Discuss the importance of ethics in business in light of the recent Assignment

Discuss the importance of ethics in business in light of the recent global financial crisis (GFC) - Assignment Example assessment item they should attach all supporting documentation to the completed Request for Extension form which is available from a Student Centre, the UWS website or from the ‘Support’ folder in the BAS vUWS site. Requests for extension must be submitted no later than three working days prior to the due date of the assessment task to Parramatta Campus, School of Marketing, Building ED (Reception) or Campbelltown Campus, School of Marketing Building 22A (Bev Booth). After that period, requests for extensions will not be accepted and students will need to apply for special consideration. If students need to apply for a special consideration, they should attach all supporting documentation to the completed Application for Special Consideration form which is available from the Student Centre, the UWS Website or from the ‘Support’ folder in the BAS vUWS site. Applications need to be submitted to the Student Centre at Parramatta or Campbelltown A student who submits a late assessment without approval for an extension of the due date will be penalised by 10 per cent per day up to 10 days, i.e. marks equal to 10 per cent of the assignment’s weight will be deducted as a ‘flat rate’ from the mark awarded. For example, the essay development assessment task that is worth 20 marks will have 2 marks deducted from the awarded mark for each late day including Saturdays and Sundays. Assessments will not be accepted after the marked assessment tasks have been returned to students who submitted the task on time. Linking different pieces of information in a structured manner is important. The simplest way to ensure that your work is structured in such a way is to prepare an essay plan before you start. Essay plans help with structuring by organising information so that each concept flows logically from the one preceding. An essay plan also can help you work out how you will answer a question and which information you will use. With regard to the recent economic

Mexican Drug Cartels Essay Example for Free

Mexican Drug Cartels Essay Several drug cartels are involved, such as: Sinaloa Cartel, Gulf Cartel, Juarez Cartel, Knights Templar Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, La Familia Cartel (disbanded), Los Zetas, Beltran-Leyva Cartel (disbanded), Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Independent Cartel of Acapulco, La Barredora. You could see them all as the bad guys. On the other team are the Mexican forces, consisting of the Army, Navy, Air force, the Federal police and other Mexican forces What are the sources of the conflict? What is it about? The main source of the conflict is power. All of the cartels wanted more power and money and they started fighting each other because of this. Another major cause of the conflict are the drug trafficking routes used by different cartels, the cartels want more power over each other’s routes. Relationships between/among conflicting parties? They were once all together in one massive cartel. But because of the decision of the leader of the cartel the ‘mother-cartel’ split up in many smaller cartels (See Dimension #1). What is the history of the conflict? The birth of all Mexican drug cartels is traced to former Mexican Judicial Federal Police agent Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo (The Godfather), who founded the Guadalajara Cartel in 1980 and controlled all illegal drug trade in Mexico and the trafficking corridors across the Mexico-USA border throughout the 1980s. He started off by smuggling marijuana and opium into the U. S. A. , and was the first Mexican drug chief to link up with Colombias cocaine cartels in the 1980s. Through his connections, Felix Gallardo became the point man for the Medellin cartel, which was run by Pablo Escobar. This was easily accomplished because Felix Gallardo had already established an infrastructure that stood ready to serve the Colombia-based traffickers. There were no cartels at that time in Mexico. Felix Gallardo was the lord of Mexican drug smugglers. He oversaw all operations; there was just him, his cronies, and the politicians who sold him protection. [59] However, the Guadalajara Cartel suffered a major blow in 1985 when the groups co-founder Rafael Caro Quintero was captured, and later convicted, for the murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. 60][61] Felix Gallardo afterwards kept a low profile and in 1987 he moved with his family to Guadalajara. According to Peter Dale Scott, the Guadalajara Cartel prospered largely because it enjoyed the protection of the Direccion Federal de Seguridad (DFS), under its chief Miguel Nazar Haro, a CIA asset. The Godfather then decided to divide up the trade he controlled as it would be more efficient and less likely to be brought down in one law enforcement swoop. 63] In a way, he was privatizing the Mexican drug business while sending it back underground, to be run by bosses who were less well known or not yet known by the DEA. Gallardo convened the nations top drug traffickers at a house in the resort of Acapulco where he designated the plazas or territories. The process: how do we choose to deal with the conflict? We do not personally deal with this conflict. However, the US army helps the Mexican government at some points, since most of the drugs comes in via Mexico.

