Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Annotated Argument-The Belle Curve Essay - 6621 Words

Table of Contents nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The Bell Curve Chapter 1 – â€Å"Cognitive Class and Education, 1900-1990 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It is not just the case that more people are going to college, but that the brighter students are the ones attending. 2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Admission became more related to I.Q. than in the past. 3)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There is a small part of the population that are expected to fill positions of power, yet they cannot relate to the majority of the population. Chapter 2 – â€Å"Cognitive Partitioning By Occupation 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The correlation between I.Q. and job status is high. 2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Family members typically resemble each†¦show more content†¦2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;People with lower IQ’s tend to get injured more often than those with high IQ’s. Chapter 8 – â€Å"Family Matters† 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;People with low I.Q.’s tend to have lower marriage rates than those with higher I.Q.’s. 2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The higher the I.Q., the lower the probability of divorce and/or illegitimacy. 3)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Children of divorced parents have an elevated risk of getting divorced. 4)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The combination of poverty and welfare cause women to have illegitimate babies. Chapter 9 – â€Å"Welfare Dependency† 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Women on welfare have less education than women not on welfare. 2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;White women with above-average cognitive ability or socioeconomic background rarely become welfare recipients. Chapter 10 – â€Å"Parenting† 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Smart women are better mothers and provide a better environment for their children. 2)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Middle-class parents are better parents than that of the working-class. 3)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mother’s I.Q. is strongly related to a child’s I.Q. (heredity). Chapter 11 – â€Å"Crime† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; 1)nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There is a link between cognitive ability

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Discuss psychological explanations of one eating disorder Free Essays

Discuss Psychological explanations of one eating disorder. (8+16) Psychological explanations of obesity Include the psychodrama and the behaviorism approach. Behaviorism suggests three means by which obesity may occur; classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss psychological explanations of one eating disorder or any similar topic only for you Order Now There Is a great deal of evidence for the behavioral explanation. Classical conditioning is where eating becomes associated with other behaviors that are often routine, leading to eating when not hungry for example snacking whilst watching TV. Evidence for this as a cause of obesity comes from Fletcher et alls ‘Do something different’ study which shows how breaking such habitual associations prevents overeating, and so leads to weight loss, even for people who are not actually dieting. Furthermore, evidence for the role of operant conditioning, which is related to food being used as a reward, comes from Wanting at al who noted that people can turn to food and eat excessively for comfort, using food as a reward. However, operant conditioning alone cannot explain obesity, as we know there are biological factors which affect how rewarding retain foods are, therefore the behavioral approach as an explanation of obesity can be seen as reductionism. Operant conditioning, although not offering a full explanation for the causes of obesity, does have some good practical applications. Techniques using operant conditioning have been very successful in reinforcing healthy eating practices. Devoid and Yankton found Up’s on such a programmer has an average weight loss of between 1 5 and 20 Lbs on the scheme. However, Just because it is successful in treating the eating disorder doesn’t mean it can be seen as a viable cause for obesity. Social Learning theory is the third means by which the behaviorism approach suggests obesity may occur and it suggests that obesity is due to observing and imitating obese role models, particularly people we identify with in some way. In order for this to be valid, the relationship between one obese person and the role models around them has to be assessed. Chalks and Fowler did Just that and found that a person’s chance of becoming obese Increased by 57% If they had a friend who became obese. However, although many extraneous variables were enthroned in this study, it was still only correlation in nature and correlation does not indicate causation meaning other factors such as biology or culture cannot be ruled out as other possible contributing factors to obesity. Although there is a great deal of evidence to support the behaviorism approach it can be seen as limited as it ignores biological and genetic factors that also have a great deal of support with regards to causing obesity, egg Standard et al who found a strong relationship between adopted and genetic mother’s weight and no relationship between adopted and adoptive arena’s weight. However, taking the deterministic nature of the behaviorism approach as a positive It does have an optimistic message with regards to beating obesity. Due to the fact the basis of the behaviorism approach Is that all behaviors are learned and can therefore be unlearned, means that obese people may be more willing to try dieting and other forms of lifestyle change more readily than if they futile. There is a problem with this view however as it focuses on the role of nurture rather than nature which can often cause blame to be put onto parents for their bees children. While in some cases this can have a positive effect as the parent realizes the necessity of educating their child on healthy food choices and not associating certain activities with food, it can also raise ethical issues as families are not protected from potential emotional harm from being blamed for their obese child’s health issues. In addition to the behaviorism explanation of obesity, the psychodrama explanation of obesity offers an alternative on the causes of this eating disorder. The psychodrama explanation of obesity is based around Fraud’s incept of problem behaviors in adult hood being due to unresolved conflicts that occurred during childhood development through the psychosocial stages with obesity being linked to unconscious desires of the oral phase. This could be caused by a lack of gratification in the oral stage or over gratification and both could lead to obesity. Evidence for the role of the ID (a structure of the unconscious mind that is concerned with gratifying needs) and oral fixation come from Grant and Borders who found that adult loneliness was a key issue in overeating for all Up’s. Furthermore, bused Up’s used food to ‘numb pain’ whereas non abused Up’s used it to recreate warmth and nurturing experienced in childhood that they missed in their lonely adult life. This shows the effect of both under and over gratification in the oral stage of psychosocial development. It seems that as an adult, emotional difficulties or trauma may lead to regression to the oral stage thus overeating. Eating may also result as a substitute for affection. However there are a few issues with this study; there was only a very small sample and the fact that the research was very sensitive means that the reliability of Up’s recall may be questionable. However, as with the behavioral approach, there are practical applications associated with the psychodrama approach for example it highlights the need for social support; if a person does not feel lonely at a time of emotional distress, it seems the regression back to the oral stage and thus overeating may not occur. In addition to social support, the psychodrama explanation of obesity highlights the cause which can then be used to treat obesity, which in this case is a symptom of a larger problem; Hereford there is optimism attached to this explanation as with the behaviorism approach. Furthermore, Rounded et al has also found a link between childhood abuse and obesity. They found that child sexual abuse is associated with a doubling of odds of obesity in a telephone sample of 4,641 women. However once again there are methodological issues regarding this research as it is geocentric so cannot be generalizes to the wider population of both men and women- it lacks population validity. There is also further supportive evidence from Williamson et al who found NY form of abuse can lead to an increased chance of obesity showing regression into childhood and the oral phase in order to find missed gratification. However, there are many issues regarding the psychodrama approach including the fact that it cannot be investigated scientifically using the features of science that psychology attempts to follow. It is speculative in nature and based on philosophy of the mind rather than scientific fact. Therefore the validity and reliability of the explanation of obesity is very low. It can never be scientifically proven due to its nature so will How to cite Discuss psychological explanations of one eating disorder, Essays

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Spot of Attraction of Bondi Beach Sydney in Australia †MyAssignmenthe

Question: Discuss about the Principles of Marketing Spot of Attraction of Bondi Beach Sydney. Answer: Introduction The objective of this report is to find out the effectiveness of any event in a popular place of attraction in Sydney. For this purpose, the discussion will evolve with the place of attraction named Bondi Beach and the specified event to take place there as Yoga event by SPEEDO Fitness Club. This event will be in the nature of a workshop which will emphasize on the health awareness of the visitors of Bondi Beach, Sydney and the members of the health club. The procedure of enlisting the visitor will be through online registration. This type of event has prime objective to make the brand popular with the secondary objective of conducting the event under the portfolio of social corporate responsibility(Brandyoubrilliant, 2014). The effectiveness of this type event can only be reviewed after doing necessary research in the form of SWOT analysis. This analysis can guide the organizer to assess the internal and external factors which can determine the success of the event. As per the evalu ation through SWOT analysis, this report will include recommendations which can give the event more impetus on the target audience(Paradisevalley, 2017). The Location of Attraction- Bondi Beach Bondi Beach is considered as one the great beaches of the world so far its beauty and attraction to the visitors are concerned. This beach is featured with the ocean and land meeting as the Pacific Ocean and is presented with its lively grandeur of foaming swells and beautiful sand. This beach is open for all people irrespective of their financial or cultural status and is reckoned as the closest beach of the Pacific with its location nearest to the city centre with the distance of 8 Kilo Meters only. This beach is crowned with consistent flow of good waves with crowd gathering round the year. The average temperature of water is moderately maintained with environmental friendly ambience of 21 degree Celsius. In case of the sea is volatile, there is provision of user friendly sea baths of saltwater which are available at both end of the beach(Lonelyplanet, 2016). This beach is crowded throughout the year by thousands of travelers, right from backpackers to billionaires. This one Km wide beach is good for walking, jogging, enjoying sea and sun bathing. This beach is famous for hosting different types of events round the year including health awareness programs, community art shows, winds kite flying festival or sea surfing. It is famous for celebrating Christmas day, during Australian summer by the families and the travelers. The New Years Eve is also a phenomenal occasion for this beach when the travelers can enjoy fabulous display of local fireworks. During the winter, Bondi beach is providing facilities like ice skating rink which is being built as part of the Bondi Winter Magic Festival(Smith, 2017). Normally the events take place in the centre of Bondi Pavilion Community Centre which is with the facilities of an auditorium and exhibition gallery with the added attraction of outdoor amphitheatre(Australia, 2017). This is the place of discussion which is reckoned as the place of attraction of Sydney, New South Wales, Western Australia. The Event-Yoga 101- Speedo Fitness Club Workshop Brief description This practice was started in Asia around 5,000 years ago with continuity for developing by integrated interference into Western Culture for last half of the erstwhile century. This program will provide the basic concept of philosophy and the knowledge for better living through the stressed life of present livelihood. This event is meant for the target audience of interested community from the age group of 30 and beyond. This is a one-day event taken care by the sponsor Speedo, the internationally renowned sports gear manufacturer. The duration of the event is for three hours from 1PM to 4 PM AEST. This program is free for the members of the club while for non-members the subscription is fixed as AUD 20. The venue of the program is at Speedo Fitness Club, Bondi Beach, The Pacific, Level B1, 180, Campbell Parade, Sydney, NSW 2026, Australia(Mytag, 2016). Features Main emphasis will be given on different activities of Yoga to enhance the physical ability along with flexibility for the participants. The 3 hour event will consist of the following activities: Pranayama- The concept of easing the process of respiration with controlled system, as prescribed by the Yoga gurus(Wherevent, 2017). Enhancement of physical ability and flexibility- The program will enhance overall ability with flexibility for people from all walks of life with increased flexibility and ability for important body joints. Meditation- This program will extend few simple routes to keep the mind in quietness with ultimate stillness to start the process of meditation practice to ensure focusing and clarity of mind. Traditional Chinese Medicine Meridian Lines- this program will facilitate the process of learning by the participants some basic Meridian channel which is running through the body. This program will also highlight how the Yin practice can be able to cleanse with removal of any blockages and stored toxins within the body(Eventbrite, 2016) SWOT Analysis This analysis is preferred to ensure the level of success or failure of such events by the organizer. Out of SWOT elements, strengths and weaknesses are depending upon the internal factors which can be controlled by the organizers. Opportunities and threats are external factors which are not within the control of the organizers and they have to wait for that situation which can be detrimental for such occurrence. Internal Factors: Strengths Strong brand name of the organizer Regular performance organized by the promoter Steady strength of members and target audience Good experience of organizing such events Weaknesses Improper promoting style Lack of awareness raised within the community by the organizer Need of follow up events required Membership fee External factors: Opportunities Event is unique Mass attraction is possible Money will not be the criteria Social awareness may be raised Threats Insufficient participation as per benchmark level Proactive Competitors Unsatisfactory awareness level of participants Improper mode of training Recommendations The recommendations for this event are inherent in its SWOT analysis. They are appended below: The event is to be organized in such way that most of the members of Speedo Fitness Club ensure their participation in the event. The rate of subscription for non-members should be lesser. Trainers should be of good experience. Proper strategy ofmarketing of this event is to be done through social media. Continuance of such program is expected to ensure that it is not one time affair. With the above recommendations, the event can prove its worth for the community. This event is mainly for the release of stress of mind with additional physical fitness for the people, as projected by the brochure. This type of event should be followed by other activities in micro level with different layer of activities for the participants. The event is mainly promising to the community with the objective of serving corporate social responsibility; hence, no priority should be emphasized on profit making(Speedofitness, 2017). Conclusion The event will take place on 2nd September, 2017 in the venue of Bondi Beach, Sydney. These types of events are less popular as they are not providing any cultural and festivity atmosphere for the participants. Instead, they are mainly emphasized with better lifestyle for the participants. As the organizer, Speedo Health Club is famous for these types of events for the community. Hence, the success of such event can be ensured with their network. The network itself exists within the organization through its members. Good promotion can be made through them with the assurance of expected level of participation. This event is meant for members who are seeking for relief from the tension and stress of their daily life. Hence, they will participate to know the best way to get rid of those vices of daily life. A goodmarketing strategy for this program will be ensured through proper SWOT analysis with the respective recommendations to be strategized by the organizer. Bondi beach is one of t he best attractions in Sydney with its natural resources featured with its inherent characteristics. People are coming there for their leisure time. Out of them, people seeking for better lifestyle through conventional system of Yoga can join this event to make this event successful and make precedence for the future generation, as well. References: Australia. (2017). Discover Bondi Beach. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Australia: https://www.australia.com/en-in/places/nsw/nsw-bondi-beach.html Brandyoubrilliant. (2014, June 04). The Four Basic Principles of Marketing and Their Role in an Effective Marketing Strategy. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Brandyoubrilliant: https://www.brandyoubrilliant.com/the-four-basic-principles-of-marketing-and-their-role-in-an-effective-marketing-strategy/ Eventbrite. (2016). Yoga 101 - An SFC Workshop. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/yoga-101-an-sfc-workshop-tickets-36994559724?aff=es2 Lonelyplanet. (2016). Bondi Beach. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Lonelyplanet: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/sydney/attractions/bondi-beach/a/poi-sig/1242450/362319 Mytag. (2016). Speedo Fitness Club. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Mytag: https://www.mytag.club/p/speedo_fitnessclub Paradisevalley. (2017, April 12). Principles of Marketing : SWOT Analysis. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Paradisevalley: https://paradisevalley.libguides.com/c.php?g=568936p=3920747 Smith, S. (2017, July 24). Top 10 Things To Do And See At Sydney's Bondi Beach. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Theculturetrip: https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-at-bondi-beach/ Speedofitness. (2017). Speedo. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Speedofitness: https://www.speedofitness.club/ Wherevent. (2017). Speedo Fitness Club Bondi Beach. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from Wherevent: https://www.wherevent.com/detail/Speedo-Fitness-Club-YOGA-101-An-SFC-Workshop

