Canada Culture Essay

1.0 Introduction Society is a shared context in a way that every individual’s activity relates and connects to it, including business. Culture is the comprised of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that differentiate each society. A society’s culture determines the systems that manage how organizations function in the society (Griffin and Pustay, 2010). Because of individuals possess their own activity and habits, they do things differently in a group. There are some characteristics of culture are essential for their significance to international business. First of all, culture reflects learned behavior that is conveyed from one member of a society to another. Certain elements of culture are conveyed intergenerationally, for instance a family, when parents educate their children table etiquette. Some elements are transmitted intragenerationally, like when seniors teach incoming freshmen about a school’s customs (Griffin and Pustay, 2010; Phatak et al., 2009). Next, the elements of culture are interrelated. For example, in Canada, different subcultures (different cultural group) include Anglophones and francophones (English-speaking and French-speaking people) (Deresky, 2011). Due to culture is learned behavior, the culture changes in response to external forces affect the society, in other words, it is adaptive. An example is after World War II, Germany was divided into free-market-oriented West Germany and communist guarded East Germany. Although they are having a common inheritance developed over centuries, this division created large cultural differences between Ossis (East Germans) and Wessis (West Germans). The differences resulted from adaptations of the East German culture to the principles of communist ideology concerning attitudes toward work, risk taking, and integrity of remuneration systems (Griffin and Pustay, 2010). Finally, culture is shared by associates of the society and in fact shapes the membership of the society. Persons who share a culture are members of a society, while those who do not are outside the confines of the society (Griffin and Pustay, 2010). Culture is inside everybody without their realization. We are different because of it. 2.0 Brief Introduction of Canada Location The country to be discussed in this assignment is Canada. Canada is located on the northern section of the North American continent which is the north of the United States mainland. Waters bordering the country consist of the North Atlantic Ocean to the east, the North Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Canada’s size is as great as that of the continent of Europe (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). With a total area of approximately 9,984,670 square kilometers according to CIA (2011), it is the largest country in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest in the world, after Russia (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). In addition, Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories. The three territories are Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut Territory (CIA, 2011; Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). These lands are all located in the northwestern, tundra regions of Canada, and each of them has a rather small population in comparison to the other provinces. Also, the territories are primarily settled by native tribes. These natives have obtained a certain level of self-government for each particular territory (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). Culture According to CIA, Canada has two official languages, namely English (58.8%) and French (21.6%). Thanks to the diversity of all origins Canadians which stand from British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, and mixed background 26%, Canada is a highly diverse culture. Besides, the major religions are Roman Catholic and Protestant (CIA, 2011). Due to its short history, Canadian culture is above all modern. This is particularly apparent in its authors, almost all of whom are still alive: Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Yann Martel (three recent Booker Prize winners), Marie-Claire Blais and Antonine Maillet are already popular in the US (Embassy of Canada in Washington, 2011). In recent decades, Canada has gained international recognition in the visual arts thanks to progressive artists. Jeff Wall, Rodney Graham, Edward Burtynsky, Ken Lum, Ian Wallace and Genevià ¨ve Cadieux introduced new uses for photography techniques, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller used new technologies in artistic formation (Embassy of Canada in Washington, 2011). Population The population of Canada in July 2011 was 34,030,589 as estimated by the CIA (2011), which made its population as number 37 among the 237 countries of the world. It was about 15.9% of the population was over 65 years of age, with 15.7% of the population under 15 years of age in 2011 and there were 98 males for every 100 females in the country in 2011 (CIA, 2011). According to CIA, the annual population growth rate for 2011 is 0.794%. It was estimated by CIA (2011) that 81% of the population lived in urban areas in 2009. Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, had a population of 1,170,000 in that year. The Toronto metropolitan area had an estimated population of 5,377,000; Montrà ©al, 3,750,000; Vancouver, 2,197,000; and Calgary, 1,160,000 (CIA, 2011). According to the Government of Yukon (2011), Yukon Territory has an expanding population over years of 34,667 as of 2010. It was originally occupied by the Athapaskan tribe, which still has six distinct groups of peoples residing in the territory (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). In April 2011, the Northwest Territories had a population of 43,505 (NWT Bureau of Statistics). There is about 28 percent of the population is descended from the Dene tribe, while other indigenous groups are the Inuvialuit and the Mà ©tis (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). Nunavut Bureau of Statistics (2011) shows that the Nunavut Territory had a population of 33,413 as of April 2011. It was separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999 and is now the largest political subdivision in the country, covering 18 percent of the total land area. Moreover, it is also the largest native land-claim settlement in the history of the country. About 84 percent of the residents claim ancestry from native tribes, and the largest of these Nunavut tribes is the Inuit of 83 percent, formerly known as the Eskimos which is a derogatory term meaning â€Å"eaters of raw meat†. Conversely, the remainder of the native population in Nunavut Territory is descended from the Dene and Mà ©tis tribes (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). Nationality According to CIA, the people of Canada is known as Canadian in singular form, and Canadians in the plural form, whereas the adjective of Canada is called Canadian. There are four steps to becoming a Canadian citizen. Firstly, determine if a person is eligible to become a citizen. Secondly, apply for citizenship. Next, take the citizenship test, if the person is between the ages of 18 and 54. Finally, attend a citizenship ceremony, if the person is 14 or older (CIC, 2011). Economy As Canada Site (2011) says, Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, has the tenth largest economy in the world, and has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world. Besides that, Canada is also a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Group of Eight (G8). OECD is a platform in which governments work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems (OECD, 2011), while G8 is the group of eight highly industrialized nations including Canada, which hold a yearly meeting, the G8 Summit to foster consensus on global issues like economic growth and crisis management, global security, energy, and terrorism (Council on Foreign Relations, 2011). Since World War II, the remarkable growth of the manufacturing, mining, and service sectors has transformed Canada from a largely rural economy into one primarily urban industrial. The 1989 US-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (which includes Mexico) touched off a dramatic increase in trade and economic integration with the United States of America (US), Canada’s principal trading partner. Canada benefits a substantial trade surplus with the US, which absorbs about three-fourths of Canadian exports each year. Furthermore, Canada is the US’s largest foreign supplier of energy, including oil, gas, uranium, and electric power. With great natural resources, skilled labor force, and modern capital plant, Canada’s economies enjoyed solid growth over years (CIA, 2011). The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country of purchasing power parity in 2010 was $1.33 trillion, which shows an increase after the economic recession from 2008 to 2009, with GDP of official exchange rate $1.574 trillion in 2010 (CIA, 2011). Together with the Real Gross Domestic Product (RGDP) for the year 2010 of $39,400, there was a surge since 2009. The services sector was the major part of composition of GDP which was 78% in 2010, with 20 % in industry, and 2% in agriculture. Canada also had an unemployment rate of 8% in 2010 which has a drop of 0.3% compared to 2009. However, the inflation rate also had a surge of 1.3% to 1.6% in 2010 (CIA, 2011). The agricultural products of Canada include wheat, barley, oilseed, tobacco, fruits and more, whereas the industries products are stand from transportation equipment, chemicals, processed and unprocessed minerals, food products, wood and paper products, fish products, petroleum and natural gas. The exports commodities are motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment, chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, and aluminum with $406.8 billion in 2010. Imported goods are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods with $406.4 billion in 2010 (CIA, 2011). On 8 July 2011, the rate of 1.00 US dollar is 0.96 Canadian Dollar, which is the currency of Canada, at an exchange rate of 0.9627 using nominal rate (Bank of Canada, 2011). Politics Canada achieved independence on the first of July 1867 and recognized by UK per Statute of Westminster on 11 December 1931. The government of Canada stands of a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy (CIA, 2011). Every territory has only one senator and one representative in the national parliament, fewer legislators than those representing the other provinces (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). Besides, the political leaders are consist of the Bloc Quebecois, Gilles Duceppe; Conservative Party of Canada, Stephen Harper; Green Party, Elizabeth May; Liberal Party, Robert Rae(interim); and New Democratic Party, Jack Layton. These political pressure groups are from the agricultural sector, automobile industry, business groups, chemical industry, commercial banks, communications sector, energy industry, environmentalists, public administration groups, steel industry, and trade unions (CIA, 2011). 3.0 Analysis of Geert Hofstede’s Dimensions Brief Nature of the Business The industry for this assignment is in the retailing sector. It is placed in Charlottetown, which is located in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Its primary industry is in the fish and seafood markets, together with its alternate industry of dealing with wholesalers and distributors, and a full-service restaurant. It serves as a seafood market to sell live and cooked lobster; live mussels, clams, oysters, and quahaugs; shucked scallops, frozen snow crab sections, haddock, salmon and halibut fillets, lobster meat, and much more. Besides, the organization also dispatches lobster, mussels and oysters across Canada. Having the company set off with wonderful views of the heritage Hillsborough River and Charlottetown waterfront, it is a spot for people heading to the waterfront for a delicious seafood meal, or purchasing lobster, mussels, clams, oysters, crab or fresh fillets from the seafood marke t in the town. Introduction of Geert Hofstede’s Dimensions Culture is defined into several ways. They include Geert Hofstede’s Five Dimensions which would be discussed as the following. Social Orientation Social orientation or individualism versus collectivism dimension looked at the relationship between the person and his or her fellows. In societies where individualism was emphasized, the ties between individuals were loose and individual achievement and freedom were highly treasured. In collectivistic societies, the bonds between individuals were tight. Therefore, people born in collective societies, for example extended families, and everyone was supposed to take care of the interest of his or her group (Hill, 2007). Power Orientation One of the dimensions from Hofstede is the power orientation (Giffin and Pustay, 2010), or the power distance as Hill (2007) says. It is mainly dealt with the way a society treats the fact of unequal physical and intellectual capabilities in humans. High power orientation cultures were found in countries that permit inequalities grow eventually into inequalities of power and wealth, says Hofstede (Hill, 2007). According to Griffin and Pustay (2010), high power orientation denotes a power respect culture, where people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their superiors merely on the basis of the superiors’ positions in the hierarchy. These same people also are inclined to respect the superiors’ right to that power orientation. People at all levels in a firm accept the decisions and mandates of those above them because of the implied belief that higher-level positions carry the right to make decisions and issue commands (Giffin and Pus tay, 2010). On the contrary, low power distance cultures would try to minimize such inequalities they could (Hill, 2007). As Griffin and Pustay (2010) say, low power orientation suggests that a culture is in power tolerance. It has much less significance to an individual’s position in the hierarchy. They are more willing to question a decision or mandate from those higher levels or even reject it. They are willing to follow a leader when that leader is perceived to be correct or when it seems to be in their own self-interest to do so but not because of the leader’s intangible right to issue mandates. Uncertainty Orientation Another dimension is uncertainty orientation (Griffin and Pustay, 2010) or uncertainty avoidance according to Hill (2007). It assessed the degree of various cultures socialize their members into acknowledging indefinite situations and tolerating ambiguity. Correlates of low uncertainty orientation, or uncertainty avoidance according to Griffin and Pustay (2010) a culture set high priority on job security, career patterns, retirement benefits, and the like. They also took seriously for rules and regulations; the manager was expected to deliver clear instructions, and subordinates’ initiatives were closely controlled (Hill, 2007). Furthermore, Griffin and Pustay (2010) define low power orientation as ambiguity and change are seen as undesirable, and society will prevent it whenever possible. These people prefer a structured, routine, and even bureaucratic, way of performing tasks. On the other hand, high uncertainty orientation, or uncertainty acceptance according to Griffin and Pustay (2010) cultures were regarded as a greater readiness to take risks and less emotional resistance to change (Hill, 2007). According to Griffin and Pustay (2010), people in uncertainty acceptance are stimulated by change and thrive on new opportunities. Ambiguity is considered as a context within which an individual can grow, develop, and engrave out new opportunities. A sense of monotony, routineness, and overbearing structure are the certainty carried in this culture. Goal Orientation Goal orientation or masculinity versus feminity according to Hill (2007) is the approach in which people are motivated to work toward different types of goals. One extreme on the goal orientation range is aggressive goal behavior. People who display aggressive goal behavior or masculine cultures according to Hill (2007) tend to place a high premium on material possessions, money, and assertiveness. At the other extreme, passive goal behavior or feminine cultures according to Hill (2007) are people that place a higher value on social relationships, quality of life, and welfare for others. Moreover, cultures that value aggressive goal behavior also tend to define gender-based roles rather rigidly, whereas cultures that stress passive goal behavior do not. In cultures regarded as extremely aggressive goal behavior, men are expected to work and to focus their careers in conventionally male occupations; women are usually expected not to work outside the home and to focus on their families. If they do work outside the home, they are usually expected to be engaged in areas of traditionally work dominated by women (Griffin and Pustay, 2010). Time Orientation Hofstede’s fifth dimension, time orientation, is the extent to which members of a culture adopt a long-term against a short-term outlook on work, life, and other aspects of society. Some cultures, such as those of Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, have a longterm, future orientation that cherish dedication, hard work, perseverance, and moderation. Other cultures, including those of Pakistan and West Africa, have a tendency to focus on the past and present, stressing respect for traditions and fulfillment of social obligations (Griffin and Pustay, 2010). Assessment of Canada’s Culture Using Hofstede’s Dimensions In this part of the assignment, Canada’s culture is studied along Hofstede’s Dimensions. The ranking of Five Dimensions for Canada adapted from Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions (2009) is shown in Figure 1 below.

