Saturday, August 31, 2019

Drinking and Driving

The use of cellphone while driving Informative speech Specific purpose: to inform my audience about the risks that are involved while using their cellphone while driving and its penalties. Thesis: Using a cellphone while on the road could be risky. Organizational pattern: Topical order. INTRODUCTION: I. Attention Getter: ‘’Using a cellphone while driving, whether it is handheld or hands-free, delays drivers reactions as much as having blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0. 8 percent. ’’ (University of Utah) II. Thesis: Driving while using a cellphone has its risks. III. Relevance: Why should you care?This topic relates to you because ‘’it is the number one cause of crashes for people within the ages 18-25. ’’ (University of Utah) IV. Credibility: I have conducted research for the past days. I have also had a personal experience. V. Brief review of main points: Today I will be talking about the use of cellphone while driving and the penalties this could have. TRANSITION: Let’s start by talking about what can happen if you use a cellphone while driving. BODY I. The use of cellphones while on the road. A. Distracts drivers, affects concentrations on the road. 1. ‘’In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U. S. oadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. ’’ (FARS and GES) B. According to a research by the University of Utah, causes 33% of all call crashes. C. May cause injury, or even death. TRANSITION: Penalties of texting and driving. I. According to www. handsfreeinfo. com , many states implement new laws to stop cell phone use while driving with fines up to 120 dollars. You have done it, and I have done it. And even though we know these laws exist we have all continued to grab our cellphone once in a while while driving. II.Example of how five seconds without looking to th e road can affect you. III. What are the penalties for DUI in Texas? According to, http://dui. drivinglaws. org/texas. php , a first offense can cost you up to $2000 dollars; a third offense can reach up to the amount of $10,000 dollars. | 1st Offense| 2d offense | 3rd Offense| Minimum Jail| 3 to 180 days| 30 days to 1 year| 2 years| Fines and Penalties| Up to $2,000 (unless a child under 15 is in car)| Up to $4,000 (unless a child under 15 is in car)| Up to $10,000| License Suspension| 90 to 365 days| 180 days to 2 years| 180 days to 2 years| IID* Required| No| Yes| Yes|TRANSITION: As I conclude my speech, I would like my audience to reflect upon the effects that cell phone use while driving have on a person’s ability to drive are dangerous, not only to the driver, but to everyone around them. CONCLUSION: I. Thesis summary: Cellphone use while driving has its risks. II. Brief review of main points: I have talked to you about how many accidents can cell phone use cause, and a bout the consequences and penalties. III. Tie-back audience: An accident can not only happen to you, but to any of your loved ones. IV. Closure statement: Video: ‘’This is why cell phone use while driving should be illegal. ’’ (YouTube)