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Martial Arts Experience - Med School Sample Essay

Note: This essay appears unedited for instructional purposes. Essays edited by are dramatically improved.Martial arts and medicine. They seem worlds apart, but they both have played significant roles in my life and for reasons that are surprisingly similar. They both offer challenge, require great discipline, and necessitate a goal-oriented approach.I first became involved with the martial arts when I was only 13 years old. At that time I began studying karate in my hometown in northern California. Even then I was a goal-oriented individual who was attracted to the step-by-step progression involved in studying karate. Within a year I had earned a brown belt (the next-to-highest ranking) and was actually serving as an instructor at the karate academy where I had learned the sport. Dedication, discipline, and physical and mental prowess were behind my success, which included being the youngest person in the area to attain the brown belt.In college I became involved in Tae Kwon Do, whi ch is the Korean counterpart of karate. This sport, too, requires patience, determination, and a clear mind in addition to physical strength, endurance, and agility. Within a year I had become president of my universitys 80-member Tae Kwon Do club, which ranks among the top sports clubs on campus. In assuming this position I began to have the opportunity to test myself as a leader as well as an athlete.One of the reasons I became interested in medicine is that it, too, requires a meticulous, goal-oriented approach that is very demanding. Of course, it also happens that the substance of the profession holds strong appeal for me, both in terms of the science and the potential for serving others who are in need.Most of my exposure to the profession has occurred within the areas of surgery and emergency medicine. After first serving as an emergency medicine volunteer technician at a northern California hospital (where I had a moving experience with a young girls death), I acquired the E MT-1A/CPR certifications and then worked as an Emergency Medical Technician-1A during a subsequent summer. This job was a fascinating, educational, and high-pressure experience that exposed me to the realities of medicine as practiced in crisis situations.My extensive involvement with cardio thoracic surgery research over the last three years, first as a volunteer technician and currently as a staff research technician, has further fueled my desire to become a physician. I have had to rely upon my own ingenuity and problem solving skills as well as what I have learned in the classroom, and this has been exciting. One of the more unusual aspects of my work has involved me directly in the procedure of heterotopic heart transplantation in rats. This precise and technically demanding procedure encompasses microsurgery and usually is conducted only by residents. In fact, I am the only undergraduate student doing this procedure, which has shown me the extent of both my manual dexterity an d capacity for learning sophisticated techniques.I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to participate and contribute in almost every way during experiments, from administering anesthesia and performing extensive surgical preparations to analyzing the data obtained and operating monitoring and recording equipment, ventilators, and the heart-lung machine.I am a somewhat shy individual, but I have found that within the medical environment that shyness evaporates. The opportunity to help others one-on-one is so rewarding and comfortable for me that I feel very much at ease, regardless of with whom I am working. I think one of the particularly attractive aspects of medicine for me, especially within such specialties as internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology, is the potential for forming close, lasting, meaningful relationships with a wide array of patients.For me, medicine emerges as the perfect avenue for indulging my impulses to contribute, to be involved with s cience, and to establish important links with others at both critical and noncritical moments in their lives.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform

Conservative Perspective on Health Care Reform Contrary to popular opinion, conservatives do indeed believe there is a need for health care reform. If there is one thing upon which Republicans, Democrats, liberals, and conservatives can agree, it is that the health care system in America is broken.The issue, then, is what exactly is broken about it. Liberals generally believe the only way to fix the system is for the government to operate it, the way Canada and the United Kingdom run their systems via universal health care. Conservatives, on the other hand, disagree with this notion and contend that the American government is wholly unequipped to take on such a huge endeavor, and even if it were, the resulting bureaucracy would be terribly inefficient like most government programs.Conservatives arent just naysayers, however. Their plan is more optimistic in tone because they believe the current system can be fixed with reform measures such as promoting competition between health insurance and pharmaceutical companies, reforming the Medicare payment system, establishing clear standards of care and ending the lottery court system by capping damage awards ordered by activist judges. Latest Developments Democrats on Capitol Hill have been floating the concept of a single-payer health care system similar to the ones currently in practice in Canada and the United Kingdom.Conservatives staunchly oppose this idea on the grounds that regardless of what filmmaker Michael Moore says government-run health care systems are notoriously slow, inefficient and costly.Before he was elected in 2008, President Barack Obama promised to save the typical American family $2,500 annually by reforming the insurance market and creating a National Health Insurance Exchange. In his press releases, the president claims the Obama/Biden plan will Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.The National Health Insurance Exchange is ostensibly modeled after the Congressional health benefits plan. The plan would allow employers to reduce their premiums by switching most of their employees over to the government program (of course non-unionized workers would have n o say in the matter at all). The new nationalized health care plan would then absorb these new individual health care costs, bloating an already overburdened federal government even further. Background Costs surrounding the health care industry are inflated by three very particular elements, two of which involve the insurance industry. Because of (in many cases) preposterous court settlements that create a veritable lottery for plaintiffs seeking damages, liability insurance for health care providers is out of control. If doctors and other medical professionals want to continue to operate and generate a profit, they often have no choice but to charge exorbitant fees for their services, which are then passed along to the consumers insurance company. Insurance companies, in turn, raise premiums on the consumers. Physician and consumer insurance plans constitute two of the culprits in the high cost of health care, but both are related directly what is happening in American courtrooms.When consumer insurance companies receive the bills for these high-cost services, it is in their best interest to find reasons not to pay or reimburse the insured. In many cases, these companies are unabl e to successfully avoid payment (because in most cases the services are medically necessary), so not only the consumer but the insured consumers employer experiences a rise in health care insurance premiums, as well. Bottom line: activist judges, seeking to drive home a point or make an example of a particular physician, combine to drive up the costs of liability insurance, which in turn drives up the costs of health care insurance.Unfortunately, these problems with the health care system are compounded by an out-of-control pharmaceutical industry.When a pharmaceutical manufacturer makes an important discovery and successfully introduces a new medication into the health care market, the immediate demand for that medication creates a disproportionate rise in cost. Its not enough for these manufacturers to make a profit, these manufacturers must make a killing (literally, when certain consumers are unable to afford the medication they need).There are pills that cost upwards of $100 each in the retail market, yet cost less than $10 per pill to manufacture. When the insurance companies receive the bill for these very expensive medications, it is in their nature to attempt to find a way to avoid absor bing those costs. Between exorbitant physician fees, exorbitant pharmaceutical fees and exorbitant health insurance fees, consumers often cannot afford the health care they need. The Need for Tort Reform The main culprit in the battle over health care costs is the extensive damage awards doled out by activist judges every day across the country. Thanks to these inflated awards, defendants hoping to avoid a court appearance are left with no other option than inflated settlements.Conservatives realize, of course, that in many cases there are reasonable complaints against providers who misdiagnose, mismanage or neglect a consumers proper treatment. Weve all heard the horror stories about doctors who confuse patients, leave utensils inside surgery patients, or make an egregious misdiagnosis.One way to ensure plaintiffs receive justice, while keeping health care costs from becoming artificially inflated is to develop clear standards of care to which all physicians must abide, and assign clear penalties in the form of reasonable financial damages for breaches of those standards and other transgressions.This may sound eerily like the concept of mandatory minimum sentencing, but it is not. Instead, it sets maximum civil penalties, which judges may impose, with the maximum penalties being awarded for circumstances resulting in wrongful-deaths. For more than one transgression, more than one penalty would apply. Such guidelines could also urge jurists to be creative; requiring providers to perform specific community service or, in the case of physicians, pro-bono work for a specific segment of society.Presently, legal lobbyists have made imposing caps on damages virtually impossible. Lawyers have a vested interest in procuring the maximum penalty possible, since their fees are often a percentage of the settlement or award. Reasonable legal fees should also be built into any system placing caps on penalties to ensure settlements or awards actually go to intended parties. Extravagant lawyer fees and frivolous lawsuits do as much to drive up the high costs of health care as the scandalous damages awarded by activist judges. The Need for Competition Many conservatives believe families, individuals and businesses should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide to heighten competition for their business and provide a variety of choices.Further, individuals should be permitted to obtain insurance privately or through organizations of their choice: employers, churches, professional associations or others. Such policies would automatically bridge the gap between retirement and Medicare eligibility and cover multiple years.More choices in coverage is just one aspect of a free-market health care system. Another is allowing consumers to shop for treatment options. This would promote competition between conventional and alternative providers and make patients the center of care. Permitting providers to practice nationwide also would build genuine national markets and give consumers greater responsibility in their own health care decisions.Competition ensures the public is better educated about preventative health care and treatmen t options. It forces providers to be more transparent regarding medical outcomes, quality of care and the costs of treatment. It also means more competitive pricing. Lesser quality providers get weeded out, because like elsewhere in the free-market economy they get priced out of malpractice insurance and have no way to raise their prices. Developing national standards of care to measure and record treatments and outcomes ensures only top-quality providers remain in business.Dramatic reforms in Medicare would have to supplement a free-market health care system. Under this scenario, the Medicare payment system, which compensates providers for prevention, diagnosis and care, would have to be overhauled into a tiered system, with providers not being paid for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.Competition in the pharmaceutical market would force down drug prices and expand cheaper generic drug alternatives. Safety protocols permitting the re-importation of drugs would keep competition in the drug industry vigorous, as well. In all cases of health care competition, the consumer would be protected through enforcement of federal protections against collusion, unfair business actions and deceptive consumer practices. Where It Stands Democrats in the US House and Senate are preparing legislation that would include government-subsidized insurance plan and would require individuals and businesses to be covered or face financial penalties.Obamas vision of a National Health Insurance Exchange is a step closer to reality, while the nation is a step closer to universal health care.The governments entrance into the health insurance market could spell disaster for private insurers, which would be unable to compete. Adding further complications for the private health insurance industry are new mandates included in the bill that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals based on their medical history.In other words, Democrats want to create a public health insurance program that competes with private companies, and at the same time, make it harder for private companies to stay in business.Conservatives, meanwhile, fear that the legislation could lead to an entire takeover of the health care ind ustry, thus implementing a model of European socialism in America.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Broken Homes and Developmental Psychology

