Contrasting Treadwell and McCandless

Compare and Contrast of Treadwell and McCandless When reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer as it documents the Journey Chris McCandless took and watching the movie The Grizzly Man as it documents Timothy Treadwell's journey to document bears I was struck by how similar the two men, McCandless and Treadwell, really were. Yes, there were a great many differences between the two but also by how similar they were. While both men showed how they hated modern society and felt a strong desire to live outside of our society, they both also had very different takes on Alaskan wilderness and how to survive in their Journeys.Just as both loved the outdoors, however, the two had very different practices concerning it. Treadwell would return to society every summer to work and prepare for his next outing and Treadwell refused to take a gun with him. In contrast, McCandless spent all of his time outdoors and away from human society unless he absolutely needed to and carried a gun with him into th e wilderness. Treadwell and McCandless both felt very constrained by human society and preffered to live out in the wilderness if possible.While Treadwell would return to human society for work and to raise money or his next outing or teach others about what he learned of the bears, McCandless tried to spend as much time as he possibly could away from other humans. In Chapter five of Into the Wild it was documented that McCandless had spent at least thirty-six days without seeing another human at one point and throughout the first six chapters it is documented that the most time he ever spent in one place was two months in order to raise money to go to Alaska. Furthermore, McCandless did his best to keep people distant from him by changing his name and giving false nformation.McCandless did his best to not tell anyone where he was going, cut off all ties with his parents, and took no one with him when he went to Alaska. Comparing this to Treadwell, who told people where he was going , how long he was staying, and at a certain point started to take his girlfriend and it shows a great difference between the two men. Treadwell was a peaceful man, if unhinged due to mental disorders he refused to treat. He loved the animals he documented in his time in the wilderness, expecially the bears, and swore to never hurt them.Due to his, Treadwell never took a gun, pepper spray, or even bear repellent with him during his ten years of going to the Maze. Though essentric, Treadwell was actually rather smart in keeping the animals calm as he interacted with them. McCandless, though he displayed no real inclinations towards violence, was aware of the dangers in the wilderness. He knew the dangers of bears and wild animals and had taken a gun with him, a . 22, in order to hunt and possibly for protection even if he knew it would not actually be effective against large animals such as moose, caribou, or bears.The two men had very different views of the animals in the wilderness as is shown by this. Treadwell loved them to the point he would rather risk death then harm them while McCandless saw the dangers and prepared for them. The two men also greatly differed in how they prepared for their trips. Treadwell was well prepared with pleanty of provisions and the nessisary gear. This became more prevalent during his final years due to him having his girlfriend with him as he Alaskan wilds brought on by Jack London's books, among others, resulted in him being woefully unprepared. When entering the Alaskan wiled the first day,McCandless only had some spare clothes, some books, a few pounds of rice, and his gun. The two men died in the Alaskan wilds due, mostly in part, to their recklessness and over-estimation on how much they could handle. Treadwell stayed longer than he should have and this resulted in both he and his girlfriend tragically dying at the jaws of a starving grizzly. Had they left as planned instead of returning to the wilds due a mishap the two would have survived. McCandless went into the wilds and did surprisingly well for himself due to sheer dumb luck that eventually ran out.His choice to go unprepared and believing he could live off the land proved fatal when he was unable to get enough food and he slowly starved to death Just days before hunters arrived at the shelter that became his temporary grave. The two men showed a remarkable love for the wilderness and strove to change their lives for the better and live amongst the romanticized versions of what is actually a harsh reality. Despite both men dying in the wilderness, personal opinion leads me to believe that McCandless was more successful in his ultimate goal to change his life.Treadwell ad wanted to raise awareness of the bear's plight and protect them but had more than likely severely damaged the bears by habituating them to humans that could lead to more fatalities. McCandless had wanted to change his life, find a purpose. He wanted to leave society behind an d see if he could truly live away from it. While he ultimately died in Alaska his entire trip before the event, traveling cross country, and even to Mexico, had changed his life and views. Prior to his final days in Alaska it was shown that McCandless had achieved what he had set out to get, his own happiness.

Blown to Bits Essay

Technology has rapidly advanced, affecting standards on privacy, telecommunications, and criminal law. Every day, we encounter unexpected consequences of data flows that could not have happened a few years ago. Due to the bits explosion, the world changed very suddenly. Almost everything is stored in a computer somewhere. Court records, grocery purchases, precious family photos, radio programs†¦ It is all being reduced to zeroes and ones – â€Å"bits.† The bits are stashed on disks of home computers and in the data centers of big corporations and government agencies. The disks can hold so many bits that there is no need to pick and choose what gets remembered. So much disk storage is being produced every year that it could be used to record a page of information, every minute or two, about you and every other human being on earth. Once something is on a computer, it can replicate and move around the world in a heartbeat. Making a million perfect copies takes but an instant – copy of things we want everyone in the world to see, and also copies of things that weren’t meant to be copied at all. Due to instantaneous transfers, some data leak. Credit card records are supposed to stay locked up in a data warehouse, but escape into the hands of identity thieves. And we sometimes give information away just because we get something back for doing so. A company will give you free phone calls to anywhere in the world—if you don’t mind watching ads for the products its computers hear you talking about. The book presents 7 ‘koans’ or principles regarding the bits and the effect of it on humanity. Koan 1: Even though your computer seems to present pictures, texts, songs, and videos, they are all composed of bits. Everything that’s digital are ruled by bits. Even as we speak, bits are flying through the airwaves by our phones. Koan 2: Every copy made by a computer is perfect. The era of books  being handwritten oftentimes resulting to mistakes, has now been closed by digital explosion. And even though these machines do fail as long as the bits have been communicated, the probability of error of the bits is so slim. Koan 3: Vast as world-wide data storage is today, five years from now it will be ten times as large. Yet the information explosion means, paradoxically, the loss of information that is not online. Outdated software and information not stored in the computer are usually assumed as inexistent. Koan 4: The speed of a computer is usually measured by the number of basic operations, such as additions, that can be performed in one second. The fastest computers available in the early 1940s could perform about five operations per second. The fastest today can perform about a trillion. Koan 5: Exponential growth is actually smooth and steady; it just takes very little time to pass from unnoticeable change to highly visible. In the rapidly changing world of bits, it pays to notice even small changes, and to do something about them. Koan 6: Data stored will all be kept forever, unless there are policies to get rid of it. The Internet consists of millions of interconnected computers; once data gets out, there is no getting it back. Victims of identity theft experience daily the distress of having to remove misinformation from the record. It seems never to go away. Koan 7: In the bits world, in which messages flow instantaneously, it sometimes seems that distance doesn’t matter at all. The instantaneous communication of massive amounts of information has created the misimpression that there is a place called â€Å"Cyberspace,† a land without frontiers where all the world’s people can be interconnected as though they were residents of the same small town. The book introduces two basic morals. The first is that information technology is inherently neither good nor bad—it can be used for good or ill, to free us or to shackle us. Second, new technology brings social change, and change comes with both risks and opportunities. Any technology can be used for good or ill. Nuclear reactions create electric power and weapons of mass destruction. The same encryption technology that makes it possible for you to email your friends with confidence that no eavesdropper will be able to decipher your message also makes it possible for terrorists to plan their attacks undiscovered. The key to managing the ethical and moral consequences of technology while nourishing economic growth is to regulate the use of technology without  banning or restricting its creation.

