Touch Points (touch + point)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


CARE ETHICS AND THE GLOBAL PRACTICE OF COMMERCIAL SURROGACY

BIOETHICS, Issue 7 2010
JENNIFER A. PARKS
ABSTRACT This essay will focus on the moral issues relating to surrogacy in the global context, and will critique the liberal arguments that have been offered in support of it. Liberal arguments hold sway concerning reproductive arrangements made between commissioning couples from wealthy nations and the surrogates from socioeconomically weak backgrounds that they hire to do their reproductive labor. My argument in this paper is motivated by a concern for controlling harms by putting the practice of globalized commercial surrogacy into the context of care ethics. As I will argue, the unstable situations into which children of global surrogacy arrangements are born is symbolic of the crisis of care that the practice raises. Using the Baby Manji case as my touch point, I will suggest that liberalism cannot address the harms experienced by Manji and children like her who are created through the global practice of assisted reproductive technology. I will argue that, if commissioning couples consider their proposed surrogacy contracts from a care ethics point of view, they will begin to think relationally about their actions, considering the practice from an ethical lens, not just an economic or contractual one. [source]


Talent sourcing solutions in today's fragmented media reality

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 3 2009
Matthew Adam
Gone are the days when a company could count on the Sunday classifieds to reach all its potential job candidates. Job seekers are using a plethora of new media tools, and it's time for employers to do the same. The author discusses recruiting strategies for conveying the employment brand, creating positive touch points to build relationships with job seekers not yet ready to apply, and reaching the large field of passive candidates not yet actively seeking a new employer. The author also discusses ways to turn a company jobs Web site into a powerful recruiting platform and provides ten online tools for driving applicant traffic to the site. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


The PediPump: A Versatile, Implantable Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device,Update IV

ARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 11 2009
Brian W. Duncan
Abstract Cleveland Clinic's PediPump (Cleveland, OH, USA) is a ventricular assist device designed for the support of pediatric patients. The PediPump is a mixed-flow ventricular assist device with a magnetically suspended impeller measuring 10.5 mm in diameter by 64.5 mm in length. Progress and achievements for the PediPump program are considered according to the development project's three primary objectives: Basic engineering: along with size reductions, substantial design improvements have been incorporated in each design iteration including the motor, magnetic bearings, axial touch points, and heat transfer path; Anatomic modeling and device fitting studies: Techniques based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been developed to create three-dimensional anatomic-modeling and device-fitting tools to facilitate device implantation and to assist in preoperative planning. For in vivo testing, to date, six acute (6-h duration) and nine chronic (30-day target duration) implantations have been performed in sheep; the implantation of the PediPump appears to be relatively easy with excellent hemodynamic performance and minimal hemolysis during support. Cleveland Clinic's PediPump program supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Pediatric Circulatory Support Program has led to the development of a pediatric ventricular assist device that has satisfactory performance in preclinical evaluation and appears to be ready to support a program of clinical testing. [source]


Critical Success Factors of CRM Technological Initiatives

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Issue 1 2003
Anne-Marie Croteau
As an increasing number of organizations realize the importance of becoming more customer-centric in today's competitive economy, they are also discovering that they must deliver authentic customer knowledge across multiple organizational functions and at all customer touch points. This paper compiles the critical success factors of customer relationship management (CRM) technological initiatives realized by 57 large organizations in Canada. The data analysis is performed using structural equation modeling techniques such as PLS. Résumé Évoluant dans une économie fort compétitive, un nombre croissant d'organisations réalisent l'importance de mieux comprendre leurs clients. Elles découvrent alors qu'elles peuvent gérer les connaissances acquises á leur sujet lors des contacts pris avec eux, et les intégrer adéquatement aux multiples fonctions organisationnelles. Cet article relate les facteurs critiques de succés nécessaires lors de l'implantation d'initiatives technologiques supportant la gestion de la relation client (GRC). L'analyse des résultats obtenus auprés de 57 grandes organisations canadiennes est réalisée en testant plusieurs équations structurelles à l'aide de la méthode des moindres carrés partiels (PLS). [source]