To avoid running late Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

To avoid running late - Essay Example 23-29) have pointed out that majority of people remember 50% of the things that they observe; however, one remembers 70% of the things if it involves observing, as well as, loud reading. From this aspect, it is very imperative to plan things before commencing a day, or for a week that helps an individual in avoid running late. However, although one will be writing the plan by himself/herself, still, it is significant that this practice includes loud reading that is fundamental for remembering things efficiently. Besides planning, ‘move ahead’ is an interesting slogan that can be very helpful in managing time effectively. It is a usual practice of keeping the alarm clock near the bed that may allow the individual to hit the snooze button; however, move ahead inclines a person to keep the alarm clock far away of the bed that will enforce the individual to go & find out the clock, and until then, there would be no sleep left amusingly. Lastly, it is imperative to keep notice of every day habits from shower to breakfast, and such observations allow individuals to divide their ten or twenty minutes in effective

CIS U2 206 Research Assigment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS U2 206 Research Assigment - Coursework Example Lastly, the world entity covers all other users by granting all-account authorizations. Authorizations are dual arithmetic values. The arithmetic value 100 endows file-reading authorizations, 10 endows file-writing authorizations, and 1 endows file-executing authorizations (Perrin). One can combine these values to form a series of authorizations for a particular entity. Listing authorizations requires access to a file’s authorization settings, where the -1 option for the viewing command offers data that entails listing authorizations. Changing authorizations for every entity requires the â€Å"chmod† command (Perrin). Overseeing security at the file-level in a UNIX system needs one to maintain file authorizations as stringent and limiting as possible without limiting the system itself. This measure requires a user to refrain from limiting the UNIX system itself from accessing files in an undesired manner. As a result, one should leave file authorizations outside the home paths of the user account at default (Perrin). Learning how to use UNIX file authorizations ultimately enables one to understand UNIX security

Effectiveness Of Electronic Medication Administration Record System Information Technology Essay

Effectiveness Of Electronic Medication Administration Record System Information Technology Essay The report will highlight that to enhance technology in clinical setting is not easy. It required lot of support and resources. In-addition technology cannot be successful without well organized plan. It requires long term planning. This report will provide the overview of pilot implementation of electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system. Health care providers need to understand the importance of eMAR its role in improving patient care safety. This system will help to increase patient safety and have extremely positive impact on hospital reputation. It also helps to decrease medication errors and adverse drug reaction via safe medication administration. It also helps to save printing cost. Pilot implementation of the system assist in identifying issues related to medication administration error in hospital setting. Thus, help to understand how IT processes help to enhance safety. It further helps to understand analyze benefits of the system and how IT facilitates can reduce the chances of error by having robust computerized system. This paper helps to identify users anxiety to accept the IT systems and little modification in programming helps to get positive outcome. This paper investigates why IT systems are unsuccessful and suggest computer literacy and simple modification and technical support to users will help to expedite the process to achieve everlasting solutions to provide quality and safe care to the patients Introduction: The quality of patient care and safety is one of the most significant aspects of health care sector. Nursing and medical professionals face increased need of using information technology in day to day operations with an overall aim of improving the quality of care by increasing patients safety. Currently, hospitals facing patient safety issue related to medication administration. Numerous studies conducted to identify number of medication administration error. Stoppler (2006) pointed it as Approximately 1.3 million people are injured annually in the United States following so-called medication errors. Chiang (2008) supported this issue as Medication errors have been a major concern of patient safety initiatives for all health care systems of the world. Internationally health care facilities are struggling hard to increase patient safety via safe medication administration, because existing paper base medication administration record process is not safe and presented with large number of errors. Russo, (2007) stated that, current paper based medication administration record (MAR) is an inefficient process with no decisive workflow, that places needless stress on nursing staff and lead to illegible entries can resulted in medication administration errors. Therefore, to maintain the quality of drug dose administration and to prevent medication administration errors, electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system, is found to be significant. Few studies suggested that eMAR is a bedside medication administration recording tool providing new levels of recording medication administration activities by dropping error rates and making the administration of medications safer for patients. This report aims to outline the background to implement eMAR system, process of implementation, strength weakness of newly developed system and potential benefits on complete implementation to develop insights about newly developed electronic system for medication administrat ion record. Background: At my institution in 2006 during Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) survey, auditors were not