Managing Workforce Diversity

Executive Summary Workforce diversity is an issue that has generated sufficient interest from business managers, and scholars. Simply put effective management of workforce diversity as recognizing, understanding and appreciating the uniqueness of each individual in the staff. This should however not be motivated only by the potential to increase profit margin. Even so, a diverse workforce might result in increase employee creativity and innovation.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing Workforce Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Similarly, an employer who has a good reputation of managing effectively the workforce will automatically attract, recruit and retain the best talent. As result, this group will bring on board different knowledge and experience of dealing with a diverse client base. On the other hand, diversity has its limitations. Some employees might not fit in very well and hence fail to p lay along the team for general good of the organization. Despite this, the benefits outweigh the limitation as portrayed IBM Company and Bank of Montrel. Both the two companies have a reputation of advocating for a diverse workforce. They have included workforce diversification in their corporate strategy and set programs to ensure they achieve these objectives. As a result, they have achieved tremendous success and increased employee productivity. Perhaps, the only challenge they have had to face in the process is committing most of their time and resources (money) in pursuing this endeavour. Introduction Without a doubt, the greatest asset an organization can have is its human resource. Therefore, issues affecting the staff have increasingly become popular among business managers, scholars, policy makers and other stake holders. One issue that have particularly generated sufficient interest is managing workforce diversity. O’leary Weathington (2006) defines diversity simpl y as way of differentiating one person from another. Diversity is about recognizing and appreciating the uniqueness of each person. People can be different in terms of race, sexual orientation, age, gender and physical abilities just to mention a few (Burke 2007). As a result, workforce diversity has become a major business concern. Managing it should not be merely motivated by the potential of increasing the profit margin but also, should be to ensure the work environment is conducive, safe and nurturing (O’leary Weathington 2006). Any business that manages its workforce effectively is bound to enjoy several benefits. Advantages of Workforce diversity It would be hypocritical not to acknowledge the fact that most business primarily exist with an intention of profit maximization. As result, most of the organization activities will be geared towards achieving this goal. Efficient management of the workforce diversity can accelerate the process by increasing the companyâ€℠¢s competitive edge (Ongori Agolla 2007).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More O’leary Weathington (2006) pointed out that are diversified staff is likely to be more creative, innovative and generally possess a relatively high ability of coming up with quality work. As oppose to a homogeneous group, when a diverse group gets acquainted to one another, their job performance becomes superior due to an efficient interaction process (Ongori Agolla 2007). Workforce diversity has also been credited with the ability of increasing the market share. This is because a diversified organization has the necessary resources, in terms of skill, to deal with a multicultural client base. Similarly, various studies have established that most customers prefer to deal with people who they perceive to possess similar attributes as theirs. This factor particularly becomes important to an or ganization which is looking to venture into new and foreign markets, such as a different country (Burke 2007). Another very important point is the fact that according to Burke (2007), a significant group of customers generally favour those organizations that seem to encourage workforce diversity. Having an effective employer brand can significantly increase a business profit margin. This is because; an employer who is positively perceived will automatically attract, recruit and retain the best talent. Workforce diversity is one factor that has enhances this brand. According to Burke (2007), companies that have a diversified workforce and therefore a strong brand, enjoy reduced cost associated with the recruitment process by almost 40%. After recruiting the best talent, consisting of diverse individuals, the quality of management is most likely going to be improved. This is due to the fact managers are forced by various legislation and ethical guidelines to adopt anti-discriminatory policies. Manager also gain additional skills of handling different types of people and therefore are prepared to deal even with are more diverse client base (Burke 2007). Disadvantages Despite the overwhelming merits associated with workforce diversity, there still exist some negative factors that have been associated with it. O’leary Weathington (2006) actually pointed out that workforce diversity can be a double edge sword. This is especially true if the organization manages it primary for the purpose of profit maximization. Unfortunately, most management efforts are geared towards this goal. Mismanaging the workforce diversity makes an organization prone to various set backs. To begin with, the morale of the workers becomes dampened. From reviewing various literatures, O’leary Weathington (2006) discovered that when an employee fails to identify with a certain group, he or she loses the morale and consequently experience job dissatisfaction.Advertising We wi ll write a custom report sample on Managing Workforce Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Browder Miller (2009) there are certain groups of people who react adversely to various initiatives adopted to manage the workforce diversity. For example, a study indicated that women and people from ethnic minority will react positively to a diversified work force. However, white male showed a negative attitude towards these initiatives and even become less productive. When diversity is not positively appreciated by the workforce, an organization will automatically experience a number of stumbling blocks. These barriers will include an upsurge in interpersonal conflict, diminished commitments level, and automatically lack of team work (O’leary Weathington 2006). Case Studies As outlined by O’leary Weathington (2006), the issue is not whether or not to diversify the workforce, diversify is inevitable; the iss ue is how to effectively manage diversification. There are number of organizations that have successful been able to do this and as a result have enjoyed tremendous success. A good example includes the following. International Business Machine (IBM) IBM is a multinational company specializing in information technology and business consulting. Over its long and outstanding history, the company has achieved tremendous success. For example in the year 2000, Forbes magazine ranked it as the world second largest Information and Technology Company both in terms of market capitalization and profitability. Similarly, recent data ranks it as number four in terms of size and number two in terms of Global brand value; coming second after Coca-cola company (Browder Miller 2009). Workforce Diversity at IBM Among the factors attributed to its success is its effective management of workforce diversity. Ted Childs, one of its retired executive, was in fact in 2000 named by a reporter in the Fast C ompany magazine as the most effective diversity executive in the world. Long before the need to effectively manage workforce diversity became an issue, IBM had already incorporated it in its policies as a major strategic objective. Currently the management practices and policies guiding the workforce diversity are well expanded to focus on matters beyond the normal issues such as gender, race, religion, and physical abilities (Browder Miller 2009). Equal opportunity, affirmative action and work/life are the most notable programs this company has taken on to effectively manage its workforce diversity. By equal opportunity, the company implies that all its business activities are free of any form of discrimination. It is the duty of every manager to ensure the workplace environment is conducive for all employees.