities observed when such drugs are used, as compared to the original biological medicines. For example, under same conditions of a particular patient, when a biosimillar is compared with Infliximab, the uses of biosimilars have manifested the same therapeutic efficacy, as well as the incidences of drug related events. In addition to the similar levels of therapeutic efficacy, biosimilars are equally tolerated by the body system, and also comparable in terms of their safety issues. It is the complexity in their manufacturing processes, in tandem with safety concerns that the ongoing monitoring derives its basis (Declerck & Simoens, 2012).Concerns regarding the use of biosimilar drugsThe concerns rose over the issues relating to safety, efficacy and the cost of using the biosimilars have resulted into the urgent need for a change of prescription method from the initial brand name to the use of active ingredients. This is because of the compromise of such brands, in which certain biosimilars do not recognize the copied brands, and thus creating confusion. The key concern that has been raised through the Pharmacovigilance involves the criteria wit which one can use to draw a line between the original biological medicine and the biosimilar medicines. There are a plethora of biosimilar medicines that after manufacturing have been approved by the European Medicines Agency. Such approvals have derived their bases on the abbreviated programs, in which the manufacturing process was purely based on copying the formula of those biological medicines already in the market. Some of these biosimilar medicines in this category exist in the market, despite lack of approval by the regulatory bodies, under the legal regulatory frameworks within Europe. Their lack of approval has therefore led to the ultimate doubt about the validity of such medicines, especially the possibility of adverse reactions occurring as side effects. The cost of purchasing the biosimilar medicines has also raised major concerns in the pharmaceutical industries in the Europe, just like other parts of the world. The relative low cost of acquiring such medicines has led into a perception by many people, that the existence of cheaper alternatives could be derailing the development of the industry. Consequently, there is an increase of pressure to prescribe the cheaper and new alternatives among patients, who may not afford the original biological medicines. Furthermore, such pressures have led to the increased use of such alternatives without any critical attention paid to the criteria of prescription and application of brand names. Transition from the drug brand name to the INN system of drug prescription The recent decades have been epitomised by a major burden of chronic diseases, not only among the European member states, but also across the globe. In order to curb the ever growing menace of such diseases among populations, the concerned authorities such as the World Health Organization, through respective governments have had to act. The chief aim of such action by the WHO, through respective governments have been to facilitate, and enforce laws to ensure that all professional health workers and patients access the safest, high quality, modern and affordable medicine to improve the health status of their people. Biomedical studies over time have identified the biological medicines as one of the most effective categories of medicine that can meet this criterion. However, the main challenge in the provision of such biological medicine has been manifested on the means of identification by both patients and pharmacists during prescription. Surveys have further pointed out that the method of prescription plays a pivotal role in limiting the resulting confusion during the identification of drugs from place, particularly from one country to another within Europe (CDC, 2012). For instance, over the recent decades, the method of prescription has been based on the brand name. There are a number of factors that determine the brand name for a particular medicine, such as the location or trans-border movements within Europe. Such variation have therefore been a core ingredient in breeding the much confusion when prescribing drugs from one place, especially for patients who may be new in such places. A particular brand name for a medicine used at one point may either be unfamiliar, or used for a different medicine in another place (Rotenstein et.al, 2013). Consequently, the need for a more standardised system of naming and prescribing drugs across the globe, including the European member states becomes an indispensible discourse. The European member states, in tandem with the world, have therefore joined the movement from prescribing medications by brand name to the INN International Nonproprietary Name (INN). Currently, there is a legislation process, whose purpose is to prevent doctors from brand prescription, but rather an active ingredient in the medicine, to allow easy determination by the patient. The International Nonproprietary Name (INN) The International Nonproprietary Name is a special term in healthy sciences and medicines, which is given to pharmaceuticals for purposes of easy identification. Having been initiated by the World Health Organization, the INN system of identification began to operate in 1953, for the benefit of not only the health workers such as pharmacists, but also help patients identify their medication with ease. The ease of identification was based on the common aim of the system for the generation of convenient common names for the existing pharmaceutical substances. In this case, each name generated under this system becomes unique for a global recognition of the substance as a public property. Consequently, the INN given to each pharmaceutical can have wide uses for the manufacturers