Interpersonal Violence and Abuse and the LGBTQ Community Essay

Realizing that one of the discoveries about IPV or DV is that it actually cuts through cultures, class, race, creed and colour. Although allegations after allegations that there is no sufficient data about same-sex IPV to fully support whatever theoretical viewpoints there may be on the factors that lead to such occurrences, there have been readily available information to provide the reader with knowledge to understand the issue. If individuals managed to hide their gender preference or homosexuality there is a greater tendency that IPV later on will also be manageably hidden creating potentially risky behaviors as a consequence. I am dismayed that within the MSM (Men having Sex with Men) and Lesbian couples the incidence of them being batterers and them becoming repeated abusers because oftentimes they use isolation as a weapon against their victims. This is their strategy to ensure that they can control their victims. Support services for victims are not necessarily effective due to the nature of the liaison, i. e. , the stigma attached to the LGBT kind of relationship is likely to deter a victim to request or ask for help . Since statistics demonstrate that the prevalence of GLBT IPV/DV is as common as its heterosexual counterpart, the degree and kind of abuse that are inflicted mirror what are commonly occurring in any domestic violence. Just as there may also be a possible resulting homicide, cases of femicide are the most common in either gender categories. For many of the sufferers reporting from fate as survivors of IPV, GLBT victims confess of the issue over power and control where the perpetrator customarily exhibits jealousy and control over the victim. It overwhelms me also to think that size does not guarantee that there is no victimization. In the articles, female Batterers for instance play convincing roles in duping authorities or police officers into thinking that they were the victims by reason of their small size (Fountain and Skolnik, 2007). Age-range prevalence is an aspect that researchers find difficulty in making fairly accurate or close to accurate approximation. Teens in GLBT set-ups provide the lowest data primarily because teens fear the ramifications for reporting. Let me emphasize again here because I am really moved into thinking about a very close friend of mine who into this kind of relationship and suffered the same fate. One of the concepts pointed out in literature values the role- identification that each partner assumes. It refers to the accepted notion the unknowing public assumes that the batterer usually is the â€Å"masculine† (whether in male-male or in female-female/transgender relationships); something to do with â€Å"physical size, strength, appearance and mannerisms,† as well as economic standing as common bases (Miller et al. , 2000). However this may be true in some of the cases, the profile of batterers are diverse. One distinct difference between same-sex and heterosexual IPV is the significant disparity between sex differentiations on physical violence as presented by Archer (2002). Moreover, the elements of alcohol and drug abuse are not discounted; prior experience as children to domestic violence is also another factor and the force that is known as â€Å"patriarchal power† that is imposed on the relationship is widely known. Literature conclusively added the factor on perceived power or powerless ness as significant in the rise of partner violence in both heterosexual and same sex relations. Researchers point to a curvilinear relationship which refers to the rate of violence among those partners whose status is high or lower (Miller et al. 2000). Attachment styles, whether the issue is on the gender preference or the occurrence of violence in the home or in partnership are examined, is in most cases a primary consideration. Understanding how the batterers (including their victims) have gone through their growing up years give clue to the present treatment they give to their partners. Attachment styles have been thoroughly studied and are proven to be vital influence to the developing individual and the adult in transition. It is therefore recommended that further studies be made on the correlation of attachment styles and potential violent behavior a person may manifest in a relationship especially among the GLBT population where data is still inadequate. It is worthwhile to note also that the WHO’s global strides to make domestic violence a worldwide agendum along with other forms of violence (source:www. who. int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005html) is a big and very positive step to reduce the worldwide incidence.

Bilingualism affects childrens language and cognitive development

The possibility that early bilingualism affects kids ‘s linguistic communication and cognitive development has long been a concern for parents and pedagogues. In the first half of the twentieth century, the predominating position was that bilingualism and second-language acquisition early in life made kids baffled and interfered with their ability to develop normal cognitive functions1 and win in educational environments.2 These thoughts were dramatically reversed in a landmark survey by Peal and Lambert3 that showed a general high quality of bilinguals over monolinguals in a broad scope of intelligence trials and facets of school accomplishment. Recent research has been more balanced, placing countries in which bilingual kids excel and others in which bilingualism has no consequence on their development. The inquiry sing the possible impact of bilingualism on kids ‘s development has ever been of import, but has progressively emerged as a important concern for modern societies and for Canada in peculiar. In add-on to the official committedness to a national policy of second-language acquisition and bilingualism, in-migration has transformed Canada into a rich multilingual and multicultural state. Public schools, particularly in major urban Centres, are home to big Numberss of kids for whom English or French is a 2nd linguistic communication. These kids represent an tremendous assortment of place linguistic communications and frequently constitute the bulk of kids in a individual schoolroom. Therefore, it is imperative that we understand the impact of these linguistic communication backgrounds on kids ‘s cognitive and educational hereafters. Information about the linguistic communication, cognitive and educational development of kids with varied linguistic communication backgrounds is indispensable to construe the public presentation of these kids in school and measure their development. For illustration, kids with limited proficiency in the linguistic communication of schooling are certain to see increased trouble in get bying both academically and socially, and it is of import to place these troubles in order to understand what intercession or remedial attacks are needed. The research is typically conducted in schoolrooms, frequently settings incorporating both multilingual and monolingual kids. The context in which the bilingualism or 2nd linguistic communication occurs is of import, even though it is non ever included as a formal facet of research probe. There is grounds that whether the kid ‘s place linguistic communication is in a bulk or minority state of affairs, is valued in the community and is used as a medium for literacy undertakings affects the kid ‘s lingual and cognitive outcomes.4 Therefore, the deductions of the kid ‘s linguistic communication experience should ideally be examined with careful attending to the societal and lingual factors that describe the kid ‘s societal and educational environment. The of import issues concern the cognitive and educational results for bilingual kids. First, it is necessary to set up whether linguistic communication acquisition returns at the same rate and in the same mode for kids who are larning two linguistic communications at the same time or are larning a 2nd linguistic communication after holding begun to get the hang one. Second, are kids able to get literacy accomplishments at school if they are either bilingual or larning a 2nd linguistic communication, particularly if their place linguistic communication is non the linguistic communication of direction? Finally, are at that place effects on normal cognitive development in footings of the kid ‘s ability to get new constructs or execute assorted computations ( e.g. arithmetic ) , particularly if school direction is in the kid ‘s weaker linguistic communication? There are three chief outcomes from this research. First, for general linguistic communication proficiency, bilingual kids tend to hold a smaller vocabulary in each linguistic communication than monolingual kids in their language.5 However, their apprehension of lingual construction, called metalinguistic consciousness, and is at least as good6 and frequently better7 than that of comparable monolinguals. Second, the acquisition of literacy accomplishments in these kids depends on the relationship between the two languages8 and the degree of proficiency in the 2nd language.9 Specifically, kids larning to read in two linguistic communications that portion a authorship system ( e.g. English and Gallic ) show accelerated advancement in larning to read ; kids whose two linguistic communications are written in different systems ( e.g. English and Chinese ) show no particular advantage, but neither do they show any shortage relation to monolinguals. The benefit of larning to read in two lin guistic communications, nevertheless, requires that kids be bilingual and non second-language scholars whose competency in one of the linguistic communications is weak. Third, bilingual kids between four and eight old ages old demonstrate a big advantage over comparable monolinguals in work outing jobs that require commanding attending to specific facets of a show and suppressing attending to deceptive facets that are outstanding but associated with an wrong response. This advantage is non confined to linguistic communication processing, but includes a assortment of non-verbal undertakings that require controlled attending and selectivity in such jobs as organizing conceptual classs, 10 seeing alternate images in ambitious figures, 11 and understanding the difference between the visual aspect and functional world of a deceptive object.12 The consequences of these surveies demonstrate that childhood bilingualism is a important experience that has the power to act upon the class and efficiency of kids ‘s development. The most surprising result is that these influences are non confined to the lingual sphere, where such influence would be expected, but extend every bit good to non-verbal cognitive abilities. In most instances, the kid ‘s grade of engagement with a 2nd linguistic communication, defined as the difference between bilingualism and second-language acquisition, is an of import variable that determines both the grade and type of influence that is found. Three forms of influence were noted in these surveies. One result is that bilingualism makes no difference, and monolingual and bilingual kids develop in the same manner and at the same rate. This was found for cognitive jobs such as memory- span development and linguistic communication jobs such as phonological consciousness. The 2nd is that bilingu alism disadvantages kids in some manner. The primary illustration of this is in the development of vocabulary in each linguistic communication. The 3rd form, and the most prevailing in our surveies, is that bilingualism is a positive force that enhances kids ‘s cognitive and lingual development, bettering entree to literacy if the two composing systems correspond and development of general executive procedures for all bilingual kids work outing a broad scope of non-verbal jobs necessitating attending and control. These executive control abilities are at the Centre of intelligent idea. Parents are frequently concerned that utilizing a non-community linguistic communication as the linguistic communication of their place will disfavor their kids. This plan of research provides solid grounds that the overpowering consequence of bilingualism in the place is positive. The disadvantages are comparatively minor and easy get the better of. The deductions for schooling are more complex. Children ‘s success in school is strongly dependent on their proficiency in the linguistic communication of direction, a relationship that holds for of import lingual activities ( e.g. larning to read ) , non-verbal computational topics ( e.g. mathematics ) , and content-based course of study ( e.g. societal surveies ) . In all these instances, kids must be skilled in the signifiers and significances of the school linguistic communication and be competent readers of that linguistic communication. Bilingual kids may non be at the same degree as their monolingual equals, and second-langu age scholars for whom English or French is non their place linguistic communication may hold non built up equal accomplishments in the instructional linguistic communication to win in schools. The grounds for the overpowering positive benefit of bilingualism, together with grounds that bilingual kids are non cognitively handicapped, indicates an of import function for schools in supplying a agency for these kids to construct up their linguistic communication accomplishments in the school linguistic communication so that they can be full participants in the schoolroom and harvest the most positive benefit from their educational experience.