able to find out the administration record of one of the drug of a patient. This generated a thought to have electronic records for all the care provides to the patients. Malloch (2007) highlighted the need of electronic record as: Three specific applications within the electronic record-computerized physician order entry (CPOE), electronic medication administration records (eMAR), and clinical documentation-are impacting patient safety in numerous ways by decreasing incorrect and unnecessary treatments and medications, as well as improving the timeliness of careà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The benefits from these 3 applications vary, depending on the implementation sequence; some organizations implement each application as separate initiatives, while other organizations have implemented all 3 applications simultaneously. (p. 159) Consequently our organization decided to initiate each application separately. CPOE for medication prescription, dispensation and medication order review had already been implemented in July 2005. Therefore higher management decided to design and develop in-house system of eMAR for safe medication administration as an initial step towards electronic patient record. The purpose was to eradicate manual MAR and replace with eMAR since current paper based MAR sheets had following subsequent issues: Manual administration record are more prone to error Prone to being lost as difficult to manage paper Utilizes large amount of paper Not meeting the JCIA requirement Administration record not available after discharge Data retrieval is difficult from paper based MAR Sheet Paper records are frequently lost unorganized Sloppily written record lead to legibility issues Mekhjian et al (2002) found that manual medication administration charting resulted in a transcription error rate of 11.3 percent whereas transcription errors were completely eliminated via eMAR. Further literature supports that the most common errors reported were administering drugs at the wrong time or neglecting to administer drugs at all. eMAR provided the framework for improvements in patient safety and in the timeliness of care. (Mekhjian, 2002). Bates Cullen (1995) suggested that 78% of errors leading to drug errors are due to inadequate information management system of eMAR. Furthermore, eMAR has gained a foothold in inpatient settings to support medication administration safety. It prevents paper records prone to being lost, incomplete, or misread. California Institute for Health Systems Performance report highlighted that upto 38% of inpatient medication errors occur at the administration stage (Miller et.al, 2001) Solution: Electronic Medication Administration Record System Safe medication administration is one of the most important elements of care. During hospitalization nurses are responsible to administered medication safely to the patients. This activity is performed multiple times in a day for an individual patient. It is a complex process therefore accurate documentation of the medication administration is extremely important. Jylha Saranto (2008) cited: The complexity of the medication management process exposes it to errors, and medication errors can occur at any point in the medication management process. A survey recently conducted in a Finnish hospital showed that more than half of reported adverse events (66%) were medication errors, most of them relating to documentation (33.6%) However, manual MAR had lot of issues related to patient safety and could lead to adverse drug events. Thus, organization decided implement for eMAR because it allows nurses to manage medication administration efficiently as it has the potential to make the administration of medication safer for the patients by reducing error rates (Westbrook, 2007). Therefore following steps were taken: eMAR task force developed to explore the need of technology including hardware software Group reviewed current medication administration process and developed flow diagram for expected system Visited different hospitals in USA to develop understanding of the system and its flow Conducted regular meeting with ISD for system design and development After having vigorous exercise team identified that eMAR could not be implemented completely without right patient identification and right drug identification. This system is heavily dependent on admission and pharmacy system. Therefore bar-coded wrist band bar-coding unit dose system would be pre- requisite. Consequently sub-group was developed to explore bar-coding system for different applications. The purpose to incorporating bar-coding in health care setting is to improve the quality of care by reducing medical error and by decreasing the cost of care for the patient. Thus, admission and pharmacy departments had been involved for bar-coding implementation. After multiple sitting and cost analysis, group decided to break eMAR implementation in 3 different phases Phase 1) Implementation of Barcodes: Patients Armbands for right patient identification for all the inpatients on arrival from admission department Bar-coded medication labels for identification of 5 rights include right patient, right drug, right time, right dose right route. Further pharmacy system generates medication administration schedule; this schedule will be foundation stone for eMAR. Phase 2) Medication Trolley Purchase new medication trolleys with Laptop having wireless connectivity barcode reader to view active drug list due at specific time, to follow 5 rights Phase 3) Online MAR Develop software of eMAR to eliminate manual MAR and initiate online entry after administration in computer to eradicate paper How this will work Nurse will identify the patient by scanning wrist band Nurse will then scan the Medication Cassette Bin of respective patient First RIGHT will be identified at this point Right Patient Nurse will then scan the Medication Labels Remaining four RIGHTS will be identified at this point Right Drug Right Dose Right Time Right Route Nurse Administer the Dose to the Patient After Administration, Nurse will put her Signature electronically into the system Thus above requirements were communicated to the senior management. Consequently due to lack of resources implementation of all