Mrs. Thomas: Holistic End of Life Care

Governors university Scenario A brief synopsis of the scenario explored in this paper will be forthcoming so the following observations and detail will have context. The key points in the scenario explored for Mrs.. Thomas, her husband and family are as follows. Mrs.. Thomas is a candidate for palliative care; In specifically hospice If she Is given a prognosis of six months or less. She has suffered breast cancer twice In the past year.A year ago she had a right mastectomy with removal of five auxiliary lymph nodes, with chemotherapy and radiation. Six months ago she had a second mastectomy on her left breast, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. After said treatment it was discovered that the cancer had metastasis's to her lungs and further surgery is not a feasible option. She has not been taking her pain medication as she does not want to procure an addiction problem. Her pain has Increased and she spends most of the time In bed crying.She had to leave her job, but has a small stipend via disability. She and her husband, a police officer, are struggling to make ends meet financially Her husband suffers from chronic depression that is being managed by medication, but he is resorting to take his medication often. He is a supportive and able caregiver however, he Is showing signs of caregiver strain and Job stress. In response Mrs.. Thomas Is worried that he Is becoming classical because of the circumstances of her condition and this In turn Is causing her further suffering. Core family support Is minimal.Mrs.. Thomas' close female relatives are dead from the very disease that is killing her. Because she is sick, she and her husband no longer socialize; she does not seek help from her female friends. Her sons live far away, and call often but they do not come to see her. Mrs.. Thomas is saddened that her sons are not here, but Quality of Life and Health Promotion This nurse believes that quality of life is defined individually for each patient. Each individ ual is unique and how they perceive life and what their life circumstances are define what is needed for end of life care.Quality of life during a time when aggressive treatment is no longer possible needs to be focused on comfort and support of the patient, caregivers and family. This nurse believes comfort (quality of life) includes the right to be free from pain, unless the patient chooses to experience main in trade for mental clarity. It includes the right to not participate in aggressive treatment or in clinical trials if the patient has no wish to do so. Quality of life to this nurse is helping the patient to do the best with the situation in life in which the patient finds themselves.It includes helping the patient with what he or she perceives as unfinished business and helping the patient conclude this business to the extent possible. Holistic end of life care includes care of all aspects of the patient (physical, social and spiritual) and care for those who love the one d ying?the family. The family is whatever blood or non-blood ties this entails; whatever â€Å"shape† of family the patient has at this time. This nurse believes that holistic end of life care encompasses not only physical comfort for the patient but promotion of healthy interactions for the patient with those who love and comfort them.These sensitivities are the goals of this nurse and if applied diligently may provide the best outcomes for the patient in this time of life. Strategies Four holistic nursing goals to begin to improve quality of life for Mrs.. Thomas, her husband and family are the nursing diagnoses: Pain Management, Addressing Anticipatory Grieving and Situational Low Self-Esteem, as well as, Altered Family Processes. First one must establish a rapport with the patient. By providing an open nonjudgmental conversation the nurse can encourage an open and realistic dialogue about what Mrs..Thomas is feeling. By reviewing past life experiences one can get to know th e patient and what interests her and establish trust. This trust is of most importance as all nursing care success depends on creating a team effort with the patient. Family involvement in this time needs to be proactive to help Mrs.. Thomas' mental state and via this her physical functional ability. Nurseries) A beginning conversation with Mrs.. Thomas needs to be about the importance of pain relief. By bringing the patient to an understanding of how this relief of pain will benefit those around her, Mrs..Thomas may be more likely to try the medication for said relief. This may be the initial hook with which one can get her to take said medication. The nurse must determine a comprehensive pain history, including frequency, duration and intensity using a scale dependent upon the patient's perception of pain throughout her life span. Zero pain for no pain; ten for the worst pain ever. This call gives the nurse a baseline from which to assess pain management. Her pain has been increas ing for the last six months and this nurse would designate that as chronic pain, perhaps with acute episodes.Also, the nurse must ask about and continue to monitor when said pain is occurring, as well as where and how much. Morning or when? Identifying precipitating factors of pain will help in its long term management. (Nurseries) Pain is what the patient says it is; we as nurses need to accept that premise. Within the realm of pain lie both physical and emotional response. Because Mrs.. Thomas is no longer seeking aggressive cancer treatment, he â€Å"variations of aggressive treatment† pain control will not be discussed.However, as her disease progresses it is most likely that her pain will increase. Which brings up another point?reluctance of the patient to report pain because of fear that the disease is worse or that the pain is deserved somehow. The nurse must also be aware of unmanageable side effects (like hallucination) which if experienced must be dealt with in a ma tter of fact fashion and by trying another medication regime. To address pain management with Mrs.. Thomas one must address her fear of addiction. By talking with Mrs..Thomas openly and honestly about the need for pain relief, it is hoped that she is lead to the conclusion that pain management and pain medication abuse are two different things. At the end of life, pain medication addiction is not an issue. This idea needs to be gently but openly professed. One could point to the relief of stress for her husband if she is not in pain; as well as the physical benefit (and hence mental benefit) of remaining pain free. If she remains pain free she will be more able to take care of herself and her activities of daily living.She will be able to live in this time instead of living in dread of each day. Once she is taking said pain medication it must be monitored, adjusted and changed as needed for optimal effect and to support the ability to participate in activities of daily living to the fullest as possible. Also discussing non-pharmacological comfort measures like massage and diversionary activities like music is in order. What does Mrs.. Thomas respond to; what does she like? What kinds of non-pharmacological pain intervention has worked for her in the past?Ask questions so that she can verbalize these things to help herself. Being able to relax will help her focus her attention. Encouragement of stress management skills and complimentary therapies (relaxation techniques, biofeedback, LAUGHTER, music, aromatherapy, acupressure, acupuncture and touch are a few) helps the patient to actively participate and enhances a sense of control. Heat and cold may also help by decreasing muscle spasms and inflammation. Pain makes stress, stress makes stiff muscles and increases self-focus which, unfortunately, increases pain.As the nurse interacts with the patient it is important that the patient comes up with ideas about care and becomes a proactive member of their healthcar e team. (Nurseries) Mrs.. Thomas is also suffering, â€Å"Anticipatory Grieving. This is related to loss of her physiological health and change in lifestyle. It is interconnected to the knowledge that she is going to die, for real, and most likely soon. This nursing diagnosis is needed because of her change in social activity level, her reluctance to tell her sons that she needs them?now.It is evidenced by her denial that she does need them and help and support in general from her friends. (Nurseries) Outcomes that are desired include the patient being able to feel her feelings and express them. By doing this she will hopefully come to the place where she is able to take one day t a time and continue her normal activities; even planning for the future. Being able to admit that she is dying, understanding and verbalizing the process is a beginning is done, she must feel supported in her grief work. One must beware of debilitating depression, the like of which is indicated by the sce nario.To address this the nurse must be frank and direct in asking questions about the patient's mind state. (Nurseries) Frequent visiting by the nursing team and care providers, family and social support of friends can help relieve feelings of isolation and abandonment. Her ones need to be contacted with a â€Å"for your information† talk about coming to see their mom (and dad) and possibly who could be of help with caregivers as it is needed. Mr.. Thomas is also a source to find out about who may be able to help with this care this, as well.The nursing diagnosis, â€Å"Situational Low Self-Esteem† is related to how Mrs.. Thomas feels about her disfiguring surgeries and subsequent treatment side effects (aliped, muscle wasting, and more) as well as feelings of self-doubt and lack of control in her life. It is about the doubt about being accepted by others–of still eyeing a human in the world. It is also about her anxiety and fear of her disease process. This is evidenced by her not taking responsibility for self-care (not taking pain medication; crying in bed all day. ) Acceptance of her situation is an outcome that is looked for.She needs to be able to develop mechanisms to cope with her problems and set realistic goals. What coping skills has she used in the past? She needs to be able to participate in her own life by learning to adapt. The nurse can help her through this process by asking proactive questions about how she feels and perceives her world. By getting her to voice where she's at, she will also perhaps start to voice how she can manage. (Nurseries) This diagnosis ties in with the aforementioned, â€Å"Anticipatory Grieving† diagnosis. By defining diagnosis and disease process beginning problem solving can occur.By anticipating what can happen, some measure of control can be taken. By working with Mrs.. Thomas and planning how daily activities can be managed, adaptation can occur. (Nurseries) Discussion about her roles in life, as a worker, spouse, and mother and problem solving about how to accomplish her goals for these roles may help reduce problems that interfere tit her self-esteem. It may help her to see how she can cluster activities at home to conserve energy but be productive. It may help her to be more able to reach out to those who love her for inclusion and support.The nurse must acknowledge troubles she is experiencing and validate the patient's reality; this opens the door to the patient being able to seek measures that are necessary to cope, like counseling, and support groups. The nurse should readily be able to supply information about said resources so as to facilitate the patient in procuring more support. If Mrs.. Thomas is n hospice the social worker of the interdisciplinary team can help facilitate and direct this work; but the nurse must always continue it during her visits. Holistic Nursing Plan Amongst personal revelation the nurse must explore who may be able to help Mrs ..Thomas with her activities of daily living. Her husband is doing the Job, but he is suffering from care giver strain and could use some help. It may be that the people she has cut herself off from socially miss her and would love the chance to be able to help in some way. Caregivers avenues and their affordability need to be explored before they are needed. These interactions; providing pain control, helping with grief and esteem issues, and helping the patient to discover what will work best to live disease state progresses, but before it is needed, preparation for a lesser level of self-care must be addressed.Medicare provides a â€Å"compassionate allowance† for hospice care for those of any age with a metastasis cancer with a prognosis of six months or less. She needs to apply for this care in the beginning of the nursing visits if she qualifies. To receive hospice care via Medicare she must be eligible for Medicare Part â€Å"A†, be certified as terminally ill a nd then apply for hospice care. This care would be in her home. By signing an election of benefits Mrs.. Thomas would be choosing hospice care in lieu of routine Medicare-covered benefits.Hospice would pay for pain medications and those required by her terminal diagnosis, as well as services included in the palliative plan of care. Often the hospice doctor confers with the patient's primary doctor and others on the hospice interdisciplinary team are included. (â€Å"Your Medicare benefits,† 2014) Hospice of Kits County provides an interdisciplinary team consisting of the doctor, the patient's primary provider and nurse practitioners, sitting nursing care, a medical social worker, a chaplain, a home health aide. Also provided are complementary services, which include massage and music therapies.Volunteers are also enlisted to help with such things as grocery shopping and the like or simply for company. These persons come to the patient's home for service. Hospice care differs with regional coverage. Durable medical equipment is also covered, so if Mrs.. Thomas is in need of a hospital bed, oxygen, bedside commode, wheel chair and so on, it will be provided at no cost to her family via Medicare coverage. Grief and loss counseling is also provided. â€Å"Hospice of kits,† ) Providers for home care must be explored as Mrs.. Thomas declines.Often the expense precludes coverage of duties in this way. Exploration of service providers and means of payment need to be explored as a way to cover Mrs.. Thomas' needs as she declines. Medicare covers the cost of a short term inpatient care in a Medicare approved hospice facility, or nursing home if the caregiver is suffering from caregiver strain (for up to five days) or if it is determined by the hospice physician that symptoms must be managed in an inpatient setting. Because Mrs.. Thomas has no Eng term care health insurance this care could be instrumental in providing for her final days. â€Å"Your Medicar e benefits,† 2014) The fourth nursing diagnosis, â€Å"Altered Family Processes† must be addressed for the holistic health of Mrs.. Thomas. This holistic care includes her husband as well as Mrs.. Thomas' sons and families. Situational crises can develop when a family member has a long term illness. There is a change in roles in caring for a parent and an anticipated loss of said parent. (Nurseries) Those involved need to learn to express feelings freely and demonstrate individual involvement. This individual involvement must include a problem solving process that promotes suitable solutions for the situation.Mrs.. Thomas' sons need to be contacted and requested to attend a family conference. If they are unable (because of finances or schedule) to attend then this could be accomplished via phone. They must understand the need of their mother to see them in person and will hopefully comply. The reality of the situation must be broached to them in a caring way. It may be that the Thomas' or Mrs.. Thomas can go and stay with them for more available for care and support of their mother. Speaking with family members in a caring, respectful manner and providing information both written and spoken helps promote feelings of empathy.It stimulates individual feelings of value and capability in ability to handle the present situation. In answering questions and providing information one can empower Mrs.. Thomas' loved ones. Identifying patterns of communication and interaction between family members is an important nursing intervention. It provides information about how active said communication is. It can also identify what problems may exist that interfere with the family in helping the patient and what problems there are in adjusting to the prognosis.Role expectations must be explored and how each individual sees the situation, in sharing these thoughts the family can promote understanding within its unit. Assessing the way members are expending their ene rgy with which to deal with the situation is needed so as to provide guidance in positive focus for the well-being of patient. Acknowledging the difficulty of the prognosis, as well as, encouraging appropriate expressions of anger helps resolution in the stages of grieving. The nurse must remain centered.Stressing the importance f continuing dialogue that is open and honest between the family members helps communication to remain open and thus facilitates problem resolution. Mr.. Thomas must be educated by the community health nurse as with regards to how anti- depressants need to maintain a certain blood level to be effective. If he is not taking them regularly this will not happen. To help achieve this goal, a pill box with days on it can be set up; perhaps an alarm set to the same time each day enlisted, so that he can remember to take his medication and thus be better able to function at this time.To provide holistic nursing care to Mrs.. Thomas her needs as a person must be add ressed. Physical, social and spiritual realms must be explored. Plans of action to provide for her physical care and the demise of her abilities must be explored; help must be sought out from the aforementioned sources. Method must be applied via nursing diagnosis and indications of said diagnosis. Desired outcomes must be planned, as well as nursing interventions to work toward these outcomes. Mrs.. Thomas must be approached with honesty and treated as a human being, with a life, in her time of need.