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

Bilingualism - Essay Example eaching and measuring tools for bilingualism have not yet been sufficiently developed, evidences that bilingualism is good and productive for individuals point to the direction that more work be conducted in refining both teaching and measuring tools. A bilingual person is someone who speaks two languages. A person who speaks more than two languages is called multilingual (Birner n.d.). According to Chan (1998) the definition of bilingualism can be arbitrary due to different connotations for different people. Bloomfield, an American linguist defines bilingualism as a native like control of two languages. Thià ©ry, a French linguist defines a true bilingual as one who can at all times be taken for a native speaker by native speakers of either language. Haugen, a Norwegian-American linguist says that bilingualism starts when a speaker of one language can produce complete and meaningful utterances in another language. Diebold states its compliment that a type of bilingualism commences when a person begins to understand utterances in a second language. Bilingualism or multilingualism is no longer a rarity in today’s world. With the promotion of English as the global language most societies today know English as well as a native language and sometimes even a regional language. A lot of people, too, especially those who function in international circles have become multilingual in order to accomplish their everyday tasks. People become bilingual by acquiring two languages at the same time in childhood as in the case of most countries where the medium of instruction is different from the native language or in cases where the educational system provides for learning more than one language. Bilingualism can also be achieved by deliberately learning a second language, like in the case of migrants who have to learn a second language if they have migrated to a place where a different language is used. In order to develop bilingualism, the individual must be exposed to both

BUSINESS SKILL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

BUSINESS SKILL - Essay Example stand that the ability to secure the relevant book requires a careful understanding of the topic of concern, allowing one to seek assistance at the slightest possible time. The goal of the library is to provide people with new means of dealing with society issues while making changes as a way of attaining the required level of learning. Libraries are essential, and the modernisation of access to information has made them almost obsolete, but their role should not be overlooked. Jackson’s article on the issue of libraries in today’s society is valid and should be a major concern for society as a whole. The article is an informative one on this issue that meets the immediate demands of the inquisitive mind (Jackson 2011). It looks at the emergence of the internet and the growing notions that the internet is the major provider of knowledge and information required for everyday research as noted amongst the young generation (Vrana & Barbaric 2007: 437). It is for this reason that many are misguided to believe that the library is for the older generation and the isolated people, yet libraries are enriching facilities where people can study and gather critical and enlightening information (Herrera-Viedma & Lopez-Gijon 2013: 1382). Learning has changed to clicking a few links without having any means of discounting the information attained from such sources. The studies conducted on a myriad of websites have been misleading; something that continues to bother many people owing to the misconception that the internet is generally accurate (Jackson 2011). The speed of getting access to an article or information on an issue has tricked many into believing that the library is not sufficient to gather information (Rowlands et al. 2008: 292). However, Jackson notes that the society needs to change this mentality as the faà §ade is not helping the young generation in information gathering. The library has a wealth of information that can fill in the gaps that the mobile

Graphic Design research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Graphic Design research paper - Essay Example It is, therefore, not possible to use only one approach to all data variants. Effective communication begins with the right choice of the channel. Failure to choose wisely may result to misinterpretation and confusion. Cluttering of the piece also creates distortion and disrupts the smooth decoding of the information one wishes to communicate (Morra-Imas and Rist 478). The design used must accomplish a certain goal. In coming up with the design, the human emotion is taken into consideration. The designer or communicator aims at eliciting an emotion that allows the reader to follow the design and decode the meaning. Once data is available, the communicator lays out the available options for presenting it meaningfully to arrive at the most appropriate design. The design must take into account the target audience in terms of intellectual perception, age or even profession. A suitable design is a result of skillful coordination of elements. Often, how effectively information passes to th e reader depends on the appropriate choice of design. For a successful design, various principles gain consideration. As outlined by Resnick (24), the principles of design include; balance, emphasis, rhythm, unity, and contrast. Balance deals with distribution of design elements in the design. Balance occurs when the distribution is uniform. Two types of balance exist; asymmetrical, and symmetrical. Symmetrical balance occurs as a result of equal arrangement of elements on both sides of a composition. If elements become skewed to one side, an imbalance occurs. The choice of balance depends on the dynamic movement the designer wants to create. Emphasis is the element that gains instant recognition. Its purpose is to attract attention. It forms the most salient feature on the visual presentation. To achieve emphasis, a designer may make the element larger or bolder or code it in a contrasting or brighter color than the adjacent elements. Rhythm presents the way in which the elements i n the design direct the reader’s gaze. A sequence forms when the rhythm creates a reading order. Repeating elements create the impression of rhythm. Unity is another principle. A design achieves unity if the elements relate to each other to create an impression of completeness. Unity is essential in eliciting interest in a reader. Two approaches gain application in achieving unity. These are; grouping, and ground. Grouping happens by placing elements close together such that they appear as part of a group. Ground occurs when a viewer identifies an object distinctly from its base or background. The final principle is contrast. The principle emphasizes visual differences in terms of shape, size, and color of the individual elements. Contrast focuses the attention of the viewer to certain areas of information. Design-lib.com recognizes additional principles to those of Resnick (24), above. Proximity deals with elements arrangement on the page. The intention of proximity is the c reation of unity by placing like elements together. Alignment is the other principle that gains recognition. Alignment deals with the organization of the design, and the expression of the outlook. Lack of alignment gives an impression of sloppiness just as the same way that mixing too many elements. Distortion of alignment is, however, necessary when a designer wants to create an impr

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Religion - Essay Example Humans have, Acharya submits, formed their own beliefs (called probability belief in mathematics and science) about the set of unknowable elements of the universe. Â  They have branded their beliefs about the unknowable as religion. (2006: 2) Though religious beliefs differ from society to society as well as from one community to another, yet no human culture can be viewed as a society without religion. There exist countless religions in the world, but main faiths among them include three Abrahamic religions (i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Hinduism and others. The present paper aims to focus its research on Judaism, Islam and Confucianism for the comparative study, so that their scholarly views could be drawn out in order to assess and estimate the commonalities and differences. The researcher personally interviewed one religious leader and two common men from the Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques and Buddhist temples situated in Philadelphia, so that the true picture of the religions under study could be observed. The study has been focused on the status of racial discrimination and homosexuality in the three religious beliefs under study. i. Broad Vision: The term broad vision refers to the ideas, notions and views which are free from racial, ethnic, regional, religious and status prejudice or hatred. In the present study, the term simply means the opinions of the religious people which are free of narrow sightedness. ii. Religious Faiths: The term religious faiths simply refer to the sets of spiritual beliefs that describe the duties and obligations of the individuals towards their worshipper as well as spiritual mentor. iii. Dogmatists and Clergy: Dogmatist and clergy refer to the religious people who maintain solid and determined opinion about religious, social, political and cultural phenomena prevailing around them. The clergy are usually

Overview and Discuss the Current Trends in Web Development Essay

Overview and Discuss the Current Trends in Web Development - Essay Example It is predicted that there would be larger demands for single websites that would be capable of supporting both desktop computers as well as mobile instruments. For years, there have been websites serving for the computers and the mobiles separately. However, with recent development it is expected that there would be uniformity in the web designs enabling them to serve both for the computers and the mobile devices. At the same time, there would be greater need for security since simplified sign up processes would be involved in the further web developments. It is also predicted that customization of content of marketing would be supported through big data in the recent developments of the web (Scaglione, 2013). Mobiles are the latest trends in use. Considering the new developments in the web, it is predicted and expected that several simple sites would be developed through designs that are heavy in texture. Responsive and adaptive sites would be in an increase. The current trends are expected to mature in the near future. A new world would be entered into with the development of new and powerful browsers and HTML5, CSS3, and jQueries. These trends have been more focused in the recent times considering the fact that the mobile devices have become highly advanced easily available for use by individuals. Two major developments that are expected to largely influence the development of the web in the recent times and in the future are: Shift of companies to the SaaS and cloud model, and to the personalization and depending on technological intelligence for behavior of the user as well as the device; Development of the applications of the mobile devices (Scaglione, 2013). The year 2012 was expected to encounter certain hardships in terms of the economic difficulties and the web industry was found to struggle through such hardships as it tried to develop through censorship, indigenous applications, and the technology that was not only rapid in its nature but also frag mented. However the predictions for the year 2013 reflect change in the designs and hence shift to newer designs and development. Thus usage of the devices, as well as adjustments of the consumption of the web is considered for shifts to new developments (Grannell, 2013). Open source tools and applications have been obtained to be highly beneficial for web development as they are capable of being used as alternatives for web designs considering the budgets for such development in the present times. There are several open source applications that are free and also have features that may be compared to the ones offered by expensive web designs. Thus, this enables a web designer to have all the necessary tools and applications without much expenditure (Jones, 2009). The present study would discuss on some of the open sources web development tools that include HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, AngularJS, ASP.Net, jQuery, AJAX, Web Content Management Systems, WebApps, WYSIWYG, and Search Engine O ptimizations. The study would also have an overview on some of the closed sources as