Analysing Heat Transfer And Insulation Engineering Essay

Analysing Heat Transfer And Insulation Engineering Essay When two bodies at different temperatures are placed near each other or they are kept in contact, heat flows from a body at a higher temperature to the body at lower temperature. The transfer of heat from one body to the other, or from one part of a body to the other part, can take place by three different processes-conduction, convection and radiation. The total transfer of heat form one body to other can be by one or more than one of the above three modes. Thermal or heat transfer thus takes place through: conduction-a process of transfer of energy due to the differences in the temperature, convection-is the up and down movement of gas and liquids, and radiation-a process by which energy directly passes from one body to another. Heat is transferred by the process of conduction when particles of the medium at different temperatures are in direct or indirect physical contact. Thus conduction is a process of transfer of heat from the hot end to the cold end, form particle to particle of the medium. The rate that an object transfers heat through conduction is called thermal conductivity. An object with low conductivity will transfer heat slower than an object with high conductivity. This is why some substances are used as insulators while others are used in applications such as cooking. In general, solids are better conductors of heat than are liquids and gases. Metals are the best thermal conductors while non-metal solids tend to be poor conductors. In building mechanism (structure of machine), thermal conduction plays a vital role. Thermal insulation  in buildings is an important factor to achieving  thermal comfort  for its occupants. Insulation reduces unwanted heat loss or gain and can decrease the energy demands of  heating and cooling systems. Insulation can just refer to the  insulation materials  employed to slow heat loss, such as:  cellulose,  glass wool,  rock wool,  polystyrene,  urethane foam,  vermiculite (type of chemical insulation), and earth or soil. But it can also involve a range of designs and techniques to address the main modes of heat transfer conduction, radiation and convection materials. There are various ways through which heat escapes our homes. As our houses are built on cold soil or rocks, heat directly flows down into the Earth by conduction. Heat travels by conduction through the solid walls and roof of our houses. On the outside, the outer walls and the roof tiles are hotter than the atmosphere around them, so the cold air near to them heats up and flows away by convection. Heaters use fuels and air conditioners uses lots of electricity, which is why insulation is used. Insulation makes the house comfortable and keeps the temperature of house cool in summers and warm in winters. It is very useful to keep the temperature of the house independent from outside temperature. How much insulation a house should have depends on building design, climate, energy costs, budget, and personal preference. In cold regions, most houses use insulation. Most of the homes are fitted with cavity wall with two layers of brick or block between the inner rooms and the outer atmosphere and an air gap between the walls. The air gap reduces heat losses from the walls by both conduction and  convection: conduction, because theres relatively little air between the walls and its sealed in, so convection currents cant really circulate. The best way to insulate is to fill the air gap with expanding foam or other insulators. Cavity walls are often filled with loosely packed, air-filled materials such as vermiculite, shredded  recycled  paper, or  glass  fibers, it traps the heat and prevents it from escaping. Since warm air rises, plenty of heat escapes through the roof of the houses. Most people also have insulation inside the roof, also known as the loft area, of their homes. Loft insulation is generally made from the same materials as cavity-wall fillings-such things as rock wool and fiberglass. Wall and roof insulation cuts down on heat losses by conduction. Double-glazed windows have two panes of  glass  separated by a sealed air gap. The air stops heat losses by conduction, while the extra pane of glass reflects more light and heat radiation back into home and reduces heat losses. If a thin reflective metallic coating or made from special thermal glazing (such as Pilkington-K, which traps heat a bit like a greenhouse) is added to the windows, the heat loss will reduce further. Window insulation film  can be applied to reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. Pipe insulation  is also important in buildings for pipes that carry heated or cooled fluids.. In industry, energy has to be expended (extended) to raise, lower, or maintain the temperature of objects or process fluids. If these are not insulated, this increases the heat energy requirements of a process, and therefore the cost and environmental impact. In hot regions, the greatest source of heat is the solar radiation, which enters the buildings through windows, heat the building shell and causing the heat transfer to increase through the building envelope. Solar gain can be reduced by adequate shading from the sun,  light colored roofing, spectrally selective (heat-reflective) paints and coatings and various  types of insulation  for the rest of the envelope.   