Critically Analyse the extent to which the militarisation of Essay

Critically Analyse the extent to which the militarisation of humanitarian assistance has affected the way in which humanitarian agencies carry out their role in conflict affected countries - Essay Example Military activities are usually politically driven, and they follow the strategies laid out by their governments. On the other hand, aid organizations operate under impartiality and neutrality, but they rely on the military for security and provisions such as transportation. This affects their impartiality and neutrality since they might engage in some politically oriented missions. In the past, NGO workers have been used to gather intelligence for the military, which affects their functionality (Weiss, 1999). The government utilizes humanitarian relief aid to woo the local residents to provide information about the militants. In Iraq and Afghanistan, this strategy has been used to gather information regarding the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants (Aidan, 2010). Humanitarian aid can be defined as logical assistance, medical assistance, and food supplies to people caught up in a humanitarian crisis such as war or natural disaster. Several countries in the third world such as Congo, Sierra Leone, Syria, and Libya have experienced internal war due to political instability. The affected population in these regions requires protection and assistance, which is mostly provided by NGOs along military organizations such as NATO, United Nations, and African Union. Today’s conflicts disregard human life as well as the values of tolerance and human dignity, and the general population is usually targeted by warlords. The main aim of humanitarian aid is to assist every person without discrimination, respect human dignity, and pursue no other interest. In areas where the military is involved, some affected groups may be locked out due to political reasons. The military may also influence the process of aid provision depending on the cooperation by the locals. This cooperation gauged in terms of information the military receives from local residents regarding militant groups in the region. The involvement of the military in aid activities

State Curriculum and Standards for the State of South Carolina Essay

State Curriculum and Standards for the State of South Carolina Compared and Contrasted to the State of North Carolina - Essay Example It is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning that is consistent with current research, exemplary practices, and national standards. In South Carolina "Curriculum standards" has been changed into "Academic standards" came into force in 2004. This is a standards document aims to meet students and their parents expectations. In accordance with the South Carolina Educational Accountability Act of 1998, the purpose of academic standards is to provide the basis for the development of local curricula and statewide assessment. To some entent, these two documents are similar as they stipulate the basic standards nationally accepted. In North Carolina the Standard course of study include: Arts Education, Computer/ Technology Skills, English Language Arts, Guidance, Healthful Living, Information Skills, Mathematics, Second Languages, Science, Social Studies, Workforce Development, Dance and Music Education. The Curriculum of South Carolina include less subject covering only English, Foreign Language, Health and Safety, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts fields. So, North and South Carolina have different set of subjects according to their state standards. It should be mentioned that today technological literacy is an integral part of a public school education. Whether or not access to multimedia computers and the Internet are realities for all students, state and national educational establishments, professional organizations and corporations recognize the immediacy of promoting appropriate integration of technology in K-12 classrooms. That is why in both states a particular attention is paid to technology standards for students and teachers which include: woven into curriculum standards, 1 unit of Computer Science required for graduation in South Carolina, and Computer-Technology Skills in North Carolina. For teachers the standards are the same for both state (ISTE foundation standards in State Technology Plan). Both of the states recognize four levels: 1 - Standard level; 2 - Knowledge and Skills level; 3 - Performance Descriptor level; 4 - Grade Level Example. The purpose of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study is to guarantee that all students have equal access to the same basic curriculum. If public education is an avenue to equal opportunity, high standards must be set for all students. The Standard Course of Study does not seek to prescribe how schools should organize themselves or how teachers should instruct. Rather, the curriculum sets standards against which schools and teachers may judge their success. In contrast to South Carolina pays more precise attention to the question how schools should organize themselves in order to help students to achieve their goals. The North Carolina ABCs Accountability Plan establishes performance standards which specify the level of proficiency a student must reach in order to have met specific content standards in specified subject areas. These performance standards are indicators of proficiency for those content areas that are tested. Today, however, the challenge of education is to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. According to standards adopted in South and North Carolina students should be prepared to: compete in a global economy, understand and operate complex communication and information systems,

Cultural values and other factors within America Essay

Cultural values and other factors within America - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that America is the country of choice as far as relocation is concerned here. This is because America is a free society in entirety and people can enjoy whatever they feel like doing. America is a haven as far as work domains are concerned because it gives an individual so much in terms of learning and acquiring of skills that other people from the rest of the world can only think of. America is a free world. This has been proven with time and research. Its culture is such that people are allowed the space to interact with one another, enjoy the respective spaces, mingle with the different practices and realms, and basically enjoy life’s varied offerings. The cultural; values that are most widespread within America comprise of the respect that the people show to one another. They do not like to interfere in another man’s job. Hence the reason that there is a lot of empathy for one another, and people like to cherish each other ’s company. What is best about America is how these people are able to turn a new leaf with each passing day, and thus remain committed to the cause of growth and development, both within the professional entities as well as their personal selves. The social practices that are present in America are such that people enjoy them immensely. They like to go to parties, on beaches, enjoy different games and sports, varied activities, and so on.