Final Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Final Exam - Assignment Example The number of women will be set as a percentage of the total number of employees. To ensure that there is no salary discrimination, Boeing should adopt a policy of paying their staff depending on their experience and expertise, rather than based on their gender or race. Organizational culture is the accepted way of â€Å"thinking, feeling and acting† in an organization (Bechrast 2). It then follows that ethical organizational culture is the accepted way of thinking, feeling and acting in an organization when it comes to ethics. From this article, it is obvious that discrimination based on gender is a form of organizational culture in Boeing. This is a negative and repressive organizational culture since it leads to the suffering of other people in the organization. The fact that 60% of female employees in Boeing took part in this lawsuit is an indication that this culture is deeply rooted in this organization. In setting the price for the rooms, food and tickets to attend a Notre Dame game, there are several moral and ethical considerations that have to be made. The first is discrimination. By increasing their prices for these facilities when there are games taking place, these business men are discriminating against people who cannot afford such kind of spending. It is only the rich who then get to attend the games and stay in the best hotels. As such, there is no accessibility to these services as a result of their pricing. There is also the issue of price fixing. The owners of businesses collude every time there is a game so that they can fix the prices that they will charge. The consumer has no choice but to pay these prices. Abdication can be defined as the act of abandoning a position of power or responsibility (Bechrast 3). Moral abdication then is the act of abandoning all moral obligations or responsibilities as one embarks on an activity. It is without doubt that charging exorbitant prices is â€Å"an

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Some people believe the HR function can be performed by any person since traditionally; the role was performed by individuals who were the masters of the business. However, the business climate is dynamic and the role of HR has become more complex to be performed by any individual. Efforts such as certification are therefore being made to professionalize HRM and make HR professionals to be taken seriously by the senior management just like other fields and be considered as the strategic partner (Price, 2007). The nature and scope of HRM are very wide hence HR professionals perform many functions in the organization. This may warrant them to be recognized as professionals since their role is essential to the business. However, HR professionals need to demonstrate their value to the organization by showing results for them to be taken seriously. They also need to demonstrate certain qualities such as business knowledge, ability to support policies with data, strategic thinking among ot hers (Roehling et al. 2005). Most importantly, the managers must â€Å"continue to change and adapt to today’s complex, dynamic and fast-paced organizations if they are to grow and add value to the organization† (Sims 2007, p. 28). Scope and Concept of HRM The concept of HRM has evolved over time from personnel management to the current strategic human resource management. Just like other disciplines such as finance or marketing which are considered professional, HRM continues to grow and become more valuable especially as a result of globalization and other changes in the environment which require organizations to adapt to the changes and remain competitive or be pushed out of the market. For example, the growth of multinational has made the role of HR practitioners more complex as they have to deal with diversity issues (Redman & Wilkinson, 2009). Sims (2007) traces the origin of human resource management to England whereby craftspeople organized into guilds to regul ate employment conditions and also ensure quality. Later, the industrial revolution changed the nature of work to the factory system where employees were supervised by a person who was not the owner of the business. The workers undertook a trade test in order to join an organization and their jobs became more stable. Organizations in the 1920s began to have personnel departments to deal with employee payments, recruit workers and ensure compliance with government regulations. After World War II, there emerged new trends in personnel management with the formation of unions. The personnel managers had to deal with the unions to negotiate workers employment conditions hence the role of industrial relations emerged. According to Sims (2007), the personnel managers also undertook the role of recruiting and training women who were absorbed in the labour market. There was also the need to improve productivity hence the matching of people with jobs and concern for the worker's needs. It was believed that a satisfied worker was more productive. The development of theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs led to the emergence of new ways of managing people.

Trends Executive Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Trends Executive Memo - Essay Example Further, technology will assist in the collection of evidence for use in courts, and in surveillance of correction centers to reduce the breakout incidences that have been on the rise. This is a major step into the future which ought to happen soon. However, serious planning and strategizing is necessary before taking the steps (NRC-US, 2002). Partnership between the state and private security agencies will be enhanced. This will ensure that security information is shared as received from the public and actions taken in a team fashion. The correction department in the country has experienced a number of challenges. Besides the increased breakouts, it has been noted that many inmates get connected to the outside ‘friends’ through the help of the wardens (Gingrich & Worthington, 2013. Pg. 365). This has to stop. Every correction center must have installed surveillance system to monitor activities within (Priest & Arkin, 2011, pg. 76). These systems, from all centers, will be channeled to the head office surveillance department in real-time. The future of the security is that collaborative units will work together to ensure that the public is secure. Further, technological innovations will replace the manual entries and surveillance making the work easier to execute and monitor (Evans, Martin & Poatsy, 2005. pg. 245). Each of the departments will, therefore, perform their mandate with connectivity and collaboration rather than