Asian students perform better academically than US students

Asian students perform better academically than U.S. students throughout the entire school year. In order to prove that Asian students do perform better, Harold W. Stevenson and his colleagues proposed a series of large cross-national studies, beginning 1980. Stevenson discussed his studies in the article â€Å"Learning from Asian Schools†. The studies compared Chinese, Japanese, and American children who sampled from first grade and fifth grade classrooms in elementary schools in Minneapolis, Chicago, Sendai, Beijing, and Taipei. The studies found that in mathematics average scores of the Asian first and fifth graders were higher than the American averages. When compared the scores from different grades, the studies found decline in American schools as well as improvement in Taiwan and steady high performance in Japan. In addition, the studies found that in reading the Asian students caught up by the fifth grade following the increased demands in Asian languages, although American first graders tended towards the top on these tests. The test results undoubtedly confirmed the truth about the superior performance of Asian students over American students. According to the studies, Stevenson found that there were three main reasons associated with Asian children†s success: cultural differences, educational system and teacher performance. Asian mothers considered the most important thing in their children†s life is to do well in school; education is equivalent to the children†s future. Therefore, Asian mothers hold high standards for their children†s academic performance, believing that the road to success is through effort, having positive attitudes about achievement, and studying diligently. In contrast, American mothers had very high satisfaction with their children†s academic performance because they lacked measurement standards for performance, and believed their children†s success came from being born with intelligence and being diligent. American mothers also placed a lesser emphasis on academic achievement because they believed their children†s childhood shouldn†t solely focus on school. Asian mothers† attitudes caused their children to work harder to improve their performance. In addition to the cultural difference mentioned above, the different education system also formed a barrier for American students through the road of success. In school daily life, American students spent most of their time in the classroom. Dissimilarly, Asian schools had frequent recesses and a longer lunch period that in turn maintained the students attention to the teachers. The after school activities and clubs in Asian schools made the school an enjoyable place, therefore, students appeared well behaved and well adjusted, which could be proven by fewer complains in school and better attendance by Asian students. Due to the clear academic goal, the more demanding curriculum for Asian students actually did not cause extraordinary stress. Asian teachers† performance also contributed to the students† academic achievements. Compared to American teachers† individual work and self-adjusted schedule, Asian teachers usually consult each other, worked as a group to design teaching techniques in following the national curriculum, hence provided the best understanding from the students. Asian teachers only spent part of their school time teaching and prepared the classes in the teacher†s room for rest of the working time; this allowed them to prepare their classes well. Asian teachers followed preplanned materials and assigned a â€Å"brief period of seatwork throughout the class period†(Stevenson 236), which provide a series of productive interaction and discussions for students. In contrast, American teachers had to cover all elementary school subjects and spent most of their time at school teaching, so they didn†t have enough time to prepare classes. In addition, American teachers explained concept first and gave seatwork later during class, thus reducing the students† attention. Even the Asian teachers† education background was not as high as American teachers, the â€Å"in-service training under the supervision of skilled models†(Stevenson, 236) used by Asian schools gave the teachers the skills to gain students attention, which included giving feedback to students, using more materials that can be manipulated and relating the subjects to the students† daily life. In conclusion, the U.S. had to create a cultural emphasis on academic success and education, which is not merely increase the length of school days but had to change the way of American teachers† jobs performance. Stevenson considered the culture difference might cause some biased results, so he proposed his studies by using wide range of scientific data to gain the precise statistics. According to Stevenson†s studies, Asian students perform better academically is a truism. Nevertheless, American schools will not achieve the same level of success if they completely imitate Asian schools. In addition, Stevenson merely compared the children†s scores might ignore their practice abilities. Although theories dominate practices, the good performance on test paper does not equal to the strong practice abilities. Undoubtedly, the great academic performance achieved by Asian schools is worth praise, however, it is very difficult to compare success factors between different cultures. Therefore, the ways to improve American schools† performance should be adjusted to fit in the need and want of American schools. In other words, merely introducing higher standards, longer school days, and new education systems cannot improve the performance of American schools. Simultaneously, it is very important for American schools to discard the dross and select the essential from Asian schools† academic experiences in order to establish a series of countermeasures. Once American schools recognize their shortcomings and build a new academic culture base on their advantage, American academic achievement will rise to world standards. When I was a third grader of elementary school in China, my Chinese teacher not only impressed me through her outstanding teaching performance but also evoked my interest in writing composition. In Chinese education standards, third grade of elementary school is the time to learn how to write a short narrative composition. I had no idea how to describe an affair†s process. On the first day of class for composition, I felt really nervous because I did not know what I was going to face. I thought the teacher would give us something to write, but what surprised me was that she started the class by telling us a tale of the fisherman and goldfish. I was immersed by the interesting story and felt completely relaxed. After the teacher finished the story, she distributed a copy of it to us and started a discussion about the story. Following a series of â€Å"what if, how and why† questions about the story under the teacher†s instruction, we reached an alliance that the writer†s abundant imagination and remarkable writing skills let readers fall into the story. The teacher did not ask us to write anything after the class; I had already readied to start my first composition in my mind, because I had understood how a good story could bring happiness to people. For the rest of my years in elementary school, I wrote compositions to entertain myself and finally could not live without it. The compositions that I wrote in the third grade were really ridiculous, but I always remembered and appreciated the teacher†s aspiration and encouragement. Without her positive feedback, I would never have benefited from writing Chinese composition. From my personal experience, I believe that Asian students do not gain the remarkable academic achievements by sheer good luck. In other words, the academic success of Asian schools is worthy of praise.

