Wednesday, July 31, 2019

CVS Structure Essay

Module 6: Question 1: Draw a chart of your organizations domain. List the organization’s products and customers and the forces in the specific and general environments that have an effect on it. Which are the most important forces that the organization has to deal with? Part A: Draw a chart of your organizations domain. CVS Pharmacy Specific Environment General Environment An organizations domain is the goods and services, and customers of the organization. Every organizational domain consists of a specific and general environment. In CVS Pharmacy’s specific environment are its suppliers and customers. In CVS Pharmacy’s general environment are governmental regulations, advancements in technology, and economic forces. Part B: List the organizations products and customers and the forces in the specific and general environments that have an effect on it. What are the most important forces that the organization has to deal with? CVS Pharmacy offers products in the front store and the pharmacy. Products in the front store range from health and beauty products, over the counter medications, cleaning supplies, school supplies, seasonal items such as Halloween or Christmas decorations, and food and beverages. Some services offered in the front store is the photo station where customers can print photos and make albums for themselves or loved ones. Great customer service is to be given to all customers from the time they enter the store until the time they leave the store. Products offered in the pharmacy are prescription only medications and ordering medications online that cannot be found in the  front store. Some services offered in the pharmacy are immunizations such as flu shots, pneumonia, and shingles shot, MinuteClinics, patient consultations, and directing customers into a good Medicare Part D plan. CVS Pharmacy is directed towards many different customer bases. Some customers come into CVS to keep up their good health by getting their medications and becoming informed on what they are used for and how to take them. Other customers just come into CVS to do a little bit of general needs shopping. In CVS Pharmacy’s specific environment falls its customer and suppliers. These forces have a huge effect on how successful the company is or becomes. Customers play a huge role in keeping CVS alive. In 2012, CVS Pharmacy’s net revenues increased by 15 percent to a record $123.1 billion and its operating profit increased by 14.2 percent to a record $7.2 billion. Without our customers, CVS would not be able to operate. Suppliers are another huge part of CVS’s specific env ironment. In the pharmacy, our main supplier is McKesson. If we are not able get the products that we need for our customers, we will end up losing these customers to different pharmacies. Every day we place an order with McKesson to get in the medications need to fill customer’s prescriptions. Without our suppliers, we would not have any products to offer our customers. In CVS Pharmacy’s general environment are technological advancements which play a big role in keeping CVS alive. Technology is always changing and in order to keep up with the fast-paced environment, CVS needs to keep implementing the best technologies they can to keep customers interested. One huge technological advancement is ordering and managing your medications online. This lets customer easily order their medications from home and be alerted when their prescriptions are ready for pickup. Governmental regulations also play a role in CVS’s general environment. There are many rules and regulations that need to be followed in the pharmacy. One specific regulation that we must follow are HIPAA laws. This helps protect the customer from outsiders viewing any of their personal information. I think the most important forces that CVS has to deal with are keeping customers happy and getting the supplies they need from their suppliers. Question 2: Analyze the effect of the forces on the complexity, dynamism, and richness of the environment. From this analysis, how would you characterize  the level of uncertainty in your organizations environment? Part A: Analyze the effect of the forces on the complexity, dynamism, and richness of the environment. Environmental complexity is a function of strength, number, and interconnectedness of specific and general forces. CVS has many stakeholders including employees, non-governmental organizations, suppliers, clients, investors, shareholders, analysts, consumers, local communities, civic organizations, trade organizations, government and regulatory authorities, and the media. With all these stakeholders within the organizations specific and general environment makes communication and collaboration very difficult. There are a lot of voices to be heard and getting everyone interconnected and on the same page is not an easy task. CVS would fall under a complex environment. Environmental dynamism is a function of speed of change and how much change is occurring between specific and general forces. CVS is constantly changing and growing in today’s world. CVS knows they need to stay innovative and keep up with new technologies in order to stay the nation’s premier integrated pharmacy services provider. One example of CSV growing and changing is adding a new feature to their mobile app. CVS adder a new drug interaction checker as part of its top-rated CVS Mobile app. This is an industry first. This feature allows customers to quickly and easily check for potential drug interactions by comparing over-the-counter (OTC) products with their prescriptions and other OTCs on their smartphones. CVS would fall under a dynamic environment. Environmental richness is a function of quantity of resources in the organizations domain. Richness refers to the quantity of resources readily available in the organizations domain. CVS has readily available resources at all times. We are able to order from our outside vendor, McKesson, Sunday through Thursday to receive the medications we need Monday through Friday. We have a contract with them and they supply all our medications on a daily basis. CVS would fall under a rich environment. Part B: From this analysis, how would you characterize the level of uncertainty in your organizations environment? As stated above, CVS has a complex, dynamic, rich environment. While having a rich environment would lead you to believe that there was little uncertainty within the organization, having a complex and dynamic environment leads you to believe that there was much uncertainty within the organization. Overall, from my analysis above, I believe that CVS Pharmacy operated with an uncertain environment. Question 3: Review your analysis of organizational structure. How has your organization designed its structure to match the environment in which it operates? For example, how do its degree of differentiation and its use of integrating mechanisms reflect the uncertainty of its environment? I defined CVS Pharmacy’s organizational structure to be organic. CVS has decentralization within the organization. Decentralization happens when top management’s decision making has been delegated to lower managers. The pharmacist has the discretion to offer gift cards to unhappy customers. This in turn makes the customer happy and hopefully they will return to CVS in the future. The pharmacist also has the discretion to price match with other pharmacies. If Walgreens has a lower cash price for a certain medication then we can offer that price to the customer if they ask for that to be done. CVS, for the most part, is highly formalized. This is an attribute of the mechanistic model of organizational structure but as I said earlier, we are predominately organic. The technicians and employees do not have a lot of discretion to deviate from their job duties. There are rules and regulations that they need to follow otherwise they could be terminated. CVS has a very complex structure. There is great special dispersion; it has high vertical differentiation, and high horizontal differentiation. CVS has designed its structure to match its environment. I said earlier that CVS operates under a dynamic environment and in turn has designed its structure to be organic. CVS’s use of integrating mechanisms reflects the uncertainty of the environment. CVS Pharmacy is highly differentiated. CVS has various levels of management that the operative core need look up to. CVS also has over 7000 stores nation-wide creating great spatial dispersion. Some integrating mechanisms used by CVS Pharmacy are specific jobs, policies, and  standards that employees must follow. Employees at CVS are not allowed to make their own rules/tasks. Employees are given specific jobs that they are to get done and if they are not completed, there are consequences. As the lead pharmacy technician, I am in charge of inventory. Our warehouse order needs to be completed on Wednesday by 3pm. I need to use my time wisely to make sure that this gets completed otherwise there will be a lot of supplies and medications that we do not receive. This is not good for the customer or the organization. Employees also have certain policies and standards that they must adhere to otherwise they will most likely be terminated. Employees need to act with honor and integrity and they need this to follow through to the customer even if they customer seems to be out of line. CVS is differentiated and in turn, they follow an organic structure. Question 4: Draw a chart of the main inter-organizational linkage mechanisms (for example, long-term contracts, strategic alliances, mergers) that your organization uses to manage its symbolic resource interdependencies. Using resource dependence theory and transaction cost theory, discuss why the organization chose to manage its interdependencies in this way. Do you think the organization selected the most appropriate linkage mechanisms? Why or why not? Part A: Draw a chart of the main inter-organizational organizational linkage mechanisms (for example, long-term contracts, strategic alliances, mergers) that your organization uses to manage its symbolic resource interdependencies. Symbiotic resource interdependencies include reputation, cooptation, strategic alliances (long-term contracts, networks, minority ownership, and joint ventures) and mergers and acquisitions. CVS has taken the strategic alliance, long-term contract interdependency. CVS has been in a long-term contract with McKesson for a long time. CVS is McKesson’s single biggest customer. In 2012, CVS accounted for an estimated 18.5% of the company’s U.S. core drug distribution revenues. Part B: Using resource dependence theory and transaction cost theory, discuss  why the organization chose to manage its interdependencies in this way. Do you think the organization selected the most appropriate linkage mechanisms? Why or why not? Resource dependency theory is the ability to exercise more control over resources and distribution channels which means establishing interdependencies with other organizations. Transaction cost theory helps you choose which interdependency to choose when your bureaucratic costs equal your transaction costs. Both of these theories help organizations choose which interdependency is right for them. CVS chose to hold a long-term contract with McKesson. I think this was an appropriate and beneficial way to manage their interdependency. These long-term contracts help build relationships between the parent company and the supplier. When announced that CVS was going to renew its contract with McKesson, McKesson’s statement said that it was â€Å"extremely pleased to continue the relationship†. Question 5: Draw a chart of the main inter-organizational linkage mechanisms (for example, collusion, third-party linkages mechanisms, strategic alliances) that your organization uses to manage is competitive resource interdependencies. Using resource dependence theory or transaction cost theory, discuss why the organization chose to manage its interdependencies in this way. Do you think the organization has selected the most appropriate linage mechanisms? Why or why not? Part A: Draw a chart of the main inter-organizational linkage mechanisms (for example, collusion, third-party linkages mechanisms, strategic alliances) that your organization uses to manage is competitive resource interdependencies. Competitive resource interdependencies include collusion and cartels, third party linkages, strategic alliances (long-term contracts, networks, minority ownership, and joint ventures) and mergers and acquisitions. CVS has followed the mergers and acquisitions interdependency. In March of 2007, CVS Corporation and Caremark Rx, Inc. merged together creating the nation’s premier integrated pharmacy services provider. The combined company, renamed  CVS/Caremark Corporation, unifies the nation’s largest pharmacy chain with a leading pharmaceutical services company, creating the opportunity to deliver unique products and services that will help manage costs for employers and improve access and choice for consumers. Part B: Using resource dependence theory or transaction cost theory, discuss why the organization chose to manage its interdependencies in this way. Do you think the organization has selected the most appropriate linage mechanisms? Why or why not? Resource dependency theory is the ability to exercise more control over resources and distribution channels which means establishing interdependencies with other organizations. Transaction cost theory helps you choose which interdependency to choose when your bureaucratic costs equal your transaction costs. Both of these theories help organizations choose which interdependency is right for them. CVS chose to go with the merger interdependency. I think this was an appropriate and beneficial way to manage its interdependency. This merger allowed CVS to begin delivering substantial benefits to shareholders, customers and employees. CVS was able to offer end-to-end services, from plan design to prescription fulfillment, as well as the opportunity to improve clinical outcomes, which results in better control over healthcare costs for employers and plan providers. The merge improved the delivery of pharmacy services and healthcare decision making, enabling consumers to benefit from unparalleled access, greater convenience and more choice.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