Friday, August 30, 2019

Inventory Management on Performance

DECLARATION I, Lucy Lakot, do declare hereby that this proposal is my original work and that it has not been submitted for an award of a diploma or a degree in any institution of higher learning anywhere. Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ APPROVAL This is to satisfy that this research proposal is written under my supervision and is now ready for submission to the Faculty of business and development studies (FBDS) Signed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Mr. Mshilla Maghanga DEDICATION I dedicate this proposal to my late mother, Mrs Adong Santina, my father, Mr.Pungole, my brother Okello Innocent, late Okello Alex, my beloved sister Alal Cavin, Atenyo Nighty, Aol Grace and Lucy Lakot TA BLE OF CONTENTS Contents Pages DECLARATIONi APPROVALii DEDICATIONiii TABLE OF CONTENTSiv LISTS OF ABBREVATIONS/ACRONYMSviii LIST OF TABLESix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION1 1. 0Introduction1 1. 1Background1 1. 3Purpose of the Study3 1. 4Objectives of the Study4 1. 5Research Questions4 1. 6Scope of the Study4 1. 6. 1Geographical scope4 1. 6. 2Subject Scope5 1. 6. 3Time Scope5 1. 7 Significance of the Study5 1. Structure of the Research Proposal6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW7 2. 0Introduction7 2. 1The Concept of Inventory Management7 2. 2Techniques of Inventory Management in Organization8 2. 2. 1First In First Out (FIFO)8 2. 2. 2Last In Fast Out (LIFO)9 2. 2. 3Weighted Average9 2. 2. 4The Re Order Level System (ROL)/ Fixed Order Point System9 2. 2. 5The Periodic Review System/ Fixed Interval10 2. 2. 6The Economic Order Quantity Analysis (EOQ)10 2. 2. 7The ABC Analysis10 2. 2. 8Just In Time Technique10 2. 3Principles of Good Inventory Management11 2. 3. Cleanliness and Organization11 2. 3 . 2The Principles of Stock Rotation12 2. 3. 3Tracking12 2. 4Organizational Performance12 2. 4. 1Indicators of Performance14 2. 4. 2Social Responsibility15 2. 4. 3Strategic Cost Management15 2. 4. 4Information Sharing15 2. 4. 5Flexibility16 2. 5Relationship between Inventory Management and Performance16 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY18 3. 0Introduction18 3. 1Research Design18 3. 2Area of study18 3. 3Target population18 3. 4Population and Sample Size19 3. 4. 1Procedures of Data Collection20 3. 4. 2Sample Technique20 . 5 Data Sources20 3. 5. 1Primary Data21 3. 5. 2Secondary Data21 3. 6Data Collection methods21 3. 6. 1Questionnaires21 3. 6. 2Observation guide22 3. 6. 3Interview guide22 3. 7 Data Processing and Analysis22 3. 7. 1Data Analysis and Management22 3. 8Ethical Considerations23 3. 9Limitation of the Study23 REFERENCE25 APPENDICES27 APENDIX 1: WORK PLAN 201227 APENDIX 2: BUDGET ESTIMATES28 APPENDIX 3: QUESTIONAIRE INSTRUMENTS29 SECTION A: Demographic Characteristic29 SECTION B: Tech niques of inventory management in Anaka General Hospital? 0 SECTION C: Indicator of the organizational performance31 SECTION D: The relationship between inventory management and organizational performance33 SECTION E: Evaluation of the factors that affects the performance of Anaka General Hospital34 LISTS OF ABBREVATIONS/ACRONYMS AGHAnaka General Hospital AVSIAssociazione Volontari Peril Servizio Internationale DHODistrict Health Officer EOQEconomic Order Quantity FIFOFirst in First out LIFOLast in First out MSMedical Superintendent NDLGNwoya District Local Government PHCPrimary Health CareROLReorder Level SWOTStrength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat WHOWorld Health Organization LIST OF TABLES Table 1: 3 The researcher samples sizes CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1. 0Introduction This chapter highlights the inventory management and performance in general public Hospital case study of Anaka General Hospital Nwoya District. This chapter gives the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study and report structure. . 1Background Anaka General Hospital (AGH) was constructed in 1969 and opened in 1974 by the president of the Government of Uganda at that time. It is a district Hospital with 100 bed capacity, it is the referral facility and head quarter for Nwoya Health sub district. It provides all primary health care services (PHC), for examples curative, preventive, promotive and rehabilitation to Anaka sub-county and referral to the entire district.The vision is to improve the health of the people of Nwoya district in order to promote a healthy and productive population In early profits and non-profit making organizations, inventories constitute an important element in the management of the organization. The need for inventory management is influenced by the capacity of managing decisions since the existence of inventories will be determined by the ca pacity management strategies which are to be employed ( Wild, 1995).Inventory management refers to the organizational efforts and procedures aimed at protecting the firm from extensive or inadequate levels of inventories and to maintain sufficient inventory for smooth production and sales (Pandey, 2003). Inventory management in Anaka General Hospital stores focuses on how many units of each inventory items are to be held in stock, how much should be issued at a given time and at what point should inventory be issued and dispatched ( Johns, 2002).For effective management of inventories, co-operation of the various departments in the organization is required. The departments vary from organization to another but they usually involve the purchasing department as the most important although each of which has a role to play in coordination amongst themselves to facilitate efficient and smooth process of ordering, receiving, issuing and usage of materials is required (White, 1997).When in ventories are properly managed, it leads to increased production hence improved organizational performance. Organizational performance comprises the actual output or results of an organization as measured against its intended outputs or goals and objectives. According to Richard et al. (2009) organizational performance encompasses three specific areas of a firm outcome: financial performance, product market performance, and shareholder return.In recent years, many organizations have attempted to manage organizational performance using the balanced scorecard methodology where performance is tracked and measured in multiple dimensions such as: In recent years, many organizations have attempted to manage organizational performance using the balanced scorecard methodology where performance is tracked and measured in multiple dimensions such as:- customer service , social responsibility and employee stewardship Although the Balanced Scorecard has become very popular, there is no single v ersion of the model that has been universally accepted.The diversity and unique requirements of different enterprises suggest that no one-size-fits-all approach will ever do the job. Performance measurement is the use of statistical evidence to determine progress towards specific defined organizational objectives. There are many types of measurements. In school, exams are graded to establish the academic abilities; in sports, time is clocked in split seconds to verify the athletic abilities. Similarly in organizations, there are various tools and measurements to determine how well it performs.Gamble, Strickland and Thompson (2007, p. 99) provide a comprehensive method for measuring performance of organizations. How well each company performs is dependent on the strategic plan. Some of the measurements include basic financial ratios such as debt-to-equity ratio and if the levels are an issue with creditworthiness. 1. 2Statement of the Problem Inventory management is concerned with th e management of inventories that are crucial for the efficient and effective running of an organization.However, even if Anaka General Hospital is practicing good inventory management techniques/practices, it has continuously failed to meet the expectations of its customers that is to say the patients in the hospitals and the health centers it serves (The District Board of Survey Report 2011). These facts may be due to untimely delivery of medical supplies, poor quality of the medical supplies as well as employing incompetent workers who lack skills and the knowledge required.This has impacted on the general performance of the Hospital negatively; therefore it is upon this basis that encourages the researcher to carry out an investigation into this anomaly hence prompting the research. 1. 3Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to find out whether inventory management affects performance in Anaka General Hospital, Nwoya district 1. 4Objectives of the Study The specific obj ectives of the study will be: 1. To find out the techniques used in inventory management in Anaka General Hospital, Nwoya District 2.To establish the levels of performance in Anaka General Hospital, Nwoya District 3. To examine the relationship between inventory management and performance in Anaka General Hospital, Nwoya District 1. 5Research Questions In order to arrive at the above set objectives, the study will focus on the following research questions. 1. What are the techniques used in inventory management in Anaka General Hospital? 2. What are the levels of performance in Anaka General Hospital? 3. What is the relationship between inventory management and performance in Anaka General Hospital? 1. 6Scope of the Study . 6. 1Geographical scope The study will be carried in Anaka General Hospital Nwoya district. This is chosen because the researcher stays within Anaka Town Council and it’s cheaper in terms of transport and accommodation. 1. 6. 2Subject Scope The study will c over the important aspects in the variables under the study by taking into account the techniques of inventory management, importance of inventory management and the indicators of performance in Anaka General Hospital 1. 6. 3Time Scope The study will be undertaken within a period of five months ranging from February 2012-June 2012.This time is chosen to provide a good cut for the attainment and access to the most recent data on inventory management and performance in Anaka General Hospital. 1. 7 Significance of the Study The study is expected to benefit and contribute through the following ways. 1. The study is part of the partial requirements for the award of a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration in Gulu University 2. The study will also help the researcher to widen the understanding of the relationship between inventory management and its associated costs and will help in acquiring more knowledge in the variable under study. . The study may also act as a basis for future re search in the field of inventory management and performance. 4. The study may help policy makers in coming up with the procedures and strategies in inventory management and performance. 1. 8Structure of the Research Proposal Chapter one contains the introduction, background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study and scope of the study.Chapter two contains the review of relevant literature that has been advanced by different writers in the field of inventory management and performance with the aim of finding the relationship between the two variables. Chapter three consists of descriptions of how the study will be conducted that is, introduction, research design, sampling design, sample size, sampling population, sources of data, data collection methods, data processing analysis and interpretation and limitations to the study.CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0Introduction This chapter prese nts the existing literature in the field of inventory management and performance . Here the concept of inventory management is defined according to different authors, techniques of inventory management, principles of inventory management, organizational performance, indicators of performance and the relationship between inventory management and performance are presented among others. 2. 1The Concept of Inventory ManagementInventory management refers to the organizational efforts and procedures aimed at protecting the firm from excessive and inadequate levels of inventories and to maintain sufficient inventories for the smooth production (Pandey, 2003). Inventory management is concerned essentially with the use and control of inventories. The need for inventory is influenced by capacity decisions since the existence of inventories will in parts be determined by the capacity management strategies which are to be employed ( Wild, 2002).According to Gilbert et al (2000) inventory manage ment has been defined in terms of an organization that aims at determining the range of qualities of materials and products, which should be stocked, and the regulation of the receipts and issues of materials. He further noted that inventory management must ensure that the business has the right quantity of goods in the right place and at the right time under inventory management, efforts should be made or placed at the right time, with the right quantity, with the right quality at the right place.Broadly Lysons (2002) defines inventory as raw materials, work in progress and finished good. Inventory management aim at providing both internal and external customers with the required service levels in terms of quality and order fill rate, ascertaining present and further arrangements for all types of inventory to avoid over stocking while avoiding bottlenecks in production and costs to a minimum by variety reductions, economic sizes and analysis of costs incurred in obtaining and carry ing inventories.For effective management of inventories, it requires the co-operations of the various departments in the way the organization handles its inventories. The responsibility of managing work in progress and finished products may be with the material control department equally it could line some other section within the organization (Muhleman, 2000). According to Gupta (2001) inventory management is described as the process that involves fixing the minimum and maximum inventory levels, determining the size of the inventory to be carried at a given time and the issue price policy. 2. 2Techniques of Inventory Management in OrganizationAccording to Nixon (2008), inventory management techniques include; 2. 2. 1First In First Out (FIFO) This method often referred to as (FIFO) is based on assumption that the first inventory acquired is the first inventory sold or issued out. In otherwise each sale is made out of the oldest inventories in stock. The ending inventories there for consists of the most recent cost which may be adopted by any business regardless of whether or not the physical flow of merchandise actually corresponds to this assumption of selling the oldest units in stock. 2. 2. 2Last In Fast Out (LIFO)This method is based on the principle that materials entering store/production unit are the most recently purchased. This means materials issued to production are prized/issued using the most recent purchased price, the batch of goods purchased most recently are issued first. The closing stock is therefore valued at the oldest purchase price. 2. 2. 3Weighted Average According to the institute of management Accounting (London) weighted average cost is calculated by dividing total of materials in the sock from which the materials to priced or issued would be drown by the total quantity of materials in stock.When the average costing method is used, the cost figures determined for the ending inventories are influenced by the various price paid during the year. The price paid early at the year may carry as much weight in pricing the ending inventories as a price paid at the end of the year. If the price has been rising during the year, the average unite cost will be less than the current cost prevailing at the balance sheet date. 2. 