Service blueprint Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service blueprint - Research Paper Example This research proposal will establish the effects of service blueprint on Ikea the furniture store. This proposal will focus on the relationship between service blueprint and the furniture store’s performance. In addition, it will give way to the collection and analysis of data from appropriate sources in order to answer the research problem. Service blueprint is essential in the determination of the performance of a furniture store. The success of furniture storage in Ikea is influenced by the manner in which the management tailors the service processes and operations to boost the productivity of the Ikea furniture storage .This concept immensely contributes to the success of a firm given the value-chain analysis concerned with the service blueprint (Giriappa 56). However, the principle can be used to boost the performance of a firm. This is because the manufacturing sector can lead to the refurbishment of the infrastructure. Evaluation for service processes can be employed in order to enhance response to variances. Consequently, productivity of a firm will to increase. This will lead to the going concern of a furniture store. Most entities have many activities, which result in the difficulties in the critical evaluation of the value-adding service processes. Service blueprint is also based on the assumption that produc ts consume activities, which in turn consume resources of an entity (Ledderhos 48). This system assigns cost of the activities done in the process of production with regard to the resources used in these activities. Then the activity costs are allocated to the products and services. This assigning of cost to products is done using specific ratios of their workloads. This system establishes the exact portion of resources consumed by a particular product. This is aimed at means using the profitability or loss of producing a certain good. In addition, this information helps in determination of the most

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Reflection Paper - Essay Example would ensure that all employees involved with corrupt deals are fired and employed other people who are qualified and have no history of corrupt behaviours. Corruption was not justified in Siemens Global despite the fact that bribery was legal in Germany up untill 1999. In case bribery was tolertaed within the company it could have meant that the company was not good at what they were doing and hence had to bribe the governments of other countries to do business with them. It is challenging for the Company to make a shift to refine their ethical practices when there are radical changes in the policy since they were used to corrupt ways to get contracts with other countries. However, the change in management and employees, starting a fresh with honest intentions will make the company have clear records and succeed since they will be on the right side of the law. Siemens Global has ensured a good reputation in various places around the world and it has become one of the leading companies in electrical engineering and electronics. This is because of the Business Conduct Guidelines that have provided the legal and ethical framework in which they maintain their activities successfully. The employees of Siemens Global are expected to comply with the law in all their activities,respect the rights of individuals and follow anti-corruption policies with their third parties among others. As a CEO of my company, I would ensure that the company has a code of ethics and core values that guide the employees towards achieving the goals and objectives of the Company. My Company’s code of ethics will include provisions that wll require individuals to comply with governement rules,laws and regulations, Secondly, proper use and protecting of company assets, and thirdly, accepting responsibility and reporting all manner of corruption. The corporate culture values in my company will be informed by accountability, integrity, honesty, decency and respect. I will infuse these

Flim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Flim - Essay Example Wishing we had never existed instead because our life is a total failure in its current form? That is the premise of the movie â€Å"Its a Wonderful Life† by Frank Capra. First released in 1946, this Christmas drama was originally based on the short story â€Å"The Greatest Gift† by Phillip Van Doren. The movie starred James Stewart as George Bailey, a self-sacrificing man who is willing to put his own dreams on hold in order to help those in his town achieve theirs. He inherited a money lending business from his father that, due to the economic depression caused by the war, was on the verge of bankruptcy. In order to prevent a bank run, George tried to commit suicide but is prevented from doing so by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Influenced by A Christmas Carol themes, Clarence sets about saving George by showing him how the town would have turned out much differently if he and his business had never become a part of the lives of the townsfolk. In the end, George realizes that his life has not been a complete failure and that his life is â€Å"wonderful† just as it is, specially with the town residents coming to the aid of his failing bank by contributing more money to save it. The movie in itself is a study of the history of the banking history. With no real banking system existing at the end of the 19th century, small money lenders helped the town business by accepting cash deposits from clients that could then be lent out to business owners. This lending institution known as the savings and loan system would become the bedrock of the great American dream. However, it came at a great price. Remember the term â€Å"Bank Run†? It was first used in this movie to explain how the antagonist, Mr. Potter refused to open up the coffers of the town bank to the people in order to help them survive to their next paycheck by giving them loans or allowing them to withdraw their deposits. He is the representation of everything that is

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives Essay

Currency Overlay Techniques and Perspectives - Essay Example What are the advantages and disadvantages, or more specifically, the risks and rewards, of several common currency overlay schemes? In â€Å"Mean/Variance Analysis of Currency Overlays† by Philippe Jorion, three of the four most common strategies are discussed and analyzed. These are 1) joint, or unit, currency management, its goal to optimize or hedge the entirety of the underlying assets, be they stocks, bonds, or currencies themselves; 2) partial optimization over the currencies, given a pre-determined position in the core portfolio; and 3) a separate optimization over currencies. In unit or joint hedging, it is assumed that â€Å"the manager has expertise in many asset classes and can structure a portfolio to account for correlations between assets and currencies,† (Jorion, 1994). Partial optimization manages currencies â€Å"separately from the core portfolio, but the manager still controls total portfolio risk.† Employing the method of separate optimization means to manage the currencies â€Å"completely independently of the rest of the portfolio,† even going so far as to measure their performance against a separate benchmark or hire a separate currency overlay manager to deal with this part of the portfolio as opposed to the equity manager. In the unit hedging approach, the tools work together to maximize the performance in light of the unique composition of the portfolio. Clearly, if done properly, this is the optimal approach.

Research and recommend environmentally friendly elements to be used in Essay - 1

Research and recommend environmentally friendly elements to be used in the construction of a multi storey commercial building - Essay Example These ensure that client satisfaction and deign excellence. The chief task of this paper is to recommend environmentally friendly elements to be employed in the use of the construction of a multi-storey building. Green building is both cost effective and environmentally friendly. Wood is among the core materials used in the construction of buildings. In context to multi-storey buildings, the ratio of steel, glass and concrete, is significantly more. However, this ratio must change while building green. In this endeavor, timber-concrete composite is favorable for this building. It comprises of timber beams being interconnected to slabs of concrete that are then cast on timber members. This introduces cost saving measures and efficient control of building materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In context to the roof, clay roofing tiles are the best environmentally friendly option to pursue. Clay is a hundred percent recyclable as such the core rationale for its inclusion as a preferred building material. Owing to their durability, significant saving will be expected. This will be in terms of cost of repair. An additional factor for clay is that an increasing number of clay manufacturing companies are offering post consumer recycled clay tiles. Thus, the roofing system will always be up to date. Painting has been discovered to be among the most toxic chemicals in buildings (RIDER et al., 2011). Therefore, environmentally friendly paint must be used. The paint to be used on the building should be of low or no VOC paint. Natural pigmented paints should be the only paint to be used. As such, Ecosure Matt by Deluxe Trade is the best alternative. A case study conducted on Rimrose Hope CE Primary School explicates on both the sustainability and performance of this natural paint. The normal insulation systems are a product of toxic materials. An environmentally friendly insulation system comprises of blue jean denim. It entirely uses