How does Islamic architecture reflect Muslim beliefs? Essay

One of the most overlooked topics about the Muslim religion is its architecture; often times, Islam is always associated with the Koran, the Ramadan and such and most people are oblivious to the fact that these people also have been able to impact the world of architecture. Their structures are patterned such that the buildings and structures they create represent their religious beliefs. One style in architecture that reflects the belief of the Islamic people is their architectural decoration. The Islam religion dislike figurative representation; in turn, their architectural designs consists primarily of calligraphy and abstract ornaments and are often times coupled by colorful designs. (Farlex Encyclopedia) These calligraphic designs are often times based on the Koran. One other important thing in the Islam architecture is the design of their mosques. Basically, the Islamic mosque is a simple structure designed as a square structure with colonnades placed along the qibla wall. The design and function of this structure is said to allow the Muslims to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder in rows facing the Ka’ba when they pray. This style of architecture also creates a sense of space evoking spirituality of the environment, a feeling of peace, and the feeling of harmony and humbleness evoked in the individual during times of worship. (Hilal Plaza) These simple and oftentimes overlooked style of the Muslims in their architectural designs in reality hold more meaning than the contemporary architectures of our time, their style stresses the importance of the meaning of a structure over its aesthetic value.

Monday, July 29, 2019

6 Ways to Improve Productivity at the Workplace

6 Ways to Improve Productivity at the Workplace Employees spending long hours in the office are not an uncommon sight these days. But how much of the work day is spent productively is another matter altogether. As the saying goes â€Å"it’s not the number of hours you put into work, it is the amount of work you put in those hours†. So what can you do as an employer to increase productivity at the workplace? Here are some tips you can follow. Instill accountability in your employees. By making your workers accountable for their actions and decisions (regardless of their position), it encourages them to be more cautious and meticulous when it comes to their work, hence minimising the risk of errors. In addition, instilling accountability in your employees also gives them a sense of ownership, so that they too feel they have a stake in the company and how it performs. Manage but don’t micro-manage. The fine line between managing and micro-managing can be hard to distinguish. With micro-managing, the danger lies in your employees becoming overly dependent on you and unable to make their own decisions. To prevent such a scenario, start trusting your employees to operate in whatever style they are comfortable with to get the job done — after all, they passed the screening process during the hiring process so they must possess the necessary skills. Having faith in your workers† abilities encourages and empowers them with the confidence to give their all. On the other hand, don’t be quick to pinpoint the blame whenever trouble arises. Speak to him or her first to find out what can be done to prevent the same mistake from happening again. Motivate and reward for good results. While it may sound like common sense, many employers fail to give workers recognition for a job well done — which can result in employee morale dropping. Rewarding your hardworking employees with monetary bonuses clearly shows how much you value their work and will motivate them to continue doing their best for the company. But what if budget constraints prevent you from giving them a raise? Don’t simply remain silent and expect them to know that you recognise their efforts! In fact, it is times like these when keeping staff morale up is most important. Give your staff words of encouragement and assure them that once the situation improves, they will be rewarded accordingly. Or perhaps, offer other forms of rewards such as an increase in leave days or time off. Remember, recognition can come in many forms, not just monetary. Provide the proper equipment. When menial tasks can be automated using the office equipment, it often makes sense to do so. This helps free up manpower to work on more meaningful tasks. But it’s also important to choose equipment that is functional and easy to use. That’s why when purchasing office equipment, get the competitive edge with brands that have a history of reliability such as Canon. Offering a full spectrum of high quality imaging products from input to output, Canon business solutions are renowned for high efficiency while being low in maintenance. They also come backed with strong after-sales support to ensure your business continues to run smoothly. Provide upgrading opportunities. Just like purchasing the proper equipment helps make your employees more productive, so will upgrading their skills. By sending them for training courses, you equip them with the latest skills and introduce them to new (and potentially more efficient) ways of doing their job. However, not all skills upgrading requires spending thousands of dollars and dozens of hours in classes. Having your experienced staff share their useful knowledge with other workers can also be a form of upgrading. Break the routine. Aligning job tasks with an employee’s abilities makes perfect sense but having him or her perform the same duties 40 hours a week may become tedious and even counter-productive in the long run. To break the monotony, rotate job responsibilities from time to time and introduce new roles where possible. This allows your staff to expand their skill-set and also gives them a better understanding of how the business works. Low productivity in the workplace can jeopardise the sustainability of any business, especially SMEs, if left unresolved for some time. So be sure to monitor the efficiency of your workers; not by hovering over them like a hawk, but by communicating with them to learn about any grievances they wish to share. Tackling such issues sooner rather than later will go a long way in ensuring your business reaches its true potential.

Waste to Energy Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Waste to Energy Technology - Research Paper Example Undoubtedly, the waste to energy technology will address the waste disposal issues as well as the growing energy needs of the world. Waste to Energy Technology Waste to energy, or interchangeably energy from waste, can be referred to the process of generating energy in the form of heat or electricity through the incineration of waste materials. Incineration is â€Å"the process of reducing combustible waste to inert residues by high temperature combustion† (Lettsome, 2008, p.191). However, many countries have set strict emission standards for this process as many traditional WtE plants released huge amounts of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and dioxins. Modern incineration plants are eco-friendly and they release little toxic gases or other pollutants. As Ramboll (2006) points out, modern incinerators are capable of reducing the original waste volume by 95 to 96 percent depending on the type of waste material under incineration. The use of incineration technique for the con version of municipal solid waste to energy is a conventional application of waste to energy technology. In the incineration process, generally an RDF is burned to boil water and thereby power stream generators for the purpose of generating electricity for home and business use. However, the method of incineration of municipal solid waste for the generation of electrical energy was widely criticized since this process has been damaging the environment by causing acid rain. In response to this environmental concern, companies used technologies like lime scrubbers on smokestacks. The modern incineration plants are eco-friendly, because â€Å"many times more dioxin is now released from home fireplaces and backyard barbecues than from incineration† (Rosenthal, 2010). Today, a number of new and improved technologies have been developed to produce energy from waste materials without combusting them directly. Majority of such technologies can generate more amount of electric power fr om the same volume of waste materials than through direct combustion method. As described in Bio Earth (2009), in new waste to energy technologies, corrosive components are separated from the converted fuels and therefore, this process contributes to higher combustion temperatures in internal combustion engines and boilers. Hence, they are more productive than conventional WtE plants. Some of those technologies have the potential to convert energy into liquid or gaseous fuels. As reported in World News Inc (2012), gasification, thermal depolymerization, Pyrolysis, Plasma arc gasification PGP are some of the thermal WtE technologies whereas anaerobic digestion, fermentation, mechanical biological treatment are non-thermal technologies. The popularity of waste to energy technologies has considerably increased over the last decade. During this period, industrially important countries like China and Japan built a number of WtE plants in order promote their national productivity. Global Group Consulting Services LLC operates across America and Caribbean in order to promote the application of potential waste to energy technologies and to resolve Municipal Solid Waste issues in small to mid-size cities. As Herndon (2011) reports, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc has been scheduled to commence the operations of its new $180 million WTE plant in 2010; and the project designers forecast that the plant may produce

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Reflections on The Ideological Genesis of Needs Essay