Patient Education And Epidural Pain Management Essay Example for Free

Patient Education And Epidural Pain Management Essay The term pain pertains to a sensation that is communicated by the sensory neurons that are located around the human body to the brain. This sensation is described as an unpleasant feeling that is generally related to a form of damage to a particular tissue in the body. Pain thus activates a specific physical and psychological reaction that tends to find a mechanism to terminate the unpleasant feeling. The ability to sense pain serves as the body’s warning system that informs us of any form of injury to our bodies. Pain is generally described in terms of its intensity and its duration. Intensity can be expressed through a range of descriptors from slight to agonizing, while the duration of pain may be depicted as constant or intermittent. Other characteristics that are commonly employed to describe pain include sharp, dull, throbbing and nauseating. The threshold of pain varies among individuals hence a numeric rating scale, with rating from 1 as the least painful situation to 10 as the most painful condition, has been employed for a more specific quantification of pain in patients. The numeric rating scale identifies level 4 as the cut-off score for pain that impedes an individual from performing his normal functions (Krebs et al. , 2007). In order to relieve an individual from pain, pain management is often provided at hospitals and clinics. In cases wherein the patient only suffers from acute pain, temporary medications are commonly administered to correct the medical problem. However, if the patient is experiencing chronic pain that is related to a condition that is currently being treated or is still undiagnosed, pain conduits are often put up to alleviate the sensation of pain in the patient. These conditions generally include cancer and neuropathy, wherein the pain is distinguished from the major medical condition of the patient. Pain management usually employs that administration of pharmacologic drugs such as analgesics and pain modifiers. In addition, other non-pharmacologic treatments may also be provided, which as normally interventional methods such as physical therapy, heat or cold compression and psychological therapy. One of the major interventional methods for pain management involves the administration of epidural analgesia, which is provided through the introduction of a catheter into the epidural space which is the space between the spinal cord and spinal canal. The effect of the injection of pain medications is to essentially remove the pain that the patient is experiencing by inhibiting further conduction of pain signals along the nerves or the spinal cord. Epidural analgesia is considered as a common technique for pain management because aside from reducing the pain felt by the patient, it also promotes vasodilation of blood vessels. Such result is actually a side-effect of epidural analgesia, yet it still benefits a patient if he has been diagnosed with a peripheral vascular medical condition. In addition, the utilization of epidural analgesia extends the effect of the pain medications for several days, instead of just a few days. In specific conditions that have associated pain such as childbirth, epidural analgesia is the favored pain management regimen because it does not cause any changes in muscle movement or power and it still retains its main role in pain conditions that may or may not require surgery. Epidural analgesia is also commonly used as an accessory to general anesthesia to decrease the patient’s need for opioid analgesics. Its use as an adjunct pain management scheme has been applied in a broad range of surgical procedures including hysterectomy, hip replacement, laparoscopy and open aortic aneurysm repair. Epidural analgesia is commonly used as the primary method for surgical anesthesia especially is Caesarean sections, which keeps the patient conscious during the entire surgical obstetric procedure (Halpern et al. , 2004). However, in such situations, the amount of anesthesia administered is generally much higher that what is usually employed for analgesia. Post-operative pain management may also involve epidural analgesia for the first few days after the procedure, which involves the introduction or retention of a catheter. There are certain situations when the patient is allowed to regulate the amount of pain medications that will be passed through the catheter. Such patient-controlled analgesia makes use of an infusion pump which the patient himself controls. Epidural analgesia is also used as remedy for back pain, as well as for palliative care. It has been established that epidural analgesia is most effective for the treatment of pain in specific regions such as the abdomen, pelvic and legs. This pain management technique is less effective in treating pain in chest, neck or arms, and is not effective for pain treatment in the head. It has been proven that epidural analgesia is more effective in relieving pain than intravenous narcotics and has been identified as the second most frequently used pain medication (Leighton and Halpern, 2002). Majority of women who give birth in hospitals are usually given only two options with regards to pain management, namely epidural analgesia or intravenous narcotics. It should be noted that alternative pharmacologic treatments for pain are also available, such as nitrous oxide and paracervical blocks. In addition, there are also doulas and continuous labor support, which typically requires less medical treatment and results in better outcomes with regards to the health of the mother and child. Also, these women are generally more satisfied with the results they observed after such alternative treatments. However, these alternative options are generally much more expensive (Simkin and OHara, 2002). It is interesting to note that even though epidural analgesia is reported to be significantly effective and common treatment for pain during child labor, there are a number of major side-effects that are associated with such use. It has been reported that epidural analgesia prolongs labor for an extended and considerable duration. In addition, its administration also influences the need for operative vaginal delivery and increases the chances for perineal laceration (Lieberman and ODonoghue, 2002). It has also been observed that the administration of epidural analgesia during obstetric procedures causes the mother to run a fever, which then results in the provision of antibiotics to the newborn child, as well as monitoring for symptoms and signs of sepsis in the infant. To date, great controversy envelopes the issue of whether epidural analgesia increases the risk of delivering a baby through Caesarean section as well as induces difficulty during labor. Research surveys show that most women have not been educated with regards to the possible side-effects of epidural analgesia (Declercq et al. , 2002). Hence the role and need for patient education has been an issue of close scrutiny in the past 5 years. Specific medical and non-medical groups have expressed their concern over the risks and benefits of epidural analgesia. More importantly, there has been concern that such type of patient education of pain management regimens should be given during pre-natal visits, and not during the actual labor stage of pregnancy. Hence, there is an urgent need to determine the amount of information that mothers know in relation to pain management and epidural analgesia because this option strongly influences the behavior of the newborn child, the breastfeeding conditions and the bonding between the mother and infant. In the United States, the dominant delivery method is composed of the induction of labor, administration of epidural analgesia, constant electronic fetal monitoring and Caesarean section. It has been analyzed that when the frequency of epidural analgesia is high, the alternative methods for childbirth are usually not available in the medical institution. These include sessions in childbirth education, doulas, non-pharmacologic pain management regimens, as well as the provision for nurses especially trained in assisting in medication-independent childbirth. Hence what is observed now in most of the hospitals are labor stages that are mainly supported by epidural analgesia and parenteral analgesics. In addition, medical healthcare professionals providing labor support are often overworked due to the huge number of delivery cases in a week. The issue of the shortage of nurses in the healthcare industry has also complicated the problem on the usage of epidural analgesia in hospitals. There are certain obstetricians who prefer to maintain a patient at labor that is supported by an intravenous line in order that they still find time to monitor their other patients in the hospital. It has been considered that the availability of healthcare professional during a patient’s labor and delivery is a luxury. More so, the inability to provide epidural analgesia to a patient during labor has often been a topic that has frequently been investigated in court malpractice cases. The importance of patient education with regards to epidural analgesia as the pain management scheme is thus very important in order to provide the patient with more than the regular two pain management choices that could be administered during her delivery. Patient education should also include the provision of information on the Caesarean delivery, wherein the patient must be able to carry enough knowledge to know that it is her right to request for a Caesarean delivery even when it is normally not recommended if there are no maternal or fetal complications for childbirth. There has been controversy with regards to the competence of smaller hospitals to could not universally provide epidural analgesia. It is unfortunate to know that not a single medical organization supports the concept of establishing a wide range of support methods during labor and pain management schemes, which is strongly associated with patient education and choice. In other countries, Caesarian delivery is the preferred delivery method by women because they are aware the other forms of labor and delivery schemes are not associated with sufficient medical care and attention (Behague et al. 2002). At the same time in the United States, women perceive that epidural analgesia is the sole and effective method for pain management. Actually, family physicians are not the main healthcare professionals that are responsible for the unbelievably high rates in the use of epidural analgesia during labor and childbirth. This medical professional observes when the patient is experiencing pain during labor and he relays this condition to the attending nurses, who in turn, will communicate the information to the anesthesiologist. Such relay of message from the patient to eventually the anesthesiologist is generally comprised by a simple nod from the family physician, which then triggers a battery of messages that eventually end with the administration of epidural analgesia to the patient. Such translation of patient pain to epidural analgesia administration is actually inappropriate and this is where patient education related to epidural analgesia comes into the picture. It is actually the family physician responsibility to educate his patient with regards to the choices in pain management. Instead of having a family physician that advocates epidural analgesia because it provides him freedom to look at his other patients while a particular patient is in labor, the family physician should be an advocate for the patient herself. Patient education entails spending time to teach and coach his patient which pain management schemes are currently available, as well as describing to the patient the effectiveness, side-effects and complications of each pain management scheme. The patient should also be educated of the limitations of each of the available pain management options. It is also ideal that the patient knows that she has the right to choose which pain management scheme she wants to receive, but this can only be done if the patient has sufficient understanding of pain management. It is also ideal that family physicians learn more of the details of the other alternative methods in managing pain. It has been observed that such patient education regarding pain management choices are important so that the patient has knowledge of what to expect during the actual medical procedure (Marmor and Krol, 2002). Patient education also involves the explanation of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), which is a labor and delivery pain management option that uses bupivacaine with or without opioids. The theory behind PCEA is that the patient can personally adjust the amount of epidural anesthesia that is needed to remove the pain he is experiencing. Such option for pain management often results in a high degree of patient satisfaction because it allows the patients to be free of the uncomfortable sensation of pain, as well as provide a way for the patient to feel a sense of control over the entire hospital procedure (Standl et al. 2003). It is thus important the patient education be provided to a patient, in order for him to understand the entire scenario of the procedure as well as to help him draw an image of the expected events that could unfold during his stay at the hospital. PCEA is currently in high demand because the patients often want a quick solution to the pain they are experiencing. In addition, these patients are not patient enough to wait for the next round of administration of pain killers when they are experiencing constant pain. It is also essential that patient education in relation to epidural analgesia must explain that PCEA is inefficient during the first stages of labor and thus a higher concentration of epidural analgesia is needed to relieve the patient from pain. Patient education also diminishes the expectations of patients that PCEA always results in the complete removal of the feeling of pain when they choose PCEA. Knowledge and understanding of epidural analgesia will thus result in patient satisfaction in terms of pain management. Patient education as related to epidural analgesia also includes a description of the possibility that an extensive spinal block in the positioning of the catheter may happen (Bernard et al. , 2000). This event often results in the decrease in the motor abilities of the legs and that once the patient observes this, he must inform a healthcare professional immediately for medical attention. In addition, patient education should also alert the patient that the catheter employed in epidural analgesia has a chance to migrate within the blood vessels, which is also known as intravascular migration. Such event is associated with a slower rate of infusion of analgesia which in turn generates systemic effects. The patient should also be educated with regards to the toxicity of epidural analgesia. Providing patient education in relation to epidural analgesia often results in patient satisfaction because the patient has a better understanding of the mechanisms and principles behind the pain management scheme, as well as its similarity and difference to other pain management options, such as continuous epidural infusion (CEI). Patient education also involves explanation on the receptors that are involved in controlling pain. These include the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) which acts in the central sensitization of the patient. Simple explanations regarding antagonists that decrease the sensitization for pain without reducing hemodynamic or respiration activity should also be included, and the other options that results in negative physiological effects such as opioids should also be described. The provisions for instruction is especially important to patients that suffer from pain due to general musculoskeletal tumor resections and those that have other medical conditions that are related to wakefulness and full orientation. There are also options in combining a N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist such as dextromethorphan with PCEA, which often circumvents the issue of sedation in PCEA (Weinbroum et al. , 2004). Reports have described that such combination generally results in better feelings of well-being in the patient. Dextromethorphan is relatively safe for orthopedic oncological patients who are commonly administered massive dosages of analgesics. There has also been reported the patients could not distinguish the feeling of PCEA and dextromethorphan, although there is a significant difference in a lack of inhibition of motor abilities using this combination. CONCLUSION This report suggests that patient education in relation to epidural analgesia results in patient satisfaction. Patient education generates a better understanding of the principles and mechanisms behind pain management schemes. In addition, the patient is given the right to reject or accept epidural analgesia based on his own comprehension that was earlier provided by the healthcare professional. Patient education also supports a PCEA setting that improves analgesia, as well as patient satisfaction during labor. This supports a better setting for the patient himself and decreases the need for rescue analgesia. Also, the increase in analgesia consumption can also be controlled through patient education, thus minimizing the side effects that are generated by particular pain killers. More importantly, patient education removes the discontent and disappointment that the patient may experience from insufficient knowledge and understanding of epidural analgesia.