A paper which explores the effect broken homes have on the emotional, physiological and behavioral development of the children involved. An in-depth study on how children from broken homes are affected emotionally, physiologically and from a behavioral point of view. The paper explores issues such as children with single-parent homes vs. two-parent homes, the benefits of friends and extended families, single parent attitudes towards children, effects on academic education and emotional behavior, socioeconomic effects, step-parents and single fathers. Today, single fathers seem to be more familiar with these roles in home management and childcare than mothers.Furthermore, the tie and connection between single fathers and children as well single mothers and children have now become new focal points for self-direction. Both single parents have set the criteria for organization of more traditional spheres of work and social life such that now single fathers develop close relationships with their children and have a greater appreciation of responsibility in being the primary parent. However, the fact remains that no mater how good mother or a father can be as a single parent, the negative and adverse effects of childrens development proofed through various studies concludes that theres a price to be paid for removing one of the traditional pairs, and the old-fashioned concept and belief that to have a mother and a father is still a pretty good idea.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

QuickBooks Online Payroll, Invoicing, and Payments Essay

QuickBooks Online Payroll, Invoicing, and Payments - Essay Example functions which include dealing with the purchasing orders, receiving inventory and subsequently making entering bills and making payments with regard to the purchased goods. It also deals with the accounts payable and ensures the appropriate payments are made to the creditors when they become due (Buteh, 2014). Customers belong to the next functionality and it comes after the vendors. This mainly deals with the accounts receivables and all the transactions related to the customers are recorded in this section. The functionality deals with the invoicing role and therefore all the transactions made with respect to the accounts receivable are recorded here. It also has an option that records the receipts from the debtors as well as those from the cash sales. It also records all the receipts that are associated with the sales made by the business. The employees functionality fall under the payroll function. A list of employees is made in this area and the relevant details in relation to all the employees are made. The details relating to their pay is also recorded as well as other benefits that accrue to them. All the employees who receive their pay in form of pay check should be categorized as employees. Another functionality of QuickBooks is the company. The main function of the company is t he chart of accounts and these are required every month when the company closes its books. Items and services are required in this area and are also important in the customers functionality since they allow the creation of bills. The chart of accounts helps to trace all the transactions to their relevant accounts and ensures that the final books of accounts are prepared with accuracy (Gilbert, 2005). There is also the banking functionality that is used to write checks, confirm the check register to track the transactions relating to the bank account and to print checks for clearance of the outstanding bills. It also ensures that the accountant is able to make the relevant

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Survival Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Survival - Essay Example Life is a very much complicated object to understand and surmount as well. Social injustice and unequal distribution of wealth, power, resources and opportunities have created a wide gulf within the human race. This can be observed while visiting different societies and cultures of the world. There is lavishness, comforts, merry-making, gorgeous dresses, luxurious vehicles, splendid residences, attractive career and much more at one side; and poverty, lack of proper funds, absence of creature comforts and basic necessities, scarcity and darkness on the other. Deficiency in containing apposite provisions as well as dearth in attaining fundamental requirements leads human society towards the path of deviancy, perversion and criminal activities. â€Å"Social injustice†, Zaidi (2006: 32) views, â€Å"serves as the bleakest aspect of not only the contemporary world, but also of the most primitive clans and tribes consisted of cave dwellers of Paleolithic and Neolithic era. It has been the root-cause of man’s entire dismay, displeasure and dissatisfaction since his birth in the world of bitter reality, and has originated grievances, turbulence and turmoil to the generations from the very beginning till today†. Child abuse is also one of the most depressing features of human society. The article under the title â€Å"Survival† has been extracted from Skin: Talking About Sex, Class & Literature created by eminent feminist writer Dorothy Allison, who raised a strong voice against child molestation and violence against the delicate sex. The article is a bold representation of malpractices committed in the contemporary American society particularly in lower middle and lower lower communities. Allison, the American feminist writer and analyst has very courageously submitted the sensitive case before the world and brought to the limelight how the small children of both sexes, especially the girls from the lower stratum of society, are deflowered by family members,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Selection and Induction Essay Example for Free

