Features of Service Operations Management Essay

Features of Service Operations Management - Essay Example Businesses can opt to stay in current markets, move on to new domestic markets or venture out to new foreign markets. Depending upon the markets and strategic tie-ups, the enterprises then have to decide whether to continue with existing products or develop new ones. Organizations prepare strategies for long term survival and consistent growth. Operational management encompasses the contribution of all concerned stakeholders in order to achieve the objectives. Now organizations are supposed to have multiple objectives, monetary as well as non-monetary. They are supposed to have flexibility to meet changing external and internal demands. This paper is an effort to study the role of operational management, how the operational strategies keep changing as the organisation grows and how operational management strategies can addresses the speed to market of new products and services and the responsiveness to the demands of customers. The operations system of an organisation is essentially the part that produces the organisations' products. In some organisations the product happen to be physical goods (like TV refrigerator, soft-drinks etc), while in others it is service (insurance, health care, travel, tourism, hotel etc.). The products and services belong to various categories and fields, but all such diverse organisations have one thing in common within their operations systems, that is, the conversion process (Everett E Adam et al, 1995). There are some inputs into the process and after the conversion process, there are some outputs. The quality of these outputs depends upon the how the organisation manages its operations. Traditionally, a conversion process that includes manufacturing (or production) yields a tangible output, while a conversion process that includes service yields an intangible output. But in today's business there is no such dividing line, because the horizon of 'services' has been widened. At times, both of them are interdependent and appear to be overlapping in nature. Manufacturing organisation requires the services like transportation, communication, promotion etc. to procure the supply of materials, manager the supply and distribution channels, be in touch with the customers and suppliers, plan marketing communication strategies, manage the financial accounts of the company etc. Similarly many services organisations depend upon the manufacturing sector for the business. Services too are undergoing a transformation from the traditional concept of a service transaction to one of an experience (A. Fitzsimmons, Mona J. Fitzsimmons, 2005). For the operations management the general goal is to create some kind of value-added product or service, so that the outputs are worth more to consumers than just the sum of the individual inputs. Services oriented businesses now try to do the value addition by way of providing a valuable experience while dealing with them. For exam ple the retail showrooms like Tesco, Asda, Woolworth, Wal-Mart etc. all take pride in the fact that they provide their customers a big operating space, whole range of products and a wonderful shopping experience. From a humble beginning these stores have grown up owing to sound strategic moves and operational management. It was in the year 1919 that Jack Cohen founded Tesco, when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London (Tesco, 2006). In those days his

The AG Corps Force Development Update Essay Example for Free

The AG Corps Force Development Update Essay The US Army will undergo massive transformation in terms of modular structure of the war battalion units and the brigade; the Army transformation involves radical augmentation from its Cold War Division (15,000 soldiers) to the Brigade Combat Teams ( 4,000) soldiers and modular multifunctional Support Brigades and sectioning of the fixed headquarters to head Corps/Division and supporting Theater. Such changes will ensure continuity and adherence to the tenets of versatility, flexibility and scalability across the Army as adaptive tactics to the changes in military strategic environment correlated to the current Global War on terrorism, insurgencies in Iraq and adjustment on human resource department (Gallasie, 2008). The introduction of a new tactical transformation in the HR divisiona sophisticated and advance Brigade and Battalion sectionprovides an efficient operations and manning system under Army HRC. In a holistic view, the former organizationsPERSCOM, Personnel Services Battalion and Personnel Detachmentswill be restructured to new unitsthe Human Resource Support Center (HRSC), the Reception, Replacement, Return to Duty, Rest and Recuperation and Redeployment (R5) Team, Platoon and Company Plans and Operations Team, the Casualty Platoon, the Postal Platoon and the Company Plans and Operations Team, the Human Resource (HR) Company Headquarters, the Theater Opening R5 Team, the Military Mail Terminal (MMT) Team, and the discrete BCT/BDE and BN S1 sections (Gallasie 2008). Joint forces between Active Units S1 Section and Army HRC, mandated by Personnel Services Delivery Redesign (PSDR), will organize the existing manning system and personnel management which will include the following plan of action: (1) document the entire S1 section into a single discrete paragraph within all Brigade, HHC MTOE, and recoding Battalion S1 positions as 42-B; (2) new organization previously mentioned above will perform Theater level HR support to the modular Forces; and (3) implementation in the four phases will commenced at the end of FY08 (Gallasie, 2008). The HRSC supports the theater with HR support as directed by the theater and provides oversight of all casualties reporting within the theater of operations and provides technical support to the Postal, R5 and Casualty units as well as providing personnel guidance to G1s and S1s as needed. When requested by the theater commander based on METTTC requirements, the HRSC may deploy to the theater of operations depending upon the population supported. The HRSC support postal, R5, and personnel information flow but does play a direct role in the execution of functions unless otherwise directed by the theater G1. The Casualty Operation Division performs the theater casualty reporting mission, collecting all the casualty reports for the theater and sending to HRC. The HRSC receives technical guidance from HRC and operating guidance from the theater G1. The HRSC is designed with two deployable teams in each division so that the teams representing each function are available to augment other theater-level staff (Gallasie, 2008). The sophistication of the Modular Joint Expeditionary Army provides organization, manning system, equipment, and training to the former battalion organization of the US Army. It is noted that Human Resources Redesign did not actually allocate it’s system of command and troops but rather it arranged it in a manner that it encourages specificity in terms of duties and military work within each newly formed military units. Additionally, military hierarchy was more pronounced which lends continuity to the entire military force. According to Gallasie (2008) such ‘transformation’ will make the US Army ‘more strategically responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and sustainable across the full spectrum of military operations’. He also added that the modularity will provide capabilities to the BCD/BDE Commanders to execute essential personnel services and strength management with organic assets while redesigning and improving theater-level support for postal, R5 and casualty support to the Modular Forces. The structure of the latter create an efficient network connectivity for the tailoring of minimal force structure which will have its advantages in terms of geographic dispersion of combat power along different points of terrorist zones. The concept of the Modular Forces is clearit aims to establish visibility and connectivity between its commands and the component troops. Pilot testing at Fort Campbell revealed some of the several ‘shortfalls’ to the changesadditional workload for the civilians, joint and multinational forces, emergency leave, RR return to duty, reception and other associated problems on replacement, accounting and integration (in AG Corps FDU 05-2 Human Resource Transformation Concept Paper). As Gallasie points out in the article The AG Force Development Update, the personnel transformation is not for changed alone but is a regiment adaptation to the concurrent needs of reducing terrorist acts. While it is true that such sophistication may provide for a more efficient and visible manning system especially during deployment in different geographical locations in terrorism hotspots, a bigger question that we had to acknowledge is how the US Army will deliver the radical changes to the military troops and the time and cost efficiency involve in the HR changes. Will the AG Force Development sustain its objective or will the change give a ruckus to the army administration which will aggravate the problem? Note that terrorism is an ongoing problem and such resolution in the midst of crisis can create potential confusion to the overall administration and likewise its components. This is not to say that the new concept on Personnel transformation is a bad idea. Moreover, the timing for the execution of the concept and its’ immediacy may not be fitting for the current global crisis. Before execution there should be a review on the personnel impact and how the military administration address the problems and the pitfalls associated with such changes. Additionally, there should also be a review on the military technologies and the weaponry involved if such transformation where to take place. Also, ‘support’ extended should be analyzed not only on the basis of HRSC support but other issues as well such as pay and just compensation for services rendered and compensatory damages in case of accidents. Other important points to consider is how the regiment addresses the health and psychological problems associated during deployment to terrorist hotspots. The AG Corps Force Development is far from perfect but given the right adjustment and resolving the loopholes it may provide for a good change in the US Army. Reference Gallasie, D. The AG Corps Force Development Update. The Journal of the Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association, Winter 2005-2006, 23-24.