2. The Re Order Level System (ROL)/ Fixed Order Point System The reorder level is the level at which a replenishment order should be placed in order that delivery is when the minimum level is reached. Orders for the same fixed quantity will be required whenever it becomes necessary to do so. The frequency with which orders are made changes according to the level of demand, ROL system has the following characteristic; a pre determined level is set for each item. When the stock level falls to the ROL, a replenishment order is issued. Organizations operating this system maintain stock records with calculated re order levels.The re order system has three control levels, the ROL which was already defined, the maximum stock level which a level above which stock should not normally rise and the minimum stock level which is a level below which sock should not be allowed to fall. It is also known as safety sock or buffer stock. Incase stock is to fall below this level, stoppage is likely to occur. 2. 2. 5The Periodic Review System/ Fixed Interval This system is sometimes called the constant cycle system. The stock will be reviewed at regular fixed intervals to determine whether more should be ordered.An order will be raised for the required quantity. The system as the following characteristics; stock levels of all parts are reviewed at fixed interval for example every 2 weeks, where necessary, a replenishment order is issued, the quantity of the replenishment order is not a previously calculated economic order quantity but is based up on the likely demand until the next review, the present stock level and lead time. The replenishment order quantity seeks to bring stock up to a pre determ ined level. 2. 2. 6The Economic Order Quantity Analysis (EOQ)EOQ is a model that is used to decide optimum order size of the sock which will minimize the costs of ordering and holding cost. It is a deterministic type of model which assumes that all parameters (factors) are known with certainty. It assumes ordering and holding costs are known with certainty. There is a spontaneous delivery (no time lag between ordering and receiving) of items. The rate of demand is known and the demand period is normally assumed to be one year. There is unknown constant price per unit and all other factors are held constant. 2. 2. 7The ABC AnalysisThis relates to the classification of materials in the store. Materials are classified according to their importance. Group A are crucial for organizational performance, if there were a shortage of such material, production shortage would occur, they represent 70% of investment in inventory. Group B may not be crucial and they may not disrupt production act ivities but still they are also important. They normally represent 20% of investment in the inventory. Group C are materials which may be necessary for a firms production activities but are not so important.They normally represent 10% of investment in inventory. 2. 2. 8Just In Time Technique Here items of very high value that are frequently used, it makes sense to attempt to keep low or possibly no inventory of these items and instead get frequent deliveries possibly on a daily basis. The objective is to avoid tying lots of money in stock (working capital). Organization will need to find extremely reliable suppliers of defect free product who are just in time oriented. Just in time is based on pull concept, where by suppliers wait for a signal from their customers before they deliver or replenish.According to the study carried out by AVSI in 2005 inventory management techniques being used at the moment especially in areas of storage, and supply to medical supplies in Anaka General H ospital is a mixture of techniques . Stock brought today may be mixed up with already existing stock and when giving out stock to the clients, it does not matter which stock comes first either the old stock or the new stock. 2. 3Principles of Good Inventory Management In the business world, not everyone follows good principles that aid in their success.However, the principles of inventory management cannot be ignored if the organization expects to maintain a quality business with a good reputation for always being able to assist a customer. Employing good principles is the best way to profit in any industry because it keeps the organization a float in a world. Principles maintain organizational quality and responsibility to a project and to aspects that are most important in the inventory management (Graham, 2000). 2. 3. 1Cleanliness and Organization This principle of inventory management is simple and easy to follow, if the organization simply makes it a point to do so.For example, one of the top priorities in inventory management is to maintain a clear organized store in which all items are properly stored and labeled. This is important for several reasons. Cleanliness is important for an organization, staff and products the store (Lee, 2001). The organized storage and labeling allows easy location and order pull of stock or any item in the warehouse without any difficulty in searching. 2. 3. 2The Principles of Stock Rotation If the organization employees good principles of inventory management it will be certain to rotate the stock, selling through order stock before delivering into new shipments.This will ensure that the organization always has fresh products and doesn’t lose money by having to write off old items (Gary, 2002). 2. 3. 3Tracking Keeping careful track of all the items in the warehouse is one of the best principles of inventory management. Obviously, one can benefit greatly by employing just a few basic principles of inventory managemen t in the organization work place. The more the organization work towards running a tight ship, the better off the organization will be as managers and the more profitable your department in business will be. 2. Organizational Performance According to Stonner (2002) organizational performance is the measure of how effective and efficient an organization is and how well it achieves the appropriate objectives. It involves the assessment of achievements of organizational objectives and planning for the future change. That is it involves the identification of major issues and solutions relating to one or more areas such as organizational strategy, human resource strategy, human resource policies, organizational structure design, staff skills mix and communication channel.Problems of this nature can significantly limit organizational performance and development (Deloitte, 2006). Armstrong (2000) defined organizational performance as a state of degree of how an organization is governed in relation to the organizational goals; its capacity to successfully implement set objectives in order for it to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Organizational performance is therefore a process; it can be positive or negative. Negative organizational performance is a degree in which an organization deviates from its set goals and objectives during the implementation of the short term and long term goals.For organizational performance to be positively achieved, management should set short term and specific goals that can be feasible as well as able to guide long term goals. An organizational budget estimate should be tailored to meet its goals and objectives by identifying and removing obstacles during the implementation of the estimates. Pandey (2002) defined performance as the financial strength and weakness of a firm by properly establishing a link between the balance sheet and income statement.He further argued that performance entails effectiveness which refers t o the firm’s ability to serve and produce what is required by the market at a particular time effectively, which refers to the firm’s ability to serve and produce what is required by the market at a particular time effectively, which refers to the firm’s ability to serve and produce what’s required by the market at a particular time effectively which means meeting the objectives of the lower possible cost with the highest benefit.Kotler (2002) stated that performance measures must focus attention on what makes identities and communicates the driver of success, support organizational learning and provide basis for assessment and rewards. He further lamented that it can be looked at in terms of competitive feasibility resource utilization and annotations. When seeking to improve the performance of an organization it is very helpful to regularly conduct assessments of current performance of the organization.Assessment might be planned, systematic and explici t (these often are the best kinds of assessments) or un planned SWOT analysis diagnosis models without recognizing or referring to them as such. Along with comparison of results to various best practices or industry standards (Pearce, 2000). The organization is used to an ongoing performance management for employees, for example setting goals, monitoring the employee’s achievement of those goals, sharing feedback with the employee, evaluating the employee performance, rewarding performance or firing the employees.Performance management applies to organizations too and includes recurring activities to establish organizational goals, monitor progress towards the goals and make adjustment to achieve those goals more effectively and efficiently. Those recurring activities are much of what leaders and managers inherently do in their organizations some do them far better than others. 2. 4. 1Indicators of Performance The key performance indicator is a measure of performance, such me asures are commonly used to help an organization define and evaluate how successful it is typically in terms of making progress towards its long term organizational goals.The performance indicator may be monitored using the business intelligence techniques to assess the present state of the business and to assist in prescribing a course of action (Frank, 1998). The act of monitoring the performance indicators in real term is known as business activity monitoring. The key performance indicators are frequently used to value difficulties in measuring activities such as the benefits of leadership development, engagement service and satisfaction they are typically tied to an organization’s strategy using concepts or techniques such as balanced stored card (Quinn, 2000).The key performance indicators differ depending on the nature of the organization and the organization’s strategy. They help to evaluate the process of an organization towards its vision and long term goals e specially towards difficulties in quantifying knowledge based goals. The performance indicators differ from business drivers and aims or goals. A school might consider the failure rate of its students as a key performance indicator which might help the school under its position in the education community where as a business might consider the percentage of income from customers.Therefore, the indicators of performance include; 2. 4. 2Social Responsibility These are values that guide people in organizations and corporate. Culture that embodies those values and values held by people outside the organization (Robert, 2000). He further says that social responsibility makes people buy a product from a company because of the company’s good reputation. Stonner, (2000), states that corporate culture can be a strong force for organizational performance. 2. 4. 3Strategic Cost ManagementAccording to Pearce (2000) modern businesses strategically manage their costs through identifying cos ts and drivers, developing appropriate process and strategies aimed at reducing or eliminating the costs so as to enhance business performance. 2. 4. 4Information Sharing Quinn (2000) said that improved decision making and performance efficiently is due to realistic informed and detailed information sharing. He further asserts that outcomes of the relationship and interactive feedback are used o make improvements. 2. 4. 5Flexibility Flexibility of an organization is yet another determinant of performance. This means ability to manage change in a business. The increased performance of any organization is reflected in its ability to make changes without and delay. This flexibility can take a form of development needs continuous update of information or improved technology. Therefore, lack of flexibility in an organization’s activities will reflect reduced profits. 2. Relationship between Inventory Management and Performance It was observed that inventory management in organizat ions has a positive significant relationship with performances whereby when all the materials and inventories are properly managed; they lead to increased levels of efficiency and effectiveness that will help indecision making from the organization. According to a study conducted about inventory management by Karamagi (2004), on bank of Uganda, with the introduction of computerized system the overall management of stock has improved with regards to monitoring, reconciliation and reordering and requisition thus performance.Accordingly, inventory management has helped in tracking record process so that stocks are available all the time so that there are no stock outs and for emergency purposes. Receipts and issues are posted directly and automatically on to the system other than stock cards. Akers and Porter (2001) included that the use of inventory management at any level of an organization can have implications for competitive advantage. At the highest echelons of an organization, t he inventory management is crucial to successful strategic planning.Duff (2001) and Mitskavick (2000) also reported that at the operational level, availability of inventory can result in increased organizational efficiencies such as increased sales, decreased inventory, increased customer service, shortened production lead times and lowered labour costs. CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 3. 0Introduction This chapter discusses the research design, area of the study, target population and methods to be used by researcher to gather information, study population, sampling size and procedures, data collection tools, data analysis and limitations of the study. 3. 1Research DesignA research design is a plan to carry out a research project/ it is a pattern the research is going to follow/it is the overall plan or strategy for conducting the research. Oso and Onen, 2005 pg 69). For this research purpose, qualitative, quantitative and descriptive research designs will be used. The rationale for sel ection of the designs above is that case study uses smaller samples for in-depth analysis other than covering the entire population; the design is also multi model, concrete and contextual in nature. 3. 2Area of study This research is going to be carried out in Anaka General Hospital, Nwoya district. . 3Target population The study will target the following category of people: – medical superintendant, doctors, store keepers and other employees. They are chosen because of their day today mandate and interface with inventory management issues and Performance in Anaka General Hospital 3. 4Population and Sample Size Aggarwal (1988:14) stated that the term population in research refers to a universe of interest to the study. A population is the group to which a researcher would like the results of a study to be generalisable and make reference to a specific situation or context.The study will include medical superintendant, doctors, store keepers, District Health Officer, nurses, other employees and selected patients and other employees. A number of 54 respondents will be expected to be given the questionnaires and or interviewed. The medical superintendant, doctors, storekeepers, employees and patients will be chosen because they are the people expected to be having enough experience as partners to the field of inventory management in Anaka General Hospital Table 1: 3 Showing the sample sizes S/NO| RESSPONDENTS| NUMBER| 1| Medical superintendent| 1| 2| Doctors| 2| 3| District Health officer| 1| | Store keeper| 2| 5| Nurses| 12| 6| Other employees(Dentist, Pharmacy, Administrator, Record Assistant, Laboratory Assistant, Darkroom Attendant)| 24| 7| Patient| 12| | TOTAL| 54| Sources: Source: Researchers’ proposed sample size 3. 