Saturday, August 31, 2019

Conflict and culture Essay

Conflict is an integral part of human culture. When a number of people of interact with their own individual perspectives, view points, ideologies, cultural and social backgrounds and intellectual development then differences and debates are bound to arise as a logical and inevitable consequence of the interaction (Killian and Pammer Jr. 2003, 3). These differences, acted upon by incompatible interests of attaining personal goals, change into conflict within groups, societies and nations. (Rahim, 2001,1) The greater the diversity and richer the profile of a society, the greater is the scope and range of its embedded conflict. Therefore it is essential to educate people on understanding and handling conflict and treat as an integral component of a democratic society that is important for developing a healthy social life (Killian and Pammer Jr. 2003, 3). In every conflict, whether it is individual or at social scale, culture has always an important role to play. Depending upon the actors involved and the context of conflict, the role of culture in conflict can be direct or subtle, but it is always present as the ultimate factor in deciding the scope of conflict, its direction or its outcome. Culture even decides the existence of conflict, for people who are embedded in the culture of seeing world as a harmonious entity, may not be aware of any conflict through their life. In all the major disputes, debates and disagreement taking place around world, differences in cultural identities and perceptions are fundamental causative factors. A further evidence of the role that culture plays is evinced by peace and harmony existing among societies that have same culture, such as observed between USA and Britain, sharing same historical and cultural roots. Every conflict, whether it is trans-generational, geographical, religious, organizational, or personal, has a cultural component involved. People enshrined in their own culture often react with hostility against any cultural identity that appears contrary to their thought process and ideas. It follows therefore that any effort of conflict resolution needs to incorporate cultural understanding and acknowledge the existence and necessity of diversity (ibid).

Friday, August 30, 2019

Communication with individuals who have dementia Essay

Alzheimer’s disease Short-term memory loss is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals affected with this disease may be unable to remember things that have just happened or ask the same questions repeatedly. Individuals suffering with it can also forget people this could be just forgetting their names and eventually just forgetting who they are. This itself can cause communication issues and the individual may not know who they are talking with and on top of that may repeat the same parts of the conversation over and over as they have forgotten what has already been said. Individuals may also struggle in finding the right words or can’t remember the right word for what they want to say so it can be hard to hold a conversation. If they can’t explain what they mean properly an individual with dementia may become frustrated and this can often be dismissed as agitation or aggression. Vascular Dementia With Vascular Dementia although the causes are different to Alzheimer’s a lot of the symptoms are similar. For instance they may suffer memory loss, lose things and be disorientated. All these things can cause difficulties when communicating. There can be different symptoms of vascular dementia as different areas of the brain can be affected but most include slower thinking processes. Communication often becomes slow and the individual may find it hard to find the right word or forget what they were trying to say in the first place. This is very frustrating for them. People are often tempted to finish their sentences off for them which can lead to further frustration as its usually finished wrongly and not what they wanted to say. Read more:  Understand the Role of Communication and Interactions With Individuals Who Have Dementia Dementa with Lewy Bodies (DLB) Again this does have some common symptoms with Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia. For example memory loss and disorientation but it also has other symptoms that aren’t always found in other forms of dementia. Someone with DLB may experience visual hallucinations. This means they see things that aren’t really there. An individual experiencing hallucinations may be  extremely frightened by them and be very afraid. They are very real to the individual and should be taken seriously. It can be difficult to comfort someone with hallucinations as it can cause them a lot of distress. When the person is experiencing hallucinating it can cause communication difficulties as the person isn’t in touch with what is real and what is not as the hallucinations are very real to them. Non-verbal comfort and lots of reassurance are the best way to communicate with someone during hallucinations. Vivid dreams can also be experienced with this kind of dementia. Individuals with DLB may show different levels of alertness. There moods can change quickly from being chatty one minute to not knowing who you are the next. It is important to have flexible communication so you can respond to the individuals’ mood appropriately. An individual experiencing this form of dementia are also susceptible to falls and trips as there balance can be affected. Fronto-temporal dementia This form of dementia can be found in older people but is often found in younger people between 30 to 60. Early stage symptoms are similar to other forms of dementia. For instance communication issues such as forgetting or not understanding words or peoples’ names. There isn’t memory loss in the early stages but it seems like there is because of the communication problems. Personality changes are often common in this form of dementia. The may become extrovert when they weren’t before or vice versa, they may behaving inappropriately or lack empathy. They can behave inappropriately, for instance removing clothing in public or shouting loudly. It can seem like they are being selfish as they can lack warmth for others. The personality changes can make communication difficult. Especially for people that have known the person before they suffered with dementia. They may feel that they don’t know the person anymore and find it hard to interact with them. 1.2 Physical and mental health factors should always be considered when communicating with an individual that suffer with dementia. For instance they may have eye sight problems or not be able to hear well which can affect their ability to communicate. Hearing and vision problems should not  be over looked. Regular eye and hearing tests should be performed as an individual with dementia may not be able to communicate that there is a problem. Glasses and hearing aid batteries should be checked regularly. Someone suffering with dementia may also have problems with pain. They may find it hard to communicate what the problem is or where the pain is coming from. They may not be able to express or explain that they are in pain. Pain can cause other problems such as lack of concentration, increased memory loss, aggressive behaviour, sleeping problems and mood swings or a short temper. These are often mistaken for the persons dementia because of their lack of communication skills. It is important that people working with individuals that suffer from dementia are aware that pain could be a factor. Physical disability or illness needs to be taken into consideration. Someone who has had a stroke or has an illness like cerebral palsy may have difficulty with speech but not with memory problems. An individual with early stage dementia may understand perfectly what you are saying to them but may have difficulty communicating back. They may not be able to find the words are put the wrong words in the sentence. This can be very frustrating for them. You have to patient and let them speak without trying to finish the sentence off for them. When dealing with an individual regularly you can become familiar with the way they communicate which can make it easy for both of you. An individual suffering with dementia may experience depression or anxiety. This too can cause communication problems as it can affect how they respond to others. They may not be interested in being involved in having a conversation which can make it hard for others trying to talk to them. It can also cause reduced concentration and problems with sleeping which then can lead to more confusion. This can make communication and other forms of interactions extremely difficult. 1.3 When communicating with an individual who has sensory impairment it is important to use hand gestures, body language, facial expressions and touch. Various aids or equipment can also be used such as flash cards, pictures or sign language to help understanding. If an individual suffers from hearing loss it is important to ensure that hearing aids are fitted correctly, working properly and batteries are changed regularly. When speaking to  someone with hearing loss you need to be not too far away from them, speak clearly and don’t shout. Some individuals with hearing problems can lip read and some may be able to do sign language. Gestures and pointing to things can help and the use of flash cards could also be of use. As dementia progresses though, an individual may find it more difficult to use sign language or lip read as it becomes harder for them to remember how to do it. Glasses or contact lenses are the most common way of assisting someone who is visually impaired. You should ensure that the lenses are clean and that the individual has regular eye tests to ensure that they are wearing the right prescription glasses. An individual suffering with dementia may forge to put there glasses on so it is important to remind them to put them on. If someone has severe visual impairment you should not just suddenly begin speaking as they may not have realised you were there. Make sure that you introduce yourself when speaking so they know who it is and you don’t shock them. You may need to use touch more than what you would when speaking to someone fully sighted as they will not see facial expressions, body language and gestures. It is important to maintain good communication and interaction as some with visuals impairment suffering with dementia can find the progression of the illness very frightening. 1.4 Individuals with dementia often demonstrate problem behaviour. There are many things that may contribute to such behaviours even something as simple as an uncomfortable, loud, or stressful environment. They could be experiencing pain, or be finding it hard to communicate or carry out simple tasks or perhaps there in unfamiliar surroundings. As a carer it is important that you pick up on these kinds of situations so you can ease the discomfort of the individual quickly so as little distress is caused as possible. It is important that you remain calm yourself. Offer reassurance to the individual and be patient and relaxed. Use body language and the tone of your voice to try and calm the situation. Sometimes distraction can help, perhaps try and engage them in a different topic of conversation so they then forget that they were angry or unhappy. Sometimes carers can become stressed out or find it hard to cope with a particular individual, at these times it is best to take time out or get someone else to help you. Getting anxious or upset yourself can make their behaviour worse and it is  important not to take aggressive or problem behaviour personally. If you do find yourself becoming stressed with a situation take time out to relax. Often other individuals need to be involved when supporting an individual with dementia. These could be family and friends, carers or other professionals. For example: GP – For medical advice and health problems, help with medications and side effects Speech Therapist – To help with communication issues Social Worker – Can often provide useful background information, family history or situation Dementia Care Adviser – Offer advice and technique on ways to improve interactions Advocates – Provide information about the persons capacity and what is considered to be in there best interests and will be able to offer a view of the persons perspectives Family and friends – Can offer information about the person and tell you background information. Also may be able to offer advice about communication methods as they know the individual better 2.4 Dementia is a progressive illness and effects people suffering with it in different ways. A persons communication and interactions are most likely effected but with different levels of difficulty. People with dementia suffer different symptoms but most experience isolation due to increasing difficulty with communication. Often people assume that an individual with dementia cannot communicate and write them off if they do not get a response from them the first time instead of trying a different approach. The symptoms of dementia do often have a big impact on how a person communicates and they can often find it difficult to find the right word or repeat the same things several times. They may be confused about where they are or what time period there in which also can contribute to making communication difficult but there are different approaches that can be used. Picture cards or flash cards are a good way of finding out what an individual wants when they are unable to find the words. Also its important to watch their body language and gestures to pick up on things that they are trying to communicate. Although dementia does cause huge problems with communication it is important for care staff to support and develop new ways to get around  it. Carers and other peoples’ attitudes play a big part in the well-being of people with dementia. The best way to respond to the behaviour of an individual with dementia is by using creativity, flexibility, patience and compassion. Don’t take their behaviour personal, they have an illness that affects the way they behave. It is important to try and establish what is causing the behaviour to reduce the stress for everyone concerned. One of the following could be a factor: Medical problem, such as experiencing pain or side effects from medications – this needs to be resolved by a GP or a CPN Wandering around a lot – this is often caused by boredom or they may be trying to find something or someone. Offering regular exercise and activities can help with this Repetitive behaviour – this can be caused because they need to or like to feel busy. Give them something to do ask if they would like to help with jobs around the home make them feel important and independent. Behaviour trigger – often it can be hard to find the trigger but sometimes a more calming environment can help and distraction techniques can be used. Repetition – People with dementia often repeat the same things over and over. This can be very frustrating for carers. They may ask the same questions or do the same activity over and over again. This can be triggered by boredom or environmental factors. Try and comfort them or distract them and look out for similar behaviours or signs. Certain behaviours could indicate that they need the bathroom or that they are hungry. Incontinence – this is a common problem in people with dementia. They may not be able to find the bathroom in time and have an accident. An individual with dementia may find this very embarrassing and be upset with themselves. Be understanding and offer reassurance. This can be avoided by prompting regular trips to the toilet. Insomnia – Restlessness, agitation, disorientation and other troubling behavior in people with dementia often get worse at the end of the day and sometimes continue throughout the night. A day full of activities and discouraging daytime napping can help. With dementia trouble behaviour can simply just be part of the illness.  Carers need to be flexible with how they act to try and address any issues. 4.1  Reality orientation is about trying to keep the person suffering with dementia in the here and now by making sure the person knows who and where they are. If they become confused about things then they are corrected about anything that isn’t reality. Individuals are constantly reminded of the day, place, time and situation they are in. This approach is used as much today. Validation is part of a person centred approach. A persons confusion is accepted and carers do not tell them that their feelings are wrong or try to correct them. The approach focuses on the individuals feelings rather than what they are saying. Their expressed feelings are accepted as being valid and accepted. The idea of this approach is to build trust and increase well-being and is much more commonly used than the reality orientation approach.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Morrisons PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Morrisons PLC - Essay Example specially during a period where intense competition and rising prices of doing business in grocery have squeezed profit margins available to retailers. Morrisons has recently experienced losses as it has struggled to integrate the Safeway chain of stores into its own retail base, which has caused its annual profits to drop substantially. Its shares plunged 3% in 2005, to recover somewhat by the end of the year and close off at 183 p or a 2% plunge of 3.75 pence.(Flanagan, 2005). As opposed to the predictions of financial analysts of an income of around 225 million pounds, it only posted profits of around 134.2 million pounds before taxation, with an earnings per share of 3 pounds and 52 pence.(www.morrisons.co.uk, 2006/7). In 2006 however, the position has improved for the 52 weeks that ended January 29, 2006, as per the revised income statement that has recently been published by Morrisons.(www.morrisons.co.uk, 2007). While the losses before taxation were reported as 312.9 million pounds, the same figure shoots upward to 374.4 million pounds when taking into account the Safeway conversion costs. However, the adjusted income before taxation is 61.5 million pounds profit, with net profit after taxes being 45.9 million pounds. However, as pointed out above, the earnings per share of the Company have dropped to 3.52 pounds per share in 2006. The current share prices of Morrison stock is in the range of 250 to 260 pence and has been moving within this range to about 350 pence, which is an average of about 3 pounds per share. The price to earnings ratio is therefore 3 /3.5 = 0.87, which provides an indication that the stock may be overpriced as compared to the returns that are being generated from it. Earnings on stocks are not substantial either, and the high price to earnings ratio provides an indication that that investors may not be actively pursuing purchase of this stock because of their perception that it does not offer very high potential for gain and is in