The City Of La-la-land Essay example -- Los Angeles, California

The old building. Created out of wood, bricks and stone. Remembers the forest that became a field that became a city. Remembers every moment, every story, that it was told. Listen to the old building. Listen to the tales, that are recorded in the walls. To the stories trapped in the bricks. It has much to say. Much to show. Los Angeles: the city of illusions,fakes, fantasies, and dreamers. The building in Los Angeles resemble the different ethnic people who live in this strange city, they are Unique and Imaginative. Much of the buildings located in Los Angeles are constructed to look contemporary, bizarre, and/or shaped to resemble something entirely different, for example a cupcake. The buildings, like some of the people who inhabit the city of Los Angeles, are there to entertain the audience. Each unique building represents bits and pieces of what Los Angeles is. However, which one reveals what Los Angeles is known for? What represents the immense amount of culture, the beautiful (fake) people, the expensive taste, and the eccentric architecture. Which building shows a city constructed out of people’s dreams. The Fowler Museum, Griffith Observatory, The Staples Center, Bradbury Building, Stahl House, and Grauman’s Chinese Theater; all capture the image that Los Angeles shows. Hundreds of thousands of Hollywood's most famous celebrities have graced the halls of the Chinese Theatre, at movie premieres and ceremonies. In the Book Hollywood Cinema written by Richard Maltby, he saysâ€Å"it was once stated ‘To visit Los Angeles and not see the Chinese Theater is like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall’ [Grauman’s] Chinese Theater has been a part of Los Angeles history for over seventy five years†. The Chinese Theater, in Holl... ...From the movies that are shown, to famous cemented handprints of celebrities, to the building itself, shows how this city has been constructed out of dreams, illusion, and fantasy. The pictures, movies and celebrities-that were produced by the media, and shown in the Grauman’s Chinese Theater- made people start thinking,acting and looking a different way. The media drilled into the populations mind that the civilians of Los Angeles should be like the people the had created in their work. The media created the perfect guideline of what every person in this city should have, should look, and act like, creating the beautiful fake people we have today. The Grauman’ Chinese Theater best captures Los Angeles. It Shows exactly what the city and the people of Los Angeles is, a perfect movie. â€Å"La-la-land: A place or state that is out of touch with reality.† (dictionary.com)

Essay example --

Gender: Women and Men in Society between Hinduism and Islam A gender role can be defined as a set of social and behavioral norms that are generally considered appropriate for either a man or a woman in a social or interpersonal relationship. There are differences of opinion as to which observed differences in behavior and personality between genders are entirely due to innate personality of the person and which are due to cultural or maybe even social factors, and the product of socialization, or to what extent gender differences are due to biological and physiological differences. I believe there are more differences between gender women and men in society between Hinduism and Islam. The reason I believe there are more differences it going into more concrete details for Hinduism roles than the Islamic roles for men and women in society. Society in Hinduism follow the law of Karma. I believe in karma and that if you do something wrong it’s going to come back and you will have something worse happen to you. Muhammad described the high status of mothers in both of the major hadith Collections (Bukhari and Muslim). One account is: "A man asked the Prophet: 'Whom should I honor most?' The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother'. 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your mother!’ 'And who comes next?' asked the man. The Prophet replied: 'Your father.' In the Islam religion, their primary role played by women are to be mothers, and mothers are considered the most important part of the family. A well- known hadith of the prophet says: "I asked the Prophet who has the greatest right over a man, and he said, 'His mother'". While a woman is consider... ...in the public sphere. Women must primarily fulfill marital and maternal responsibilities, whereas men are financial and administrative stewards of their families. Although the Qur'an views women and men to be equal in human dignity, this spiritual or ethical equality has not been reflected in most Muslim laws. For example, women do not have equal rights to make independent decisions about choice of (marriage) partner, getting a divorce and custody of their children In conclusion, I think the Hinduism let’s their women be more open to the culture. The Law of Manu made these Laws to keep social order in the society. People were divided in four casts based on the work they do. However everyone had a choice to choose his career (work). Hinduism follow the law of Karma because they also believe something bad could happen to them if they don’t follow of the law of Karma.

15 Basic Appeals

â€Å"Advertising: 15 Basic Appeals† by Jib Fowles (from â€Å"Mass Advertising As Social Forecast†) 1. Need for sex- surprisingly, Fowles found that only 2 percent of the television ads, he surveyed used this appeal. It may  be too blatant, he concluded, and often detracts from the product. 2. Need for affiliation- the largest number of ads use this approach: you are looking for friendship? Advertisers can also use this negatively, to make you worry that you'll lose friends if you don't use a certain product. 3. Need to nurture- every time you see a puppy or a kitten or a child, the appeal is to your paternal or maternal instincts. . Need for guidance- a father or mother figure can appeal to your desire for someone to care for you, s you won't have to worry. Betty Crocker is a good example. 5. Need to aggress- we all have had a desire to get even, and some ads give you this satisfaction. 6. Need to achieve- the ability to accomplish something difficult and succeed id entifies the product with winning. Sports figures as spokespersons project this image. 7. Need to dominate- the power we lack is what we can look for in a commercial â€Å"master the possibilities. † 8. Need for prominence- we want to be admired and respected; to have high social status.Tasteful china and classic diamonds offer this potential. 9. Need for attention- we want people to notice us; we want to be looked at. Cosmetics are a natural for this approach. 10. Need for autonomy- within a crowded environment, we want to be singled out, to be a â€Å"breed apart. † This can also be used negatively: you may be left out if you don't use a particular product. 11. Need to escape- flight is very appealing; you can imagine adventures you cannot have; the idea of escape is pleasurable. 12. Need to feel safe- to be free from threats, to be secure is the appeal of many insurance and bank ads. 3. Need for aesthetic sensations-beauty attracts us, and classic art or dance makes us feel creative, enhanced. 14. Need to satisfy curiosity-facts support our belief that information is quantifiable and numbers and diagrams make our choices seem scientific. 15. Psychological needs- Fowles defines sex (item no. 1) as a biological need, and so he classifies our need to sleep, eat, and drink in this category. Advertisers for juicy pizza are especially appealing late at night. Source: Media Impact Introduction to Mass Media (4th Ed) Author: Shirley Biagi,   Wadsworth

Free Essays on Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Justice Court Observation Paper The place, Lincoln Hall of Juvenile Justice located at 1025 E. Forest. February 5, 2003. It is 10:00 in the morning, the immediate are is both commercial and residential. Located behind the city morgue and across the street from some subsidized housing complexes, Lincoln Hall is surrounded by the Wayne State University Campus and by the Detroit Medical Center. The Department of Transportation is around the corner and located on one side of the building is the freeway on the other side is the Juvenile Detention Facility. I parked right in front of the building but waiting and finding a parking space took a couple of runs around the block. Like most court buildings there is really no designated area to park, which makes it even harder to find adequate parking. Now you have to run the risk of parking in a possible tow away zone and risk getting a ticket. Despite the unpleasantness of the parking the building was very easy to locate. Being in the presence of the courtroom did not make me feel any more or less safe, than I would in any other Detroit Neighborhood. There were metal detectors and security guards in their places as you walked in the doorway that you have to pass through. I was forced to take my belt off and put it back in my car because it had too much metal in it. The security guards, if you ask me, were a little too relaxed. They were joking around and not really paying attention. Don’t get me wrong as a security guard you must find something to help pass the time but it should not be done at the security expenses of other people. Lincoln Hall consists of two buildings not including the detention facility, one marked A the other marked B. Building A has three floors with many windows and was built in 1979. There are two floors in Building A that connects to Building B. Building B appeared to be a lot older than building A. Building B consists of 5 floors and has a... Free Essays on Juvenile Justice Free Essays on Juvenile Justice Juvenile Justice Court Observation Paper The place, Lincoln Hall of Juvenile Justice located at 1025 E. Forest. February 5, 2003. It is 10:00 in the morning, the immediate are is both commercial and residential. Located behind the city morgue and across the street from some subsidized housing complexes, Lincoln Hall is surrounded by the Wayne State University Campus and by the Detroit Medical Center. The Department of Transportation is around the corner and located on one side of the building is the freeway on the other side is the Juvenile Detention Facility. I parked right in front of the building but waiting and finding a parking space took a couple of runs around the block. Like most court buildings there is really no designated area to park, which makes it even harder to find adequate parking. Now you have to run the risk of parking in a possible tow away zone and risk getting a ticket. Despite the unpleasantness of the parking the building was very easy to locate. Being in the presence of the courtroom did not make me feel any more or less safe, than I would in any other Detroit Neighborhood. There were metal detectors and security guards in their places as you walked in the doorway that you have to pass through. I was forced to take my belt off and put it back in my car because it had too much metal in it. The security guards, if you ask me, were a little too relaxed. They were joking around and not really paying attention. Don’t get me wrong as a security guard you must find something to help pass the time but it should not be done at the security expenses of other people. Lincoln Hall consists of two buildings not including the detention facility, one marked A the other marked B. Building A has three floors with many windows and was built in 1979. There are two floors in Building A that connects to Building B. Building B appeared to be a lot older than building A. Building B consists of 5 floors and has a...

Counting Crows essays

Counting Crows essays I love music. It opens up a world to me unlike any other. The lyrics music contains seems to talk to me in a very different way, allowing me to walk into another individuals world of emotions. I believe song lyrics can give you not only a sense of feeling for how an individual views issues in their lives, but what their true feelings on the situations are. You can learn, by listening to the words and the phrases, what exactly it is the individual is trying to tell you. Many times on our listserv, various Counting Crows song lyrics have been discussed at some point or another by us all. It seems everybody on this list spends so much time talking about what it is this lyric means, and how beautiful various phrases are. Well, have we ever taken time to stop and think about where these lyrics come from? What has always seemed so odd to me is the fact that we all put so much thought into how lovely their song lyrics are, yet so little into the thoughts and emotions behind them. I believe the music performed by the Counting Crows contains many interesting lyrics. Issues such as love, loss, and life issues in general, seem to just jump out of their lyrics. Because of the connection I perceive from the Counting Crows music, I have recently came under the impression that their music contains more personal experience than some may think. Often in our culture poppy, upbeat tunes are created with catchy lyrics to lure us in. These songs contain lyrics which draw us into believing that how they think a certain situation would be is how a certain situation should be played out, or how it should feel. I believe that the lyrics contained in the Counting Crows music make us feel and connect the way they do due to the fact that they are all real feeling and events. One of the band members must have felt these situations described in the songs for otherwise how is it their lyrics come across so meaningful and realistic? After playing thei...