above requirement were not possible at once because huge amount of money is required for barcode implantation in admission and pharmacy department and sophisticated medication trolley with laptop barcode reader. Therefore, team determined to implement eMAR successfully, with good outcome and within the resources provided, all above phases need to be implemented step by step. Thats why 3 sub-groups have been developed to initiate the work for each activity. Group 1 will work on Bar-coding planning and implementation. Group 2 will be responsible for purchasing of sophisticated medication trolley and group 3 will work on software development for electronic administration entry for medication. However, phase 3 of aforementioned plan was to be implemented first as it only required in-house software developments with no extra cost involvement and further built on existing CPOE system. Therefore, group 3 comprises of nursing and information system department (ISD) team work together to design and develop the system. ISD developed first template of eMAR in December 2006 and presented to nursing management team for feedback, they suggested few modifications. Modified version presented to them again for re-evaluation in February 2007. Afterward, pilot implementation was done in 5 beded cardiac step down unit in April 2007. Same was replicated in other cardiac stopdown units. Subsequently it was replicated in other units depending upon the availability of computers. Therefore, 06 desktop computers, 20 wall mounted computers in intensive care units, 2 mobile trolleys without medication bins 2 laptop mounted medication trolleys were provided in nursing units to cover 153 beds out of 520 beds. This covers 30% of total admitting patients. This phase will help to overcome issues of legibility, decrease chances of data lost as not need to manage paper since no paper is required. It helps to meet the JCIA requirement as data retrieval is easy and able to find out administration record. In-addition this will help to have ontime administration record and nurse need to sign the medication after administration and system will capture administration time which will further help to indentify wrong time administration, delayed administration and miss dose administration. Through this phase patient safety issue is still not resolved as identification of 5 rights is achieved manually because bar-coding is yet to be implemented. However, further implementation discontinued after July 2008 due to resource limitation for computerized laptop based eMAR trolley barcode implementation. In-addition few reservation for further implementation related to multiple frequent system breakdown and users resistance for further implementation was also highlighted. Therefore, eMAR task force re-collected to discuss and resolve above concerns to promote further. They identified following issues: Issues related to system functionality System performance/ shutdown issue. Issues related to limited hardware availability Training issue and computer literacy issues Users resistance as system force them for ontime documentation whereas paper base MAR have provision to sign the administration record as per their own accord On other hand group 1, barcode team implemented bar-coded armbands for all the inpatient. Now only medication label to be bar-coded is pending, for that label has been designed and approval has been taken from nursing users and pharmacy. Bar-coded label printer is to be purchased and pilot testing of barcode label needs to be carried out. Group 2 representatives explored different eMAR trolleys available in the market to identify the most suitable for our working environment. Our requirement is light weighted small trolley with 10 medication bin as 1 nurse is assign to 10 patients. Finally it was decided to purchase Atromick Medication Trolley. Purchase order was generated to have sample trolley to pilot. Trolley has been piloted successfully and received positive feedback from nursing users. Therefore, it was decided to purchase 72 more trolleys as required by nursing units. 46 trolleys will be purchase by October 2010 and remaining will be purchased in 2011. System feedback after pilot implementation Information technology seems to be more proficient and provide transparent alternative to manage issues/concerns smoothly. After pilot implementation of in-house developed eMAR software and Atromick medication trolley few strength and weaknesses were identified. We identified that most of the users in our hospital are not well computer literate. This lead to increase resistance and they prefer to use manual system. Another most important issue is lack of interest from some of the nursing managers. They even not agreed to initiate the pilot project and the main reasons were lack of staff, lack of computer literacy, lack of hardware availability on nursing floor and they felt it would increase staff workload. Their concerns were well taken and computer training had been provided to nursing staff before initiation and on regular basis as well. Moreover, extra computers have been provided on nursing floor before pilot implementation. Nursing director is working hard to increase number of staff but its difficult as currently nurses turnover rate in our organization is 17%. Lastly management group was explained that it definitely increase some workload initially but it save nurses time currently utilize on maintaining paper record and data retrieval as it will be more transparent. It also increases safety of the patient and their record and have ontime documentation of drug administration. Thus, pilot project has been put into practice for 30% of hospital beds. The pilot project helped us to be acquainted with the weaknesses of the system which includes: Lack of material resources human resources Gaps in software programming i.e. initially all the stat orders and single dose order automatically disappeared from the screen with drug stop time. This created frustration among users as they were not able to mark administration for pre post transfusion drugs, chemo therapy drug, pre post operative drugs. Another gap is related to infusion screen as nurses have to sign infusion record every hourly which increase their workload. Multiple time