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Regardless of colour, physical ability, gender, sexual orientation or any other unique attribute, every employee in the organization has an equal chance of pursuing and advancing in their career to the best of their ability. This is in line with equity theory which implies that employees usually expect to be rewarded according to their efforts (IBM 2007; O’leary Weathington 2006). IBM management also acknowledges not all employees are able to compete on an equal ground. When the environment is left on its own without any form of control, some employees will be at a disadvantage. Some of these employees include the disabled, women, aboriginals, among others. Therefore, it was deemed appropriate to formulate an affirmative action that ensured all factors hindering this group of people are excluded (IBM 2007). For example, the organization addresses the needs of the women through the Women in Technology initiative. This initiative was undertaken in 1997 to support talented wome n in the technology industry. Through partnership with other organizations, it encourages more young girls to pursue career in IT sector. Similarly, it creates an effective recruitment process to bring on board more talented women. Another similar initiative is its accommodation fund which aims at enabling people with disability access adaptive equipments that helps them function as well as other people. This fund aims to cover the cost of acquiring these equipments. Also, part of its workforce diversity policies is the work/life program. This program indicates that the organization understands different employees have other needs apart from working (IBM 2007; Browder Miller 2009). Advantages of Workforce diversity to IBM According to O’leary Weathington (2006) employees naturally value a sense of justice and fairness. If they feel this is not being offered to them, then they are more inclined to take actions that will definitely have negative effects on their productivity. However, if they feel their needs is being addressed the vice-versa will happen. Such is the case at IBM, the management at the company have pointed out that they have experienced increased teamwork. For instance, Browder Miller (2009) elaborated that the partnership between senior management and employees has significantly evolved to a point whereby a positive overhaul in organization culture was experienced. According to Browder Miller (2009) most of this organization’s employees feel personally involved in the company’s matters and hence hold themselves responsible for the company’s success. Another important merit is the fact that IBM has used it’s the diversification as bridge to the market place. As result, the capacity to handle foreign culture and belief has tremendously increased. These initiatives have also streamlined the recruitment process enabling the company to attract the best talent. Even when there is scarce talent in the labour marke t, initiatives such as the training of fresh talent ensures the organization has plenty of supply. Women in Technology, is such as initiative. However, a notable contribution of the workforce diversity to the company’s bottom line is the fact it was able to turn 10 million dollars to 200 million dollar. This happened within a span of 3 years, from 198 to 2001, as result of effectively employing a diverse group of vendors (IBM 2007; Browder Miller 2009). Disadvantages Amid all the benefits effective management of workforce diversity has brought to both the employees and the organization, there still exist some minor demerits experienced. One of the major set back is the increase in operating cost. The organization over the past years has been forced to spend huge sums of money to maintain its image as a global organization that highly support diversification. For example, buying adaptive instrument require additional allocation of funds. Similarly, their work/life balance pro gram, which at times allows employees to work at home, has to a certain percentage reduced the control of the manager (IBM 2007; Browder Miller 2009). Another factor that can act as disadvantage to this organization is combining workforce diversification program with affirmative action. The move can be quite counter productive. This is because, more often than not affirmative action are designed to cover certain groups of people who had previously experienced some sort of social injustice. As result, applying it as workforce diversity program can mistakenly favour one group over the other. Therefore, when adopted in an organization, as in the case for IBM, it might lead to resistance. At the moment staffs in this organization very satisfied with what IBM is doing. Therefore it should not relent in its efforts of effectively managing the workforce diversity (IBM 2007; Browder Miller 2009). Bank of Montreal (BMO) Bank of Montreal, or as it is well known BMO, is another company that has a high reputation of effectively managing and encouraging workforce diversity. It is cited as the oldest and fourth largest bank-in terms of customer’s deposit- in Canada. In 1989, it incorporated the establishing and managing of a diverse workforce in its corporate strategy. The move indicated how serious this company is when it comes to managing workforce diversity. Recently, it was awarded the 2010 Canada’s Best Diversity Employer (BMO financial group 2010). Workforce Diversity at BMO The company has taken several steps to ensure workforce diversity is well managed. As an indication of how serious it is on the issue, the top leadership have been fully involved in the process. This is done through the establishment of a CEO council of equitable workplace. The council regularly monitors and review the progress of the organization towards achieving the set goals. Well laid down infrastructure such online platforms, helps in reviewing the progress quarterly. Similar ly, annual performance appraisals are conducted. The assigned managers are held accountable of any regression witnessed. If the progress in their departments is wanting, they should have a good enough reason as to why that is so, while at the sometime suggesting ways of improving the system (BMO financial group 2010). To ensure the environment is conducive enough to support the works of senior management, the company went ahead and develop the diversity councils and affinity groups. Diversity councils are groups which actively involves all the employees of BMO in the process of effectively managing the workforce. They create a platform which allow these employees to champion for are diversified and inclusive work environment. Affinity group contributes to the success of these objectives by including the whole community at large (BMO financial group 2010). In addition, BMO has gone an extra mile to become the top sponsor of the external diversity employer award. This is an award syst em that honours those companies that manages well their diverse workforce. The main aim of the award scheme is to encourage organization to adopt workplace best management practices. Such a move signals that this organization is not merely motivated by profit gains, but it is sincerely concerned about the welfare of the workforce. This conclusion is arrived by considering two factors; the first one is the fact that it encourages other organization to incorporate objectives concerning effective management of workforce diversity, in their corporate. This it does knowing very well that when other organizations adopts its recommendation, their might increase their competitive advantage. As result, pose serious competition especially if they are targeting the same market. The second one, is the fact that BMO is not eligible to contest therefore missing out the opportunities that comes along with being among the winners (BMO financial group 2010). Advantages of Workforce diversity to BMO Both external studies and sources within the company have pointed out to a number of benefits associated with effective management of workforce diversity. These benefits are not any different from those enjoyed by IBM or any other company that has adopted best practices. Particularly the company is enjoying merits in the recruitment and retention process. Initiatives such as equity through education, undertaken by this organization continuously ensure there is supply of talent. This initiative provides education and training to marginalized groups (BMO financial group 2010).. Similarly, the diverse workforce has assisted this organization to understand the customers. Therefore, it