History Technology 20th Century Essay Example for Free

History Technology 20th Century Essay The role of technology played a huge part in developing our way of life today as we exist. The technology field developed quickly in the span of the 20th century. We had communication technology, transportation technology and the technology that contributed to the advancement of modern science. These all contributed to a better way of living and enhancing our quality of life throughout the 20th century and it continues today. Communications technology played an important part in our evolving culture in the 20th century. Radio, radar, and early sound recording were key technologies that paved the way for the development of the telephone, fax machine and the storage of data. The way we communicate with others is a great tool for our society to evolve and communicate with one another. This helped with the way we developed our relationships with our countries as well by providing a quick way to speak to someone or find someone that is a half way around the world. This technology also helped our economy by providing an important avenue for the way we can do business. We can hold conference calls with multiple parties that were not thought of before. The personal computer was developed in the 1980’s as well as cell phones. The public use Internet was introduced in the 1990’s. With these technologies it gave businesses a chance to enhance productivity and increase our economy and provide us a better quality of life. Transportation technology had a significant impact on our quality of life and the way we become mobile. The combination of the ability to travel by air and automobile allowed people to have unprecedented personal mobility that they did not have before. One of the most notable technologies in the area of transportation came with the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. This gave a peaceful outlet for political and military tensions of the Cold War. This lead to the first human spaceflight with the Soviet Union’s mission in 1961 and man’s first landing on the moon in 1969. The first space station was launched by the Soviet space program. The United States developed the first reusable spacecraft system with the Space Shuttle program. It was first launched in 1981. The technology that lead to the evolution of the space program for human space travel also allowed for orbiting space probes that have been developed to work with our communication technologies to not only protect us but provide further exploration in the future. The advancement of medicine has allowed us to live longer more productive lives. Antibiotics was developed that drastically reduced mortality from bacterial diseases. Vaccines were developed to protect us from epidemics that caused death. X-rays became a powerful tool to diagnose diseases and broken bones. Imaging was developed to help doctors find better ways to treat individuals. All of the medical advancements from the 20th century have provided our morality to increase not only in adults but young people who did not have the chance at life as they do today. Vietnam War Outcome/Results The war that I choose to discuss is the Vietnam War. This war was a prolonged struggle between nationalist’s forces that were attempting to unify the country of Vietnam under a communist government. The United States was trying to prevent the spread of communism. Many people viewed this war as a no win war. The United States leaders had lost the American public’s support for the war. What many people did not realize is that there had been fighting in Vietnam long before the Vietnam War began. The Vietnamese people had suffered under French colonial rule for over six decades. Japan had invaded many parts of Vietnam which brought the Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh back to his country after traveling around the world. He established the Viet Minh. Their goal was to get rid of the French and Japanese people that occupied their land. The French were not willing to give up their colony and fought back. Ho Chi Minh had tried for years to get the United States to support him against the French. He even supplied the United States with military intelligence about the Japanese during World War II. The United States decided to help the French for fear that the country would become a communist country. Viet Cong was established by communist sympathizers in South Vietnam to use guerilla warfare against the South Vietnamese. The United States sent advisors to South Vietnam but the North Vietnamese fired directly upon two U. S. Ships in international waters. This resulted in a resolution that the Congress issued that gave the President authority to escalate the United States involvement in Vietnam. The President’s goal was not for the United States to win but to bolster South Vietnam’s defenses until South Vietnam could take over. Because the United States entered into this war without a goal, President Johnson set the stage for the public and troop disappointment when the United States was in a stalemate with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. The U. S. troops fought the war in the jungle where the Viet Cong were very well supplied and set booby traps for the U. S. troops. This became a difficult war to fight for the Americans. The U.S. troops became frustrated at the conditions they were forced to be in that many became angry and some used drugs to cope. The surprise attack that the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong organized against the South Vietnamese cities and towns was the turning point. This proved to the Americans that the enemy was stronger and organized better than they thought. As news spread to the U. S., the American public was unhappy so the President decided that he would not escalate the war any longer. Newly appointed President Nixon wanted nothing more than to end the war. He began the process of withdrawing troops in 1969 and expanded the war to other countries. This move created protests throughout America. The President worked toward a peaceful solution and peace talks began. The cease fire did not happen until 1973 and the last U. S. troops left Vietnam in March 1973. Even though the United States had withdrawn it’s troops, the fighting continued in Vietnam. Finally, South Vietnam officially surrendered to North Vietnam on April 30, 1975. The United States was trying to prevent the spread of communism when ultimately; Vietnam was reunited as a communist country in 1976. This was a war the United States should have never been involved in but the government thought otherwise. [Insert Paper Title Here] [Insert introductory text here] Paper should be printed on 8.5 X 11 inch white paper. Entire paper should be double-spaced. The paper should be clean. The printer should produce letters that are dark enough and clear enough to be easily read. Margins should be 1 inch at the top, bottom, left, and right of every page. Do not justify the right margin, instead leave it ragged by using left justify. Use Times Roman using font size of 12. Type no more than 27 lines of text on each page (not counting the header at the top of the page). References