system got stuck/ slowdown/ non functional endorse resentence of users as they feel whole process is very slow Users highlighted that system is not user friendly On multiple occasion users identified that same drug appears twice on the screen. On investigation it was find out that its because physician enter new order for same drug without discontinuing the previous one. Therefore, modification is required in CPOE system. Unsatisfactory technical support Lack of training System usually found to be slow which lead to increase administration recording time Beside, this one of the most important issues is resistance from users side as it increases their workload as well as their accountability, because paper base system has provision to sign the administration record as per their own accord. Whereas, electronic system increase obligation for ontime documentation. Another most important weakness is related to patient safety issue as bar-coding system has not been initiated yet and users relays on manual identification of 5 rights. However, in conjunction with above resistance, users satisfaction survey conducted in July 2008 showed 79.9% satisfaction of users with the system. The results appear with positive feedback but they highlighted area for improvement. Their feedback enclosed request for multiple modification, for instance separate screen for cyctotoxic drug administration as this required to mark start and stop administration time with comments as these drugs administration time last for hour. Demand to generate multiple reports to view administration record, miss dose administration record, administration record of discharge patient, administration report of particular drug etc. Primarily system starts with single screen for all type of administration i.e. intravenous infusion, PRN and routine medication which overcrowd administration screen and create confusion. Therefore, requested to develop separate option for each. In-addition modification was requested for infusion screen as current option requi res to sign infusion every hourly. Survey also highlighted some of the strength of the system pointed out by users which include: System helps users to easily identify numbers of doses administered to particular patient for specific drug as data retrial is extremely easy, though sometimes it takes time due to slowness of the system but its faster than manual process as data retrieval is difficult with paper base system. In addition it helps users to identify miss doses, delayed administration and skipped administration. It decreases utilization of paper and save printing cost. It helps to identify reason for delayed miss dose administration Administration screen appears with current drug only i.e. due for administration for next dose time. System frequently update with changes in CPOE system and has good interface with pharmacy and admission system System is easy to operate and output (Administration reports) data from system is reliable and accessible System appears with detail information regarding drug including drug name, ID, required dose, dose time, route, frequency, star time and stop time, drug comments if any for safe administration. System is provided with dictionary based comments column for nurses to enter administration comments if any, in case of delayed, missed early administration. Paper base system utilizes nurses time to print medication label on drug review and then need to paste them in MAR sheet. This system omits all above and reviewed order in CPOE system automatically appears on eMAR screen for administration. Thus, many nurses found this system very effective the only concern is related to more time required at entry level. We identified that nurses with good computer skills are more positive towards IT systems. Chiang (2008) cited that Studies have shown that, for instance, nurses found that the IT system was good in aiding prevention of medication errorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.but required a lot of time in operating the system. Potential benefits of the system after complete implementation eMAR system can improve the administration record and will able to provide accurate administration time of the drug. It advances patient safety by right patient and right drug identification via bar-coding system. To elevate further safety option has been developed in a manner to mark administration after actual drug administration to the patient as system is not provided with any go back to your old ways option, which will help to increase reliability. System has been provided with mandatory option to enter comments for delayed administration or miss administration which will help later to identify causes and corrective action can be taken to improve business. Besides the safety of patient and its data, other supplementary benefits are cost and saving of storage space. Currently our hospital utilize huge amount ($15857/annum) of money for storage space. Although, these potential benefits are currently not very visible but it will be apparent with complete computerization of patients record. In addition an electronic system gathers all at one wave length and has standardized practice. This will provide opportunity to have good interface with national and international systems later. To get most out of it nurses suggested to provide medication order review screen drug formulary on eMAR system to save nurses time for multiple login. Kuperman Gibson (2003) cited This technology can yield many significant benefits and is an important platform for future changes to the health care system. Conclusions Patient safety is our main objective while working in clinical setting. Therefore, technology needs to be adopted to enhance safety. This will help to progress further. We all need to work continue to enhance computerization and involve information communication technology in hospital setting. Our organization actually works hard to achieve eMAR to increase patient safety and by 2011 we will certainly achieve our target to reduce medication administration error. Above report shows that eMAR system helps to increase safety, decrease medication administration error and safe printing cost. On top of it system will avoid wrong time error and have ontime documentation.