Response for Was Sumerian Civilization Exclusively Male Dominated Essay

Response for Was Sumerian Civilization Exclusively Male Dominated - Essay Example The Sumerian Pantheon and theology were primarily populated and controlled by male deities like An, Enlil and Enki (Starr, 1965). The important Sumerian epic Gilgamesh has a male as its central character (Starr, 1965). In the Sumerian social hierarchy, the leading priestly class was male dominated (Starr, 1965). In contrast, Kramer presents Sumerian history and cosmology as an arena impregnated by both the male and female influences, in which the feminine element does hold its sway. The inscriptions of King Urukagina do prove that in the early Sumerian society, women did wield power in the Sumerian political and religious life (Kramer, 1976). Many important high priestesses like Enheduanna were esteemed for the political and literary contributions made by them (Kramer, 1976). The Sumerian Pantheon comprised of influential and powerful goddesses like Ninhursag and Inanna (Kramer, 1976). The position evinced by Kramer is more agreeable as it takes into consideration the larger body of the available historical and literary evidence, to elaborate on the position of women in the Sumerian society. This position is supported by Henk Dijkstra. As per him, women did command much power in the Sumerian legal system (Dijkstra, 1996, p. 241). K Ann Pyburn also mentions the important role played by women in the Sumerian political hierarchy (Pyburn, 2004, p. 34). As per Pyburn, the feminine element is distinctly visible in the Sumerian political history and

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Director Spike Jonze's music video for ''Praise You'' Essay

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Price of Ignorance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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The Comission of the new Saint Peter's, and the role of Indulgences Research Paper

The Comission of the new Saint Peter's, and the role of Indulgences behind it - Research Paper Example The deceit and effectiveness of papacy and priests led to chief uprisings. This resulted to splitting and restructuring of the cathedral. With Martin Luther of Germany, came the rebirth of another ideology of protestant church. Indulgence brought world’s supreme brain works and talents of Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini and Raphael together. They were all working headed for a universal objective, which is creating the most magnificent and religious location in the world. Michelangelo, the chief architect of St Peters, at the time did an inspirational work even to the unbelievers. He goes ahead and says despite corruption and materialism, the basilica was worth it all. Indulgence applies only to the living (Justice 189). The church perceives its authority at faultless and self-proclaims itself as flawless and righteous yet it evidently shows shocking rate of power abuse and failings. In the medieval times the church sold indulgences to build a sanctuary. This does not justify church doctrines and in particular papacy pentagram of administration of the church and magisterium’s judgments. The Catholic Church exquisitely kept from chance of error in her ultimate teaching on matters of devotion and morality yet in those trying times, the church fell contradictorily with its doctrines and mitigated restrictions of infallibility in papacy. The church teaches that avoidance of worldly riches, rule and possessions as an attribute of spiritual livelihood ironically. The popes and the early churchmen funded the building of the cathedral from self-indulgence, corruption and misuse of power. The church taught that prayer and normal supplication in the sacraments might save man from everlasting damnation instead of God’s grace as quoted by Luther. The church granted indulgence paid in coins approved by Pope Adrian 1 in 780 (Pastor 234). This meant that one could commit

The Process of Selection in Course Development Essay Example for Free

The Process of Selection in Course Development Essay Course development starts with the proper selection of course, resources, and strategy.   In selecting the course, certain factors have to be considered, such as the level of knowledge, the level of skill, and the level of confidence that the course requires. Expertise is one of the most significant factors in selecting the course because teaching requires that the instructor or teacher should have a solid background and knowledge regarding the subject.   Along with the selection of the course comes the selection of the basic topics or ideas that have to be discussed.    The organization or flow of the course would have to depend on these, so it has to be consistent with the subject, the level of teaching, and the philosophy or beliefs that the instructor wishes to evoke.   The basic theme or approach of study should also be selected. Next to selecting the course and the philosophy would be the resources from which the content of the course would have to depend on.   This includes the materials, the devices, and the people, which can influence the execution of the course ideas and philosophy.   Team teachers, librarians, community members, as well as computer support personnel are all included in the people resources.   It is in this stage as well that the tenets of discipline are being considered, as based on the philosophy and resources that are being made available. Lastly, when it comes to the strategy, the first thing to plan would be the basic objective that should come in line with the theme, tenets of discipline, and philosophy that are being selected.   Selecting objectives for the curriculum includes the learning theories and philosophies that would fulfill the execution of the strategy. It is important, too, that all these are related to the learning needs and characteristics (e.g., cognitive, cultural, social) of the learners.   Their skills and familiarity count a lot when developing the strategy, and by going over these, the instructor should have a basic framework on the best strategy that should fulfill the learning process, as indicated by the overall context.   Since learning should be a continuous process, the learners’ experience, motivation, and diversity should not be ignored. Reference Neal, I.P. (1998, September). Teaching centers, instructional technology, and course development.   Retrieved June 26, 2008, from the Technology Source Archives database: http://technologysource.org/article/teaching_centers_instructional_technology_and_course_development/.