Sexual Health for Learning Disabilities

Sexual Health for Learning Disabilities Sexual Health For People With Learning Disabilities This leaflet is about people with learning disabilities and their sexual health. While there is considerable legislation concerned with disability from the 1970 Social Services Act to the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and beyond, it is not always clear that the needs of this user group are being addressed in appropriate ways. This is because there is a lack of research into how this user group live their lives and how they feel about life and sexuality. Legislation and Anti-Oppressive Practice Under the terms of the NHS and Community Care Act of 1990 social services have a duty to make an assessment of need to any person in their area who may have need of their services. With regard to people with physical or learning disabilities the department also has a duty to find out about such people in their area and to offer an assessment of need even if that has not been requested. The social worker must take account of the 1998 Human Rights Act when dealing with anyone. It is illegal for social workers to discriminate against people or hinder their access to services on any basis. A social workers should act in the best interests of their clients, the service users, and engage in anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. Anti-oppressive practice can involve the social worker attempting to take care over the way in which he/she uses language. In order to fully engage in such practice a social worker would need to take care that in dealing with service users who may have difficulty in communicating their needs the social worker does not end up imposing their own agenda on the service user. When it comes to people with learning disabilities here is a need for different models and levels of participation depending on the service user’s circumstances. Participation empowers some service users while others may not be able to be truly involved at any recognisable level without the intervention of a third person – an advocate. The agency for mental health MIND suggests that many people with learning or mental health difficulties should have an advocate who is impartial and who can inform them what is available in terms of services and support and who will promote their best interests as service users. Those who are able to engage with the process often go on to promote the rights of other service users. The service user movement has been a driving force in the struggle for people with mental health problems or learning difficulties’ entitlement to live as ordinary a way of life as they can (Carr, 2004). People with learning difficulties may have multiple and complex needs, nevertheless under the 1998 Human Rights Act, they are entitled to be treated with dignity and local authorities have a duty to abide by the requirements of this Act (Moore, 2002). Nevertheless there are areas where the Act is sometimes ignored and this is most apparent when it comes to the sexual health of people with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities and Sexual Health There has been very little research into the lives of people with learning disabilities. The first of its kind was a government survey of 2,898 people which was carried out between June 2003 and October 2004. The report dealt with people with learning disabilities (to what extent they were learning disabled is not always defined) between the ages of 16 and 91. The report found the following: 45% of the people interviewed were under the age of 30 6% were from minority ethnic communities. 92% of all people with learning difficulties who took part in the study were single and 7% of these had children but only half that number looked after their children themselves. 7% either lived alone or with a partner. There is an even greater dearth of information when it comes to the sexual health of people with learning difficulties. In fact media reports suggest that many people with learning difficulties are actively discouraged from engaging in what most people regard as a healthy sex life. There have even been instances where family members have tried to have girls with learning disabilities sterilised so that they could not bear children. A (2006) report from the University of Ulster Out of the Shadows, found that the sexual health of people with learning disabilities was all too often ignored. This is because family members and professionals do not want to acknowledge that this user group has such needs. The report found that: People with learning disabilities want to have relationships and express fears of being lonely. But the feel over-protected by professionals and family carers. Consequently there are few opportunities to develop relationships and meet new people. Some family carers want their child to have the same rights as everyone else. But they feel embarrassed to talk about sex with their children and are concerned for their safety. Feeling unsupported and isolated stops them from raising these issues in the home. Professionals and front line staff are aware that the issues around sex and sexuality are not being addressed. However they are inhibited by being under resourced, under trained, and at times restricted by a lack of clear guidelines and policies to support them (http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2006/2892.html). Clearly insufficient attention is being paid to what this group of service users actually want. People are embarrassed by the fact that people with learning difficulties may have the same hopes, fears, and aspirations as everyone else. Clearly there is a need for more research and for education so that a greater understanding of people with learning disabilities and their needs is actually met. Further information on people with learning disabilities and their needs can be found at the following websites: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/ihr/index.htm website concerned with the inclusion of adults and young people with learning disabilities in all areas of life. http://www.inspiredservices.org.uk/ website about community living, when it may be necessary and how it is meant to empower people. http://www.ndt.org.uk/ website that campaigns for inclusion of people with learning disabilities at all levels of ordinary life http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Surveys/Othersurveys/Generalsurveys/DH_4081207.Government survey Elder Abuse The agency called Age Concern is concerned that the rights of older people often get overlooked. This is particularly the case where the person is either unable or unwilling to speak for themselves. Thus Age Concern maintains that older people need advocates (a disinterested third party) to put their case when the rights of an older person are being ignored or overlooked. Since the publication of the National Service Framework for Older People in 2000 there has been a directive for more advocacy when it comes to addressing the needs of older people and this move that has been welcomed by Age Concern. Advocacy is about protecting the rights of people as human beings and making sure that their wishes are taken into account when decisions are being made that affect what may happen to them. Advocacy therefore, is meant to empower those people who may have the least power in society. There are those who maintain that there should be specialist advocacy with regard to the problems of age. Service user participation involves rights and responsibilities on behalf of both the service user and a service provider. When it comes to older people who may be confused about what is happening, or who refuse to become involved in the process then a definition of rights and responsibilities is problematic because without equal cooperation it is difficult to find a way of ensuring that these are fulfilled. At the very least it has to be acknowledged that everyone has the right to be protected from abuse and to be treated with respect. The aim of good advocacy is to ensure that older people are aware that the local authority has a duty of care with regard to their needs. Advocates also try to ensure that older people have an understanding of what to ask for and what to expect when it comes to support and services. When this is possible it enables older people to exercise their rights as citizens, however, some elderly people may have no idea what is going on and may be confused by the whole process. In cases like this an advocate would look at the older person’s circumstances and needs, as well as listening to the carer’s input, and would then put forward a case for their care and ask for an assessment. This is not, however, a guarantee that the person will receive residential care, however much a family might want it. A social worker would listen to what the family and perhaps the advocate had to say and would then ask what provisions were currently in place, whether these were provided by social services or by the family. Once they had assessed the situation the information would be given to a care manager who would decide what could be offered (Moore, 2002). In some cases this would be residential care. As people grow older they can develop fears that they did not have before. Many older people, for example, are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being attacked, and numbers of them are also afraid of being attacked in their own home. However, figures from the British Crime Survey 2001, tend to suggest that the likelihood of being a victim of crime decreases with age. Despite this, many elderly people live in fear of being burgled or attacked in their homes by a stranger. Yet the figures support the idea that this fear is largely unfounded the burglary figures for 2001 yield the following information: In 1000 households of people aged between 16 and 24 17.6% had been burgled In 1000 households with residents of 75 and over only 2% were burgled Despite these figures many elderly people are haunted by the fear that they are not safe on the streets and may not be safe in their own home. At the same time some media reports tend to suggest that older people are safer in their own homes than they might be if they went into residential care. Older people may not always be willing to go into residential care but an assessment may be asked for by other family members or by carers who are feeling the strain of looking after a demanding elderly relative. Some older people, however, may have become so frightened in their own homes that they want to go into residential care. Care and Abuse Despite the fact that some elderly people feel that they will be safer in residential accommodation there are factors which suggest this feeling may be misplaced. The marketisation of care, and the growth of private care homes means that there is some evidence which supports the view that the elderly may be more at risk of abuse of their rights and criminal assault in residential settings than in their own home (Ward et al, 1986). The 1990 NHS and Community Care Act, and the introduction of market forces into the care sector has meant that many former council run residences are now privately owned and run for a profit. This is the case even if the person does go into a council run home, they or their family members will be expected to make some contribution to the cost (Kerr et al, 2005).Even if people are in council run homes then they or their families are expected to make at least some contribution to the cost of their care. The shift to a mixed economy of care means that some car ers have little or no personal care about the job they are doing and this can lead to older people being at risk of neglect and abuse. There have been plenty of media reports of neglect and abuse in residential care where older people’s human rights go unacknowledged and mismanagement and a lack of proper supervision can lead to neglect and abuse (Smart, 1997). At a time when they should be receiving more care and attention some older people are being abused by the very people who are meant to be looking after them. It would seem that marketisation has led to a lack of proper control over what goes on in some residential homes and there needs to be some mechanism whereby such places are inspected on a regular basis. Useful resources http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/Media%20and%20Resources/Useful%20downloads/AEA/AP%20Monitoring.pdf http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/ http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/Elder_Rights/Elder_Abuse/Elder_Abuse.asp Vulnerable Adults There are general guidelines related to social work practice and this is especially the case when it comes to the protection of the weak and vulnerable. All local authorities have a duty to be aware of the number of people in their area who might be considered vulnerable adults. The legislative framework that governs the actions of a social worker working with vulnerable adults is based on the following: 1948 National Assistance Act Part 3 Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons’ Act 1970 National Health and Community Care Act 1990 Depending on the age of the vulnerable adult they are dealing with then the social worker will also have to bear in mind: Section 45 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968 Section 117 of the Mental Health Act of 1983 General understanding of the 1998 Human Rights Act The National Services Framework for Older People Social workers should also be conversant with the terms of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act before they make any assessment of a vulnerable adult. A lot of the problems that vulnerable adults experience, particularly if they have mental health problems, are due to the fact that many professionals (particularly medical professionals) still work with the medical model of disability. This model holds that a person’s problems and vulnerabilities are rooted in their pathology i.e. they are part of that person’s make up. The problem with this model is that there is a tendency to hold the person responsible for whatever their problems may be (Oliver, 1996). A more favorable model for the service user is the social model. This model looks at factors that are external to the service user such as environmental factors and any other social factors that may give rise to ill health or vulnerability. Who Are Vulnerable Adults? Vulnerable adults might be those people who need care because for one reason or another they cannot look after themselves. This might include the following: Older people People with mental health difficulties People with physical disabilities People with learning disabilities Substance Misusers Homeless People In an abusive relationship According to media and Government reports, older people are often subject to abuse by the people who are meant to be caring for them. The same thing happens to people with the sort of physical disabilities that prevent them caring for themselves, people with mental health difficulties and people with learning disabilities. In some cases women are more vulnerable and more at risk than men as in some cases they face the risk of sexual assault by carers, particularly if they are not family members. Government concerns over the abuse of vulnerable adults led to the setting up of the POVA the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme in England and Wales. The scheme is implemented with regard to care homes for vulnerable adults, checking the backgrounds of people who work with vulnerable adults, either in a care home or in the person’s own home. The problem is that until a crime is committed there is no actual legislation that deals with the protection of vulnerable adults. Some local authorities have produced guidelines for multi-agency working in case of the abuse of vulnerable adults. Harm and Abuse of Vulnerable Adults Vulnerable adults can be abused or harmed in a number of ways, some of which are criminal. Non-criminal abuse might include not paying sufficient attention to their needs, denying them their human rights by not treating them as a person of equal human worth. Abuse can also occur by default when a carer neglects to take proper care of someone who is vulnerable by leaving them in an unclean state or leaving a confused person to wander without supervision. The more criminal aspects of the abuse of vulnerable adults can include stealing from them, misappropriating money from their accounts and physical or sexual assault. Sometimes it is as a result of harm that a vulnerable adult comes to the attention of social services and it is then the social worker’s job to assess the needs of that person. When a social worker makes an assessment of need, even if the person in need is recognized as a vulnerable adult, they can only provide services if certain criteria are satisfied. Those people who have a score lower than 4,5 or 6 may only be entitled to information and advice (Moore, 2002). This means that a lot of vulnerable adults are left out in the cold and it is sometimes the case that they become involved with mental health services by being sectioned under the 1983 Mental Health Act. Here an ASW or Approved Social Worker can recommend to a mental health team that a person be sectioned or forcibly detained for a period of 28 days if they are regarded as being at risk or posing a risk to others. Vulnerable adults are another group who may at sometime need the services of an advocate to put forward their concerns. It is also the case that unless and until there is some legislation in place for the protection of vulnerable adults this abuse and neglect will continue. Useful resources Disability Discrimination Act 1995 http://www.drc-gb.org/thelaw/thedda.asp http://www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4085855 Moore, S. 2002 3rd Edition Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Mental Health Local authorities now have a duty to act in ways that are conversant with the 1998 Human Rights Act and this means that social workers have a duty to help people with mental health difficulties to deal with any problems they encounter. Some research tends to suggest that over the last fifteen years those who use mental health services have been treated in a prejudicial way. This is largely a result of the fact Government discourse is phrased in such a way that this group is seen mostly in terms of the risks they may pose to the rest of society. Some social workers have a lot of power when it comes to people who are assessed as having mental health problems. In Britain we have what are known as Approved Social Workers, these social workers are often involved in sectioning a person – that is to say a person can be detained for twenty eight days without their consent for assessment of their mental capabilities. This can be problematic because if a service user is being aggressive it is not always easy to tell whether this is just in response to whatever is going on at that moment or whether the person actually does have a mental health problem or a psychosis. Hannigan and Cutliffe (2002) argue that the medical model of health is the most prevalent in the mental health sector. Under the terms of the 1983 Mental Health Act this often results in medical treatments that may involve, for example, the use of drugs or electro-convulsive therapy without the person’s consent. What is most worrying about this is that it can be used as a threat against vulnerable adults who may not need this kind of treatment but who may be irritating the professionals with whom they come into contact. This is especially the case if the adult concerned has a tendency to be a bit aggressive. Professionals may often assume that this person is displaying psychosis when they are simply displaying an exaggerated form of annoyance at what is going on. Current legal definitions of what constitutes a mental disorder (and the guidelines with which many professionals work) are not necessarily the same as psychiatric definitions of what constitutes mental illness. With recent changes to the Mental Health Act this situation becomes even more worrying because it widens the net to include other definitions of mental illness, definitions which could just as well be a result of social misfortune as something inherently wrong with a person. Some research tends to suggest that the mental health system is racist and that black and white youths who may behave in a similar manner are treated differently and black youths are more likely to be assessed as having a mental health problem. The disproportionate use of compulsory sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 for black people, and the links between mental health and the criminal justice system, suggest that the basic rights of many black service users are under threat. A holistic model would emphasise basic human rights and require great caution in the use of statutory powers in mental health services. Black service users rights would be safeguarded through anti-discriminatory procedures, accessible appeals and complaints systems, and accurate monitoring. Safeguards include quality assurance systems based on service users views. These should incorporate indicators of service outcomes based on improvements to black service users quality of life (Ferns, P. 2000 no pagination) Increased use of sectioning under the Mental Health Act could be regarded as a form of blackmail in mental health – just another way of saying you behave the way I say you will behave or this is what will happen to you. The police also have greater powers under the 1983 Act. Section 136 gives them the right to detain people in a safe place for 72 hours if they are considered to be a risk to themselves or others, even if they haven’t been aggressive or done anything else that would warrant being detained. This is a frightening state of affairs because it means that anyone who upsets authority in some way could be at risk of losing their liberty without charge and without trial. The mental health charity Mind say that actual psychosis is far less prevalent in Britain than some figures would have us believe and that the 1983 Act is in danger of being used as a means of social control rather than the protection of the public and of vulnerable adults. Clearly there are many issues around Mental Health that are extremely worrying. If you are homeless you are automatically seen as having mental health problems and some literature also refers to women who have experienced domestic violence in these terms. Mental health issues and social blackmail it would seem are very closely related. Useful resources http://www.communitycare.co.uk/articles/article.asp?liarticleid=7951 Full ref. in bibliography http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre http://www.lho.org.uk/HIL/Disease_Groups/MentalHealth_Inequalities.htm London Health http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Statistics/Statistics+3.htm http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Statistics/Statistics+3.htm http://www.nacro.org.uk/about/Youth justice are we getting it right.pdf