The graphs above represent a comparison study between the insulation capacity of Cellulose and Fiber glass. http://www.msgreenconstruction.com/uploads/images/cellulose-insulation-r-value.png Cellulose is basically glucose-tapped from recycled newspapers, magazines and cardboard which are treated with chemicals to produce an insulating material with varying properties. Fire resistant chemicals are added to cellulose to increase the efficacy*. Fiberglass is an artificial synthetic fiber that consists of calcium silicates, aluminum and other metals. There are various benefits consumers receive with the use of conduction and/or insulation systems in their houses. Some of the benefits include: It is energy-efficient It is cost-effective, durable Their uses doesnt cause any harm to the surrounding environment. It provides more uniform temperatures throughout the space. It has minimal recurring expense. Unlike heating and cooling equipment, insulation is permanent and does not require maintenance, upkeep, or adjustment. It absorbs noise and vibrations coming form both the outside and from other rooms inside the house, thus producing a more comfortable occupant environment Thermal insulation materials fixed on inside surface of the room walls prevent condensation on interior walls and ceiling. There are also limitations to the use of insulation systems, like the use of cellulose for insulation attracted many rodents to the house. . The main technical limitations of fiberglass matting as insulation are poor structural strength, poor compression (to shorten) resistance, permeability to moisture and a tendency to settle after installation if not properly installed. There are many areas in insulated houses which lack of sufficient insulation, like the corners of buildings, and areas where insulation has been removed or displaced to make room for system infrastructure. During rainy seasons, most of paints used to absorb or emit heat are washed away or gets dull, even metals rusts. Most of the above limitations are solved by science and technology. As the use of cellulose on wooden pipes and furniture attracts rodents, after many experiments they made cellulose which wont attract rodents. As paints gets dull or washed away with rain and metals rust, scientists have devised new un-washable paints and metals are coated with other substances that wont rust or wash away with rain water. Environment- In countries which experiences extremely harsh winters and hot summers, cane reed offers better insulation than brick. This keeps heating and cooling costs down, which translates into energy savings as well as cost savings for the family. It also contributes towards a reduction in the dependency on foreign solid fuel sources and reduces pollution. The cane reed used in the house construction is a locally produced, renewable resource. Harvested (grown) annually, reeds sustain life in ponds and lakes; their roots also stabilize the surrounding earth, preventing soil erosion. The use of the reeds also reduces dependence on, and misuse of, forests. Other building materials used in the process are sourced locally, including the pipes used in the under-floor heating system, which are produced locally by a partner company. The use of insulation even reduces the use of heaters and air conditioners, in turn saving fuel and reducing pollution. Economic- Buildings made of cane reeds area helps the local economy by employing a community labor force to harvest the reeds which are woven into the timber frame, as well as gathering the clay, sand and mud used to fortify the reed. In some cases, residents have been able to obtain permanent employment as a result of the training received during the construction process. The cane reed technology increases affordability as it offers a 40 per cent reduction in housing cost compared with conventional brick housing. Plans are currently underway for the development of a Building and Training Centre where all construction materials to be used in Habitat homes will be produced, further decreasing the costs to participating families. Social- As these buildings are easy to make every body in the family and community takes part in making it, they found a improved way of living as they are no longer required to gather firewood, wash dishes and clothes outside by hand and cook in a confined space. They have time and energy to pursue work outside the home, therefore helping to increase household income. The reduction in the use of solid fuels has also resulted in decreased levels of indoor air pollution and has consequently improved health, with a particular fall in respiratory illnesses.   Thus, an insulated home is comfortable as the temperature remains consistent over weather changes. It makes the house comfortable and keeps the temperature of house cool in summers and warm in winters. Effective use of insulation is necessary for each and every people who face harsh summers or winters. It helps them to stay warm and cozy in their homes, while contributing less to global warming and pollution. With the increase in the uses of insulation, the use of heater and air conditioning units will reduce. The use of fuels and other non-renewable sources will also be automatically reduced as this is a natural technique of absorbing or emitting heat. If the use of air conditioning units and heaters keeps on increasing, then there will be drastic effect on the climatic changes. To keep our surrounding safe as well as save natural resources for the upcoming generations, insulating our homes instead of using air conditioners, heaters, and other technologies which cause harm to the en vironment, is essential . Though insulation is expensive, its worth as its durable and doesnt have a recurring cost unlike other means.