has become is to forecast the way customers are likely to react when certain business actions are undertaken. BMO financial group (2010), acknowledge this fact by categorically stating that its diverse workforce reflects its customer base. For a company operating in Canada, whereby visible minorities and p eople regarded as ‘marginalized’ hold quite a substantial purchasing power, this factor becomes very important. More over, when BMO hired Chinese speaking employees in its branches at the Asian markets, its level of success increased since customer responded positively. The employees were culturally competent and therefore well positioned to satisfy the customers’ needs. For example, they suggested new ways of interacting with customers and changes in the organization structure and branding techniques, to include factors such as new colours which reflect the culture of this nation (BMO financial group 2010). Effective management of the workforce diversity has not only benefited the employer but also the employees. Particularly the policies associated with communication has enabled employee voice their concerns in areas where they feel equal opportunity is not being practiced. As result, employees have become more aware their rights. If either one of them feel his or her right is being isolated, they know exactly which offices they can visit to present their case and demand for necessary action to be taken. As result, various surveys have indicated that most employee of this organization continuously feel as essential part of the system. This has automatically resulted into increase productivity and levels of commitment. Actually senior executives have reported a continuous increase in creativity, innovation and collective knowledge (BMO financial group 2010). Disadvantage Various cultural dimensions will determine how people behave or generally conduct themselves. Definitely multi-cultural workforce is bound to experience various challenges. Factors such as language barrier, key values and approach to life can make an employee detach him or herself from the visibly different group. As result BMO has been forced to engage in tremendous effort and dedicate massive resources required to ensure there is harmony among all employees (BMO financia l group 2010). This takes a lot of time and money; extra employees are needed for the sole purpose of ensuring accord. Similar employees, especially top managers, have to spend substantial time analysing and reviewing whether the company is in progress of achieving the objectives. Despite this efforts there still some attitude among employees that do not compile with the general attitude of the organization. This non-physical hostile behaviour administered to minorities by the majorities can result in serious legal implications that might either affect the company financially or dent its corporate image (Burke 2007; BMO financial group 2010). Conclusion Whether to diversify the workforce or not is not the issue; the current business operating environment has made diversification unavoidable. The issue is how a business can effectively manage and encourage work diversity. This should not be merely for the purpose of maximizing the profit, but should be for the general good of its emp loyee. Provided the employee feel an organization has their interest at heart, their productivity will be increased and accordingly result in a higher profit margin. Such is the case for IBM and BMO. Although the two organizations have massively invested towards ensuring an effective and diversified workforce, they have been reaping the sumptuous benefits. Reference List BMO Financial Group, 2010. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Web. Browder, L.M. Miller 2009, Workforce Diversity: The Big Blue Case, McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Burke, L.M. 2007, Managing the Diverse Workforce Effectively, Rutledge, London. IBM, 2007. Global workforce diversity. Web. O’Leary, B.J., Weathington B.L., 2006. Beyond the Business Case for Diversity in Organisations. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, Dec, 18 (4), pp.1-10. Ongori, H., Agolla, J., 2007. Critical Review of Literature on Workforce Diversity.  Africa Journal of Business Management, 22 (4), pp. 72-76. This report on Managing Workforce Diversity was written and submitted by user Yesenia French to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Solutions Of The Problem Of Global Warming

Scientists report that global warming has been escalating since the Industrial Revolution. Governments are trying to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. With the speed of destruction of Earth fs ecosystem, the survival of many species, including human beings, is threatened. In order to solve this danger, we have to reduce the consumption of energy and use the alternative energy resources. If we calculate the present energy price, alternative energy must be more expensive than fossil fuels. However if we consider the negative price which is caused by global warming, this result might be different. Now I would like to propose some solutions: (1) reduce the use of fossil fuels; (2) find alternative energy resources; (3) recycle usable resources; (4) planting trees to help combat global warming. I will explain these solutions in more detail. (1) Reduce the use of fossil fuels Global warming is regarded as being a result of the greenhouse effect, which in turn is caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Petroleum and coal are major sources of carbon-dioxide emissions. What would happen if we conserved these energy sources? The volume of carbon-dioxide emissions surely would decrease. But how? In summer and winter, we use electricity to cool our houses or provide heat. Turn down the temperature in winter and turn up the temperature in summer. Do you drive? Why not use the existing public transportation? These subtle things will reduce the use of fossil fuels. In reality, we already experienced a reduction in the use of fossil fuels during the so-called  gOil Crisis h in the early 1970s. (2) Find alternative energy resources I cannot recommend nuclear power as an alternative energy resource because Japanese people have experienced accidents and atomic bombs. However, there are other alternatives such as wind power, tidal power, and solar power. Many people believe that these are expensive. Why not calculate the cost of global warming ... Free Essays on Solutions Of The Problem Of Global Warming Free Essays on Solutions Of The Problem Of Global Warming Scientists report that global warming has been escalating since the Industrial Revolution. Governments are trying to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions. With the speed of destruction of Earth fs ecosystem, the survival of many species, including human beings, is threatened. In order to solve this danger, we have to reduce the consumption of energy and use the alternative energy resources. If we calculate the present energy price, alternative energy must be more expensive than fossil fuels. However if we consider the negative price which is caused by global warming, this result might be different. Now I would like to propose some solutions: (1) reduce the use of fossil fuels; (2) find alternative energy resources; (3) recycle usable resources; (4) planting trees to help combat global warming. I will explain these solutions in more detail. (1) Reduce the use of fossil fuels Global warming is regarded as being a result of the greenhouse effect, which in turn is caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Petroleum and coal are major sources of carbon-dioxide emissions. What would happen if we conserved these energy sources? The volume of carbon-dioxide emissions surely would decrease. But how? In summer and winter, we use electricity to cool our houses or provide heat. Turn down the temperature in winter and turn up the temperature in summer. Do you drive? Why not use the existing public transportation? These subtle things will reduce the use of fossil fuels. In reality, we already experienced a reduction in the use of fossil fuels during the so-called  gOil Crisis h in the early 1970s. (2) Find alternative energy resources I cannot recommend nuclear power as an alternative energy resource because Japanese people have experienced accidents and atomic bombs. However, there are other alternatives such as wind power, tidal power, and solar power. Many people believe that these are expensive. Why not calculate the cost of global warming ...

