Adam Bede Essay Example for Free

Adam Bede Essay George Eliot s novels are all dramas of moral conflict. She did not believe in art for arts sake, but in art for moralitys sake. According to Leslie Stephen, George Eliot believed that a work-of art not only may. but must, exercise also an ethical influence. She believed that, our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds. If we yield to temptation and sin, suffering and nemesis are sure to follow. We have to reap the consequences of our own actions. Her characters suffer because they violate some moral code, because they yield to temptation whether consciously or unconsciously, in Adam Bede both Hetty and Arthur suffer for this reason. Poignant tragedy is the result because both Arthur and Hetty are creatures of weak moral fibre. They are unable to resist temptation. This moral weakness results in sin, which is followed by punishment and intense suffering. Arthur-Hetty story traces the movement from weakness to sin and from sin to nemesis. Stratagems of Passion The stratagems of passion are seen with illuminating c1arrty when Arthur, after luncheon, is unable to recall the feelings and reflections which had been decisive in his decision to avoid Hetty. We are told of his conscious thoughts, and the self-deceptions and distortions of truth that we see in them make, so to speak, a chart of the subconscious force of his impulse to see her-as a strong underwater current, showing nosing on the surface, is yet known to be present by the extent to which its pull on the keel of a ship alters its course. It is in such accounts of motives, conscious and unconscious, that Arthur is created and exists as a character in the novel. Our recognition of his good intentions, self-deceptions and weaknesses of will make the portrayal real and acceptable to us. Maturity through Love We are not permitted to see the process by which Dinah is enabled to . overcome her fear, and it is a serious flaw in the novel that it is so. All, we learn is that having been told by Adam of his love for her and having admitted in turn a love for him, Oinah once more retreats to Stonyshire, not staying even long enough to participate in the Harvest Supper. Adam, after waiting for several weeks, is no longer able to endure the strain and sets out for Stonyshire to find her. As he leaves the Loamshire world and enters gray treeless Stonyshire, he is reminded of the painful past, but in an altered light~ for now he possesses what George Eliot calls a sense of enlarged being, the consequences of thtt ruller life brought about by his suffering. He sees Stonyshire now through Dinahs eyes, as it were, and ifhis vision includes the barren land, it also includes the wonderful flooding light and the large embracing sky. Adam waits for Dinah to return from her Sunday preaching not at her home, but on a hill top. Here, in the midst of her world, he discovers that Dnah has undergone a change, the power of her love for him has in a sense overcome her fears; she feels like cl divided person without him, and she is willing †¢to become his wife. He, therefore, takes her back to Loamshire whence she had so fled. It is not, however, to the green and golden world of. June with which the book began; rather to an autumnal mature world. Here, on a rimy morning in departing November, when there is a tinge of sadness in the weather as well as in the joy which accompanies the wedding, Adam and Dinah are married. it is in the fitness of things that they should so come together, for they are bound to either by their common suffering for Hetty and by their painful memories, suffering gives rise to sympathy, and love based on such sympathy alone can be fruitful and lasting. Critic after critic has expressed the view that Adam is too good to be true. It has been said that he is a perfect human being, George Eliots ideal, fully mature and enlightened from the very beginning. But the truth is otherwise. A moment’s reflection shows that he is proud, hard and self-righteous with little sympathy for ordinary sinners, which we all poor mortals are. As a matter of fact, the novel traces the process by which he gradually sheds his faultsof his education, enlightenment and maturity, through a process of suffering and love-and becomes ultimately a complete man, a fully integrated personality, through his love of Dinah and his marriage with her. The process of his education occupies the centre of the novel. The point would become clear, if we briefly consider this process. Hard and Self-righteous There can be no denying the fact that Adam is hard and self-righteous. In the very chapter we are told,† The idle tramps always felt sure they could get a copper from Seth; they scarcely ever spoken to Adam. This is the flaw (not a fatal one) in Adams innocence: In fact, Adam is a stone-hearted person at the very beginning. The very fault in him lies in his over-confidence which makes him to think that he is righteous and it is not wrong in any way. This is told to us by the hymns he sings and the ending with the same hymn is not only appropriate but it also gives him the impression how much significant the hyn1n is? He does not harm anybody, knowingly. Not for a single moment he thinks when he hurts anybody. He is much confident about his doings, Ive seen pretty clear, ever since I could cast up a sum, as you can never do whats wrong without breeding sin and trouble more than you can ever seen. His confidence is shaken when he catches his friend red handed while making love with his beloved Hett}, in the woods. He realises his mistakes, how incomplete his mental seeing has been! He understood it all now-the locket, and everything else that had been doubtful to him a terrible scorching light showed him the hidden letters that changed the meaning of the past. Here starts the process of his education and self-realisation. Realities of Midlands’ Life: George Eliots novels reveal the very aspects of the English Midlands, more specially Warwickshire and Coventry. The†¢ beauty of these Midlands plains caught the attraction of her eyes and these plains found their setting in her novels. Quite a feature of the scenery-and indeed of Warwickshire generally is that the hedges are everywhere closely painted with trees, whose height, as well as the riotous wastefulness of the hedgerose, give evidence of a kindly soil and climate. Methodic Themes: Written by Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity was translated into English by George Eliot. The influence of Feuerbach can be seen in George Eliot, in her works. In the above mentioned book, Feuerbach talks about the religious significance of water, wine and bread. All of three are sacred for him. The reason for the sacredness of water lies in the fact that it isa force of nature and it keeps us reminding that we have our origins in nature, the same origin of other lower creatures. Thus necessity of water symbolises our oneness with nature and Baptism as well. Wine and bread are man made things which look towards nature for the raw-material, thus symbolises that man is much superior to other lower creatures who are not so efficient to modify natural things. In the Christian ritual of Baptism, only water is used, for innocent and pure-hefirted childr~n. Whereas for the mature man, the Lords supper which includes wine and bread, is served. It suggests that man is much above animals. If the man is hungry and thirsty, he will no more remain a human being and taking of bread and wine restores him to his humanity. This truth is revealed to us through three suppers which is taken by Adam and his humanity kept ever-present in him. References Eliot. George. Adam Bede. New York: Penguin. 1996. Greegor. G. R. George Eliot: a collection of critical essays. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. , Prentice Hall. 1970. Ian Adam.Character and Destiny in George Eliots Fiction. Nineteenth-Century Fiction. University of California Press 1965. 127-143 Jones, Robert Tudor A critical commentary on George Eliots Adam Bede. London: Macmillan. 1968. Levine. G. L The Cambridge companion to George Eliot. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2001. Pletzen, E Van. Eliots Adam Bede. The Explicator. 56, no. 1, (1997): 23. Thale, Jerome. The novels of George Eliot. New York, Columbia University Press, 1959. Watt, Ian P. The Victorian novel; modern essays in criticism. London, New York, Oxford University Press, 1971.