Mating choice and Lonely Hearts Columns Essays

Mating choice and Lonely Hearts Columns Essays Mating choice and Lonely Hearts Columns Paper Mating choice and Lonely Hearts Columns Paper Darwins evolutionary theory stated that all species picked partners who possessed certain characteristics which would offer their offspring a better chance of survival Survival of the fittest.I wanted to see whether both genders offered/requested certain characteristics more or less than the other.I visited a website orientated around dating (mate choices) and accumulated data based upon those who had posted their add on the site.The independent variable was the gender of the person, where as the dependant variable was the number of terms they used in relation to personal appearance, financial resources and age.The results acquired were categorised accordingly in a table, in which I found out that;; Women tended to seek stability in the form of financial resources more than men, where as men tended to offer it more than their female counterparts.; Males tended to seek those who possessed a high level of physical attractiveness more than females. Where as females tended to offer it m ore than males.; Age was a very complex factor with both cases, as those who were young sought those who were older and vice versa. But those who were middle aged tended to seek those who were of their age group.In present day its more of being able to live with someone who can make you happy and give you and your sprouts a good chance in life.TERMINOLOGYLonely-Hearts Column relating to people who are looking for companions or marriage partnersFinancial Resources money/wealthPersonal Appearance physical attributesQuota sampling before the sample is selected the population is divided into appropriate categories from which the sample is selected. Usually with an equal number in each category.Google large search engine on the webBACKGROUNDCharles Darwins theory of evolution presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic descent with modification. That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organisms genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival a process known as natural selection. These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation.My hypotheses were based upon the Darwinian theory of Evolution (although many other people had thought of it before him.The purpose of this investigation was to test 3 hypotheses, which were orientated around the mate-choices of males and females, which were found in either Lonely Hearts Columns or on the Internet.There were various factors, which could have a profound effect on my results. The first was that of the location of the information in which I acquired my data from. The second was that of the age group and gender of those who either used a particular website or read a particular publication (newspapers, magazines), in which my data was going to be extrapolated.This investigation aimed to shine light upon whether males and females requested and offered similarly, differently, or equally in relation to mating-choices.HYPOTHESISThere were 3 hypotheses in which my investigation intended to explore. These were: Females request financial resources more than males, where as males offer it more than females. Females offer characteristics relating to Personal Appearance more than males, where as males tend to request it more than females. Females tend to request partners older than themselves, where as males tend to request partners younger than themselves.In relation to my hypotheses, my Null hypotheses were that: There will be no significant difference between the ways in which males and females present and request certain characteristics in regards to lonely-hearts columns.What I intended to measure specifically was the amount of terms relating to financial resources, personal appearance and age in which the two genders used (whilst requesting and offering).METHODThis was a research-based study, which consisted of obtainin g information on those who advertise themselves on the internet (www.dateclub.com).The population, from which my sample was drawn from, was simply all those who used dateclub.com to advertise themselves and search for partners.I used a Quota sampling method in order to obtain my sample, which consisted of 20 males and 20 females of all ages.In relation to allocation to conditions, I divided my sample into 2 (males and females) and then issued corresponding marks in relevant categories according to the number of terminologies used by my sample in relation to personal appearance, financial resources and age.I used Google on the Internet to find a site, which was widely used by both genders (ensuring that I had enough samples for my investigation) in order to sell themselves and also find a perfect match. Once one was found I went into 20 males and 20 female profiles and recorded their data. Which were immediately placed into my table.In order to maintain a high level of control, I mad e sure that all my data was acquired from the same site, on the same day and at the same time. All those who used the site had to be between 18 and 60. So the range of ages was also controlled.The independent variable was the gender of the person, where as the dependant variable was the number of terms they used in relation to personal appearance, financial resources and age.The reasons for my particular choice of methodology were that those who were in search of a mate would be either hard to find or very reluctant to be interviewed by myself. Due to the fact that many would find having to rely on an advertisement in order to find a partner embarrassing. Questionnaires also wouldnt work due to demand characteristics, so the only option which seemed viable, was that of undertaking my own personal research into lonely-hearts columns, which were very easy to find.Adds on the site are constantly added as well as removed, so being unable to know when this occurs, someone else carrying o ut this investigation may acquire results slightly different from that of my own, due to the currency of the data. So this factor could have an effect on the reliability of my data. Which also go for the ads found in newspapers.I chose to measure the data through the allocation of numbers (corresponding to number of terms used) into relevant cells in a table.During my investigation no ethical issues emerged. If there were going to be any it would be that of an invasion of privacy, but due to the fact that people post their traits on the site in order for others to view, the nature of my investigation is ethical.RESULTSTotalsGenderMalesFemalesTotal No of terms relating to Personal Appearance (sought)2617Total No of terms relating to Personal Appearance (offered)3353Total No of terms relating to Financial Resources (sought)38Total No of terms relating to Financial Resources (offered)205Average Difference between Lowest Age range requested and requesters age(31/9) = 3.4(52/17) = 3.1Ave rage Difference between Highest Age range requested and requesters age(37/9) = 4.1(45/17) = 2.6In relation to Personal Appearance, males ask for characteristics relating to it more than females. But on the other hand females offer it far more than males.In relation to Financial Resources, there wasnt a significant difference between the two genders when it came to being sought, although females predominated slightly. But when it came to offering, males did so 75% more than females.In relation to Age, there was hardly any difference with the average lowest age range requested by both genders. However with the average highest age range requested males tended to request much older partners than females.At a young age both genders tend to seek those who are physically appealing. But the older they become the more they tend to disregard personal appearance.Some people requested those who were within an age range, which was younger than theirs.the differences between the highest and lowes t age ranges requested and the requesters age had to be averaged out, due to the fact that a lot of people didnt request anyone within a certain age group. Therefore the table which had the most people requesting someone within a certain age range would most likely have a larger total than the other. So in order to make this a fair test and maintain a high level of control, I decided to average out the differences.(Total of all the differences divided by the number people who requested).As the age ranges seemed to cause the most problems when it came to totalling, it could be said that this is where my methodological flaw lay. As if I knew this would have happened then I would have used a stratified sample to select only those who wanted someone between a certain age range, but at the same time have equal amounts of each gender.The hypothesis, which was orientated around financial resources and personal appearance, conquered with my results. But that of age didnt, thus supporting my null hypothesis. I think this was because for both genders, those who were younger tended to seek those who were older and vice versa. Where as those who were in-between tended to seek those around their own age group, further proving that trends always change over timer.One issue that kept on emerging throughout was that of the results being correlation based rather than that of causality. As in if it was to be a correlation then for example females seeking financial resources more than males wouldnt seem plausible.References and Appendiceswww.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com

California State Prison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

California State Prison - Research Paper Example Hence, all of the California’s State Prisons are equipped with the highest security and major facilities. The State Prison is designed as multi-mission institutions with high level and minimum security. They have the working facilities of soap manufacturing, laundry with other major improving conveniences relating to health care, rehabilitation and education, self-improvement, vocational and psychiatric needs (Stephan, 2004). Population California State, having the second largest Police Department makes not mistake in bringing the offenders to the prisons. During the first six years of the 21st century the population peaked till 173,000 inmates but finally started to go down and ended up around 163,000 by the year 2010. Due to the over flowing population capacity of the prison, the Supreme Court ordered to either transfer or release around 30,000 prisoners by the end of year 2013. It was a necessary step taken in order to maintain the conditions of the State Prison. Due to thi s management the small offenders are sent to small local custodies than state prison, which shows a great 12% decrease in the population, which is about 141,000 inmates by the end of February, 2012. The population around the State Prison is also aging, with only 13% prisoners under the age of 25. This is majorly due to two factors. The first being the overall age of California State population is getting older, and secondly people are sentenced to more years in the prison (Hayes, 2012). Women constitute only 5% of the State Prison population under less crime intensity. Yet the overall population of State Prison constitutes of a major population of African Americans, about 5 times as much as any other race (Hayes, 2012). Budget Four of the California’s State Prisons in Solano, LA, Sacramento, and Corcoran runs under the collective budget of 719.4 Million Dollars. This includes the budget for the facilities of education, health care, and institution. Even with this budget the C alifornia State Prison needs more rooms and a larger bed count as most of the prisons are much over their designed capacity. California having the largest population in the United States equally spends the most on its inmates as well, with an estimate of 16000$ annually spent just on health care of each inmate (census 2008-2009) which is more than thrice of Texas which spends less than 4000$ per inmate in a year (Hayes, 2012). Level of surveillance The California State Prison works under the special level of security which enables them to categorize the prisoners accordingly. Level 1: Open dormitories with no secure perimeter. Level 2: The dormitories are open but with secure perimeter and armed coverage. Level 3: It included personal cells with fences perimeters along with armed coverage throughout the area. Level 4: Along with individual cells, the perimeters are fenced or walled with high security and more staff. The guards protect the inside and the outside the prison area. Secu rity Housing Unit (SHU): This area comes under the level 4 security level, that includes inmates that are confirmed prison gang members, bosses and high tension victims are kept under surveillance at all times. Reception Center (RC): This is the short term housing facility that enables the state prison to identify on which level the prisoner should be housed. Condemned (Cond): The