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay Asoka has contributed many significant contributions to the development of Buddhism. Asoka became the first Buddhist emperor, and he conversed to Buddhism in 261 BCE and was then known as Dharmasoka. Asoka contributed to the development of Buddhism in three important ways. First he applied basic principles of Buddhism to his rule through government and foreign policies. Second and the most significant contribution, Asoka supported missionaries, he sent them throughout the kingdom in order to spread the teachings of Buddhism. Third, Asoka was able to maintain Buddhism as a major religious tradition in the kingdom. Asoka was able to contribute interfaith dialogue; he maintained positive dialogue with people of other religions because he believed all religions are good. Asoka believed the first precept (Ashismsa) and generosity were very important in witnessing the faith. Asoka taught people about Buddhism in different ways to help them best understand all the Buddhist teachings. For ex ample Asoka taught the educated through writing on edicts and pillars, whereas he taught the uneducated through ministry, stories and paintings. Asoka strengthens Buddhism through Viharas, he built these shrines in order for the Sangha to worship in and practice their faith. Asoka established social welfare support because Asoka believed it was important to support all his people. An example of a social welfare that Asoka did was he grew medicinal herb gardens and shade areas for all the people. Most importantly Asoka believed that everyone should be treated with friendliness. Asoka has been a big part in the development of Buddhism and has contributed many important and significant contributions that are still being used and continued to be followed today. Assess the impact on Buddhism of the significant person or school of thought identified in the previous question. The contributions of Asoka to Buddhism have had a great impact on the Buddhism community. Asokas contribution of the missionaries has impacted Buddhism significantly, it allowed Buddhism to expand beyond Mauryan Empire. A positive impact Asoka had was religious tolerance, as now the Buddhism religion is being respected and is expanding to other neighbouring kingdoms. For example, Asoka sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka with the missionaries and the impact this had was Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism. Asoka contributions impacted his kingdom significantly. Through Asoka the Sangha and Lay people were able to unite through worshiping in the temples and shires. If it wasnt for Asoka building the Viharas, people wouldnt have been able to unite together and worship their religious tradition. Buddhism is now publicly worshiped and this is due to one of Asokas contributions. Examples of Asokas contributes that are impacted by public worship of Buddhism is the stupas, temples and rock e dicts which are everywhere in the kingdom and visible to the public as they have the Buddhist teachings on them. People were impacted by Asoka as they saw him as a true witness to the faith. This is because Asoka showed how to correctly live the Buddhist life according to the ethics of Buddhism. Also Asoka influenced the people around him to adapt Buddhist teachings to their way of life, this is an ethical decision. The significant impact Asoka left on the Buddhism community is his conversion from a harsh person and a murderer to living by Buddhist ethical standards, which is a very big deal for both Asoka and his people. Through rock edicts, stupas and missionaries Asoka was able to promote Buddhist education as equal access to knowledge. The most important impact Asoka left from his contributions was the importance of social welfare as he showed his people how important social welfare in Buddhism and the care for others is. This was shown through Asokas examples of social welfare, some of these examples include, medicinal herb gardens, hospitals, planting trees and lastly treating everyone friendly and with fairness. People have witnessed Asokas ruling over the kingdom as being a true example for all people of what the lived expression of Buddhism should be through his witness to the faith and this has all significantly impacted all the people of his kingdom and other people from his neighbouring kingdoms who are now Buddhist because of him. Islam In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,to You lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path. To what extent does this quotation expresses a significant person/school of thoughts distinctive Islamic answer to the enduring questions of human existence? Islam is the submission to Allah. There is a division in adherents in Islam; the two main sects are the Sunni and the Shia. The shiites believes that the accurate leadership of Muslims after Muhammads son-in-law continues through a line of religious teachers. Sunnis support the dominance of the caliphs, which is the line of rulers elected by the people to guard the visionary legacy in the running of community relationships. Islam adherents believe that there is only one God, called Allah. The stimulus above the to you lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path shows this meaning, that there is only one true god and that the adherents are to follow that one god, in order for their questions about human existence to be answered and to be lead on the correct path. The stimulus above is from the Quran, the holy book for Muslim adherents. Sayyid Qutb was a significant person who helped answer the fundamental questions by expressing his distinctive Islamic answers to the questions of human existence. Sayyid Qutb answered those questions through his new interpretation of the principal teachings. His new interpretation was that he wanted everyone in state of Hakimiyya, and this only exists under the Sharia law. Sayyid Qutbs principal teachings to his adherents include Jihad, Jahiliya/Hakimiyya, and submission to the will of Allah which is very important (away from western influences), centrality of Allah through Tawhid (oneness) and Aquida (belief in god) and lastly Sharia law. Sayyid Qutb had a radical practice of Islam which he influenced his adherents to follow. He expressed to the adherents that it was important to have modest life styles of living, and living free from negative influence of the west, namely sexual freedom and materialism. By the adherent following Muhammads way of life, they are helped by Allah and guided to the right path. Sayyid Qutb answered the questions of human life through his philosophy. His philosophy was Hakimiyya, Jahiliya, Jihad, and in order to be in the state of Hakimiyya adherents need to overcome Jahiliya by Jihad. Sayyid Qutb philosophy answers those questions as they express the importance of submission to Allah and he showed adherents how to live to God. The stimulus means to be submitted to Allah, and to only believe in the one true God. Sayyid Qutb was born in Musha, Egypt in 1906, and in 1916 he attended a school in his local village. In 1919 Sayyid Qutb dropped out of school for two years, and he then moved to Cairo in 1920 where he finished his high school education. In 1929 he attended Dar Al-Alum University. Between 1939-1948 Sayyid Qutb worked as a university teacher, he also wrote many articles that reflected the Liberal values. In 1948, Sayyid Qutb, he went to America, achieved a Masters Degree education, and he also wrote a book Social in Islam building an Islamic idea of Tawhid. In 1949 he wrote another book called In the shades of the Quran, which was a commentary on the Quran. An example from the book In the shades of the Quran is There is nothing hindering people to seek the mercy of Allah. All they have to do is to seek it directly from Allah without mediation or intercession except heading to Him in obedience, hope, confidence and submission.  [1]  This quote from the book helps adherents understa nd how important the submission to Allah is, and also in the stimulus above it helps adherents find answers to their questions about human existence. Sayyid Qutb joined Islamic brotherhood. In 1954 Sayyid Qutb was first arrested and jailed for conspiracy to overthrow the ruling Egyptian government through the use of lesser Jihad which he encouraged. He was released from prison in 1964. A year later in 1965 he published another book called the Milestone. In this book he criticised the west because he didnt like the way they were living, and because of that his philosophy about. An example of a quote from the book Milestone is ..as a family is the basis of the society, and the basis of the family is the division of labour between husband and wife, and the upbringing is the most important function of the family, then such a society is indeed civilised  [2]  . In this quote Sayyid Qutb is emphasising that Islam and the Islamic style of living encourages this kind of family. By becoming this family adherents are living the right way of life according to Allah. Sayyid Qutb was rearrested and jailed again on charges of conspiracy aga inst the ruling government, which was implemented through Milestones. In 19966 Sayyid Quote was executed by hanging. As shown in the stimulus above, Sayyid Qutb is an example to the adherents on the right way of life and the right path to take. Sayyid Qutbs philosophy is all about Hakimiyya, and the way to achieve it, his philosophy also consists of Jahiliya and Jihad. He wanted all of the adherents in society to be Hakimiyya, which means for adherents to accept the Sharia and live under it, Hakimiyya is the goal in life. In reference to the stimulus above by being in the state of Hakimiyya you submitting to Allah and following the one true God. Jahiliya is thesubmit to materialism and sexual freedom. In Jihad, there is greater Jihad which is individual struggle to submit to the will of Allah and lesser Jihad which is holy war, and the use of military means. Sayyid Qutb mostly focused on the greater Jihad. His philosophy is all about being in the state of Hakimiyya and overcoming Jahiliya. Sayyid Qutb lived his philosophy and he showed the right way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, in reference to the stimulus this is important in order of walking the right path. Sayyid Qutb has impacted many people, both followers of his philosophy and opposers of his philosophy. The impacts his left on his followers include he brought a new and more relevant understanding of Islam and how it should be lived and he died as a martyr for Islam. He is a model of living his Islamic principles, in spite of the personal consequence even death. Opposers of his philosophy believe that he is a poor example of what Islam should be, also there were protests against him and many Muslims didnt want him known as a significant person. His radical views are seen as examples to other people as there are many radical groups that exist today and follow his philosophy. In reference to the stimulus, Sayyid Qutb is seen as a person who was able to answer the questions about human existence to all adherents. People who follow his philosophy see him as a good example on the way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, and praying to the only true God. Sayyid Qutb has radically interpreted the Quran and he has affected many adherents. His philosophy, Hakimiyya, Jahiliya and Jihad, has answered all the questions that each adherent asks themselves about the existence of life. The meaning behind the stimulus is that there is one true God, and adherents should only follow that one God, also that they should live to the submission of Allah. The Tawhid gives adherents their beliefs and encourages them to live the proper way of life and following in Muhammads footsteps. Sayyid Qutb is a significant person who was able to distinctively answer the enduring questions of human existence.