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay -- Social Responsibility Essays

Corporate social responsibility is becoming a key initiative and an essential tool in the growth of multinational corporations and the development of third world countries throughout the globe. The two concepts can work hand in hand to provide benefits for all; however difficulties in regulating and implementing corporate social responsibility need to be overcome before effective changes can be made. Definitions of corporate social responsibility can be somewhat varied depending on the perception and perspective an individual or group has towards the situation; the definition has also varied through time. In general terms, Manakkalathll & Rudolf (1995) define corporate social responsibility (CSR) as â€Å"the duty of organisations to conduct their business in a manner that respects the rights of individuals and promotes human welfare.† In contrast to this, Christian Aid (2004, as cited in Pendleton 2004) defines CSR as â€Å"an entirely voluntary, corporate driven initiative to promote self regulation as a substitute for regulation at either a national or international level.† Blowfield, 1995 indicates that through time, the definitions and explanations of CSR have become more positive, with increasing understanding of the benefits that can be obtained through successful implementation by organisations. Pendleton (2004) suggests that the first CSR initiatives were a response to public pressure and media exposes of poor company behaviour. The aim of CSR was to show these people that companies were capable of cleaning up their act. Pendleton (2004) suggests that â€Å"contemporary CSR was christened by Shell in it’s response to it’s annus horribilis of 1995.† Monshipouri, Welch & Kennedy (2003) also outline this issue as a key turni... ...e real face of corporate social responsibility, Consumer Policy Review, vol.14, no.3, pp.77-82 Rodriguez, P., Siegel, D.S., Hillman, A. & Eden, L. (2006). Three lenses on multi-national enterprise: politics, corruption & corporate social responsibility. Journal of International Business Studies, vol.37, pp.733-746 Sachs, S., Maurer, M., Ruhli, E. & Hoffman, R (2006), Corporate social responsibility from a â€Å"stakeholder view† perspective: CSR implementation by a Swiss mobile telecommunication provider. Corporate Governence, vol. 6, no.4, pp.506-515 Waldman, D.A., Siegel, D.S. & Javidan, M. (2006). Components of CEO transformational leadership and corporate social responsibility. Journal of Management Studies, vol.43, no.8, pp.1703-1725 The Body Shop Values Report 2007. http://valuesreport.thebodyshop.net/index.asp?lvl1=0&lvl2=0&lvl3=0&lvl4=0 Viewed 10/09/07

Mcdonalds 10k

Morningstar ® DocumentResearchS Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D. C. 20549 FORM 10-K FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 OR ? TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period fromto Commission File Number 1-5231 McDONALD’S CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) One McDonald’s Plaza Oak Brook, Illinois (Address of principal executive offices) 36-2361282 (I. R. S. Employer Identification No. ) 60523 (Zip code) Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (630) 623-3000 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Common stock, $. 01 par value Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of class) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No ? Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Act. Yes ? No x Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yesx No? Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( §232. 05 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ? Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorpora ted by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of â€Å"large accelerated filer,† â€Å"accelerated filer† and â€Å"smaller reporting company† in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer xAccelerated filer ? Non-accelerated filer ? (do not check if a smaller reporting company)Smaller reporting company ? Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ? No x The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2010 was $70,073,280,631. The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock as of January 31, 2011 was 1,043,298,941. DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Part III of this Form 10-K incorporates information by reference from the registrant’s 2011 definitive proxy statement which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2010. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents Part I. Part II. Part III. Part IV. McDONALD’S CORPORATION INDEX Page Reference Item 1Business1 Item 1A Item 1B Item 2Properties6 Risk Factors and Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements3 Unresolved Staff Comments5 Item 3 Item 5 Item 6 Item 7 Item 7A Item 8 Item 9 Item 9A Item 9B Item 10 Item 11 Item 12 Item 13 Item 14 Item 15 Legal Proceedings6 Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities7 Selected Financial Data9 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations10 Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk27 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data27 Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure48 Controls and Procedures48 Other Information48 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance48 Executive Compensation48 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters48 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence49 Principal Accountant Fees and Services49 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules49 52 53 Signatures Exhibits All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners and are used with permission. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents PART I ITEM 1. Business McDonald’s Corporation, the registrant, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to herein as the â€Å"Company. † a. General development of business During 2010, there have been no material changes to the Company’s corporate structure or in its method of conducting business. In 2010, the Company has continued the process it began in 2005 to realign certain subsidiaries to develop a corporate structure within its geographic segments that better reflects the operation of the McDonald’s worldwide business. . Financial information about segments Segment data for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009, and 2008 are included in Part II, Item 8, page 40 of this Form 10-K. c. Narrative description of business †¢ General The Company franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in the global restaurant industry. These restaurants serve a varied, yet limited, value-priced menu (see Products) in more than 100 countries around the world. All restaurants are operated either by the Company or by franchisees, including conventional franchisees under franchise arrangements, and foreign affiliated markets and developmental licensees under license agreements. The Company’s operations are designed to assure consistency and high quality at every restaurant. When granting franchises or licenses, the Company is selective and generally is not in the practice of franchising to passive investors. Under the conventional franchise arrangement, franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by initially investing in the equipment, signs, seating and de? cor of their restaurant businesses, and by reinvesting in the business over time. The Company owns the land and building or secures long-term leases for both Company-operated and conventional franchised restaurant sites. In certain circumstances, the Company participates in reinvestment for conventional franchised restaurants. A discussion regarding site selection is included in Part I, Item 2, page 6 of this Form 10-K. Conventional franchisees contribute to the Company’s revenue stream through the payment of rent and royalties based upon a percent of sales, with specified minimum rent payments, along with initial fees received upon the opening of a new restaurant or the granting of a new franchise term. The conventional franchise arrangement typically lasts 20 years, and franchising practices are generally consistent throughout the world. Over 70% of franchised restaurants operate under conventional franchise arrangements. The Company has an equity investment in a limited number of foreign affiliated markets, referred to as affiliates. The largest of these affiliates is Japan, where there are more than 3,300 restaurants. The Company receives a royalty based on a percent of sales in these markets. Under a developmental license arrangement, licensees provide capital for the entire business, including the real estate interest. While the Company has no capital invested, it receives a royalty based on a percent of sales, as well as initial fees. The largest of these developmental license arrangements operates more than 1,750 restaurants across 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Company and its franchisees purchase food, packaging, equipment and other goods from numerous independent suppliers. The Company has established and strictly enforces high quality standards and product specifications. The Company has quality assurance labs around the world to ensure that its high standards are consistently met. The quality assurance process not only involves ongoing product reviews, but also on-site inspections of suppliers’ facilities. A quality assurance board, composed of the Company’s technical, safety and supply chain specialists, provides strategic global leadership for all aspects of food quality and safety. In addition, the Company works closely with suppliers to encourage innovation, assure best practices and drive continuous improvement. Leveraging scale, supply chain infrastructure and risk management strategies, the Company also collaborates with suppliers toward a goal of achieving competitive, predictable food and paper costs over the long term. Independently owned and operated distribution centers, approved by the Company, distribute products and supplies to most McDonald’s restaurants. In addition, restaurant personnel are trained in the proper storage, handling and preparation of products and in the delivery of customer service. McDonald’s global brand is well known. Marketing, promotional and public relations activities are designed to promote McDonald’s brand image and differentiate the Company from competitors. Marketing and promotional efforts focus on value, food taste, menu choice and the customer experience. The Company continuously endeavors to improve its social responsibility and environmental practices to achieve long-term sustainability, which benefits McDonald’s and the communities it serves. The Company has disposed of non-McDonald’s restaurant businesses to concentrate resources on its core business. In February 2009, the Company sold its minority ownership interest in Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, and in April 2008, the Company sold its minority ownership interest in U. K. -based Pret A Manger. †¢Products McDonald’s restaurants offer a substantially uniform menu, although there are geographic variations to suit local consumer preferences and tastes. In addition, McDonald’s tests new products on an ongoing basis. McDonald’s menu includes hamburgers and cheeseburgers, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Filet-O-Fish, several chicken sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets, Chicken Selects, Snack Wraps, french fries, salads, shakes, McFlurry desserts, sundaes, soft serve cones, pies, cookies, soft drinks, coffee, McCafe? beverages and other beverages. In addition, the restaurants sell a variety of other products during limited-time promotions. McDonald’s