and users, as well as the process of generic prescription in studies regarding drug use (CDC, 2012). The use of the International Nonproprietary Name in the drug prescription process functions to harmonise the communication regarding the medical activities among health professionals, drug consumers and patients. As a result, this system helps to prevent potential occurrence of medication errors. A medication error refers to any resulting misconception in the processes of drug prescription, dispensation, administration as well as monitoring the use of a particular drug. Medication errors are a major cause of most adverse reactions in patients, whose prevention can easily be achieved through accurate use of the relevant drugs. The accuracy can also be achieved through a process of synchronization, in which a single drug can retain a single identification from one place to another. A prescription method, based on the active ingredient as the common component of a particular drug, such as the INN system, has been enforced through a new legislative body referred to as the European Union Pharmacovigilance Legislation. Pharmacovigilance is a process, which consists of scientific activities of detecting, conducting an assessment of the adverse risks, understanding, and the establishment of potential prevention measures for the resulting adverse reactions (CDC, 2012). The European Medicines AgencyResponsibilitiesThe chief responsibility of the European Medicines Agency is to obtain and report the relevant data regarding adverse drug reactions, resulting from medical errors. Such reports are gathered and submitted to the Eudravigilance, a database that stores all the relevant data for medical errors among the European member states. Moreover, the database system is designed in such a way that it does not only receive the relevant information on adverse drug reaction, but also processes, stores and avails upon demand, the stored information after electronic submission.s The database run by the European Medical agency also permits users to conduct a critical analysis of the data herein, and enables one t make accurate conclusions regarding the data collected in determining the prevailing medical trends in different regions of Europe (Declerck, & Simoens, 2012). In the modern system, there are legislative measures, which ensure that the data regarding medicines are stored and undergo general processing, during which drugs should maintain a standard description using the active ingredient, other than the initial brand name. In addition to the data reception, storage, and analysis through the Eudravigilance database, the legislative body also has a role of coordination among the European member states. The coordination role between different medicine regulatory authorities across Europe also involves all the individual Pharmacovigilance centres, as well as the patient safety authorities. The main aim of this role is to ensure that there is mutual flow of relevant information among the member states, so as to enhance communication of the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) is also a legislative committee charged with a duty of offering the requisite recommendations for all medicine regulatory frameworks within the EU (Allen & Ansel, 2013). The recommendations made by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee function to enhance further safety issues, resulting from inappropriate use of medicines in various regions across the member states (O’Connor, Gallagher & O’Mahony, 2012). While formulating these recommendations, the committee takes into considerations, including risk management issues, to monitor the extent of effectiveness, with which various mechanisms help to eradicate the occurrence of medication errors and adverse drug reactions. Role of a Pharmacist in Determining a Drug Prescription Pharmacists have the most critical role in determining the type or brand of medication to prescribe. This is because they are the base of the powers for dispensing the drugs for patients, in a normal clinical routine (Gibberson et.al, 2013). When lack of professionalism occurs in the dispensation of medicines for patients, there are higher chances of adverse medical reactions resulting from medical errors. Each year, the occurrence of medical errors, emanating from inappropriate prescription and dispensation of medicines by unprofessional pharmacists has caused harm to at least 1.5 million people. Furthermore, the loss incurred in terms of the cost of treating the injuries caused in hospitals runs at higher levels of at least $3.5 Billion each year. However, these cost estimates do not take into account the additional cost in terms of the extra wages and salaries incurred while causing and correcting such messes (Spinewine, Fialova & Byrne, 2012). Throughout history, pharmacists have played a pivotal role in ensuring an improved patient health through appropriate prescription and dispensing of the right brand of medicine. Through improved disease management techniques and therapy practises, effective spending in healthcare activities, and enhanced adherence leads to improved quality of life (Haga et.al, 2013). In order to influence the brand of medicine to prescribe for a particular patient, the pharmacist should acquire a deeper comprehension of the patients’ medical condition. Most often, the pharmacist relies entirely on the information obtained from the technician, which helps them provide additional base for the patient’s safety (O’Connor, Gallagher & O’Mahony, 2012). In order to obtain the required accuracy, it is important for the technician to observe strict adherence to the system based procedures when obtaining the information regarding a patient’s medical condition. In cases where the technician experiences unusual or any form of