Human Resource Management And Change Management

Human Resource Management And Change Management Personnel Management, considered for much of the post Second World War period to be a necessary, albeit uninspiring and rule bound administrative activity has in recent decades evolved into Human Resource Management, (HRM), a key function of modern day business organisations. Enriched first by the work of seminal contributors like Maslow, Herzeberger, McGregor, and Kohn, and later by that of behavioural experts like Guest and Storey, the growth of HR Management has also been spurred by enormous environmental changes in areas of business ad economy. With the growth of the market economy, along with technological advances, instantaneous communication, economic liberalisation and globalisation having intensified local and global business competition manifold, there is widespread agreement on the criticality of HR in realising competitive advantage, market growth and financial success. The development of a knowledge based economy, as also the current economic crisis, is driving home the importance of HR quality in business survival and success. Modern day HRM comprises of various functions like deciding upon staffing requirements, choosing between contracted or hired workforce to fill these needs, selecting and recruiting the most suitable candidates, training and developing employees to enhance their knowledge and skills, ensuring high performance, and motivating employees through a combination of practices, remuneration and rewards. Each of these areas comprises of numerous associated functions; staffing, for example incorporates workforce planning, job and role specification, selection and recruitment, and formulation of compensation. This study attempts to investigate and analyse the need, utility and role of specific important aspects of HR, namely staffing (selection and recruitment), performance appraisal and management, and Compensation (remuneration and reward) in improving organisational performance and effectiveness; it is carried out with reference to the HR policies and practices of the Ritz-Carlton Group of Hotels, with approximately 38,000 employees, possibly the most successful and well regarded luxury hotel chain in the world. The major strategic issue to be addressed is the changes in competition, that the luxury hotel market has virtually collapsed and the lower end accommodation is outperforming the upper end of the hotel sector. Where do we go from here? Overview of Ritz Carlton The Ritz Carlton Group, now a subsidiary of Marriott International, runs nearly 73 luxury hotels across the globe, with 30 more projects under development which includes fractional ownership, private residences and serviced apartments, diversifying into a different prospective that the traditional hotel. Having started in Boston in 1927 with the first Ritz, the group currently operates in 23 countries in North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. Under the former leadership of one of the partners Mr. Horst Schulze who was President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 1983 to 2002, it was the only organisation in the service industry to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards twice, the Ritz Carlton group is widely known for its focus on optimising its employee strengths, abilities, and skills, to increase market share, improve operational and financial results and achieve competitive advantage. A major factor in the attribution of this, was the launch of the The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre which has thousands of senior executives, line managers and all levels of leaders through their doors from every diverse industries (such as Finance, Food Services, Human Resources, Retail, Transportation, Automotive and Healthcare) which came to learn the Ritz-Carlton principles of service. The services of this centre are ideal if a company is looking to create a sustainable change, which is key to the future as stated by xxxxx (2008), having a major competitive advantage to outperform its competitors and to increase its customers and employee loyalty. Believing in the criticality of skilled, trained, satisfied and motivated employees in achievement of customer satisfaction, the company has thoughtfully planned and skilfully implemented HR policies and practices that are essentially dynamic in nature and respond to environmental circumstances and needs. With the luxury hotel industry being intensely competitive and every major city in the world having a number of upper end hotels providing the same sort of rooms and other physical facilities, the management of the Ritz Carlton differentiates its offering chiefly through provisioning of superior service to its customers. Known the world over as the ladies and gentlemen (who serve ladies and gentlemen) of the Ritz, the employees of the chain aim to provide customers with the ultimate Wow experience and retain 100 % of their existing clientele. The groups philosophy has a real emphasis on customer and employee satisfaction which other organisations try to aspire too. In the words of Simon Cooper, the former President and COO of the company from 2002 to 2010; It is their commitment to always exceeding the expectations of our customers which insures that no matter how large our company may grow around the world, we will never forget service is what we built our reputation on as a hotel company, and our commitment is to grow the service quality along with the portfolio of hotels which should reach 103 by 2011. The organisation has been forced to take some drastic action of late due to the revenues at the five star group been diminished over the last number of years, reflecting the changes in the luxury hotel industry and on August 12, 2010, the Ritz-Carlton announced that their new President and COO to be Mr. Herve Humler in which the leadership change was effective from September 1, 2010. Mr. Humler is one of the original founders of the Ritz-Carlton Group in 1983 and has now responsibility for leading brand operations and global growth strategy. Human Resource Policies and Practices 4.1 Staffing Selection and recruitment practices at the Ritz Continental have been formulated with thought and care and aim to further the service quality and standards of the organisation. With the organisation being a quality and market leader in its area of activity, the hotel group is always assured of good response both to local advertisements and requests for staff for its central staff pool. The group seeks people with real Intensity, Energy and Purpose for all roles within the organisation. The organisation is strict on recruiting appropriate people. Whilst candidates with the right qualifications are preferred, great emphasis is paid to selecting people who are considered capable of fitting in with the strong service culture of the group. The culture is of strategic importance and classed as special, in every location in the world, with excellent quality and service, customer and employee satisfaction is at the top of its priority. Again whilst the group selects people with diverse talents and knowledge and teaches them the technical requirements of individual jobs, it essentially looks for people who are (a) high in work ethics, (b) detail oriented, and (c) relationship driven; the successful candidates are expected to genuinely care and respect guests and each other. Candidates must look people directly in the eye, be warm, friendly and capable of showing empathy. (Living Values) You have to make sure that youre selecting for attitudes and values, not for skills and experience. You cant train for attitudes and values, you can train for skills, says Chi. If candidates have the right customer focus, values and a positive attitude, anyone can be trained to do anything in the hotel, Chi says The selection process is driven by customised and structured interviews, which have different approaches for different types of staff. A manager would be tested for focus and sense of competition, while a recruiter needs to be caring, relationship oriented, business savvy, and able to see the talents of other people. The division head and the General Manager of the individual hotels get involved in all selection processes so as to make a group decision and also to show the potential candidate the importance of the that individual is to the organisation. The company has elaborate training and retraining systems. It has 20 basic standards that are constantly reinforced through training. Whilst every employee is provided with 120 hours, i.e. three weeks of training every year, new entrants are given a 2 day introduction before they come in contact with any potential guest or existing employee to understand the culture and philosophy and also 40 days of training in their first year to enhance this. The company has prepared extensive training material on all aspects of service delivery, including a list of more than a thousand customer problems, as also guidelines for solving them. Such problem solving is an integral portion of the training programme. Apart from such systematic training many individual hotels of the group have their in-house training programmes. At the Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong, the hotel has adopted a number of forward-looking practices. For example, all of the roughly 300 staff are expected to learn one new thing per day and time is specifically scheduled at the start of each shift to allow them to do so. This might be about the work of another department, the overall tourist industry, or new properties within the group. Generally all employees are permanent staff, this is to ensure that the culture and philosophy are kept at the highest standard, in contrast to this, some very minor positions are temporary wish are not directly related to the core business. (e.g. building maintenance can be sometimes outsourced etc.) As suggested by Mello (2006, page 336) specifically in the service sectors where higher turnover costs are common with the comparison of manufacturing, the organisation implementing a strategic staffing initiatives which are the key to retaining productive employees and in turn minimizing turnover/operating costs. To this the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group is at the forefront of its sector ensuring that employee satisfaction remains high with 90 to 95% compliance. This employees satisfaction is one of the key areas that are worked on, day in day out and involves trust, communication, involvement and engagement as stated by Mark DeCocinis, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific of the Ritz-Carl ton Hotel Company. At management level within the Hotel Group, many senior positions are filled internally within the organization, approximately 70 to 80 % of the leadership positions states DeCocinis. These individuals have proven skills, able to motivate and has capabilities to fit into the organisations culture. This is classed as a reward system for their previous performance and loyalty and promotes a positive promotional and development opportunities within the group, it also helps to serve international assignment roles. 4.2 Performance Management The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group has an elaborate performance appraisal programme that aims to regularly evaluate employee performance and provide employees with feedback about their performance. Performance Feedback is used as opposed to Performance Appraisal, in which the system is kept in line with the organisations strategic objectives and culture. Below is as outlined by Mello (2006 page 428) are the key differences between performance feedback versus performance appraisal. As can be seen from the exhibit below the feedback is more a two way exchange where employer and employee communication informally their performance and discuss jointly planning future work activities. Performance Feedback Performance Appraisal Time Period Past, present and future Past Focus Link employee work activities to specific business objectives strategy Create records, document performance problems Nature of communication Two-way One sided, downward, directive, rebuttal sometimes allowed Employee role Active Participant Passive Formality Informal, Verbal High formality, written forms Timing Spontaneous, ad hoc needed As prescribed (usually annual) Basis of relationship Collegiality Power Role of Supervisor Coach, motivator, partner Authority figure Outcomes Participation, enhanced, targeted performance, improved relationship Compensation decision; task directives Mello (2006 page 428) Exhibit 10.1 Performance Feedback versus Performance Appraisal The performance management system of the company works on a few specific principles, namely informing employees about their responsibilities, enabling them to master the requirements of their job, generating ideas on improving the quality of their output, informing them on how well they are doing in many ways and forms, and training them constantly through their managers and peers on different jobs and tasks. Each employee gets a report everyday on his actions on the job. Apart from these reports, detailed personnel appraisals are carried out every six months. With managers providing employees with feedback, suggestions and corrective training on a daily basis, most employees improve so much by evaluation time that such occasions tend to become times for celebration rather than apprehension. Such assessment occasions are used to form action plans, establish future goals, and guide employees on their future responsibilities. (Lets celebrate) All of the Ritz-Carlton employee performance goals are aligned with the company goal, and from that to the hotel goal and in turn to the divisional goal, therefore involving everyone in part of the complete organisation. Each and every employee is encouraged to come up with a plan to reach their goal for the next year based on guest satisfaction, financial performance and employee satisfaction. The bonus or incentive at the end of the year is based on improvements if you increase the performance numbers you will be rewarded. Communication according to the Ritz-Carlton is the key to maintaining consistence performance management. Each employee having interaction with the General Manager every day and speaking freely about what we enjoy and how we can improve is important says DeCocinis. All general managers has a policy of having a breakfast meeting with 10 to 15 employees from different departments once a month, in that speak openly and informally at this gathering for the purpose of what each employee is working on and what can be improved is a very positive management policy and everyone learns from the meeting. Another important performance management system in place is that employees are encouraged to document either their own or another employees mistakes. It is very important when someone makes a mistake that the correct action is taken to resolve it as soon as possible, otherwise it could reoccur. The group recognises people for taking ownership of a problem and being part of the solution to resolve it Yeung (2006). 