restaurants in the U. S. and many international markets offer a full or limited breakfast menu. Breakfast offerings may include Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin with Egg, McGriddles, biscuit and bagel sandwiches and hotcakes. Source: MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K, February 25, 2011Powered by Morningstar  ® Document ResearchSM Table of Contents †¢Intellectual property The Company owns or is licensed to use valuable intellectual property including trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information. T he Company considers the trademarks â€Å"McDonald’s† and â€Å"The Golden Arches Logo† to be of material importance to its business. Depending on the jurisdiction, trademarks and service marks generally are valid as long as they are used and/or registered. Patents, copyrights and licenses are of varying remaining durations. †¢Seasonal operations The Company does not consider its operations to be seasonal to any material degree. †¢ Working capital practices Information about the Company’s working capital practices is incorporated herein by reference to Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009, and 2008 in Part II, Item 7, pages 10 through 27, and the Consolidated statement of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 in Part II, Item 8, page 30 of this Form 10-K. †¢ Customers The Company’s business is not dependent upon either a single customer or small group of customers. †¢ Backlog Company-operated restaurants have no backlog orders. †¢Government contracts No material portion of the business is subject to renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of the U. S. government. †¢ Competition McDonald’s restaurants compete with international, national, regional and local retailers of food products. The Company competes on the basis of price, convenience, service, menu variety and product quality in a highly fragmented global restaurant industry. In measuring the Company’s competitive position, management reviews data compiled by Euromonitor International, a leading source of market data with respect to the global restaurant industry. The Company’s primary competition, which management refers to as the Informal Eating Out (IEO) segment, includes the following restaurant categories defined by Euromonitor International: quick-service eating establishments, casual dining full-service restaurants, 100% home delivery/takeaway providers, street stalls or kiosks, specialist coffee shops and self-service cafeterias. The IEO segment excludes establishments that primarily serve alcohol and full-service restaurants other than casual dining. Based on data from Euromonitor International, the global IEO segment was composed of approximately 6. 3 million outlets and generated $868 billion in annual sales in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available. McDonald’s Systemwide 2009 restaurant business accounted for approximately 0. 5% of those outlets and about 8% of the sales. 2 Management also on occasion benchmarks McDonald’s against the entire restaurant industry, including the IEO segment defined above and all other full-service restaurants. Based on data from Euromonitor International, the restaurant industry was composed of approximately 13. 1 million outlets and generated about $1. 79 trillion in annual sales in 2009. McDonald’s Systemwide restaurant business accounted for approximately 0. 2% of those outlets and about 4% of the sales. †¢Research and development The Company operates research and development facilities in the U. S. , Europe and Asia. While research and development activities are important to the Company’s business, these expenditures are not material. Independent suppliers also conduct research activities that benefit the Company, its franchisees and suppliers (collectively referred to as the System). †¢Environmental matters Increased focus by U. S. and overseas governmental authorities on environmental matters is likely to lead to new governmental initiatives, particularly in the area of climate change. While we cannot predict the precise nature of these initiatives, we expect that they may impact our business both directly and indirectly. Although the impact would likely vary by world region and/or market, we believe that adoption of new regulations may increase costs, including for the Company, its franchisees and suppliers. Also, there is a possibility that governmental initiatives, or actual or perceived effects of changes in weather patterns or climate, could have a direct impact on the operations of our restaurants or the operations of our suppliers in ways which we cannot predict at this time. The Company monitors developments related to environmental matters and plans to respond to governmental initiatives in a timely and appropriate manner. At this time, the Company has already undertaken its own initiatives relating to preservation of the environment, including the development of means of monitoring and reducing energy use, in many of its markets. †¢Number of employees The Company’s number of employees worldwide, including Company- operated restaurant employees, was approximately 400,000 as of year-end 2010. d. Financial information about geographic areas Financial information about geographic areas is incorporated herein by reference to Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations in Part II, Item 7, pages 10 through 27 and Segment and geographic information in Part II, Item 8, page 40 of this Form 10-K. e. Available information The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act). The Company therefore files periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Such reports may be obtained by visiting the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D. C. 20549, or by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site (www. sec. gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information.