abnormalities, it is their responsibility to inform the pharmacist, to enable them prescribe and dispense the right brand of medicine (Allen & Ansel, 2013).The Scope of Practise in PharmacyThe scope of practise for different pharmacists varies from one country to another, depending on the prevailing state laws. The governing board of pharmacy also plays a pivotal role in determining the extent to which professional pharmacists can exercise their powers, and ability to influence the type of prescription. There are sets of regulation in various countries, which permit the pharmacists to exercise their powers as professional within specific areas within the medical care system (Law et.al, 2012). On the other hand, other countries have laws that encourage a broader approach to service delivery within the medical service delivery. The pharmacist may therefore take part in different parts of the medication, ranging from diagnosis, prescription, drug dispensation as well as monitoring. The pharmacist therefore has a wide range of options and opportunities, during which they can influence the prescription of a given medicine (Abood, 2012).Job SatisfactionJob satisfaction is another aspect of enabler, through which pharmacists acquire an opportunity to influence the prescription. In the modern world of health care system, the practise of pharmacy has advanced from the initial practise of dispensing medicine and offering counselling sessions to offering more detailed clinical patient care services. In cases where a pharmacist meets restraining conditions in which they are unable to offer a wider spectrum of services to their patients, they often lack satisfaction from their jobs (A llen & Ansel, 2013).Eradication of fraudulent prescriptionThe main source of medical errors often emanate from fraudulent prescriptions, some of which are out of human intervention, while the rest may be unintentional. In order to take control of the process and make the relevant decision regarding the prescription, pharmacists should understand what constitutes fraudulent practises and work towards eradicating them. Fraudulent prescriptions are caused by legitimate practises, in which patients decide to make alterations to their prescriptions to suit their personal interests (Declerck & Simoens, 2012). In such cases, the patient may show preference for a particular brand of medicine, and insist that they be treated with the same. In other experiences, patients may also alter prescriptions depending on the cost incurred, in which they either opt for cheaper brands, or prefer more expensive brands due to their perception of higher quality and efficacy. A pharmacist may use their influence in such cases to discover the fraud and alter the prescription, and dispense the right medicine depending on the patient’s conditions (Cornes, 2012). In addition to cases of alteration, pharmacists also have the technical and professional skills to discover the validity of prescription pads. One of the most conspicuous methods of identifying the validity of such prescription pads may involve subjecting the contact information to a rigor of scrutiny, to determine if they bear the name of the bearer. Such details may include the surnames, contact phone number as well as the registration number (Campanelli, 2012). Professionally, stealing a prescription pads translates into an automatic medical error and a potential adverse reaction. In situations where the pharmacists discover such anomalies, there are a number of professional measures that can be employed to influence the brand of medication prescribed and dispensed. Pharmacists ensure that they apply strict rules, in which only the state authorised individuals or prescribers can write prescription orders. The state authorized person is defined by the state a trained physician, dentist, veterinarian, podiatrist, as well as other state registered practitioners. For instance, there are states with strict rules in which other health professionals such as physician assistants and nurses to participate in conducting prescriptions under supervision or instruction by the pharmacist in charge. Similarly, other states also permit a sense of autonomy for the mid-level practitioners (Law, et.al, 2012). The pharmacist therefore has a duty to understand the prevailing laws regarding the state provisions on drug prescription, before determining one. This helps them avoid cases of assumption, in which they perceive that every prescription given for the controlled substances is inappropriate. A pharmacist who obtains a prescription whose validity attracts signs of doubt or appears invalid in any way, it is professional to undertake affirmative steps aimed at establishing the authenticity of the prescription holder (Cornes, 2012). In cases where the pharmacists have doubts about the contact information, they may have to use the prescriber’s contact office, other than the patients contact information. A telephone call to the office creates an additional time in the prescription process, during the concerned parties may address the gaps in the existing prescription. This way, the pharmacist not only gets a chance to influence the types of medication prescribed, but also adheres to t he legal requirements, including state laws regarding the use of drugs. References Abood, R. R. (2012). Pharmacy practice and the law. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Allen, L. V., & Ansel, H. C. (2013). Pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug delivery systems. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Campanelli, C. M. (2012). American Geriatrics Society Updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: The American Geriatrics Society 2012 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. 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