4.3 Compensation Whilst the organisation has very strict recruitment policies, (20 people are, on an average, selected from 2000 applicants), it provides good remuneration and facilities. The company believes in maximising staff retention through a combination of good working atmosphere, excellent training, good career prospects, opportunity to travel, and good remuneration. Whilst the company does benchmark and attempts to keep its remuneration competitive, it is nevertheless overtaken occasionally in this area by other hospitality organisations. Mark DeCocinis states if you expect your people to be the best, you must pay at the top of the market We do still benchmark on remuneration, says Ms Lau, but regard staff retention as something which depends more on other factors. These include training, creating long-term career opportunities, and helping employees to find the right work-life balance. Ritz-Carlton employees who can multi-task (i.e. stand in for others etc.) are recognised and rewarded accordingly. The group reward and motivate their employees who exceed their expectations through The Ritz-Carlton Incentive Awards. The organisation dispenses Gold Standard Coupons to those employees who exceed the hotel standards for quality and service, these coupons are then exchanged for weekend accommodations at the hotel group or at the hotels gift shop for merchandise. Additional to this is every quarter, a Five Star Employee Award is granted which entitles the winner to a five-night stay for two people at any Ritz-Carlton hotel in the world, and to supplement this, round trip flight tickets and US$500 spending money is given. Strategic Organisational Performance The Ritz-Carlton is considered to be one of the most successful organisations in the luxury hotel business. Globally known for the quality of its service and exceptional surroundings, the organisation has in recent years not preformed financially which diminishing revenues in the organisation. The intensifying competition in the hospitality sector notwithstanding, the organisation has grown sharply during the last decade; spurred by its entry into new markets, (especially in China), a change in orientation towards more casual elegance may be appropriate or not?. The introduction of spas that are operated by the best operators in the world, and the opening of restaurants run by celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Wolfgang Puck all strategically aligned to give the hotels unique character may be better suited in a more buoyant economic environment rather than today climate. With that in mind the real strategic issue, the change in competition within the hotel sector, i.e. the lower end accommodation outperforming the luxury end, with regards to staffing, will have an impact on a) downsizing of staff, b) other competitors depleting the staff pool of both permanent and temporary potential employees, c) potential loss of Ritz-Carlton valuable employees to competition, d) loss of Branding (culture, relationships etc.). In performance management the impact of the organisation not performing as measured on its outputs would directly affected employee performance as they are both aligned within the organisation HR strategy. With regards to compensation pay freezes, no bonuses or incentivises at the end of the year would be implemented, staff retention will be affected, less career prospects and less opportunities to travel within the organisation. The The Ritz-Carlton Incentive Awards and the Five Star Employee Award would be disbanded. All of the above would have a major impact on the current HR policies within the Ritz-Carlton organisation which the retention of th e high performers being critical to the organisation also. What is to be done about this now? Human Resource Management Analysis The first thing to be completed is an Organisation-Level Diagnostic Model which will determine are the policies aligned with the organisational goals. This is a critical input which will help present problems and symptoms. The process of Diagnostic as stated by Cumming and Worley (2008 page 87) is that Diagnosis is a collaborative process between organizational members and the consultant to collect pertinent information, analyze it, and draw conclusions for action planning and intervention. This understanding and results of how the organisation is currently functioning provide valuable information to design change. INPUTS DESIGN COMPONENTS OUTPUTS Cumming and Worley (2008) Figure 5.2 (page 93) INPUTS DESIGN COMPONENTS Dramatic changing environment Strategy keep quality and service at 5 star Late bookings discounted rooms? Competitors Power Technology-SAP payroll systems, hand scanners etc. Customers / Buyers Performance Management outsource sales for rooms? Treat of New Entries -alignment with Entertainment Company (MCD) Ease of Choice Structure Self Managing Teams, possible outsource sales Health Safety Measurement Sys.-customer satisfaction, occupancy rates, Golf Courses / Academy managing information systems, mystery customer Culture- No.1 for service quality, No.1 for employee Customer satisfaction, what do I achieve today? From the above analysis and specifically with reference to the Human Resource Systems, the details for selecting, developing, appraising and rewarding organisation members, the organisation effectiveness is sufficient as there is good alignment between both with only minor changes to be investigated. The second analysis that is to be implemented is to complete an Organisational Development and Change Plan based on the Force Field Analysis for normative planned change. Management is all about change and by using Lewins Change Model theory and using an incremental magnitude of change, the model below can be implemented. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS Steps: Identify a specific Change Identify forces for and against change Prioritise the forces Develop strategies to overcome opposing and reinforce supporting forces Implementing Recommendations With the above information to hand and being more critical, the following recommendations can be implemented to Senior Management within the organisation. With reference to staffing a number of options are open to management for action. The selection and recruitment process is supportive of the HRM system with only a few weaknesses to be addressed. A bank of pre-approved potential employees should be developed for each and every hotel within the organisation, both permanent and temporary employees to cover sick days, holidays etc. as this would reduce the recruitment timeline. A recommendation to the HR Manager or General Manager for each hotel should be to do a backward strategy on the history of timelines of past recruitment drives as suggested by Mello (2006 page 339), work backwards from the time employees are required to start employment, which in turn will determine when recruiting begins. This bank of potential employees will eliminate any delays in time, replacing or commencing new employees with the organisation. As to keep the turnover of staff to a minimum (i.e. below 15% would be acceptable within the service industry for t urnover, xxxxx(2008), the selection of candidates at recruitment stage should focus on a long-term relationship or career with the organisation. The selection process to focus on a potential person theme, what do they really enjoy? What is their purpose in life? What motivate them? The task is to look for personnel who genuinely enjoy contact with people and respect and care about others. This will benefit the organisation and the employee in the long run. All senior management positions should be filled in-house once the relevant experience and leadership training from The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre is obtained. It is important to protect the culture of the organisation from the top down as well from the bottom up. An Empowerment strategy should be implemented as soon as possible. This will involve flattening the organisation and creating Self Managing Groups or Teams. Reducing middle management (layoffs) or redeploying them elsewhere where required within the organisation will reduce overall costs and give real motivation to the current employees for self management. The one important point about his recommendation is to get consensus across the complete organisation for this process. The Performance Management system is very much aligned with the organisational goals with the philosophy that employee satisfaction leads to guest satisfaction which in turn leads to good financial results. The real emphasis with is on outputs not inputs as detailed in Mello (2006 page xxxx) and needs to extremely well measured so that performance can be analysed in depth. A recommendation is for each employee to come up with a plan / set of targets to reach a goal for the next year, measured by guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction and financial performance. These goals or targets will be regularly monitored by the General Manager and HR Manager each month with informal lunch meetings with up to 10 people from different department attending. Here the employee can be openly praised in front of his colleagues based on improvements benchmarked on the individual goals. By using Victor Vrooms Expectancy Model, this will give real intrinsic motivation to the employees, in return the e mployee will feel valued, recognised and perceive be involved with important aspects of the hotel. Ritz-Carlton Group using the Expectancy Mode outlined below will have valued satisfied employees and the performance measures will be completely aligned with the organisations needs as detailed by Mello (2006 page xxxx). Assists managers to determine the outcomes that each employee values Managers should define performance levels in measurable terms Managers can determine if desired levels of performance are attainable Managers can link desired performance to outcomes desired by employees Clarifies that perceptions, not reality determine motivation Clarifies that motivation will be highest when employees perceive many benefits, but not necessarily many rewards Compensation being rewarded by respect, trust, loyalty and a greater sense of empowerment is the correct direction for the organisation. The ultimate strategy is to create an appropriate mix of financial and non-financial compensations systems. Direct compensation in salaries should be aligned with the best in class within the industry (fairness sliding scale salaries established by job classification) increase incentives such as bonuses, commissions, training and development to The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre to attractive and retain the best performers. With regards to indirect compensation, apart from the legally required a full review should be undertaken for the indirect options such as retirement pension plans, life insurance, flexible working schemes etc. to ensure they are relative to the market place. The recommendation for the Self Managing Teams will complement the recommendation to utilise team based versus individual pay based on performance which will encourage flex ibility and co-operation within the teams. Contribution of HR Policies to Organisational Performance The spectacular success of the hotel is attributed by many industry experts to its superior service quality and customer focus. Such a focus has helped the Ritz to constantly differentiate its products and services from the competition, enabled it to grow fast without compromising its commitment to its customers and allowed it to ride out bad years without losing business or compromising its operational and financial results. Being a member of the service industry, the organisation is people driven and significantly dependent upon the quality and effectiveness of its workforce for the realisation of its strategic and business objectives. The company has formulated its HRM policies in line with its strategic objectives and the complete HR system is geared to delivering of high quality standards. It has unilaterally adopted employee oriented and customer focussed HR policies and procedures that are essentially Best Practice in nature and designed to produce high levels of employee productivity. The Ritz treats its employees with the utmost dignity both within and outside the organisation and is publicly proud of their knowledge, skills, abilities and contribution to the organisation. The company pays great attention to training, an activity that continues throughout the working life of all employees, increases their knowledge and skills and optimises their performance. Team spirit, corporate pride and human dignity are common to all employees; a General Manager is expected to pick up a burnt cigarette from the carpet, even as the junior most employees have the powers to spend considerable sums of money without having to take permission from their superiors, if it is to further guest satisfaction. Ritz employees are known to go to great lengths to ensure guest satisfaction, leading their guests to come again and again and increasing the hotels customer retention to dizzy levels. Such motivation is proof of the role of Human Resource Management in the remarkable success achieved by the organisation. Conclusions HR management practices have clearly come a long way since the days when the duties of personnel departments were restricted to recruiting people, maintaining leave records, and preparing salary sheets. HRM is now felt to be a critical management function that is instrumental in achieving the strategic objectives of business organisations. Whilst organisations are still divided on the adoption of Best Fit or Best Practice strategies, or on switching over from Command and Control systems to ones that are most participative, there is little doubt over the importance of careful selection, good training, effective communication, performance appraisal and attractive compensation in increasing organisational performance and competitive advantage. Greater numbers of organisations, especially those in the knowledge sector are also seeing the advantages of employee involvement and empowerment in improving organisational innovation and employee commitment and motivation; which in turn results in enhancement of competitive advantage and business success. The Ritz Carlton is an important example of the brilliant operational and financial results that can be achieved by organisations in the service sector through well planned and efficiently implemented employee oriented HR practices on a consistent basis. The organisations commitment to its employees in good and bad times and its adoption of employee empowering HR policies and practices has enabled it to achieve startling levels of customer service and leadership in quality, market share, and reputation.