Purchase of commercial spray plant Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Purchase of commercial spray plant - Assignment Example Design of structures at the workplace plays a key role to safety of workers. The roof must be designed with the designer's focus on health and safety of employees. Before execution of work by the contractor, safety signs be strategically placed, which will be accessed by everybody. The contractors to execute the work should care about safety at work place and have safe working tools. During execution of duty, the employees in the building must vacate it and seek safer and better places (University of Sunderland, n.d., p. 3). Health issues related to use of bitumen as a construction material are skin irritations or dermatitis, burns, and throat and eye irritations. These hazards will occur in poorly ventilated areas and under exposure to hot bitumen during use and moving of bitumen from the ground to the roof. The BP oil disaster is said to be the biggest accident of release of oil in the oceans named the Deep Water Horizon Spill. It exceeded the Ixtoc I leak that occurred in 1979 in the Gulf of Mexico. It happened through a fire explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident started with a well integrity failure, followed by loss of control of pressure of fluid in the well. It killed eleven people. Stemming of the oil took long by the engineers bolting a sealing cap on top of blowout preventer. 1000 miles of the shore line was affected, with about 200 miles heavily oiled. The main issue that is worth answering is its impact on the coast.... The employers, employees, unions and all stakeholders need advise on occupational health. Support for HSE health campaigns will also enlighten the workers. Q3. How would you recommend the organization manages this issue? What steps should be taken to aid with any changes? Safety should be enhanced at any workplace. To protect oneself from exposure to hazards at the workplace, the employees must be sober. Stringent working rules should be put in place and implemented for the good of the employees and employers. Loss of qualified staff due to use of drugs and alcohol be curbed. The employees need to be enlightened on the dangers of use of drugs and alcohol at working place. Any employee found under drugs should be relived from duty. This will save lives and medical costs that the organization would incur. Q.4 Roofing Roofing activities are done from heights that pose a lot of danger to workers. Workers face danger of losing their life due to fall from high height at work. Roof work is an issue for construction companies, and guidance is needed for safety at work. The guidance is useful to: †¢ The directors and company stakeholders †¢ The clients of the project †¢ Designers of building and components of construction †¢ The principle contractors †¢ Owners of the building †¢ Employees and the self-employed at project site and †¢ Advisers and consultants. Design of structures at the workplace plays a key role to safety of workers. The roof must be designed with the designer's focus on health and safety of employees. Before execution of work by the contractor, safety signs be strategically placed, which will be accessed by everybody. The contractors to execute the work should care about safety at work place and have safe working tools. During

The hazards of taking children out to eat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The hazards of taking children out to eat - Essay Example i. The attendant brought a bowl of cold water for Nathan to dip his hands. B. My eleven months old daughter Tracy accidently put her hand dipped in a traditional Indian concoction made of green chilies and mint leaves into her mouth. i. The attendant stood by as I washed Tracy’s mouth and gave her a spoon of sugar to help her settle down. III. This experience has taught me to be on guard and careful when going out with children especially toddlers. I also learnt to plan ahead and book seats and high chair for babies before hand. Eating out with children can be a challenging experience. As a parent I have always found it difficult to balance the demands at work and that of the family. I had just finished a major project at work that took a considerable amount of time and energy; so I thought of taking my children out for dinner during the weekend. I thought that this would be a wonderful time to relax and unwind and also spend some quality time with my children. What I didnâ₠¬â„¢t realize was that this experience would make me more aware and alert of the various hazards that one can experience while taking their children out to eat. New situations always make me a bit nervous, and this trip to the newly opened Indian restaurant was no exception.

London Borough of Merton Council Essay Example for Free

London Borough of Merton Council Essay The organization that I am researching is the London Borough of Merton Council. This organization is of interest to me as my father works in the building as head of Planning and Public Protection. He will be my main contact point in the Council as he has worked as head of IT Services in his previous Council. The work done in the council I also find interesting. The Council is situated in the South of London in Merton Civic Centre. The Councils IT infrastructure has recently been upgraded as part of Downing Streets E-Government plan. A variety of systems were upgraded and new solutions introduced as part of this. The responsibilities of the council are outlined in this statement taken from the Merton Borough Council Website1: commits the Council to provide clear leadership to the community in partnership with residents, businesses, the voluntary sector and other organizations; support the active involvement of the public in the decision-making process; take decisions efficiently and effectively; identify clearly those responsible for decision making and hold them to account; and improve the delivery of services to the community. The council must provide services for the entire borough of Merton, some 168,470 residents. The Council provides services to the residents and businesses of Merton in four departments: Education, Leisure and Libraries This department is involved in working with schools, libraries and youth to maintain a high level of achievement in the area. It also evaluates the Leisure facilities in the area and relates them to other departments. It also works to ensure equality of opportunity for all through the services it provides, its commitment to inclusion and its contribution to the social and economic regeneration of the borough Environmental Services. The Environmental Services department is the largest in the council and aims to maintain and improve the local environment and economy of the Borough through the delivery of quality services and through regeneration and partnership initiatives. Its services are wide ranging, affecting everyone living in, working in or travelling through the Borough. It is involved in many areas, for example regulation, which includes development control, building control, environmental health and trading standards, highway licensing and parking enforcement, and environmental maintenance which includes refuse collection, street cleaning and highway maintenance. Financial Services The Finance Department provides the Councils Financial Management Framework. It rigorously manages the councils budget to help managers control expenditure in their relative department. The Finance Department also collects all monies from residents and businesses and tries to make these payment methods more accessible using the Internet, Merton Link and the Call Centre facility. The Department also strives to make the financial documents of the council easier to understand and read. Housing and Social Services. The Housing and Social Services department is responsible for the management of housing solutions in the area and Social care for residents. Its responsibilities range from the allocation and management of Council Housing waiting lists to evaluating and inspecting Childcare services in the borough. Merton has recently been examining ways to make access to services easier for all its customers. It has also been looking at improving links with its suppliers, agencies, central government and other organisations it has to work with. The aim is to build services around the needs of the customers, with improved responsiveness and quality. In order to achieve this goal, Merton will make full use of information technology (IT) to deliver services seamlessly and at times to suit the needs of the citizen. Within the next four years customers will be able to access services through the Internet, digital televisions, and mobile phones, as well as walk-in and telephone customer contact centres. This project will be called e-merton, and will run from now to 2005. The e-merton project is designed to provide access to services electronically, and will help Merton meet the Governments target of having all services available electronically by 2005. However, the Council recognises that personal contact will still be necessary to meet the diverse needs of customers. Also, the Council will ensure that nobody is excluded from receiving modern service delivery due to their status, special needs or location. The IT system within the council spans the whole organization and every Council Officer has their own workstation. The workstations are used for E-Mail communication and personal management as well as general typing duties. The Council also owns large industrial drawing scanners for the input of development and architectural drawings for Building Control (Planning) applications. Digital cameras are also used for working in the field and providing evidence for Environmental Services investigations. The area of the council I shall be focusing on in my study is a new Council Benefits and Building controls system recently installed by a St. Albans IT company. The system covers the whole of these areas from paying council tax online to scanning and cataloguing architectural drawings for building plans, covering three departments in the council. I shall be studying the installation of the new system, problems, training etc and the evaluation of the system by users. My contact within the council, my father, will provide extremely good links with IT department administrators and to documents relating to the recent installation and evaluation of the solution.

