Overdosed America The Broken Promise of American Medicine Essay

Overdosed America The Broken Promise of American Medicine - Essay Example To keep the lid sealed on this corruption of medical science-and to ensure its translation into medical practice-there is a complex web of corporate influence that includes disempowered regulatory agencies, commercially sponsored medical education, brilliant advertising, expensive public relations campaigns, and manipulations of free media coverage. And last, but not least, are the financial ties between many of the most trusted medical experts and medical industry". I choose this quote because it encapsulates the scope of this book. Overdosed America, by John Abramson, M.D. is a thought-provoking and riveting assessment of health care and the corruption thereof in America. Pointing to evidence which is concrete and shocking, we are forced to wonder what else is out there that we do not know about. We wonder how mistaken we are to put so much trust into the hands of doctors and the medicines that they peddle. He does not write the book in an attempt to sell a blockbuster best seller. Rather, he wants integrity to return to the field of medicine in a country that can well afford it. This book makes me wonder who is leading who. I had no idea that the majority (80 percent) of clinical research is funded by pharmaceutical companies. How does that amount to honest statistics There is an enormous conflict between the pharmaceutical companies and their influence over the studies that are conducted. Moreover, a tremendous amount of the studies which are reported in medical journals are not complete so not only are we as consumers being duped but so are the people that we rely upon to save our lives! For example, Dr. Abramson detected the frequent use of overblown statistics guaranteed to scare people into a life-long drug regimen. When the New England Journal of Medicine published a study about a new, inexpensive blood test designed to measure blood levels of inflammation in the body called C-reactive protein, or CRP, which supposedly can predict a person's risk of heart disease. The study followed 28,000 women over eight years and found that those with the highest CRP levels were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease. The study's authors concluded that identifying people with elevated CRP would allow "optimal targeting of statin therapy." Simply stated, it was a way to identify future customers for cholesterol-lowering drugs. A closer look at the statistics from this study showed that the 28,000 female participants were less than 55 years old and healthy. Their risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. was quite small. For "every 1000 women with the highest CRP levels, there was only slightly more than one (1.3) additional episode of cardiovascular disease each year than among the 1000 women with the lowest CRP levels." In other words, the twice-as-likely-to-develop-heart-disease statistic boiled down to a doubling of odds that were tiny to begin with! "The public needs access to independent expert opinion that can counterbalance the enormous influence that the medical industry wields over our beliefs about the best approach to health and medical care," writes Dr. Abramson. Indeed, Dr. Abramson clearly suggests that a regimen that has been promoted forever is still the best means by which to keep heart disease. Dr. Abramson promotes that regular exercise, smoking cessation, and a healthy diet accomplish more than just about every medical

Organisational Behaviour in Vidsoft Technologies Essay

Organisational Behaviour in Vidsoft Technologies - Essay Example However, certain revisions are to be made to overcome the problem situation through modification of the leadership styles and changing the ways of managing people. The recommendation for the same covers areas of appropriate leadership style for Vidsoft, the expected changes in the attributes of a leader, and some of behavioural changes in the leader. Steps that could have been taken by Babatunde for avoiding the situation Although it is crucial that Babatunde, being a leader empowers his people through the sharing of his power among team members and enhancing their feelings of personal effectiveness, too much reliance on the decision of team members must not be entertained. At present, Babatunde is seen to be representing the ‘country club’ leadership style according to the Managerial Grid presented by Blake and Mouton, and shown in the following figure. Figure 1: Managerial Grid by Blake and Mouton (Source: University of Kentucky, 2011, slide-19) According to the countr y club style of leadership he has been showing high concern for people, showing support and warmth towards followers, maintaining good relations with them, showing respect to their feelings and being sensitive to their needs. These attributes get reflected through the fact when he chose to allow Hsu to present his grievances against his decisions. Firstly this was allowance for Hsu to refuse to comply with his decisions. Hsu’s request to refuse to report to Li and further to be transported to a different support group which was supporting another product line shows an attempt to go against or flout the decisions that had been taken. His deepest for... Today, Vidsoft Technologies is an internet company which develops softwares for meeting the procurement needs of customers. The company has been known for its high quality of service delivered to customers through a culture of teamwork, cooperative efforts, collaboration and solidarity among organization employees. However, the researcher mentiones that along with the growth of the organization, it has been confronting with leadership issues which are summarized in the following section. Technical Support Manager at Vidsoft initially applied his management style having a micro-management attitude where all his efforts went towards performance and success of the entire team. However, as number of team members kept growing, this management style felt short and it was increasingly difficult collaborating efforts and attaining a common consensus of all individuals in the group. Secondly, Babatunde’s leadership style represents a participative form of management style in which he a llows participation of group members in the decision making process of the company. Thirdly, it is Babatunde’s decision to assign responsibilities for managing one of the product lines is not accepted by all, he does seem to be depicting a strong support over own decisions. Lastly, the researcher recommends that the leadership style of Babatunde could be focused on inspiring and motivating them to support the management’s business decisions rather than trying to gain the staffs’ approval for every decision making.