Journals Of Wound Care And Management Nursing Essay

Journals Of Wound Care And Management Nursing Essay The purpose of this study is to give a critical analysis of the Literature, and briefly enumerate the causes, treatment, prevention and the risk factors of Pressure Ulcers (PUs). The process leading to pressure ulcer formation and early detection of individuals who are at risk of developing it for prompt prevention are paramount in this study. Methods: The methods adopted in this dissertation involved various strategies: selecting a review topic and searching the literatures to be used. Gathering, reading and analysing the literatures. It also involved critical examination of the various causes, treatment and preventive measures. Furthermore, it is also intended to find out the various risk factors that could lead to its emergence. On this basis, a number of research articles was examined after which their literatures were critically analysed All the literature searches were undertaken online with the aid of computer and electronic databases. Computer databases are used because they offer access to varieties of information, which could not be obtained manually. Findings and Conclusions: This study went further to find out the effect of age and nutrition on the persistence and spread of presure ulcer. Finally, having given a critical analysis of the literatures, it summarised the findings as well as the various ways to curtail the emergence as well as improving the wellbeing of the patients with essential pressure ulcer, ie, those who by reason of underlying health conditions such as diabetes and catheterized individuals, people with profound learning disability, who could not avoid staying in one position for too long. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The impact of pressure ulcers on the quality of life of the people with learning disability cannot be overemphasised, as it can be devastating (Spilsbury et al. 2007; MEP Ltd, 2009; NHS for Scotland, 2009). A pressure ulcer (PU) otherwise known as pressure sore, pressure damage, pressure injuries or bed sore (Spilsbury et al. 2007), is an area of the skin that has become abraded gradually due to a reduction or cessation of blood flowing through that part of the body. It is mainly as a result of continuous maintenance of same position when sitting or lying down for a long period of time, (RCN, 2005). It can also be described as a localised abrasion on the skin or the underlying tissue, in most cases over a bony prominence, due to the pressure or pressure in combination with deformation of the site; this can also be caused by friction. Based on the degree of damage, it can further be defined as partial-thickness of skin loss involving epidermis or dermis; mainly affecting the surface manifesting as a scratch, fluid-filled elevation of the skin or simply as a swollen crater (Lyder, 2010 Guy, 2012). Furthermore, Pressure ulcer in some other cases can present as an erythematic or abnormal r edness of the skin due to dilation of the blood vessels in the skin. (www.merckmanuals.com/home/heart_and_blood_vessel_disorders.html). The reddened area remains as such for longer than 30 minutes after pressure is relieved (Barbanel, and Hagisawa, 2001). In view of the fact that Pressure ulcer has been widely noted to reduce the quality of life in people with learning disability (Dorner et al, 2009), this topic is very important and relevant to a very large extent for Nurses and other carers involved with the treatment and management of PUs in individuals having learning disability. Among the many reasons for choosing this particular topic are as follows: Having established that pressure ulcers are a major cause of morbidity, mortality and healthcare burden globally and that many of the cases are avoidable (Whittington et al, 2004); it follows that solutions need to be sought aimed at reducing it, if its prevalence. Looking at PUs from the perspectives of treatment and management, it has been observed that both treatment and management are capital intensive, but it is also preventable (Soban et al; White-Chu, 2011). It is very important to concentrate more efforts at minimising the occurrence of PUs, rather than wasting resources on treatment, which might be counterproductive, especially in diabetic patients (European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel [EPUAP], 2005). Pressure ulcers pose grave consequences on the wellbeing of people with profound learning disability, be that as it may, its treatment, prevention and management is a major priority within the clinical and policy agenda. It is very important that patients are educated on the impact of PUs on health and quality of life, at the same time; it is their right to make informed decision about their care and treatment in conjunction with the healthcare provider (Spilsbury et al, 2007; NICE clinical guideline, 2005). In addition, the data generated could be used to estimate the total number of cases with PUs within a particular population (i.e. prevalence) and the rate at which new Pressure Ulcers are occurring in people in needing medical care. (Clark, 2007). (Plaum et al, 2006), in their questionnaire research on Pressure ulcer discovered that it was possible for patients to have a combination of deficiency of sensory experience as well as memory loss. The above combination of health challenges tended to increase the probability of having PUs (Plaum et al, 2006). This study will therefore discuss common risk factors for developing pressure ulcers in people with learning disability, its prevention and management (Guy H, 2012, Vanderwee et al, 2007). This study will also find out effect on age, and nutrition on the persistence and spread of pressure ulcer. The findings will summarise the various ways to curtail the emergence as well as the ways to improve the wellbeing of the patients with pressure sores. According to the International guidelines on Pressure ulcer prevention, prevalence and Incidence (MEP Ltd, 2009: page 8); à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"the results of PUs prevalence and incidence studies could be used for enlightenment purposes, to reduce PUs occurrence, and therefore improve clinical practiceà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ . It is very important to understand the consequences and pitfalls of the prevalence and incidence of PUs. Lastly, it is essential for all healthcare practitioners, managers, payers and financiers involved in the development, implementation and assessment of PU prevention protocols (Fletcher et al, 2011). The overall aim of this study a strategy geared towards the reduction of PUs as well as reducing the number of patients who have it. The need for identification and production of new antimicrobial agents that are selectively toxic, that is; being able to destroy the causative agent with little side effect on the host and broadly effective with a low propensity to induce resistance is very crucial (Bowler et al, 2001). According to (Bowler et al, 2001); while it is true that microorganisms are known to be responsible for wound infections, there are widespread controversies relating to the exact mechanisms by which the microbes cause infection and also their significance in non-healing wounds that fail to exhibit clinical manifestation. (Robson, 1999); observed that the mass per unit volume of microorganisms is a critical factor in determining the probability of the wound healing. However, (Pallua et al, 1999) argued the fact that certain virulent microorganisms were isolated is evidential in delayed wound healing. Nevertheless, others have reported that microorganisms à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"per seà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  play little or no role in wound healing or slow healing. (EWMA MEP Ltd, 2005), stated that; not all wounds become infected, being that, the susceptibility or resistivity of the host determines the chance of such a wound eventually becoming infected by bacterial pathogen. Although the role of Microbiology laboratory is incontrovertible, the necessity of carrying out wound culture and sensitivity testing must be critically considered in order to save in cost, labour, and avoid unnecessary disturbance to the patient, (Bowler et al 2001). 1.3 Mode of treatment: since pressure ulcer (PU) is a debilitating chronic wound that affects mostly individuals who are incapacitated as a result of age or an underlying illness (Lyder, 2003), or people with profound learning disability who spent longer time on a particular position, its treatment typically involves multiple treatment procedures simultaneously; such as support surface and dressings. Nutritional supplements are essential; since most individuals with learning disability have been known to have diet problems (Dorner et al, 2009). At successive stages of the treatment, different treatments are applied (Lyder, 2003). CHAPTER TWO METHODS The methods adopted in this dissertation involved various strategies: Selecting a review topic and searching the literatures to be used. Gathering reading materials and analysing the literature followed by the review of references. Having selected the topic the next step was identification of the appropriate and related information. This method was in agreement with (Hek and Langton 2000). In their study, they discovered and applied a particular orderly approach which was sequential and capable of generating reliable and beneficial information unlike the traditional review. All the literature searches were undertaken online with the aid of computer and electronic databases. The reason for using computer databases is that they offer access to varieties of information, which cannot be obtained manually and sometimes quite recent. Keyword searches were the most common method of identifying literature (Ely and Scott, 2007). However, keywords which have to do with the review/assessment and management of pressure ulcers were used. Databases of particular relevance to the selected topic, which are very useful for Nurses (Parahoo, 2006), aided the search for related journals which included: British Nursing Index Nursing Journals in English Language CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and related publications. This according to (Polit and Beck, 2006), offers an important, reliable and up-to-date electronic databases for Nurses and other healthcare professionals. More importantly, CINAHL databases offer both staff and student Nurses the most recent and best available evidence-based clinical practice. Medical Subject Headings or subject headings: Pubmed/MEDLINE Google scholar The essence of using numerous databases was to harvest a large catalogue of research materials including those directly linked to the field of learning disability practice: Journal of Learning Disabilities Journal of Intellectual Disabilities. Journals of wound care and management. Generally, Journals are much more up-to-date than books which were probably written decades ago since information is dynamic and prone to changes. Therefore, maximum period of 10 years was placed on the age of the works and journals that were used in this work except in some rear cases where no recent materials were found in relation to the subject matter. The search strategy sought to identify all published and unpublished research investigating patient reports about the impact of PUs and PU interventions on HRQL. Data extraction involved the reading through each of the published articles and identifying their findings in the form of statements by the author supported by patient reported data, the extracted patient reported data produced (Gorecki et al 2009). Moreover, specialist Journals were also hand-searched. The internet played a crucial role for web sites on pressure ulcer publications, as well as books from my local area and the university library. Eligibility: Both exclusion and inclusion criteria were used for the primary and final selection for reporting the impact of PUs and interventions respectively on Health related quality of life (HRQL), including symptoms and patient evaluation of interventions. (Gorecki et al 2009).