To bring forward two theories

To bring forward two theories Motivation essay The purpose of this essay is to bring forward two theories of motivation, and compare and contrast them. In this essay, I am going to discuss Maslows hierarchy of needs theory, and Adams equity theory. A motivated workforce, is what every manager strives to achieve, and hence a study of the theories of motivation is a must. I will be comparing and contrasting the two theories, and explaining how managers can use them to motivate their staff. Abraham H. Maslow, a behavioral scientist and chairman of the department of psychology at the Brandies University, published the hierarchy of needs theory in 1954. According to Maslow, a persons needs are the main motivator that drives a human. He categorized the need in the following five levels:: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. (Cost Engineering Vol. 47/No. 3 MARCH 2005). Equity theory is a cognitive theory of motivation developed by J. Stacey Adams, which claims that employees will be motivated if they accept that they are treated fairly in the workplace. (Dictionary of Human Resource Management; 2001) It is different from Maslows hierarchy of needs theory, as equity theory is a process theory. What all process theories have in common is an emphasis on the role of an individuals cognitive process in determining his or her level of motivation. (Finchman and Rhodes). This means that process theories like equity theory, take into consideration individual differences, and that different people would react to the theory differently. This is different from content theories, such as Maslows theory of needs, where it is assumed that all individuals would be affected similarly by the theories. The basic premise of Maslows theory is built around a pyramid, or hierarchy, of needs. The needs at the bottom of the pyramid must be met, before the higher level needs can be met. (Lewis et al., 2001). Managers can apply this theory, by identifying the level on the hierarchy that each employee is on, and understanding that people will be motivated by the factors that exist at this level. The level of needs begin with physiological, followed by security needs, social needs, ego needs, and finally self-actualization need. (Weinbach, 1998). Equity theory takes into account the assumption that, people will look around and observe what effort others are putting into their work, and how are they being rewarded for it, and will then compare this ratio with their own. People can also compare this effort-reward ratio to their past experiences. The basic assumption that equity theorists make is that these social comparison processes are driven by our fundamental concern with fairness or equity. (Finchman and Rhodes). Maslows hierarchy theory revolves around the five levels in the pyramid. Each level of need has to be fulfilled, starting from physiological needs, in order to motivate an employee. The first level of needs in the hierarchy is the physiological needs. These are the basic needs of the organism such as eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, suitable temperature, and so on. If one of these needs is not fulfilled, this will immediately get the highest priority, as these are necessary for survival. All these needs have to be fulfilled constantly. ( Philippe J.S. De Brouwer). The wages paid should be enough to cover the cost of these basic necessities. The second level in the hierarchy of needs is the safety and security needs. This is the need for safety and freedom from fear. This includes safe working conditions, and job security. (Finchman and Rhodes). The next level on the hierarchy of needs is the social needs. Social needs refer to the need for satisfactory and supportive relationships with others at work. (Finchman and Rhodes). Affiliation and acceptance are important motivators at the social needs level. (Weinbach, 1998). As humans are social animals, given that the previous levels of needs have been fulfilled, an employee is likely to be motivated if there is a friendly working environment. Ego and esteem need is the fourth level in Maslows pyramid. These needs are the desire for achievement and recognition. Being publically rewarded and given status symbol are motivators on this level. The final level on Maslows hierarchy is self-actualization. This is the need to develop ones full potential. For Maslow, it was to become more and more of one is, to become everything what one is capable of. He believed that what a man can be, he must be. (Maslow, 1943:382). On this level, an employee will be motivated by opportunities to use their talents, be creative, and achieve their fullest potential (Weinbach, 1998). According to Maslow, although everyone had the potential to reach to this level, only very few people actually achieved it. According to the equity theory, people measure their effort-reward ratio, and compare it to other employees, or to their own previous ratio. When people believe that the inputs (this may include effort, skill etc.) to outcomes (pay, fringe benefits etc.), of others is similar to theirs, they experience equality. When people believe that the input-outcome ratio of others is more favorable, (that is underpayment) or that the ratio of others is less favorable than theirs, (this is overpayment) they experience inequality. Inequality can be very demotivating for an employee, and can cause anger or guilt amongst employees. (Finchman and Rhodes) So we perceive effort, reward, and ultimately fairness not in absolute but in relative terms. (Adams 1965). With salaries for example, it is the perception of getting paid more, rather than the amount itself, that motivates employees, and determines their behavior. (Shaw and Gupta 2001). The inputs that people can take into account are their education levels, intelligence, skills, seniority, and the amount of effort that they have put into the work. The outcomes in work, would include pay, but could also include fringe benefits, promotion, working conditions, and status symbols such as large office. (Finchman and Rhodes). One of the biggest differences between the two theories is that while Maslow never really tested his theory, Adams and his colleagues arrived at a conclusion after testing the equity theory. According to Finchman and Rhodes, The operational definitions of needs constructs and other variables such as prepotency were not always clear from his writing. In contrast, Adams and his colleagues had carried out an experiment, in order to find out whether equality really leads to better productivity. The result was that those who felt they were being overpaid or underpaid were less productive than the ones who perceived their ratio to be fair. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory is a content theory, and hence based on the assumption that we can attribute a similar set of needs to all individuals. However, while Maslow held the theory for majority of the population, he did acknowledge some individual differences. For instance, a political prisoner might achieve self-actualization without achieving the earlier needs. However, Maslow felt that for the majority of the population, the hierarchy worked. On the other hand, Equity theory being a process theory does take individual difference into account. Huseman et al. suggest that there are three types of people based on personality, and they will react in different ways to the equity theory. The Benevolents are people who prefer to give rather than take, and have greater tolerance towards underpayment. They are stressed by equity or overpayment. The second type of people are the equity sensitives. These are people who behave exactly in accordance with equity, and hence experience distress under conditions of inequality (underpayment or overpayment). The third type of people are the Entitleds. These are people who believe their input-reward ratio should exceed that of their referents. They express distress under conditions of equality or underpayment. (Finchman and Rhodes) Hence, the Equity theory assumes that there are three different types of people, and hence they will react differently. This can also be seen as a similarity between the two theories, as both the theories account for individual differences. There are some other similarities as well. Good working conditions can be seen as an outcome, for the ratio. Good working conditions is also required to fulfill the second level of needs in Maslows hierarchy. Similarly, status symbols such as large offices can also be used as outcomes to measure the ratio for Equity theory, while it will also be used to fulfill the Ego and Esteem needs in Maslows hierarchy. Both the theories have also faced criticism. Maslows theory has been criticized