Analysis of the Dutch Healthcare System Real Estate

Analysis of the Dutch Healthcare System Real Estate Chapter 2: Hospitals, corporate real estate management and alternative real estate financing structures Healthcare systems across the globe are under continuous reform. Thus, it is important to note that healthcare systems are still evolving. Moreover, in Europe a distinction is made between so-called Bismarck mixed and Beveridge healthcare models. Bismarck systems are based on social insurance, and characterized by a multitude of insurance organizations, who are organizationally independent of public and private healthcare providers. Examples are such as in France, the Netherlands and Germany (Krankenkassen). In Beveridge systems, however, financing and provision are handled within one organizational system and based on taxation. This implies healthcare financing bodies and providers are completely or partially within one organization, such as the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and Spain (Lameire, et al. 1999; Finfacts, 2007). Throughout history, healthcare systems across the world have evolved from Bismarck into Beveridge systems and vice versa. Usually, such reforms are a bone of contention. A recent example is the highly controversial debate in US politics on reform of the American healthcare system, which is unique in its application of the Private Insurance model (Lameire, et al. 1999). Democrats have long called for a universal health insurance program, which involves the expansion of coverage and restricting the power of insurance companies. Proponents argue that health insurance should be affordable and accessible to all, while opponents (mainly Republicans) fear too large a role of the government and the use of tax money to finance the arguably enormous costs involved. Both parties seem to agree that the power of insurance companies should be restricted by banning underwriting practices that prevent many Americans from obtaining affordable health insurance. However, though U.S. president Obama has praised various aspects of the Dutch social security-based (Bismarck) healthcare system, a similar evolution of the American healthcare system yet has to commence (NY Times, 2009). This section begins with a brief historic overview of the Dutch hospital (or cure) sector, with a focus on its evolution. Second, the interdependencies between healthcare real estate, (strategic) corporate real estate management, and alternative real estate financing structures will be elaborated upon by using corporate real estate management (CREM) theory and comparing various sources from academic literature. These are intertwined since healthcare heavily depends on real estate as a resource in fulfilling its core business activity. By opting for alternative ways to finance real estate, hospitals are able to free up additional capital to support their clinical activities. As the Dutch healthcare system currently is under reform and hospitals become responsible for real estate investments themselves, they are under increasing pressure to consider more cost-efficient options and enhance their competitive position. Alternative real estate financing structures such as public-private partnerships, where hospitals profit from the knowledge and experience of private sector parties through various partnership agreements, could provide a alternative feasible alternative here to more traditional real estate financing structures. For example, hospitals could opt for a sale-lease-back agreement, where hospital real estate is sold to a private party and leased-back to the hospital for an annual fee. By analyzing the above, this theory and literature review will provide the reader with an answer to the following sub-questions: How are Dutch hospitals regulated and financed? How can corporate real estate management add value to hospital real estate? How do alternative real estate financing structures relate to hospital real estate? The Dutch hospital sector The origins of healthcare in the Netherlands can be traced mainly to the activities of voluntary organizations, which often provided healthcare on a charitable base. These organizations used to be run mainly on religious or ideological foundations, resulting in the creation of healthcare facilities with a Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish or humanistic foundation (Folter, 2002). The Dutch healthcare tradition reflects the changing relationship between the government and voluntary organizations. Dutch hospitals largely originated from private and often charitable initiatives; virtually all are non-profit and most are still private organizations. However, today they are no longer organized along denominational lines. Though private ownership predominates, the Dutch government heavily regulates the healthcare system. In the postwar era of the 1950s, there was a focus on hospital construction, part of the broader effort to rebuild the country. In 1971, an extensive planning system was undertaken under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV) to regulate hospital capacity, the main motive being that many people felt hospitals were too concentrated in the urban areas and too few were located in other parts of the country (Den Exter, et al. 2004). Planning, regulation and management In the 1960s and 1970s, the expansion of health technology and healthcare resulted in a steep increase in health care costs. The main cause of the cost increase was attributed to the building of new hospitals and healthcare institutions. The Hospital Provision Act (WZV) of 1971 became the Dutch governments most important hospital planning tool, enabling the government to regulate construction of all healthcare institutions. The responsibility for its implementation was allocated to the provincial health authorities. The overarching goal of the WZV was to regulate the supply and promote the efficiency of hospital care. Hospitals were not to be constructed or renovated without successfully passing a declaration and licensing process. Approval of the building project rested on a detailed plan for each hospital service affected in a specific geographic region, which included a description of the existing service capacity, the suggested change of capacity, and a schedule to complete the project. The planning process began with the issuance of an instruction from the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport to the provincial government. The instruction described the categories of hospital facilities for which plans were to be developed, the geographical region covered, and the deadline to complete this. Provincial governments considered a number of regulations and guidelines in the process. Regulations related to the planning process and guidelines to the content of the plan. Many stakeholders were involved in the formation of regulations, including hospitals, patients and consumer organizations, local authorities, and insurance companies. In the initial stage, the provincial government prepared a draft plan. This plan included: an inventory of existing capacities; an evaluation of the existing situation in terms of shortages and weaknesses; a description of construction, renovation and expansion proposals; and an implementation plan and time schedule. Subsequently, the draft was forwarded to the health minister for approval. The health minister, after counseling the Hospital Provision Board (CBZ), determined whether or not the draft was acceptable. The draft plan formed the foundation for the issuance of so-called acknowledgements, which allowed hospitals to receive reimbursement for services from health insurers. The drawbacks of the initial hospital planning process under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV) were its complexity and lack of flexibility. Therefore, in January 2000, in order to improve the planning process, a new Act, the Special Medical Procedures Act (WBMV), came into existence. The focus of this