Reflections on The Ideological Genesis of Needs - Essay Example Secondly it is considered as an object with an influential brand name in which case the function is forgotten and can be replaced by any other branded object and to be used as a possession of prestige to generate the same feeling status. The further discussions are on the exchange value, the symbolic and the sign value that are derived out of non-utilitarian objectives and gives a symbolic meaning to the object least taking it for the function it is meant for. The author thus considers the four logics of the object regarding (1) its utility, (2) the market price, (3) the symbolic value as a gift and (4) of a sign value as a status. The 'object of consumption' assumes its position when it disassociates its position as a utilitarian object, a symbol or as a commodity. Its sign value makes it as the object of consumption. The utilitarian object is irreplaceable barring the objects having the same function. Here the object has a relation with its function.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Recent Case in ICT area where UK or EU regulators have intervened Essay

Recent Case in ICT area where UK or EU regulators have intervened - Essay Example osal was to replace its existing three free to air channels with a line up of premium channels that would be available using a new specification digital-terrestrial set-top box (Lee, 2007). Ofcom was however reluctant to allow Sky TV the license and regulatory approval it was seeking to achieve the above stated objective and permit a change in its licensing terms. In response to Sky TV’s application for the change in its licensing terms, the UK regulator Ofcom pointed out that if such a license was allowed to Sky TV, it could squeeze out smaller competitors such as Setanta and BT Vision. It offered the view that the granting of such a license would require a much more broad based investigation into the entire pay-TV market, which would also take into account, issues raised by Sky TV in promoting its proposal, as well as other factors in the external environment that could be detrimental to the market in general (Prosser, 2008). The major advantage that Sky has projected in its proposal is the greater choice that consumers would be able to have in their viewing choices, thereby giving rise to a superior quality and level of TV service. The broadcaster was already in a plum position, because it had the first right to broadcast Hollywood movies and most premium sporting events (Lane, 2010). The opposition offered to its proposals to conve rt freeview into paid for TV came from its rivals such as Setanta and Top-up TV, who contended that Sky was already in a dominant position in the market and granting such permission and license to the company would turn it into a monopoly that would inhibit free and fair competition in the marketplace. The investigation and negotiations have continued over a long period of three years and appear to have finally concluded in a compromised solution. i.e, Sky would be required to offer its premium sports channels to other TV stations offering pay-per-view packages, but in return would allow Sky to gain access to some of the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Now the Olympic flame has left the UK its remaining legacy is to Essay

Now the Olympic flame has left the UK its remaining legacy is to inspire a generation, promoting the benefits of physical fitness. What are the benefits to the cardiovascular system of regular exercise - Essay Example This paper is a discussion of the main physiological features of the cardiovascular system. The heart, one of the system’s major components, has two ventricles at the bottom chambers of the heart and two atria at the top chambers (Aaronson et al, 2004: p47). The ventricles force the blood into the blood vessels from the heart while the atria drains and forces blood into the ventricles. The heart is divided into two chambers in order to achieve a two-circuit system of circulation. The right side pumps to the lungs while, on the other hand, the left pumps to the other organs of the body. During the cycle of a heartbeat, the right and left atria contract, then the right and left ventricles follow suit, followed by relaxation of the ventricles and atria. During the resting phase for the ventricles and atria, blood flows from the relaxed atria to the relaxed ventricles, constituting the diastole. The atria then contract to force out any remaining blood almost followed immediately by the ventricle, constituting the systole. To ensure that blood flows in the right direction, the heart has valves that allow blood to move in only one direction. The heart valves open and close when the heart relaxes and then contracts, which is caused by the pressure difference in the heart, and these valves are; aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves (Aaronson et al, 2004: p50). The one way nature of the valves ensures that blood does not flow back, which avoids mixing of different blood. The heart is comprised of the cardiac muscle, which is a striated and involuntary muscle found on its walls and histological foundations (Aaronson et al, 2004: p52). While smooth muscle is also involuntary, cardiac muscle is more anatomically related to skeletal muscle since smooth muscle is not striated. The cardiovascular system is made of an amalgamation of smooth and cardiac cells, with the blood vessels lined by smooth muscle. The circulatory system is

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Internal Auditing, 4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internal Auditing, 4 questions - Essay Example The complex activities are to be controlled by managements of the organizations, and in the case of companies, naturally the first target is the Board of Directors of such organization made responsible to formulate proper policies, to control the various activities, the organization carries our in different countries, with cross cultures , different moral values, and different customer loyalties. One can see Nescafe, Cadbury product, Lux , Colgate ,cocoa cola, Pepsi, Philips, Sony, Motorola, Toyota and a host of consumer products available through out the world, where customers vary, their cultures vary, but they are bound by these products, which speaks of their qualityThese products made their own language.. For making such universal names, just like the saying that behind every successful man there is a successful woman, behind every successful organization, definitely there is a sound, solid, successful management structure with reliable management principles and policies, to operate their businesses across globe. These managements are successful, because of their management policies, which involve various control systems. Managements strength lies in the policies, they frame, and implementation of those policies, by establishing, various controls, at different levels of management. The first in the management hierarchy, na... Organisation structure --Controlenvironment basically includes the organization structure it self. Management's processes involve planning, organising, and directing the business activities, with the assistance of sound management structure. Different levels of management means-- Management by Board and its subcommittees, top management teams, middle and or functional management teams, operating or supervisory management teams. Boardand StrategicTop Management Middle or Functional Management Operating or Supervisory Management. The first in the management hierarchy, namely the board and top strategic management , formulate (i) the vision, (ii) mission, (iii) objectives of the organization,(iv) long term strategic plans ( ranging from 2 to 5 years period)and approve the plans and strategies prepared by other management structures. Functional management prepares strategiesandshort term plans ranging for six months to a two -year period. Operating management prepares operating plans and operating strategies that will range from one week to six months period. All these plans and strategies should be falling with in the top management plans and strategies. Once they are implemented in true spirit, the organization gives excellent results in all directions. But it is not so simple in the present day organisations. Organisation should have proper control systems in place, and internal audit activity exists to give reasonable assurance to the management that the control environment exists, andcontrol systems established by the management are efficient, effective and economical. Assignment of Authority and responsibility-- Managements function throughby fixing responsibilities on the individual mangers, and

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies Research Paper - 1

Strategic Plan and SWOT Analysis of Techno Group of Companies - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the Techno Group of Companies focus on delivering the best quality along with ensuring that the health and safety precautions are well taken care of in the work environment. The main purpose of the company is to ensure that the company develops into a company that has a strong name in the growing market of construction. Also, the company ensures that work and projects that they deal with are completed keeping their core values of integrity along with client focus, teamwork and accelerated growth in mind. This has previously kept the previous customers satisfied and been the sole reason why they have been doing business with the company since then. The purpose of the Techno Group of Companies revolves around establishing the name of the company into the society. The entrepreneurs with projects that associate to development in of the infrastructure of the community is the primary goals along with constructing the buildings that are a part of this infrastructu re development. These functions revolve around the training of individuals who would serve the company as project managers, construction managers, design engineers and project architects which would be trained in a unique fashion and give the company the competitive advantage of the competition in these fields. The Techno Group of Companies also tries to focus on creating a name in other fields of work that would involve larger projects which can reach the scales of developing major dams and entirely new cities. This ultimate goal leads down to increasing the market share and keeping the name of the company on the recommended list of countries where they have current projects already running. The company is already very proud of the fact that they are a front line company to complete some major prestigious projects in various countries.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

American Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

American Literature - Essay Example Decisions were only done by men and they never recognized presence of women at all angles. The main character in this story is Sarah Penn, who is the wife of Adoniram Penn. According to the story, she has revolted against the intention of her husband to turn the outbuilding that was new into their family’s house. As the story proceeds, we realize that Adoniram, as the father of the home, is very hard working especially in farming. He is more obsessed and concerned with his cows that he forgets the promise he made to Sarah forty years ago about building a new family house. He is much involved in building barns and sheds for his animals, and forgets his family (Freeman 46). Sarah Penn is a woman who stayed in New England just around or before the time of the author. There are various incidences of many religious actions and symbols that have occurred due to Sarah or rather ‘Mother’ within this story. Through this story of Sarah, she moves from her husband’s servitude to the feel that she is serving the Lord and eventually this leads her to seizing power and control over her husband at the end of this story. From the beginning of the narrative, the religious overtones start ruling with the title â€Å"The Revolt of Mother†. The name ‘Mother’ in religious terms relates to a spiritual lady or woman and with this, we can start to predict the outcome. When their daughter Nanny is about to get married and Adoniram is not at home, Sarah does the unexpected: she moves into the new house, becomes obsessed and insane, and in her mind she knows that she is doing a very right thing. Her husband returns from another town where he had gone to buy a horse, and finds the situation that way. He swallows this bitterly and accepts the situation the way it is. This situation actually happens due to the stubbornness of Adoniram and his refusal to discuss anything with his wife. He refuses stalwartly to explain to his wife about

