Substance Abuse in the Workplace - 2219 Words

Substance Abuse in the Workplace: Substance abuse in the workplace has become a widespread problem as misuse of alcohol and other drugs is an epidemic in todays society. The problem of substance abuse remains a serious problem in many workplaces despite of the encouraging efforts by the local, state, and national government. As a result of the widespread and serious problem of substance abuse, especially alcohol, no workplace is immune from the practice and its effects. Notably, because of its severe impacts on both the abuser and the workplace, substance abuse should not be tolerated. Based on the findings of a research, approximately 75 percent of adult illicit drug users and heavy alcohol users are people employed in part time or full time jobs. Factors Contributing to Substance Abuse in the Workplace: While substance abuse in the workplace has serious effects on the employer, employees, and the working environment, there are various factors that contribute to this practice. These factors are associated with the abusing employee and the workplace environment. They include: Workplace Attributes: The working environment is likely to contribute to substance abuse if the culture of the workplace encourages or accepts the practice. The likelihood of a working environment to encourage and tolerate substance abuse is partly affected by the gender mix of its workforce (Drug Abuse in the Workplace, n.d.). For instance, male-dominated occupations tend to show heavyShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse On The Workplace1724 Words   |  7 Pages Substance abuse is one of the largest growing problems in the world. In addition to the growth and wide-spread popularity of alcohol and ‘recreational drug use, the international drug trade and alcohol distribution garners tens of billions of dollars a year in both legal and illegal revenue. This simply serves as an indicator for how common drug and alcohol has become on a global scale. Although there is a portion of the worldwide population which uses substances in a moderated and controlledRead MoreWorkplace Substance Abuse723 Words   |  3 PagesI do not think that there is a precedent for this issue. I see drug use in the workplace as being a distinct issue. It is of sufficient severity to merit its own status in negotiations with unions and to have its own policies. The outcomes are severe amputation, major lawsuits and they need to be dealt with, without leaning on some obscure past precedent as a crutch. Around 75% of all illicit drug users are employed (NIDA, 2008) and that makes this a serious issue for the company, since there isRead MoreA Substance Abuse Free Workplace983 Words   |  4 PagesA SUBSTANCE ABUSE FREE WORKPLACE 1. Describe the effect of illegal or prescription drug and alcohol use in the workplace. How does this affect productivity? Today in the United States, 73% of drug users are employed, costing American businesses billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and health care costs. Studies reveal that employees who abuse drugs have a tremendously harmful effect on the workplace—they are more likely to have extended absences from work, show up lateRead MoreIntroduction Of Drugs And Alcohol Essay1392 Words   |  6 Pages Table of Contents Introduction to Drugs and Alcohol 2 Overview 2 I. Workplace Factors 3 II. Workplace Performance Behavior 4 III. Workplace Role 5 RECOMMENDATION 6 Workplace Policies and Drug Testing 7 Policy and Regulations on Alcohol and drug abuse 7 Employee Education/Health Promotion 8 Works Cited 9 â€Æ' Employer’s Guide for a Drug-free Workplace Introduction to Drugs and Alcohol In order to understand drug and alcohol use, it is important to be clear about what we mean by the termsRead MoreSubstance Abuse Among Nurses Essay920 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Over the years, substance abuse in the United States has become a persistent issue affecting many individuals. In 2008, it was estimated that 17.8 million Americans over the age of 18 where substance dependent (Epstein, Burns, Conlon, 2010). Many of these individuals being affected are nurses. Ponech (2000) stated that approximately 10% of the nursing population has alcohol or drug abuse problems, and 6% has problems serious enough to interfere with their ability to practice (asRead MoreDrug Abuse On The Workplace Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesDrug Abuse in the Workplace: The human resource topic I chose to write my research paper on is â€Å"Drug Abuse in the Workplace†. Drug abuse in the workplace is something very common that many of us will encounter at some point. Alcohol and drug abuse has a major effect on employee absence and lost productively that leaves a negative working environment. It is important a company addresses the right guidelines to keep a drug free workplace. Establishing a clear and fair substance abuseRead MoreWorking Under The Influence Case Study796 Words   |  4 Pagesfine when an employee is at home, these substances have no business in