Change Management Within Cadbury Schweppes

Change Management Within Cadbury Schweppes In todays changing and vague environment, challenges and ambiguities are growing in the market (Boatright, 2007). Globalization and rapid technological advancement placed organizations under immense pressure and necessity to coop with changes in the market. If organizations seek to avoid risks, then they must be prepared to make the required management changes that preserve their position in the market (Stanleigh, 2008). If planned effectively, change will turn a key success factor. Organizations cant implement the change without planning. In fact, change must be realistic, achievable and measurable.ÂÂ  Therefore, organizations must allocate and align all needed resources and capabilities for the project. In late 2003, Cadbury Schweppes, an international confectionery and beverage company, began working with Future Considerations, a management consultancy, to develop a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) learning tool. This tool was designed to make a change in corporate values and move them from booklets and posters into processes, actions plans and culture change inside and outside the company. Thus, this was considered a priority on the desk of the board room of Cadbury and all managers and stakeholders were prepared and engaged in order to adapt the change challenge. This study will examine thoroughly how Cadbury successfully managed this change and prepared the appropriate and suitable capabilities and resources and educate the company, especially their senior managers and employees, about CSR. However, we will start by literature review section about change management and its drivers, key success factors and approaches to make the change a successful project. Then, a brief summary about the case that we are studying-Cadbury Schweppes- will be presented. Finally, a conclusion summarizing the key points in the case and lessons learnt will be offered. Literature Review To start, defining any concept in the area of research and academic work is indeed the first step before moving and discussing the framework and applications and the concept of change management is no exception. Thus, it is important to define what is meant by change management and how can we tell that a certain managerial project is a change or not. Making this differentiation unambiguous from the beginning is pivotal in order allocate the needed capabilities, communication plans and managerial tools and avoid wasting time and resources. For the purposes of Cadbury Schweppes case study, change management is defined as a set of organizational methods and procedures used for effective and prompt handling of change (ITIL, 2000) in the way the business operates and its management approaches (Worren, Ruddle and Moore, 1999). In fact, change management is a discipline that prepares and endures that organizations meet new or existing management objective in a rapid and effective way. To do so, the most appropriate management tools and communication facilities are chosen in order to help the organization, including managers and employees, create the right management disciplines and processes, organization structures, culture, competencies and capability for superior human performance so that change goals are achieved and sustained (Worren et al., 1999, p.277). Drawing on this conception and understand of change management, two important concepts are identified. The first concept is the importance of human performance in change management; thus the organization must prepare the necessary tool, resources and capabilities to increase the contribution and readiness of its managers and employees to adapt the change and build the human performance in their organizations (Michael and James, 1993). The second concept relates to the importance of stakeholders awareness; therefore it is important to help stakeholders who are engaged and affected by the change to determine ways to manage the change process effectively to ensure this occurs. In order to understand more change management, we need to shed light on the drives the make a company decide to employ the change. According to Stanleigh (2008), the following are some drivers: Decisions of mergers and acquisitions with other companies Innovation Adapting new business concept Advent in technology and the need to deploy a new technology Restructuring the organization (downsizing) Globalization Expansion and growth Any of these drivers leads to a change in the way companies management approaches and they way they perform and do their business activities. These drivers are then translated into business objective. So, for example, if a certain company decided to adapt a new technology then adapting this new technology is the objective under which it should prepare the appropriate management tool and project in order to meet the objectives of the change (Storey, 2001). After defining change management as a concept and examining the drivers of the change, it is important know to answer very important question: What make a change project successful? The literature is full of information, best practices and implementation guidelines (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007, Schuler and Jackson, 2006, Storey, 1989) that should be followed in order to manage the change and obtain the foundations for success. However, for the purposes of Cadbury Schweppes case study we will highlight the relevant success factors of a change tool. According to Salaman, Storey and Billsberry (2005) and Kotter and Change (1995), the following factors, which can be used as an approach for successful change, are keys for successful implementing change management: Setting a clear vision and objectives for the change Planning and programming Senior and top management determination Engaging managers and employees Managing change at all departments Telling the organization the benefits of the change Working with staffs in teams on the change program and expecting change to occur Giving time for staff to vent first and then change As it appears clear, a clear vision and objectives at early stages of the change are essential since they are predetermined for change tools and processes. In order to emphasize more the centrality of the vision and objective in any change, we will use here the works of Kotter and Change (1995), leader authors in the area of change management. According to them, a vision always goes beyond the numbers that are typically found in five-year plans. A vision says something that helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move. Themes of engagement and effective communication are also important for change management as explained in factors of successful change. It is impossible for the change to achieve its objectives unless managers and employees are motivated to contribute and help. Managers and employees will not make the needed sacrifices unless they believe in the benefits of the change. Here comes the role o the organization, especially the team responsible for implementing the tool for change management, to launch a credible communication that gain the hearts and mind of managers and employees (Ulrich, 1997). To recapture, clear vision, well articulated plans and effective communication are all what a change is about (Ulrich and Beatty, 2001). The aims and objectives of the change project have to be clear and transparent. In addition, need resources, teams and capabilities should be allocated. The company managing the change must be learning company. It must accumulate its experiences and benefit from other companies who failed or successes in their change project in order to avoid sources of failure and adopt factors of success. In the following section, a good example of successful change management tool, namely Working Better Together CSR tool, created and implemented by Cadbury Schweppes will be offered. The Case: Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. We create brands people love brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. The companys heritage starts back in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then the company have expanded its business throughout the world by a programme of organic and acquisition led growth (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). On 7 May 2008, the separation of the companys confectionery and Americas Beverages businesses was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. The strategy at Cadbury Schweppes is clear. The company believes that the business still has significant untapped potential both in terms of top line growth and returns. By exploiting the strength of its leadership positions to continue to grow its market share and significantly increase its margins and returns, the company aims to achieve its vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). In addition to the strategy, Cadbury Schweppes is keen to maintain its special and unique culture in order to achieve its objectives. The company is led by its performance driven values. The key success factors are: a clear vision, performance scorecard, priorities and sustainable commitment. As a culture the company value performance, quality, respect, integrity and responsibility (Young, 2006). The company works as one team across geographic and functional boundaries to be the best.ÂÂ  The company works hard and have fun along the way. This requires form the company to listen to its consumers, customers, suppliers, shareowners, colleagues and communities. Understanding and responding to their need is the driver of the sustained success of the company. The company believes that doing good is good for business (Cadbury Schweppes, 2009). This belief is at the heart of the way the company works today and will remain as key to its future success. Origin of the Change, Setting objective and Planning the CSR New Tool As mentioned in the introduction, Cadbury Schweppess new project included the development and introduction of a new learning tool which required a change in the way the company operates and does its business (see figure 1). The title of this project was Working Better Together a kit of 50 organizational development tools. Figure 1 Working Better Together Template Adapted from (Young, 2006) In fact, the aim of the company from this transformational project was to build collaborative behaviour among different departments inside the company and across all its stores and offices in different countries especially US and UK (Vogel, 2005). In addition, this collaboration includes communication and engagement of the companys stakeholders in order to teach them that CSR is integral and cornerstone for the companys business and the way it deals with its stakeholders. In brief the main objective of the change project at Cadbury Schweppes is to make the company socially responsible in everything it does. At the heart of this project is the commitment of the company to foster the notion of CSR which is a key to Working Better Together. This is the vision of the company and the general objective under which the whole changing process and application phase will work. Thus, we need know to examine how Cadbury Schweppes translated this vision into action and achieved its objective. The first name given to the tool was Ethical Risk in order to respond to the challenges facing CSR. At early stages, a team of 50 most senior HR and CSR managers was formulated to manage the change project (Young, 2006). The first thing this team did was to change the name of the tool which was rebranded the CSR Living Our Values Learning Tool to reflect the interrelation and synergies between CSR and Cadbury Schweppess values (Sharma et al., 2009). Then, CSR at the company was defined by five main pillars: Human rights and employment standards Ethical responsibilities Marketing, food and consumer issues Environmental, health and safety responsibilities Community relationship This HR-CSR joint team recognized that the tool needed development in order to engage the whole organization especially line managers and employees. In the following section we will explain how Cadbury Schweppes prepared the organization for the change and what tools did the company use to successfully implement the project. Implementation Phase Employee Engagement Employee engagement and contribution to CSR (Davis, 1973, Frederick, 1994, Lantos, 2001, Orlitzky, 2000, Porter and Kramer, 2006), which is intrinsic to the values by which any company does business, was priority Cadbury Schweppes. In fact, employees engagement and raising their readiness for the change is essential part of any change project (Buyens and De Vos, 2001). In light of this understanding, the company formulated a team activity around values-based decisions. The main task for this team is to consult employees in relation to what are the best CSR programs, ides and initiatives that provide the framework to integrate the companys values into its practices, culture, values and daily activities (Young, 2006, Sharma et al., 2009). Also, the team discussed real and relevant business issues including making decisions about products and marketing. The company felt that in order for the change to be implemented successfully, its employees must be aware of the projects and what are CSRs objectives and why the company is adopting this concept. Engaging senior managers The HR-CSR joint team lunched a series of meetings with senior managers at Cadbury Schweppes. The aim was to educate them and raise their awareness toward the five CSR pillars and study the role and contribution of senior managers at the company in embedding CSR into their departments in collaboration with all other departments (Young, 2006). All departments are working under the umbrella of CSR. The HR-CSR team worked in practice with all senior mangers on the tool and showed them how it should be applied. This practical insight provided engaged managers more effectively than any other theoretical description through a seminar or booklet. In addition, the team was keen to get a feedback from senior managers on the practicability of the tool and areas of improvement (Vogel, 2005). In fact, the HR-CSR team succeeded to choose the appropriate and mostly effective means of communication. It is important to note here that the mean of communicate that a company encompass is decisive in any change project (Hemingway and Maclagan, 2004). It is highly recommended to couple practical exercise with theoretical aspects of any learning tool. Learning design Following the feedback obtained from employee teams and series of meeting with senior manager, many refinements were made to the learning tool. The competitive nature of the tool was toned. So, instead of assigning CSR pillars, the tool ranked the possible answers to CSR issues from most to least preferred. This refinement and change deepened the dialogues and prompt the possibility to weight one option against another (Said, Zainuddin and Haron, 2009). Flexible application The key of having this tool was flexibility. At Cadbury Schweppes, the CSR tool was not just used by mangers and within all departments but also with local, functional, leadership teams and new hires in induction programs. In addition, the tool was used with a procurement team and served the original CSR objectives. Thus, the flexibility of the tool makes the change flexible not rigid. This dimension is very important in change management because if the change was static this could restrain its applicability to very specific context and limit the effect of the change and the success of the project. In Cadbury Schweppess case, the CSR tool was applied and adapted in different contexts (Said et al., 2009). For example, HR discloses CSR report to employees and they are asked to sign the statement of business principle and track its adherence. Also, HR used the CSR tool to embeds CSR in the culture of the organization (Young, 2006). This is how the change is translated into different org anizational process, policies and practices. Partnership in change management: HR and CSR The training and communication facilities used to instil the CSR culture among employees, line mangers and the entire Cadbury Schweppess company is indeed a neat example of how the partnership between the CSR and HR department is key a success factor in managing change. Make employees learn and practice CSR activities was the role of HR, while the CRS department helped to define what CSR priorities and pillars. The training of employees through CSR Living Our Values Learning Tool at Cadbury Schweppes is a good example of partnership between HR and CSR (Sharma, Sharma and Devi 2009). Later the HR department included social responsibility in the latest management development initiatives like the global Passion for People management skills programme. Conclusion To conclude, Cadbury Schweppess new learning succeeded to achieve its objective. However, behind this success is well articulated and synthesized change management. Themes of communication, plans, feedback, collaboration, engagement, refinement, flexibility and partnership are indeed the secret behind this success. All these themes are needed and necessary in any project aiming to change behaviours, values and traditional management approaches. The whole organization must be informed about the change (Hemingway and Maclagan, 2004) because, by way of example, the contribution of employees and potential ideas and skills they offer should not be undermined. Any change without employee engagement and contribution runs the risk of sustainability and long-term survival (Amabile and Conti, 1999, Grant, 2002, Kotter and Change, 1995, Stanleigh, 2008).