4. 1Procedures of Data Collection This will be based on purposive sampling; According to Shaughnessy and Zechmeister (1997:139) purposive sampling is where the investigator selects individuals to be included in the sample on the basis of their special characteristics. This method shall be used by the researcher to obtain respondents who have some knowledge on the subject matter.Purposive sampling design will be used to choose the area in which the study will be conducted because of the proximity to the researcher in views of time and fund constraints. The study will purposely be based at Anaka medical stores serving in this case as service provider and the community as patients/consumers. 3. 4. 2Sample Technique The researcher will employ systematic random sampling to carry out the study. Systematic random sampling will be used to select the category of respondents to be Included in the sample. The purpose of using this technique is to avoid being bias in the Selection of respondents.Systematic random samplings requires establishing the number from the population List in the camp then later identify every nth member in the population from the Randomized list of the population. This technique will group the population sampled into Separate identical subjects with equal chances that share similar or same characteristics to Ensure equitable representation of the population in the sample. This technique is Preferred because it selects without bias. It also saves time and Money. 3. 5 Data Sources The data source shall compromise of the following; 3. 5. Primary Data The researcher shall collect fresh data and for the first time which will be original in nature from Anaka General Hospital stores and will directly be obtained from the filled records. 3. 5. 2Secondary Data The researcher will review literature which contains the data that has been collected by some other people but relevant to the researcher’s topic of the study for instance from magazines, journals, text books and internet sources. 3. 6Data Collection methods Data from the field will be obtained by use of combination of the following data collection methods.The researcher will use questionnaires, interview and document analysis as the main tool for collecting data. The selection of this tool will be guided by the nature of data to be collected. 3. 6. 1Questionnaires Questionnaires will be used since the research is mainly with variables that cannot be directly observed such as views, opinions, perceptions and feelings of the respondents. Such information is best collected through questionnaires. The sample size comprise of (54) Respondents and given the time constraints, questionnaires is the ideal tool for collecting data.The researcher intends to use categorized instrument that is both open and closed questions and optional responses. This will enable the researcher to balance between quality and quantity of data. It will also simplify data analysis and coming out with clear report on the study. 3. 6. 2Observation guide This will be employed by the researcher to collect information from Anaka General Hospital by observing how the drugs are issued to the respective users and how they are stocked in the stores. 3. 6. 3Interview guide Data shall be collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.Colin (1993:47) stated that â€Å"a guide can be directed on a given set of predetermined questions†. The researcher used an in-depth interview guide to gather information about the study. The in-depth interview approach is relevant because of the sensitivity of the issues being studied which required in-depth exploration. This will be conducted by the researcher to probe for more information in a face to face discussion with the Anaka General Hospital management. This will target the doctors and storekeepers at the Hospital 3. 7 Data Processing and Analysis 3. 7. 1Data Analysis and ManagementData analysis is defined as â€Å"a process of inspecting data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making†. Data shall be obtained from detailed field notes and written data collected through questionnair es. The analysis shall involve the organization of data into themes by searching for patterns emerging from data collected. The information from the questionnaires shall be written and presented by researcher as provided by the respondents. This data shall be used by the researcher to provide a descriptive analysis of the respondents’ understanding of store management.The findings will later be analyzed using Micro soft Excel to present the data in term of percentages using pie-charts and bar graph. This will be useful in displaying pattern in the collected data, and these patterns were used to make generalization on the basis of recommendation made. 3. 8Ethical Considerations The research topic was first approved by faculty of Business and Development Studies of Gulu University research committee . The researcher will then obtain a letter of introduction from Gulu University which will be presented to the District Health Officer Nwoya District and Medical superintendent of A naka General Hospital.All respondents will be informed about the purpose of the study, their freedom to participant, and also assured of confidentiality, the researcher also promise to provide copies of his finding to the University and the MS, DHO of Anaka General Hospital 3. 9Limitation of the Study The following are the anticipated limitations; Some respondents may intend to withhold information for fear of exposing their incompetence. This will be overcomed by, assuring them of confidentiality of the information that they also stand to benefit if implementation of the recommendation of the study are taken.There may be inadequate inventory control record for review by the researcher, more so because the Hospital does not even used electronic databases. To bridge the gap, interview and discussion will be used to identify and explain the missing or inaccurate data respectively. Financial constraint may also disturb the researcher since he is self-sponsored and to reduce the cost, t he researcher will undertake some activities such as typing, binding the research proposal, the questionnaires, the interview schedules.Time is a limitation in that the frame for submitting the search proposal is short considering the size of departments and the distance of Anaka General Hospital its 56KM from Gulu town and some respondents may delay completing of questionnaires due to their personal commitment and these may slow down the compilation of data. To prevent these, the researcher will engage a research assistant to speed up data collection. REFERENCE Aggarwal, Y. P. (1988). Better Sampling: Concepts, Techniques, Evaluation. Sterling Publishers Private Limited, India.Board of survey report, Nwoya district local government 2011Duff (2000) Automated Accounting in modern times, Ms Graw Hill, inventory control Frank Gamble, Strickland and Thompson (2007) Environmental impacts, focus on improving landscape performance Akers and Porter (2001), the relationship between GSCM prac tice and performance, JIT approach to inventory management | Gilbert et al (2000), from computing journal of introduction system management, Vol 34, No 25, PP 23-28 Graham et al (2006), financial management 2nd edition, Viskas publishing house put limited Gray John (2000), Organizational behavior 4th edition, Prentince Hall, Great Britain Karamagi. H. 2004), Inventory management and profitability in business organization Kenneth Lysons (2000) purchasing and supply chain management, 5th edition, person Education: London Kotler. P. (2002), Principle of marketing, 7th edition, Pearson London Muhleman (2000), production and operations management 2nd edition, MC Graw Hill New York Oso and Onen 2005, a guide in writing research proposal and report Pandy. I. M, (2003), financial management, 8th edition, MC Graw Hill, Great Britain Ray wild (2002), implementing effective management: Inc Oracle Corporations (2002), www. oracle. com Richard Mcclelan (2009) inventory management system Shaughne ssy, J. J and Zechmeister, E. B (1997). Research Methods in Psychology, 4th Edition.The McGraw – Hill Companies, Inc. United States of America Stonner et al (2003), Principle and practice of management, 8th edition White 1997, Optimization Engine for Inventory Control†, white paper from Golden Embryo †¦ [ web page], Bogazici University 1997 www. freepatentsonline. com APPENDICES APENDIX 1: WORK PLAN 2012 PHASE/ACTIVITY| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Responsible person| Developing synthesis | | | | | | | | Researcher and supervisor| Developing a proposal| | | | | | | | Researcher and supervisor| Developing and piloting of instrument| | | | | | | | Researcher and supervisor| Data collection| | | | | | | | Researcher |Data organization, analysis and interpretation| | | | | | | | Researcher and supervisor| Typing, editing/report submission| | | | | | | | Researcher| APENDIX 2: BUDGET ESTIMATES S/NO| ITEMS| DESCRIPTION| PRICE| ESTIMATED AMOUNT| | Stationeries| | | | | Rim of papers| 2| 20,000| 40,000| | Pens| 10| 500| 5,000| | Flask disk| 1| 70,000| 70,000| | Typing and Printing| | | 200,000| | Binding| | | 60,000| | PERSONNEL| | | | | Research Assistant| 1| | 50,000| | Communication| | | 60,000| | Meals| | | 80,000| | TOTAL| | | 565,000| APPENDIX 3: QUESTIONAIRE INSTRUMENTS Dear Respondent I am Ocen Alfred Ayella a third year student of Business Administration of Gulu University.Currently I am undertaking a research study about â€Å"Inventory management and organizational performance†, A case of Anaka General Hospital. The purpose of the study is to enable me to obtain a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Gulu University. The information provided shall not only be for academic purposes but also to improve on the services delivery in success of inventory management and organizational performance in Anaka General Hospital Nwoya district. The information that you will give will be strictly confidential Instruction * Tick wh ere options are given * Fill in the space provided * Be as objective as possible SECTION A: Demographic Characteristic 1. Name (optional) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2. What is your gender?Male Female 3. In which age bracket do you fall? Below 18 years 20-29 years 30-39 years above 40 years 4. Marital status? Single Married Divorced SeparatedWidowed 5. Highest level of education attained? Non O and A level Certificate Diploma Degree Postgraduate Master PHD 6. Current job position held at Anaka General Hospital? Medical superintendentDoctorDistrict Health officer Store keeper A NurseLaboratory AssistantPatientOther specify †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7. How long have you been in this position? Below 2 years 3 years and above 5 years and above SECTION B:Techniques of inventory management in Anaka General Hospital? 8. What kind of inventory management do you have in the Hospital? Fixing minimum levels Maximum inventory levels Determine size of inventory All the above 9. Which techniques do you use in managing inventory? Stock rotation, just in time Last in first out (LIFO) First in First out (FIFO) Economic order quantity Weighted averages The periodic review system All the above 10. Is just in time techniques more important as pertain to inventory management? Yes No If yes, state your opinion how is it important? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11.The principle of good inventory management include (Tick all that apply) Cleanliness of the organization The principle of stock rotation Tracking All the above 12. What measures are used to improved inventory management in Anaka General Hospital? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13. The strategy that helps the Hospital to achieve the high level of inventory management? You are required to show the extent to which your agree or disagree (Please tick (v) most appropriate of; strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Not Sure (NS), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (S. D) | Statement | S. A| A. | NS| D | SD| 1. Inventory managers are responsible for receiving inventory when they arrive| | | | | | 2. | The Hospital always verifies stock received against delivery orders| | | | | | 3. | Does the Hospital order for inventory monthly| | | | | | 4. | Does the Hos pital order for inventory quarterly| | | | | | 5. | Does the Hospital carried out stock taking on monthly basis | | | | | | 6. | Does the Hospital carried out stock taking on quarterly basis| | | | | | 8. | All relevant employees participate in Inventory management| | | | | | SECTION C: Indicator of the organizational performance 14. Organizational performance is measured by efficiency and effectiveness of resources to achieve stated objectives Yes No 15.Organizational performance improvement includes assessment which is inform of Planned Systematic Explicit All the above 16. What are the indicators of organizational performance? Social responsibility Information sharing Flexibility Flexibility Strategic cost management Strategic cost management All the above 17. Organization performance is measured by both financial and non financial performance a) State the financial organizational performance i. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ iii. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ iv. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ b) Non financial organizational performance i. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ii. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ iii. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ SECTION D: The relationship between inventory management and organizational performance You are required to show the extent to which your agree or disagree (Please tick (v) most appropriate of; strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Not Sure (NS), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (S. D) STATEMENT| SA| A| NS| SD| D| There is a direct relationship between inventory management and organizational performance| | | | | | Carrying out inventory management reduces costs related with over and under stocking| | | | | Without proper inventory management, The organization can’t meet her customers needs in time| | | | | | There is high service delivery attained as a result of inventory management| | | | | | The organization has large assets and capital as a result of proper inventory management| | | | | | The organizations services are reliable and in good condition| | | | | | There are ranges of services delivery option for Patient when they come | | | | | | The organization is able to adjust the amount of products in the store and are able to reschedule priorities demand | | | | | | Your organization is able to obtain out of stock products in time. | | | | | | SECTION E:Evaluation of the factors that affects the performance of Anaka General Hospital You are requested to state the extent to which you agree or disagree (Please tick the most appropriate of; Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Not Sure (NS), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (S. D) | Statement | S. A| A. | NS| D | SD| 1. | The re is inspection of goods in your organization in order to determine defective goods. | | | | | | 2. | There is expire of drugs when kept for a long time| | | | | | 3. | There is inadequate skills and knowledge of inventory planning and management in Anaka General Hospital| | | | | | 4. | There is high rate of theft of inventories In your organization| | | | | | 5. | There are qualified personnel who are responsible for managing inventories. | | | | | | Thanks you for your response and time