Critical Analysis of A Mother in Dubliners Essay Example for Free

Critical Analysis of A Mother in Dubliners Essay In the short story, A Mother, James Joyce highlights four different aspects: Theme, Style, Language used, and the Characteristics of the Characters. There are five different themes highlighted in the story. The first one is Paralysis, which is the central theme for all the stories in Dubliners. In this story, paralysis is shown with the storys main character, Mrs. Kearney, who is constantly relying and depending on her daughter, providing her with a very good education and making her follow a career in music. Paralysis could also be seen with Kathleen Kearney, who was forced by her mother to follow a musical career, and the way some people eventually say that she has no future in music whatsoever. The second theme, marriage, deals with the way it is portrayed in a negative way. Mrs. Kearney got married out of spite, and there isnt much romance in the relationship between her and her husband, although this doesnt suggest that she has completely given up her romantic ideas. We also see the portrayal of husbands and wives, or family life in general, in a negative way. See more: how to write a good critical analysis essay The third theme is class distinction. This is to do with how Mrs. Kearney keeps on bragging to her friends that her husband is taking her and her daughter to Skerries and they spend their money on Kathleens education and music lessons, to help prepare her for the concerts. Another aspect that highlights this theme s Ms. Kearnys use of language, which is that of an upper class, and this shows that she received an education that was as good as her daughters. The fourth theme is culture and religion. Certain aspects of culture are highlighted when we are told about the grand concerts, which are part of the Irish revival. Also, we see the way the Irish language is kept alive, like the way Mrs. Kearney and her friends say good-bye in Irish. As for religion, we find out that Mr. Kearney was very religious and he often went to church by himself. The final theme is materialism. This is to do with the way Mrs. Kearney is opportunistic, and how she is persistent with her daughter receiving money for all her performances. Joyce uses a satirical writing style in this story. This means that he is making fun of the characters indirectly/subtly. For example, the narrator refers to the concerts as grand, when in reality they are a failure, and the way Mr. Holohans friends call him Happy Holohan. Also, the way he refers to the artists in the concert as artistes. Another aspect of Joyces style is impressionism. This is to do with how the narrator just tells us about the story (gives us a feedback) without revealing anything to us. For example, the narrator tells us the story through the way he sees it. He does not state his opinion, but instead he leaves us with what information we received from him to come up with our own conclusions of the characters. Naturalism is another aspect of Joyces style. He uses real places and real names in the story to give the reader a sense of place. The language Joyce assigned to the narrator is simple and flamboyant. For example, People said she was very clever, a very nice girl and a believer in the language movement (p. 155). There are two forms of language spoken by the narrator: Speaking about the characters and providing information (Miss Devlin had become Mrs. Kearney out of spite She was educated in high-class convent ), and speaking on behalf of the characters (People said she was a very nice girl ). When reading the story, we reach a few conclusions about the characters. Mrs. Kearney is revealed as a snob, conceited woman living in middle-class Dublin, and received a high-class education. We see that she has a harsh and cold attitude (Her ivory manners were admired She sat among the chilly circle of her accomplishments). Mr. Kearny is a pious and sober man, he does not have a romantic relationship with his wife (not enough love), but he is always there to help and support his wife. Mr. Fitzpatrick represents the negative side of the male characters. Because of him, the concert ended in failure. In this story, Joyce has highlighted many aspects, ranging from themes to style, and he elaborated on them with detail, which helps the reader understand the way he portrays real life in Dublin.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Values And Ethics Essay Example for Free

Values And Ethics Essay Values and ethics are two different things that go hand in hand. Values simply refer to our view points, beliefs and thoughts that we hold in regard to important aspects of our lives. They are the cultures and beliefs that we hold close to our hearts in regard to what is important to us. Ethics on the other hand is our personal code of conduct as stipulated and acceptable to the society. The personal values that we hold impact greatly on our ethics, they can also be in conflict. I have a number of personal values that I hold close to my Herat. Core to this is work, people and family. These remain a guiding point and an inspiration to my life. They are a source of strength and consolation. It is popularly said that charity begins at home and in this I have come to believe. Michael Rosenberg notes that â€Å"the family is probably the most important agent of socialization†. He goes on to expound on this adding that from the first days a child’s life, the individual is molded; significant others impact a wide range of meanings about norms and values that are related to the kinds of behavior which that individual will experience during the counts of his or her life. (1983, p. 163). Indeed most of what we know and put into practice emanates from our initial socialization. I feel I owe a lot to my family for the way it has molded me. A look at my childhood reveals a series of ups and down; struggles to remain in the right even when temptation to do wrong is overwhelming. Whether or not I was able to do right and sometimes falter in my steps, one thing remained constant; the support I received from my family. Family is an important institution not only for love and constant care, but also for the unconditional support no matter the challenges ahead. Taking a look back in my life, I can see the important hurdles I have been able to overcome in life due to the support that I have secured from my parents, support that has shaped and imparted important values in my life. Work is another core personal value that continues to inspire me in my current life. A glance at the world today reveals that work remains a central value to majority of people, a centrality almost equaling that of the family. Work is not only an occupation and a source of livelihood but it is also a way of continually molding individuals when they are not within the precincts of the family. Work has continued to imbue a sense of discipline and is an avenue through which to put into practice values instilled in me by the family. It is in the working environment that values such as punctuality, accuracy and professionalism are fully put into practice. Work has become a core value not only in the financial aspect but also the opportunity it has given me to pursue an interest that is close to my heart. It gives me a chance to interact with others and contribute positively towards the alleviation of their sufferings. Although charity begins at home, it is important to note that values instilled at this stage are meant to act as guidelines to future interaction with the rest of the society. It is how effectively that an individual interacts with the society that determines ones destiny and success in life. This brings another core value; people. Right from my childhood, I was taught the essence of being able to interact effectively with people from various backgrounds; I was taught the importance of possessing excellent communication skills to foster effective interaction with the rest of the society. In today’s age, although academic qualifications are key to an upward career progression, social networking is a key ingredient. As a social worker, my work revolves around assisting people; they are the source of my livelihood as well as fulfillment. A positive interaction with people is a must if I am to advance in career and earn my livelihood. According to Kim Strong Gottfried et al, NASW Code of Ethics refers to a set of values, principles and standards to guide decision making and conduct when ethical issues arise. A look at these values and ethics reveals a number of differences and similarities to my core personal values. One of these values according to NASW is the â€Å"importance of human relationships† (2002, p28) Social workers have been molded to appreciate the importance of maintaining positive interactions with the people. According to the code of ethics, they are supposed to â€Å"strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain and enhance the well being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations and communities (Kim Strong G. et al ,2002) As afore mentioned, one or my core is the people. As social workers recognize the importance of human relationships, I have also appreciated the benefits to be reaped by a close interaction with people and the need to help where necessary. The NASW code of ethics propagates for the dignity and worth of every individual. I have with time discovered the importance of working with people from various backgrounds and learnt to address their problems no matter their culture, ethnicity, color or creed. This emanates from the need to uphold the dignity and worth of every individual. A social worker serves others and helps them cope with the challenges in life. As mentioned, another core personal value is work. My work provides fulfillment when I aptly mobilize all the resources at my disposal to assist others. I believe in the need and the ability to help others as the greatest gift in life. NASW code of ethics also espouses this emphasizing on the need to overcome personal interests to better the lives of others. One major difference that exists between my core personal values and the NASW code of ethics is the role of the family. My family has played a big role towards molding me and its still plays influential role. Family interests in social work may bring a conflict of interest. Though it may go a long way in helping me to understand the society, it may be detrimental where the first duty is to the family other than to the clients as professionalism insists. Vignette #3 Vignette number three is about a 68 year old lady contemplating death to ease the immense pain she is undergoing as a cancer patient. The main reason why I have chosen this vignette is because it brings into a sharp focus a topic that has been dominating the public debate for long and continues to evoke emotions each moment it is mentioned. The issue of whether it is ethically wrong for a terminally ill patent to undergo euthanasia is still controversial in the medical profession circles. As I go through the vignette, I have strong feeling against what the client is proposing. Despite the immense pain that she is in, I am convinced that taking an overdose is the wrong approach. Due to limited interaction with people of advanced age in the society, I have an ill convinced notion that they have little respect for the set laws and guidelines and will tend to make decisions arbitrarily with little regard of the consequences. I have had a preconceived belief that due to their advanced age, they assume that laws can be bent to accommodate their whims. . My interaction with the client though compounded by the preconceived assumptions about old people was uneasy; it became uneasy the moment she told me of what she had thought of doing. I had made it known to her clearly that my moral and ethical stand could not allow me to empathize with her. Though I shared in her pain, I was getting increasingly uneasy with her and made sure her medicine was kept out of her reach. I was employing each and every effort to make her comfortable but she had other plans with her life. The fact that she made it clear she would end her life as she could not bear the pain gave me an uneasy feeling. I am aware of the debilitating impact that my preconceived assumptions in regard to the old client had on my objectivity and my interaction with the client. I was already convinced that the old lady would try to circumvent the system in order to accomplish her objectives. These perceptions clouded my judgment and the fair view of the client’s situation. To overcome these cases and be able to make a decision that is within the precincts of professionalism, I would request the help of colleagues who have far much experience in dealing with such cases. He would guide me towards gaining objectivity in my judgment. I have also decided to spend more time with the client to be able to understand her better and see how well I can help her. Should this not work, I would consult with my mentor or a higher authority to have the clients allocated to another medical social worker in the knowledge that our first commitment is to the client. Dilemma #4 I have chosen this ethical dilemma for one main reason, I had handled familiar cases during my internship although then mostly I was helping battered men and women cope with their problems. I was also assisting newly divorced individuals overcome their frustrations in life. I am confident that tackling this ethical dilemma will add to my wealth of experience. This ethical dilemma is compounded by the fact that the male client is contemplating killing his wife should she decided to leave him. This is a crime and should be reported to the relevant authorities. On the other hand, as a professional I am bound by work ethics and confidentiality. Whatever the client confides in me is supposed to remain confidential and should not be revealed to a third party. According to the NASW Code of Ethics social workers â€Å"should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service. † (1999) Following the same NASW Code of Ethics, as a social worker, I should use my intuition and competence to choose the appropriate course of action whenever such a case arises. In this case, I would either choose to report the client to the police of the planned murder or dedicate my time towards assisting the client to manage his anger and outline the inappropriateness and the consequence of his planned actions. Should I opt to report the matter to the police, I should inform the client before hand of the impending disclosure. Both of these courses of action have their pros and Cons. If I decide to report the case to the police, I will have violated the clients trust and confidence, not only in me but also in social workers. The client might refuse to disclose any other information or share his problems with me. If I choose this course of action, I should be prepared, according to the NASW code of ethics, to â€Å"protect the confidentiality of the client during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. † On the other hand I will have prevented a crime. (1999) If I decide to assist the client cope with his anger without involving a third party there is a risk that the client will go ahead and carry out his threat. In such a case, I will be liable legally for failing to disclose information that turns out to be harmful to a third party. I shall have earned the clients trust and might be able to see him through his problems. The NASW code of ethics is an appropriate resource to guide me on the appropriate decision to make. I would also consult with colleagues or with the supervisors in the field. In such a case though, it is important that I withhold any information that could lead to his identification. Faced with such a dilemma, I would opt to report the matter to the police to avoid any harm coming to third parties . The clients has had a history of violence and would probably go ahead and execute the attacks even with my counseling. To avoid the occurrence of such an incident and to protect the wife and also the client from himself, it would be appropriate that I took up the matter with the police. References NASW code of ethics. 1999 NASW Delegate Assembly. Retrieved on June 20th 2008 from http://ncss. aua. edu/docs/naswcodeofethics. pdf Michael Rosenberg, 1983. Introduction to sociology. Routledge. Phyllis N. Black, Elaine Piller, Kimstrong Gottfried, 2002. Teaching social work values and ethics: A curriculum resource. Council on Social Work education. University of Michigan.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Effectiveness Of Non Medical Nurse Prescribing Primary Care