Critical Reasoning (The Personal Characteristics that enable leaders Essay

Critical Reasoning (The Personal Characteristics that enable leaders to be Effective ) - Essay Example Thesis: effective leadership is based on different features and not only professional features are important, but also personal characteristics matter a lot. Employees are members of a team, who are able to implement innovative and creative ideas of a leader. Consequently, there is a need for stable and trustful relations between them. Taking into account modern researches and studies in business filed, it is evident that the main attention of researchers and scientists concerns effective leadership. Elving (2005) claims that effective leader can establish changes by means of communication. Basically, the employees are not ready for changes and perceive innovations or changes from a negative perspective. It is on behalf of the effective leader to enable employees to accept organizational changes. In accordance with Elving, there are five basic steps to be taken by leaders: a humane attitude to employees; communication in a friendly and a simple atmosphere; individual treatment for every employee; joking and easy-going manner of communication. In this case, changes and innovations in organizations are perceived â€Å"as is†, because organizational changes will be perceived as self-evident (Bovey 2001, p. 536). Caldwell (2003) claims that â€Å"leaders are transformed managers† (Caldwell 2003, p. 285). Change managers embody ideas and practices of change leaders. Actually, effective leaders invent and embody organizational changes and effective managers have implemented these actions at different organizational levels. Nevertheless, there are different leaders in the Western and the Eastern worlds. Consequently, in order to determine the effective leadership and change management in the Eastern world and Western world, it is relevant to take into account cultural and social peculiarities of different businesses, which are rooted in historic contexts of

Unit 1 Seminar Human Services and policies Research Paper

Unit 1 Seminar Human Services and policies - Research Paper Example It also uses evidences pulled from different social discipline fields such as economics, history and even sociology (Titmuss, 1974). This enhances their profession and gives them a foundation of participating in formulation of government regulations. Thus, govern the living conditions of human beings as well as their behavior. Social policies deal with a number of concepts that directly affect the human services. One of the major issues is social security. Security is a priority because it determines their co-existence with one another, their entrepreneurship and even their choice on where to live. Another significant issue is education. The government regulates this social amenity through its laws as well as its budget(DiNitto, 2011).Other issues include the health, housing, wages, and social behavior such as marriage that surround the people’s day-to-day’s life(Spicker, n.d). All these issues will be reflected in the development of any particular region. In conclusion, social policy is a very important field that requires proper understanding and implementation. This is because it has a direct influence on the people’s wellbeing as well as their behavior towards one

Crime in Context (SC2032C) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crime in Context (SC2032C) - Essay Example What is interesting about this form of crime is that, due to its sheer effects and implications on many other fields of studies, it is no longer viewed just as a part of criminology, or not even just as sociology, but is also involved in other fields like economic, anthropology, law political science and history (Klaus von Lampe 2006). Suffice it to say that it has become a discipline itself, and is studied as a separate and special field of study, having its own literature and figures for study and analysis. Academic sources are drawn from all sorts of fields, and likewise, it has influenced many areas of national and international interaction, especially with the advancement in modern technology (Fiorentini, G & Peltzman, S. 1995). This paper aims at laying down a foundation to the study of organised crime, touching upon its many definitions and theories, its types and their effects on modern as well as historic human societies, and methods and procedures to regulate and control the spread and effects of operations that have been established as organised crime. Definitions: during the study of crime over the past ... The term organised crime was first coined by the Chicago Crime Commission in 1919 (Concept and Theory of Organised Crime in the USA 1999). Since then, this type of crime has taken up different forms and methodologies, depending upon the time in history, the places and cultures associated with it, and the effects it has as a result of the criminal activities of its doers. There is no one crime type that can be labeled as organised crime (Donald R. 1972). However, whatever the scenario, there are certain basic underlying characteristics that are true to all its forms. Broadly speaking, organised crime can be defined as the activities and operations undertaken by a group of criminals who have a hierarchically structured party, monetary acquisitions and funding, and political influences and backup to support their varied interests, involving a rampant use of violence to protect those interests (Wikipedia 2007). In short, as defined by the US Organised Crime Control Act of 1970, organized crime is "The unlawful activities of ... a highly organised, disciplined association...". Studying the various definitions of organised crime is in effect studying the different natures and perspectives in which this type of crime occurs, because each incident in itself has the potential to mold how organised crime is viewed and how it can be controlled. Different sources, according to the kind of facts and figures and data they have collected during their study, put forward different aspects of the crime. One form of the crime could be for supplying

Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Outline - Essay Example In other words, I need to address a lifestyle change that is responsive to my desire to curtail irresponsible spending. This question is very important to me because I realize that in order to improve the quality of my life I need to be more budget conscious and more responsible with what I do with my earnings. This is all the more important because my irrational and irresponsible spending impacts not only my own comfort, but the comfort of my family. At this point I am able to admit that I am at worst a compulsive spender, at best, unable to manage my earnings responsibly. I want to make a lifestyle change that reverses this conduct and improves the quality of my life and the lives of my loved ones. In this regard, I have focused my attention on what it is that I need to do to invoke an effective lifestyle change to curtail my spending habits. Current research into the topic of lifestyle changes typically agree that lifestyle change commences with identifying future goals and acknowledging current personal obstacles that can be changed to achieve a successful lifestyle change. McGraw (1999) informs that lifestyle changes begin with a realization that everyone faces challenges but the individual must take sole responsibility for meeting their own challenges (pp. 11-12). In general there are ten life laws for lifestyle changes. They are: becoming one of those that get it; accept that you are responsible for your own life; do that which works; accept what needs to be changed; take positive action; identify your perceptions; take control of your life; dictate how you are treated; be merciful and identify what you want to achieve (McGraw 1999). Markway et al (2003) caution that making lifestyle changes are never easy as it requires commitment, vision and discipline (p. 92). Tracy (2009) maintains that success driven persons are those who think ahead to the future and do not

Crime in Context (SC2032C) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Crime in Context (SC2032C) - Essay Example What is interesting about this form of crime is that, due to its sheer effects and implications on many other fields of studies, it is no longer viewed just as a part of criminology, or not even just as sociology, but is also involved in other fields like economic, anthropology, law political science and history (Klaus von Lampe 2006). Suffice it to say that it has become a discipline itself, and is studied as a separate and special field of study, having its own literature and figures for study and analysis. Academic sources are drawn from all sorts of fields, and likewise, it has influenced many areas of national and international interaction, especially with the advancement in modern technology (Fiorentini, G & Peltzman, S. 1995). This paper aims at laying down a foundation to the study of organised crime, touching upon its many definitions and theories, its types and their effects on modern as well as historic human societies, and methods and procedures to regulate and control the spread and effects of operations that have been established as organised crime. Definitions: during the study of crime over the past ... The term organised crime was first coined by the Chicago Crime Commission in 1919 (Concept and Theory of Organised Crime in the USA 1999). Since then, this type of crime has taken up different forms and methodologies, depending upon the time in history, the places and cultures associated with it, and the effects it has as a result of the criminal activities of its doers. There is no one crime type that can be labeled as organised crime (Donald R. 1972). However, whatever the scenario, there are certain basic underlying characteristics that are true to all its forms. Broadly speaking, organised crime can be defined as the activities and operations undertaken by a group of criminals who have a hierarchically structured party, monetary acquisitions and funding, and political influences and backup to support their varied interests, involving a rampant use of violence to protect those interests (Wikipedia 2007). In short, as defined by the US Organised Crime Control Act of 1970, organized crime is "The unlawful activities of ... a highly organised, disciplined association...". Studying the various definitions of organised crime is in effect studying the different natures and perspectives in which this type of crime occurs, because each incident in itself has the potential to mold how organised crime is viewed and how it can be controlled. Different sources, according to the kind of facts and figures and data they have collected during their study, put forward different aspects of the crime. One form of the crime could be for supplying

Political Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Terrorism - Essay Example To answer this question let us look at the definition of terrorism. Political terrorism is a mode of warfare and has a different meaning for different people and in this is the conundrum in defining political terrorism. For the developed world the Libyan-supported attacks on the airports at Rome and Vienna in 1985 were acts of political terrorism by Libya and the revolutionary elements using armed struggle to promote their aims at securing freedom. From the perspective of Libya, however it was the retaliatory attack by the powerful United States of America in 1986 that was an act of political terrorism, for it was purely with the objective of putting fear into Libya and the insurgent groups that violence would be met with violence. Thus searching for a universally accepted definition of political terrorism is futile exercise and there would be better reward in trying to understand what political terrorism means (Merari, 2007). There are three basic elements that go into providing an understanding of political terrorism. The first is that the destructive violence seen in mode of warfare of political violent is unlike the conventional open combat and is essentially in used by stealth. The second basic element is the principal targets of this violence is political and even when the targets are not political, the message attempted to be communicated through the violence is political. The final basic element in political terrorism is that it is used by insurgent groups against the state or as recourse by the state. Thus the main players in political terrorism are insurgent groups acting against the state or the state by itself (Ronczkowski, 2004). Terror as a weapon has a long history and is not a development of the twentieth century. However, the nature of terrorism that society faces today is far different from the earlier experiences and as a coherent philosophy is rooted in