John Grishams A Painted House Essay -- Essays Papers

John Grisham's A Painted House John Grisham’s book, ‘A Painted House’ places the reader within the walls of a simple home on the cotton fields of rural Arkansas. Within the first few pages, the author’s description of the setting quickly paints a picture of a hard working family and creates a shared concern with the reader about the family’s struggle to meet the basic needs of life. The description of the dusty roads, the unpainted board-sided house, the daily chore requirements and their lack of excess cause the reader a reaction of empathy for the family. Although the story takes place in a dusty setting very unfamiliar to most readers, the storyline is timeless and universal. Most everyone has a desire to meet the basic needs of life, embrace their family ties, and make others and ourselves proud. The crux of this book is that it does an excellent job in showing the reader through other’s examples and hardships to persevere and never give up. The title of the book, ‘A Painted House’ is based on the actual farmhouse in which the Chandler family resides. It was an old house. It was a fine house that had never been painted. For this particular family, paint - like eating meat with every meal - was a luxury. It was not a requirement to have a painted house. It was not a sign of laziness as the reader might initially expect. It was a sign of being frugal with money. In this bold example of persevering and never giving up, Mr. Grisham demonstrates to the reader that ’one can’t have everything’. The story is told through the eyes of seven year old Luke Chandler. Luke lives with his parents and grandparents on their rented farmland in the lowlands of Arkansas. It takes place during the harvest season for cotton in 1952. Like other cotton growers, these were hard times for the Chandlers. Their simple lives reached their zenith each year with the task of picking cotton. It’s more than any family can complete by themselves. In order to harvest the crops and get paid, the Chandlers must find cotton pickers to help get the crops to the cotton gin. In order to persevere, they must depend on others. They find two sets of migrant farm workers to assist them with their efforts: the Mexicans, and the Spruills - a family from the Arkansas hills that pick cotton for others each year. In reading the book, the reader learns quickly that l... ...ily is residing in the Chandler barn where the Mexicans first stayed. Luke and his parents are traveling to Michigan in order for Luke’s father can find a job in a automotive assembly plant, and Luke’s grandparents are staying at the old farmhouse with the hopes that the whole family will be back together soon. The hope from the reader is that all of the book’s characters will someday find true happiness. These folks work hard and our characters seem to deserve more than they currently have. Most readers can appreciate this feeling because it’s a feeling shared by everyone. In regards to the unpainted house: At the end of the book, only a corner of the house needs painting to be complete. It would have been very easy for our author to have completely finished in painting the house. However, that’s not what the premise nor the promise of the book contains. There is a big difference in completing a challenge, and being successful. Although life’s problems and challenges are never ending, the success in dealing with a challenge has more to do with the way it is done than in its completion. ‘The joy is certainly in the journey’ when reading the novel, ‘A Painted House’.

King Lear – Jealousy Between Goneril and Regan

In terms of power, Lear becomes the complete opposite of what he is in Act One by the end of Act Two. The fool says, â€Å"Now thou art an O without/ a figure. I am better than thou art now: I am a Fool, thou/ art nothing† (I. iv. 197-199). As the play progresses, the Fool points out that King Lear has become nothing. Misjudgment, betrayal and becoming â€Å"nothing† (I. iv. 199) leads King Lear into near madness by the end of Act Two. King Lear is very oblivious in the beginning of the play. His demanding personality reveals to the audience that he is blind to the truth. By asking his daughters, â€Å"Which of you shall we say doth love us most† (I. i. 53), it shows a vulnerable side of him because he craves being worshiped. Lear is more interested in listening to a speech on how wonderful he is, rather than leaving his empire in the hands of someone responsible. His thirst for compliments is so drastic that he even disowns his daughter for not worshiping him, also showing his lack of awareness because she truly loved him. We see Lear as a powerful character that puts himself in front of others in Act One. King Lear is so used to being treated like royalty that going from the most powerful person in England to virtually nothing in such a small amount of time nearly makes him fall into madness by the end of Act Two. Goneril and Regan are the main cause of this. At first, Lear was oblivious to their daughters plot to rule him out. Lear starts to catch on to this, and for the first time in the play, he is aware. After being abandoned by his daughters, Lear says â€Å"O fool, I shall go mad† (2. 4. 281), showing that he realizes the mistake he’s made. At this point in the play, the status of King Lear and his daughters have completely shifted. King Lears’ intentions were never evil, but his greedy actions were the cause of his fall. By the end of act 2, Lear gains more insight on what is really going on around him. Other characteristics from Act One still remain, such as his hunger for authority: The king would speak with Cornwall. The dear father Would with his daughter speak, commands, tends service. Are they â€Å"informed† of this? My breath and blood! â€Å"Fiery†? The â€Å"fiery† duke? Tell the hot duke that Lear— (II. iv. 91-96) Later on in the play, Lear says to Regan, â€Å"I have a full case of weeping but this heart/Shall break a hundred thousand flaws,/or ere ill weep- O fool, I shall go mad? †(2. 4. 281-283), at this point of the play, the audience feels pity for Lear. The Lear we see in Act Two is deprived of his powers through lies and evil tricks from Regan and Goneril. Th is has caused the King to become nothing, in contrast to the greedy and cruel King we see in Act One.