Selection and Induction Essay Inadequate recruitment can lead to labour shortages, or problems in management decision making. Recruitment is however not just a simple selection process but also requires management decision making and extensive planning to employ the most suitable manpower. Competition among business organisations for recruiting the best potential has increased focus on innovation, and management decision making and the selectors aim to recruit only the best candidates who would suit the corporate culture, ethics and climate specific to the organisation. The process of recruitment does not however end with application and selection of the right people but involves maintaining and retaining the employees chosen. (State Government of Victoria State Services Authority, 2008) The housekeeping department is the most important department in hospitality world. Housekeeping is responsible for cleaning the hotel’s guestrooms and public areas. This department has the largest amount staff, and its operations are the most influential from both external and internal factors. Thus they have an ever chancing requirement for staff. RECRUITMENT French and Rees (2010) Defines recruitment as, â€Å"a process to discover the sources of man power to meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient workforce. † Edwin B. Flippo defined recruitment as â€Å"the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. † In simple words recruitment can be defined as a ‘linking function’-joining together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs. The general purpose of recruitment is to provide a pool of potentially qualified job candidates. For a more detailed specification: (see Attachment 1) The process 1. A need is created through any number of factors within an establishment. From the change in seasonal occupancy, personal factors of staff or managerial requirements. As in the case of the ABS Hotel, a member of the housekeeping department has been granted a transfer due to personal issues. Now a position has been created that needs to be filled. The HOD of the department will now access the vacancy and if need be, he will file a request for the recruitment of a new staff member. (See Attachment 2) 2. The request will be filled and accessed by the Hotel’s Human resources Manager, and he will then have a meeting with the HOD from the Housekeeping department to discuss the need for a new staff member. If the HR manager finds the request valid he will then go about discussing the positions measurable standard with the HOD. This will result in the Job analysis of the required room attendant by which applicants will be measured. See Attachment 3) 3. The HR manager must then apply to the Hotels Chief Financial Officer if there are funds available for both the recruitment process and the annual salary of the new staff member. As is the case with the current position at the ABC Hotel, the annual salary can be paid as it would have been paid to the previous room attendant. 4. Once the CFO has validated the financial aspect of t he request, the HR manager and the HOD of the housekeeping department must apply to the General Manager for his approval of the recruitment. . If the GM denies their request, the process will stop. If the GM accepts the request the HOD’s part of recruitment has been completed, and the HR manager starts the formal process of recruitment. 6. The HR manager does research into the Labour market, Economy and the Expansion of the company. The Labour market’s geographical and demographical information will assist the HR manager in calculating the environment were the best suitable candidates can be found and through use of which measure can they best be reached. The studying of the economical present and future will assist the manager in accessing if it would be affordable to hire the new employee and what the market rate for the positions salary is. The growth of the company has the biggest impact on the recruitment process, for if the company has to decline or plans to â€Å"float† through the following year then the appointment of a new staff member will result in a profit expenditure, which renders the recruitment process a loss. As is the current state of the ABC Hotel the three factors are all positive and thus the HR manager will continue with the recruitment process. . The HR manager must utilise the company resources to decide whether to advertise the vacancy internally, externally and by which technique to best reach the required labour market. [ For an explanation of internal-, and external advertising, (see Attachment 1) ] 8. The HR manager must now utilise the information gathered from the previous two steps to thoroughly plan the advertisement. All relevant information regarding the position needs to be within the method of advertising and must create a positive image for the organisation. (see Attachment 4) 9. If the HR Manager has done his job correctly, persons will apply for the position. SELECTION The size of the labour market, the image of the company, the place of posting, the nature of job, the compensation package and a host of other factors influence the manner of aspirants are likely to respond to the recruiting efforts of the company. Through the process of recruitment the company tries to locate prospective employees and encourages them to apply for vacancies at various levels. Recruiting, thus, provides a pool of applicants for selection. Selection is defined by French (2012, p. 76) as the process of picking individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an organisation. The basic purpose is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified candidates. The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job in an organisation best, to find out which job applicant wil l be successful, if hired. To meet this goal, the company obtains and assesses information about the applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of the job are matched with the profile of candidates. The most suitable person is then picked up after eliminating the unsuitable applicants through successive stages of selection process. How well an employee is matched to a job is very important because it is directly affects the amount and quality of employee’s work. Any mismatch in this regard can cost an organisation a great deal of money, time and trouble, especially, in terms of training and operating costs. In course of time, the employee may find the job distasteful and leave in frustration. He may even circulate negative information about the company, causing incalculable harm to the company in the long run. Effective election, therefore, demands constant monitoring of the ‘fit’ between people the job. (French and Rees, 2012, p. 176) The Process 1. The Curriculum Vitae’ of applicants are received. 2. The applications will now be scrutinised according to the measurable standard. 3. A database is created wherein all the information of applicants are entered and stored. This database is a very essential and useful tool. It has all the information applicants included on their CV’s, this information can be used as a record of how applicants were chosen or declined. It holds the record to prove that the selection process was neither biased nor discriminative and has complied with both the Labour Relations and the Employment Equity Acts. It is also a useful reference base which can be used for future manpower forecasting or a base of possible employees for future positions. Thus saving on recruitment costs. 4. The applications are now sorted by the HR manager into three â€Å"piles†. Successful-, For Review- and Unsuccessful applicants. 5. The unsuccessful applicants must be sent a letter of their unsuccessful attempt. The letter will contain the reason the establishment declined their application and will wish them well for future applications. 6. From the Successful applicants a short list will now be drawn up, by both the HR Manager and the Housekeeping HOD, to show the best possible candidates for the position. This can sometimes be a difficult and time consuming process. To ease the process follow these guidelines. (see Attachment 5) 7. Once the best possible candidates have been chosen from the shortlist, they will be telephonically contacted and informed that they are a possible candidate for the position. During the phone call a short pre-interview will be conducted to confirm the critical information with the candidate and to inform them of their formal interview. 8. Application forms are sent via email or post to the candidates for them to formally apply for the position. These need to be sent back to the establishment as they will be used to gather information on candidates to better structure the interviews. 9. Using the candidates I. D. numbers a background check will be done on applicants for criminal record or blacklisting. According to JHON BOTHA, director of the Production Management Institute, this has become a necessary step due to the Labour laws in South Africa. Business Day October 11th, 2012. see Attachment 6 ] 10. The HR manager and HOD of the Housekeeping department must setup the formal interview structure and question the candidates. 11. After the interview the candidates will write a short aptitude test to see if their norms, values and attitudes align with the est ablishments. 12. The HR manager and The HOD will now decide on the best candidate for the position. If none of the candidates are suitable for the position, they may refer back to the candidates which didn’t make the short list or the applicants for review and repeat steps 8-11. If no candidate or applicant meets the requirements, then the recruitment and selection process must be reviewed and restarted. 13. If a candidate has been chosen for the position, they will be informed of their success telephonically and given further instructions regarding their first day of employment and induction. If the chosen candidate declines the offer then the HR manager must choose another and repeat step 12 and 13. 4. The unsuccessful candidates will receive a phone call informing them of their unsuccessful attempt but will assure them that they will be considered for future positions. INDUCTION Induction can be defined as the first step towards gaining an employees commitment, it is aimed at introducing the job and organization to the recruit and him or her to the organization. It involv es orientation and training of the employee in the organizational culture, and showing how he or she is interconnected to (and interdependent on) everyone else in the organization. See also orientation. (Target Selection 1986) The Induction process has several important objectives (Grobler et al. 2002) : †¢Acquainting new employees with job procedures. †¢Establishing relationships with co-workers. †¢Creating a sense of belonging among employees. †¢Acquainting new employees with the goals of the organisation. †¢Indicating to the employees the preferred means by which these goals should be achieved. †¢Identifying the basic responsibilities of the job. †¢Indicating the required behaviour patterns for effective job performance. (Grobler et al. 2002) The Process Day 1: Introduction to the establishment and work area Person Responsible: HR Manager †¢Mission, Vision, Objectives of work area †¢How the work area fits in to the wider establishment †¢All key operational and social areas to be visited. Introduction to other members of staff Person Responsible: HR Manager †¢Go through organisation chart †¢Discuss roles and responsibilities of staff in general terms. †¢May also want to extend time to allow visits to key contacts out with work area. Introduction to the other teams within the Work area Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Purpose/Activities of the other teams/work areas †¢How the team fits in to the work area †¢How the work area fits into the University Day 2: Terms and Conditions Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Ensure new start has viewed and understood information contained in the Information for New Employees this contains important information on terms and conditions. Performance Standards Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢Outline specifics of job role – (job description) †¢Define goals, objectives, and expectations †¢Review probation and performance and development review/ ADR/ appraisal process. Culture of the Work area Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Make new start aware of local arrangements regarding hours of work, holiday requests, sickness procedure, after hours working, dress code, lunch arrangements, etc. †¢Other University procedures e. g. internet and e-mail usage, transportation and parking, etc. Office Systems Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Review processes for using office equipment such as: computer, telephone, voicemail, fax, printer, photocopier, etc. †¢Review processes for using other university equipment/systems such as: libraries, laboratories, open access computers, etc. Review computer security, and software usage. †¢Consider environmental efficiencies (waste, recycling, energy) Health and Safety Person Responsible – Health ; Safety Co-ordinator/ Line Manager †¢Physical – fire exits, fire alarms, fire evacuation procedure, fire-training arrangements, manual handling, fir st-aid arrangements, VDU usage, and other arrangements as required. Day 3 and 4 Job Specific Training and Development -Person Responsible – Line Manager/Nominee †¢Role specific development needs should be reviewed and a suitable programme of training should be planned that aligns the individual’s skills to their core duties. Staff with line management responsibilities should be clear as to their duties and attend any relevant training. †¢Outline the use of annual performance and development reviews/ ADR as one method for determining on-going role specific development needs. †¢Introduce University wide training and development opportunities available to staff. †¢Review use of personal development planning tools (i. e. PDP) Week 1 4: The new employee should be partnered with a buddy / mentor and work with and alongside them to learn the operations, in’s-and-out’s and daily routines of the position. Week 5 – 6: The new employee should now be able to function independently, but will still require supervision. Week 7: Monitoring and Evaluation Person Responsible – Line Manager †¢It is important that the Induction programme is monitored and reviewed. †¢Throughout the period regular review meetings should be held and any adjustments made. †¢The new employee should be informally interviewed to access his progress and experience of the working environment. Week 8 12: Probation -Person Responsible – Line Manager For new staff the Probation Policy will apply, at the end of three months the new employee will now be a permanent employee. This will have ensured continued efficiency and productivity. CONCLUSION At the end of what could be a short or long process the ABC Hotel will now have the new room attendant which would have fit in perfectly into the organisation to ensure continued productivity and efficiency. If each of the steps of all three processes of Recruitment, Selection and Induction have been followed and done according to the Hotel’s policies and procedures and the standards set by management then the present and future manpower planning will be a success. An awareness of issues and concepts within this area is an important tool for all those involved with leading, managing and developing people – even if they are not human resource managers per se. A recognition of the importance of this aspect of people management is not new, and ‘success’ in this field has often been linked with the avoidance of critical failure factors including undesirable levels of staff turnover and claims of discrimination from unsuccessful job applicants. It has been argued here that it is also possible to identify aspects of recruitment and selection which link with critical success factors in the 21st century context, differentiating organisational performance and going some way to delivering employees who can act as ‘thinking performers’. It is proposed, for example, that a competencies approach focusing on abilities needed to perform a job well may be preferable to the use of a more traditional matching of job and person. (French 2010)

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Racism in To Kill A Mocking Bird :: essays research papers

Bullying And Discrimination Differences in the social status are observed considerably large in the society of Maycomb. Scout and Jem are two little children who are growing up, observing all the complicated incidents and trying to understand them. In the Maycomb County, incidents get more and more complicated as the dilemma of racism becomes bigger and bigger and as wise Atticus starts loosing faith in the good in people. Maycomb’s society is like a hierarchy. On the top there is Atticus Finch, he always tries to believe the good people. The ignorant farmers Cunningham’s are below the towns’ people, which are below Finches. The Ewell’s even lower on the society and the black society comes after them despite all of their honourable and respectable conditions. The place where black society stands on the social hierarchy enables Bob Ewell to cover his obscure presence by putting Tom Robinson down. Jem and Scout are growing in this society and Atticus keeps on trying to teach them to look at situations from another persons’ perspective to understand it better. This is like a moral lesson to the reader from Harper Lee. It is something that applies to everyone. The huge difference in social status is very destructive for the community and for Scout. For example, Scout doesn’t understand why Aunt Alexander doesn’t let her be friends with young Cunningham. Harp er Lee uses children’s naivety and simplicity to show the complexities of the adult world and prejudice in human interaction. Atticus grows his children to be fair and equal. He is a very wise man, who in many situations knows how to act and what to do. In a racist society like Maycomb, he is brave enough to defend a black man. This trial is very important because it gives an insight of the society people and how they react to Tom’s death. At the end of this trial Jem looses his trust in rationality of the people and sees the irrational evil in people through this ugly incident. When the ladies of the county get together in Finches house, we get to know more about the women of Maycomb. They talk about how their black maids complain and that Jesus never complained so no education will make a â€Å"Christian† out of them. They don’t consider blacks as Christians. After all they believe in the same God. Women discuss and talk but they never really talk about anything that matters. Racism in To Kill A Mocking Bird :: essays research papers Bullying And Discrimination Differences in the social status are observed considerably large in the society of Maycomb. Scout and Jem are two little children who are growing up, observing all the complicated incidents and trying to understand them. In the Maycomb County, incidents get more and more complicated as the dilemma of racism becomes bigger and bigger and as wise Atticus starts loosing faith in the good in people. Maycomb’s society is like a hierarchy. On the top there is Atticus Finch, he always tries to believe the good people. The ignorant farmers Cunningham’s are below the towns’ people, which are below Finches. The Ewell’s even lower on the society and the black society comes after them despite all of their honourable and respectable conditions. The place where black society stands on the social hierarchy enables Bob Ewell to cover his obscure presence by putting Tom Robinson down. Jem and Scout are growing in this society and Atticus keeps on trying to teach them to look at situations from another persons’ perspective to understand it better. This is like a moral lesson to the reader from Harper Lee. It is something that applies to everyone. The huge difference in social status is very destructive for the community and for Scout. For example, Scout doesn’t understand why Aunt Alexander doesn’t let her be friends with young Cunningham. Harp er Lee uses children’s naivety and simplicity to show the complexities of the adult world and prejudice in human interaction. Atticus grows his children to be fair and equal. He is a very wise man, who in many situations knows how to act and what to do. In a racist society like Maycomb, he is brave enough to defend a black man. This trial is very important because it gives an insight of the society people and how they react to Tom’s death. At the end of this trial Jem looses his trust in rationality of the people and sees the irrational evil in people through this ugly incident. When the ladies of the county get together in Finches house, we get to know more about the women of Maycomb. They talk about how their black maids complain and that Jesus never complained so no education will make a â€Å"Christian† out of them. They don’t consider blacks as Christians. After all they believe in the same God. Women discuss and talk but they never really talk about anything that matters.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Gang Representation in Sons of Anarchy Essay

Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama created by Kurt Sutter that airs on FX network. The drama series, also known by its acronym SOA or SAMCRO, is centered around the culture of motorcycle gangs and includes multiple gangs with differentiated racial makeups. The series is set in current-day California in a fictional town called Charming. The town is modeled as a small-town community which has limited government interference normally and lenient authorities. The first season was aired in 2008 and followed the lives of motorcycle gang members in the caucasian gang, called the Sons of Anarchy. Other gangs included in the series were a black gang, called the one-niners, and a hispanic gang, called the Mayans. Each gang is criminal and commits various crimes from murder to drug dealing. I am studying closer how FX network incorporates the criminal actions of minority groups in the show. They are always placed opposite of the Sons of Anarchy and their criminal actions seem to be scrutinized more than the criminal actions of the Sons of Anarchy. The question I am trying to answer is â€Å"What is the difference in the representation of criminal activity based on the racial group involved?† By focusing on the racial roles in the show and how they compare in relation to criminal activity I hope to come to a conclusion on minority representation that I can present to Kurt Sutter and FX Network. I chose to study this topic since I am an avid viewer of this series and the topic of media representation of gang violence interests me. There seems to be a disparity in the way gang crime is portrayed on news outlets depending on the race of the group and I wanted to find out if that disparity would be similar in Sons of Anarchy. For example, do crimes by black groups fac e criticism than those by white groups or is the reaction equal without regard to racial factors. I already knew from watching the show and following Kurt Sutter’s personal blog that the series has come under-fire before for using race and violence as a shock-factor instead of using it for plot progression. Kurt Sutter is known for his use of profane language and defending his show from critics by decreeing that they do not understand the concepts. For example, in a recent post he wrote about a contest in which he and the cast would visit the  winners hometown, â€Å"We will come†¦basically disrupt your neighborhood and piss off all your neighbors. Fuck those neighbors, I hate those shitheads anyhow.† (Sutter, â€Å"Season 6†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) He seems to have no care for the hatred his words incite. Other than his hatred of neighbors he has had to defend himself before because of his use of race in the show. During season four of the show one of the members of Sons of Anarchy named Juice was threatened by the police with the race he was born. The sheriff, a middle-aged black male, had found out that he had actually been born with a black father and threatened to tell the Sons of Anarchy that he was not the latino label he had been hiding behind his whole life. After three seasons it surprised me the Sons of Anarchy seemed to have this new rule about not allowing blacks into the gang but latinos were fine to join. This disturbed me a little because the gang had no problems working with black gangs in the past and there did not seem to be any racial tension besides the racial slurs thrown around by all the gangs. There seemed to be no major race-based violence within Sons of Anarchy until this plot point was brought up. Sutter challenged the outcry to this plot point by saying, â€Å"It was one of those odd, historical barriers that i’ve wanted to explore. The depth and weight of this rule varies from club to club and this season we see how it’s handled by the Sons of Anarchy†.(Sutter, â€Å"BLACK†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) For the sake of authenticity he felt that this must be included because â€Å"they [motorcycle clubs] function within a   structure that is built upon a form of segregation†.(Sutter, â€Å"BLACK†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) How the plot point ended though had me scratching my head wondering if Sutter had missed an opportunity to make a statement about race. In the end Juice admits to the main character Jax, a young white male, that his father is indeed black. Instead of using this opportunity to show how outdated the rule is and that progress can be made against racism no matter how long the rule has been around Sutter decided to have another character again use race to blackmail Juice. I understand the need for authenticity but I felt this scene was just reinforcing to all watching that it is shameful to be black and it can be used as threat. It was a weak way of showing how racism can effect someone after all the build up during the season and concern for his  life. In a matter of one scene it was brushed off, there was no lesson learned nor was there any realism in supposed racist actions of the gang. The ending was neither insightful nor authentic. It just seemed to end without any real conclusion. It had also seemed out of place in the story because during season two the Sons of Anarchy spent the whole season fighting a white supremacist gang. During that season the gang seemed just as disturbed by the ideas of the white supremacist gang as much as their threat to Sons of Anarchy’s control of Charming. It seemed to me that Sutter was using Juice’s race as a shock-factor. This was no surprise to me though as there are many off-hand racist jokes made during the show as well that seem to have little value. For instance, in the pilot one member of the gang makes a remark after finding two hispanic women burned alive, â€Å"Goddamn, fried and refried† Clay says with little remorse. The show plays this racism as a fact of life that the gang cannot escape, control or overcome. It hides behind trying to make the racism humorous like Clays line instead of showing it show racism how it actually exists, ugly and disturbing. After thinking back on Juices plot point, which originally had me interested in studying and discussing this show for my study, I went back to re-watch the first season. I decided to start with the first season because it was Sutter’s first attempt at depicting the gangs and it would not be fresh in my mind since I had not seen it since last summer when I binge-watched all the seasons again. This time instead of just taking in the show for entertainment value I set up some guidelines for my viewing. I decided that I would make a table which would include the three most prominent gangs: Mayans, Sons of Anarchy, and One-niners. Each column would represent one of the gangs and the rows would be the type of crimes committed on the show. Whenever a gang was involved in any crime I would mark down which category it was in and then what response it garnered from the community and the authorities. These groups seemed to me most likely to be unbiased when it came to criminal activity. Neither necessarily should have any stake in the violence besides wanting it to be eradicated. After collecting this information I would have a breakdown of each gang: how many crimes were  committed, how many deaths were caused, were the actions deemed necessary or unwarranted, what kind of police action was taken. Gangon-gang action would be analyzed in the same manner. The information I collected was then compared to see who was responsible for the most crime and which gang had the worst reputation. Assuming all things normal it would be the same gang. This show being less than a normal representation of society as it is a dramatic television series I did not expect to find that the gang with the worst reputation had committed the most crimes. My expectations were the hispanic gang, Mayans, would garner the worst reputation while the Sons of Anarchy committed the most crime. These expectations came from my previous knowledge of the show and the   vague feeling that the show might be a little more distasteful towards hispanics since it was set in California where race issues abound with the immigration of hispanics across the border. After watching the first season over these were the figures for each of the gangs. The figures ended up being somewhat similar to what was expected but I was surprised by the amount of crimes that Sons of Anarchy had in the â€Å"unwarranted† column. When watching the show for pure entertainment the communities response seems heavily in favor of the crimes. The data tells a different story with only five of the thirty-five crimes committed being deemed â€Å"necessary†. The crime numbers for Sons of Anarchy may have surprised me but the other gangs fit the profile that I had expected. With thirty murders in just thirteen episodes the show is more   violent than I remember. I attribute this to murders being desensitized throughout the show by dark humorous remarks from characters and no consequences for those committing the crimes. Overall, the Sons of Anarchy committed the most crimes in season one by a long shot with more than both Mayans and One-niners combined. This may have been attributed to them being  the centerpiece of the show. What cannot be explained is the representation of each of these crimes. The Mayans and One-Niners never caught a break from the community and authorities but the Sons of Anarchy did. Five times, after being found guilty of committing the crime, the Sons of Anarchy were represented as just doing what was necessary for Charming. Three of these crimes were murder, while the other two were assault. Such violent crimes without an eyelash batted by the police. One of the assaults was even encouraged by the police who stood by and watched. On the other hand, every crime known about by the community and authorities that the other gangs committed was scrutinized and pursued. These groups never received the blessing of Charming. Even though they committed less crimes than the Sons of Anarchy combined they were seen as the outlaws. I believe this originates from the Sons of Anarchy attempting to brainwash the town by telling them crime is needed to keep worse crime out of the city. The Sons of Anarchy continue to tell the white community they live in that their town needs to be protected from invasion. I believe there is more too it than that though. While watching I also kept tabs on the racial makeup of the town. I could count the amount of black and hispanic people not in a gang on one hand and thats the whole seasons worth of episodes. It seems to me that according to Sons of Anarchy if you are colored then you are a gang member. Even the brutality of the crimes is more dramatized with regards to the other gangs. The crimes   always seem done out of haste and are unplanned. It gives the rival gangs a sense of stupidity that they cannot control their actions or make a plan. In conclusion, it seems that Kurt Sutter seems biased towards the Sons of Anarchy when it comes to representation of crime. They are seen more as a police force by the community than a gang. While they are pursued for various crimes during the season they are never actually charged with anything. Even when all the evidence comes together they end up getting away. This is extraordinarily annoying as it just perpetuates that a crime committed by a white male compared to a black male is any different. There are no repercussions for their actions while the One-Niners are hunted down for drug charges constantly. I believe the FX network and Kurt Sutter could do more to better represent the crime equally. It might be better to actually put one of the Sons of Anarchy behind bars for once. Instead of them continually getting away they could show the real-life struggle of having members constantly going to jail. It would be both more realistic and more equal criminal representation. Kurt Sutter could also spend more time discussing the problems both the Mayans and One-Niners have. It could be a way to combine all three gangs under one banner. I’m sure it would not be too difficult to discuss why those groups may be committing crimes like Sutter does with the Sons of Anarchy. It would add an emotional tie to the characters in those gangs. They could be seen in the same light as the Sons of Anarchy; a group of troubled people with needs and no way they see fit to satisfy them except crime. Right now those minority gangs are just a group of hooligans committing crimes with no motive, no mora ls, no reason. If Kurt Sutter were to make these changes it would add a new dimension to the show and also attract a more diverse audience. My hope is the show takes a more neutral stand as it enters its last season. Sources Sutter, Kurt. â€Å"BLACK AND WHITE OF MC’S.† Sutterlink.blogspot.com. N.p., 24 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 May 2014. ! Sutter, Kurt. â€Å"Season 6 Viewership Challenge.† sutterlink.blogspot.com. N.p., 30 Aug. 2013. Web. 13 May 2014. ! Sutter, Kurt. â€Å"Sons of Anarchy.† Sons of Anarchy, Season One. FX Network. 3 Sept. 2008. Television.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Water Pollution in Cambodia

Cambodia water pollution Water is really important for every life on earth, which is one common acknowledge that every one has knew for a long time. As a Cambodia citizen, the water pollution issue can make myself to really consider about it. For all Cambodia citizens, who living on the water as I saw in the pictures know that they are living in the really dangerous everyday life. Cambodia reputation is the country of wonderful that full with adventure and so much more that you and I want to see.But come to place to live for the citizen, Cambodia is the country that facing the biggest issue in the country. When I saw this picture of the houses on the water, and how people using that water for daily life, my heart becomes full with sadness, worry about those people. My thought has come with three reactions, which are their health, children, and government’s plan. My first reaction was thinking about how that they do not know about all the dangerous that they are facing everyday . I personally do not know what is the right question to ask them, if I can have a chance.Too often those areas become the only place that they can build their house, and I do not know what could be their reasons for them to choose that area. There are so many reasons that come to my mind when I saw all their face, but I do not know if all my reasons could be the same as their reasons. One reason has come to my mind when I writing this essay is that they have no choice to choose that place because of their family economy. My second reaction was about their health. Most of people who living in there right now are getting sick from that water that they are using.That water has been polluted with so many sources and come from many different places. The mostly important, the governments do not try to find a way to help them with the water. There are so many ways that I believe that they can do, but they did not want to do it. My lastly reaction was that many organizations from around th e world, which are trying to fix that situation. They had been trying to do so many things from the areas such as money, program, and show example for people on the field. I had been acknowledging about some organizations that they are ostly focusing on the young people because they want those children growing in the safe environment. Do you know that so many young born children are dying because the bacteria in the water? On my conclusion, my country is facing with the biggest issue and we are really needed to fix it. Cambodia is the most wonderful country for all tourists to seek for new adventures, and we need our next generation children to keep our country to grow in future. Water pollution issue need to be stop, and we need to work together as Cambodian to stop it.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Dispelling the One-Page Resume Myth