Fetal Genetic Disorders Lead to Abortion Essay Example for Free

Fetal Genetic Disorders Lead to Abortion Essay When a woman first finds out that they are pregnant many factors of worry are present. One is particular is the worry of a genital defect. As women age their percentile chance of having a baby with a genital defect changes drastically. Common genetic disorders are trisomy 13, Patau syndrome, trisomy 18, Edward’s syndrome, and trisomy 21, Down syndrome. Although these can be treatable if a baby lives to adult age they will have a long list of medical problems to live with. Genital defects in babies is directly linked to the rate at which abortions occur. Although it may be easier to abort a baby with a genital defect it is still as wrong no matter what the circumstances. In order for someone to fully understand what having a baby with a specific genital disorder would be like, they must first understand the effects and symptoms of these disorders. When a baby is formed they have 46 chromosomes, 23 from their mom, and 23 from their dad. When nondisjunction occurs, no full separation of a chromosome pair is when genital disorders become present. Nondisjunction of two chromosomes 18 during the formation of an egg or sperm is by far the most common cause of Edwards syndrome. † (Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders) The interesting thing is that nothing before or during pregnancy causes this and nothing can be done to prevent it. The only well supported factor is that as the mother’s age increases there is a larger chance for complications. â€Å"Unlike Down syndrome, the developmental issues caused by Trisomy 18 are associated with medical complications that are more potentially life-threatening in the early months and years of life. (Trisomy 18 Foundation) Because of this 50% of babies with Trisomy 18 taken to term will be stillborn. (Trisomy 18 Foundation) Though there have been rare cases of people living to adulthood with this disease, they face life threatening complications that will be present until the day they die. Abortion has been present since the early 1800s and is still a major issue today. The most well known case dealing with abortion is that of Roe vs. Wade. In this case Wade was fighting against Roe by saying that if they rule abortion unconstitutional they â€Å"improperly invade a right said to be ossessed by a pregnant women, to choose to terminate her pregnancy. †(Herring 86) The final ruling on this case was that women should have the legal rights to her body and should be able to choose whether or not they will terminate their pregnancy. Several factors determine why a mother would choose an abortion. Single parenthood, not enough income, just doesnt want the baby, and/or medical issues. But one of the more rising issues is the fact that women will abort babies when they get a bad diagnosis. If their baby is going to be mentally retarded then why have it, the easier thing would be to just get rid of it. This has been the growing choice among mothers these days, especially the younger ones. By age 32 a women is 67% likely to have a baby with a genital defect, and is therefore 45% more likely to have an abortion. (Herring 193) The rising controversy of abortion can be directly linked to the diagnosis of fetal genetics disorders. If a woman receives the diagnosis that her baby will be born with Down syndrome and a series of other health issues then why give birth? If the baby is not going to be perfect then there are several women out there that feel the baby has no worth living. Every fetus becomes present at conception and deserves to live whether or not they have a genital defect. Most defects are treatable today and even the ones that are not if the baby is going to die anyway then why not let it die on it’s own terms, instead of terminating it. This is the argument that has been present since the early 1800s. In Roe vs. Wade the Supreme Court ruled that they did not have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body. But murder is a capital crime as well. So the real debate should not be that abortion is legal, the real issue should be whether or not abortion is seen as murder. Webster’s dictionary defines murder as the unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by another and also defines abortion as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. But when is a baby considered a human? When they are conceived, or when they are born? It would be considered murder if someone killed a baby after they were born, so why is it not considered murder if someone kills a baby before they are born. This is the true underlying issue of abortion. If the legal system can realize their gaps in their logic then maybe they can figure out that murder is murder no matter how big or how small a human is. Everyone has different morals and beliefs on what they think is right or wrong. But know matter what their moral or spiritual background n one can deny a human being life. So whatever the reason for abortion there need only be one reason against abortion. It is killing plain and simple. If killing is illegal then so is abortion.