Act was on quality of care rather than cost containment and aimed at promoting healthcare with maximum quality and minimum risk to patients at affordable cost (Den Exter et al., 2004). Decentralization According to Den Exter et al., in the Netherlands policy traditionally has been prepared and implemented by a massive neocorporate bureaucracy, uniting government agencies, quasi-governmental organizations (the advisory and executive bodies), suppliers and providers in the private sector, and insurance companies. This national body has a significant degree of control over decisions regarding the number and distribution of hospital beds and specialist places, and on investment decisions and management costs in health care. In the 1970s, centralized government coordination and planning became the leading principle in the Dutch healthcare system. However, the 1974 policy paper Structuring health care (Structuurnota Gezondheidszorg), contained proposals for decentralized administration by regional and local authorities (Second Chamber of Parliament, 1974). In 1986, the coalition government departed from the centralized model by undertaking major reforms, especially in the field of social health insurance. The integration of different insurance schemes into one social insurance for all Dutch citizens (with largely income-related contributions) was a bone of contention. The aim was to increase solidarity in healthcare financing. Under these reforms, all insurance companies would function as independent and risk-bearing insurers and compete for insured patients under the same regulations. A central fund (centrale kas) was to provide budgets for all the insurers. A key issue in the reforms was the shift of the insurance risk from the public funding system to the individual insurance plan, justified by the less government, more market trend. The shift of insurance risk involved a policy of transferring regulating competencies from the collective to the private sector, such as providers and insurance companies. In the Netherlands, this policy is called functional decentralization. This has mainly occurred in the cure-sector, which entails acute care and both specialist and general medicine. By means of negotiations and contracts, an increasing number of health insurers and providers have become important determinants in shaping and interpreting healthcare today, while the government and administrative agencies used to assume these roles in the past. This is emphasized by the new role assumed by medical specialists in hospital care. For example, they have acquired an independent coordinating position versus both hospital management and sickness funds (Scholten and van der Grinten, 1998). Hospital budget reforms In the Netherlands, today all hospitals and other healthcare institutions are required to have an overall annual budget. This is in line with the governments cost-containment policy. If the hospital exceeds its budget, there is no possibility of recalculation or compensation. Specialist fees are an exception to this overall hospital budget. Below follows an overview of the budget reforms that have taken place up until 2009. Function-directed budgeting (1988 2000) The old budget system, which was in use since 1988, was a function-directed budget system. The budget was divided in four cost components: location costs, fixed costs, semi-fixed costs, and variable costs. Location costs concern infrastructure, for example buildings and equipment including depreciation and interest. In the old budget system, these investments required approval by the health minister under the Hospital Provision Act (WZV). Second, fixed costs are costs that do not generally vary with the activity volume. For example, the number of people served by a hospital in the region. Thirdly, semi-fixed costs are not affected by the scale of production of a hospital in the short run. These are capacity-based costs, and include the number of beds and specialist units. Finally, variable costs are directly related to the activity volume or the production (production units) of the hospital. Parameters for variable costs include admissions, outpatient visits, nursing days, day care and day treatments (Den Exter et al., 2004). In the old system, the hospital budget was determined as follows: Number of persons in service area (x tariff) + number of licensed hospital beds (x tariff) + number of licensed specialist units (x tariff) + negotiated volumes of production units, for example hospital admissions (x tariff), inpatient days (x tariff), first outpatient contacts (x tariff), day surgery (x tariff) and special treatments (x tariff) Tariffs varied with hospital size, implying larger hospitals were allocated higher tariffs than smaller hospitals. In addition, hospitals were allocated capital expense budgets. For example, rebuilding projects and new hospital construction projects were covered by a 100% mark-up applied for 50 years. This implies payment was guaranteed for 50 years through a mark-up in the day rate. As a result, hospitals were not exposed to financial risk regarding major capital expenses. Further, hospitals received a standardized budget for small investments, such as maintenance. These investments did not require the approval of the health minister. Performance-driven budgeting (2000 2005) Until 2000, hospitals still received the full budget when it produced less inpatient days than estimated under the principle budget=budget. However, this was changed into a performance-driven payment system implying hospitals would get paid less if they would produce less inpatient days than agreed upon with health insurers. The underlying notion of this change was to increase hospital production, in order to put a halt to waiting lists. However, this transition brought a number of new problems along: Hospital budgets were unable to keep up with the increase in demand for hospital care. While patients paid insurance, they were unable to benefit from hospital service directly because of waiting lists. The admissions, inpatient days and day surgery tariffs used to set the budget proved completely artificial, not reflecting true costs. Incentives for efficiency were weak. The budgeting system did not stimulate hospitals to inform insurers and patients about their performance. This is a politically sensitive issue, as hospitals received extra money to combat waiting lists but were reluctant to explain for what goals they used this money. DBC-budgeting and dot (2005 present) Therefore, a new gradual transition is currently taking place to a Diagnosebehandelings-combinatie (Diagnosis Treatment Combination, DBC) financing system. The DBC system has the following implications: a transition to output pricing with defined and priced patient-treatment categories; location costs remain fixed and all other maintenance costs will be integrated into the location cost center of hospital budgets (set by the College Tarieven Gezondheidszorg, CTG, Healthcare Tariffs Council); and hospitals are contracted by sickness funds based on patient-treatment categories. The main notion is that hospitals are reimbursed for the costs they incur resulting from medical treatments. The DBC-A segment tariffs (acute care) remains government regulated (through the NZa, Dutch Healthcare Authority) and concerns acute care, whereas hospitals are largely free to negotiate tariffs with healthcare insurers in the DBC-B-segment (non-acute care) in an effort to promote market forces. Currently , about 34% of the DBCs is allocated to the B-segment; the Dutch Health Ministry aims to increase this proportion to 50-60% by 2011 (Van Poucke, 2009). The DBC system is comparable to the DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) system used abroad. However, there are a number of differences: DRGs are coded at the beginning of the treatment, while DBCs are coded afterwards. A patient can be coded in more than one DBC. In the DBC system the coding is not done by special personnel