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Motivations for public sector organizations to move from traditional Essay

Motivations for public sector organizations to move from traditional procurement to eprocurement systems - Essay Example Private sector organisations have embraced information and communication technologies, including e-procurement. The motivation for doing so has largely been increased efficiency, contributing to the enhancement of business excellence, and cost effectiveness. Public sector organisations have, in comparison, lagged behind and, in general, have been slow in adopting ICT. Management scholars have blamed the said tardiness on the organisational structure of public sector forms but have, nevertheless, argued the incontrovertible imperatives of the public sector's embracing the said technologies (Dent, Chandler and Barry, 2004). Concurring with the stated, this research will argue in favour of the public sector's adoption of e-procurement as a strategy for enhancing organisational efficiency and for embracing cost-effectiveness. Management scholars have determined that public sector organisations are largely modelled after the traditional bureaucratic organisational structure, as influenced by Weber (Cane and Thurston, 2000; Dent, Chandler and Barry, 2004). The implication is that all of the four components of organisational structure-labour division, departmentalisation, span of control and scope of decision-making-are shaped by bureaucratic-traditionalist managerial theory. This, according to numerous management scholars, has only served to offset the capacity for flexible response to changing external conditions and has, in the long run, resulted in the formulation of mechanistic and atrophying organisations (Cane and Thurston, 2000; Flynn, 2002; Dent, Chandler and Barry, 2004). As explained by Flynn (2002) among others, labour division within the public sector organisation is invariably highly specialised. Task specialisations are clearly articulated and each employee has a specific set of job functions, clearly set out in his/her job description, which he/she must operate by (Bourn and Bourn, 1995; Flynn, 2002). While the advantages of specialisation and clearly articulated job descriptions are practically too numerous to articulate, the disadvantages are enormous. Certainly specialisation implies that employees are often matched to jobs according to their skill-sets and explicit job descriptions mean that employees always have a clear understanding of the tasks they are required to perform and know the boundaries of their professional responsibilities (Bourn and Bourn, 1995; Flynn, 2002; Mctavish, 2004). Excessive specialisation, however, as is often the case with private sector organisations means that employees cannot function beyond the parameters of t heir jobs and are devoid of the proactive, problem-solving skills which are deemed integral to contemporary organisational success (Bourn and Bourn, 1995; Flynn, 2002; Mctavish, 2004). Quite simply, employees are confined to the limits of the skills that they brought with them upon joining the organisation, and on which basis they were hired, and their job descriptions. As early as the 1960's, management

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Justification for Recommendation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Justification for Recommendation - Assignment Example A learning scenario is a prioritized description of a situation in learning, which is independent of any underlying pedagogical approach. The scenario describes an organization with the aim of ensuring the appropriation of prà ©cised set of skills, competence, and knowledge. The learning scenario in this case is a practical learning scenario. A practical learning scenario consists of descriptions followed by respective questions although the scenario could develop in stages with each stage having at least one question (Shepherd, 2011). Information may be presented with the use of various media elements such as texts but the described situation has to be relevant and realistic. In theory, various formats of questions could be employed in order to challenge learners about the situation being learned including the simple multi-choice questions. Any of the various theory formats are meant to determine the abilities of students in their capacity to answer various forms of questions (Leje une A., 2004). In this learning scenario, the learning objectives involve the determination of the ability of students to answer various forms of questions. The objective includes expectations that lie within the outcome of the education program. The paper will establish the capacities that students have in handling questions in different forms as part of their assessment program within a practical learning scenario (Shepherd, 2011 ). The American Psychological Association (2013) provides information on a code prepared by a joint committee for testing practices as a way of ensuring that there is enough observation of fairness among test takers in education. Code of Fair Testing Practices provides guidance in the development and selection of tests. It also provides guidance in the administration and score determination in tests and goes to an extent of ensuring good reporting and interpretation of test results in order to keep the test takers