Strategic HRM Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic HRM Plan - Essay Example While it is a part of Roche Pharmaceutical’s strategic plan to recruit talent from within, the market imperative of getting the best diversified talent available to make itself innovative and competitive will compel the company to get talent from outside the company. In today’s globalized market, the criteria for getting the best talent is not only limited to competencies such as education background, skills and experiences of its human resource but also includes its diversity. Diversity is desired in a globalized market of which Roche Pharmaceutical operates because it provides the necessary perspective for the company to survive and thrive in market conditions whose cultural orientation differ from region to another. While diversity is a desirable quality in its workforce, it is not however devoid of issues. The heterogeneity of the background and orientation of a diversified workforce could not also bring conflict and could be disruptive when it is not managed carefully. Among the common cultural issues that diversity could bring in an organization are; c) Stereotypes – lumping together or generalizing judgment against people or group of people especially when its assumption is wrong. This is a hindrance against inclusiveness for it communicates subtle hostility against the people or group of people being stereotyped. These cultural issues however can be overcome by a deliberate intent of reducing prejudices and use of stereotype in the organisation. This can be further removed by constantly developing and improving the human resource that would eventually removed myopic perspectives that typecast people which are the root of prejudice. Cultural orientation as part of training and job rotation that would allow employees to widen their exposure about their job and their co-workers will also help to eventually remove the issues that are associated with a diversified workforce. A concrete diversity program that is

Research project outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research project outline - Essay Example This report will outline the internationalization strategy and activities of Bentley in its efforts to enter and establish itself in China’s emerging economy, the market situation analysis, in addition to the firm’s expansion motives, strategic direction. Bentley’s internationalization trajectory Lately, Bentley has been engaged in a number of internationalization strategies including exportation, establishment of wholly owned subsidiaries, Greenfield ventures, and vertical integration across national frontiers; these global brand strategy aim to strengthen its position in the highly competitive automobile industry (Peng 2009, p.33). In formulating a most effective course of action, Bentley has evaluated several advanced technology options and decided to focus on improved efficiency and the use of alternative powertrain technology to reduce CO2 emissions while improving fuel economy. In this regard, Bentley’s environmental strategy addresses both the globa l issues of fuel security and global warming (Bentley 2008, p.7), thus cutting a niche for the socially responsible consumes who are keen in making environmentally sound investments. Bentley is also keen on improving efficiency by utilizing a range of technologies including engine revisions, improved transmission systems, drive train alterations, in addition to enhanced vehicle characteristics. Bentley has also explored the market of hybrid cars due to the advancement of hybrid technology thereby contributing greatly to the energy and CO2 emission savings when driving these cars especially in an urban environment. Besides the hybrid cars, Bentley also has explored the use of Hydrogen and Electricity, as an alternative automobile propulsion system; hydrogen and electric cars have a zero tailpipe CO2 emissions because Hydrogen burns cleanly and combustion is not necessary for electricity-powered cars. Largely, Bentley’s internationalization trajectory is based on economically v iable, ethical, and environmentally sound solutions in response to the global potential crisis over energy shortages and climate change. Bentley’s introduction of car models that are powered by renewable and sustainable energy sources is motivated by the firm’s commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its vehicles with the improvement of efficiency. Situation Analysis China is undoubtedly the second leading automobile producer and market by 2009 with annual sales that are slightly shy of 14 million cars, yet the market continues to expand at a rate of about 36.1% increase in annual sales by 2010 (APCO Worldwide 2010, p.3). The rapid growth of the Chinese automobile industry market is attributable to the rising domestic demand for vehicles because of the rising incomes, an emerging middle class, and supportive government policies in the industry (Xavier Richet and Joel 2008, p.450). The Chinese government has implemented special tax adjustments and subsidies for the purchase of cars, which are aimed to motivate buyers to go for hybrid electric vehicles or the purely electricity powered vehicles, in addition to normal models with a reduced engine displacement. Places such as Beijing in China have