but by a medical specialist. The physician salary is included in the DBC, giving physicians an incentive for upcoding. In the DBC system, more flexibility is granted to parties that negotiate at the local level on production, number of treatments, and number of specialists. Furthermore, efforts are being made to integrate the fee-for-service system for specialists and the hospital budget system into a single integrated budget (Den Exter 2004). However, since the system is still in early development, the effects of DBC financing on hospitals are still ambiguous. As a result, improvements have been proposed which will be implemented as of January 1 2011 under the DOT (DBCs Op weg naar Transparantie, DBCs on the road to Transparency). This implies that the 100,000 DBC products will be sized down to only 3,000 in order to increase transparency for the patient, healthcare practitioners and healthcare insurers (DBC Onderhoud, 2009). Real estate investment reforms Until 2008, the Dutch healthcare system applied a publicly supported healthcare real estate budget system. However, since 2008, Dutch healthcare institutions have become financially responsible for the return and risks of their real estate investments (see Chapter 5: Real estate investments). Moreover, the Dutch healthcare system is changing toward a regulated market system with increased competition between healthcare providers. According to Van der Zwart et al. (2009), these developments are likely to change the way healthcare institutions will manage and finance their real estate, the location choices they make and the building typology they choose. Furthermore, real estate is becoming an increasingly strategic fifth source of profitability and overall performance, similar to capital, human resources, information and technology (see figure 2.1). For hospitals, considering and using real estate as a strategic production asset can reap added value, as will be explained in section 2.2.2. Financing hospital real estate: from supply-driven to regulated market forces As health insurers now negotiate quality and quantity agreements with hospitals and patients are broadening their horizons, the importance of an integrated approach to the product hospital care. Hospitals should be able to use their real estate as a distinguishing element in attracting customers (the patient). As a result, real estate is being transformed into a strategic resource for hospitals as well and hospital executives are paying growing attention to real estate management, including location management (what to do where), business plans (do investments yield positive returns) and real estate asset valuation. Building plans are based on functional clustering: hospitals divide new buildings into hotels (patient rooms), hot floors (operating rooms), offices (simple treatments, patient consults), and industrial plants (medical support/facilitating functions). As hospitals are no longer required to own their real estate assets, some are seeking partners willing to take over some o f their real estate management (Windhorst 2006). The Dutch government used to be in charge of allocating the budget of healthcare real estate investment, but is moving toward a regulated market system to keep healthcare affordable in the future. This deregulation gives healthcare institutions the opportunity to make their own decisions, translating into more individual responsibility and a higher risk exposure of investments. The government no longer guarantees financial support for real estate investments, and thus real estate investments have to be financed by the production and delivery of healthcare services. As a result, the need for competitive advantage will also increase (Van der Zwart, et al., 2009). The Dutch government used to apply a strict approval system in the former real estate budget system in order to regulate the capacity and costs of hospital health care. All initiatives to build, renovate or demolish a hospital building were evaluated in terms of their fit with a regulated overall capacity per service area, square meter guidelines per hospital bed and per function, and a maximum standard of costs per square meter (Van der Zwart, et al., 2009: 2). The initiatives were approved by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports, who was advised by the Netherlands Board for Healthcare Institutions. The real estate capital costs (depreciation, rent, maintenance costs and so on) were guaranteed by the government. The healthcare providers real estate budget was independent of the production of healthcare services. According to Van der Zwart et al., hospitals did not bear any responsibility for the risks of their real estate investments in the old system. Furthermore, they were not responsible for the running costs and a possible deficit if production decreased. As a result, hospitals attempted to obtain the maximum amount of square meters and were not encouraged to be either cost efficient or cost effective. In March 2005, the Dutch Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports announced the modification of this real estate budget system and the introduction of a healthcare system with regulated market forces (Hoogervorst, 2005). The main goal is to keep healthcare affordable by stimulating competition and, as a result, reduce healthcare costs. This deregulation provides healthcare institutions with more flexibility in the briefing, design and management of hospital buildings and real estate investments. Similar to the old system, private not-for-profit initiatives are still the main force behind the capacity of hospitals, but in the new system hospitals are themselves responsible for the return on real estate investment and the effects of real estate decisions on utility value, investment costs and running costs. Since January 2008, hospitals have to finance real estate investments and capital costs from their product and service revenues. This implies a switch from a centrally steered real estate budget system with governmental ex ante testing of building plans and investment proposals into a performance driven and regulated finance system on the output (Van der Zwart, 2009: 3). To ensure a smooth transition, there is a transition phase until 2012 with a standardized and maximized budget for capital costs per m ². This trend will have a strong effect on the briefing, design and management of hospital real estate (Van der Voordt, 2009). Hospitals will get new opportunities while experiencing higher risks at the same time and hospitals will have to aim more at competitive advantage. Furthermore, partnerships with private partners will be more common. According to Fritzsche et al. (2005) and van Hasselt (2005), this transition has a number of implications, as illustrated in table 2.1 and figure 2.1. Moreover, organizational changes (e.g. mergers and network organizations), demographic changes (ageing of the population, multicultural diversity), technological developments (e.g. new medical equipment, new installation techniques), fluctuations in the economy and changing views on healthcare and the responsibility of government, healthcare organizations, market players and healthcare consumers play their role, too (Van der Voort, 2009: 2). As a result of mergers and the growth in hospital functions, hospitals are likely to grow even larger than before. Van der Voordt argues that all these changes affect the healthcare real estate stock and cause a need for new health care real estate management strategies. Christensen et al. (2000) warn for the entrenched and change-averse nature of healthcare systems. They argue governments and institutions should be more open to business models that may seem to threaten the status quo at first, but will eventually enhance the quality of healthcare for the end-user: the patient. New institutions with disruptive business models adapted to new technologies and markets should replace entrenched and old-fashioned institutions. Thus, they