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Research Study On Evolution And Evolution Essay -- Evolution, Creation

According to The Huffington Post, only 66% of adults in the U.S. believe in evolution and about half of the 66% believe that there was a divine being guiding evolution (Kaleem). A lot more people believe in creationism than expected. In order to know the full significance of this statistic, one must first know what it means. We have learned in school that evolution is thought to be a long-term, ongoing process by which single-celled organisms grew to be complicated organisms through natural selection. Natural selection occurs when organisms with the best traits survive to reproduce more, making those traits more common and effectively changing the species over time ("Natural Selection: Charles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The rest of the 33% of adults in the previous statistic believe that humans have existed in their current form since the beginning (Kaleem). In other words, these remaining people are likely creationists. Generally, a creationist believes that a god or some divine power created the earth and the heavens out of nothing, through its own will. This creator will interact with his or her world as necessary (Ruse). Using this definition, Christians would be considered creationists. Now, when factoring in the amount of Christians in the United States, that 33% makes more sense. Naturally, these two ideas clash. Their very definitions negate the other’s. Evolutionists and creationists have an ongoing battle about which one is more valid due to the extensive amount of accreditation and history the ideas possess. The study and idea of evolution have been going on for a long time and there is a great deal of history behind the theory. An article reports that even before Charles Darwin, scientists and philosophers the possibility of an â€Å"intelligent being† (â€Å"Creationism Should Be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Teaching evolution would also be bad for students, according to Christians. Some blame modern science for diluting the integrity of God and man. Fighting for creationism in schools is a righteous act in their minds and these creationists must do their best to bring Americans back to a God. (â€Å"Neither Creationism nor†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). There are plenty of reasons why each theory should be taught in school. However, the question still stands of whether or not they should be. From a fair perspective, they should both be taught. However, from a legal standpoint, only evolution should be taught. Perhaps one day the United States will not have to worry about this issue. According to a study, the amount of non-religious youth and adults have been increasing for several generations and this trend will continue (Lipka).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Excerpts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Excerpts - Essay Example In the item of the questionnaire, the women slept under five hours were 10 in PROM (-) (3.2%), 7 in the PROM (+) (11%). (p=0.018) The women who ate regularly three times a day were 296 in PROM (-) (94%), 52 in PROM (+) (84%). (p=0.0068) About the number of toothbrush of 1st, in PROM (-), three times were 82 (26%), twice were 207 (66%), once were 26 (8.2%). In PROM (+), three times were 11 (18%), twice were 42 (68%), once were 9 (14%). (p=0.0110) We cross–examined it about physical condition and behavior in each group. Only in PROM (-), Connection was found about "under sleep five hours" and "feeling of sleep shortage" (p=0.00), â€Å"fatigue† and â€Å"feeling of sleep shortage", "awareness of the cill" and "the prevention action for the cill".  The purpose of our survey is to reveal the practice of Japanese midwife toward pregnant-women in the maternity home and bringing out some evidences of midwifery judgment based upon touching pregnant women.  The questionnaire of the study was sent to the maternity homes (218 institutions), and the effective reply was used as data. The maternity home is the institution where the midwife opens independently. That survey items are the number of the attending midwives in the pregnant-women medical examination, medical examination time, the part which touches in the body of a pregnant woman, the purpose of touching, the time which touches, etc. The ground total of the quantitative data was carried out and qualitative data performed a content analysis.  The numbers of reply institutions were 67 (30%). The average medical examination time spent on one pregnant-woman was 48.1 minutes (n=62, SD= ±17.2). The longest time which the average of the total of the time to touch the body of the pregnant-women in one pregnant-woman medical examination was 21.9 minutes (n = 98, SD= ±14.8). The part which touches was mainly the leg from the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Management of Green and Ethical Issues Essay

The Management of Green and Ethical Issues - Essay Example The Stern report points out that it is necessary for the energy sector to cut down the use of fossil fuels by 60% to retain the atmospheric balance. So, in the energy sector, there is the threat of water pollution, air pollution, and depletion of fossil fuel that is non-replaceable (Stern Review final report, HM Treasury). So, evidently, it is high time for businesses to look for alternative energy sources. Some other important environmental issues caused by businesses are the huge production of waste, water pollution, air pollution, and the loss of land and biodiversity. Probably because of this understanding, more and more consumers are going green. It is probably this realisation that made many companies to think about environmentally sustainable ways of operation. In other words, many companies presently think it is important to have an impressive range of environment protection measures as a part of their corporate social responsibility. A study by Hurst (2004) identified that a considerable proportion of leadership companies presently identify the value of taking care of environmental issues and the value of assessing their own performance on a regular basis. Corporate reputation Evidently, the first benefit associated with going green is the improvement in a company’s corporate reputation. It is seen that large high profile companies are effectively utilising an attractive CSR that helps the company enjoy a considerably greater reputation that it cannot normally achieve. A perfect example for this is the beauty and cosmetics giant The Body Shop (Values Report, 2009). The company, from its very inception, stood firm on certain ethical and environmental principles. For example, it is against animal testing, artificial ingredients, environmental degradation, and forced labour. The company claims itself to be carbon-free, and it advocates fair trade and fair price, along with the concept of community trade which ensures that the company procures its ingredients from marginalised producers (ibid). If someone thinks that all these cost the company a lot as this would make the company’s products expensive, the exact opposite is true. The companyâ€⠄¢s surveys show that 89% of its customers value the company’s ethical activities highly (ibid). Financial benefits According to USA Today reports, many companies have realised how to make money or save money through environmentally sustainable practices. For example, the Sun Microsystems saved hundreds of millions of dollars through the introduction of telecommuting (Sun’s open work energy measurement project, 2009). However, the industry that is benefiting the most from the green revolution is the hotel business. For example, the Holiday Inn on King in Toronto saved nearly $ 14,852 in a year by introducing low-flow

Monday, August 26, 2019

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship Essay

Small Business Planning and Entrepreneurship - Essay Example Thus, the entrepreneurial mindset add value in the business environment through turning problems into opportunities where the common mindset may not perceive any solution to such problems, considering that if the solutions to the problem were obvious, then, the problems would already have been resolved (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). The GET results indicate that an individual scoring highly in the need for achievement criteria as forward thinking, optimistic, self sufficient and results oriented. In this respect, this entrepreneurial mindset is essential to add value to the business environment, through establishing and sustaining a positive attitude regardless of the challenges that might be faced by the business (Whiteman, 2003:77). The concept of optimism means that the entrepreneur still keeps a positive attitude even when there are numerous negative voices that say it cannot be done. While a common mindset will yield to pessimism and give up on trying, the entrepreneurial mindset is unrelenting and keeps forging ahead with seeking solutions for the existing problems (Anders & Lois 2005:33). Therefore, as opposed to a business owner or a manager, creating a business for an entrepreneur is like writing a book, considering that for an entrepreneur, the business created is not merely a business, but something that has a meaning, and which drives the entrepreneur to continue pursuing the vision, even when it is apparent that there are high risks for the business failure (Gerber, 2012:n.p.). According to the Schumpeter’s innovation theory of entrepreneurship, an entrepreneur is that individual who perceives the opportunity to innovate, thus taking a different path from the normal path trodden by the society, in meeting the same societal need (McCraw, 2007:72). The entrepreneur will chart entirely new paths through which the problems within the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Profile of the origins and appeal of pilgrimages today Coursework

Profile of the origins and appeal of pilgrimages today - Coursework Example Up to the 4th century, when there was a paradigm shift and Christianity became legal, pilgrimage was considered as a purely pagan practice. Christianity in the 4th was controlled in its premature stage by the Constantine the â€Å"Great and the First Council of Nicaea of 325†. This was a contemplative practice since it made Christianity the national church in the Roman Empire. However, on the contrary to the widespread knowledge, the origin of the pilgrimage tradition in Christianity can be traced back to the initial years of the Church. The Christians wanted to visit the places where Jesus was born and resurrected such as Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In the 7th century, the holy lands were taken by Muslim Caliphates, making the pilgrimage a dangerous undertaking for Christians. The Crusaders successfully secured Christian access to the areas during the 12th century. Nonetheless, in the 13th century the area was retaken by the Ayubiddis, maintaining the status quo that had existed before the crusaders came. Hajj is perhaps the most famous pilgrimage tradition of our time. Various research articles point to the fact that the Mecca pilgrimage rituals trace way back to the days of Abraham. These days are considered as the once that generated the spiritual journey that every Muslim faithful is expected to undertake, at least once in his/her lifetime. Nevertheless, the patterns of this ritual that are being witnessed today were established by their prophet Muhammad. A pilgrimage journey is one that is motivated by internal contemplative needs. The objectives of conducting these missions may vary, but all of them are motivated by spiritual anticipations. For instance, when the early Christians went to Rome and Jerusalem, this was a way of showing penitence. This act was essentially to match the spiritual objectives by the Christians. Mother Teresa of Avilla also augmented this argument when she reckoned that the internal spiritual journey was a

First 3 page of the script for time travel story Essay

First 3 page of the script for time travel story - Essay Example He stops the car. He sees his daughter, SANDY (6). She has dark red wavy hair and blue eyes. He sees his wife approaching Sandy. AMANDA (36) is a beautiful redhead. She calls Sandy and goes to her to hug her. They look at Sam and then he sees them differently. They are not his wife and kid anymore. Sam drives to a house with a large front yard. He goes to the garage and parks his car. He opens the door. He drops his luggage at the sofa and goes to the back of the house. He looks at the empty backyard. He looks out to the nearest house. It is 40 meters away. He can see a FAMILY looking at him and waving. FATHER (30), MOTHER (25), and SIX YOUNG KIDS with the eldest probably only 10 years old. He waves back and goes inside his house. He sweeps around the house. He mops the floor. After he has cleaned the house, he decides to go to the bedroom. He takes his luggage. Once in his bedroom, he opens his luggage that has three sets of clothes. He closes it again. The closet has mirrors inside the doors. He looks at himself. He sees a 45-year-old man with gray hair and sad eyes. He has a crumpled white t-shirt, faded jeans, and old rubber shoes. Flashback to him in a perfectly tailored suit. Opening hook- Darkness. Sounds of an office. Laptops clicking softly, people talking to their phones about stocks and prices, good mornings. Opens like eyes. Someone is inside a large office looking out. Employees are busy. Business attire. Attractive people. No one is not doing anything. A few people greet someone consecutively. â€Å"Good morning boss!† â€Å"Good morning Sir!† â€Å"Sam†. Blinks again. Inside prison. Dirty. People in tattoos. Eating. Talking. Swearing. Pushing around. â€Å"What are you looking at motherfucker!† Sam goes back to a very early time in his childhood. He finds himself coming out of his bedroom closet, which was apparently the time machine itself. He is surprised to know that the closet is his all along. He hears his