Recess Games Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive papers

Recess Games Better safe than sorry. An expression Americans are exposed to and familiar with, especially parental figures. Adults who are new to the parenting game live by this guideline. A parent or guardian’s sole concern is the safety of their children. Their actions will probably be based on texts read or on first-hand experience, but instinctually, parents will play the safety game. It is this instinct and concern for young students’ safety that is causing school districts across the nation to review what recess-like games are appropriate in the elementary school setting. Games such as tag, dodge-ball, and football are a risk to student safety and should be removed from the public school system despite the developmental strengths the games possess. School systems across the country (including those in New York, Virginia, Maryland, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and California) are reviewing the dangers of schoolyard play. Simply, the student-teacher ratio is far too great to effectively maintain a safe atmosphere for children to play in. 70% of accidents and injuries come from falling off equipment, which still leaves three in ten incidents relating to kids playing rough. Many school districts have already banned games on the playground that violate a â€Å"no-touch† policy. These games, however, are still allowed in the physical education aspect of the day, under close adult supervision. For the most part, each school is in charge of its own restrictions that will be enforced. The â€Å"no-touch† policy is a popular choice. The degree of restriction varies, but the general trend protecting safety is to allow no contact games; no pushing or grabbing; in football, no tackling or blocking; and, no games that can result in shou ting and hurt... ...es and activities, taking the same exams and doing the same homework for years. They will fight for each other’s approval and respect. All these things that can be accomplished outdoors have just safely been moved to a desk in a closely supervised room. At recess, children learn to interact with one another, to govern themselves and have a good time all at once. Not to mention the motor skills gained. But the price of all this is too high. In the event a child is hurt due to horseplay, and the school or teacher is held responsible, there is no money available for that scenario. The school district cannot afford an accident. Plus, a teacher’s reputation is on the line after a lawsuit. â€Å"Better safe than sorry† is the most efficient and fail-safe plan of action to guarantee the safety of our children. The restrictions save time, money, and stress of all involved.

The Impact of Ancient Religion on Homer’s Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyss

The Impact of Ancient Religion on Homer’s Odyssey    There has long been a fashion among critics and historians, including Sir James Frazier and Graham Hancock, to insist upon taking the account of Odysseus' voyage to Hades in Book XI of the Odyssey at near face-value as a description of people and places familiar to a Greek audience of Homer's day. Both linguistics and comparative history have been employed to discover exactly how accurately this originally oral epic conveys this gritty realism. Something, however, is not right with this purely empiric approach. What is missing is an examination through the lens of ancient religious practices. Surely a literary work so teeming with deities-wise Athena, spiteful Poseidon, impish Hermes, omnipotent Zeus-deserves such study. In protohistoric times, the worshipers of the gods sought out mystic union with their deities by means of bodily mortification and ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. These practices are spelled out both in the Rig Veda of India and the Chinese Book of Songs. In the Veda, Indra is worshiped in a ritual that includes large doses of soma. The Book of Songs, compiled by Confucius from the many texts of poetry and myth at his disposal, contains repeated accounts of trance and religious ekstasis. In the twenty-second chapter of St. John's Revelation, the Koine Greek term translated as sorcerers in the King James Bible is pharmakeusin Literally, this word denotes those who use drugs to achieve arcane effects. Since plants were the mainstay of medical science in those distant days, a secondary meaning might be applied: herbalists. Robin Fox, in his book Pagans and Christians, argues that the role of such figures as the Sybil of Cumae and the Delphic prophetess ... ...se value to the Odyssey as a voice from an antique time aimed at future generations. During the Roman Empire, both the Odyssey and its companion, the Iliad, were considered as foundational texts in education. Small wonder; history, poetry, parable, hymn-such a literary work is its own small cosmos. It deserves to be approached and interacted with as a living entity that still matters in Western civilization. That is possible only if we view such works in the context of the societies that produced them. Religion was a huge component of such a society. Although we now possess technological marvels that might give a Greek deity apoplexy from shame, the ancient Greeks are still Us. Men and women will always feel the need to see the world through fresher eyes than their own. Works Cited: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Vintage Books, 1962. The Impact of Ancient Religion on Homer’s Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyss The Impact of Ancient Religion on Homer’s Odyssey    There has long been a fashion among critics and historians, including Sir James Frazier and Graham Hancock, to insist upon taking the account of Odysseus' voyage to Hades in Book XI of the Odyssey at near face-value as a description of people and places familiar to a Greek audience of Homer's day. Both linguistics and comparative history have been employed to discover exactly how accurately this originally oral epic conveys this gritty realism. Something, however, is not right with this purely empiric approach. What is missing is an examination through the lens of ancient religious practices. Surely a literary work so teeming with deities-wise Athena, spiteful Poseidon, impish Hermes, omnipotent Zeus-deserves such study. In protohistoric times, the worshipers of the gods sought out mystic union with their deities by means of bodily mortification and ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. These practices are spelled out both in the Rig Veda of India and the Chinese Book of Songs. In the Veda, Indra is worshiped in a ritual that includes large doses of soma. The Book of Songs, compiled by Confucius from the many texts of poetry and myth at his disposal, contains repeated accounts of trance and religious ekstasis. In the twenty-second chapter of St. John's Revelation, the Koine Greek term translated as sorcerers in the King James Bible is pharmakeusin Literally, this word denotes those who use drugs to achieve arcane effects. Since plants were the mainstay of medical science in those distant days, a secondary meaning might be applied: herbalists. Robin Fox, in his book Pagans and Christians, argues that the role of such figures as the Sybil of Cumae and the Delphic prophetess ... ...se value to the Odyssey as a voice from an antique time aimed at future generations. During the Roman Empire, both the Odyssey and its companion, the Iliad, were considered as foundational texts in education. Small wonder; history, poetry, parable, hymn-such a literary work is its own small cosmos. It deserves to be approached and interacted with as a living entity that still matters in Western civilization. That is possible only if we view such works in the context of the societies that produced them. Religion was a huge component of such a society. Although we now possess technological marvels that might give a Greek deity apoplexy from shame, the ancient Greeks are still Us. Men and women will always feel the need to see the world through fresher eyes than their own. Works Cited: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Vintage Books, 1962.