Health Care in California

Health Care in California Abstract This paper comprises of two sections. The first section entails an in-depth discussion of Managed Care and other Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) within the health care sector in California. The second section entails a detailed research on LaSalle Medical Associate, one of the vibrant health organizations offering community services in various countries in the United States.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health Care in California Managed Care HMO specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research has shown that HMO industry became increasingly visible in most of United States since 1980. The enrollment at the moment has increased fourfold rising from 9 million to 36.5 million by the end of 1990. Recent consolidations have created a channel for implementation of new health plans. California is among the top ten states that have the highest number of people enrolling for HMOs. The growth and benefit s of HMOs have drawn the attention of investors who are willing to venture into the larger health system to offer appropriate and competitive health services. This explains why the industry has continued to grow immensely amid some challenges. Growth and profitability of Managed Care HMO Managed Care HMO has grown immensely for decades due to the rise of healthcare insurances that give employees and the general public the option to seek alternatives in medical schemes that are cost –effective. The Managed Care HMO program also attracted many employees who enrolled in order to benefit from the health package that was on offer. However, it is important to admit that other better schemes have emerged thus posing stiff competition to this program. Actually, Baicker, Chernew and Robbins (2013) assert that for over one decade now, the enrollment rate for Managed Care HMO has declined. In other words, HMOs have historically dominated California health sector for long until recently when other groups of health insurance came up. An example is the Kaiser Foundation (Feldstein, 2011). Despite the competition, research has shown that Managed Care HMO takes 60% of the market share, implying that they are relatively stable (Copeland Zeber, 2013). Upon a careful analysis, there are numerous benefits derived from the industry. One the benefits is the cost saving services. Moreover, the industry provides reimbursement and physician compensation to its clients. Baicker et al. (2013) underscore that employees receive quality care particularly at a lower price due to increased pressure from the competitors. The chart below illustrates that the industry growth rate especially in regards to the managed care HMO since 1998.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Major groups of the industry Other major groups in the industry include Kaiser Foundation healt h plan and Kaiser Enrollees in California. It is important to note that the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan is a vibrant national HMO. However, Kaiser Enrollees has been associated with strong allegiance since it remained relatively stable regardless of the employer-based health insurance decline. According to a study conducted by Baicker et al. (2013), it is evident that the Kaiser Foundation has secured permit to offer health insurance to self-employed individuals. Moreover, the Kaiser program has opened an avenue for self-insured employees to access their products Competitor Analysis HMOs industry in California is highly competitive at the moment due to various reasons. Baicker et al. (2013) explain that there have been significant changes such as business consolidation, legislative reforms, new strategic alliances and market pressures. These forces have brought better, organized and informed customer base. The presence of numerous healthcare plans has resulted into emergence of su bstantial competition between the for-profit and non-profit HMOs and self-funded plans. Some of the HMOs with largest market share include but not limited to the Kaiser Foundation, Blue Shield and Kaiser Enrollees. One of the strengths of these major competitors is that they are able to satisfy employees and employer choices (Feldstein, 2011). The presence of numerous HOM plans gives the clients an opportunity to select products that suits them. Moreover, due to increased competition, the HMO plans are made cheap and affordable in order to retain the consumers. Nonetheless, the competitors have weaknesses since most of them have compromised the quality of products offered. As the saying goes, â€Å"cheap is expensive†. Therefore, most of the Health insurance providers offer cheap products with very poor quality. On the other hand, those that offer high quality product mix escalate prices unreasonably thereby ending up reaping heavily from employers and self-insured employees. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Health Care in California Managed Care HMO specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Structure of the industry using Porters 5 forces model In reference to Porters 5 forces model, there are 5 forces that have influenced competition of HMO plans. As a result, these forces have defined the structure of the industry. It is apparent that the structure of the industry is even since new entrants can venture into the market and sell their health plans. Moreover, the industry has matured hence there is no intense threat for substitute products (Feldstein, 2011). Consumers who are employers and employees have bargaining power for products in the market. At the same time, the suppliers who are insurance providers have bargaining power for products offered so long as they meet the expected standards. At the moment, there is slight competition rivalry thus attracting more competitors into the m arket (Feldstein, 2011). Key success factors in the industry The key success factors in the industry are quality, cost and uniqueness of products (Feldstein, 2011). For a firm to do well in the industry, it must maintain high quality of health services, products must be pocket-friendly and unique to ensure that they stand out in the market. Noticeable trends in the industry Baicker et al. (2013) point out that there has been immense growth in the HMO industry. Better products have emerged to replace the substandard ones. However, despite the positive trend, the industry has been engulfed by challenges. There are numerous growth problems that have engulfed the industry since its establishment in the 1980s. For instance, research has revealed that there was a speedy growth of HMOs where the number of plans shoots to 306 (Hibbard, Greene, Sofaer, Firminger Hirsh, 2012). It is important to note that growth was fastest between 1984 and 1987 when enrollment doubled. During this time, the financial implications of the growth pattern were unpredictable (Quinn et al., 2012). Increase of new plans lead to a considerable decline of prices due to competition. It is worth noticing that some health providers proved to be better managers than others so some plans were phased out. Besides this, profits fetched could not be enough to compensate the start-up costs thus some health plans ceased operation until in the 21st century when HMO consolidations were done (Feldstein, 2011). Another notable aspect in the industry trend is about employer influences. One of the significant influences that have shaped the industry is employers who have been quick to challenge the immense escalation of health insurance costs. Employers have actively analyzed the cost-benefits of every plan. Hence they have contributed to the designing of overall mix product as well as the integration of holistic benefit package. This has increased the demand of some of the HMO products.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Opportunities and threats in the industry One of the opportunities available in the industry is that health insurance providers are allowed to package their products in a manner that will help them retain their clients. For instance, most of the HMOs schemes allow cost-sharing between the employee and employer. For example, the Blue Shield is a health insurance provider that offers Core Flex services to employers who have a group of over 50 employees yet the package is designed in a way that there is a potential for employee cost-sharing (Hibbard et al., 2012). In regards to LaSalle Medical Associates, evidences from literature have shown that organization began as a pediatric clinic in Fontana. The clinic was set up in June 1984 by Albert Arteaga and his wife Maria (LaSalle Medical Associates, 2015). The clinic has, since then, continued to offer health services and it became an Independent Practice Associate in 1996 (LaSalle Medical Associates, 2015). Upon a careful review of lite rature, it is factual that the associate is one of the largest Independent clinics in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino. LaSalle’s main goal was to enroll children into healthy family program within the corporate location. However, it is evident that the goal broadened as the organization began to focus on the wider community. LaSalle Medical Associates (2015) outline that after its establishment and expansion, it has expanded thereby establishing several clinics in Hesperia, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Joaquin, Kings and Fresno and San Bernardino countries (Copeland Zeber, 2013). The associate began with less than 3,000 enrollees and two staff model who offered managed care. Due to consistent support from health plan partners and healthcare institutions, LaSalle has expanded into a four-staff-model site and has a record of over 200,000 managed care clients (LaSalle Medical Associates, 2015). The Medial Associate has numerous networks offering specialty and primary c are services. Most of the healthcare services offered at LaSalle are community based. However, the prime target population includes children. Research has shown that the Medical Associate offer medical services at its highest level through partnership with numerous hospitals. Research has shown that LaSalle strives to maintain maximum and efficient delivery of health services (Copeland Zeber, 2013). This is one of the factors that have made the Medial Associate to maintain consistent financial records. LaSalle offers physician and surgical services. In Order to accommodate wide range of audiences, the organization incorporated gynecology and obstetrics services. It is therefore undisputable