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Case Involving Garner against Tennessee Research Paper

The Case Involving Garner against Tennessee - Research Paper Example Garner’s father sued the police officers, the mayor of the city Memphis and the specific police against breach of Garners right provided for under the Fourteenth, fourth and eight Amendments (Levy, Karst, and Winkler, 2000). He alleged that Hymon violated the rights of Garner when he shot and killed him. He sued the mayor of Memphis, and the police department because of their failure to effectively train Hymon and supervise him. He denotes that this contributed to the behavior of Hymon that made him kill Garner. He specifically used the 1871 civil rights act, section 42 which protected citizens against anyone who breached their rights in accordance with the United States Constitution (Pollock and Klotter, 2009). The district court ruled in favor of the mayor, the police department and Hymon. The district court ruled that the Tennessee deadly force statute was constitutional, and Hymon did not deprive Garner of his constitutional rights. On appeal, the court repealed the Tennes see deadly force statute, denoting that the law was unconstitutional, violating the fourteenth and the fourth amendment. The appeal court was particularly interested in the fact that fleeing suspect did not pose any danger to the police officers, or other people within the surrounding. The appeal court ruled that by killing a suspect who is unarmed, by officer violates the rights of such a person in regard to seizure outlined in the Fourth Amendment of the American constitution (Levy, Karst, and Winkler, 2000). The court, in the 1978 case involving department of Social services against Monell, denoted that it is possible to charge Municipal councils against liability. This was a case challenging the constitutionality of the maternity policies of the Education Board of New York.  

Friday, August 23, 2019

Mayor John Lindsay's Time in the office Research Paper

Mayor John Lindsay's Time in the office - Research Paper Example He was competing with two other political rivals also struggling for the office of Mayor. He defeated A.D. Beame, the then comptroller and W.F. Buckley, Jr who were contesting under the banner of Conservative party. When John Vliet Lindsay got the office, the condition of the city was not good as far as the commodities of life were concerned. The city was dumped in serious fiscal and economic upheavals that it was very difficult for any one holding the office of the Mayor to help the City out of this abyss. The outgoing Mayor, Mr. R.F.Wagner, Jr had left a deteriorated economy where the jobs, especially for the uneducated class were disappearing and the migration from the city was at peak. The people were in a very tough condition and the administration has nothing to heal up the problems of the people. The people were thus in coercion and were helpless and have no other option then to leave the city and settle somewhere else. The middle class families were moving to suburbs to live with contentment. The industrial sector was going down, the public sector was in skirmishes and the workers of the public sector had won the right to unionize. Keeping in mind all these aggravated problems it was very tough for John Vliet Lindsay to hold office and control. ... The city was hit by crisis over crisis and this was not only due to the predecessors’ policies but the ill policies of Lindsay gave impetus to these crises which shook the walls of the city. Some of the issues relating to problematic concerns of the city are as under. Labor Issue: When Lindsay took the charge on his very first day, the transport workers staged a protest and shut down the whole city including the subways and bus services. They set an ultimatum of 9 days to meet their demands but the poor policies of the Mayor neglected the ultimatum and did not negotiate with the transport workers. The refusal of the Mayor resulted in three more days of strike and lasted for 12 days. Even then when the negotiations went successful, the leader of the transport workers Mike Quill in a press conference made mockery of the Mayor by saying that negotiating with the Mayor is not a hard task. After such an outrageous protest by the transport workers, Lindsay turned a deaf ear to such protests and in a press conference remarked that New York City is a fun city where nothing happens badly. This point of view was quoted by many newspapers in sarcastic and sardonic points. The country crept on moving in to the abyssal plash and the corporate headquarters started moving out of the city. Still the resonance of the debacle of the corporate sector was in sounds that the Mayor blasted the scene of New York City with another development (Pileggi, 1969). City’s School System Decentralization: According to Pileggi (1969), in the year 1968, the Mayor allowed the decentralization of the city’s school system granting three local school boards under the complete control over other schools. This was a thing of concern for the teachers as now they