Monday, August 26, 2019

Applying Educational Thinking to Classroom Essay

Applying Educational Thinking to Classroom - Essay Example Critical thinking in relation to education has vast significance even at this generation. Many educators would admit the importance of applying educational thinking in the classroom which could be achieved if the teacher understands well her/his students' cognitive processes, as well as methodologies to carefully and effectively utilize those cognitive processes in learning. Thinking is important in learning; and learning usually takes place inside the classroom; therefore, a teacher must know how to manipulate classroom activities by means of applying procedural tools to help make learning experience more meaningful and enjoyable. Before the post-modern period, teachers used a traditional method which was rote-learning and memorization in which , students were not allowed to do scientific analysis; and information were simply introduced to students to memorize. Whereas, during the nineteenth century until the twentieth century, because of the modern way of learning, many innovations have come, technology was later became a significant phenomena of the modern generation. This is attributed to the discovery of critical thinking in the classroom. ... Among other factors in achieving learning, the pupil which is the center of the learning process has to be analyzed so that learning will be effective. The learners being the center of the teaching-learning process must be dealt with utmost enthusiasm and interest because as humans they have strength and weakness, they have brain that functions according to learning types; and most importantly, they have emotions. Learning has "some deficiencies" according to the authors; these deficiencies are "biological, psychological, social and emotional" (Stoll, Fink, and Earl). Other people would consider these as factors to learning that can affect the mental process of a student while inside the classroom. Learning therefore varies depending on the conditions provided, that is why, no same student acquires same degree of learning; and this is what teachers should realize in order to reach out to her students and meet their learning needs. Teacher for this reason should prepare her lessons well applying techniques and experiences to make it meaningful; and at the same time, teacher should make the classroom ambience suitable and conducive to learning. Learning can be enhanced by utilizing the senses of the students; in many cases especially children, about 90% of the lesson is retained in the mind if the students make use of senses in their learning experience. This success in the teaching-learning process can be achieved through involving these students in the learning process using a lesson a well-prepared lesson with materials and tools that can enhance their experience. After each session, the teacher must evaluate the outcome of the learning; and if possible,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing - Essay Example These include denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Over the years, statistics have proved that other situations of loss can cause people to undergo the aforementioned emotional stages. According to Kubler-Ross, the first stage implies dealing with grief of losing a loved one; this stage is denial. â€Å"It is a temporary defence and will soon be replaced with partial acceptance† (Kubler-Ross, 1969). Denial is a state of unbelief when one first hears the news of the fateful event or death. The person is in shock and wishes that this is only a dream or a passing wind. In the Bible, Job lost all his wealth when he was tested by the devil. In one single day, he lost his ten children, thousands of household animals including sheep, oxen, donkeys and camels. After receiving the news, Job fell down and worshiped God, which is a contrast to Kubler-Ross theory. Secondly, after acceptance, persons get angry and go out to seek reasons. Job got angry on hearing the news o f the loss; he tore his mantle and shaved his hair but did not express his anger to God. Additionally, he cursed the day he was born. However, he did not ask why all that was happening in his life but he reckoned that he came naked to the earth and he would leave the same way. Thirdly, Kubler-Ross observed that people get into bargaining with their maker or the universe about their loss. In contrast, Job accepted his maker’s wisdom and did not try to bargain. Fourthly, a person becomes withdrawn, gets into depression, and wonders whether life is still worth living. Likewise, Job felt helpless and his wife would tell him to curse God and die as a last resort. Lastly, Kubler-Ross observed that patients in terminal illness would eventually accept their fate and seek out a normal life again. Similarly, Job accepted the will of God and did not heed to his friends and his wife’s request to curse God. He received a double portion of his prior wealth. The stages of loss, as su ggested by Kubler-Ross, may not apply to Buddhism, which is a funerary religion. The Japanese poems dwell so much on death and eternity and regard it as a new way of looking at life or as a new enlightenment. Additionally, they believe in cycles of rebirth and wondering souls, which gives them an aspect of accepting loss as the will of their Nirvana. A strong relationship exists between joy and the above grieving models. Joy is a state of happiness contributed by good things of life. For instance health, not dying, love optimism, hope, and admiration. According to Kearney & Griffin, parents draw joy from talking about the success of their children as affectionate, beautiful, generous, or cheerful. Joy is the opposite of grief and does not exist in isolation of grief. Drawing two circles and naming one joy and the other grief, the place they meet at is a combination of both joy and grief (Kearney & Griffin, 2001). At one point, one is happy about their life and success but at the bac k of their mind, there is a possibility of death, sickness, or loss of job. Therefore, people interact with grief as much as they interact with joy in their daily lives. I concur with Kubler-Ross method of grieving. News of loss of a loved one or a terminal illness leaves devastating effect on ones life. However, each person takes a different turn on receiving such news. Some will go straight to acceptance; others follow the five steps, while some may remain in denial forever. According to Good Therapy website,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Foreign Labor in the Arab Gulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign Labor in the Arab Gulf - Essay Example Their numbers only increased over the years. The capital rich countries possessed the resources, and labor rich countries possessed the needed skilled workers. Despite the economic benefits, the largest disadvantage has been the overwhelming share of foreign labor on the labor markets of GCC, retarding the development of indigenous labor. Presence of foreign labor increased to dramatic levels in some Gulf countries. Natives of Kuwait, Qatar and UAE have become minorities as a result of the increase in the number of foreigners in their countries (Khalaf & Alkobaisi, 1999, p.272). UAE is the extreme case. it was estimated in the 1990’s that â€Å"nationals constituted only 10-20% of the total population (Heard-Bey, 1997), and only 10% participation in the total labour force (Al-Mansour, 1996)† (Khalaf & Alkobaisi, 1999, p.272). According to Kapiszewski (2006), â€Å"[t]he population in the current GCC states has grown more than eight times during 50 years; to be exact, from 4 million in 1950 to 40 million in 2006† (p.2). The only GCC countries that managed to retain low levels of foreign labor are Oman and Saudi Arabia, at 20 and 27 percent respectively (Kapiszewski, 2006, p.2). The flow has been from labor rich to capital rich countries. Oil rich countries have low population levels. On the other hand, oil poor countries in the region have large populations. Such countries in the 1970’s were Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Jordan and Syria (â€Å"Migrant Workers,†1982, p. 530 – 31). Countries such as Egypt had more experienced labor than countries such as Kuwait, but the latter experienced labor demand (â€Å"Migrant Workers,†1982, p. 530 – 31). As a result, labor supply from other countries increased in the oil rich countries. In 1975, Saudi Arabia hosted 773,400 migrant workers, Libya 332,400, the UAE 251,500, and Kuwait 208,000 (â€Å"Migrant Workers,†1982, p. 530 – 31). In 2004, there were 6,144,236 foreign migrants in Saudi Arabia, then 1, 707,000 in Kuwait and

Showing the customer who's Boss Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Showing the customer who's Boss - Case Study Example The launching of "Boss," which targeted young professionals with a full line of more casual clothes as well as sporting accessories, allowed the company access to a much wider range of clientele than it had previously enjoyed. It is this segmentation of the Hugo Boss brand helped the company immensely with its growth and profitablility. According to Diamond and Pintel (1980) "there is generally a limit to the amount of sales that a given article can produce, company growth may depend on the introduction of new products for an increase in sales" (p.166). Which is exactly the idea that Hugo Boss had as they expanded their product lines and thereby expanded their client base. The next foray into new territory brought them into the world of women's apparel. Since Hugo Boss was not well known in this market, they had to work hard to extend the popularity and the image of their brand. They already had a great advantage because their name has always been associated with quality clothing, this strong brand name and store image played a very important role in their new product lines. "Store image is a very important factor for effective retail marketing because it can exert a major influence on consumer patronage patterns" (Rosenbloom 1981 p. 127). A strong store image can help not only attain new patronage but also ensures retaining the clientele they already have. However, Hugo Boss needed to ensure that their popularity would be transferable to the women's market. Hugo Boss faced a challenge in marketing the women's line "unlike most types of goods, merchandise with fashion orientation requires anlysis that is often different" (Diamond and Pintel 1980 p.192). Hugo Boss needed to generate ideas quickly and analyse their information and designs in a different manner when dealing with women's fashions. "Fashion, with its rapid changes, dictates the need for the continuous introduction of new styles" (Diamond and Pintel 1980 p.192). Hugo Boss also employed various ways to communicate with their audience, such as media outlets, fashion shows, and major layouts within popular fashion magazines. Hugo Boss' goal was to have their popular brand name become associated with high quality women's clothing. The obstacles were difficult to overcome, the costs for advertising were high and fashion is risky, the clientele's needs and wants are in constant flux. According to Diamond and Pintel (1980) "an error would be enormously costly, since wrong styles have almost no value," (p.193) yet are still costly to produce and promote. Hugo Boss experienced difficulties with their new women's line early on, as is seen in the net losses they sustained when it was first launched. Extending an existing brand into a new, but related market, is challenging for several reasons. First, the audience needs to accept the change, and secondly, they need to believe that the brand will retain its integrity and quality when producing new products outside their original market. The danger is that the brand name will be diluted by being over eager and attempting to go into markets beyond their core competency. Yet, by 2002, Hugo Boss had figured out how to leverage their name across new markets and had finally become