Administrator Challenge Paper Essay

My experience in corrections is limited to only 4 years. I feel that in my time there, I learned a lot about what the custody part of corrections job consists of, not necessarily what the parole portion or the prison administration does. As a first line supervisor within the correctional system, the staff was held to somewhat of the same standards as I did young airmen in the military. They were expected to be at work on time, read their post orders daily, and maintain control of the dormitory or segregation unit in which they worked. They were given the opportunity to make decisions on their own and only to keep me informed of what they were doing. Most of the decision making came from the Warden and his staff. We had a Correctional Major and Captains as intermediate level supervisor who took the brunt of the complaints between custody and administration. There were policies and directives being disseminated constantly within the prison. At time it felt like the saying â€Å"going blind with paperwork†, having to read everything being passed down. Some of the policies had justification and some seemed to be just frivolous fodder to give administration something to do. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay Another issue which was the cause of much contention within the custody ranks was the adherence to the rules or policies. One of the main culprits of many custody staff being fired or quitting was the use of tobacco within the facilities. The facility is a â€Å"tobacco free† facility. That means no tobacco for any offenders or staff members. Tobacco is an addictive drug and there were many staff members who snuck cigarettes and smokeless tobacco into the facility because of their need to have it, instead of waiting until their shift was over. This in-turn was also the cause of offenders running illegal contraband within the confines of the facility. Staff members would smuggle tobacco by the pouches into the facility as staff was rarely shaken down. This made it ideal for dishonest staff to make some extra money bringing in contraband to offenders. Once the offender had the staff member on the hook for smuggling, it was just a matter of time before the staff was caught and fi red for it. Tobacco often times was more expensive than drugs like marijuana, prescription medication, or cocaine. I feel that another of the main issues, at least within the facility I worked at, was the discord between custody and non-custody staff. Custody was in charge of all the offenders within the facilities, while non-custody had interactions with offenders, their main job was to teach in most cases. Many were college or high school teachers, facility supervisors over the industrial areas, and nursing staff or administration. These non-staff positions often tried to tell custody staff how to do their jobs. This often caused contention between all parties and when brought to the custody supervisor, was corrected after having spoken with the non-custody supervisor. This course has opened my eyes to the administration side of Criminal Justice. Prior to this course, I had no idea about how budgeting or the financial aspect of Criminal Justice actually worked. This topic is one which I am glad to have studied. I may not get to the administrative level of whatever Criminal Justice profession I choose, but having some knowledge of how it works will definitely benefit me in the long run. I would encourage anyone taking Criminal Justice or pursuing a career in Criminal Justice to take this course as the material if very relevant to the job, especially those seeking positions as administration. Also, mid-level supervisors should take it as it gives them insight into what is expected of the administration when it comes to policy, budgets and financial planning for the Criminal Justice System. I wish I had taken this course just a bit later in my college studies as I had quite a few irons in the fire during this courses duration. Trying to juggle college, a fulltime job, family life, and other outside entities were definitely distractors during this course. I did not get to dedicate the time fully to the course that if deserved and my grade refle cts that.