conclude that government and healthcare sector leaders should help insurers, regulators, hospitals and health professionals to facilitate disruption instead of preventing it. Current challenges The practical implications for hospitals of the current transition to a new healthcare system in terms of capital financing and real estate investments will be further explained in chapter 4 and 5. First, the following section will elaborate on the theoretical foundations of corporate real estate management. Corporate real estate management In order to make well considered decisions with regard to new building projects, rebuilding projects and the sale of real estate property, a deep knowledge of the real estate property and the many related internal and external developments is required. For example, what actions need to be taken in order to eliminate or reduce discrepancies between demand and supply? And how effectively does real estate support the main business processes? Corporate Real Estate Management is one of the disciplines that addresses such questions. The key issue at stake here is to align the supply (e.g. locations, properties) with the requirements related to the primary process (demand) and the strategic goals of the organization. The overall aim is to create maximum added value for the organization while ensuring a maximum contribution to total organizational performance (Van der Voort, 2009). Increasingly, (corporate) real estate is becoming a substantial resource for firms and other institutions. For example, firms are looking at real estate to provide both stability and capital growth to their portfolios. It thus presents an attractive return compared to the volatility in equity prices (DTZ, 2006). Already in the early 1990s, researchers began to call attention to the largely unrecognized importance of corporate real estate to many businesses. They pointed at the substantial balance sheet value of real estate and the large proportion of operating expenses resulting from real estate services (Roulac, 2001). For example, Veale (1989) concluded corporate space costs account for 10% to 20% of operating expenses or nearly 50% of net operating income. In their paper, Rediscover your Companys Real Estate, Zeckhauser and Silverman (1983) estimate corporate real estate accounts for 25 to 40 % of the total assets of the average firm. Many firms underestimate the intrinsic value of their real estate portfolio, even though the magnitude of costs related to owning properties are second only to payroll costs (Veale, 1989). Zeckhauser and Silvermans survey results mention 7 important steps a firm can take to make more efficient use of its real estate assets. For example, firms should manage real estate responsibly and set achievable goals in order to generate profits from its real estate assets or limit costs. Furthermore, a firms choice of real estate activities other than managing property depends on the nature of the business it operates in and the historical record of its real estate portfolio. This implies that firms that more heavily depend on real estate for their business activities might be more actively involved with their proper ty management. Zeckhauser and Silverman conclude that every firm should review and adjust its real estate policies to reconcile operating objectives with real estate values and opportunities, and evaluate the intrinsic value of its property. Though the return on real estate is generally lower than the return on the core business activity, real estate may provide other forms of added value, such as efficiency and effectiveness of the activities in the firm. Kaplan and Nortons (1992) balanced score card approach describes the performance of a corporation as being defined by a combination of financial, internal business, customer, and innovation and learning perspectives. In addition to the financial value of real estate, unique characteristics such as the design of a building transform real estate into an asset that can be difficult to imitate, substitute, or trade. Furthermore, the physical image of a building may function as a marketing tool, attracting attention to a firms services. Thus, when buildings reflect the business purpose and promote important work relationships they can contribute significantly to corporate strategy and serve to distinguish a firm from its competitors (Krumm de Vries, 2003). Strategic corporate real estate management Roulac (2001), with his Aligning corporation real property with corporate strategy-model, links real estate strategies with sources of competitive advantage. A corporate business strategy addresses key elements such as customers, employees and processes. A corporate property strategy affects employee satisfaction, production factor economics, (realized and foregone) business opportunities, risk management decisions and other effects on business value. Thus, it is crucial in enhancing or inhibiting the companys expression of its core competency and the extent to which it can realize its core capabilities to their full potential (Roulac, 2001). The existing scientific research in this field has resulted in the conclusion that it is generally more advantageous for firms to rent, rather than own the real estate they use, enabling them to free up capital to invest in the things they are good at (Brounen and Eichholtz, 2003). The shares of firms who sell their real estate typically outperform the average and firms with large corporate real estate holdings are typically associated with relatively low performance. However, within the field of real estate finance, little research has been conducted on the effects of alternative real estate financing structures on the performance of non-profit organizations, such as hospitals. Though Eichholtz and Kok (2007) examined the performance effects of alternative real estate financing on the American senior healthcare sector, little is known about the performance of hospitals owned and/or operated through alternative real estate financing structures such as, for example, public private partnerships (PPPs). In 1993, real estate expert Michael Joroff (1993) expressed the need for a move in real estate management from a purely operational approach to a more strategic one, including a strong emphasis on the role of real estate in achieving corporate goals. According to Joroff, this requires a switch from a day-to-day focus on building management (manager) and controlling accommodation costs (controller) towards standardized real estate utilization (trader), adapting real estate assets to the market (entrepreneur), and eventually ensuring strategic real estate decisions contribute to corporate goals (strategist). See figure 2.2 below. An organization often finds itself in a combination of different stages. According to Fritzsche (2005) hospitals still need to make the move to the upper stages. Thus, when hospitals make a transformation to more business-like entities, they will find themselves in the entrepreneur or strategist stage. However, it is debatable whether hospitals should be located in the final stage, as hospitals in essence are non-profit foundations and do not have the same goals and core-business activities as business organizations. This is where the classical debate regarding public versus private provision of a public good (healthcare) enters the arena; this will be discussed further in section 2.3. The added values of real estate According to De Jonge (2002), several ways

What Are Uniformitarianism Catastrophism And Plates Tectonic History Essay