wireless networking :: essays research papers

There are many reasons why wireless networks are used. One reason is for a temporary backup to an existing broken cable network. Cable networks can leave many users disconnected from the network by one bad or broken cable. When this happens a wireless network may help to get these users connected until they can be reconnected through or repaired cable. This also leads to the usage of wireless networks being used as a backup. It would be much easier to connect the disconnected users to the network if they were already set up with the proper wireless networking software and hardware prior to the problem. Therefore, being used as a backup is very useful especially in buildings where the architecture makes it difficult to find and repair broken cables. Another reason wireless is needed is because there are some places where cables just can not reach. This may be the case in many businesses where cables can not be run across roads, long distances, or to mobile users. With a wireless network these are not obstacles. Wireless networks provide, which was just mentioned as a problem for cable networks, the option of portability. Cell phones, pagers and palm pilots are all items that could not be connected to networks, such as the Internet, if not for wireless networks. Another use of wireless is in areas where cables simply can not be ran or can not be ran without many complications. Historical buildings, for example, make cabling difficult or impossible due to the old architecture where cabling was not anticipated. Busy areas are another reason for wireless. Reception areas, for instance, may have many people in the area all the time so cabling may not be practical. Another need is for people who are on the move. Good examples of this would be doctors or nurses who are going in and out of rooms and taking a lot of information quickly. Palm pilots using infrared technology, which we will discuss later, makes it possible for a doctor to have information about a patient or to find out possible medications all within a few seconds thanks to these devices. Isolated areas provide another need for wireless networks. In this case, there may not be the availability to link to the network through cables. An off ice in Alaska would be a good example of this problem. These are just a few examples of the many possible needs of wireless networks. wireless networking :: essays research papers There are many reasons why wireless networks are used. One reason is for a temporary backup to an existing broken cable network. Cable networks can leave many users disconnected from the network by one bad or broken cable. When this happens a wireless network may help to get these users connected until they can be reconnected through or repaired cable. This also leads to the usage of wireless networks being used as a backup. It would be much easier to connect the disconnected users to the network if they were already set up with the proper wireless networking software and hardware prior to the problem. Therefore, being used as a backup is very useful especially in buildings where the architecture makes it difficult to find and repair broken cables. Another reason wireless is needed is because there are some places where cables just can not reach. This may be the case in many businesses where cables can not be run across roads, long distances, or to mobile users. With a wireless network these are not obstacles. Wireless networks provide, which was just mentioned as a problem for cable networks, the option of portability. Cell phones, pagers and palm pilots are all items that could not be connected to networks, such as the Internet, if not for wireless networks. Another use of wireless is in areas where cables simply can not be ran or can not be ran without many complications. Historical buildings, for example, make cabling difficult or impossible due to the old architecture where cabling was not anticipated. Busy areas are another reason for wireless. Reception areas, for instance, may have many people in the area all the time so cabling may not be practical. Another need is for people who are on the move. Good examples of this would be doctors or nurses who are going in and out of rooms and taking a lot of information quickly. Palm pilots using infrared technology, which we will discuss later, makes it possible for a doctor to have information about a patient or to find out possible medications all within a few seconds thanks to these devices. Isolated areas provide another need for wireless networks. In this case, there may not be the availability to link to the network through cables. An off ice in Alaska would be a good example of this problem. These are just a few examples of the many possible needs of wireless networks.

Graduation Speech: Nothing is Accomplished Without Risk :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I would like to begin by saying that I am honored to be able to stand before you tonight as a representative of my class, a great class, the class of 2012! I remember starting kindergarten and looking at high school with such awe. It was almost a dream. Each year I took a step closer, but it always seemed so far away. And yet tonight, I stand up here representing the realization of that dream. We have done it! No, really, think about it for a second, we have achieved the biggest, most anticipated event of our lives. We made it! Graduates congratulate yourselves on a job well done. Sitting here tonight shows a great deal of work and dedication. Seriously, look back on what you have done in just that last four years, let alone what you have accomplished in all your years of school. It is astounding what we have done. Congratulations, your perseverance has finally paid off. But also, we must remember to thank our parents, for it has been with their help and support that we have achieved our goal. We stand here tonight celebrating the accomplishment of our greatest achievement. But we also stand on the brink of the greatest challenge and adventure of our lives. This ceremony is all that lies between us and the so-called "real world." We are about to embark into the future. A future with infinite possibilities. High school was an important step in our lives, but it was only a step. We must always strive to educate ourselves and work to the best of our abilities. We must use the tools that we have been given to push ourselves to our fullest potential. The only way to utilize the infinite possibilities of the future is to work. To strive to do our best and then some, and to risk. Nothing in life is accomplished without risk. A risk of self, a risk of time, of money, of anything, a risk. With this is mind I would like to close by sharing with you a quote called "Man in the Arena," by Theodore Roosevelt. "It is not the critic who counts. Not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or the doer of deeds might have done them better.

Week Case Assignment

In the orientation process I would Inform them of our hospital's fantastic mentoring program. How we promote confidence, learning and professional growth. I would explain that we adapted the culture from Johns-Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which has been ranked the top 25 hospitals, â€Å"Best Hospitals† for twenty- one consecutive years. I would stress on utilizing the hospital's tuition reimbursement and the quarterly professional development classes.How we believe in the staff so much that we provide free medical care for the employee and family members within our hospital. The hospital offer discounted rates for the on-site dry cleaners and discounts for entertainment. I would help them manage stress and prevent burnout by providing discounts to local restaurants [business and hosting annual employee appreciation dinners. I would have monthly raffles that would give the winner a day off with pay. The hospital would have surprise pep rallies that would consist of balloons and clowns.By offering these incentives the hospital will give the newly hired nurses the culture and values of the hospital environment. 2. Hospital staff has to endure with fast-paced, long shifts, stressful environment hat are constantly pushed to limitations. (Evangelic, Kankakee, & Matheson) By creating a trusting, and open communication that support the staff in a hospital environment will help reduce and manage their stress levels. Having management and departmental leaders display the desired behavior they would like to have the employees demonstrate on the Job and off the Job.The management and departmental leaders set clear expectation of hospital staff. Hospitals could keep an effective mentoring program that employees could rely on for providing confidence, learning, and professional growth. 3. Exhibit 2. Intervention Points to Influence Culture Change. The cycle of the points are; Behavior, Justification of behavior, Cultural Communications, Hiring and colonization of m embers who fit in with the culture (Culture), and Removal of members who deviate from the culture. Evangelic, Kankakee, & Matheson, Exhibit 2. 6 Intervention Points to Influence Cultural Change) A company that I was previously employed with had poor communication problems with the staff. During a restructuring process the facility manager was fired. A manager from the Greensboro, NC faculty relocated to the Memphis, TN faculty. He Implemented shift dieting that started at the beginning of every shift. The meeting would inform the He would have a weekly meeting with his managers and supervisor for them to inform him of any problems.He would advise us of any information that we would have to convey back to the employees. He took away dress down Fridays for office staff, supervisors and departmental managers. He wanted to give a professional environment to the hourly employees at all times. The multiple communications and the dress code he created in the organization changed the behavi or of the employees and the supervising staff. I believe it was successful in creating a desired culture.

A lasting impact

America forever, it was a decade of prosperity, fast cars, jazz, speakeasies, and â€Å"wild† youth. How did America attained all these new qualities in such a short amount of time? It's simple, a growing economy, newfound culture, and changes in society. This essay will discuss how the economy,culture and society all impacted the 1 sass. Henry Ford's model T automobile Is one of the Inventions of the ear that helped shaped the economy. Ford's idea of the assembly line and mass production helped Improve the production of not only cars but other material goods as well.In addition, Henry Ford's cars were fairly priced making them easily accessible to all Americans. With the demand of cars growing, more materials were needed to build these automobiles. This stimulated the the glass, fabric, rubber, and gasoline Industries, and along the way helped establish the motel Industry. The model T was not the only thing that Influenced the sass. The technological improvements in the radio made it possible to connect the entire nation, creating a mass-culture. Everyone was tuned in to their favorite radio shows and listened toDuke Elongation's and George Gershwin's latest hits. Similarly new technology made it possible to watch movies with sound and color. With these improvements people lost their ethnic culture and became more Americanizes. The music of the 1 sass is often blamed for the radical social changes in young peoples activities and ideals. Much different from their parents, many youth in the sass embraced their sexuality. Young women had raised hemline, bobbed hair, and wore red lipstick. Women also started to advocate for their right to contraceptives, as well as campaign for equal rights.Socially, the people of the sass broke away from their traditional ideals and modesty and became more liberated, especially women. In a final analysis, the sass economy, culture, and society changed the ways of America forever. The new production of cars, style of music and fashion set the stage for a modern America, and no one can deny that fact. Since then America's economy has been a consumer based economy, velveteen in culture, and short he miles by the decade. A lasting impact By Uninspired cars, Jazz, speakeasies, and â€Å"wild† youth.How did America attained all these new society all impacted the sass. Henry Ford's model T automobile is one of the inventions of the ear that helped improve the production of not only cars but other material goods as well. In addition, With the demand of cars growing, more materials were needed to build these automobiles. This stimulated the the glass, fabric, rubber, and gasoline industries, and along the way helped establish the motel industry. The model T was not the only thing that influenced the sass. The technological The music of the sass is often blamed for the radical social changes in young