Reflecting on Needs in Nursing and Healthcare

Reflecting on Needs in Nursing and Healthcare The aim of this essay is to critically reflect on one academic and one practical learning need. This essay will reflect in relation with my professional development as a health care practitioner based on the identified needs. John’s (1995) model of reflection will be used as an aid to reflect on this assignment. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) PREP continuing professional development guidelines format will be implemented during this writing. Confidentiality of the ward and patient’s information will be maintained throughout this essay in line with the United Kingdom, Data Protection Act (1998) and NMC (2008) codes of conduct on confidentiality, therefore the patient will be referred to as Mark a pseudonyms during description of the scenario. My identified clinical need based on information gathered from the first placement of my third year has improved my communication structure during patient’s handover to all members of staff. Improving this need is significant to me because, communication during patient’s handover can be considered as a paramount aspect of nursing care. Dossey and Keegan (2013) supported this by expressing that effective communication must be enhanced in order for holistic intervention to take effect in nursing practice. I researched about my clinical need for about twenty hours on different databases including government policies prior to writing this essay. On arrival to the ward I was asked by my mentor to hand over Mark a surgical patient to the nurse, health care assistant and another student nurse. During handover, I wanted to be outstanding and impress the health professionals as well as passing the vital information. However, this left me more nervous which made me realised how much I was struggling to articulate my sentence due to lack of structure. Odom-Forren (2007) study analysed handover to be a real time process of passing essential patient’s information between care givers in order to ensure continuity and safety of the patient. The purpose of this article was outlined as the importance of using structure for standardizing patient’s hand over, this made me understand that I have not being able to deliver this during the handover of Mark due to lack of structure. Street et al (2011) research identified how application of structured standardised handover has displayed significant improvement during nurse’ s handover. Structured handover makes the process more concise, objective and relevant (Griffen, 2010). Popovich (2011) research, Novak (2012) and Fenton (2006) study discussed how Implementations of a handover tool assists in recognising changes in patient’s status more quickly. Structured handover allows the receiving nurse to ask question related to the patient status and promotes accountability between shifts (Laws, 2010) therefore there is correlation in the research regarding structured handover. This motivated me into questioning myself in regards to why I had felt the way I did, and thought perhaps this could be due to insufficient amount of handing over and gathering essential information prior to handover which has not enabled me in developing confidence when handing over. Forren (2007) study sample size only focuses on perianasthesia setting handover which made this study relevant to me as my placement was in the theatre. The study could have been more applicable in future if the sample size was extensive to other clinical area as recommended by Russell and Gregory (2003) that articulated that studies with small samples may help to identify theoretically provocative ideas that merit further research. Lilleyman (2004) described handover as the most perilous procedures in patient’s care, a communication hotspot it was articulated that errors such as misinformation can jeopardise patient’s safety and workflow. I realised how limited my nursing intervention was when it comes to handing over and how I have not being able to adopt a systematic approach during my communication with the nurses when handing over which can influence the quality of care I deliver while also limiting my personal nursing development. This does not comply with the PREP has outlined in the NMC. Manser and Foster (2011) research recognized the significance of effective handover communication as it is critical to patient’s safety and quality of care. This has empowered me in recognising that developing my limited structured communication and organising clear thought during handover has numerous amount of effect on patient’s safety during care. Meeting this essential need also acquainted me with compliance to government policies such as NHS outcome 2013/14 that sets out the vision of the white paper which encourages improvement in the care quality provided to patient such as reduced delayed care. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF 2013) which is also a legal requirement by the care quality commission that focuses on increasing patient’s standardised safety, experience and outcome. A qualitative research conducted by Benham-Hutchins and Effken (2010) identifies insufficient amount of communication during handover can endanger patient’s care by causing communication breakdown which can also lead to mistakes such as drug error. This research was conducted in an acute setting, the researchers conducted the research by asking staff to describe the method used for handing over however one major drawback of this approach is the methodology of the research which appears to be ambiguous. The researchers failed to take into consideration whether the staff nurses will be totally honest in the method used during handover. As I have seen while out in practice that not all nurses follow the tools available for handover, a more appropriate method will be to observe the nurses during patient’s handover. An example of communication breakdown can also be identified as reported in the Francis inquiry (2009) where patient’s care was endangered. Understanding of this has enabled me in accepting how I was unknowingly limiting my patient’s care and the impact it has on my ability to perform to my full potential as a final year student nurse which can lead to delay patient’s care, poor quality, risk and mistakes. In also developing this practical need I will be able to provide an individualised handover based on patient’s need to all member of staffs rather than a broad overview of patients. NMC code of conduct (2008) expects nurses to treat patient as an individual and respect their dignity. Pertinent information will also be assimilated in order to provide continuity of care to my patient as acknowledged in Manias and Street, (2010) research. Development of this need will enable to me to provide adequate handover which shows my competency while also enabling me to be accountable for my actions in order to make informed decisions and provide seamless care as obligatory by the NMC code of conduct (2008). My communication skill during handover will also be improved as it shows my professional development which is a requirement for PREP. This is also authorised by the Joint Commission (2012) that emphasises that well organised communication is extremely central to patient’s safety as communication can be considered as one of the leading issues contributing to patient’s harm. Therefore they recommended in the national patient safety goals that effectiveness of communication should be improved among care givers. Organising my thoughts before handover will support me to work in accordance to the embracement of the 6Cs values of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment of the nursing practice. Reflecting on areas that I went wrong and the positive feedback received from my mentor has equipped me in feeling more confident while also promoting self-regulation of clinical reasoning and questioning prior to, after handover and also during any form of nursing intervention. Scott and Ely (2007) emphasised that, positive performance should also be considered in reflection. In eagerness to improve this need I started incorporating evidence based into my practice during handover through reading, making notes of the structure used by observing my mentor when she handed over. Situation, background, assessment, recommendation known as the (SBAR) was one of the tool I observed my mentor and other nurses using in practice. The application of this tool aided my handover process as the questions within the tool allowed me to focus on vital information and be concise. Using this tool also enabled me in spending less time on handover as the information needed for communication during handov er was gathered before handover. This action facilitated clarity, effective and assertiveness in my communication which made the task of handing over a lot more easily. Another tool that I used as a structure in providing effective handover is the modified early warning scores (MEWS) pathway. This pathway allowed me to identifying when a patient starts to deteriorate. in order for a patient’s deterioration to be passed on during handover as it was recommended on the chart that a patient with a MEWS score of four or more can be transferred within department as long this is communicated with the receiving department. The Mews chart enabled me to stand as an advocate in ensuring the patient’s care handed over to the other staff will not be compromised as I was able to document the exact figure of observation on the chart for monitoring while also maintaining patient’s continuity of care and safety. NMC code of conduct (2008) expressed, nurses to act as an advocate for those in their care, helping them to access relevant health and social care, information and support. Currie (2002) CUBAN was used to enhanced patient’s care d uring handover by adopting Confidentiality during handover, uninterrupted communication, brief and concise information, accurate and relevant need, and Name nurse would be me and my mentor as we were looking after the patient Based on the knowledge I have gained through research and in-depth reading of this need, I now have more detailed understanding of the effect the gap in my knowledge had on how I was limiting my patient’s care as I was missing pieces of important information. Now I can confidently apply the handover tools to practice which shows evidence based. This has changed my practice to improve the care I give on daily basis as indorsed by PREP. My identified academic need is critical thinking. The learning activity of this need took place over the first semester of my final year. The learning activity took me a week to gather all my feedbacks together from my entire previously submitted essay. After reading through my feedbacks in depth I realised how all my tutors have stated I need to apply critical thinking to my essays. Research on this academic need took me fifteen hours of gathering literatures to enhance my knowledge of this need in order to be able to critically analyse the need in accordance to my development. I have decided to elaborate on my academic need of critical thinking because Girot (2000) identified that in order for nurses to be safe, compassionate, competent and skilled practitioners must develop an aptitude of critical thinking. This made me realised how crucial it is for me to develop critical thinking as a nurse as it will assist me in identifying and challenging assumptions in practice and when writing my essays. McGloin (2007) research made me understand how I have not being reading widely to empower my ability of being able to think critically through development of arguments which has influenced my written work and care given to patient therefore limiting my personal development (PREP). Greetham (2008) also discussed how most student underused critical thinking whereas it is the most pertinent skill needed to improve academic writing. In meeting my academic need I am expecting to get better understanding of my work prior to writing my essay. Cotrell (2008) suggested that having a clear thought through reading widely about that specific area before writing the essay enables student to gain adequate result. This shows that low marks in my essays are impacted by my lack of reading and lack of appropriate preparation before writing my essays. The ability of not being able to source evidence based practice will also have an effect on my nursing care. Critical thinking will allow me as a student to prioritise my work load when writing essays and while also out in practice (Hutchfield and Standing, 2012). Prioritising work load also provides space to be able to review and edit work on different occasions (Davis et al, 2011). Having a critical thinking skill will influence my patient care as I would be able to apply the skill of reasoning and questioning into complex situation encountered in practice. The Department of he alth (2010) also encourages critical thinking as it is a feature that is needed to be an advanced professional practice which is also required. Whiffin and Hasselder (2013) Research paper discussed how critical thinking is one of the characteristics that should be possessed by registered practitioners who owes the duty of providing critical solutions to problems that are complex. Gopee (2002) discussed that health care practitioners and student nurses applies critical thinking skill in their day to day practice whether they undertake the degree level or diploma programme but finds it difficult to transfer it into writing. Chan (2013) discussed how all nursing students can be considered as critical thinkers due to relating theory of what is learnt in class into practice. Hicks (2001) suggested that critical thinking can be developed through experience that involves undertaken complexity activity. Lauder and James (2001) study analysed that there are no significant differences for graduate and non-graduate student when it comes to critical thinking which nicely correlate with Gopee (2002). Understanding of this and having read through different research on what critical thinking is has enabled me to understand what the term critical thinking is. This made me recognise this is a skill I have been applying into my practice unknowingly which I have developed through series of placement but I have not being able to apply it thorough into my academic essay. For example in practice I was told by my mentor that we needed to trial without catheter (TWOC) a patient, this made me question why we were taken this action earlier than usual, whether it was documented by the Doctors, if the patient has been informed and what the after plans were. Reflecting back made me understand this action can be considered as being critical to maintain efficient care. However Girot (2000) research causes lack of consensus by articulating that graduate nursing students possessed greater care planning and decision making skills than non-graduate nursing students. Development of my need connect more with Gopee(2002), Lauder and James (2001) because not all nurses seen in practice undertook the degree program but they are still able to apply critical thinking into the daily nursing activities. Critical thinking will enable me to have the characteristics of a critical thinker while making me accountable for my actions and provide quality nursing care as recommended by Scheffer and Rubenfield (2000) that analysed critical thinkers in nursing exhibit habits of confidence, contextual perspective, flexibility, inquisitiveness, open mindedness and reflection. In realising this it made me understand development of this need has huge impact on my nursing profession as it essential for me to examine every underlying assumption. Critical thinking will result in me providing higher quality of care as I will be able to meet the need and concerns of my patient which is required by the care quality commission. In meeting this need I will be able to consider alternatives, preferences and question any uncertainty. Booth (2008) discussed practitioners must sought after the best available tool to reach the best available decision when providing nursing intervention. In order to impact my pa tient with positive experience, maintain safety and deliver positive outcome I will need to apply my critical thinking skill by assessing the best practice for my patient through autonomously holistic care. Profetto-McGrath (2005) and Scheffer and Rubenfield (2000) discussed how critical thinking improves patients outcome through evidence based practice. Gadamer (2000) research discussed how critical thinking enable nurses to develop as an expert through knowledge and proficiency stage as this allows the nurse to move from being task orientated towards patient specific care and need. This academic need has been limiting my development because awareness of this has made me gathered how much I could have been task orientated in my essays and nursing intervention in order to get the task done rather than reading and seeking for ways to provide an expertise care and work. Chan (2013) study made me realise reading widely is encouraged as it assist student to develop more sophisticated fo rm of reasoning which make complex problems a lot more easier to deal with. This need has a huge impact on my nursing development because appliance of critical thinking enables me to provide quality essay through informed research and also provide safe evidence based care through clinical judgement by finding and applying guidelines in practice (Young, 2004). Critical thinking will enhance my professional development by enabling me to seek out the truth by actively exploring a problem or situation. It will also facilitate me to provide adequate patient centred nursing assessment and intervention while also acting as an advocate for my patient. Development of critical thinking reflects my competency as this is one of the expectations of the NMC code of conduct (2008) and National Institute of health and care excellence (2010) laid emphasised are laid on the importance of critical thinking in nursing practice to perform higher care (Chang et al 2011). Development of this truth seeking need can also leave an impression on my colleagues to strive for the best pr actice available hence influencing the work environment positively which has a great impact on patient’s experience as covered in Chan (2013). Applying critical thinking into my essays has enabled me to be more analytical when using research as evidence to back up points in my writing. Critical thinking has assisted me in planning efficiently before conducting my academic work for example I had to utilise this skill when it came to selecting the best literature to critique and analyse my work prior to writing. Price and Harrington (2010) discussed one of the components of successful academic writing is thorough preparation and through planning. As critical thinking is an on-going skill I will continue applying it to my learning and practice by reading more. Critical thinking can be considered as a key ingredient to lifelong learning that characterizes personal growth and development through experience and practice (Banning, 2006). In conclusion development of these needs has influenced my knowledge and ability of being able to provide evidence based practice into my patient’s care. It has also impacted my academic work by enabling me to question the validity of research before applying it to my essay.