Effectiveness Of Non Medical Nurse Prescribing Primary Care Nurse-led clinics have been increasing for some time and Marsden (1992) identified the benefits of using specialist nurses to compliment services already offered by doctors. Read (1999) defined nurse-led care as being the interface between nursing and medicine. Miles (2003) cited ten individual authors as saying that research shows that nurses are capable of carrying out procedures usually in the domain of doctors, often resulting in greater patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is an important quality indicator. Yellen (2002) felt that the measurement of patient satisfaction with nursing care was particularly important as it provided a good measure of overall satisfaction with services. Ford (1997) agreed with this principle but concentrated more on the competitive edge and financial survival being reflected in patient satisfaction. Cohen (1994) advocated the use of satisfaction questionnaires, but both Avis (1997) and Westbrook (1993) doubted their efficacy, questioning the validity of questionnaires and the way in which they are measured. Westbrook (1993) felt that questionnaires may be limiting and poorly evaluated, giving rise to a poor reputation for satisfaction questionnaires. Duffin (2002) commented that questionnaires with tick boxes appear to have limited use and may include leading questions where there is no scope for the patient to enlarge upon their answers. Both Robson (1993) and Wiles (1996) warned that the results of surveys can sometimes paint a falsely positive picture and may be difficult to translate into a course of action. However, Backhouse (2000) says that the power of a successful nurse-led user satisfaction survey lies in the immediacy and relevance of the results. This may have enormous potential to transform practice, especially if the staff are able to remain positive about any possible negative feedback. Backhouse (2000) commented that nurses may tend to take praise for granted, as a regular stream of cards and thanks is often the only feedback they receive. This may produce the belief that the service is satisfactory, but it has been found that although there is a great deal of satisfaction, there is also some dissatisfaction, particularly with respect to information (McColl (1996), Backhouse (2000), Byrne (2000), Duffin (2002)). As a Business Manager in General Practice in an affluent rural environment, the author has found that there are increasing frustrations and limitations with time and resources where a competent healthcare professional could manage a patients care more than adequately during one appointment. Additionally, continuity of care and health care management in a more patient centred, balanced way could benefit the patient. Discussion around the management of their medicines and general health education could aid to the patient taking responsibility for their own health care management. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (WAG 2001, WAG 2005) has prioritised patient access to primary care services for the last few years which has impacted on patient expectation around the need for an urgent appointment. This has caused pressure on appointment systems, and subsequently changes have been made to deal with the demand. One way in which the practice would like to cope with these demands is by enabling the Senior Practice Nurse to give more holistic care, making the consultation seamless for the patient, thus reducing the need for additional appointments, having already consulted with an appropriate healthcare professional (WAG 2001, WAG 2005). This practice nurse is currently undertaking the Independent Nurse Prescribing (non-medical). When qualified, this will tie in with the nurse-led diabetes clinic and Minor Illness clinics for which she is qualified. The natural progression would be for her to prescribe appropriate medicine or dressings in relation to the competencies she has accumulated following evidence based practice in these disciplines. A nurse may spend a considerable amount of time dealing with the assessment and management of a patient, then waiting outside a GPs door for a prescription to be signed. This situation is far from ideal, and with the enhancement of the prescribing qualification, this could be done in a more appropriate way. This literature review looks at aspects of nurse prescribing in primary care, and how this can lead to patient satisfaction, autonomy and job satisfaction for nurse prescribers. Literature Search Strategy (Method: 10% c350 words) 582 LoBiondo-Wood (2002) describes a literature search as an efficient retrieval of scholarly literature related to the topic of interest, while Cormack (2000) describes a literature search as a review of previously written literature on a related topic in order to provide the researcher and the reader with knowledge of the field being researched. Research literature can originate from many sources. The volume of literature would be unmanageable if careful selection was not carried out (Cormack 2000, LoBiondo 2002). Polit (2004) recommends using electronic databases to locate relevant research information and points out the limitations of manual and internet sources as being time consuming and inconvenient, internet searching possibly not providing required results and bibliographic information. Polit (2004) likens locating all relevant information on the chosen subject to being like detective work. Primary research only was sought. CINAHL Plus (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature) with Full Text and MEDLINE were used to search for key words non-medical AND nurse prescib AND primary care with published dates between January 2004 to present, resulting in 209 hits. These were restricted to research, years 2004-2010 and English-only articles in order to reduce the number of articles to 29. Playle (2000) suggests that the title of a research article is extremely important and should cover focus as well as identifying the research approach used (McCaughan, 1999 Stevens et al, 1993). In the authors case, an informative abstract facilitates the choice of research article. The abstract or introduction, as Bailey (1991) suggests it should prepare the stage for the problem to be investigated, as well as being brief. As suggested by Playle (2000) a well written abstract identifies the main points of the study, although the main weakness can be the word restriction as suggested by Burns and Grove (2001). It should represent an accurate picture (Reid, 1993) of the study with concise methodology, sample subject, reported findings and conclusion. This would enable any reader to base a decision to read the article (Reid, 1993). The rationale for choosing the critique guidelines from Benton Cormack (2000) is based on the convenience and manageability of a well structured process that enables to author to appraise with ease. A literature review is an important element of a research question. Rees (2003 p. 17) indicates that a thorough review of the literature is essential to provide the theoretical and conceptual context for the study. Parahoo (1997) supports this stating a literature search provides the identification and locating up to date material, relevant to the topic under review. It involves the scanning along with critical reading of the literature chosen to assess usefulness to the question under discussion. The authors knowledge and prior reading of literature directed at change management in primary care dictated the final choice of research articles to Richards, L.A; Richards, A; Gilead, L; Stessman, J; blab la bla and Raz, I (1999) title of an article International Journal of Dermatology 38, 623-627 (appendix 1). Those chosen for review were three qualitiative and one quantitative research articles relating to the question under evaluation. AUTHORS All eleven authors have either the appropriate professional qualifications or academic qualifications, for example MD or PhDs. A further research on the authors names and using databases CINAHL and Medline xx to present showed that between them they have published xxx articles in various medical journals with different topics. Most have no bearing on the subject of maggots and wounds blab la bla, while most of them have some bearingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The review (50% c1750 words) 2168 THE REVIEW (PAULAs) LITERATURE REVIEW A good literature review draws on a wide range of sources (McCaughan, 1999) and will identify the need for research. Nevertheless, A poor literature does not invalidate the findings but a good one does enhance the status of the research (Stevens et al, 1993:135). HYPOTHESIS A hypothesis is not included and an explanation could be that the aim of this study is to provide new information by utilising a descriptive research method. Burns and Grove (2001) suggested that if there is very little or no research being conducted on a particular question, then researchers state objectives or questions and there is an objectiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Quantitative research should have all terms explained or defined. Stevens et al (1993) refer to common error by researchers in the assumption that readers are knowledgeable about the jargon and terminologies employed. METHODOLOGY The research approach is not acknowledged within the article. Howedver, it can be assumed that the approach is quantitative, in that it involves manipulation of the independent variable.. On the other hand, to provide the strongest evidence with a greater degree of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Also included are certain qualitative components such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. that would indicated possible combination of the two approaches, qualitative and quantitative. Using this combination in approach to research may not appear to be very scientific, however Docherty (2000) suggests that this method may produce a more meaningful and richer data. Even so, there is strength and weakness to both approaches and neither have been stated within this study. On the other handà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ but backed up with à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. And the author agreed with this type of approach as it enables a reader to scrutinise the data, without having to be familiar with research methodology, data statistics or the terminology. SUBJECTS The subjects are identified as 43xx in five depts. Of xx hospital à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Nevertheless, many potential or suitable candidates for this type of research may be unwilling to participate (burns Grove, 2001 and Reid Boore, 1987) due to the xxxx. SAMPLE SELECTION The approach to the sample selection is not clearly stated and a good research study should explain the sample selection method as suggested by Baxter (2001b). Howeverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ On the other hand, all the subjects are typically,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. DATA COLLECTION Data collection procedures areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. not acknowledgedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The validity and reliability are undefined within this study and McCaughan (1999) suggests that if the researcher has not mentioned testing for reliability and validity then it is unlikely that it has been done. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Xxxxx ethical committee à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. In the authors opinion, ethical consideration should have been an important part of this articleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Nonetheless Appendix 3 shows/à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. As suggested by Matthews Venables (1998) every published research report should include a description on how the informed consent is given. On the other hand, lack of acknowledgement of anonymity, confidentiality as well as the description of informed consent does not necessarily mean they have not been considered (Firby, 1995 McCaughan, 1999), merely that the researchers assumed that the results and method were more interesting to the reader. RESULTS The results are presented as xxxxx and backed up by xxx, which showed that xxx. However, quantitative data is limited wtug xxxx. In spite of this, there is sufficient detail that would enable a reader without any research experience to look at the results and understand what they signify and to judge with confidence the findings. DATA ANALYSIS The data analysis is appropriate to the type of data collected that is percentages and for the type of read that xxx was aiming for. In some ways the method employed is simple and easy to replicate. However, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Clarke (1999c) suggests that the data analysis relies heacily on the researchers skill and judgement to see that it is accurately exeuted, also not reported are values such as test values df and p. In addition, poor quality analysis will render the data anecdotal and unfocused, yet the analysis is focused, credible and to improve upon this, the author would suggest the inclusion of statistical tables. DISCUSSION The discussion is not really balanced, as it only mentions and draws upon xxxx However, what is discussed is very concise and knowledgeable. There is also no acknowledgement of the limitations or weakness of this particular stify and there is only one reference to disadvantages, THAT IS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. (Teresas) LITERATURE REVIEW The aim of the literature review was to find out what the nurses role is in primary care, in relation to providing xxxxx. To assist in the critiquing process, quantitative and qualitative papers were reviewed using the Benton and Cormack (2000) framework. Although the author finds this framework comprehensive and simplistic, it is noted Rees (2003) states qualitative and quantitative research are extremely different, and same method of critiquing cannot be used. This opinion is not upheld by Benton and Cormack (2000) as they promote the use of one framework for both. Within the articles reviewed the evident themes that emerged are xxx and xxxx. In order to guide the reader to continue reading a paper, the abstract should set the scene for the rest of the report. Playle (2000) states an abstract that is soundly written will list the main points of a study. It is noted three out of the four articles reviewed have concise detailed abstracts. Although, that by xxx (2006) lacked depth, understanding and did note cite up to date government papers to support the topic of xxxx. Burns and Grove (2001) highlight that a potential weakness noted wihin Gibbs et al (2004b) paper was the difficulty the reader encountered at determining whether the paper was quantitative or qualitative. Parahoo (1997) concedes this should have been obtained within the abstract, as this should briefly summarise the method, sampling and main findings within a study. Within the abstracts of the articles reviewed, the researchers have clearly portrayed and accurate image of all study methodologies, reported findings, sample subjects and conclusions. EDUCATION Gibbs et al (2004a) initial quantitative research paper tested one hundred and forty-one general practitioners and sixty-six practice nurse opinions relating to xxxx. Results favourably showed that ninety-seven percent of practice nurses raised xxxx but the article concluded xxxx within primary care and mainly relied upon xxxx. Leading on from this study, Gibbs et al (2004b) carried out a quantitative study involving eight general practices and one thousand five hundred and forty-nine kxdffdsdf. The article reports on xxxx. This quantitative paper involved structured interviews where questions were asked in a planned format. A structured interview involves set questions with no deviation from these (Parahoo 1997). A limitation of the study was the elevated drop-out rate but positively forty percent achieved a five percent or more weight loss at twelve months. It highlights whether the researcher has performed the study in a