The Isis-Aphrodite

This figure of Isis-Aphrodite is currently on exhibit in the Johns Hopkins University Archaeological Museum. It is displayed alongside several other artworks of deities from the ancient Mediterranean, each individual object incorporating aspects from a myriad of religious systems and cults. The Isis-Aphrodite figure dates back to the Roman Empire sometime between 150-200 CE. It is made from a copper alloy and would once have been a burnished orange, but now appears a dark green-gray. It is 29.9 cm tall and 15.3 cm wide. The figure stands with her weight on her right leg and her left leg slightly bent, in a relaxed contrapposto, her right foot slightly forward. Her arms are outstretched but bent at the elbows. In her left hand she holds a small pedestal upon which a miniature figure sits; in her right hand she grasps a handle, though the body of the object has come unattached. She is naked, but wears an array of jewelry: two armbands, round earrings, a necklace, and a crown. Her hair is parted down the middle and pulled back into a knot at the nape of her neck, with a coil of hair across each shoulder. She looks directly toward the viewer, her expression neutral. Her eyes sockets are large and round but empty, and might once have contained inlays. The figure embodies the goddesses Isis and Aphrodite, two foreign deities that were adopted by syncretic religious cults of the Roman Empire. Isis was one of the primary deities of the Egyptian pantheon, fulfilling a myriad of roles and responsibilities. As a wife and mother, magical healer, and protector of the dead, she was one of the most diverse deities of ancient Egypt. She was the wife and sister of Osiris, god of the dead and the afterlife, and the mother of Horus, god of the sky and the pharaohs; thus, Isis was closely associated with the afterlife, resurrection, fertility, and kingship (1). Even before the Romans conquered Egypt and adopted its gods, the Egyptians themselves had blurred the lines between their individual deities. Isis, notably, was closely associated with several deities, and dabbled in many domains. Most pertinent here is her association with the goddess Hathor, who was the personification of love and sexuality. It may have been the close tie between Isis and Hathor that allowed Isis to be so easily associated with the goddess Aphrodite during the Hellenistic and Roman eras, as Hathor served as a parallel to Aphrodite (4). As Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of love and sexuality, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was the daughter of Uranus, the primeval god of the sky, and wife to Hephaestus, god of the forge and fire. As the goddess of sexuality, Aphrodite was often depicted nude – more so in later eras. She was also often portrayed with her sacred animal, the dove, or one of her many symbols, such as a mirror, apple, or shell. When Alexander the Great, and later the Romans, conquered Egypt, they adopted the Egyptian Pantheon into the Greek one; some cults merged Isis with Aphrodite, and worshipped Isis-Aphrodite as a goddess of their combined realms. They also combined the two goddesses' iconography, as in the figure from the Archeological Museum. It would be difficult to identify the figure by its physiognomy alone, but it is made recognizable by its adornments and their symbolism. Several details help to identify the figure as some version of Aphrodite. The figure is unclothed, as Aphrodite was commonly depicted by this era. As the goddess of love and sexuality, she was often portrayed naked, and represented an ideal of beauty. She was also believed to have risen from the sea fully naked, born from seafoam when Uranus's genitalia were cut off by his son Kronos and thrown into the ocean. Her very origin reinforces the notion of her sexuality and lends credence to later depictions of her in the nude. The figure of Isis-Aphrodite is, however, adorned with lavish jewelry, as images of Aphrodite sometimes are. Of special note is the crown she wears – a Greek stephane, a metal headband that rose in the center and tapered down toward the temples. Greek female deities were often shown wearing a stephane, and sometimes a veil, which marked their divinity. The figure also holds two objects in her hands. In her right, she grasps a handle, although the upper part of the object is no longer attached; it is thought, however, to have once been a mirror. Mirrors were one of Aphrodite's many symbols, and represented her unmatched beauty. Nonetheless, this is only a postulate, and one cannot be sure what the missing element actually was. In her other hand, though, she still holds a small pedestal surmounted by a sitting figure. This component is what identifies the figure as Isis-Aphrodite. The pedestal resembles a lotus blossom, a sacred flower of the Egyptians that represented renewal. The flower would close at night and reopen at the dawn, and thus represented the daily cycle of the sun; it also represented rebirth, and was thus closely related to Osiris – Isis's husband – and the realm of the dead (3). Accordingly, the lotus was also associated with Isis herself. Sitting on the lotus is an image of the infant Harpocrates, who was a manifestation of Horus and the young sun (2). Harpocrates has a finger in his mouth and wears a disk on his head, a symbol of the sun. The details limn a very comprehensive image of Harpocrates, identifying the miniature figure as a canonical depiction of the young Horus, Isis's son. One of Isis's roles was that of a mother, and she was a fierce protectress. She is sometimes depicted with him, as in the Isis-Aphrodite figure.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Isis-Egyptian-goddesshttp://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/glossary.aspx?id=169http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/glossary.aspx?id=225http://www.academia.edu/5011152/The_Hellenistic-Roman_cult_of_Isis

Continuing Academic Success Essay

Continuing Academic Success is extremely important to those who plan to make advancements in their chosen career fields. It provides the opportunity to keep current with ideas, techniques, and advancements that are being made in their area of employment. We will address the importance of setting achievable goals, the importance of learning styles in academic success and the validity of ethics and academic integrity in helping to achieve continuing academic and professional success. Setting Goals Distinct, clearly defined goals that can be measured will allow a person to take pride in accomplishing the goals they have set. They are able to see clear forward progress in what otherwise might seem a long drawn out process. Setting goals allows one to choose where they want to go in school or in a career and what they want to achieve. Knowing what they want to achieve, helps them know what they have to concentrate on and improve. Goal setting gives one long-term vision and short-term motivation. By setting goals students and employees can: improve their academic and career performance, increase their motivation to achieve, increase pride and satisfaction in performance and improve their self- confidence. Setting goals and measuring their achievements allow the goal setters to see what they have done and what they are capable of doing. Seeing their results gives them confidence and assurance and motivation they need to believe they can achieve higher goals. Effective goal setting requires one to express goals positively, be accurate, set priorities, keep goals small, set goals one can control and set specific measurable goals. Writing down your goals symbolizes a real commitment to strive to make them reality. My educational goal is to increase pride and satisfaction in performance while studying to obtain my degree. Knowing the importance of writing as a form of communication, it my desire to improve my writing skills in an effort to better express my ideas in a manner that will be clear, coherent and understandable. My career goa is to obtain my Associate’s Degree in Health Care Administration by the summer of 2016. Goal setting provides a positive means to help motivate the learner. Motivation is a necessary part of  providing the learners with initiative and incentive to accomplish the goals they have established. Motivation is that drive or desire to do are accomplish a given task. â€Å"A common lay person’s definition of motivation is that it involves a strong personal interest in a particular subject or activity. Students are motivated and they learn and achieve because of this strong interest.†9 (Linnebrink, 2002)Students and employees are motivated in many different ways but their motivation can vary based upon the situation or context in which they find themselves, (Linnebrink,2002) which means motivation is inherently changeable and sensitive to the context. Motivation will also vary based upon the subject matter being taught. Study results show that students who participate in religious services more frequently usually have a more positive self- image, feel good about school, have parental involvement, have fewer behavior problems and make higher scores. ((Toldson, 2010) Learning Styles Another major factor in the achievement of continuing academic success is the learner’s awareness of their unique learning styles. Learning styles refer to the different strengths and preferred methods students and employees: use to receive and process information. Awareness of their learning styles is most beneficial to them in the achievement of continuing academic success. Learning style is about how the learner learns most effectively, knowing this allows the learners to use those educational methods strategies that is best facilitate their learning styles. Learning styles include, but are not limited to, visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), tactile or Kinesthetic (doing) and reading and writing preference learner’s. No learner’s is limited to one style of learning, but all have a preferred style. Being a kinesthetic learner, I prefer to do, participate in, discover. Kinesthetic learners need to move around while being involved in activities. Involvement doing increases their understanding. These learner’s short and long term memories are strengthened by their use of movement. They use their bodies as a means of expressing thoughts, ideas and concepts. Importance of Ethics & Academic Integrity Ethics-is the study of the basic values of a community; moral principles that  govern a person’s or groups behavior. Through the study of ethics we learn to understand what is expected of us behaviorally and why it is expected of us. We also learn rules of behavior based upon ideas about what is morally good and bad. Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. This includes values such as avoidance of cheating or plagiarism; maintenance of academic standards; honesty and rigor in research and academic publishing. Academic Integrity is based upon ethics, which is the study of the basic value of a community. Academic work should be a result of one’s own effort. It dishonest and show a lack of integrity to claim creativity for someone else’s work in any form. Growing up in a black church has lead me to be exposed to the influence of the black church on the moral and academic development of its students. â€Å"The study explored how religious influence affects academic achievement among black students. On a basic level this study found that all students participated in more religious activities and who had stronger religious convictions were more likely to report higher grades in school. The study does not determine that religion leads to higher grades.† The Ethical Lens Inventory make me aware of the fact that when I don’t have the information I need I’m tempted to excuse myself from following the rules, convincing myself that rules are for other people. In such situations, it is incumbent to remember that I, like everyone else must abide by the rules and regulations because they are set for the good of the community not just for me. Conclusion Continuing Academic Success requires the setting of distinct and clearly defined goals that can be measured. This allows one to choose where they want to go and what they want to achieve. Motivation is an important factor in this process. Awareness of individual learning styles is beneficial in achieving success. And adherence to ethics and academic integrity is a moral responsibility of all who are involved in academic endeavors. References 1. Gokalp, M. (2013, October). The Effect of Student’s Learning Styles to Their Academic Success. Creative Education, 4(10), pgs. 627-632. 2. Linnebrink, E. A., & Pintrich, P. R. (2002). Motivation as an enabler for  academic success. School of Psychology Review, 31(3), pg. 313-328 3. Toldson, Ivory A. & Anderson, Kenneth A. (2010) The Role of Spirituality, Religion and the African American Church on Educational Outcomes (Summer 2010)