the workplace. Being under the influence at work can cause accidents, less production, tardiness or absenteeism, poor decision making, theft, and much more (â€Å"Drugs†, 2015). Employers can combat these problems by utilizing drug testing programs, establishing anti-drug abuse policies, and establishing an Employee Assistance Program. One way to address drug and alcohol problems in the workplace is to utilize drug testing before hiringRead MoreDrug Free is the Way to Be1053 Words   |  4 PagesThere are employees who use or abuse drugs, legal or not, that cause interference within the workplace. According to the Human Resource Manager Eileen Esquer, from Isagenix International, when the use of drugs start to disrupt an employee’s job, they generate expensive health costs and loss of productivity for businesses. A controversial issue in the business industry is with employment drug testing. Companies that organize drug testing will provide safe working conditions. Although, employers whoRead MoreTypes Of A Medical Review Officer ( Mro ) Testing Programs And Require A Drug Lab Certified1674 Words   |  7 Pageshave been ruled in favor of these guidelines. These guidelines include having a Medical Review Officer (MRO) evaluate all tests. The guidelines also identify the five specific substances for use in the Federal drug testing programs and require a drug lab certified by SAMHSA to perform the analytical test. The five substances under the SAMHSA’s guidelines are amphetamines, THC, cocaine, opiates, and phencyclidine. Amphetamines include meth, speed, crank, ecstasy, and stimulant based ADD/ADHD medicationsRead MoreThe American Psychiatric Association s Dsm V ( 2013 )1702 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction As the opioid epidemic takes hold throughout American’s rural counties, public health departments are struggling to mitigate the health threats presented by substance abuse and addiction. While detailed longitudinal data is unavailable, many areas that report increased rates of drug abuse also report increased hospital admissions and accidental deaths. While the relationship between these outcomes is not explicit, it is important to implement interventions that address health issues

Everyday Use by Alice Walker A Look at Symbolism and...

Alice Walkers â€Å"Everyday Use†, is a story about a family of African Americans that are faced with moral issues involving what true inheritance is and who deserves it. Two sisters and two hand stitched quilts become the center of focus for this short story. Walker paints for us the most vivid representation through a third person perspective of family values and how people from the same environment and upbringing can become different types of people. Like most peoples families there is a dynamic of people involved, although all from the same environment and teachings, it is ultimately an accumulation of personal experiences that shape us and defines how we perceive our existence. â€Å"Everyday Use† is a story of conflict of right and wrong and†¦show more content†¦Because, the quilts had been made by the grandmother’s hands, the work that went into the quilts is the reason for importance of saving or preserving them as a family heirloom. â€Å"Maggi e†, knows the true value of the quilts, â€Å"Dee† seems to view them as any other common blanket. Alice Walker stated in the story that Maggie felt like the world never learned to tell Dee no. That is a direct reference to the mother never standing up to Dee and asserting her rightful place. The character types in this story would be one dynamic character, one flat, and one static character. The role of the dynamic character in the story is â€Å"Maggie†, the daughter that is described in detail as well as a very in-depth look at her personal psyche. How Walker builds her character in the story starting from meek and sheepish to end up being the justified victor in the end is classic dynamic character definition. The flat character role in the story would have to be â€Å"Dee† the sister that is described just enough to give the reader an idea of who she is and what she is about. The reader is almost biased toward â€Å"Dee† by the end of reading because of the few details they are given to base their ideas from. The central character in Alice Walkers Everyday Use, the beautiful Dee Johnson, breaks away from her Deep Southern American roots to become the heavily educated, urbanized, modernized young woman who despises her cultural setting†.