Friday, August 23, 2019

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 Research Paper

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 - Research Paper Example They carry the burdens of problems supposedly faced by their parents but because a father is in jail or a mother has nothing to do but get into her addictions, the children who are supposed to stay in school and think about nothing else but their lessons, instead, stay on the streets to sell drugs and earn. With such kinds of life, the students are exposed to hardships that pressure them to cheat in order to survive and consequently apply it in school. To the police, the students are just like their parents, drug dealers and cheaters who are threats to the peace and order of the community. They know they are selling drugs and they are watched like adults. Sometimes, they are also made as assets when the opportunity arises. They know they are tough so that even if they are young, they play rough with them. The kids’ parents look up to them to take responsibility in their families. For instance, Michael is expected to provide for the family’s needs and in the eighth episode of season 4, he even gives his mother money (34:37) instead of the mother giving him what he needs. The familial and environmental backgrounds of the children demand them to become tough as they are and lost interest in schoolwork. However, to the teachers, the children are still children and human beings. Although most of them are failing in their classes, the teachers like Prezbo, do their best to let the children learn. The sad thing is; there ar e also teachers who look at the situation differently. As one teacher said, it is not about the kids but it was about Prezbo surviving (37:25). The conversation came up when Mr. Rolan Pryzbylewski, also known as Prezbo, brought to the attention of the other teachers the very high percentage of failing students who were not yet able to do basic mathematical applications their age mates are performing. The reply was implied, that he should just let his students pass. One teacher suggested that he should not teach

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Definition of motivation in work Essay Example for Free

Definition of motivation in work Essay Introduction At any enterprise the main resource is human. Orientation to the highly skilled and initiative labor integrated into system of production, a continuity of process of enrichment of knowledge and professional development, flexibility of the organization of work, delegation of responsibility from top to down, partnership between participants of production all this conducts to creation of new model of development and use of human resources. The motivation is an actual element of this process which provides reciprocity of interests of the employer and personnel and guarantees efficiency of activity of the organization. The motivation is a complex of the motives which are inducing or not inducing to certain acts, this creation of system of the incentives necessary for achievement of the purpose of the organization. Satisfaction of the employee of the enterprise with conditions and compensation, relations with colleagues and heads, management policy for the personnel, in many respects defines interest and the employees motivation on effective and productive work. The periodic assessment of satisfaction with work of firm personnel helps to reveal weak links in structure of human resource management, to develop system of the additional incentives allowing to eliminate or compensate the work factors which are least satisfying the personnel. Relevance of the chosen subject is explained by it. Motivated employees are one of the key factors that provide competitive advantage for businesses. By determining the best way to encourage and boost  employee’s performance in organizations the management ensures success of their company, on the market field. Customized employee motivation i.e. best incentive for each employee individually, is what gets the organization closer to reaching its goals and objectives. More specifically, it deals with demographically determined (age and gender) differences in the motivational profiles of the workers. The employees from both genders and all age subgroups are mostly motivated by challenging job positions, advancement opportunities, good compensation packages i.e. money and well managed/good work environment. At the same time, benefits, job security and location of the work place are less of a motivator for all demographic subgroups. Still, this research study suggests that some statistically significant differences do exist. The two genders give significantly different importance to benefits as a motivator, while, the age subgroups give significantly different importance to security, work environment and challenge. A milestone in organization’s success is to develop strong relationship with the employees, to fulfill workers’ expectations (good working conditions, fair pay, fair treatment, secure career, power and involvement in decisions) and in return, to have them follow the rules and regulations, work according the standards and achieve goals, (Khan, et al., 2010). In order to address these expectations it is required for the management to have understanding of employees’ motivation. The HRM professionals are the ones to have significant role in fulfilling this ai m and hence, to assist the company’s management in building relationship with their employees. The challenge for organizations and their policies is to bring the best applicants successfully through the recruitment and hiring process, but also to retain them and to provide them with the environment and structures in order to motivate them to give their best (Hussai, 2007). Moreover, motivation plays important role, since dissatisfaction leads to high employee turnover particularly in less developed or developing countries where little employment opportunities are available to people (Khan, et al., 2010). Motivation is a tool managers can use in organizations and if they know what drives the people working for them, they can tailor job assignments and rewards to what makes these people ―tickâ€â€" (Tella, et al., 2007). Motivation can also be considered as whatever it takes to encourage workers to perform by fulfilling or appealing to their needs. According to Gibbons (1999) and Tella, et al. (2007) high performance motivated workforce is very important element for successful businesses, and this study is inspired by the power that the motivation has within the organizations in increasing their performance. No matter how automated an organization may be, high productivity depends on the level of motivation and the effectiveness of the workforce (Tella, et al., 2007). Hence, managers who use the most effective motivation tools and techniques will provide competitive advantage and profits to their companies. Managers must be ready and willing to customize the best deals in town in order to recruit, retain, and motivate the best people, argued Gilbert (2003, p.1), referring to the importance of customized incentives provided to different generations. In this regard, the aim of this research is to examine the issue of customized motivation management, or more specifically, the issue of applying different motivation tool to different types of employees, depending on their priorities and preferences. In particular, the research will analyze some of the motivating factors and how different their importance is for workers of different age and gender. By determining what the employee’s priority is – high compensation, good work environment or maybe the location of the workplace, this research will determine what would be the best incentive the company should apply. Importance of Motivation of Employees within Organizations One of the main responsibilities of the Human Resources and other management professionals in a company is to achieve competitive success and advantage through the employees they have hired. ―The managers who can create high levels of motivation can get more work from five employees than their less inspiring counterparts can get out of ten, and this is a form of competitive advantage that is hard to denyâ€â€" (Wagner and Hollenbeck, 2010, p.81). Successful recruitment process and successful placement of an employee on the demanding position leads to a new challenging situation where both sides, employee and employer, must take and give the best of the position that was filled. Otherwise, both sides are losing money and time and are becoming dissatisfied. The motivation as career growth and business development factor is very important at this post recruitment stage and is one of the factors that catalyze the process of giving the bestâ€â€" by the  worker and ―taking the maximumâ€â€" by the employer. To summarize, the importance of motivation is high, as is the role it plays, when it comes to employee retention and performance improvement within organizations. Moreover, it can lead to: business development, increasing profits and building competitive advantage. It deserves time and effort to be evaluated and further on, to be applied as efficient managerial tool. Herzberg’s two-factor theory Herzberg’s two-factor theory argues that his hygiene factors such as salary, benefits, working conditions or job security, are also considered to be extrinsic in nature, while motivational factors, such as, the job itself (challenging or not), growth and advancement, achievement (James, 2008); or job autonomy, job complexity and innovativeness (Vaananen, et al., 2005), are considered to be intrinsic in nature. The factors that will be analyzed in this research are determined based on the Frederick Herzberg’s research (Herzberg, 2003), in which he evaluated the following ten extrinsic/hygiene motivators: security, status, relationship with subordinates, relationship with peers, salary, work condition, relationship with supervisor, supervision, company policy and administration, and personal life. At the same time, the following six intrinsic motivators were evaluated: achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth. This research will examine the importance of the following seven motivational factor: money, benefits, location, job security, work environment (as extrinsic), then challenge and advancement opportunities (as intrinsic factors). The motivator money refers to Herzberg’s salary factor; the motivator benefits relates to his company policy and administration; location refers to personal life, since it directly influences the work-life balance and the time employees spend on their personal needs. The motivator work environment includes Herzberg’s relationship with subordinates, relationship with peers, relationship with supervisor, supervision and work condition. Security was evaluated as it is by Herzberg, as well. As for the extrinsic factors, advancement was also evaluated as it is by Herzberg, while challenge that will be used in this research mostly relates to work itself (as per Herzberg) since it refers to specific characteristics of the job itself and how interesting and challenging they are to the employee. In  conclusion, based on the importance these seven factors have for an employee when choosing a new job and leaving the current one, or while still performing on the current position, we determine/define the term motivational profile for the research purposes of this thesis. Definition of target group of the interrogated For the analysis of this poll I chose young people aged from 22-25 years which just graduated from the university and got a job. As well as any person, these workers too have certain motivational force. So, 12 workers, from them 7 guys and 5 girls took part in my poll. Distribution by Education Distribution by Department Distribution by Industry Determining the type, strength and direction of employee motivation units Using the questions given questionnaires to determine the type, strength and direction of the motivation of employees selected structural unit. To do this, this form must be filled by a worker units (not less than 10 people). Next, i need to calculate the score for each respondents answer. Compare the answers of all respondents. About the study of labor motivation of employees Results of motivational dough On the basis of the carried-out analysis I can draw a conclusion that most of young people choose financial motives, and it means what exactly the salary plays an important role at a work place choice. Conclusion Theories of motivation is the Herzberg Two Factor Theory. His theory also relies on the needs and their satisfaction concept, but according to this theory, the needs are grouped in two levels/groups: 1) hygiene or dissatisfaction avoidance factors (imperative to be satisfied) and 2) motivating or growth factors (additional motivating force after the basic needs are satisfied). He suggests that ―the factors involved in producing job satisfaction (and motivation) are separate and distinct from the factors that lead to job dissatisfactionâ€â€" (Herzberg, 2003, p.6). Herzberg also characterized the two groups of motivating factors according their origin. The dissatisfaction avoidance or hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job, and come from outside the person, and those are: company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relationships, working conditions, salary, status, security etc. Growth or motivating factors are intrinsic to the job, that come from within the person and those are:  achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement. At workplace, the employees must be provided with good extrinsic factors (good pay, good environment, safety etc) in order not to be unhappy. Further on, if the employers need them motivated to perform even better, they need to provide the additional intrinsic factors. Proceeding from results of motivational dough I came to a conclusion that according to the Herzberg’s two-factor theory the greatest importance for young employees is played by hygienic factors, to be exact economic factors, such as: a salary and awards, social advantages, pension privileges, holiday and training which is paid by the employer. Factors, the second for value, proceeding from results of this dough it: achievement and cooperation. And it means, what not all young workers choose hygienic factors. There are workers for whom motivators, such as are important: a freedom of action through achievements and cooperation with other workers. To conclude, many studies show that the age has an important effect on motivation. Still, in some research studies, the authors suggest that there are some motivating factors that do not have significantly different importance for employees at different age (Ross, 2005; Stead, 2009). The list of the used literature: 1. Khan, K.U., Farooq, S.U. and Ullah, M.I. (2010), The Relationship between Rewards and Employee Motivation in Commercial Banks of Pakistan, Research Journal of International Studies (14), p.37-54, [On Line], Available From: http://www.eurojournals.com/rjis_14_06.pdf, Accessed: 01.04.2011 2. Tella, A., Ayeni, C.O. and Popoola, S.O. (2007), Work Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment of Library Personnel in Academic and Research Libraries in Oyo State, Nigeria, Library Philosophy and Practice, April 2007, [On Line], Available From: http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/tella2.pdf , Accessed: 01.01.2010 3. Wagner, J. and Hollenbeck, J. (2009), Organizational Behavior: Securing Competitive Advantage, 1st edition, New York, Routledge 4. Vaananen, A., Pahkin, K., Huuhtanen, P., Kivimaki, M. Vahtera, J., Theorell, T. and Kalimo, R. (2005), Are intrinsic motivational factors of work associated with functional incapacity similarly regardless of the country?, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2005(59), p.858-863, [On Line], Available From: http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/10/858.full , Accessed: 10.02.2010 5. Vaskova, R. (2006), Gender Differences in Performance Motivation, [On Line], Available From: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/2006/01/CZ0601NU04.htm, Accessed: 03.02.2010 6. Herzberg, F. (2003), One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?, Harvard Business Review, Jan 2003, p.86-96, [On Line], Available From: http://hbr.org/2003/01/one-more-time/ar/1, Accessed: 21.04.2010 7. Ross, W. (2005), The Relationship Between Employee Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Corporate Culture, [On Line], Available From: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/2584/thesis_roos_w.pdf?sequence=36, Accessed: 31.07.2011