Leadership In Action

A.   IntroductionThe paper to be shown herein particularly highlights the leadership skills of an IT Operation’s Team Chief in a Call Center Agency.   Call Centers are primarily known for assisting clients in facing troubleshooting issues with the client’s computer-operating procedures. Through a phone call from the client, the agents are able to connect themselves with the problem and thus be able to solve the issue though instructional details given over the phone towards the clients.The work of Call Center agents is most likely ranging from 24/7. This means that the shifting of schedules are reshuffled every now and then for the agents to be able to meet the 24-hour operation of the company. Indeed, seeing this situation, it could not be denied that this type of organization certainly needs an enthusiastic set of managers who are supposed to lead the tea, in getting the best results of the company while giving the clients the best service that they ought to recei ve.   In this particular manner, the author of this interview report decided to talk to one of the managers of the said Call Center Agency so as to be able to look deeper on how managers of the said type of organizations keep up with the challenges of meeting the different responsibilities left in their care which includes keeping up with business competition and empowering the workers in giving a quality performance for the entire organization.B.    Manager’s Basic InformationsFor the sake of privacy purposes, the manager noted here in would be referred to as â€Å"Mr. Team Chief†. The said individual agreed with the said title to be used in behalf of his identity to be able to cover his true name. He is among the ten other team chief managers of the IT operations management team. Like the others, he is assigned to a certain pool of agents whom he has to work with everyday. For at least two months, they are given the chance to empower a certain group, then after w hich they are transferred to other groups for the sake of establishing camaraderie among all the workers and inciting better motivational procedures to all the employees. (Goleman, 2000)Each pool of agents consists of at least 15 members each. The organization gives incentive to the agents who are able to reach an 80% performance level with the calls that he or she assists each wee. It is then the responsibility of the Operational Management’s Team Chief to help the employees reach this particular goal. Through assisting them with the difficulties of answering some of the most technical questions, the manager is able to give them the support that they need at work. However, the responsibility of a Team Chief does not end there. Aside from particularly supporting the team, he is also responsible for motivating them in a way that although the work id quite tiring, the agents would feel that what they are working for is all worth the efforts. Facing the different conflicts that the employees engage with every now and then is also left in the care of the team chief to resolve.C.   Organizational Behavior Management SectionIt has been mentioned earlier that the manager interviewed herein is held responsible for motivating, assisting and disciplining at least 15 call canter agents left in his care every time he goes to work. Not to mention that his job also requires him to possess a certain amount of considerable knowledge about IT operations, he also is accountable for having and applying sound judgment when several difficult situations arise. TO breakdown the topics on management that have been discussed by the author of this report with the manager, the following subtitles shall separate the issues basing from their impact on human behavior management procedures:People MotivationIt is the company’s protocol to reward a call center agent who was able to reach at least 80% satisfaction on the calls that he or she received in a week. It is then the r esponsibility of the team chief to assist others in reaching that particular goal. To be able to do so, â€Å"Mr. Team Chief† said that he opt to have empowering meetings 15 minutes before each shift. Once he is on the floor, he makes it a point that he is not just staying in his sit but instead he roams around the work areas of his team and sees to it that they are simply doing the right thing, Once a successful call has been delivered by an agent, he never forgets to acknowledge them and give them commendation. He added that in this job, he learned that making the people feel that they are of great worth to the company and the hard work that they put forward for the organization is given high regard is much better than motivating them in terms of monetary allowances.Punishment and PoliciesSince the shift of the agents is reshuffled every now and then, the organization allows at least a lee-way of three minute on floor preparation before the actual job. This means that the t ime listed on the schedule sheet given to the agents are at least three minutes earlier than the actual hour of operation. Hence, there is no excuse for being late. However, there are at times those agents who simply cannot arrive early because of some circumstances. Hence, what he does is to allow them three times of being late then on the fourth, they are held form work for at least an hour away from their schedule, this way they would not be paid for the first hour of their job even though they would work. This is just among the policies that â€Å"Mr. Team Chief† deals with. He usually deals with this particular problem making it one of the most overused policies in his team.Decision MakingThe usual; decision made by Mr. Team Chief is naturally on the track of whether to consider a call successful or not. The 80% satisfaction in the customer service given by the agents to their clients is scaled by the managers themselves. There is not a machine-based program that determi nes this particular progressive report. Hence, it is in their discretion if they are to flag a certain call successful or a failure. This then subjects them to being highly objective, not being influenced by favoritism and is completely guided by the essence of professionalism in their job. (Collins, 2001).Facing ConflictsAt some point, the employees get stuck with conflicts with each other, particularly because of their individual dispositions at work. Form this particular perspective, Mr. Team Chief tries it so hard to become much objective in listening to the disputes of the employees while trying to assess the roots of the problem. Once the root of the dispute has been resolved, the manager tries to fix the issue through helping the employees see the situation in each other’s perspectives, putting each other in other’s shoe on the aim of helping them see the situation in the implication of values depending on the personality of each employee. (Gottee, 2000)Pursuing the Breaking Ground for TeamworkIt is very important to work as one towards one [particular goal for this type of organization. This is the reason why for the manager, it is important to understand what is it that actually empowers his people to work on their performance in giving their job the best shot that they could provide the clients and the organization as well.   (Brown, 2002)The Implication of Leadership PrinciplesIn the book Spiritual Dimension of Leadership, the authors of the said reading material deliver their points of views on how to develop the intellectual insight regarding and spiritual beliefs. Based on the achievements of the authors Dr Paul D Houston and Dr Stephen L Sokolow, their main points are to express by public education the true meaning of faith in leadership and how to become a more enlightened leader, by having a common purpose and common vision. Through the said book, they discussed their hopes and dreams for themselves as well as for the public ed ucation, for the different leaders and for the world.Their major goal is to build a strong public education that will help the children to easily enhance their skills, and to support the needs of the students primarily with regards the moral and spiritual values. Thru public education, the different kinds of beliefs can easily be discussed in formal and legal ways, and public education is the best opportunity to build different essential concepts that will connect the people within the human society. Another goal that these two authors frequently develop is the â€Å"Dimension of Leadership†, though leadership is a great privilege to a person who has the chance in having the skills needed for it, the authors define the exact value of what are the valuable insights that a perfect leader should have. Also the responsibilities of the leader, which should always be his major priority for the benefits of his community; this will lead to a wellness and successful organization in th e society that he serves. Wise leadership in spiritual, moral, and educational program is one of the major keys in a certain country’s future success; it is the best way to create a fruitful result that can give hope to the citizens of a particular society.Moreover, in order to build and have better leadership status in the future, the authors of book entitled â€Å"Spiritual Dimension of Leadership† provide some important guidelines that will fit to the prospective leaders. They offer the eight key principles that can lead to a prospective leader to become a valuable and enlightened leader, it is important to discussed this eight key principle in order to understand and enlightened the important point of views on how to become a better leader and spiritual adviser to the societies and communities. These are the following guidelines that a prospective leader should have to seriously apply and understand carefully in order to empower his leadership.Intention- In leaders hip it is important to know what is the real intention of the leader in his activities and programs, because all the related activities that are usually directed by the leader and provided by the members will always reflect his physical and moral values.Attention- A true leader must always visualize the needs and benefits of his team; in order to develop a progressive idea the leader should always give his full attention to the programs and activities that are very beneficial to the community.Unique Gifts and Talents- Special skills and talents are God given gifts to every individual; it is also temporarily stored to human body, by building and developing a set of better programs and activities, leaders are extending their best to use their skills and intellectual thinking to provide a humanistic and unbiased leadership to his community.Gratitude- Leadership is not all about the giving of commands and duties, in order to achieve the main goal; an acting leader should have an interpe rsonal emotion, greater acceptance, and dipper appreciation for handling a serious obligation, also by receiving a lively sense of favors grateful acceptance is also required in order to have a better leadership practice application.Unique life lessons- Though leadership is always creating some comparisons, developing uniqueness is a big factor to create a better relationship towards other members, by using personal experience to provide a useful knowledge, â€Å"Unique life lessons† is a big contribution in having an enlightened leader.Holistic Perspective- This kind of principle is also required to inspire the members to also achieve their goals. By emphasizing the importance of the members in the society, through the implementations of the holistic perspective true leadership will be more effective.Openness- To achieve a wise leadership especially in education, openness is a big impact to create a better leadership. Leaders should always be open-minded in terms of the idea s and theories that are represented by the members of the public constituents. Any problems should seriously be discussed properly.Trust- The most important things that the leaders in spiritual and educational area should apply is trust, leaders should always create their different perspectives as well as the progressive idea on how to lead a certain group; however, trust is the major factor in continuously aiming and becoming a leader. However, trust remains to be the core reason needed for the leadership skill applications to be successful enough for the organizations being served.If the insights written within the pages of the book being discussed in here will always prevail within the society’s leaders, it could be easily expected that better days are ready to come ahead as the future generation of human civilization sprouts out to serve the different countries around the globe. The book indeed provides the most necessary inspiration that leaders need to posses in leading the nation or any other social organization, trust and knowledge that would lead to a more successful future and a more effective leading procedure.ConclusionFrom this particular presentation, it could be noted that managers are expected to deal with different arenas considering human resource empowerment as well as improving their performance level for the sake of establishing a fine reputation for the organization through the works of the agents. It is very much appealing how Mr. Team Chief insisted on the fact that what managers usually forget is that the motivation needed to fire up the interest of the workers in performing at their best is not at all times based on monetary measures. Sometimes, simply acknowledging them for a job well done already does the trick of motivating them to work well. The sincerity of the manager to help the employees bring out their best makes the essence of management a real gift to any business organization.Interviewee:Patrick Mendoza. (2007) Clie ntlogic Philippines. (Online Interview Through Chat Permission from the Clientlogic Administration). Loakan, Baguio City, Philippines.Further Readings:Collins, J. (2001). Level 5 leadership: the triumph of humility and fierce resolve. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 67-76.Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2000). Why should anyone be led by you? Harvard Business Review, 78(5), 62-70.Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 79-90.Brown, L. M. (2002). Click here  to access a review of Kouzes and Posner's book, The Leadership Challenge.Paul D. Houston , Stephen L. Sokolow. (2006). The Spiritual Dimension of Leadership: 8 Key Principles to Leading More Effectively. Corwin Press.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults brochure - Essay Example An analysis using a thematic approach on literature indicates six important areas that help in contributing to the development of the attitudes that are defined as being positive or being negative towards the type of people who are known to do self-harm. Lack of training and education was the main link of negative experience and attitudes. In addition, it was also associated with the impact as a result of perception differences of the roles of healthcare professionals and the influence due to clinical culture as well as how people do perceive self-harm as a health need. Greater understanding of self-harm experiences and improved training were linked to positive attitudes. Despite this, the nature of the care reported by the consumer of the services indicates that significant improvement are still needed to the health care attitudes in the health settings ensure high-quality services are being provided to the consumers. The issue of self-harm is significant within the services regarded as contemporary. Several people who do self-harm in many times do manage their wounds at home; however, certain occasions where injuries caused by self-harm need to be seen in the settings of hospital. Several of the consumers of the services that have been receiving health care services in hospitals have reported dissatisfaction and bad experience with the kind of services being rendered. The experiences of the services by the consumers have greatly contributed to the development and survivor groups’ actions. Several authors have described the word survivor in relation to this circumstance as an aspect of surviving the services of psychiatry in addition to other experiences lived. This is a clear show that the provision of service that was intended to help the people who are victims of self-harm has been reported as being traumatic for several number of healthcare service