What Are Uniformitarianism Catastrophism And Plates Tectonic History Essay Introduction: The following report will outline and discuss the work of scientists; Sir Charles Lyell, James Hutton, Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess. It will also explain how their work influenced the development of earth science from the time they made their theories/observations to today. What are uniformitarianism, catastrophism and plates tectonic: Uniformitarianism: Uniformitarianism has took many, many years to be understood, proven and actually used as a theory on how things happen on and to the earth. When scientists started to understand the ways in which mountains and volcanoes are formed and why deep sea trenched occurred etc, they began to realise that such things as these did not happen in a matter of minutes due to a catastrophic incident. Its by natural causes and slow movements. As the motto for uniformitarianism is the present is key to the past which literally means everything that happens today is an indication of what happened in the past, dealing with the same occurrences. The dictionary definition is: Geology. Of or pertaining to the thesis that processes that operated in the remote geological past are not different from those observed now. Catastrophism: Catastrophism was around for a long time before uniformitarianism and was chosen as the favoured theory for a long time before uniformitarianism; they believed that everything that happened and changed the earth was due to major catastrophes like violent volcano eruptions or meteorites from space impacting on the earth. The dictionary definition is: Geology. The doctrine that certain vast geological changes in the earths history were caused by catastrophes rather than gradual evolutionary processes. Plates tectonic: Plates tectonic are the plates underneath the continents and are broken up into 7 major plates; the African, North American, South American, Eurasian, Australian, Antarctic, and Pacific plates. There are also some smaller plates, including the Arabian, Nazca, and Philippines plates. These plates are constantly moving at a rate of about 2-10cm per year. Some of the plates crash into each other while others simply follow each other or slip over and over each other. When the plates meet and are stuck together trying to move when one finally moves under the other it causes earthquakes and even tsunamis because one plate is thrust upwards causing the land above it to rise upwards. Information about Earth Scientists: Sir Charles Lyell, James Hutton, Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess all have something very important in common; they helped form the theories, ideas and investigations of Plates tectonic, sea floor-spreading and the development of the theory uniformitarianism over catastrophism. The next paragraphs will introduce you to all of the above scientists, what they did and how they did and also the meanings and importance of uniformitarianism and catastrophism. James Hutton: Name: James Hutton Nationality: Scottish D.o.B: 3 June 1726 D.o.D: 26 March 1797 Speciality: Geologist, physician, naturalist, chemist and experimental farmer. Brief insight: Known as the founding father of modern geology. Started the theory of uniformitarianism Influenced Sir Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin. James Hutton was born in Edinborough in 1726 and studied many things from farming to chemistry. He wrote the famous book theory of the earth, which gained the attention of many philosophers to come in later years and started the age of geology and new discoveries on how the earth works. Huttons farming passion made him more susceptible to the beauty and wonders of the earth and as he began to examine rocks he discovered that in actual fact the earth didnt form around 6,000 years ago as told by the catholic religion, but in actual fact over millions of years ago, and that fossils found were not the bones of animals that drowned in the great biblical flood. He pursued the idea that sedimentation (Sediment mineral or organic matter deposited by water, air or ice. Sedimentation -the deposition or accumulation of sediment.), happens so slowly that even the oldest rocks are made up of materials furnished from the ruins of former continents. He called these processes the great geological cycle which happens continuously. Sir Charles Lyell: Name: Sir Charles Lyell Nationality: British D.o.B: 14 November 1797 D.o.D: 22 February 1875 Speciality: Geology Brief insight: He studied law and became a practising lawyer. Wrote the Principles of Geology, 1830, (12 editions), which basically made people accept the theory of uniformitarianism. Without him Charles Darwin mightnt have been able to prove his theory of evolution. Sir Charles Lyell was a British geologist and was the main person who gained recognition for the theory of uniformitarianism. It started off as an understanding and agreement for James Huttons book theory of the earth, but then turned into an adventure in proving uniformitarianism has and is at work. His observations led scientists to believe that slow, steady movements cause the earth to be shaped and formed, not catastrophic occurrences. Lyells ability and flair for creative writing helped the theory become recognised by the world wide community of scientists. The information and evidence collected was enough to move the positions of the scientists and really show them flaws in the theory of catastrophism. Without Lyells clarification and dedication of explaining and proving uniformitarianism maybe Charles Darwin wouldnt have been able to progress his theories of evolution for people to believe and understand. Alfred Wegener: Name: Alfred Wegener Nationality: German D.o.B: November 1, 1880 D.o.D: November 1930 Speciality: Astronomy and meteorology Brief insight: Lecturer of astronomy and meteorology at a German university. Started to meddle with sciences outside his field. Wrote an important paper called The origin of Continents and Oceans which was the start of the theories on continental drift and plates tectonic. Alfred Wegener was a German lecturer on astronomy and meteorology and this was his passion until he happened to come across a paper on the theory of a land bridge between Brazil and Africa. This made him try and understand the real reason for the jigsaw puzzle like continents that make up our world. Like many others he realised that Africa and South America seem to fit perfectly together and that there must have been a way for one species of fossil to be found in one country and another when the animal had a land locked form and the countries werent connected. His expeditions to Greenland (his most loved country to visit), led him to discover the discrepancies between the longitudinal calculations of his party and earlier ones from 1823 and 1870 this became an important part of evidence later on to prove that this particular continent has moved between the years therefore there must be evidence to suggest others have too. He later wrote a book/paper called the origin of continents and continental drift, which was dismissed and mocked due to him being meddling out of his field of expertise and his nationality as the Great War only ended to years earlier. None of the scientist wanted to believe that continents drifted and were once united as one, this was absurd. Wegener used many forms of evidence to back his theories sup such as the shared diamond mines between Brazil and Africa, even though they arent connected, but the scientists refused to go back on what they believed in. Harry Hess: Name: Harry Hess Nationality: Canadian D.o.B: May 24, 1906 D.o.D: August 25, 1969 Speciality: Geology Brief insight: Single most important contribution of the 20thcentury. Emphasised on the sea-floor spreading theory, One of the founding fathers of plates tectonic theories. Discovered the great global rift. Harry Hess was a Canadian navy officer and specialised in geology he produced the original hypothesis of the ocean floors were moving like conveyor belts, carrying the continents along with them. In his book The history of ocean basins, he quoted The sea floor is not permanent, but is constantly being renewed. The mid-ocean ridge is indeed a crack in the crust. Through it hot material from the underlying mantle continually swells up and spreads outwards, new crust is generated at the rate of about half an inch a year on