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Literature Review on the Health Care Workforce

Literature Review on the Health Care Workforce Briana Seguine   Amorim Lopes. S.-L. (24 May 2015). Handling health care workforce planning with care: where do we stand. According to Amorim Lopes, arranging the health-care workforce required to meet the health needs of the populace, while giving management levels that expand the result and limit the monetary expenses, is a complicated undertaking. The issue can depict as evaluating the correct number of individuals with the right abilities in the perfect place at the opportune time, to give the proper managements to the ideal people. The writing accessible regarding the matter is unfathomable however meager, with no accord set up on a clear strategy and procedure, making it troublesome for the investigator or arrangement producer to receive the current advancements or for the academic specialist to enhance such a primary field. We returned to over 60 years of archived research to better comprehend the ordered and verifiable progress of the zone and the philosophies that have stood the trial of time. The writing audit was directed in electronic production databases and spotlights on general procedures as opposed to strategies. Four diverse and utilized methodologies found inside the extent of supply and three inside request. We expounded a guide systematizing focal points, constraints and suppositions. Also, we give a rundown of the information prerequisites essential to actualize each of the procedures. We had additionally distinguished past and current patterns in the field and explained a proposition on the most proficient method to incorporate the unique philosophies. Philosophies flourish, however, there is still no clear way to deal with address HHR arranging. Late writing recommends that a coordinated approach is the best approach to take care of such a mind-boggling issue, as it consolidates components both from free market activity, and more exertion ought to be placed in enhancing that proposition (Mà ¡rio Amorim Lopes, 24 May 2015). James Buchan, M. (Dec 17, 2008). Solving nursing shortages: a common priority. According to James Buchan, gives a setting to this different version. It highlights the size of the test of nursing deficiencies, additionally, makes the point that there is a strategy motivation that gives working arrangements. An outline of nurse: population proportions in various nations and areas of the world, highlighting important varieties, with Africa and South East Asia having the most reduced average proportions. The paper contends that the deficiency of nurses is not a lack of people with nursing capabilities, it is a deficiency of attendants willing to work in the current conditions. The reasons for deficiencies are multi-faceted, and there is no single worldwide measure of their degree and nature, there is developing confirmation of the effect of generally low staffing levels on healthcare conveyance and results. What now confronts arrangement creators in Japan, Europe, and other created nations is an approach plan with a center of essential topics. To begin with, subjec ts identified with tending to supply side issues: getting, keeping and staying in contact with generally rare nurses. Second, problems identified with managing request side difficulties. The paper reasons that the fundamental test for strategy creators is to build up a coordinated bundle of policies that give a long haul and practical arrangement (James Buchan, Dec 17, 2008). Stephen M. Petterson, R. L. (2013). Projecting US Primary Care Physician Workforce Needs: 2010-2025. According to Stephen M. Petterson, we looked to extend the quantity of essential care doctors required to meet US human services use needs through 2025 after a section of the Affordable Care Act. In this projection of workforce needs, we utilized the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to figure the utilization of office-based necessary care in 2008. We used US Census Bureau projections to represent statistic changes and the American Medical Associations Master File to ascertain the quantity of primary care doctors and decide the quantity of visits per doctor. The fundamental results were the anticipated number of essential care visits through 2025 and the quantity of critical care doctors expected to lead those visits. Driven by populace development and maturing, the aggregate number of office visits to important care doctors is anticipated to increment from 462 million in 2008 to 565 million in 2025. After fusing protection development, the United States will require almost 52,000 oth er essential care doctors by 2025. Populace development will be the biggest driver, representing 33,000 extra doctors, while 10,000 other doctors will be expected to suit populace maturing. Protection extension will require more than 8,000 other doctors, a 3% expansion in the ebb and flow workforce. Population development will be the best driver of expected increments in essential care use. Maturing and protection extension will likewise add to use, yet to a littler degree (Stephen M. Petterson, 2013). Work cited James Buchan, M. (Dec 17, 2008). Solving nursing shortages: a common priority. Mà ¡rio Amorim Lopes. S.-L. (24 May 2015). Handling healthcare workforce planning with care: where do we stand. Stephen M. Petterson, R. L. (2013). Projecting US Primary Care Physician Workforce Needs: 2010-2025.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Inequalities In UK Mental Health