(Ho el) The static character is the narrator orShow MoreRelatedEveryday Use - the Gift of Family945 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gift of Family Everyday Use is a short story that teaches a value lesson of heritage, inheritance, the past, and one’s family. For some the lesson maybe perceived as an illustration to develop the natural instinct of valuing our family and our past as objects of everyday use. However, the lesson that Alice Walker conveys to her readers is to understand that the value of heritage is within the eye of the beholder. WithinRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1721 Words   |  7 PagesIn her short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Alice Walker summarizes the representation of the beauty, the conflicts and struggles within African-American culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses mainly between members of the Johnson family, consisting of a mother and her two daughters. One of the daughters Maggie, who was injured in a house fire and has living a shy life clinging to her mother for security. Her older sister is Dee, who grew up with a grace and natural beauty. â€Å"Dee is lighter th an Maggie, with nicerRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1111 Words   |  5 Pagestheir culture. Alice Walker highlights and distinguishes the dissimilarities and clichà © of country African American women with the actualities that make up their lives. Characterized by short, compound sentences, with long adjectives and use of literary elements, her style is eloquent conversational and authentic. Alice Walker’s short story, Everyday Use is stylistic, ironic and narrates profound interpretation of unique views and approaches to African-American culture. Walker’s use of characterizationRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker962 Words   |  4 Pages In Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use,† this story describes what a continuing theme in her writings is: the depiction of constant harmony and inner struggles and conflicts that the minority culture goes through especially the African-American society. In Alice Walker Short Story â€Å"Everyday Useà ¢â‚¬  it centers on the relationships between a lower class family by the name of Johnson in a small poor rural community. This meeting takes place when the oldest daughter Dee comes home to visit her motherRead MoreReaction to Everyday Use1455 Words   |  6 PagesReaction to Everyday Use Marion Graham English/125 November 12, 2012 Reaction to Everyday Use Everyday Use is a short story written by Alice Walker about a family of three, Mama, the narrator, Maggie her youngest daughter, and Dee, her eldest daughter. Both daughters are completelyRead MoreEssay on Alice Walkers Everyday Use1144 Words   |  5 Pagesvarious ways. When many people think of heritage they think of past generation and where their family comes from. Other people place their heritage on the value of things, such as old quits that are made from something sentimental. In Everyday Use this is exactly how Maggie thinks of heritage. She wants the quits that were handmade out of her grandma’s dresses because to her that is a sign of her heritage. Alice Walker’s story is based on heritage. The narrator of the story has two daughters who couldRead MoreEveryday Use By Alice Walker1192 Words   |  5 PagesAlice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† is a short story included in her collection In Love and Trouble published in 1973. The stor y’s setting takes place in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s as many â€Å"blacks† were struggling to define their cultural identities (White). Traditions and culture in â€Å"Everyday Use† is portrayed contrastingly between Ms. Johnson and Maggie, who still follow rural black cultural of the south and Dee who has newly adopted a â€Å"native African† culture. An encounterRead MoreDee Versus Maggie: A Struggle For Self-Understanding Essay1448 Words   |  6 Pageseconomic opportunities many ‘colored people sought ways to escape ‘everyday life and the hardships they often faced. One of these ways came by beginning to express themselves more freely. In addition, as a result, the Harlem Renaissance formed. In Everyday Use, Alice Walker, one of the frontrunners of the Harlem Renaissance, tells the story of an oppressed and under-privileged African American family with differing values on what it means to live, or more imp ortantly, of one who struggles withRead MoreEveryday Use923 Words   |  4 PagesIn her short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Alice Walker takes up what is a recurrent theme in her work: the representation of the harmony as well as the conflicts and struggles within African-American culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses on an encounter between members of the rural Johnson family. This encounter––which takes place when Dee (the only member of the family to receive a formal education) and her male companion return to visit Dee’s mother and younger sister Maggie––is essentially an encounter betweenRead MoreThe Perception Heritage1016 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Everyday Use†, Alice Walker conveys the story of a mother and her two daughters’ conflicting ideas about their identities and ancestry. Mama is a simple woman that values culture and heritage for its usefulness but also its personal significance. However, her daughter Dee represents a materialistic way of life where culture and heritage are to be valued only for their artistic appeal. Through the use of symbolism and characterization, Walker displays how Mama’s perception of her two daughter