The Role of Participation in Budgeting Essay -- essays research papers

The Role of Participation in Budgeting Introduction Although participation in budgeting may enforce the managerial performance, it has constrains and can cause some problems as well. This article analyses the possible advantages and limitations of the role of participation in budget setting. In the next section, the possible merits of budgetary participation are demonstrated. This is followed by a section that explains the equivocation existing in the relationship between budgetary participation and performance. Then, in the following section, some negative effects on the application of participation in budgeting progress are illustrated. The final section is the conclusion of the study. The Possible Advantages of Budgetary Participation According to the definition of budgeting, it is the  ¡Ã‚ ®estimation of all income and expenses for an accounting period or financial forecasting, planning, and controlling ¡Ã‚ ¯. (http://www.yourwebassistant.net/glossary/b11.htm#budgeting) Comparing the budget with the real achievement of the company, it is possible to improve the decision-making process for the future development of the enterprise. So budgeting takes a crucial role in management accounting. Therefore, studying how to make budget setting more effective is important for the benefit of the enterprise. Participation in budgeting is one of the useful approaches. It bears some possible advantages, which may enhance manager ¡Ã‚ ¯s commitment to budget objectives. The following discussion (adapted from Lecture notes by Professor S. G. Ogden, 2004) bears the assumption that there is positive relationship between participation and performance. The contradictions will be discussed later in the following sections. First of all, participation in budget setting can inspire the enthusiasm of the managers. Then they will intend to input more energy and time into the work to meet the budget targets. Because if they are involved in the process of budget setting, they will link it with their own knowledge, experience, and so on to make the judgment. This linkage renders the target of the company to be the participator ¡Ã‚ ¯s personal target. Secondly, participation may encourage the creation of the participators. Creation is the characteristic of human beings. However, not everybody at any time has the motivation to create. When the budget is settled, and what the managers and employ... ...nteraction of budget characteristics and personality variables with budget response attitudes ¡Ã‚ ¯. The Accounting Review. Vol. 53. pp. 324-335. Dunk, A. S. (1989).  ¡Ã‚ ®Budget emphasis, budgetary participation and managerial performance: A note ¡Ã‚ ¯. Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol. 14. pp. 321-324 Dunk, A. S. (1993).  ¡Ã‚ ®The effects of job-related tension on managerial performance in participative budgetary settings ¡Ã‚ ®. Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol. 18. pp. 575-585. Hartmann, F. G. H. (2000).  ¡Ã‚ ®The appropriateness of RAPM: toward the further development of theory ¡Ã‚ ¯. Accounting, Organizations and Society. Vol. 25. pp. 451-482. Lau, M. C. (2001).  ¡Ã‚ ®Budget emphasis, participation, task difficulty and performance: the effect of diversity within culture ¡Ã‚ ¯. Accounting and Business Research. Vol. 31. pp. 37. Abstract. Merchant, K. A. (1981).  ¡Ã‚ ®The Design of the Corporate Budgeting System: Influences on Managerial Behavior and Performance ¡Ã‚ ¯. The Accounting Review. Vol. 56. pp. 813-829. Milani, K. (1975).  ¡Ã‚ ®The relationship of participation in budget setting to industrial supervisor performance and attitudes: a field study ¡Ã‚ ¯. The Accounting Review. Vol. 50. pp. 274-284.

options on company telephone services :: essays research papers

Introduction There are many different options companies have when decided on what type if telephone service to use. The size and needs of the company will usually determine the communications needed to run an organized operation. Another factor in choosing what type of telecommunications a company will need is what type of business does the company deal with. For example, is the company a telemarketing service, a customer service company for bank, or a consulting firm; plus, what are the majority of calls pertaining to and the time frame of each call? Are the telephone calls from customers needing to know where the nearest bank or ATM is or are they important clients wanting an estimate on a construction project that is underway. These are a few of the important items to look over before choosing the telecommunication that are right for you company. I work at a company called VTN Nevada. It is an engineering, survey, architecture, planning, and construction management consulting firm. We do consulting work for many large companies in Las Vegas Valley. We do a lot of communicating with clients, construction project manager, and the entities, such as, City of Las Vegas, City of Henderson, City of North Las Vegas, Clark County, and Nye County. The need for good communication is mandatory in order to get the project done to the clients desires, as well as, meeting the needs of the entities that the projects are located within. VTN Nevada uses many different forms of communications from conference calls to e-mails, but nothing is better than a face to face meeting in order to straight out major issues. Body The system that is currently in place at VTN Nevada is the PBX, otherwise known as Private Branch eXchange. The PBX allows VTN to create extensions to connect to each other, as well as, to the public network. The system is set up to allow a person to dial the main office line and get the first receptionist, Rita. Rita, will then direct the caller to the person that they are trying to reach. If the caller wants to contact one of the directors of the company, they will be transferred to the director secretary, Marti. Then, Marti will transfer the caller to the intended recipient of the call, take a message, or transfer the caller to the intended’s voice mail. Rita will at the main number has the same