The Inequalities In UK Mental Health Introduction and definitions: The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined the mental health as: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her communityà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (1). According to NHS website every year in the UK, more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals and over 4,000 people commit suicide (2). Mental health inequality is a long standing problem that has been tackled for decades by epidemiologists, sociologists and health professionals. And because this problem has both strong social and medical aspect there is no unified approach to identification and resolution. From Sociologists viewpoint inequality with mental health is a problem that has two main explanations: people are poor because they have mentally illness that makes them unable to keep work probably (social selection), or they become mentally ill under the stress of being poor (social causation). However, in modern psychiatry other factors are believed to involve in the etiology such as genetic factors, diet, and hormonal disturbance which interact with personality disorders or emotional state to produce mental illness. The problem of inequality is not only about the present of a true mental illness but it is possible to expand the definition of mental health inequality to include everyday feelings which is considered by United Kingdom Department of Health to be a public health indicator: How people feel is not an elusive or abstract concept, but a significant public health indicator; as significant as rates of smoking, obesity and physical activity (3) The table below gives examples of those factors that promote or reduce opportunities for sound mental health (4): PROTECTIVE FACTORS INTERNAL EXTERNAL à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Good physical health à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ High self esteem à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Learning ability à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Good conflict management à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ early and positive bonding and attachment experience à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ make relationships and ability to maintain or break them à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ acceptance feeling à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ good communication skills à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Availability of the basic needs such as shelter and food, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ validation by the community à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ support from surrounding social network à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ present of role models à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ job security à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ good education level à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ feeling secure à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ political stability VULNERABILITY FACTORS INTERNAL EXTERNAL à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ congenital diseases or disability à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ low self-esteem or social status à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ sexuality problems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ relationships problems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ feeling of isolation à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ institutionalisation à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ lack of essential needs food , heat , housing .. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ loss and separation experience à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ violence or abuse experience à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ substance abuse à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ psychiatric disorder runs in family à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ discrimination à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ unemployment peer pressure à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ pressure from value systems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ poverty Table 1: factors that affect good mental health What is the evidence on mental health inequalities? Socio-economic status: Many Community-based epidemiological studies showed an inverse relationship between Socio-economic status and rates of schizophrenia. Saraceno found that the current prevalence (calculated up to one-year prevalence) of the schizophrenia among low-SES is higher than people of high-SES with a ratio of 3.4, and when calculated to lifetime prevalence it is 2.4à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (5), and in Britain, suicides rates among people from lower SES nearly double that of high-SES (6). There are five hypotheses to explain this relation (7)(8): 1: Economic stress. The mental illness is a speci?c outcome of the stress related to economic problems, such as unemployment, poverty, and housing unaffordability. 2: Family fragmentation. The inverse SESà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mental illness correlation is a function of the fragmentation of family structure and lack of family supports. 3: Geographic drift. Individuals movement from communities of subsequent to their initial hospitalization leads to inverse SESà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mental illness correlation (8). 4: Socioeconomic drift. Low employment rate related to initial hospitalization of lower SES communities. 5: Intergenerational drift. Can be explained as following à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½The inverse SESà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mental illness correlation is a function of declines in community SES levels of hospitalized adolescents between their ?rst hospitalization and their most recent hospitalization after turning 18à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (8) Age: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In elderly: In a report for NIMHE (National Institute for Mental Health in England) (9 cited by 21) .the following point regarding mental health problems in elderly has been noticed: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The number of older people with symptoms of mental problems in the UK is about 3 millions. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 10-15% of older people could be diagnosed by depression when applying the approved clinical criteria. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ About 5% of people aged over 65 and 20% over 80 are affected by dementia à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The economic cost of dementia in elderly is about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.3 billion per year , this is more than the cost for heart disease ,stroke, cancer combined à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ the above numbers are expected to rise by a third in the next 15 years Mental health problems in elderly are more likely to go undiagnosed. Even where they are recognized, they are often poorly managed (10). The UK inquiry into mental health in later life (11) listed five factors that affect the mental health of elderly: relationships; contribution in meaningful activity; physical health (capacity to do everyday tasks); discrimination (by age or culture); and poverty. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in children : WHO states that the building an effective mental health policy for child and adolescent requires first deep understanding of mental health problems among children and adolescentsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½(12) There is an evidence that levels of distress and dysfunction during childhood are considerably high between 11 per cent and 26 per cent, while the severe cases that require interventions are around 3à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6 per cent of people under 16 years of age (13,14). Emotionally disturbed children are exposed to abuse or neglect in their family of origin, with estimates up to 65 per cent (15). Gender: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Women and Mental Health It is proved that mental health problems are more common among women than men with a higher incidence rates of depressive disorder than men (16). There are many factors to explain this, first: Socio-economic problems such as poor housing conditions and poverty cause greater stress and fear of future amongst women. lack of confidence and self-esteem may be the results of educational factors such negative school experiences , Living in unsafe neighborhoods cause stress and anxiety amongst women , another common problem is addiction on prescription medications (for depressive and sleeping disorders) leads to more stress and anxiety. (16). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Men and Mental Health In today world Men tend to be more susceptible to mental health problems than ever before especially suicide, some possible reasons for this are (17): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Men in general are less likely to discuss their feelings or problems or even to admit that they may have depression. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Comparing to women, fewer men look for help when having mental problems. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The impact of unemployment on men is deeper in general. Some mental disorders are more serious in men. For example suicide is considered to be a leading cause of mortality among young men age group(18). Suicide rate is especially high in poor communities for men from age group 10-24 comparing to the same age group in wealthy communities. It is known also that the onset of schizophrenia is earlier in men and the clinical outcomes are poorer (18). Risk groups for mental illness in men include (19): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Older men: many of them are less willing to benefit of provided health services because of the perception that these services are for older women. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Divorced men à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ because of the lack of support available from their families, and services directed to meet the needs of this group. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Male victims of domestic abuse à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ especially boys in rural areas. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Gay and bisexual men à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ few services are available to assist this group to deal with problems such as homophobic bullying and harassment. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Sexual abuse victims, again insufficient support is provided for males of this group. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Fathers à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ this is mainly due to stresses of parenthood combined with less support services when comparing to those available to mothers. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Mourning men à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ With no or very few appropriate services specifically designed to men who have undergone bereavement. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Men living in rural areas à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ obviously due to difficulty in getting access to proper support services. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Offenders of young age group à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ less psychological services are available in juvenile justice centres in spite of the fact that there are high numbers of young Offenders who actually have mental health problems needed to be taken care of. Ethnic group: The à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Count me inà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ report by Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection ( 20) noted differences in admission rates among different ethnic groups for example that rates were lower in white British ,Chinese and Indian comparing to the national average , while in Bangladeshi and Pakistani group the rates were around the national average , the highest rates (more than three times higher than average) were found in minority black groups (African and Caribbean) and in Mixed groups (White/Black African or White/Black Caribbean). Employment Status and Mental Health It is well-known that getting a job is a protective factor regarding mental illness (21). But this is not always true. As Wilkinson (22) noted that jobs which are insecure or do not achieve the required level of satisfaction could have negative effects equal to that of unemployment. The main factors that cause this are (21): stress associated with fear of job loss, feeling of imbalance between effort and reward and inability to control job circumstances, stressful relationship with colleagues and bosses, cases of harassment or bullying. All this factors can lead ultimately to serious mental health illness. On the other hand, According to OSC Health Inequalities Review (23) people with a mental illness have five times lesser chance to get a job, and if they are already working they become more likely to be fired, financially this group has in general lesser income (twice times chance than the general population) and more likely to depend on invalidity benefits. It is noticed that among mental disorders psychotic illness has the worse impact on employment rates which decline in this group to only one in four. Geographic variation: Studies result on geographic variation of mental illness are inconsistent , for example Hollie (24) has concluded that regarding mental problems it is possible to see notable variation at the household level but this variations do not exist in postcode units , and there is no proven connection with geographical accessibility or quality of residential environment Hollie noticed also that in common mental illnesses the psychosocial environment has greater importance than the physical environmentà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Another example comes from a recent Swedish study of 4.4 million adults found that with increasing levels of urbanisation; there was a notable rise in the incidence rates of psychosis and depression (25). Another study by Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution shows that people from densely populated areas had a 68-77% and 12-20% higher risk of developing any psychotic illness and depression respectively when compared to a control group in rural areas. Within urban areas the rates for psychoses map closely those for deprivation and the size of a city also matters; in London schizophrenia rates are about twice those in Bristol or Nottingham (26,27). Disability and Mental Health: Definition: According to Disability Discrimination Act (1995) (DDA) (28) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½A person has a disability if he has a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long-term adverse affect on his ability to carry out normal day to day activitiesà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ In the light of this definition we can focus on mental health inequality of three groups of people (21): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People suffer socio-economic disadvantage caused by stigma and discrimination associated with their mental health problems. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People with both physical disabilities and mental health problems. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People with physical disabilities, whose experience discrimination and stigma because of their physical impairment and become mentally ill because of this experience. Disabled people are more likely to experience stress and emotional instability than those who are not disabled. a report by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (29) had found that when surveyed 52% of disabled people had experienced high levels of stress in the last 12 months comparing to 34% of people who are not disabled , and when it comes to depression disabled women have a higher rate of depression than disabled men with 44% comparing to 34% Conclusion: Inequality in mental health is as important as any other form of health inequality, however the interaction between social and personal level in mental illness makes it more difficult to address different kinds of mental health Inequalities associated with it. Question 2: word count (2000) Tackling inequalities in mental health Introduction: Many researchers agree that mental illness could be considered one of the fundamental social and health determinants, and it is difficult to separate these both sides because in most cases social exclusion and social inequalities are both cause and consequence of mental disorders (30) Some studies refer particularly to two characteristics that distinguish mental illnesses when it comes to public health problems (30): first they are the recent high rates of incident and second is the early onset which affect much younger age group comparing to other health problems Mental health diseases have two distinct characteristics as a public health problem: first very high rates of prevalence; secondly : onset is usually at a much younger age than for other health problem , Mental health diseases effects all aspects of peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s lives : personal relationships, employment, income and educational performance. (31,32) Who is at risk for mental health problems? Defining risk groups enables policies makers to determine how to manage available resources to achieve better health equality. Furthermore, these groups are the main targets for health equality promotional programs. A review of recent evidences on mental health inequalities can help to define the large groups at risk (33): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People living in institutional settings: such as care homes or those in secure care or subject to detention. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People living in unhealthy settings and who may not be reached by traditional health care such as veterans or the homeless. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People with physical and/or mental illness, people misusing drugs, people with alcohol problems, people who are victims of violence and abuse. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½children whose parents have problems with alcohol or with drugs, children whose parents have a mental illness and looked after and accommodated children, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ People from groups who experience discrimination. Key policies: These policies can be long term policies focusing on deep change over a long period or short term seeking fast results such as health promotion. Long term aims: Inequalities in mental health are not only about equality of access, but also about the quality of access. In the year 2009 Mental Health Foundation has published a report on resilience and inequalities in mental health (Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities) (30, 34) This report mentioned four points that should be consider as priorities: 1- Factors that support the life of the families mainly the Social, cultural and economic conditions: This can be done by reduce child poverty , parenting skills training and high quality preschool education , providing secure places for the children to play in particularly outdoors, and cooperation between the different governmental agencies to compact violence and sexual abuse. 2- Establishing an educational system that can effectively support children on both emotional and economical scale by: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Schools health promoting programs, involving teachers, pupils, parents and working with families to enhance the home learning environment (HLE). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Taking steps to encourage sport activities and social events beside academic performance. 3- Reduce unemployment and poverty levels to reduce their negative effect on mental health, and while this is not an easy goal but the steps that could be taken my include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Supporting efforts to improve pay, work conditions and job security. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Taking advantages of workplace based support by early detecting and caring of personal problems or psychiatric symptoms before developing into serious stages. . 4- Tackle economic and social problems, which cause the psychological distress. Such as housing/transport problems, isolation, debt, beside that art and leisure centres can help to reduce stress too. However, these strategies take a long time to be effective, that means the need for more rapid actions or short term aims. Short term aims: Mental health promotion: To build an effective strategy to promotion for health equality the following points should be achieved (30,35). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Comprehensive: promotion of mental Health is not only the responsibility of health services alone; other sectors of society should join that effort. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Based on evidence à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Responding to the needs of the local communities, and with the agreement of these communities. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Under continuous assessment: The strategy should undergo critical evaluation and can be changes should be made when necessary. A good example of such strategy is the Mental health national evidence based standards which have been issued by The National Service Framework for Mental Health (36). The idea of these standards is to deal with mental health discrimination and compact social exclusion in patients with mental illness. And that can be achieved by promotion: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Increase the awareness about the importance of mental health in the society à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Take strong position against discrimination affecting individuals with mental illness, and promote the steps that make the social inclusion possible for them. Tackling inequalities for special risk groups: The Suicide prevention strategy: One of the best example is the strategy based on work by The NSPSE (National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England), the report was the result of literature review of suicide prevention programs around the world and has reached the following goals (38): 1. To identify and work on people with the highest suicidal risk. 2. To raise the awareness about mental well-being in the society . 3. To target common suicide methods and limits the possibility to get access to such methods if possible. 4. Work with the media for better coverage of suicidal behaviour and its dangers. 5. Support the research for better understanding of suicide and the possible way to reduce it. 6. To evaluate the steps taken to achieve lower rates of suicide. Women and Mental Health: Preventing: The results of UK-based survey (38 cited by 21) shows that mental health services for women: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Do not respond to special need of mental health in women. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Can be unequal. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Sometimes prove to be unsafe for women. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ May not reflect to the gender effects on social inequalities, which present in deferent levels such as class and race. However, in their response to a survey conducted in England and Wales (38), women said that they services should: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Provide Sense of Security for them. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Encourage the feelings of independence and ability to make choices and control their life again. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Try to identify and deal with the real causes beyond the stress and the problems they face not only the symptoms of these problems. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ support motherhood by directly address this group problems, such as suitable accommodation, jobs opportunities, education. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Embrace their inner strength and potentials of recovery. These points are crucial to build a need-based action plan for better equality in health services. Men and Mental Health: Preventing: The Equal Minds conference workshop which had special focus on men and mental health listed some changes to the support services that make these services more related and directed to solve men mental health issues: (21): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ the services should be designed especially for men and with easy access in mind , this include both the place and timing of the selected service , for example choosing places that men usually meet in , or including sport activities or introducing programs that run only by men à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Holistic approach, works on the person as a whole, not just on mental health. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Early intervention to prevent anxieties and concerns build up, especially in stress and anger management. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Trust and confidence are vital to solve problems of identity and role which can cause a lot of stress and self-image problems in men. Ethnicity and Mental Health: Preventing: One of the main problems in this group is the accessibility to the mental health services due to many factors such as: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Linguistic communication. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Stereotypic approach to their problems. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Ignorance about the importance of mental health. Sashidharan in his report titled: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Inside Outsideà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (39 cited by 21) discussed the mental health services provided for black and minority ethnic groups in England and Wales. And he noticed that these services are different when comparing to services provided to the majority white population in some aspects: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Patients are less likely to receive specialist mental care. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Patients are more likely to undergo obligatory admission (there are differences exist between different ethnic groups and different age groups). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Patients are more likely to be wrongly diagnosed. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Patients are more likely to be treated with psychiatric drugs and Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), more than receiving talking therapies. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To have higher readmission rates and stay for longer in hospitals. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To be admitted to secure care/forensic environments. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Their social care and psychological needs are less likely to be addressee within the care planning process. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To have worse outcomes. A strategic approach in Ethnicity and Mental Health: In England and Wales a framework has been developed for action for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½delivering race equalityà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in mental health (40 cited by 21) The framework introduces three points which are essential to reach the targets of better services and results in mental health problems in minority ethnic groups, these points are: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Providing high quality Information services. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ To insure that the provided services are easy to access and can respond quickly to minority groupsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ needs. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Involve the community in the efforts toward better mental health. In other words any approach should take in consider both quality of health services and the already existing socio-economic inequalities that ethnic groups may face. Some suggested steps for this approach may include (21): à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Providing interpretation and translation services beside mental health service to insure highest possible quality. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Adopting equalities practice in mental health services, that mean better understanding for cultural identity, the impact of racism, and culture differences in the ways people express of mental stress. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Researching better tools and assessment measures that can better assess patients from different backgrounds and ethnicities. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Ensuring that services understand and respect spiritual requirements for different cultures. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Ensuring access equality to services that more culturally accepted including, counseling, psychotherapy and advocacy. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Addressing common problems of black and minority communities, such as housing, employment, welfare benefits, and child-care. Disability and Mental Health: people with disabilities may experience high levels of socio-economic disadvantage due to discrimination and stigma , this group need a special interest regarding mental health services , they are liable for what Rogers and Pilgrim (41) described :à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½inequalities created by service provisionà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Mental health services for disable people should be customized to their needs, some recommendations for such services may include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Promotion for well-being, mental health, and living with disability. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Early intervention: for people who show symptoms for possible mental illness. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Personalised care based on individuals wishes and needs. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Stigma: work for better social inclusion and try to deal with problems associated with stigma and discrimination associated with some disabilities. Elderly and mental health: In order to achieve better equality for this group, policy makers should insure better access to mental health services in the first place. In the year 2005 the Department of Health introduced a report titled à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Securing Better Mental Health for Older Adultsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (42) to launch a new program to enhance the levels of services provided for elderly suffering mental illnesses or problems, this report promoted for a new policy that depends on two important steps: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Ensuring equality in the provided mental services; that means that the availability of these services should depend on the actual need for it not on selective age groups. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The approach of these services should be Holistic and personalized to meet both mental and physical needs for older age group. Here, it is essential to emphasis the importance of specialist mental health service for older adults. Sexual Orientation and Mental Health: In this group health promotion plays a prominent role to address the mental problems associated with sexual orientation. PACE organization has published practice guidelines for mental health services working with lesbian, gay and bisexual people (43 cited by 21). The guidelines suggest that these services should especially designed to meet the needs of LGB people, examples of such services include particularly counseling and advocacy. In response to these guidelines and other studies about LGB such as (44 cited by 21). Mental health services for LGB people should: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Deal with the problems of heterosexism and homophobia that this group frequently faces. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Raise the community awareness about the problems that this group suffer especially social exclusion and discrimination. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The services directed to LGBT people should be able to interact effectively with this group à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½culturally competentà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. Preventing in Mental Health Problems: People with mental health problem are in need for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½resilience factorsà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which may be the only way to heal from mental distress and to fight the stigma and discrimination they frequently face (21), we can name some of these factors such as confiding relationships, social networks, self-determination, financial security, however, support health services are essential for individual recovery and to achieve socially inclusive à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½accepting communitiesà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (45). Examples for these services can be found in à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½report on Mental Health and Social Exclusionà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ which has been introduced by Social Exclusion Unit. The report included a 27-point Action Plan especially designed to deal with discrimination and stigma (21). In this action plan the health and social care services play an decisive role to fight the problem of social exclusion and provide the proper support for community and families, this support may include help to find better accommodation, and provide financial (46). Beyond this report, it is essential that policy makers be aware of connection between inequalities and mental health as a result and a cause, this will encourage more holistic approach that aim prevention at the long run. Conclusion: It is essential to put the different recommendations on mental health inequalities into everyday practice , for example a recent study by Glasgow Centre for Population Health found that policies are not driving practice for effective reduction in inequalities levels in mental health within primary care, and the primary care organization studied is not Contributive to tackle inequalities in mental health. (47). For that reason, it is the responsibility of government, health services and health professionals to put these strategies and plans into action to insure a better and healthier society.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Critical Review of a Technology and Economics Article :: Economics Essays