that LaSalle adequately meets the need of the community in which its offices are based. Besides, the organization provides diverse insurance products for patients. This has in the long run contributed to increased consumption of their products and services. Financial Analysis of LaSalle Medical Associates According to information presented by LaSalle Medical Associates (2015), there are no precise figures revealing the financial performance of the group. However, one can refer to various growth indicators such as the area overage, patient turn out and employee satisfaction. Using these benchmarks, one can analyze that the Medical Associate is doing well financially. LaSalle Medical Associates (2015) assert that the organization is one of the fast-paced healthcare institutions. Moreover, the organization’s growth is as a result of high quality services and an indication that the physician-patient ratio is up to date. The organization has a long-term financial wellbeing since it has managed to enroll and maintain highly trained and competent personnel (Copeland Zeber, 2013). The Organization’s output has continued to increase for over 3 decades and this can imply that services offered are profitable.  One of the strengths of LaSalle is that it is able to col laborate and partner with other health institutions in order to provide care to patients in various locations. It is evident that mutual partnership adds value to services and products offered by partnering parties. As a matter of fact, LaSalle has been able to increase its coverage to handle community needs in more than six countries. Upon examining the services offered when the organization began, LaSalle Medical Associates (2015) admits that a lot of growth has been registered thus making it possible to offer a wide range of services. Moreover, LaSalle has employed qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals who are able to attend to children and adults. Upon a careful review of Literature, one can discern that LaSalle primarily use Medi-Cal, Blue Shield, Care 1st, Molina, Inland Empire Health Plan and Health Net health products (Copeland Zeber, 2013). This gives the clients an opportunity to choose the best health products thus increasing consumer satisfaction. One of the weaknesses is that LaSalle has lagged behind in technology thus making it challenging to streamline healthcare delivery within its locations. However, empirical research has shown that LaSalle is upgrading its technology in order to embrace electronic health record management. Moreover, the corporate offices have begun to transform management procedures to ensure that patient information is secure. It is important to note that initially, LaSalle specialized on children care alone (Copeland Zeber, 2013). Therefore, it is certain that its personnel have more expertise in children’s matters than adults. Therefore, LaSalle does perfectly well in children affairs unlike when dealing with senior and adult patients. It is also important to note that LaSalle is good at partnering with other health organizations to provide the best to the community. Some of its affiliates include Central Valley General Hospital in Hanford, Arrowhead Regional Medical center and Community Hospital at S an Bernadino (LaSalle Medical Associates, 2015). There are packages that allow employers to subscribe and pay monthly costs for basic care delivery. Such a package is cost effective since the employers do not need to reciprocate the cost to the employees (Quinn et al., 2012). The other opportunity is that HMOs are becoming popular hence the products are at a high demand. This therefore, creates room for supply thus encouraging formulation of better health plans. One of the impending threats is that the HMO industry is becoming broader with variety of products (Hibbard et al., 2012). The health insurance providers look like they offer mix of products. Broadening of the market has adverse effect to for-profit health insurance providers since they are not able to get better returns through monopoly. The lack of monopoly lowers the costs of health services because employees will opt for the cheapest health product. At the same time, health insurance providers have to maintain quality wi thout which the employees will go for other options. References Baicker, K., Chernew, M. E., Robbins, J. A. (2013). The spillover effects of Medicare managed care: Medicare Advantage and hospital utilization. Journal of health economics, 32(6), 1289-1300. Copeland, L. A., Zeber, J. E. (2013). Advancing Research in the Era of Healthcare Reform the 19th Annual HMO Research Network Conference, April 16–18, 2013, San Francisco, California. Clinical medicine research, 11(3), 120-122. Feldstein, P. (2011). Health care economics. New York: Cengage Learning. Hibbard, J. H., Greene, J., Sofaer, S., Firminger, K., Hirsh, J. (2012). An experiment shows that a well-designed report on costs and quality can help consumers choose high-value health care. Health Affairs, 31(3), 560-568. LaSalle Medical Associates (2015). Quinn, V. P., Jacobsen, S. J., Slezak, J. M., Van Den Eeden, S. K., Caan, B., Sternfeld, B., Haque, R. (2012). Preventive care and health behaviors among overweight/obes e men in HMOs. The American journal of managed care, 18(1), 25-32.