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Free

Free Will and Moral Responsibility Essay This collection of essays has its roots in a conference on free will and moral responsibility held at Monash University in November 2005, though only a few of the papers presented at the conference have made it into the current volume. We would like to thank both the participants at this conference and the contributors to this volume, as well as Cambridge Scholars Publishing for inviting us to put the collection together. Grateful acknowledgement is also made to the editor of the online journal, Sorites, where Nick Trakakis’ paper, â€Å"Whither Morality in a Hard Determinist World? †, was originally published (in vol. 19, December 2007). Finally, thanks to Shannon Weekes for her assistance in compiling the Index. INTRODUCTION NICK TRAKAKIS AND DANIEL COHEN Much of the interest of the free will debate depends on the assumption that free will is necessary for moral responsibility. In particular, it is because responsibility seems so important for our practical lives that debates about the compatibility of free will and determinism seem so urgent. However, much of the discussion in this volume bypasses this link. Instead, questions are raised that directly concern responsibility, such as whether it is compatible with determinism (see, for example, the essays by Fischer, Widerker, and Pereboom) and whether it is compatible with indeterminism (for example, the exchange between Levy and Kane). For the purposes of this introduction, we have not attempted to summarize the various ways in which the contributors construe the metaphysical foundations of moral responsibility. Instead, we wish to address a more preliminary matter. In the first part of this introduction, our aim is to say something about what we mean when we say that someone is morally responsible. It is surely important to clarify this before addressing any further substantive issues because, if we don’t clarify the meaning of this key term, there remains a significant danger that different participants in the debate about the possibility of moral responsibility will simply ‘talk past each other’. This suggests that in order to conduct a fruitful debate participants need firstly to agree on the nature of their subject-matter and, perhaps, to disambiguate different dimensions of the debate that arise if the term ‘moral responsibility’ has different connotations. In the second part of the introduction, we will discuss a neglected Wittgensteinian perspective on the notions of freedom and responsibility, a perspective that may help to clarify some of the confusion that arises when we ask what it means to say that a person is free or responsible. 1. The Meaning of Responsibility. Before proceeding to ask whether people are, in fact, ever morally responsible, it seems that an important preliminary matter needs to be settled. That is, we need to ask what we mean when we say that a person is x Introduction morally responsible. As will quickly become clear, settling this preliminary matter is, in fact, much harder than it first seems. Many of the controversies concerning the possibility of responsibility emerge even when we try to say just what ‘responsibility’ means. Let’s start with a claim that seems relatively uncontroversial. We will simply assume that ‘person A is responsible’ is a normative claim. That is to say, it is a claim to the effect that it is appropriate to hold A responsible in certain circumstances (circumstances, for example, where A has acted wrongly and where no mitigating, justifying, or excusing factors are present). However, this account of the meaning of ‘A is responsible’ raises at least two further issues. Firstly, we need to say more about what it means to hold someone responsible and, secondly, we need to say more about the nature and basis of the norms that govern appropriate responsibility attribution. It is important to keep in mind that our goal, in clarifying these two questions, should not be to settle any question regarding whether people are, in fact, ever morally responsible. Rather, we want to settle the terms of this debate before it begins. To this extent, we need sufficiently neutral accounts both of the nature of responsibility attribution and of its normative basis so that we don’t beg any substantive questions before debate has even begun. As we will try to show, however, this is a rather elusive goal. The only neutral account of the nature of responsibility attribution renders the normative question deeply controversial. And the only neutral account of the normative basis of responsibility attribution renders the nature of responsibility attribution deeply controversial. Holding Responsible There appear to be two plausible contending views regarding the nature of responsibility attribution. On cognitivist accounts, holding A responsible fundamentally involves believing something to be true of A, while on noncognitivist accounts, holding A responsible essentially involves holding some conative attitude towards A. (Cognitivists may, of course, argue that responsibility attribution is also usually associated with some conative attitude. However, they will maintain that it is possible to hold someone responsible without holding such conative attitudes. Similarly for noncognitivist accounts, mutatis mutandis. ) Non-cognitivism appears to provide the most successful neutral basis on which to premise the debate concerning the possibility of responsibility. This is because there seems little room for debate concerning the conative attitudes that characterize normal responsibility Nick Trakakis and Daniel Cohen xi attribution. In particular, few would disagree that responsibility attribution is strongly associated with the ‘reactive attitudes’ identified by P. F. Strawson, i. e. , resentment, indignation, anger and so on. 1 If one wishes to argue, however, that the reactive attitudes, while prevalent, are inessential to responsibility attribution, it is much harder to locate any common ground concerning the beliefs that are essential to responsibility attribution. One may suggest, for instance, that to hold A responsible is to believe that she is the source of some bad behaviour. Deep controversies quickly emerge on this view, however. One might take sourcehood to involve a psychological claim, for instance that A ‘really wanted’ to act wrongly. 2 However, others might object that any such glib psychological account fails to explain why it is fair to blame A for the wrongdoing (see Smilansky’s contribution). One might object, in this vein, that any such psychological story is unable to show that an agent really is the source of her having certain desires or values (see McKenna’s contribution), and that sourcehood thus requires some more obscure metaphysical basis (e. g. , agent-causation). Alternatively, one may suggest that sourcehood involves some impossible requirement such as that an agent was self-created. 3 On this view, holding someone responsible is essentially impossible. 4 Our goal is to account for the meaning of responsibility in neutral terms so as to provide a basis for constructive debate about the conditions (and the very possibility) of responsibility. It appears, however, that the cognitivist view of responsibility attribution quickly leads to debates that already beg these important questions before debate has even begun! This suggests that the best theory-neutral account of the meaning of responsibility must explain holding responsible in non-cognitivist terms. The Normative Basis of Responsibility Attribution Recall that, for the purposes of this discussion, we have assumed a normative account of responsibility according to which ‘A is responsible’ means ‘it is appropriate to hold A responsible in certain conditions’. Having addressed how best to interpret what ‘holding A responsible’ might mean, without begging any important questions, we need now to turn to a second question raised by the normative account: when exactly is it appropriate to hold someone responsible? In other words, what are the norms that govern appropriate responsibility attribution? Again, there are two plausible contending views: appropriateness may be explained either in terms of practical norms (taking ‘holding responsible’ to be analogous xii Introduction to the performance of an action) or by way of doxastic norms (taking ‘holding responsible’ to be analogous to the formation of a belief). Again, only on one of these accounts—the doxastic view—is it possible to offer an appropriately uncontroversial explanation of the norms implicit in responsibility attribution. On the doxastic view, one ought to hold A responsible if and only if it is true that A is responsible. On this view, the normative basis of responsibility attribution straightforwardly derives from the normativity of belief. It is clear that the doxastic account presupposes the cognitivist view discussed earlier, according to which holding A responsible involves believing something about her. Given this view of the nature of responsibility attribution, the normative question— concerning when responsibility attribution is appropriate—has a straightforward answer. Unfortunately, as we saw, there is no uncontroversial way to account for the truth-conditions of ‘A is responsible’, on the cognitivist assumption that it involves belief. So, despite the advantages of the doxastic view in providing a neutral account of the normative basis of responsibility attribution, this view at the same time precludes us from obtaining a neutral view regarding the nature of responsibility attribution (i. e. , the truth-conditions for the belief that A is responsible. ) Might we find an account of the normative basis of responsibility attribution that is consistent with the preferable non-cognitivist view outlined earlier? This would have to involve an alternative view, according to which responsibility attribution is justified in virtue of practical norms. However, if responsibility attribution is governed by practical norms, then things are much less straightforward. One may suggest that the relevant practical norms are just moral norms, so that ‘A is responsible’ states something like: ‘It is morally obligatory (or, perhaps, permissible) to hold A responsible’. This view may appear immediately problematic because the appropriateness of responsibility attribution will now depend on further questions that are deeply controversial (for instance, questions concerning the debate between consequentialism and nonconsequentialism; see Vargas’ contribution). A more fundamental worry arises concerning the methodological appropriateness of appealing to moral norms. One may argue, for instance, that the nature of moral obligation, itself, depends on the foundations of responsibility, which is, of course, the question at issue. Haji (in his contribution) argues that the best metaphysical basis of responsibility (i. e. , event-causal libertarianism) renders moral obligation essentially lucky. This suggests that there would be something viciously circular in explaining the meaning of responsibility Nick Trakakis and Daniel Cohen xiii in terms of some claim about our moral obligations. (See also Trakakis’ contribution. ) To avoid these worries, one may appeal to practical norms that appear to be more fundamental than any particular moral system. For instance, R. J. Wallace offers a normative account of responsibility that appeals to fairness. 5 This is meant to provide a normative basis for responsibility that remains neutral on more substantive moral issues. (See also Smilansky’s contribution. ) Clearly, however, appealing to practical norms launches us into further debates that already beg the question at issue. Again, such an account seems ill-suited for the purpose of setting up a neutral definitional framework on which to premise further debate. A Dilemma Our aim has been to find some neutral definition of responsibility to enable further non-question-begging debates about the possibility and conditions of responsibility. It seems that this goal gives rise to a tricky dilemma. The best theory-neutral account of holding responsible is the non-cognitivist account. However, this account appears incompatible with the best theory-neutral account of the norms that govern responsibility attribution—the doxastic account. The doxastic account, in turn, seems compatible only with the most problematic account of holding responsible—the cognitivist account. This is a puzzling result. Even though responsibility clearly gives rise to very complex issues, it is surprising that it is not possible even to define the terms of the debate without deep controversy. The worry thus remains that debates about the possibility and conditions of responsibility are essentially question-begging, insofar as different participants to the debate conceive of its key terms differently. Must we conclude, then, that different people and different theorists are indeed talking past each other when they debate about the possibility of responsible action? This, of course, would be a depressingly deflationist conclusion. There is a possible way out, however, that is rarely canvassed. If the question concerns the meaning of ‘responsibility’, one might suggest that there are, perhaps, other ways to settle things. In particular, isn’t the meaning of a term determined by our use of the term? (Or, at least, isn’t use a good guide to meaning?) Thus, appeal to real-world attributions of responsibility may illuminate the meaning of the term ‘responsible’. Such a methodology is sometimes rejected on the grounds that real-world attributions are rife with internal inconsistency (see, for example, Cohen xiv Introduction and Saling’s contribution). But perhaps a closer look at the Wittgensteinian ‘solution’ to the problem of freedom and responsibility will throw new light on the matter. 2. Making Sense of Free Will: A Wittgensteinian Account Wittgenstein published very little during his lifetime, and even less on the topic of free will. He does, however, make some pertinent remarks in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus that mirror in some respects the contemporary debates on free will. As is well known, the early Wittgenstein claims to have definitively solved the central problems of philosophy, and by implication this would include the perennial problem of free will. Wittgenstein’s strategy proceeds by separating sense from nonsense. The realm of sense is delimited in the light of his picture theory of meaning, according to which a proposition is meaningful (or capable of expressing a fact) only if it can represent or picture a contingent state of affairs. What cannot thus be represented is consigned to silence, or as Wittgenstein famously put it at the conclusion of his book, â€Å"What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence† (proposition 7). 6 In the course of the book, however, it soon becomes clear that what can be meaningfully said are only the propositions of natural science, thereby leaving out of the realm of sense a daunting number of statements which are regularly made and used in language, including the propositions of logic, aesthetics, religion, and (most relevant for our purposes here) traditional metaphysics and ethics. But unlike the positivists, Wittgenstein does not assume that what is nonsensical is of no value. As he stated in a letter to a prospective publisher, Ludwig von Ficker: â€Å"My work consists of two parts: the one presented here plus all that I have not written. And it is precisely this second part that is the important one. †7 Further, ethical and metaphysical truths that cannot be ‘said’ or formulated in sayable (sensical) propositions can nonetheless be ‘shown’: â€Å"There are, indeed, things that cannot be put into words. They make themselves manifest. They are what is mystical† (6. 522). In line with this austere outlook, Wittgenstein hints in the Tractatus that the very concepts at issue in the free will debate—concepts such as ‘freedom’ and ‘responsibility’—cannot be meaningfully expressed. Although in propositions 5. 1361 (â€Å"We cannot infer the events of the future from those of the present†) and 5. 