Things Fall Apart :: essays research papers fc

In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart the life of a man named Okonkwo and the tribe of Umuofia is depicted in three chapters which each represent a significant era in the tribe. In the first chapter, Achebe describes the life of the native African tribe before the coming of the white man. This chapter enables the reader to understand and respect the life of the Igbo. The second chapter describes the beginnings of colonialism and introduction of the white man. Suddenly, the Igbo way is questioned. The natives lives are turned upside down as they search for a way to understand the new religion and laws of the Europeans. The third chapter describes the effect of colonialism on the Igbo tribe. This section explores the many ways which the Igbo people try to adapt to the new society. From the suicide of Okonkwo to the abandonment by other tribe members, it becomes apparent how difficult it was for the African’s to adjust to the change. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of D arkness tells of an English man named Marlow and his journey into the Congo and interest in a colonist named Kurtz. Marlow is the narrator of the novel. He describes the natives and the Europeans from a somewhat objective view. He finds colonialism questionable, but also cannot relate to the Africans. Kurtz is the antagonist who exploits the Africans to make money by selling ivory and subsequently goes insane. Both novels depict the colonization of Africa, but each has a markedly different perspective on the African’s lives which were irreparably altered when Europeans came to conquer their land and convert them to Christianity. Conrad’s descriptions of the Africans are inherently racist. The text is full of demeaning descriptions and negative thoughts about the blacks. â€Å"The thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly" (Conrad 32) Conrad refers to the natives as niggers and compares their looks to animals. â€Å"He was there below me, and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind legs.† (Conrad 33) These passages and attitudes toward the natives promote the view of the natives during colonialism of Africa in the way that Achebe’s district commissioner sees it, â€Å"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger.

Ethics in Information Technology :: Technology Ethics

Ethics in Information Technology Technology Department Technology is in many ways very beneficial to our society, but in what ways can and/or will this fast growing business be unethical. This article explains the power and information that an IT personnel has in the business world. Most people think of the IT person as someone who comes to fix their computer when they can't figure out their e-mail. But what does an IT person have access to. Every business is different and has different responsibilities required for the IT personnel. This article explains how most companies use the IT department for monitoring their employees on the computer. The article raises many questions on the ethical behaviors of IT personnel, but it doesn't give many answers. That's because the question of "Is it ethical?" must be answered by each individual IT professional. In other professional careers such as Medicine or Law that have been around for a long time have a set of laws or code of ethics that goes along with the job. This field has yet to establish such rules. The article states that most ethical issues such as: reading the employee e-mails and changing words, using key loggers to obtain everything a specific person has typed, or screen capture programs to monitor everything they have looked at, have not even been confronted by law, nor is there a standard that any IT professional has to follow. It's scary to think how much power and information that an IT professional have access to, and the fact that there are no laws that prohibit some of the procedures they is also a frightening thought. Even at Southwestern Assemblies of God University the IT people have access to our social security number, web pages we visit, and even our internet passwords like e-mail or student login. If the IT professional are hired and have no prior discretion of ethical issues how can we trust what they will do with the information they have about us. I trust that the employers at Southwestern have chosen the right people for the job, but what the everyday office of America. The article states that some of the IT professionals even help employees to get others fired. An example of this would be: At this particular business the IT department receives all the e-mails to be screened before they leave to the recipient.

Eye Witness Essay

This essay is based on â€Å"The Story of an Eyewitness† by Jack London and â€Å"Leaving Desire† by Jon Lee Anderson. â€Å"The Story of an Eyewitness† talks about how the San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed the city in 1906. â€Å"Leaving Desire† talks about a victim of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. London and Anderson’s coverage of these disasters are different in several ways. Some examples of their differences are portrayed in the author’s purpose, the achievement of their purpose, and the authors focus. – Purpose for Writing London’s purpose for writing is to describe the destruction of San Francisco from the earthquake and fire. London describes the effects the disasters had on the city. For example, â€Å"The earthquake shook down in San Francisco hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of walls and chimneys†¦ I passed through Union Square. It was packed with refugees. Thousands of them had gone to bed on the grass. Government tents had been set up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this describes how the disasters had an effect on the living conditions in the city. London describes the attitude of the people in San Francisco, which is sort of a hopeless feeling because they knew that their valuables and their own selves couldn’t be rescued. In the text, â€Å" ‘yesterday morning’ he said, â€Å"I was worth six hundred thousands dollars. This morning this house is all I have left. It will all go in fifteen minutes. † The victim of the earthquake has an attitude of ‘there is nothing I can do’ (hopeless), and London doesn’t really state it but its apparent by what the victim says. London Also describes the remains of San Francisco, which is barely anything. In the article he writes, â€Å"San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and a fringe of dwelling houses on its outskirts. † This plainly states that everything is gone, but further into the article (page 413) he builds it up in description. Anderson’s purpose for writing is to create the mood of empathy in the reader from the victim’s experience. Anderson has also witnessed heartbreaking things in New Orleans, for example, â€Å"As the water rose, they took refuge in the choir loft. They stayed there for eight days, drinking the water the storm washed in. We were down to our last two crackers. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  That created an empathetic mood because the old married couple barely made it through these eight days and only had little to eat and unsanitary drinking water. Anderson learns how the disaster effected the main victim in this article, Lionel Petrie. For example â€Å"Petrie took a step back on his porch†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Can I take my dog with me? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"I hate this. † Then she said to him, â€Å"I am so sorry Mr. Petrie, but, no, they won’t allow us to take animals. You will have to leave him here. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  This creates a mood of empathy because thinking he probably loved his dog very much it would be hard to leave him there to perish in the storm. Anderson gives details about what Petrie had to witness in his town. For example â€Å"As we made our way down Desire, Petrie looked around him at the devastation, his neighbors houses submerged in water. He said â€Å"Oh my God. I had no idea. † Petrie’s shocked and disturbed feeling really advances the mood of empathy in the article because he is so overwhelmed and hurt by what he saw, thinking it wasn’t going to be as bad as it was. How Purpose is Achieved London achieves his purpose by using descriptive language and words/terms. He describes his surrounding and the destruction of the city, like he says, â€Å"The streets were humped into ridges and depressions, and piled with the debris of fallen walls†¦The steel rails were twisted into perpendicular and horizontal angles. † London describes what the city looks like by using descriptive words such as depressions, horizontal, perpendicular, steel, and twisted. He also discusses the people of San Francisco and their reactions about what happened or what was to come. For example â€Å"Try that piano. Listen to its tone. There are a few like it. There are no horses. The flames will be here in fifteen minutes. † This victim doesn’t state that he has given up on trying to be saved but the words he says expresses that he has lost all hope. London tells how everything is destroyed in the city by repeating the same descriptive phrase. He says, â€Å"Its industrial section is wiped put. Its business section is wiped out. Its social and residential section is wiped out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  London describes sentence by sentence how all together San Francisco s gone. Anderson’s purpose is achieved by getting a primary source and being a primary source of the aftermath of the hurricane. He was able to get information about Petrie’s sad experience. For example â€Å"Petrie explained that his wife and son and daughter had left the city†¦ He didn’t know where his family was now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The author creates an empathetic mood by getting the reader to think about losing our family members or not knowing where they were and wondering if you would ever see them again. Anderson tells about Petrie’s worries and fears of the unknown. For example â€Å"Petrie told me that he was worried about his aunt Willa Mae Butler: â€Å"She’s about eighty-two and lives on†¦ I’m worried she’s dead, because this time she said she wasn’t going. † Petrie is unsure about his families’ safety and that actually creates a mood of sympathy. People have experiences this in natural disasters like the earthquake in the fall of 2011. Anderson uses the surroundings to create a mood of empathy in the reader. For example â€Å"A boat came up and deposited an elderly black couple†¦ They took refuge in the choir loft. They stayed there for eight days, drinking the water the storm washed in. † This creates a mood of empathy through the surroundings because he saw the couple and heard what they went through and its heartbreaking they had to go through it. – Focus of the Author London focuses on San Francisco as a whole. He focuses on how the earthquake had an impact on the entire city. For example â€Å"San Francisco is gone. † He doesn’t say one specific area of the city is gone, but the entire San Francisco. London also tells about where the fire hit and where it was heading. He writes, â€Å"I sat on the steps of a small residence on Nob Hill†¦ To the east and south at right angles, were advancing two mighty walls of flame†¦ I went inside with the owner of the house on the steps of which I sat†¦ â€Å"The flames will be here in fifteen minutes. † London tells where the flames were a citizen of San Francisco tells when the flames will be in fifteen minutes. London gives information about how the victims, or soon to be victims, reacted to the danger (fire), for example â€Å"He was an old man and he was on crutches. Said he: â€Å"Today is my birthday. Last night I was worth thirty thousand dollars. I bought some delicate fish and other things for my birthday dinner. I have had no dinner, and all I own are these crutches. † The old man seems to be very disappointed that the fire has destroyed everything he owned. His reaction to the disaster is disappointment. Anderson’s main focus is on Lionel Petrie and Ninth Ward of New Orleans. He only covers one part of New Orleans in the story. For example â€Å"Alladio was out on a search for trapped survivors†¦ in one of the poorest and worst-hit parts of the city, the Ninth Ward, in eastern New Orleans. That basically tells what area the article mainly focuses on. Anderson’s article is based on the experience of Lionel Petrie and barely anyone else’s. For example â€Å"Petrie explained that his wife and son and daughter had left the city by car, heading for Baton Rouge†¦ he didn’t know where his family was now, and if he left, they wouldn’t know where he was. † This tells about Petrie’s experience in not knowing whether he would see his family again. Anderson is writhing about Lionel Petrie who lived in Ninth Ward of New Orleans so that would most likely be the place Anderson would cover and focus on. In the story it says, â€Å"When I first saw Lionel Petrie, he was standing on the second story porch of his house, at the junction of Desire Street and North Bunny Friend, in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. † This is the first sentence of the entire article so apparently it is about Lionel Petrie who lived in Ninth Ward of New Orleans. – Conclusion In conclusion London’s purpose, achievement of purpose, and focus, differ from Anderson’s. They both use their differences to cover the disasters in their articles. Though the author’s methods of reportage were different, both were very effective in achieving their purposes. (Jon Lee Anderson)