because of lack of hypothesis testing to support the theory. It has also been criticized for not being very practical, and the needs not being defined operationally. This is particularly true with self-actualization. Maslows obsession with this need lead to him describing it more philosophically, and less in practical sense. Another reason for criticism is that the order of the needs may not necessarily be the same for all people. On the other hand, the charm of equity theory has been reduced by the introduction of individual differences. Also research suggests that Equity theory is mostly effective only in the case of underpayment, and not overpayment. It is seen that the effect of overpayment lasts only for a couple of weeks before people start to rationalize their reward level. (Finchman and Rhodes) A motivated workforce is what most managers aspire to create. They can motivate their staff in various ways, and by using several different theories. I am going to discuss, how managers can motivate their staff using Maslows hierarchy of needs theory and Adams Equity theory. The levels of needs are the cornerstones of motivating employees. Managers must understand that employees will be motivated by unmet needs and that once a need is satisfied, it is no longer a motivator. For instance, if a social worker feels that she is well paid and secure in her job position, the first two levels of needs (physiological and security) will not serve as effective motivators. The manager will need to motivate based on higher level needs, such as those at the social level (Weinbach, 1998). Hence, managers need to identify the level of needs that each employee is currently on, and fulfill each need layer by layer. Starting with the physiological needs, managers need to ensure that the wages paid are sufficient to cover the basic costs. Once this is done, managers should provide workers with safe working conditions and some job security. This would help an employee fulfill the second level in the hierarchy. Next, the manager should try and encourage a friendly working environment, and encourage group working. This would help employees achieve their social needs. The manager could then give employees higher status symbols such as company cars and larger offices, and more recognition for work, by rewarding employees. This would fulfill the esteem needs of the employees. Lastly, managers could set challenging tasks for employees and give them more responsibilities, which truly stretch them. This would help workers reach self-actualization. This is how managers could use Mas lows theory to motivate staff. Managers can also use Adams Equity theory, to motivate employees. Managers should try to ensure that all workers perceive their ratio as being fair. If they feel they are being treated and rewarded fairly, they will be motivated. By the same token, perceptions of inequitable treatment will lead to demotivation. The theory is founded on the insight that perceptions and feelings of fairness are based on the principle of comparison. In other words, employees evaluate their treatment in relation to a reference group. Two kinds of comparison may be important for worker motivation. First, employees may compare their earnings with their level of effort and performance and increase their effort if they believe their rewards are excessive or reduce their effort if they regard them as niggardly. Second, employees will compare their own ratio of effort to reward with that of co-workers and act to raise or reduce effort if they believe their own treatment by management is out of line (Dictionary of Human Resource Management; 2001). Managers should try and ensure that workers try to increase their efforts, and not decrease them. Managers should take great care while setting the wages, and ensure that the reward that workers are getting, is in line with the effort that they have put in. Particular care should be taken, to ensure that workers do not feel that they are being underpaid, compared to others. This could be very demotivating and could lead to serious problems. If there are any inequity problems within the workforce, managers should try and fix them immediately, by assessing the input-reward ratio. This is how mangers could use Equity theory to motivate their staff. Both the theories of motivation are highly popular and frequently used by managers. While both of them are different in many ways, there are also some similarities between them, as was shown in the essay. The two theories are extremely important theories, used to motivate staff.

Andy Warhol – Paper

Consumerism can best be defined as the promotion of the consumers' interests and the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable. Andy Warhol was amongst many other artists who were attacked for their open embrace of consumerism. He liked the idea that consumerism could unify Americans' of all different backgrounds but he believed that there was a lack of creativity and originality in advertising. Warhol began to use everyday objects as his subjects' and built on the movement that was later to be recognized as one ignited by him, known as Pop Art.After Warhol moved to New York, work came quickly for him and within a year of arriving, he received huge assignments as an advertising artist for a variety of high standing clients such as Columbia Records, Tiffany ; Co. , Vogue, and many others (The Andy Warhol Foundation. ) Whatever Andy illustrated from shampoo to perfume, there was a sense of decorative originality and it made his work eye catching. He would place various objects in the advertisement and they always had a slight suggestiveness to them, one that businessmen would recognize and approve (Wren 7.Andy stated that he was paid well for his commercial art and whatever was asked of him to draw or paint he would do it, if they wanted corrections he would do it, and after all those corrections, the commercial art would have attitude and style. He believed that the process of creating commercial art was machine-like but it had feeling to it. Whatever he did was machine-like and it was that way because he wanted it to be, he believed that machines had less problems and he wanted mechanical depictions. Warhol was motivated by money and he wanted to be a businessman/artist.The goal of his art was to make a profit because â€Å"if business art doesn't support its own space, it goes out of business. † (Wren 12. ) Whorl's success as a commercial designer was due greatly to his ability to take the uneducated and unskilled collecto rs and throw them in to the most advanced and sophisticated social setting of professional alienation, this he called advertisement design (Sera 8. ) Then the idea of Pop Art came in to play. Andy Warhol became the symbol of Pop Art and almost single handedly modernized the aesthetic tradition in the art world (Fearer . Pop Art challenged the traditions of fine art by adding in the subjects seen throughout popular culture. Sometimes the subject of the Pop Art is removed from its context and combined with unrelated imagery and material. Pop artists created images that anyone walking down the street would be able to recognize in no time and because of this there was a sense of artistic piracy because these images were not coming from the artist's imagination but as something they see and select to make their subject. They were things that ranged from comics and shower curtains to liberties and bras.They were images of all the great things that abstract expressionists tried so hard to not notice at all (Wren 13. ) Andy believed that art should not be for the select few but for the mass of America to enjoy. When asked about one of his most famous paintings, The Campbell Soup Can, he said, â€Å"l wanted to paint nothing. I was looking for something that was the essence of nothing, and the soup can was it. â€Å"(Wren 21 . ) Although as Warhol said he prefers to leave his background as a mystery and whenever asked why he made a particular image he makes up a story.He seems to always forget the story he made up the day before and therefore has to come up with a completely new on the next day to satisfy another person's question. Andy Warhol bridges the gap between two primary poles in modern art and they are the formal/constructivist branch and the avian-garden branch (Mayer 32-33. )When creating art he would use silk-screens, which is a technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink.A fill blade is moved across the screen stencil, forcing ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action ruing the stroke. Because Andy was not actually drawing on the piece of work, it lost all personal ties with the artist and when he would press the ink filled paper onto what would become the