The article Digital Technology and Institutional Change from the Gilded Age to Modern Times: The Impact of the Telegraph and the Internet describes the difficulties that exist when trying to create an accurate economic model showing responses to new, economy changing, technologies. The author Ronnie Phillips mainly focuses on institutional economics and, by showing the history of other technological advances, the need for institutional analysis. He explains how the challenge is to explain societal change, recognize what and how it happens, and create policies that will "foster" increased living standards throughout the world. The way that the author forms his article is by first giving a rather exhaustive history of the telegraph, and reviews the impact that it had when it became a major form of fast communication. He then goes over some factors that are essential to understanding the evolution of society. One, that technology is of the nature of a "joint stock of knowledge for humankind"; two, the role institutions and organizations (like the government) play in the development of the technology; three, a so-called ceremonial encapsulation and path dependency; and four, the unpredictability of technological change and it’s impact on society. The last half of the article addresses institutional economics, while not very clearly, he writes about the institutional changes that the internet has had on the economy, while going into a short history of the growth of the internet. The conclusion of the article involves an argument/discussion about whether or not the arguments presented in the article substantiate a "new institutional" or "old institutional" methodology versus whether or not they fall within neoclassical theory. Many questions remain unanswered through the end, and even more are raised right in the last paragraph. Although the author does raise some very interesting and provoking questions in the beginning of the article, unfortunately, some of them are very difficult to answer, or just can’t be answered. While the article doesn’t solve any problems, it does raise awareness and creates some interesting connections with the present and the past. The overall question the author wishes to answer is "how can economists understand and explain the nature of societal change?" The information is explained mostly through a narrative history with a short quantitative analysis of the growth of the telegraph and the Internet.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Patient Safety Essay -- Nursing