each side of the ridge. His theories solved all problems of the time such as: The high heat flow along the ridge and the discovery of conical mountains on the sea floor. The understanding of sea-floor spreading also helped us to understand the theory of plates tectonic and how it works in comparison with sea floor spreading. But because this was only fiction and no solid evidence was produced to back up all statements of the theory it was taken the same way as Wegener s thoughtsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nowhere, until later on in the years. Issues relating to the development of the theories of catastrophism and uniformitarianism: Religion vs. evidence: Catastrophism only remained in the heads of scientists due the direction in which it pointed Noahs flood. Religion held a very high level of authority in the 1600s- late 1900s therefore everything that was discovered had to lead to a biblical explanation. It wasnt accepted until around 3 people tried to evolve the theory such as Hutton, Lyell and Darwin who all gave evidence and suggestions and add evidence on top of evidence to try and prove their way of thinking and the Uniformitarianism vs. nature: After uniformitarianism was recognised as the higher of the two theories on how the earth was formed and is still shaping over catastrophism, everyone started to look at the events that were shaping the earth and began to see that uniformitarianism seemed to be the more appropriate theory. However as most scientists and the general public believe that uniformitarianism is the reasons for how the earth is what theyre not realising is that catastrophism is also playing a part in forming the earth as well by natural disasters from violent volcano eruptions to tsunamis. These examples could happen at any given time and not much warning is given before hand of what is about to happen, therefore it could become a catastrophic occurrence which could shape the way the earth is. So catastrophism need not be forgotten. Catastrophism vs. evidence: It is suggested that the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs was due to a major meteorite impact which caused huge devastation for the earth and another theory is that they went extinct due to the great biblical flood, this theory is only on the basis on what the Bible says about the great flood, but in actual fact there is no evidence which suggests the dinosaurs drowned, just the word of the bible. The problem with catastrophism is that most the theories made up involving it dont show sufficient evidence to suggest it did happen besides the few cases of volcanoes erupting violently and changing the earth. Conclusion: In conclusion to my report I support the theory of uniformitarianism because the evidence that backs it up is clear and concise and it has an answer to every problem e.g. how plates tectonic move and how volcanoes and mountains are made. But we shouldnt forget that catastrophism still works in ways when volcanoes and mountains and formed suddenly by earthquakes and tsunamis which change the earth.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essays -- Essays Papers

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight As with so many stories written in the Middle Ages Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is filled with wonders, magic and knightly pursuit of fame and nobility. It combines folklore and romance as does, according to The Norton Anthology, no other known work. The character of the Green Knight fascinates and amuses. Most people would not think of it as an Arthurian-time creature. The Green Man in fact, is a part of an ancient folklore where the beheading of a green man would assure the return of spring next year. The passage that I am discussing takes place almost a year after the Green Knight has visited King Arthur's court to challenge the court. He has specifically challenged Sir Gawain who steps forward to accept the challenge. The passage starts with the appearance of a castle. This is very significant to the story, and this fact is communicated to the reader in the description of the castle and even by the initial fact that it appears so suddenly and so very conveniently after Sir Gawain's prayer. Sir Gawain has been suffering, trying to find the Green Knight. The Green Knight has set a date on which they will meet, and Sir Gawain, as is the custom for knights, has to keep his promise that he will fight him. Furthermore, Sir Gawain is the best of King Arthur's knights and his five-pointed star symbol on his shield stands for truth so there is no way he will not keep his promise. We are made aware of the importance of the castle first when it just suddenly appears from nowhere and secondly when we notice it is set in a green field. The green field makes no sense to the reader because it is the middle of winter, but it does signify the fact that the appearance of the castle is not acci... ...ain is not aware of. Sir Gawain is just grateful that he has found this castle (or that he has been led there) and that he will have a place where he can spend Christmas day. He does not see all the symbols that make this castle special. From all the clues that the author gives us, we know that the castle is crucial for the story as well as for Gawain's life. He is not aware of it, but the castle is the place where he is tested, and ultimately his future is decided there. It is very typical of this kind of story to include such symbols, like the castle, to convey to the reader that whatever happens there should be remembered because it is important part of the story. References: 1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In The Norton Anthology of Literature. Ed. M.H.Abrams, et al. Vol I. Sixth Edition. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 1993, pp 200- 254.

The Legacy of the Mafia Minstel Show :: Essays Papers

The Legacy of the Mafia Minstel Show After my Grandfather died in the late 1960's, my Grandmother came to live with us for a short time. It was a wonderful way to learn about my heritage and I got to listen to her stories about when my Father was growing up in San Francisco. I remember a story she told me about when my Dad was around eight years old, about the same time Little Caesar was in the movie theaters. One day he came home from school and told my Grandmother that some kid at school told him that all Italians were cutthroats. My Grandmother got very upset and told him to ignore comments like that, that all it did was reveal the ignorance of the person making that remark, and to always take pride in who you are and your Italian heritage. My Dad looked at my Grandmother and very innocently asked her, "Ma, what's a cutthroat?" Zoom forward around 70 years. My daughter comes homes from school, about the same time The Sopranos was released on HBO, complaining that some kids at school were teasing her and calling her "Mafia Girl." I wish I could say that things have gotten better for Italian Americans and how they are portrayed in popular television and film in the last 70 years, but unfortunately I think it has actually gotten worse. What I call the Mafia Minstrel Show, actors in olive skin face playing mobster for the benefit of those people who lust for violence and racism, is now as insidious as lice. Thanks to our friends at HBO, the Mafia Minstrel Show has been legitimized as a mainstream genre, not unlike westerns or love stories. So why has the Mafia Minstrel Show survived for the past 70 years? It is very simple, IT MAKES MONEY!!!!! I remember reading the obituary for Mario Puzo. It listed the sales of his books, his wonderful novel about Italian American immigrants, The Fortunate Pilgrim, ha d sold maybe 10,000 copies and The Godfather, a novel that featured the Mafia Minstrel Show, had sold 15 million copies. Mario Puzo, a man who admitted he had never known a gangster before he wrote The Godfather, obviously was given a lot of cash to write a novel about the Mafia Minstrel Show.