finished piece of work, the lines took an irregular form. Warhol uses repetition in his paintings to guide the on looker away from any feelings of empathy and intimacy. His style ends the need for interpretation because the surface of the work is a recognizable reality that still moves the viewers (Ere 9. Whorl's work can best be described using Plat's allegory of the cave that man is rapped in a shadowed realm and subjected to the delusion that the shadows are hardly distinguishable from the real world. In Whorl's paintings after-images of humanity are projected on a surface that has been altered through color and cosmetics so they become unlike real life. The reason he pai nted so withdrawn can be linked to his lack of social development when he was younger, he was unpleasant with his classmates, showed little to no appreciation or interest in anything, but he had always seemed to have a goal in mind.It is said that Warhol aimed to become eke Henry Matisse because he was so well known in his career that all he had to do was tear up pieces of paper and glue them together and they would become a masterpiece. Warhol aimed to have that world- wide recognition (Wren 12. ) He began to portray celebrities in his works of art. Although the works had very similar names, they were done in different fashions. This shows how Whorl's work began to progress and become increasingly experimental in such a short amount of time. Both paintings Double Liz and Double Elvis were done in 1963 and both were done with only the medium as a connection.For Double Liz, Warhol set two enlarged illustrations of Liz Taylor on a canvas that was primed with silver; there is hardly a contrast in themes and the figure blends into the background. He creates a rectangular form that is placed in front of the silver's background. Double Liz was printed on a single, continuous roll of canvas. When creating Double Elvis, he no longer wanted to show a surface tone and this painting shows Elvis slightly overlapping himself and his dealer Irving Blue was instructed to stretch and cut them to Whorl's desired taste. The two stars were united in an exhibition at theFreer Gallery. Warhol printed almost entirely on silver backgrounds during his most extreme phase of the exhibition's preparations which amortized his stars not on the â€Å"great silver screen† but in his silver silkscreen paintings (Can't 114-117. ) Warhol said, â€Å"No matter how good you are, if you're not promoted right, you won't be remembered. â€Å"(Wren 23. ) His statement is completely true and this is one of the reasons he took a liking to portraying celebrities in his images. If the celebriti es talked highly of him and created a buzz then he would be remembered Just as they would.Andy began his film career in the early ass's. He wanted to depict simple scenes of how people could meet each other and what they cool d discuss. Some films would be of Just one actor, smoking or eating, because people go to the movies usually to see the star. They were very raw versions of film. Andy wasn't doing experimental film; he was really experimenting with people and the way they behaved as a character. Warhol enjoyed making movies that had no script, especially no plot because if it had a plot and you have seen it once, then you wouldn't want to watch it again because you already know the ending.But if it is Just a conversation between two people, then you can catch things you missed the first time. A major theme in all of Andy work is that he enjoys seeing the same image or scene over and over again. He has been called boring because he likes the same things but whether it's in his prints or films, you can catch something new and different that you may have noticed the first time you saw them and it might evoke a different feeling upon seeing it again (Andy. The subjects of his movies were unlike those being made in the present day. They were really quite simple.What he created promoted the nonuser's interests, he created for himself but the public fell in love. Warhol was a visionary who used such a vague aspect of pop culture and turned it into a phenomenon. No matter which medium of art he chose to engage in, Whorl's themes centered on consumerism. His work was driven by the idea of being around celebrities and having money, Just a few years later he would become the celebrity and have the most expensive paintings sold in the United States. Works Cited Books: Can't, Hate. Andy Warhol The Early Sixties: Paintings and Drawings 1961-1964. Andy Warhol – Paper A fill blade is moved across the screen stencil, forcing ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action during the stroke. Because Andy was not actually drawing on the piece of work, it lost all personal ties with the artist and when he would press the ink filled paper onto what would become the finished piece of work, the lines took an irregular form. Warhol uses repetition in his paintings to guide the on looker away from any feelings f empathy and intimacy. His style ends the need for interpretation because the surface of the work is a recognizable reality that still moves the viewers (Ere 9. Whorl's work can best be described using Plat's allegory of the cave that man is trapped in a shadowed realm and subjected to the delusion that the shadows are hardly distinguishable from the real world. In Whorl's paintings after-images of humanity are projected on a surface that has been altered through color and cosmetics so they become unlike real life. The reason he painted so withdrawn can be linked to his lack of social development when he was younger, he was unpleasant tit his classmates, showed little to no appreciation or interest in anything, but he had always seemed to have a goal in mind.It is said that Warhol aimed to become like Henry Matisse because he was so well known in his career that all he had to do was tear up pieces of paper and glue them together and they would become a masterpiece. Warhol aimed to have that world- wide recognition (Wren 12. ) He began to portray celebrities in his works of art. Although the works had very similar names, they were done in different fashions. This shows how Whorl's work began to regress and become increasingly experimental in such a short amount of time. Both paintings Double Liz and Double Elvis were done in 1963 and both were done with only the medium as a connection.For Double Liz, Warhol set two enlarged illustrations of Liz Taylor on a canvas that was primed with silver; there is hardly a contra st in themes and the figure blends into the background. He creates a rectangular form that is placed in front of the silver's background. Double Liz was printed on a single, continuous roll of canvas. When creating Double Elvis, he no longer wanted to show a surface tone and this painting shows Elvis slightly overlapping himself and his dealer Irving Blue was instructed to stretch and cut them to Whorl's desired taste. The two stars were united in an exhibition at the Freer Gallery.Warhol printed almost entirely on silver backgrounds during his most extreme phase of the exhibition's preparations which amortized his stars not on the â€Å"great silver screen† but in his silver silkscreen paintings (Can't 114-117. ) Warhol said, â€Å"No matter how good you are, if you're not promoted right, you won't be remembered. â€Å"(Wren 23. ) His statement is completely true and this is one of the reasons he took a liking to portraying celebrities in his images. If the celebrities tal ked highly of him and created a buzz then he would be remembered Just as they would. Andy began his film career in the early ass's.He wanted to depict simple would be of Just one actor, smoking or eating, because people go to the movies usually to see the star. They were very raw versions of film. Andy wasn't doing experimental film; he was really experimenting with people and the way they behaved as a character. Warhol enjoyed making movies that had no script, especially no plot because if it had a plot and you have seen it once, then you wouldn't want to attach it again because you already know the ending. But if it is Just a conversation between two people, then you can catch things you missed the first time.A major theme in all of Ands work is that he enjoys seeing the same image or scene over and over again. He has been called boring because he likes the same things but whether it's in his prints or films, you can catch something new and different that you may have noticed the first time you saw them and it might evoke a different feeling upon seeing it again (Andy. The subjects of his movies were unlike those being made in the present day. They were really quite simple. What he created promoted the consumer's interests, he created for himself but the public fell in love.