logical, systematic method, having paid attention to pointers that may influence the accuracy of the results (Rees 2003). Although Burns and Grove (2001) argue that a rigorous study should have exact measurement tools, a representative sample and a tightly controlled design. Audit was conducted in all practices prior to the study, where measurement tools such as weighing scales, height measure and large blood pressure cuffs were assessed. The provided consistency of the tools used at each centre along with evidence of their validity. Validity refers to whether an instrument measures what it stated to be measuring whilst reliability relies upon individuals using the tools and reporting accurate measurments obtained (Carter and Porter 2000). It was noted those practices participating in this study were self-selected, already having an interest in obesity management, thus possibly weakening representations. It was encouraging that a cross-section of those involved included large practices, rural, urban, single handed and those fro low deprivation areas. This appeared to provide a representative population with no evidence of bias selection. The xxxx project was ethically approved by xxxx. In contrast Moore et al (2003) in a cluster randomised control studyxxxxxxxx Cluster randomised trual means the sampling frame are geographically spread or the individual elements of the population are not know (Rees 2003). The advantage of this process is achievement of an accessible sample from an almost impossible total population (Rees 2003). Donnan (2000) states experimental research is the gold standard way of representing in a rigorous style that a treatment or intervention is effective. It concludes it si an essential tool for qualitative evaluation of a studys worth. Greenhalgh (2006) draws attention to the fact that publication of an article does not mean the evidence is robust. In conclusion as found in xxxx. Rees (2003) states bias is anything that distorts or affects a study, potentially altering or influencing the accuracy of the findings. Results noted that xxxx. They conclude more in=depth training of health professionals is needed xxxx. This would involve further implementation of training progrmmes and additional research. Ethical approval was granted by the xxxx ethics committee. The research paper by XX (2007) mixes quantitative and qualitative approaches and is known as triangulation,. Docherty (2000) suggests use of triangulation provides richer, more meaningful data. Holloway and Wheeler (2002) support this method stating it to be a way of obtaining rigour in qualitative research. Rees (2003 p. 235) lists this as being the use of more than one method of data collection within the same study in an attempt to produce more accurate information and understanding. This was a cross-sectional study with questionnaires being completed by forty General Practitioners and forty-seven practice nurses. A limitation to this study was no indication was made of the total number of initial questionnaires sent out in comparison to the response rate. A cross-sectional study is a survey that gazes at a situation at one point in time (Rees 2003). The qualitative results by xx (2005) were not shown within the report and rigour was disputed on reading the research paper as a full conclusion of the findings could not be made. It is realised word restriction could be the main reason for the results being omitted, but unfortunately it leaves the reading having to guess what they might have concluded. Ethical approval was supported by xxxx. In comparison with Gibbs et al (2004b) article the outcomes indicated mirror one another, with both papers coming to the conclusion that opportunties for xxxxxx in primary care are often missed or inadequate time given to education and support. Although the report by xx(2-3) shows xxxx, it was indicated this was in accordance with increasing responsibilities in implementation of chronic disease management. It is highlighted in the report that caution regarding results needs to take place. Also this article, although mainly quantitative, has a small sample size. Parahoo (1997) states quantitative research usually involves large numbers in probability samples. The importance of large numbers aims to lessen the chance of bias and correctly achieve statistical procedures (Rees 2003). A pilot study was not carried out prior to this research. Piloting of a questionnaire increases research validity and reliability as it highlights any anticipated problems accessing data, and ensures the method used to gather data works (Parahoo 1997). Research should be instigated because the researcher wants to extend knowledge base and understanding through rigorous collection of information, answering a question objectively and with accuracy (Rees 2003). SUPPORT Soanso (2009) article is a qualitative study and deals with support and perceptions of the patient who is obese. This is a primary study that reports research findings first hand (Greenhalgh 2006). Rees (2003) states to have involvement in qualitative research and understand a topic, individuals first have to see it through the eyes of those who experience it. This method aims to summarise perceptions, experiences, behaviour or interpretations. This process included a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews drawing on grounded theory methodology. Grounded theory aims to produce a concept or explanation that is grounded in the results and arises inductively by researchers understanding and analysis (Rees 2003). Polit et al (2001) strongly supports interviews stating they by far outweigh questionnaires. The response rate is higher, reaching a wider population than questionnaires, are less likely to mislead those reading the questions and provide wealthier data. Rees (2003) ag rees with the above adding, those involved can experience the belief of being in control and positively feeling more valued. It is noted there are disadvantages such as high cost, participants providing socially acceptable answers, affect of interviewer status and difficultly in expressing feelings (Rees 2003). Five general practices from differing socioeconomic backgrounds in Sheffield were involved with interviews conducted at their homes. This provided a varied population adding rigour to the study, and it could be generally assumed an individual would feel more comfortable being interviewed within their own surroundings. Although, it can be argued that interviewers have less power to control the interview within this environment as there is no assurance that the interviewee will maintain a safe place with no interruption, disturbance or being overheard (Pontin Webb 1995, Webb Pontin 1996). Kdfsdfsfhskdfhsd. Ethical approval was sought prior to this study from xxx Ethics Committee. Application to clinical practice (30% c 1050 words) 1086 APPLICATION TO PRACTICE At present within the authors practice setting issues of xxxx are raised xxxx. Since April 2006 the General Medical Service Contract (National Health Service 2006) awarded points for the xxxx. This critical review of the literature has aimed to answer the question: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx? It is well documented that xxxx. Research that has been carried out in an ethical manner and is of robust design can benefit all involved and improve practice (Royal College of Nursing 2004). The document Best Research for Best Health (Department of Health 2006a) states research provides the support and evidence to tackle increasing challenges that disease and ill health have placed on society. This document supports a pilot study within primary care in England to improve evidence based practice of care by facilitating the conduct of clinical trial and other well designed studies. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say, pending successful results in 2014, the use of this structure within primary care in Wales could potentially benefit application of much needed research findings into practice. Findings of this review showed the counterweight project by Gibbs et al (2004a, 2004b) provided the best evidence of implementation within practice, showing xxxx. The Cochrane Library for Sytematic Reviews (2004) supports the Counterweight Project (2004b) stating The Counterweight Programme is an evidence-based weight managmentxxxx Brown Psarou (2007) in their literature review also supported this project stating it was rigorously conducted and soundly funded. Presentation of these research findings were undertaking xxxx. Banning (2005) suggests the management of obesity should focus on xxxx. The National Institue for Clinical Excellence (2001) states that primary care nurses are ideally placed to manage and assess obese individuals. This comprehensive package addresses issues and management of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. The material is simplistic with the alforithm providing an easy guide for the primary care nurse to follow, The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ pathway opportunistically at routine appointments or reviews. To implement this in the clinical setting, xxxx. Successful implementation of this pathway into the practice setting would require change management issues to be addressed. Implementation of change following research can be a difficult process. Resistance, resentment and jealousy can all impede implementation of the change process (Cormack 2000). To overcome resistance to change the key factor is leadership, along with effective communication and a sound understanding of what motivates people (LaMonica 1994). Those involved in the change process must be kept informed and involved at each stage of change. Individuals like equilibrium and are keen to be involved once they know the process will not cause problems or a change of workload (Broome 1998). (Paulas) CONCLUSION A conclusion was included within the abstract, xxxx As suggested by McCaughan (1999) and Playle (2000), there is a restriction placed on researchers and authors by publications to condense from a much larger and more detailed research report. It can be assumed that this is the case with this research article. However, as suggested by Baxter (2001c) that in qualitative research to aid the flow and understandings, discussion and conclusion are kept together under one heading. In the authors opinion, the conclusion should have à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ RECOMMENDATIONS Stevens et al (1993) suggests the realistic researcher would draw conclusion from the data presented and then make further recommendations on what other research is required. However, there is no heading of recommendation or any indication that one was included. Alternatively, suggestions for further research studies and in the authors opinion threr should have been a recommendation for future randomised control trial. There is a possibility as suggested by Playle (2000) that the actual research report is more detailed with recommendations, but this may have been lost when condensed for publication. Teresas conclusion In conclusion, this literature review has shown xxxx. To achieve this, implementation of findings along with ongoing research is necessary to sustain the evolving needs of xxxx. It should be noted that a limited number of research articles were used for this review, providing partial evidence. Thus, it is suggested more concrete evidence is needed requiring a further search and review of the literature on xxxx. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that this review has highlighted the need for further research on the topic of xxxx relating to support and education. It can be said this would potentially emphasise additional studies, which in turn could be applied to practice improving nurse education and support to the obese patient. APPLICATION TO CLINICAL PRACTICE AUTHORS CONCLUSIONS The article on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Appeared to be a concise, informative and innovative piece of research on first perusal. However, what appeared at first glance to be justà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. turned out to be more complicated upon closer iinvestigation and mmmmmm. The reader begins to questionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It has a focus and direction, which is to assess the efficacy of maggot therapy and a very concise and informative methodology, which would enable anyone to reproduce a similar type of research. The data collection procedures are not clearly identified, although the simple representation allows it to be easily followed and replicated. This is further confounded by the entwined discussion and conclusion and as suggested by Baxter (2001c) this often occurs with qualitative research. Nevertheless, the reader must balance the evidence presented and sometimes more than one type of evidence (Roberts, 1999) is needed to determine if the interventions is practicable or efficient, as well as ethical and morally sound (Freak, 1995). Another point is the ethical considerations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ethical significance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. An assumption is the researcher focus on the results or alternative the method, as being more interesting or important (Firby, 1995) to the reader. As suggested by various authors including Polit Hungler (1991) all research has limitation and can be imperfect and if this research article has been condensed from a much larger research report, then this critique has been conducted on a published condensed research article and not the actual research report. Therefore, what imperfections or liitations that are identified within this critique, is the ability of the researchers to actually condense their work and the readers have to assume that the researchers have honestly presented their fndings (Firby, 1995). For all the points highlighted like ethical, operational definitions, qualitative/quantitative approach, this is a very good informative research article that allows anyone to replicate the study. AUTHORS RECOMMENDATION The author would like to recommend thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Furthermore, it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. However, as reported by XX, the main disadvantage is,,,, nevertheless, A readonable recommendation in the authors opinion would beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, In addition, if there isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ INTEGRATING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE Sdfhsdkfhshdfhdfh to advocate and support the patient. References Avis, M. Bond, M. Arthur, A. (1997). Questioning patient satisfaction: an empirical investigation in two outpatient clinics. Social Science Medicine. 44,1:85-92 Backhouse, S. Brown, Y. (2000). Using a patient satisfaction survey to close the theory-practice gap. Nursing Standard. 14,38:32-35 Byrne, G. Richardson, J. Patel, A. (2000). Patient satisfaction with emergency nurse practitioners in AE. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 9,1:83-93 Cohen, L. Delaney, P. Boston, P. (1994). Listening to the customer: implementing a patient satisfaction measurement system. Gastroenterology Nursing. 17,3:110-115 Cormack, D. (editor) (2000). The Research Process in Nursing. (4th ed). Blackwell Science Ltd. Oxford. Duffin, C. (2002). If youre happy and you know it. Nursing Standard. 16,32:12-13 Ford, R. Bach, S. Fottler, M. (1997). Methods of measuring patient satisfaction in health care organizations. Health Care Management Review. 22,2:74-79 LoBiondo-Wood, G. Haber, J. (2002). Nursing Research, Methods, Critical Appraisal and Utilization. Mosby. Missouri. Marsden, E. (1992). Outpatient nurses must adapt to survive. British Journal of Nursing. 1(7) 356-357 McColl, E. Thomas, L. Bond, S. (1996). A study to determine patient satisfaction with nursing care. Nursing Standard. 10,52:34-38 Miles, K. Penny, N. Power, R. Mercey, D. (2003). Comparing doctor and nurse-led care in a sexual health clinic: patient satisfaction questionnaire. Journal of Advanced Nursing.42 (1), 64-72 Polit, D. Beck, C. Hungler, B. (2004). Essentials of Nursing Research, Methods, Appraisal a