Absence and Presence and the Disintegration of the Space-Time Essay

Absence and Presence and the Disintegration of the Space-Time Continuum in Kar Wais (2006) In the Mood for Love - Essay Example Absence and Presence and the Disintegration of the Space-Time Continuum in Kar Wai’s (2006) In the Mood for Love Kar Wai (2000) uses sound to demonstrate that the absence of the actual faces of the spouses engaged in the affair ironically highlights the presence of their affair and how it ruins their marriage. He does not show what these spouses look like at all, and instead, he uses sound to describe who they are as individuals and as spouses. As individuals, Mr. Chan and Mrs. Chow are always physically separated from their spouses. The first time that the audience sees Mrs. Chow is when she is running hastily across the stairs, while Mrs. Chan is walking on an opposite direction. The sounds of their footsteps sound hollow in the Byzantine stairway. These steps have the tone of loneliness in their singleness. Mrs. Chow is not with Mr. Chow, so there is already a foreshadowing that she will never be actually with her husband as a wife. Lee (2008) argued that invisibility on the film represents the presence of something else that is more important. She cites Brunette (2005) who talked about â₠¬Å"formidable absent preferences† (p.89) in the film and Brofen (1992) who said that the uncanny is shown as mobile because it is a â€Å"situation of undecidability†¦ the uncanny in some sense always involves the question of visibility/invisibility, presence to/absence from sight†.Sound is used to suggest the full meaning of the absence of characters in the film.

SHORT PRIMARY SOURCE ESSAY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SHORT PRIMARY SOURCE ESSAY - Assignment Example Despite being a leader in the military, artistic works portray him appreciating himself for the glory he gives to France (Dwyer, 2004). In addition, Napoleon’s passion for his work and country comes out in the letters and utterances he makes to his brothers and soldiers. Napoleon has affection towards his friends and family. Despite the distances between them, he keeps writing to his elder brother Joseph. On June 29th 1795, he writes to his elder brother concerning his travel to a far place. Napoleon wishes to have the memory of his brother whom he refers to as a dear friend, thus he requests for his portrait. Though they are of age and free to achieve different goals in life, Napoleon does not wish that his brother depart. This makes him sad as he fears that it would be long before he sees his brother. Almost a month letter; Napoleon writes to Joseph again, informing him about a job he receives as a general of the army in the west. However, he is unhappy because Joseph is prudent and laconic. Though he is free to make his decisions, Napoleon shows interest in having his brother give him direction concerning the job offer (Headley, 1858). Napoleon seeks to expand France after losing a battle for America. He thus sells Louisiana to the American government and moves to conquer more land in Europe. Napoleon’s determination to make France the world’s most powerful nation is clear, as he shows no fear of the third coalition. This coalition comprised of Britain, Russia, Austria and Sweden whom he defeats with help from Rhine, Italy and Holland. Napoleon expresses his happiness for his soldiers; he congratulates them for winning the battle against Austria and again doing the same to Britain. He is proud of his country and wishes to forge good relations between France and other countries. Thus, he says that France will be proud to have her partners help fight war another time (The French Revolution and Napoleon,

Maureen Frye Essay Example for Free

Maureen Frye Essay Marureen Frye made numerous mistakes in trying to implement her plan, a plan that was going to directly affect the salespeople of Quaker Steel Company as well as the District Sales Managers (DSMs), among other departments in the company. Her major mistake was sending a short-descriptive memo to the sales representatives. Why was this a major mistake? For one, Frye is trying to change the way the sales people allocate their time between big and small accounts, and yet she has not spend enough time in the field and with these salespeople. Although her simulations to optimize sales efforts might be correct, they are based on cold numbers and computations, sitting behind a computer, without taking into account the human factor that goes into those sales efforts. She does not have a feel for how they operate, where does their current success come from, what do they think and feel about how they are doing their job, and above what do they think it can be improved. Not only did Frye ignore the salespeople but she did not make good use of the relationship she thought she had with the DSMs. In fact, she had discussed her project with the Chicago DSM and he had seems to like to idea, with indicates that if more effort was put to introducing her plan to the other DSMs, using her good relationships with them, they could possibly perceive the idea well too idea of using the middle man. If she had no time to spend on the field and get to know the salespeople better, she made the mistake of not taking advantage of the relationship between the DSMs and the salespeople. Due to the hierarchical level of the DSMs, she is probably closer to them. As it is mentioned in the article, the DSMs leave a lot of free space to the salespeople which means that they are used to making their own decisions. This fact shows that the DSMs and the Salespeople have a special communication to understating each-other and to get the work done well. Thus, if a new project needs to be implemented, the DSMs are the most probable people to get through the salespeople and having them on board about this project is significantly important. This powerful link should have been taken advantage by Frye. Not having considered the above-mentioned steps, thus working in person with the salespeople or/and lobbying with the DSMs, Frye should have at least used the power of her superiors, Israel and Bethancourt, not only by  approving it but also as means of enforcement. For example, have them sign the memo she sent or give a direct order to the DSMs for its application. However, needs to be emphasized that this solution used on its own, is a last resort one just because she didn’t make use of the other options. This option would definitely be interpreted as a scare tactic, however it might have worked. As a manager or as the leader of her project, Frye first needs to find the authority from within and then also use the power given to her from her bosses. This option could be best used in collaboration with the previous options.