Projective Techniques Essay

Such tests are based loosely on the psychoanalytic concept of projection, the assumption being that respondents project unconscious aspects of their personalities on to the test items and reveal them in their responses †¦ The website of the Association of Qualitative Practitioners (AQR 2004) defines projective techniques as follows: A wide range of tasks and games in which respondents can be asked to participate during an interview or group, designed to facilitate, extend or enhance the nature of the discussion. Some are known as ‘projective’ techniques, being loosely based on approaches originally taken in a psychotherapeutic setting. These rely on the idea that someone will ‘project’ their own (perhaps unacceptable or shameful) feelings or beliefs onto an imaginary other person or situation †¦ Projective techniques may be used in qualitative as well as quantitative studies (Levy 1994) and they are useful (Boddy 2004b) in both. 240 International Journal of Market Research Vol. 47 Issue 3 Projective techniques are commonly used in qualitative market research (Gordon & Langmaid 1990) where the aim of the techniques is to facilitate the gaining of a deeper understanding of the area being researched. In discussing projective techniques they distance the use of projective techniques in qualitative market research from that of psychoanalytical practice, and suggest a more pedestrian and pragmatic definition: Projection [is] the tendency to imbue objects or events with characteristics or meanings which are derived from our subconscious desires, wishes or feelings. Dichter (1964) defined projection as meaning ‘to project subjective ideas and contents onto an object’, and said that one person could ascribe their own problems or difficulties to someone else. He described these techniques as being widely used in psychological work (Dichter 1960) and said that they are a non-directive interview technique where the respondent can project himself onto another and thus reveal some of the respondent’s own thoughts, feelings and fears. Projective vis-a-vis enabling techniques The market researchers Chandler and Owen (2002) define projective and enabling techniques quite succinctly and in a way with which most qualitative market research practitioners (Gordon & Langmaid 1990; Goodyear 1998) would probably agree. This differentiation is useful to make at the beginning of this paper as the techniques are often used interchangeably and the distinction between them may have become blurred in the minds of some qualitative market researchers. Classically, the idea of a projective technique relates to a device that allows the individual research participant to articulate repressed or otherwise withheld feelings by projecting these onto another character. The idea of enabling techniques relates to a device which allows the individual research participant to find a means of expressing feelings, thoughts and so on which they find hard to articulate. Enabling techniques are held to be the simpler (Will, Eadie & MacAskill 1996) of the two techniques as they just help people to talk about themselves. Will et al. ake the useful distinguishing point that while all projective techniques may be enabling, not all enabling techniques involve projection. Other researchers (Lysaker & Bradley 1957) make the point that even pictorial devices, which do not function as projective techniques 241 Projective techniques in market research (i. e. devices researchers would nowadays refer to as enabling techniques), may still have utility in gener ating responses. Gordon and Langmaid (1990) state that the use of projective as opposed to enabling techniques is a false distinction in market research as the aim of both techniques is to facilitate deeper understanding. However, they do go on to say that in enabling techniques people are asked to do something that itself has no interpretive value (and so doesn’t itself need to be interpreted). In terms of analysis there is a distinction because with enabling techniques the research participants are talking as themselves (that is not to say that this speech should always be taken at face value), whereas with projective techniques the research participants are talking as someone else and the researcher makes the interpretative assumption that they are talking as themselves. This agreement over the definition of projective techniques is about as far as most research textbooks get on the subject. How they are subsequently used is little discussed and how they are then analysed is hardly explicitly touched on at all (Levy 1994; Catterall 1998), which is a situation that has hardly changed from ten or more years ago. This paper aims to look at current reports of how projective techniques are analysed and what support for their reliability and validity exists, and aims to stimulate debate in this area of market research so that a better and more accessible understanding of the subject can be offered to those entering research as potential practitioners, to interested clients, and to researchers who are more used to a quantitative or direct questioning approach. The origins of projective techniques Projective techniques were employed in market research from the 1940s (Catterall & Ibbotson 2000) to encourage research participants to express feelings and attitudes that might otherwise be withheld due to embarrassment or fear if more direct questioning methods were used. Market research originally borrowed (Robson 2000; Boddy 2004a) projective techniques from psychoanalysis and clinical psychology where they are still used (Richman 1996) to gain insights into personality and personality disorders. Projection, as a concept, originated from Freud’s work on paranoia (Lilienfeld, Wood & Garb 2000), where he conceptualised projection as a defence mechanism by which people unconsciously attribute their own negative personality traits to others. Lilienfeld et al. say that Freud’s work 242 International Journal of Market Research Vol. 47 Issue 3 was subsequently developed by psychoanalysts and clinical psychologists. This development was based on the hypothesis that ‘research participants project aspects of their personalities in the process of disambiguating unstructured test stimuli’, and several different techniques were developed such as the well-known Rorschach technique, or ‘ink-blot test’, where subjects are assumed to project aspects of their personality onto the ambiguous features of a set of inkblots. Projective techniques in market research A commonly used completion technique (Gordon & Langmaid 1990; Will et al. 1996) in qualitative market research is ‘bubble drawing’. This is a device based on a technique called the Thematic Apperception Test where, according to Tucker-Ladd (2001), clinical psychologists use a series of standard pictures and ask subjects to make up stories about them. TuckerLadd says that what people see in the pictures says something about themselves and thus reveals their personality. Projective techniques can be used in a variety of market research situations as well as in social and educational research (Catterall & Ibbotson 2000), and these do not have to be aiming at uncovering aspects of personality of any great depth. For example, a bubble drawing was used (Boddy 2004a) by one researcher to uncover students’ underlying attitudes towards the delivery of a lecture on marketing research rather than to uncover any deeper aspects of their own personalities. Projective and enabling techniques are thus useful when research participants have difficulty expressing opinions or feelings and researchers need some way of accessing these from the participants’ minds (Gordon & Langmaid 1990; Kay 2001).

Bussiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Bussiness - Essay Example According to the China National Tourism Office (2007b), statistics show that China has one of the biggest inbound markets in Asia constituting almost 34 % of theregion's total tourist arrivals. Over the next decade, China will become the second largest travel and tourism industry inthe world, after the United States. The China tourism sector is expected to further improve as it continues to receive renewed support with relaxation of government regulation (CNTOa, 2007). China's emerging market is now seeing rapid developments as major international hotel companies are pushing to establish strong footholds in the region. Many top of the line hotel chains are already being constructed in preparation for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. (Zhang et al, 2005). Major foreign investments are pouring in every sector aside from tourism contributing to higher government revenues that provides further initiative and funds to develop and promote the rich cultural heritage of the country. China can now afford to set and meet higher standards in accommodation and other support systems. Indeed, it has developed from offering substandard services to one that is truly remarkable. The aim of this paper is to analyze the developments in hospitality industry in China... I will also be providing details on the projects and initiatives, how they were implemented, who implemented them and provide a report on the current status of the project whenever possible. 2.0 On the Road to Success: China's Initiatives for the Hospitality Industry 2.1 10th Five-Year Plan Tourism Development Program The year 2000 saw a complete fulfillment of drawing up the Tourism Development Program for the 10th Five-Year Plan. Based on the work done in 1999, two forums on mapping out the Tourism Development Program for the 10th Five-Year Plan were respectively held in Nanjing and Harbin between January and February in 2000. The Nanjing Forum was attended by representatives from tourist departments in southeast China, while the Harbin Forum was attended by representatives from North China. By October 2000, the "China Tourism Development Program for the 10th Five-Year Plan and the Program Outline by the Years 2015 and 2020" had been already worked out. It reviews the achievements made in tourism industry and experiences gained in its development during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, outlines the tourist development targets and major projects during the 10th Five-Year Plan, and systematically puts forward important strategic ideologies for realizing the grand blueprint. It is program of action which will guide China's tourism industry to make bigger development in the new century. (Wen and Tisdell, 2001) 2.2 Professional Management in Tourism Planning In line with the renewed efforts for the development of the hospitality sector, more efforts were made to strengthen professional management of tourism planning, accelerate the process of legislation construction in tourism planning, and give more technological and policy guidance on local tourism