Dispelling the One-Page Resume Myth Do You Believe the One-Page Resume Myth? I’ve been thinking about the one-page resume myth a lot lately, since it’s college, law school, and business school admissions season. Business school admissions clients have approached me asking if they need to have a one-page resume. My answer is always, â€Å"Read the instructions. Read the fine print.† Some business schools do request a one-page resume as part of their application. If they do, you must deliver. I took one client’s one-and-a-half-page resume and shrank it to one page so he could use it for his business school applications. The formatting tricks I employed did not include shrinking the font size or obliterating any white space on the resume. In general, however, there is no rule that a resume should be only one page. There are many instances when a two- or even three-page resume is not only appropriate, it’s expected. Yet the one-page resume myth persists. Job seekers are being misled that recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals won’t read a resume that is longer than one page. That’s simply not true. You Need a Longer Resume! It IS true that a recruiter or hiring manager will read your resume for just seconds when it is first screened. But this first review is only to determine if you are a match for the position. If you are considered a serious candidate, your resume will be read again. If you believe an HR professional won’t read a two-page resume, consider the resume screening process. The screener’s boss is asking him or her to come up with a handful of people to interview. If you try to condense 5-10 years of experience to fit an artificial one-page limit, your resume will not include sufficient information for the HR person to make an informed decision. Given a choice between a well-written two-page resume or a crammed one-page resume which omits notable accomplishments, the HR professional is likely to choose the longer one. If you submit a two-page resume, the worst that can happen is that the reader decides you’re not a match for the job. But if you do seem to fit the job requirements, that person will want to know even more about you. A well-organized two-page resume can actually make it easier for the screener to determine if you’re a good match for the position. Variations on the One-Page Resume Myth There is a specific myth circulating that if you apply for a job at Google, you need a one-page resume. This myth has been debunked by people with hiring power at Google itself, including Laszlo Bock, Senior VP, who believes that you need one page for every ten years of work experience. And since many applicants to Google are fairly new graduates or even students applying for internships, the 1-page guideline often applies. Some recruiters are vocal about their desire for a one-page resume. The great thing about recruiters, though, is that they’ll tell you what you want and you can always create a one-page resume from a longer one. Keep in mind, however, that recruiters are responsible for less than 25% of job placements, and not all recruiters even subscribe to the one-page limit. College Students and One-Page Resumes College professors also share some of the blame for perpetuating the one-page resume myth. Some professors - who have no connection to the employment world - believe â€Å"their way† is the right way to do things. They provide a template to their students and require advisees to use that format, even if the person is a non-traditional student who has an extensive work history or career path that sets them apart from other job candidates with similar educational backgrounds. While it is unusual for most 21-year-olds to need a two-page resume, some accomplished graduates have enough experience to warrant exceeding one page. When I worked with a Cornell student who was applying for jobs in finance, I quickly discovered that she had more information than I wanted to squeeze onto on one page. We gave her a 2-page resume, and she got a sought-after position at Burger King. She is now a Retail Channels Senior Analyst at UPS – and she got there with a 2-page resume. Online Resumes Resumes submitted online are less likely to be affected by the one-page resume myth. Resumes uploaded to company websites aren’t affected by page limits. And since approximately 30 percent of resumes are only stored electronically, the screener never even knows it’s more than one page. The Long and the Short of Resume Length Length does matter. Your resume should be exactly as long as necessary to communicate what the reader needs to know †¦ and not one word more. When hiring managers and HR professionals are surveyed about resume length, the majority express a preference for resumes that are one OR two pages. The general consensus is â€Å"as long as needed to convey the applicant’s qualifications.† Here are some guidelines for deciding resume length: If your resume spills over onto a second page for only a few lines, it’s worth editing. Try shortening your bullets, or adjust the font, margins, and/or line spacing to fit it onto one page. Don’t bury key information on the second page. If the first page doesn’t hook the reader, he or she isn’t even going to make it to the second page. Don’t be afraid to go beyond two pages if your experience warrants it. Senior executives often require three- or four-page resumes. So do many physicians, lawyers, and professors who might be using a â€Å"CV† in lieu of a resume. Traditional college students and those with five years or less of experience can often fit their resumes onto one page. Most others can (and should) use one page OR two, unless specifically instructed by a school or company. Make sure that everything you include - regardless of length - is relevant to your job target! Don’t make your resume unnecessarily long with less relevant material. Are you looking for help to create a one-page, two-page, or even three-page resume? Need some input on how long your resume should be? The Essay Expert offers hourly and full-service resume services, or get started with  a 15-minute live resume review. A version of this article appears in Executive Secretary Magazine, a global training publication and must read for any administrative professional. You can get a 30% discount on an individual subscription when you subscribe through us. Email  subscriptions@executivesecretary.com  and tell them we sent you.

Monday, November 4, 2019

User Satisfaction about Mobile Phone Network in the East Midland Area Literature review

User Satisfaction about Mobile Phone Network in the East Midland Area of the UK - Literature review Example User Satisfaction about Mobile Phone Network in the East Midland Area of the UK As a result of this, increased users are able to have access to the radio bandwidth in increased numbers. Nowadays, calls using mobile phones can be made in wider areas. Users of a particular service do not own the base stations and use the mobile phone inside a private base station’s range. There are hundreds of mobile phone networks in the East Midland area of UK. This has created a lot of competition for the new and emerging companies that want to establish their business in East Midland, UK. In order to gain competitive advantage, companies need to identify and improve their performance in the criteria according to which the users evaluate their performance. The area of East Midlands includes Derbyshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. There is a broad range of mobile phone networks functioning in the area that include but are not limited to Tesco Mobile, Pro Park UK, G S M International, CBS Mobiles Ltd., A1 Comms, 02 Store, A ce Connections, CRC Ltd., M-Viron, Fone Bitz Ltd., T-Mobile, Car-fi and M B C. Many of these are well-reputed companies that are known for the quality of their service far and wide. There is a vast range of mobile phone networks in UK that provide the users with a broad array of services and deals. Generally, all networks provide their users with good services, though there is disparity between the quality of customer service given by different mobile phone networks.... Millions of users in the area are quite satisfied with the service provided by Vodafone in East Midlands UK. â€Å"Switching to Vodafone was the best thing I did, my monthly costs were reduced considerably and as a bonus Vodafone switched my contract from Vodafone 250 to Vodafone 500 after a month of use† (Ciao, 2011a). From a top up card, users of the Orange SIM can put up to ?50 to use. SMS charges in the ?50 top up service are up to 60% lesser as compared to most of the mobile networks in the East Midlands. O2 Store has been providing the users with excellent service in East Midlands, UK for many years. One of the users said, â€Å"...people who don't like the O2 network, making claims that they are unreliable and over charge but to be honest I couldn't ask for more. Let me tell you why I chose O2 as my network and why I will be a customer for life† (Ciao, 2011b). Some of the potential advantages that O2 offers in comparison to its competitors in the East Midlands, U K include cheap rates and frequent offers, wonderful and 24/7 online customer service and broad coverage, though O2 turns out to be costly when it has to be used abroad. T-Mobile is one of the strongest competitors among the mobile phone networks in East Midland, UK. Advantages offered by T-Mobile over other networks include good relations with customers and good price plans whereas the disadvantages include lesser secrecy in the release of phones and limited number of customer service agents. T-Mobile is recommended by up to 47 per cent of the users (Ciao, 2011c). Nevertheless, T-Mobile provides users with one of the cheapest services in the area. Users of the T-Mobile can receive free insurance for three months, free phone with connection and free of cost voicemail retrial for no more than

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Current Event Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

Current Event Paper - Assignment Example However, the inventory levels should be kept at minimum while resources are efficiently utilized. Addition, a liquid spices manufacturing company, is preparing for the eggnog season. Matt Hemeyer, the company’s sales director, plans for an increase in production capacity for the company. The current production stands at seven hundred and fifty bottles of the liquid spices a month. The proposed increase in production capacity is set to increase the number of bottles produced to seven thousand five hundred bottles a month, for three months (October, November, and December). Labor is the main input that the company requires for the holiday season. Mr. Hemeyer estimates the labor force to increase by two additional workers for production purposes, in October. In addition, he requires three workers for production and shipping in November and one worker for shipping purposes in December. The sales director plans for material requirements planning by investing the company’s reserves ($10,000) in production equipment. The equipment will aim at automating the production com ponents to achieve the proposed production capacity. The article indicates all the benefits of material requirements planning. The main objective of MRP is to achieve a balance between demand and supply. Mr. Hemeyer explains that he would not want to run out of inventory as it would ruin the company’s reputation. In addition, he is aware of the holiday season and intends to increase the production capacity of his company; in an attempt to balance the demand and supply of liquid spices. The article illustrates how the company will allocate the production time; that is, the quantity of the liquid spices that will be distributed over the three months. Conclusively, it generates information about the quantities of units to be produced and the capacity requirements for

Thursday, October 31, 2019

From Colonialism to the New Humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

From Colonialism to the New Humanity - Essay Example As the study declares that the colonization precipitated the awakening of national consciousness of the colonized. One could state equally that it moderated the tempo of this awareness by keeping the colonized apart from the true conditions of contemporary citizenship. It is this quotation from the Albert Memmi’s work that he explains the formation of nationalism within the hearts of the colonized. Hence, the author implies that there is, indeed, a distinction in the existence between the colonizer and the colonized in a colonial context. He specifically reiterates that the colonized lives in a condition which is absolute – a condition dictated by the colonized. With such, the colonized will inevitably seek for a compromise in order to break the absolute condition imposed by their colonial masters. A rough sketch is then created out of the author’s narrative of how the colonial mentality dwells within the minds of those subjugated. It can be said that colonialism can bring about the deed for revolt, hence toppling the colonized society and its masters. He makes clear that it is through violence, pushed by the abstract force of nationalism, that change can be attained. It is clear that Memmi explains how the road to a post-colonial society functions – that the prerequisite of nationalism and revolution will overthrow the existing system to create a new society. The pretext of a colonial society is further expounded by Aime Cesaire. He explains that the initial purpose of colonization – which is to have contact with other civilizations – is not what it seemed to be. The author suggests that colonization bears no human contact; it only creates a relationship of domination and subjugation. In this case, the dominating force will be the colonizer and the subjugated force will be the colonized. To add to this, the author creates a sense of anachronism within the European’s notion of colonialism. He says that Europe is a hypocrite with its idea of bringing change to a savage society. He explains that the colonial masters were incapable of creating distinctions between the notion of reason and conscience. This study outlines that Europe utilizes its power to deceive and to create an inevitable hatred amongst other peoples and races. Both Memmi and Cesaire clearly create a definitive stand about colonization and the repercussions they bring unto a particular society. Both authors present that the stratifications of the colonizer and the colonized create conflict with one another. They narrate that subjugation is the primary notion that pushes the oppressed into a collective action which can change the existing system. Also, the concept of nationalism is presented as a tool of creating the sense of heroism within every subjugated individual. Nationalism and collective action will inevitably lead to violence which is directed to a purpose of social change.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY - Term Paper Example These behavior expectations according to Dovidio have their roots in individual differences, in both social and cultural experiences. Through personal experiences and learning though observation, people learn about their group values in their society. Therefore, norms are learned through observations, experiences, with immediate situations contributing to learning and understanding, where social norms are more applicable, or elaborate to a particular situation. Though social norms are expected codes of action by individuals, and dictate what people should do across a range of situations, having personal standards relate to the ideals of an individual, and feelings of moral obligation. In this investigation of norms, I chose to walk in a full lift and directly faced the occupants, instead of facing the door as the norm or expected code of action in such circumstances. In this demonstration, I went to an office building at eight o’clock in the morning, which is mostly a rush hour when people are rushing to their offices and work places. The life had 5 occupants; 3 ladies and 2 men, and I was the last occupant as the lift had a safe load of six individuals. All the occupants were in their early thirties, guessing from their looks. As people shoved and pushed in rush to catch the next lift, I waited patiently and counted up to five occupants before forcing myself in as the last occupant. As I entered the lift, all the other occupants we re directly facing the door; they all had their eyes fixed on me. With a serious expression and oblivious to the people in the lift, the lift door closed and instead of turning around to face the door, I stood there just staring the other occupants, and did not en hit the button indicating my destination. I faced the occupants directly and gathered all my courage not to smile or blink in the short dash as the lift rapidly accelerated