Kodak Strategy free essay sample

Introduction Eastman Kodak Company, also known as Kodak is a digital imaging and photography company which is best known for its photographic film products. One of the most dominant companies of its time, Kodak made photography available to the masses, but failed to adapt its business model to the development of digital photography. Recently by shedding many of the businesses that made them famous, Kodak has emerged from bankruptcy and also coming back to New York stock exchange. Now Kodak is concentrating on selling printing equipment and services to businesses. 1.1 A Brief History of Kodak: Pioneer of Film and Digital Photography Eastman Kodak Company commonly known as Kodak is an American multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company. It’s headquartered is in Rochester, New York, United States and incorporated in New Jersey. It was founded by George Eastman in 1888.You press the button, we do the rest promised George Eastman in 1888 with this advertisi ng slogan for his Kodak camera. Kodak began to sell their version of the instant camera in June 1976 to expand its market. The camera was called the Pronto which spit out a picture card which formed into a picture before the photographers eyes. The idea was successful and although Kodak’s ten picture pack of film was more expensive than Polaroid’s, several Japanese companies made cameras that used the new Kodak Film. (Time Magazine, 1976) Soon after, the disposable camera became popular. According to statistics, U. S. sales of disposable cameras grew 30% a year. Kodak sells more than anyone else, allowing Kodak to have sufficient cash flow to invest in a digital future. In the mid 1990’s Kodak’s innovators began to dabble with digital photography. In fact, they invented the first digital camera and realized that digital technology would transform their business. By the year 2000, Kodak had sunk more than $5 billion into digital investments during the 1990s, but received only $20 million in digital earnings in 1999 to show for it. Daniel Carp, the latest Chief Executive at Eastman Kodak stated that â€Å"digital can generate half of revenue and quarter of profits by 2005†. (Upbin, 2000, para. #3) So why wasn’t Kodak getting a return on their investment? One of the main issues that plagued the Eastman Kodak Company was not their innovation, but their timing in their marketing strategy and their assessment of the adaptability of its consumers. Kodak missed out on several holiday seasons where digital camera growth was high and failed to get a leg up on the competition back in 1996. The company was unable to â€Å"wean itself† from traditional film business. They have three major customer bases. The first is the Photofinishing Group which makes up almost 1/3 of sales. This group is made up of Kodak’s traditional film products and services that the average customer uses, plus products used by the film industry to reproduce and distribute motion pictures. The second group, not formed until 2003, is the Graphic Communications Group (GCG). It’s Kodak’s largest division which includes document imaging and digital printing services for businesses. The third group relates to healthcare services and is called the Health Group. This group specializes in healthcare imaging products such as x-ray devices and specialized films. To catch up to their competition, Kodak created a fourth group, the Consumer Digital Group, to change their main product line from traditional film to digital products. They turned their focus to digital cameras and printers, photo kiosks (like at CVS and Wal-Mart) and online photo sharing. Wikinvest, 2007) The problem was they did not react to the market until almost 2 years after their fierce competitors, such as Hewlett Packard, Canon, and Sony began to overtake the business. The irony is that although Kodak created many digital products that were ahead of their time, such as the Photo CD and high-end digital cameras, Kodak continued to focus their marketing strategy on the investor rat her than the customer. It is unfortunate because many of the digital imaging products that Kodak introduced, and that we still use today, did not get the commitment they deserved from their creators. Because of their own corporate reluctance to replace their main base of income (traditional film), many investors questioned whether it was too late for Kodak to join the digital age. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #2) Timing was not the only problem. Kodak had digital competition from the evolution of the internet, the Sony Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Canon, to name a few. Despite the invention of the digital camera, Kodak fell behind in efficiency profit margins and sheer sales. The company failed to market other media devices leaving Hewlett Packard and Lexmark to dominate the printer industry. Kodak is now trying to catch up in that area. Kodak needed to make several adjustments in their marketing strategy, develop their product line, promote their product, rethink their distribution efforts and develop a pricing strategy to steal market shares from industry leaders. With a new management philosophy and marketing strategy, Kodak realized the need to adjust its consumables. Most of Kodak’s traditional photography was based on their services, their paper and ink. With the addition of digital imagery, that had to change. Chemicals, to produce the photos were no longer needed for digital photography. How could Kodak compensate for the changing technology? Putting their innovators to the test, Kodak came up with the EasyShare family of cameras. It became one of Kodak’s biggest successes. Even today, it is still the â€Å"simplest way to get started in digital† photography. (Nikondigital. org, 2007, para. #7) Kodak developed this type of camera by studying how camera users take and print pictures and how it fits into their daily lives. Their research paid off. Kodak focused on low-priced, easy-to-use cameras that would appeal to women, who take the majority of snapshots. In 2004 the competition with Sony, the largest digital camera maker, paid off with a rise from a 5% market share in 2000 to a 19% share in 2004. (Hansell, 2004) In addition to the EasyShare system, category expansion has increased Kodak’s consumer base. One of the ways they accomplished this is by developing effective partnerships. To compete with some of the industry leaders, Kodak developed the â€Å"Kodak Gallery† an online photo sharing site which allows consumers to upload their photos and share them with friends and family. This competes with sites like Shutterfly and Photobucket. It recently partnered with Martha Stewart, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. com. (Wikinvest, 2007) Kodak has also planned investment in Lucky Film, Co. Ltd which will strengthen its position in Asia, and has increased its interest in medical markets. They have acquired PracticeWorks, a leader in digital dental imaging, and have improved their economic performance with Kodak Directview PACS System 5 for radiologists. (Eastman Kodak Company, 2004) To promote their products, Kodak has used the traditional advertising as well as some creative promotion techniques. Kodak wants to develop the customers of traditional cameras into future consumers of digital products. One of the ways they are doing this is donating 5,000 traditional cameras to those provinces in China that are not familiar with photography. As China’s rural areas become more economically independent, Kodak hopes to capture the market. This allows Kodak to continue its traditional (bread and butter) line of products to third world nations while focusing the digital sales to the United States, Canada and some European countries. (China Daily, 2004) One way to focus those sales in the U. S. is Kodak’s distribution to direct marketers who want to customize their flyers or retail changes that need variable posters. Digital technology makes it possible to economically print custom copies of anything and at almost any volume. They want to â€Å"elevate print and other visual communications for creativity and commerce†. (Sherburne, 2007, para. #3) Kodak is introducing the MarketMover Network, designed to focus on small business in a similar fashion that the Kodak Creative Network does, where the consumers create the photo books, calendars and flyers. Finally, Kodak’s pricing strategies had to be dramatic. One of the best things we hear about Kodak is the â€Å"quality of their service†. The problem is the competition is rapidly meeting Kodak’s quality standards. In 2007, Kodak developed KOS, the Kodak Operating System to streamline the production system and incorporate that into all aspects of Kodak’s operations. It changed their management philosophy. This had some effect on not only their marketing strategies, but their pricing strategies. In the past, companies were willing to sacrifice profits on the â€Å"durable† portion of their product – the printer, to make money on the â€Å"consumable† portion – printer cartridges. In February of that year, Kodak announced a new pricing strategy. It was a long term competitive dynamic disruption strategy. The strategy was aimed at reducing the cost of printing photos for the average consumer. Consumers will have to change their behavior to focus on printing costs instead of hardware costs. (Neff, 2007) In addition, the new printers will not have as many features as Hewlett-Packard printers currently have. This could corner an aging market that has not wanted to purchase â€Å"fancy† printers due to the challenge of technology. However, there is a growing share of private label recycled ink cartridges. Kodak will need to maintain their focus not only on the pricing of their ink cartridges, but they should reinforce the â€Å"quality† aspect of their product. During the past two decades, the Eastman Kodak has struggled with the advent of digital photography. What sets Kodak apart? Kodak is not a computer company, nor is Kodak a company which dabbles in several industries. They are focused on print products and photography.