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Madonnas Role in a Feminist Culture Essay example -- Papers

Madonna's Role in a Feminist Culture In the book written by bell hooks, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, she criticizes a number of the actions and viewpoints of Madonna. Claiming that Madonna has changed from appearing to be a strong feminist icon into a woman who no longer has a connection with feminist views, bell hooks examines how Madonna chooses to represent herself as well as Madonna’s changing role in the feminist world. According to bell hooks, initially Madonna was a very transgressive in a feminist sense, and now she appears to be almost welcoming of the phallocentric imperialist patriarchal views. I agree with our class discussion and with bell hooks’ critique, feeling that Madonna has changed from a woman who resisted male dominating ideas showing strong feminist characteristics into a more accepting view of patriarchy and sexism. First explaining the Madonna of the past as a cultural icon. Madonna was supported and idolized by feminists, because she portrayed herself as a very independent, strong, and powerful woman, unbounded by sexism and a system flooded with patriarchy. By transgressing the boundary of a sexist society, she showed us that a woman could be strong, independent, sexy, powerful, and just as good as any man, if not better. Over time, bell hooks explains, Madonna has changed, being more accepted by the patriarchal and sexist society, neglecting her previous advocation of feminist images. Madonna has done this, bell hooks argues, by posing very seductively in Vanity Fair magazine. These images supposedly show Madonna in very conventional and typical kiddie-porn photographs. When appearing in images like these, Madonna is implying that she openly welcomes sexist and patriarchal ... ...se show me that bell hooks is correct in her critique of Madonna, changing from a once feminist cultural icon to a representation of the white supremacist patriarchal views. In her book, Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, bell hooks gives us a critique of Madonna, giving us examples of how Madonna has transformed into a figure whom has abandoned her feminist thinking. These examples include Madonna’s photographs, her book Sex, and quotations. I agree with bell hooks’ critique of Madonna because I feel that evidence can be shown in Madonna’s actions over time supporting her change in views. From Madonna’s portrayal of a feminist to an advocate of patriarchal ideas, it can clearly be seen that Madonna has withdrawn her stand as a feminist cultural icon. Works Cited hooks, bell. (1994). Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations. New York, Routledge.