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Creative Report On Strategic Change Management Business Essay

Creative Report On Strategic Change Management Business Essay Every organisation goes through change but the question lies; do they know the need for change. Why are they going through change. Have the employees understood the need for this change? Strategic change management is successful when there is participation from stakeholders, employees, the leader etc. According to Bevington (2012) Strategic change affects employees, who create resistance because they do not understand the need for change and how will it benefit them. Some will resist change because they like the way things are and dont want anything to change also known as the Status quo. Business organisations need to make sure that there are proper strategies in place to overcome this resistance and implement change. This change has to be constantly monitored to overcome any negative outcomes. According to McMillan (2008) Kurt Lewin developed a change management strategy known as the force field analysis. He demonstrated that there are forces driving for change, forces repelling change. There is a need to balance out both these forces and ensure that change takes place smoothly. Forces for change include: Lewin four forces of change Miner (2007). Organisational behaviour 4: from theory to practice. Burnes (1996) states that, there is the management on one end trying to implement change and employees on the other end who do not understand the need for change. They are affected by the sudden disruption in their smooth day to day work. Therefore, there exists forces that are for change and forces that resist change. These forces can be internal or external. Internal forces that drive change are cultural differences between employees, conflicts with other departments due to competition or performance, a want for increasing profitability. The External forces that drive change in an organisation would be new legislation and taxes, politics, competition, customers needs and expectations introduction of new technology. According to Beer (2000) Lewins 3 stage model Unfreeze- Change- Refreeze is a very important tool that can be used for change. The first stage involves unfreezing, that is to create the platform for change. The second stage is change by bringing about transition via communication explaining why this change is beneficial and why there is a need for to implement this change. The third phase involves refreezing by establishing stability and letting individuals reconnect to their familiar environment. Refreezing helps in changing the low productivity state to a higher one. In this report examples of CORUS and AEGON have been provided. Corus is one of the worlds leading steel companies, which produces heavy plates for construction, shop building, energy, semi finished products for re rolling and rod for wire drawing etc. AEGON is one of the worlds largest life insurance and pension companies. It has 27,000 employees and over 25 million customers worldwide. Q1 Learners need to show that they understand the background to organisational strategic change Discussing models of strategic change Evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organisations in the current economy Assessing the value of using strategic intervention techniques in organisations Ans) Discussing models of strategic change Change occurs due to different factors, it can be due to stakeholders, internal or external factors. The internal and external factors contribute to the force of change. The models that are used to implement change successfully are explained in detail. ADKAR, KOTTERS 8 Step model and Mckinseys 7s model are all used for strategic change. ADKAR According to Hiatt (2006) the ADKAR change management is a management model that assists with change. It concentrates on change at personal level, and how to go about making that individual accept the need for change and work for the organisation with full motivation and co-operation. ADKAR was developed by Jeff Hiatt. Originally it was used to determine if change strategies were bringing the required results. Now days it is used to identify gaps to support the change process. The Five Elements of ADKAR In order for successful change each step of ADKAR needs to be followed. Awareness Awareness is to create an understanding for the requirement for change That is, what are the benefits of change, why is it necessary, what happens if we dont implement change etc Hiatt (2009). Desire Desire is to create the need to take part in the change Leadership plays a very important role in desire. The leader has to motivate and influence the staff that they get encouraged for change Hiatt (2009). Knowledge To give knowledge so the employees know what needs to be changed and how to go about changing that, example- explaining new tasks, providing training, understanding new roles Hiatt (2009). Ability Ability to implement change this can be done by monitoring, providing involvement, performance measurement etc Hiatt (2009) Reinforcement- Reinforcement to strengthen the changes by rewards, recognition, feedback, performance measurement and audits. Hiatt (2009) The ADKAR model can be used to monitor progress, identify employee resistance, an instrument for coaching by managers etc. The ADKAR Model can be used to ensure that there are smooth operations and that cultural change is taking place effectively. It can be used to fill the gaps within the organisational change strategies. Prepare individuals for change and emphasise areas of improvement. Evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organisations in the current economy Strategic change is a field in strategic management. It is a very important study of strategic management. It is important to balance the changes that are associated with technological change, competition that can pose threats etc. The strategic change models help in assessing the situation and improving it. Thus models are very important in bringing about strategic change management. Assessing the value of using strategic intervention techniques in organisations Strategic planning is very important for strategic change to take place. Strategic intervention is all about creating plans, taking action and implementing strategies that would meet customers requirements. Intervention is to balance the process of change in the macro and micro environment. Mckinseys 7S model: According to Witcher (2010) the 7S model was developed by Mckinseys Consulting, it shows how to organise an organisation effectively and is based on seven key fundamentals. It is split into two groups that are hard elements and soft elements. The hard elements are tangible, whereas the soft are intangible. hard and soft elements of 7s model Framback (2001) Creating customer value through strategic marketing planning: a management approach The 7S Model Plant (2001) E-Commerce : formulacioÃÅ' n de una estrategia The 7S Model where all fundamentals are interrelated. Shared values are the most important in an organisation. It forms the basis for culture, performance and links the structure, system, strategy into the framework. Therefore it is highly important to have a proper culture. Structure: The structure the organisation operates on such as coordination, task allocation, supervision etc. To bring about smooth operations have daily meetings Witcher (2010). Strategy: Strategy is the plan created to succeed and have a competitive advantage. Eliminate waste and increase turnover by installing KAIZEN etc Witcher (2010). Systems: The system that supports the firms such as IT, accounting, resource allocation, financial reporting etc. Introduce a good pay structure for the new team Witcher (2010). Shared Values: The shared values are the core values of an organisation. The mission and vision of the organisation is very important to have a common shared value. Respecting their values and continuously striving for perfection Witcher (2010). Style: Style how the organisation is run, democratic, autocratic, lassie faire.etc. A leader that coaches and motivates can ensure smooth change. A leader who is trained in emotional intelligence can empower employees Witcher (2010). Staff: The employees are the number of people within the organisation the various departments and keeping in mind their cultural views Witcher (2010). Skills: The skills that individuals bring to an organisation. Allow employees to take decisions Witcher (2010). The 7s model is to analyse the situation, identify gaps, fill those gaps and use the fundamentals to achieve those goals. 7S Quadrants PLANT (2001) E-Commerce : formulacion de una estrategia EXAMPLE- The CORUS workforce understood the need for change and had a clear vision They wanted to achieve 15% return on assets by productive sales of products, solution and expertise to customers in the industrial markets and construction. Corus planned to achieve this by using the resources available and driving its cost down and increasing productivity. It also seeks out new skills and expertise. CORUS management may have used the KOTTERS 8 step model to bring in change. The Kotters 8 step model is explained in detail below, it illustrates the urgency of the change, the vision that exists, how to go about communicating that vision, empowering the employees and motivating them to work towards the change. CORUS personnel introduced new values in the organisation that helped it move forward. Kotters 8 Step Model- According to Sabri (1967) Kotters 8 step model is used to find elements that are important to organisational change. Kotter Sabri (2007). Purchase order management best practices process, technology, and change management. 1. Create a sense of urgency- Creating a sense of urgency by finding the weakness and strengths of an organisation, examining the markets and completion Sabri (1967). 2. Develop a powerful coalition- By bringing together a skilful team to implement change successfully and forming strategies to achieve the vision Sabri (1967). 3. Create a Vision- Developing a vision to direct the change attempt and forming strategies to achieve that vision Sabri (1967). 4. Convey the Vision- Communicating the vision by guiding and training, communication plays a vital role in implementing change Sabri (1967). 5. Empowering others to accomplish the vision- Empowering employees to accomplish the vision by encouragement of new ideas, removing obstacles in change and changing systems that weaken the vision Sabri (1967). 6. Planning for and producing short term wins- Planning short term wins by rewarding employees and implementing a strategy to improve performance Sabri (1967). 7. Consolidating improvements- Consolidating improvements by reinventing the process with new themes and projects, hiring employees who can implement the vision and using a proper system that is credible to change the systems, policies, and structures that dont fit the vision Sabri (1967). 8. Institutionalising new methods- Institutionalising new methods by implementing proper channels to ensure the vision and mission of the organisation and the leader are clear Sabri (1967). Q2 Learners will be expected to understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation by; 1) Examining the need for strategic change in an organisation 2) Assessing the factors that are driving the need for strategic change in an organisation 3) Assessing the resource implications of the organisation not responding to strategic change Strategic change occurs due to economy, a change in markets, new technologies being introduced and new procedures such as TQM (Total Quality Management) being introduced. Strategic change management can be explained with the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) that is the internal changes that can occur inside and organisation and the PESTLE (Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) which is the external forces that bring about change in an organisation. The external environment consists of the customers needs and expectations, shareholders, changes in politics, product design, shareholders, and technology. To understand the external environment models such as the PESTLE can give an organisation an insight into the problems that can be faced externally by an organisation that may arise and how to deal with them. A SWOT can be carried to check the strength weaknesses opportunities and threats an organisation may face. A feasibility study and scanning the environment can assist in studying the external environment and eliminating weaknesses. Market research is done to analyse the current market situation. Customers feedback and complaints are taken to improve the quality of the product or a particular process. TQM (TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT)- TQM is about planning a structure to hold on to the market share. Customers look for quality, and they are ready to pay the price for better quality. Therefore quality has exchanged places with price. TQM is about identifying the customers want, to meet these needs economically. Checking the materials that are brought in is up to standard. Focusing on prevention rather that rectifying errors. Educating the employees and constantly training them for good output. Measuring the customer satisfaction and constantly reviewing the systems to ensure progress Oakland (2003). Therefore TQM is important factor in planning quality change. PESTLE- Green (2007) The P.E.S.T.L.E framework takes into consideration the Political, Economical, Socio Cultural, Technological, Legal and Environmental Predicting the future circumstances the organisation could deal with. The PESTLE can forecast the events that will influence the organisation as well as the ability to deliver the product. http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/pestle-swot.png Henry (2008) Understanding strategic management. PILOT STUDY- A pilot study is a small panel or committee that is established by the organisation to have an overlook of the entire business or a particular process. The feasibility study is conducted to give a yes or no signal to a business project. A feasibility study can take hours to weeks to give an answer, it depends on the amount of investment that dictates how much amount of energy has to be put into it Dalcher (2000). ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING According to Kroon (1995) Environmental scanning takes into consideration the macro environment. The macro environment is the external forces that affect an organisation. The environmental analysis consists of environmental monitoring, assessment and forecasting. It is concerned with markets, companies, industries competitors and clients. On the other side there also exist the micro-level which is analysed within the industry. Customers, Suppliers and competitors signify the micro environment of a company. SWOT- The SWOT Analysis analyses the Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organisation. Threats and opportunities are considered external factors whereas strength and weakness are considered internal factors (Weihrich, 1982) cited by Leung et al (2000) http://www.marketingteacher.com/image/content/swot_new_1.gif Ferrell (1999) Marketing strategy. Strengths- The strength establishes the companys strong points Weaknesses- It determines the weakness of the organisation not only from its standpoint but from the customers vision. Opportunities- It predicts how an organisation can grow within a market place Threats- It analyses the threats that can crop up and thus establishing a plan of action to surpass them without getting affected. EXAMPLE- AEGON needed to change because although it was successful it was not known to many consumers. The reason being the government imposed price controls that reduced its profitability. In order to be better known in the market AEGON took an audit and changed their strategy. They simplified financial services, developed a workforce and focused on customer service. AEGON performed a brand audit. The company focused on itself internally and how was it positioned externally. During the audit they found out more about the organisation and made decisions how changes were to be brought in. The external audit helped AEGON to establish itself on the same level as its competitors. AEGON focused on the culture of the organisation to bring in smooth change. Q3 Learners will be able to lead stakeholders in developing a strategy for change by; 1) Developing systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change 2) Developing a change management strategy with stakeholders 3) Evaluating the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change 4) Creating a strategy for managing resistance to change Ans) 1) Developing systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Stakeholders are people that belong to a group, organisation or individuals that have a direct or indirect stake in the organisation. Stakeholders hold a vital role in the organisation. If there is any changes going to take place it is important for the stakeholders to be aware of such change. Stakeholders can be customers, unions, government internal or external. The vision and mission of an organisation is very important to send the right message to employees stakeholders etc and letting them know what is the business about and what it wants. Communication strategies are very important to implement this change. The Kubler Grief cycle illustrates the process of change. Overcoming the grief cycle and implementing change can be done with models such as Burke Litwins change model and Kotters 8 step model etc. VISION MISSION- Vision Statements and Mission Statements are motivational and inspirational words that are chosen by a leader to clearly and concisely convey the direction of the organisation. The vision and mission statement works better when the employees and employer sit together and decide on it rather than the employer making it alone, as the employees would feel valued and optimistic. The vision and mission of an organisation is a clear and concise statement that answers the Question what business are we in? A well devised mission statement has to answer five basic questions Ferrell (1999). Who are we? What customers are we serving to? What are our competitive advantages? What are our responsibilities? What is our operating philosophy (values, ethics, beliefs etc)? The Vision statement is used to communicate the end result. It is mostly written in the future. The vision and mission statement both have to be aligned with each other. The vision statement is important as the stakeholders will not understand the big picture of the organisation without it. 2) Developing a change management strategy with stakeholders Change management strategies with stakeholders can be done by brainstorming that is generating ideas together with the stakeholder group, by looking at old data that may help in showing the stakeholders interests and characteristics. Good presentations that will help deliver effective oral ideas and diagrams to make it easy for the stakeholders to understand. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ORGANISATIONS EXISTING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES. Carr et al. (2001) the level of job satisfaction that is associated within organisations is associated with communication strategies. Every business needs a unique selling point (USP) and for an organisation to succeed there has to be a communication strategy in place. Communication is an intangible input to an organisation that is very essential for its success. According to Carr et al. (2001) Management communication strategies have major job satisfaction. Clear communication of goals, job responsibilities have significant improvement in higher output quality. Communication within customers creates employer loyalty and quality production. Clark (1996) Leaders have to look inside the organization to ease tensions making sure quality does not fail in the corporation. Mills et al (2009) communication should be continuous and training should be supported to overcome the change, Resistance is bound to happen during change but leaders can overcome them with great ease if there is proper communication. KUBLER- Grief Model- According to Garcia (2009) the KUBLER grief cycle shows five phases the individuals face during change. Garcia (2009) The first phase being SHOCK- Shock is the first reaction when an individual is told that there are some changes going to be made. Sometimes there isnt any initial reaction until the change process starts taking place and slowly starts to disrupt their schedule and they resist the change. Garcia (2009) The second phase is DENIAL- The individuals deny anything is wrong and behave normal by saying everything is fine but emotionally they have been wounded. Garcia (2009) The third stage is ANGER- When the individual realises that they cannot maintain denial they get angry. The individual gets angry and there is little that can be done because of rage and envy that is within him. Example- During a merger, a manager loses his position from manager to supervisor. Garcia (2009) The fourth phase is BARGAINING- The individual starts bargaining with their thoughts as to what this change means to their future or what can they do next. Garcia (2009) The fifth phase is DEPRESSION- The individual becomes silent and refuses to talk and spend time with other employees. It has to be noted that grieving must be processed in order to get out of this phase otherwise the anger or depression may build in the individual. Garcia (2009) The sixth phase is ACCEPTANCE-The individual slowly and steadily starts understanding the need for change and accept it. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvtr3iklcm70mZNzPw0C9y63aUowJBCNWVUX5QQBIjJq7AqZuXad71CqRx85qw6VEohLkTs1RJFq9ivmGffdE8ESMxqklFMlpXTWPtoa3yKkRAQVIBuAtLA3iwzzIAQCKYZeflz-PdsEe/s400/gpg1.jpg Proctor (2007). Community service chaplaincy: doing Gods work in Gods world. Evaluating the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change. Stakeholders must be involved right from the start of the project. Their constant support is required throughout the project. Clear objectives must be made to illustrate the budget, timetable, allocation of responsibilities etc. Information regarding the project must be readily accessible by stakeholders. Any affected stakeholders must be dealt with carefully and must be provided with assistance. The Burke Litwins change model describes the drivers for change. This model can be used to bring about change effectively. Burke-Litwin Change Model: Burke Litwins change model demonstrates the various reasons for change and ranks them. It demonstrates that all the important factors are on the top of the model but it also argues that even if a change takes place on one of the factors every element in this model gets affected. http://research-methodology.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/New-Picture-22.png Mumford (2010). Gower handbook of leadership and management development According to Hatlie (2004) burke-litwin considers the environmental factors as the most important reason for change. The reason being most of the change is found to be external. Elements such as leadership, culture, mission and strategy are influenced by changes that occur externally. The drivers for change 1. Hatlie (2004) External Environment- The external environment consists of markets, completion, legislations etc. All of these factors have an impact on an organisation. To watch out for external changes it is important to continuously scan the environment. 2. Mission and Strategy- The organisation has a mission for a reason. The mission sets the direction for an organisation. A strategy explains in detail the plan and objectives of how to achieve that target, goal. In order for successful change in strategy it is important to communicate the consequences to the employees Hatlie (2004). 3. Leadership- The leaders attitude and personality reflect on the organisation. If they are successful at presenting the change they can implement it just as easily. Their strength inspires employees Hatlie (2004). 4. Organisation Culture- The culture of an organisation is the way things are done. It consists of a set of beliefs, attitudes, behaviours etc. Cultural change takes time to change. It has to be noted of how the employer wants his employees to behave and what he expects from them. There has to be a constant watch over employees and make sure the organisation is headed in the direction planned Hatlie (2004). 5. Structure- The structure of an organisation can change with the changes in strategy. This has an effect on responsibilities, relationships and ways of working. It is important to see the effects of structural change and make sure the team members know of what is required from them Hatlie (2004). 6. Work Unit Climate- The work unit climate is the perceptions of employees. If the employees are satisfied in their jobs it influences the organisation vice versa. Any immediate changes need to my managed sensitively as the employees may get angered and thus result in poor performance or interference from the unions Hatlie (2004). 7. Task Requirements The skills of the employees will change from department to department. It is necessary to ensure if the skills are in the right place, if there is a need to bring someone new or if the skill can be developed Hatlie (2004). 8. Individual Needs and Values- The changes that occur in a team have to be looked at and carefully dealt with. It is impossible to get a perfect team in place therefore it is necessary to identify and potential risks and keep in mind the individual needs and values and treat them respectfully Hatlie (2004). 9. Employee Motivation- If employees are motivated there can be a successful change implemented. The challenge is to sustain motivation especially when there is resistance to change Hatlie (2004). 4) Creating a strategy for managing resistance to change Resistance is bound to happen because of many reasons; it can be due to the Status quo that is people used to ways of doing things. To manage resistance, it must be expected when implementing change, it must be formally addressed and the root causes must be removed. The root causes for resistance to change can be used by using the Fishbone Diagram that was introduced by Dr Ishikawa. FISHBONE DIAGRAM- According to Lighter (2004) the fishbone diagram provides an insight into the root causes of the problems instead of treating it from the top. The base line of the fishbone represents main problem and the branches that come from it gather information. The fishbone diagram relies on IQ, brainstorming, team work etc. The fishbone is an excellent tool in Quality improvement as it visually represents the root causes of the problem and is a great tool to implement strategic quality change. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAl5bmwmaYg/T9IshvzJZGI/AAAAAAAAAUY/lc3YgudwZM8/s1600/ishikawa_diagram.gif Shelly (2001) Systems analysis and design. According to Beer (2000) Lewins 3 stage model Unfreeze- Change- Refreeze is a very important tool that can be used for change. The first stage involves unfreezing, that is to create the platform for change. The second stage is change by bringing about transition via communication explaining why this change is beneficial and why there is a need for to implement this change. The third phase involves refreezing by establishing stability and letting individuals reconnect to their familiar environment. Refreezing helps in changing the low productivity state to a higher one. Q4 Learners will be able to plan to implement models for ensuring ongoing change by; 1) Developing appropriate models for change 2) Planning to implement a model for change 3) Developing appropriate measures to monitor progress Change can be implemented using models such as Kaizen for continuous improvement, monitoring the system so there is always a constant watch over any side effects to the change. A gap analysis helps identify the gaps of an organisation. It looks to maintain the quality of an organisation. BPR (Business Process Reengineering) has to be constantly monitored during change. 5 GAP MODEL BUILD TO DEAL WITH THE SHORTFALL OF THE QUALITY SERVICE Nargundkar (2010). According to Grigoroudis (2010) the Servqual model is used to manage quality and measure quality in an organisation. http://ausweb.scu.edu.au/aw03/papers/deans/Fig1_Gaps_Model.jpg Kusluvan (2003). Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry The gaps are as follows Gap 1. Between Customers Expectations Managements perceptions about these perceptions. GAP2. Between Managements Perceptions Customers expectations GAP3. Between Service quality specifications Service Delivery GAP4. Between Service Delivery External Communication to customers about service delivery GAP5. Between Customers expectations their perceptions on service quality The GAP model takes into account the tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy that is required in Quality Management. BPR- BPR is known as Business Process Reengineering can be used in operations management to manage quality to meet strategic objectives. According to Radhakrishnan (2008) BPR was introduced by Frederick Taylor when he printed principles of scientific management in 1900s. BPR is an analysis of the existing processes in an organisation and reengineering it for improvement in performances instead of a complete replacement of a process. BPR is used to bring about change in an organisation through focusing on employee responsibilities, organisational structures, incentive systems the use of information technology etc. It can reduce the time and cost of processes to do a certain job. MONITORING- While implementing change the organisations change has to be monitored constantly. According to Khandker (2010) a monitoring system consists of setting goals and targets. The results that are derived from it are used to evaluate the performance. Monitoring helps in promoting accountability and dialogue among the policy makers and stakeholders and also policy design and implementation. Evaluation is an assessment of the results that are achieved by the programme. The challenges in monitoring are too; Identify the goals that are supposed to be achieved. Identify key indicators that are used to monitor progress against these goals. Set targets that are supposed to be achieved by a given date. Set up a monitoring system to track progress to achieve specific targets. Therefore, encouraging better management and responsibility for projects and programmes. KAIZEN CONTINOUS IMPROVEMENT- Kaizen is continuous improvement step by step involving everyone within the organisation. While implementing quality change Kaizen can be considered because kaizen means continuous improvement. It has to be n