Analysis of Social and Health History Data for Older Persons Essay

Analysis of Social and Health History Data for Older Persons - Essay Example Moreover, the psychological changes among others are all problems associated with old age. The major changes that individuals face include adjustment to retirement, reduced income, and the use of leisure time. We will carry out a critical analysis of comprehensive social and health history data for two older persons. In this regard, one older person considers she or he is healthy’ for this stage of their life. Conversely, the second older person considers him/herself as experiencing ill health and/or a dysfunction. The potential health problems, demonstrate differences in these two persons’ social and health histories. Analysis will also be made on how these health problems impact on their quality of life and lifestyle. The person who will consider that he/she is healthy to this stage will react positively to changes. They will accept the fact that as the functions of the body changes, a healthy mental attitude helps a person to maintain a zest for living. This will fre e the person from monitoring changes and enables the person to seek medical care, hence adjust to personal lifestyle. This person will struggle to stay physically healthy by changing the poor health habits. Such habits include avoidance of negligence and body exercise that slows down the aging process. This postpones physical symptoms of aging such as heart failure, stroke, hypertension, and arthritis. Exercise will stimulate the mind and lessens premature dependence on others thereby improving the overall quality of life. This person with have positive social interactions that will enrich aging and can even involve themselves in community development, in volunteer activities, or even close family ties. All these provide enjoyment as a person ages. Ericson (1950) theory, Ego integrity versus despair, involve coming into terms with one's life. Any form of ill health can easily be dealt with, and these persons live long than expected. It is important to note that the adults who get to a sense of integrity feel whole, complete, and satisfied with their achievements (Martin & Kinsella, 2004, p.90). On the contrary, these other older person who considers he/she is experiencing ill health and/or dysfunction. These persons take the aging process negatively and lacks acceptance. At this stage, despair comes in and they feel they had made wrong decisions. In such a scenario, the time is too short to find an alternative route to integrity. Without another chance, these persons find difficulty in accepting the closeness of death and overcome with resentment, defeat, and hopelessness. These attitudes expressed as anger and contempt for others disguising contempt for oneself. These persons tend to have a faultfinding behavior with a tendency to blame others for their personal failures. They also have regretful view of their own life reflecting with a great sense of despair. These people will just lie down on their beds and start complaining. They get more prone to aging di seases as stroke, hypertension, heart failure, arthritis, and they lack the strength to struggle with such diseases. They die within a shorter period than expected. Compare the similarities and differences in the chosen health problems Similarities in these two persons are that they are both older persons thus exposed to illnesses associated with old age. Such diseases include omega 48 blood disorders, neurological disorders, and respiratory

Argument analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument analysis - Essay Example It has been proven that obesity is connected with how easily affordable unhealthy foods are in comparison to fruits, vegetables, and healthier meats. However, there is nothing to suggest that only poor people are the ones buying the foods that are bad for the human body. Most people, regardless of their economic status, enjoy the tastes of many of these fattening snacks, such as chips and candy, and obtaining these has nothing to do with cost. If anything, if a person is rich or poor will only determine how many bags of chips or other unhealthy foods they will buy; a rich person is more liable to buy more since they can afford it. Since poor people can afford less, more of their money would go towards proper foods, like meats, instead of junk foods that cannot make meals. Cullen brings up the point that there are more convenience stores and gas stations than there are grocery stores. Convenience stores and gas stations carry only a small variety of food, â€Å"Chef Boyardee but not baby carrots (Cullen).† In lower-income neighborhoods, these places might be more common than a grocery store, but that does not mean that poor people are unwilling to drive a few extra miles to shop at a grocery store. When most people go shopping for food, regardless of the money they have, they go where they need to so that they may get what they want. If poor people want steaks, they will go and buy steaks; if rich people want hotdogs, they will buy hotdogs. Being rich or poor has nothing to do with the type of food people are willing to eat, and therefore cannot be considered a cause of obesity. Regardless of how much money a person is making, obesity is everywhere, and I find it hard to believe that every one of these obese people is poor. Each person, taking away the factor of money, will have similar eating habits as someone else. Poor people may prefer the cheaper food, but rich people can still afford more, especially of the cheap, unhealthy food. Though Cullen makes many good points, a lot of them seem to be assumptions or opinions. Her argument could be strengthened if she used citable facts and statistics to prove her points. When Is Thin Too Thin? The fashion industry is an important one, designing and displaying the fashion that will one day grace the presence of our outlet malls and fashion boutiques. Fashion models are used to present those clothes in the way that their designers intended them to be worn. As Eric Wilson points out in his article â€Å"When Is Thin Too Thin?,† part of the vision of these designers involves ghastly underweight women as the models to display these fashions. The designers of these fashions, as well as many of the agents that hire the models, claim that there is nothing wrong with the weight or health of these women. This is despite the fact that prospectors at fashion shows have the ability of counting every rib on many of the models. Beauty has blurred the line between healthy and unhealthy, and this perception needs to change. â€Å"Underweight models [and] fashion shows perpetuate an unhealthy image of beauty, encouraging eating disorders among young women (Wilson).† Women are staving themselves for their work and they are being praised for it, receiving positive feedback and proclamations of beauty. Unfortunately, this is not even the worst part. Shockingly enough, many