1362 (â€Å"The freedom of the will consists in the impossibility of knowing actions that still lie in the future†) he seems to reject determinism as false and to accept freedom of the will as true, rather than rejecting both as nonsensical, here we arguably have a Nick Trakakis and Daniel Cohen xv minimalist conception of free will as nothing more than ignorance or uncertainty regarding the future, as opposed to a substantive commitment to the metaphysical idea of a ‘will’ that could be free or unfree. This is confirmed in later passages where Wittgenstein takes the law of causality—the principle that every event has a cause—to be â€Å"not a law but the form of a law† (6. 32), adding a few propositions later that, â€Å"If there were a law of causality, it might be put in the following way: There are laws of nature. But of course that cannot be said: it makes itself manifest† (6. 36). The law of causality, in other words, is not itself a law of logic nor a law of nature (or an empirical generalization), nor a synthetic a priori proposition, but rather â€Å"something purely logical† (6. 3211), a vacuous principle that tells us, not something about the world, but only something about the form our thinking about the world must take. But what is formal, according to the Tractatus, can only be shown, not said. On this view, then, the law of causality, and by extension any substantial or metaphysical doctrine of determinism, cannot be affirmed or denied, but must be placed in the category of ineffability or nonsense. Similarly, the denial of determinism—viz. , indeterminism—is bound to result in nonsense. At one stroke, then, Wittgenstein seems to have dissolved the free will problem. Contemporary discussions of free will often take a similar turn. For example, concepts such as ‘free will’ and ‘moral responsibility’ are routinely rejected as internally incoherent or contradictory, or as incompatible with determinism or indeterminism (or both), and like the early Wittgenstein this result is achieved simply through a kind of armchair or a priori reflection on the conditions of possibility of free will and responsibility. A glaring instance of this is Galen Strawson’s ‘pessimist’ conclusion that free will, of the sort that is necessary for genuine moral responsibility, is impossible, for in order to have that kind of free will (according to Strawson) one would per impossible have to be the ultimate cause or origin of oneself, a sort of causa sui. But what is neglected in this procedure is attention to particulars, to the variety of ways in which concepts such as free will and responsibility function in different discourses and social practices. This, of course, is the message of the ‘later Wittgenstein’, the Wittgenstein of the Philosophical Investigations8, which effects a fundamental change of perspective: from the realm of an idealized logical language with rigorous definitions and analyses to the vagaries of everyday life and action out of which arise the multifarious ‘language games’. The earlier reduction of language to representation is now seen as incapable of doing justice to the rich fabric of human language, and so xvi Introduction Wittgenstein famously moves from a conception of meaning as representation to a view of meaning as use: language as a kind of doing rather than a kind of picturing. We are therefore exhorted to â€Å"look and see† (PI 66) whether there is anything in common in the variety of uses to which a word is put. We cannot simply assume that words like ‘freedom’ and ‘responsibility’ must have a hidden essence, or a universally applicable meaning that can be formulated in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions. Rather, we need to look to the complicated network of overlapping and criss-crossing similarities—what Wittgenstein calls ‘family resemblances’—between various words as these find expression in ordinary life and in various language games. Each language game, however, has its own unique ‘grammar’ (or network of rules which determine what linguistic or conceptual moves are allowed as making sense) and its own criteria of truth, rationality and intelligibility which may or may not be shared by other language games. What counts as freedom of the will may therefore differ widely depending on which language game is being played: freedom, for some religious believers, requires the extinction of one’s will, while for purposes of legislation freedom may be conceived of as requiring a significant degree of self-determination. Underlying this view is the rejection of the mathematical ideal of the Tractatus, typified by statements that are put forward as impersonal, unambiguous and impervious to context, and whose truth is intended to be timeless and without qualification. Language, for the later Wittgenstein, is a much more dynamic, diversified and activity-oriented phenomenon. And to be faithful to the richness and complexity of this phenomenon demands an appreciation of the bewildering and sometimes conflicting ways in which words and concepts—‘free will’ and ‘responsibility’ included—are used. It may be instructive to briefly compare (the later) Wittgenstein’s treatment of religious belief with his remarks on free will and voluntary action. Consider, for example, how Wittgenstein, in his â€Å"Remarks on Frazer’s Golden Bough†, responds to the phenomenon of religious diversity, to the fact that different religions seem to say different and incompatible things about (e. g. ) the nature of divine or ultimate reality and the nature and destiny of the human race: Was Augustine in error, then, when he called upon God on every page of the Confessions? But—one might say—if he was not in error, surely the Buddhist holy man was—or anyone else—whose religion gives expression to completely different views. But none of them was in error, except when he set forth a theory. 9 Nick Trakakis and Daniel Cohen xvii Against philosophers and anthropologists like James George Frazer, who construe religious doctrines as hypotheses or theories that can be confirmed or disconfirmed in light of empirical evidence, Wittgenstein views each religion as embodying a unique form of life that finds expression in language games whose ‘rules’ (relating to truth, rationality, intelligibility, and so on) may diverge quite dramatically from those of science. On this view, the various religions of the world are not in the business of constructing hypotheses and searching for evidence, and so they are not in competition with one another, at least in the way that scientific theories may vie for the mantle of verisimilitude. The problem of religious diversity is therefore dissolved. No language game, religious or otherwise, has a monopoly on truth and on the meaning of ‘truth’. Wittgenstein is thus opposed to both the religious exclusivist, who maintains that there is one religion which is privileged with respect to truth and soteriological effectiveness, and the scientistic philosopher who argues that the methods and techniques of science (perhaps construed broadly enough to include philosophy and logic) are our only reliable guide to truth. Instead, Wittgenstein places all language games on an equal footing, allowing a thousand flowers to bloom. Thus, as David Pears has perceptively pointed out, Wittgenstein’s later work has †¦an extraordinary levelling effect. It does not assimilate one kind of discourse to another: on the contrary, it is always the differences between them that are emphasized, and particularly the difference between factual discourse and the other kinds. But it does bring all the great philosophical questions which arise within them back to the same level, ordinary human life, from which philosophy started. Philosophy is the voyage out, and the voyage back, both of which are necessary if the logical space of our ordinary linguistic practices is to be understood. 10 One of these ‘great philosophical questions’ is, of course, the question of free will and moral responsibility. On this matter, as with questions to do with religious faith, Wittgenstein refused the dominance of science on modern thinking: rather than constructing systematic theories that dictate from ‘on high’—inevitably from a position that holds up science as the model for all other discourses—how the phenomena in question are to be understood, we are brought back time and again to particular facts and examples rooted in everyday language and practices. Taking such an approach to free will can produce startling results. For one thing, the belief in free will begins to look more like a religious commitment than a theoretical or scientific belief. Wittgenstein’s Kierkegaardian (or, more pejoratively, fideistic) account of religious belief is well known: xviii Introduction It strikes me that a religious belief could only be something like a passionate commitment to a system of reference. Hence, although it’s belief, it’s really a way of living, or a way of assessing life. It’s passionately seizing hold of this interpretation. 11 But his somewhat similar account of free will has received less attention, despite the ever-expanding publishing industry on free will: In the sense in which asking a question and insisting on an answer is expressive of a different attitude, a different mode of life, from not asking it, the same can be said of utterances like â€Å"It is God’s will† or â€Å"We are not masters of our fate†. The work done by this sentence, or at any rate something like it, could also be done by a command! Including one which you give yourself. 12 Life is like a path along a mountain ridge; to left and right are slippery slopes down which you slide without being able to stop yourself, in one direction or the other. I keep seeing people slip like this and I say â€Å"How could a man help himself in such a situation! † And that is what â€Å"denying free will† comes to. That is the attitude expressed in this ‘belief’. But it is not a scientific belief and has nothing to do with scientific convictions. 13 Thus, belief in free will, much like religious belief, does not purport to express an empirical fact, but is rather expressive of an attitude, a mode of life, an imperative to live in a certain way. In the two lectures he delivered at Cambridge on freedom of the will, Wittgenstein went on to characterize belief in free will as ‘groundless’, as not supported by evidence or arguments14, again indicating parallels with religious faith. To better appreciate this view of free will, one might introduce certain ideas from the Philosophical Investigations and, especially, On Certainty. 15 In the former work, Wittgenstein speaks of our beliefs as founded upon a ‘bedrock’ certainty: â€Å"If I have exhausted the justifications [for following a rule] I have reached bedrock, and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say: ‘This is simply what I do’† (PI 217). Similarly, in OC 341 Wittgenstein states, â€Å"the questions that we raise and our doubts depend on the fact that some propositions are exempt from doubt, are as it were like hinges on which those turn† (cf. OC 88). Although Wittgenstein refers here to propositions as acting as hinges, it is commonly thought that in the more mature phase of his epistemological work Wittgenstein thought of practices rather than propositions as primary. This, then, is no traditional foundationalism, where an inferential relationship is thought to obtain between the set of beliefs that comprise the foundations and the other beliefs we hold, with the former justifying the latter. Instead, for Wittgenstein what lies at the bottom or at the foundations of our language Nick Trakakis and Daniel Cohen xix games are not specific beliefs or propositions, but ‘ungrounded ways of acting’ (OC 110, 204), ‘communal practices’ (OC 128, 298), and ‘forms of life’ (OC 7, 358). It is in this spirit that Wittgenstein quotes from Goethe’s Faust: â€Å"In the beginning was the deed† (OC 402). Nonetheless, our practices and forms of life can be said to show or manifest the beliefs (or quasi-beliefs) and assumptions upon which we base our lives, including such beliefs as ‘I have two hands’ and ‘The world has existed for more than 10 minutes’. However, in opposition to G. E. Moore, Wittgenstein describes these as ‘certainties’ rather than ‘knowledge-claims’, for they are not grounded in evidence or open to verification, but express an attitude and a way of acting, and so are not true or false, reasonable or unreasonable, but simply â€Å"there—like our life† (OC 559, cf. 162, 205). It would be arguably in keeping with this epistemological account, in conjunction with the later Wittgenstein’s remarks on free will, to say that belief in free will (and moral responsibility) may also function, at least in some contexts, as one of the bedrock certainties, as one of the things that ‘stand fast for us’ in our actions and practices (cf. OC 116), or as the framework within which our ethical practices operate and are made intelligible. There are close parallels here with existentialist philosophy, where to exist as a human being and to be free (almost) come to the same thing. Jean-Paul Sartre, for example, famously stated that we are ‘condemned’ to freedom, not free not to be free. In a similar vein, the Russian religious existentialist Nikolai Berdiaev, dubbed ‘the philosopher of freedom’, eschewed traditional accounts of freedom, which treat free will as an object that could somehow be perceived, investigated and proved or disproved from the outside, and adopted instead the Kantian position that freedom is a postulate of action: it is something we must presuppose to even think of a world in which human life and human agency are possible. Wittgenstein would have been sympathetic to this outlook, for like the existentialists he is primarily concerned with concrete social and linguistic practices and seeks to provide a philosophical understanding of human existence that is not restricted to the explanatory framework of science (or even that of much traditional philosophy). For Wittgenstein, therefore, belief in free will, just as much as belief in God, is not threatened by scientific discoveries: â€Å"we couldn’t say now ‘If they discover so and so, then I’ll say I am free’. †16 In line with this view, Wittgenstein spends some time in his lectures on freedom of the will in attempting to show that even if a deterministic account of the world were demanded by our best scientific theories, belief in free will need not be affected at all. 17 But he is not thereby putting forward a case for compatibilism: â€Å"All these arguments xx Introduction might look as if I wanted to argue for the freedom of the will or against it. But I don’t want to. †18 Wittgenstein does not follow the traditional course of attempting to resolve the free will problem by proving one position or refuting another. His aim, as with other traditional philosophical problems, is to expose the problem as some kind of deep muddle or confusion arising largely from misunderstandings of the workings of language. One recurrent criticism of this view is that it appears to render the language games of science, religion, and ethics entirely self-contained and cut off from each other, if not also immune from criticism from ‘without’. This, indeed, is a common misconception of the Wittgensteinian account of religion, and in response Wittgensteinians such as D. Z. Phillips have emphasized the many important connections between religious and nonreligious forms of life which (it is held) must be recognized if religious belief is not to degenerate into superstition. Similarly, Wittgenstein points out that scientific discoveries may have a bearing on ascriptions of free will: â€Å"A discovery might influence what you say on the freedom of the will. If only by directing your attention in a particular way. †19 But despite these connections between the scientific and non-scientific domains, Wittgenstein insists that the distinctiveness of each language game must not be overlooked. In particular, the languages of ethics and religion must not be assimilated to the kind of fact-stating discourse and fact-finding activities that characterize the empirical sciences.