Literary Response to Gulliver’s Travels :: essays papers

Literary Response to Gulliver’s Travels 1.) Interpret the ending of Book IV in Gulliver’s Travels. How are we to understand Gulliver’s very strange behavior? In Book IV, Lemuel Gulliver’s fourth and final journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a civilization of intellectual, sensible horses, and senseless, inferior, and indecent humans. As Swift does throughout the novel, he ties his satire closely with Gulliver’s perceptions of the different world around him in his last adventure; these chapters do not change the method of Swift’s satire. During Gulliver’s experience in the land of Houyhnhnm, he encounters the wise and friendly Houyhnhnms, or horses, which are superior to the Yahoos, or salve humans. Although Gulliver is referred to as a â€Å"Yahoo,† the Houyhnhnms treat him with more respect than their captives, due to his intelligent division from the Yahoos. In theses chapters Gulliver comes to realize how much he loathes the human race, after being in contact with the Yahoos. Gulliver finds himself in a society controlled by creatures usually at the dispatch of humans, and in a sort of oblivion of his own, between the humane horses and the untamed, unruly Yahoos. The humans and their inability to compare to the Houyhnhnms instantly disgust him. Gulliver then grows fond of the Houyhnhnms and beings to enjoy life conversing with them about the differences in their worlds. He no longer desires to return to humankind. Soon Gulliver is accepted as an intellectual among the Houyhnhnms. He begins to think of every human he has ever known as Yahoos, and no longer has any respect for them, he thinks of the Houyhnhnms as the most respected and well-mannered living things on the earth. Gulliver is given a room, and is treated as a member of the family. However due to his acquired fortune, the Yahoos begin to complain and Gulliver is forced to return to Europe. He does not want to return to Europe, but decides that he would rather live with the barbarians that he once lived with, than with the uncivilized Yahoos. When Gulliver does arrive in England, he is filled with disgust and disgrace for them. For a year he cannot stand to be with his family, but instead buys two horses and speaks with them.

Emotional Marketing: Necessity of Today’s Marketing Management

The purpose of this paper is to write an analysis of an article that discusses an aspect of marketing management. During my research I was attracted to an article by James Cooper Titled, ‘Emotional Marketing as the Basis of Your Promotions’; after reading Coopers article I found Emotional Marketing to be interesting, but his article did not provide enough data to satisfy my interest in Emotional Marketing . So, rather than write about a single article, I have chosen to write about the topic of Emotional Marketing and its necessity in today’s Marketing Management. Marketing mangers must understand that if the consumers’ emotions are addressed in the right way they could get more loyal customers. This has unlashed the approach to marketing which was termed as â€Å"Emotional Marketing† (Drypen). Cooper points out that, â€Å"Marketing to today’s consumers is a challenging business because you are no longer listing the specifications of products and services. Instead you are meeting people on an emotional level to break into their consumer awareness†. As part of a company’s marketing strategy producers need to realize that there is a strong emotional connect between consumers / customers and the products they use. Brands that don't make emotional connections with their prospects and customers will eventually lose out to those that do. The practice of emotional marketing as it relates to value proposition is all about getting your target audience to connect with your product, service, and brand at a very basic and fundamental level – the level of emotions. When building customer value, emotional marketing can be used in influencing customer perceived value and total customer benefit. Some examples of firms that are successful in this application can be seen with top brands such as Starbucks, Porsche, and so on. These products and services make an emotional connection with the people they serve. They have met the challenge of identifying how its products/services can connect emotionally. They have explored what type of experience their product can offer its customers and the perceived value to customer above the firm’s competitors. Emotional marketing can only take place once the company delivers a user experience that represents its purpose. Once the company is able to deliver on that promise, it can market the experience to consumer prospects. Companies must leverage: customer testimonials, word-of-mouth, discussion forums, and trials (marketingscoop). Ideally the company wants its products or services to deliver an experience, and gets prospects to participate along with having the experience themselves. Emotional marketing is a powerful strategy if you can deliver a strong customer experience, thus, leveraging the experience to maximize customer satisfaction in the long run. On the other hand, there are the companies that use emotional marketing when customers are having a not so positive customer experience. These companies take advantage during times of crisis and turmoil. An example of this is appealing to the public during an epidemic or natural disaster and offering short term solutions. Many times the products or services offered are not even effective, nor do they provide the experience the customer desires. Furthermore, the customers’ negative experience is just the opportunity that some companies are looking for to capitalize on short run profit maximization. Leveraging emotional marketing can help in evaluating and selecting market segments to exploit. If and when the marketing/promotion appeals to the emotional aspects of customers the companies, in some cases, can move toward targeting a ‘supersegment’. For example, many symphony orchestras target people who have broad cultural interests, rather than those who only regularly attend concerts (Kotler & Keller pg 229). The product appeal is more toward a cultural or emotion interest rather than that of a physiological need. Emotion acts as a catalyst in the engine of the purchase decision process. Through experience and learning, people acquire attitudes. These in turn influence buying behavior (Kotler & Keller, pg 170). This is important since favorable and unfavorable experiences trigger emotional feeling toward a product or service being marketed. Cooper’s article, â€Å"Emotional Marketing as the Basis of Your Promotions† only touched on promotion of the product as it appeals to emotional marketing. After further research I found that emotional marketing throughout the marketing process is important in its application to: marketing strategy, customer value, target markets, brands, market segment, customer satisfaction and purchasing decisions. In conclusion, marketing managers must understand that costumers get attracted to products which effect there feelings. Companies which want to stand above the competition have to leverage emotional marketing so as to increase market share. Effective development in emotional marketing can shift a marketing challenger or market follower to position of market leader. Thus, making emotional marketing a necessity of today’s marketing management. References Cooper, J. , (Feb. 2008) Emotional Marketing As The Basis Of Your Promotions , Written for Marketinglinx. com, retrevied from the World Wide Web on 14 May 2009 at http://www. articlesbase. com/marketing-articles/emotional-marketing-as-the-basis-of-your-promotions-325335. tml Kotler, P. , & Keller, K. ,(2006), Marketing Management 13th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Drypen, (Nov. 2008),Emotional Marketing – to Play the Emotional Tune is the Necessity of Today's Marketing, written for Drypen. com, retrevied from the World Wide Web on 14 May 2009 at http://www. articlesbase. com/authors/drypen/73887. htm Unknow n, (2009), Making an Emotional Connection with Your Customers, written for marketingscoop. com, retrevied from the World Wide Web on 14 May 2009 at http://www. marketingscoop. com/emotional-marketing. htm