Emotional Intelligence and Relationships in Business Management Essay

Emotional Intelligence and Relationships in Business Management  ¡Ã‚ §Anyone can become angry  ¡V that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way  ¡V this is not easy. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~ By Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics ~ Traditionally, management were only interested on return on investment (ROI) and shareholder value, not the neurobiology of emotions doing business. However, in modern days, there is probably nothing as important as having good human relationships in the workplace. Whether one is a chief executive officer, a consultant, a manager or team member, achieving results requires a productive working relationship with others. As such, having positive and sustainable human relationships is the bedrock for business effectiveness. According to Goleman,  ¡Ã‚ §Emotional Quotient (EQ) defines our capacity for relationship (Goldmen 1995) ¡Ã‚ ¨ and added,  ¡Ã‚ §Rational intelligence only contributes about 20% to the factors that determine success in life. Some extraneous factors such as luck, and particularly the characteristics of EQ, constitute the other 80% (Goldmen 1995). ¡Ã‚ ¨ WHAT IS EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT? By themselves, the discoveries in Emotional Quotient (EQ) are not new. Over the centuries, there have been numerous studies conducted to understand the workings  ¡Ã‚ ¥emotions ¡Ã‚ ¦ and its practical importance. One of the earliest historical literature recordings dates back to 1st century B.C by Publilius Syrus, a Latin writer of mimes. Syrus states,  ¡Ã‚ ¥Rule your feelings, lest your feelings rule you ¡Ã‚ ¦ (Hang 1999). In other words, people should take control of their feelings and emotions rather then allowing it to control their intellect and values (also known as emotional-hijacking). Today ¡Ã‚ ¦s contemporary authors have since further expanded Syrus ¡Ã‚ ¦ definition, which subsequently lead to the development of the EQ concept. EQ can be simply defined as:  ¡Ã‚ §EQ is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection and influence. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~Robert Cooper and Ayman Sawaf~ (Source: Hang 1999)  ¡Ã‚ §EQ is the ability to monitor one ¡Ã‚ ¦s own and other ¡Ã‚ ¦s feelings, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one ¡Ã‚ ¦s thinking and actions. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~Peter Salovey and John Mayer~ (Source: Salovey & Mayer 199... ...3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .22  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .62  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.96  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .008* Achievement Orientation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.28  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .65  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .56  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .23 Initiative  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.42  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .26  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .59  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .03* Social Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developing Others   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .40  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.18  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .89 Leadership  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .39  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.83  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .42 Influence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.88  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .37  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.98  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .29  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32 Communication  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.19  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .33  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .47  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.24  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .04* Change Catalyst  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.85  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .45  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .53  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .31  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .10 Conflict Management  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .49  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.91  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .07* Building Bonds  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .47 Teamwork & Collaboration  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .54  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .51  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .08  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.37  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .72 (Source: Sala 2004) Table 1 Differences between EI Levels of the Total Participants Prior (T1) and After (T2) participating in the EI workshops * Note: Differences were considered meaningful, or significant, if effect sizes were moderate or large and if paired-samples t-tests statistically significant (p Emotional Intelligence and Relationships in Business Management Essay Emotional Intelligence and Relationships in Business Management  ¡Ã‚ §Anyone can become angry  ¡V that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way  ¡V this is not easy. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~ By Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics ~ Traditionally, management were only interested on return on investment (ROI) and shareholder value, not the neurobiology of emotions doing business. However, in modern days, there is probably nothing as important as having good human relationships in the workplace. Whether one is a chief executive officer, a consultant, a manager or team member, achieving results requires a productive working relationship with others. As such, having positive and sustainable human relationships is the bedrock for business effectiveness. According to Goleman,  ¡Ã‚ §Emotional Quotient (EQ) defines our capacity for relationship (Goldmen 1995) ¡Ã‚ ¨ and added,  ¡Ã‚ §Rational intelligence only contributes about 20% to the factors that determine success in life. Some extraneous factors such as luck, and particularly the characteristics of EQ, constitute the other 80% (Goldmen 1995). ¡Ã‚ ¨ WHAT IS EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT? By themselves, the discoveries in Emotional Quotient (EQ) are not new. Over the centuries, there have been numerous studies conducted to understand the workings  ¡Ã‚ ¥emotions ¡Ã‚ ¦ and its practical importance. One of the earliest historical literature recordings dates back to 1st century B.C by Publilius Syrus, a Latin writer of mimes. Syrus states,  ¡Ã‚ ¥Rule your feelings, lest your feelings rule you ¡Ã‚ ¦ (Hang 1999). In other words, people should take control of their feelings and emotions rather then allowing it to control their intellect and values (also known as emotional-hijacking). Today ¡Ã‚ ¦s contemporary authors have since further expanded Syrus ¡Ã‚ ¦ definition, which subsequently lead to the development of the EQ concept. EQ can be simply defined as:  ¡Ã‚ §EQ is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection and influence. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~Robert Cooper and Ayman Sawaf~ (Source: Hang 1999)  ¡Ã‚ §EQ is the ability to monitor one ¡Ã‚ ¦s own and other ¡Ã‚ ¦s feelings, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one ¡Ã‚ ¦s thinking and actions. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ~Peter Salovey and John Mayer~ (Source: Salovey & Mayer 199... ...3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .22  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .62  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.96  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .008* Achievement Orientation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.28  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .65  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .56  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .23 Initiative  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.42  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .26  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .59  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .03* Social Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developing Others   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .40  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.18  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .89 Leadership  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .39  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.83  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .42 Influence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.88  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .37  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.98  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .29  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .32 Communication  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.19  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .33  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .47  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2.24  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .04* Change Catalyst  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.85  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .45  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .53  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .31  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .10 Conflict Management  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .35  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .49  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -1.91  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .07* Building Bonds  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3.50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.73  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .47 Teamwork & Collaboration  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .54  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .51  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .08  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -0.37  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .72 (Source: Sala 2004) Table 1 Differences between EI Levels of the Total Participants Prior (T1) and After (T2) participating in the EI workshops * Note: Differences were considered meaningful, or significant, if effect sizes were moderate or large and if paired-samples t-tests statistically significant (p

Friday, July 19, 2019

Margaret Atwood use of Language and Narrative Technique in The Handmaid

From the outset of 'The Handmaids Tale' the reader is placed in an unknown world, where the rights and freedom of women have been taken away. We follow the narrative journey of a handmaid, named Offred. Throughout the first 15 Chapters we are provided with information, as narrated by Offred, with glimpses of her past life and her journey to the life she is now facing. These glimpses are not logical in their sequencing or chronological in the narration, therefore creating a feeling of disorientation among readers, a feeling matching that experienced by those living in this society. This also provokes many questions in the reader’s mind along with creating tension and expectation as to the nature of the procreation which we have come to understand is the function of the handmaids. Although the reader is made aware of the structure and methods of control within Gilead, none of the information provided can begin to prepare the reader for the way in which 'The Ceremony' is undertaken. We are first provided with hints as to what is required of the handmaids at the beginning of the dystopia, with the mention of the Red Centre. A place where shockingly a process of conditioning is undertaken with armed guards around the fences and the women in charge carrying electric pods, suggesting it is a controlled place, but also raises the question as to why such methods of control are required. The shocking fact that the women have to lip read, again reveals to the reader how strict and controlled this society is along with providing the feeling of fear the handmaids must be experiencing. There is also a monthly visit to the gynecologist, but on the occasion described, this routine check is made rather sinister with the doctor offerin... ...o watch is shocking whilst â€Å"as an effigy† makes the reader wonder whether Serena maybe feeling like the person on top of a tomb, dead. Offred once again reveals her fair handedness, â€Å"Which of us is it worse for, her or me?† This represents Offred to be a strong person, as following such a scenario, she isn’t thinking of herself alone, she is thinking about the feelings of the wife. It isn’t until the next section the reader comes to realise Ofred's true feelings towards the Ceremony, 'I want to steal something.' This reveals to the reader, Ofred needs to feel as though she does have some kind of power over her life, and with the scene with Nick shows how she longs to be appreciated for who she is instead of just being a sex object, this again results in sympathy for Offred and what the other handmaids must feel like in a situation such as this.