Introduction Keeping patients safe is essential in today’s health care system, but patient safety events that violate that safety are increasing each year. It was only recently, that the focus on patient safety was reinforced by a report prepared by Institute of medicine (IOM) entitled † To err is human, building a safer health system†(Wakefield & Iliffe,2002).This report found that approx-imately 44,000 to 98,000 deaths occur each year due to medical errors and that the majority was preventable. Deaths due to medical errors exceed deaths due to many other causes such as like HIV infections, breast cancer and even traffic accidents (Wakefield & Iliffe, 2002). After this IOM reports, President Clinton established quality interagency coordination task force with the help of government agencies. These government agencies are responsible for making health pol-icies regarding patient safety to which every HCO must follow (Schulman & Kim, 2000). Patient safety must be the first priority in the health care system, and it is widely accepta-ble that unnecessary harm to a patient must be controlled.Two million babies and mother die due to preventable medical errors annually worldwide due to pregnancy related complications and there is worldwide increase in nosocomial infections, which is almost equal to 5-10% of total admissions occurring in the hospitals. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Total 1.4 million patients are victims of hospital-acquired infection. (WHO Patient Safety Research, 2009). Unsafe infection practice leads to 1.3 million death word wide and loss of 26 millions of life while ad-verse drug events are increasing in health care and 10% of total admitted patients are facing ad-verse drug events. (WHO Patient Safety Re... ...Qualified health care personnel are required to maintain safe health care surrounding. Most im-portant part of the problem is to find the problem, and then only we can fix it. Conclusion It is right of a patient to be safe at health care organization. Patient comes to the hospital for the treatment not to get another disease. Patient safety is the most important issue for health care organizations. Patient safety events cost of thousands of deaths and millions of dollars an-nually. Even though the awareness of patient safety is spreading worldwide but still we have to accomplish many things to achieve safe environment for patients in the hospitals. Proper admin-istrative changes are required to keep health care organization safe. We need organizational changes, effective leadership, strong health care policies and effective health care laws to make patients safer.

Tension in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge :: A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller Essays

Tension in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge The whole of this play involves symbolism, on many different levels. The end scene, in which Eddie takes his own life with his own knife, is symbolic of the self-destructive nature that led to such an ending. As Arthur Miller wished to write 'a modern Greek tragedy ´ it is likely that the symbolism of the dagger is Eddie’s sexuality, which drove him to his drastic actions and eventually death. During the confrontation earlier in the play Marco raised a chair like a weapon, symbolic of the fight yet to come. Rudolpho danced with Catherine when she had previously been attending to Eddie, symbolic of him taking her from Eddie’s life. Therefore it seems natural to reason that Miller intended the title of the play to have some significance other than the geography of the location. The most obvious interpretation is of the audience sharing with Alfieri an unbiased overview of the unfolding of events. It is like being able to see from a bridge over a river, our vision uncluttered by opinions as it would be by the side of the river, or perhaps even as part of the river. The spray and swirling of currents of a river could represent the uncertain nature of life that clouds our perceptions and the flow of water the rush of emotions that carry us from birth to death. Though, even Alfieri is not completely removed from the happenings of the play, he takes an active part in the play as well as providing the 'chorus ´ character of the Greek format that Miller used. He is part of the American culture, but also part of the Italian culture, he also knew the family "I had represented his father in an accident case some years before, and I was acquainted with the family in a casual way." Perhaps this is why he is able to give a balanced opinion and to counsel Eddie (though his advice is unheeded). On the bridge we have time to form opinions, to judge other people, to 'settle for half ´. It was his American audience that Miller addressed through Alfieri: "Most of the time now we settle for half and I like it better. But the truth is holy, and even as I know how wrong he was and his death useless, I tremble for, I confess that something perversely pure calls to me from his memory--not purely good, but himself, purely, for he allowed himself to be wholly known and for that I think I will love him more than all my sensible clients." This dilutes the feeling of superiority and detachment that we are

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Gung Ho

Gung Ho is an American comedy movie released in 1986. The story of the movie is about the takeover of an American car plant by a Japanese corporation named â€Å"Assan Motors†. In a small town named â€Å"Hadleyville† in Pennsylvania, the local auto plant is closed for nine moths which supplied most of the jobs in the town. The former foreman of the plant goes to Tokyo and does a presentation to convince the â€Å"Assan Motors† corporation to re-open the plant and provide jobs for the town. The company agrees and the executive team comes to US. Upon their arrival, they require a high standard of efficiency and quality of production from US workers.Because American workers were so desperate to get a job, Japanese executives pursued to take advantage of it. The employees are not allowed to form a union and they are paid lower wages. All the employees were required to go around the factory, so that everyone knows every job in the factory. As the plant began to opera te and Japanese people and Americans start to work together, culture conflicts occur between them. For example, the executive challenged the workers to do morning exercise all together before they start working since it is a common routine in Japan.However, Americans find it humorous and show attitudes of ignorance to the morning exercise. The executive goes around the plant to check the performance of the workers and sometimes judges them to work better which are very irritating to American workers. They wanted the workers to work faster and produce as many cars as they can. During the lunch time, the Japanese executives eat their meal using chopsticks which look funny to the American workers. Also, the Japanese executives take bath together in the river which Americans find it very ridiculous. Stevenson works as a liaison between Japanese executives and American workers.Kazuhiro is the top executive of the plant who tells Stevenson to inform the employees to produce 15,000 cars in one month in order reach the efficiency standard of Japanese car plant. Kazuhiro was trained in a special program of executives to become tough and strict because he was judged and pointed to be too weak and lenient executive. Working as the top executive in the car plant in America is the last chance for him to change his lenient behavior and become a stronger leader. Meanwhile, Stevenson calls a meeting with the workers to inform about the 5,000 car production and convince them to do it. However, as soon as the meeting starts, he hears too many complaints about the work pressure at the plant from the workers. Stevenson tells a lie to the employees that they have to produce 13,000 cars in one month in order to reach the best production and efficiency and raise the wage because he could not dare to say 15,000 cars when there are already enough complaints from the employees. However, the workers find out the truth after a while. Because of overworks and pressure, the employees event ually go on strike and the plant becomes about to close.Stevenson does a speech to the town people to again convince them to work for the town and for their family and show that they are better than Japanese people. Stevenson and the executives start to work in the plant again which also encouraged the workers to come back and go for the way to make 15,000 cars. Kazuhiro begins to understand and have good relations with the workers. Even the executives start to work with the employees to make 15,000 cars. The CEO of the corporation arrives in US and visits the plant. However, he finds out that they are short of six cars to make 15,000.If they are short of even one car, the plant would have been closed. However, the CEO sees that Japanese executives and American workers cooperated well and worked hard. He said â€Å"Good team† to the people and the plant is no longer need to close. From the movie, I have noticed some interesting scenes that showed culture differences. For exam ple, when Stevenson was doing a presentation to convince the Japanese executive to open a plant in his town, he spoke casually and even used some slangs in his speech which may have shocked some Japanese people. On the other hand, Japanese executives kept in sitting in silence and did not ask any questions.They were too serious and quiet that Stevenson even doubted if they knew English and understood his speech. As the executives live in America, they start to get used to American life style little by little. Especially Kazuhiro likes the American idea of everyone is special and there are much more things to enjoy in life despite work. Kazuhiro slowly realizes that he has lived only for career and did not spend good time with his family and did not care them well. When he first came to America, he was always wondering why everyone thinks they are special in America. They are just a part of the team according to him.There are many good lessons in this movie about management and leade rship. When managing workers, it is important to first understand their culture and lifestyle. It is not a good idea to force workers to follow the policy that is implemented in a different place. Depending on the place and different culture, managers have to create different policies in order to create a good teamwork. I think rather acting bossy and strict to the employees, treating them nice as friends would lead to build a good relationship between the manager and workers, and it could encourage the workers to work harder because it creates trust between them.