Ageing Theory Essay

P4: In this assignment I will be explaining two theories which are the disengagement theory and the activity theory. Disengagement theory The disengagement theory suggests when people reach old age, they tend to naturally withdraw themselves from society and social involvement, elderly folk will also reduce their physical activity due to complications with poor health as they grow old. This among other reasons will result in restricted opportunities to interact with others and forms an individual mentality/approach to life due to becoming less concerned with the expectation of others/withdrawal. In 1975 Cumming argued that â€Å"it was appropriate and healthy for older people to withdraw from others† because it was deemed a natural part of the ageing process. The disengagement theory states that older people start to withdraw themselves from society and others because of their bodily issues i.e. hearing loss, loss of vision and reduction in physical movement. These complications can cause an older persons health to deteriorate which results in the loss of communication with others and withdrawal from society along with social interaction. Retirement can also be a contributing factor for elderly people not to be involved as much due to the inevitability that they will lose touch with their ex colleagues and friends. Older people may also have family that live far away therefore, they may not be able to travel much due to not having access to a car or even have access to technology such as the internet. This restricts the opportunity for social contact and leads to further disengagement due to being isolated from the new generation’s facilities. However, critics point out that disengagement can be discredited for a number of reasons. The majority of older people do remain socially involved with family and friends and many older people become more involved with close family as they become older. It may be that many older people choose to spend the time they have remaining with people they feel close to, rather than seeking to make new friends. If people only interact with close friends does this mean they are disengaged? It is also important to remember disengagement can often be enforced, rather than voluntary. For example, people who need to move to a nursing home experience restrictions on their social circle as well as limitations on their friends, this can result in fewer connections as friends die and depression/isolation occurs due to  inability to change the situation they are in. This is why many people don’t agree with the disengagement theory. Activity theory The activity theory suggests that older people need to disengage, but that they also need to remain â€Å"active† in order to limit the risks associated with disengagement i.e. stagnation, loss of mental and physical skills. Being mentally and physically active is viewed as being very important because it can improve mental and physical health in later life. The general ideology of the activity theory is the more you do, the better you will age. People who maintain an interest in life and continue to be engaged with family and friends tend to be healthier, happier and more in touch with what is going on around them. However, it is not sufficient merely to provide facilities for elderly people. They need to be educated to make use of them and encouraged to engage in a full day of activities, this will result in a high level of productivity and in theory slow down the ageing process. Furthermore, the activity theory can be argued against to some degree because it doesn’t remain true. It is somewhat difficult to suggest just being busy will help greatly with ageing. Therefore, a heightened level of activity is needed, but it needs to be engaging and fulfilling, rather than just busy work/stimulation. As people get older, nerve cells in the brain get weaker which results in memory loss, in order to prevent this from happening old people choose to be mentally active by taking courses and getting involved in studies, and physically active by going on walks, the gym even swimming. To conclude this theory implies by truly engaging ourselves in later life with purpose it can make us live longer. Overall I think it is best to stay active for as long as you can, it means a better social life and a healthy body and mind. It may even increase your life expectancy. I feel disengagement from society and social interaction would have serious consequences and would result in life expectancy being decreased. However, people may be forced in to disengagement through injury or onset of disease/disability. M2: I will be discussing the disengagement and active theories in relation to the individual I have chosen. Disengagement theory in relation to Barrack Obama When Barack Obama reaches old age, he may go through disengagement. This would include a withdrawal from society and social interaction. This may be caused by various factors as the ageing process begins to start and his physical and mental state declines. Obama may distance himself from family and friends which would restrict his opportunities, this is because older people tend to disengage themselves totally and chose not to be involved in social activities/interaction. Therefore, Obama could develop an individual approach and become stuck with this mentality which would result in isolation as he becomes less concerned with the expectations of others. A number of factors can contribute to Obama becoming further disengaged such as retirement. Due to the amount of stress and responsibilities he has had to deal with for a long period of time, he may feel a time out is required. This will inevitably mean the loss of friends and ex colleagues. Another factor could be the deterioration of his health for example, his eye sight, hearing and physical movement may all contribute to him socially disengaging. This would cause further complications and would also restrict Obama from travelling. The realization of death would then begin to linger while he considers the amount of time he has remaining. Furthermore, mental aspects may also occur due to contemplating his previous decisions he made while in power which could have a detrimental effect and may result in him developing depression. This will no doubt result in him no longer wanting his picture taken, and health services being required in order to help him cope with the situation he is in (mentally unstable maybe even forced disengagement). The mutual relationship he once had with society would then begin to evaporate as the disengagement process is completed. Activity theory in relation to Barrack Obama However, if Obama chooses to remain active, he will be more likely to overcome the negative factors that social disengagement causes. If Obama retires after his term as president of the United States, he could continue to work for the America government by being part of international relations. Therefore, he would continue to travel and have his photograph taken due to being an ambassador for his nation. This would mean he will maintain a heighted level of activity that would be engaging, fulfilling, and stimulate  his brain which would delay the aging process and in theory prolong any health issues. Furthermore, Obama would maintain an interest in life and continue to be engaged with family and friends, this would result in him being healthier, happier and more in touch with what was going on around him. He would also be involved in family gatherings and physical activities such as keeping fit i.e. running and attending the gym. All these active factors would form a physical and social routine which would no doubt prevent any sort of disengagement. D2: I will be evaluating how each theory is associated to health and social care provision and what influences health and social care can provide. Ageing and health and social care provision The activity and disengagement theory both relate to health and social care settings. Looking at the activity theory, it is clear that it still has an impact on health and social care settings, most services help people to be active by providing various physical and social activities i.e. care homes provide bingo, quizzes, chess, cards, music and sensory activities which keep elderly people occupied. These games are used in order to keep them entertained and their minds active, whereas day care centres offer days out, dancing and exercise. I believe these services help people to be involved rather than push them away and disengage them as they encourage physical and social interaction/participation. People are living longer due to these services and our good public health/lifestyle. Most health and social care provisions urge older people to remain active because it helps prolong body functions, boosts self esteem and in theory delays the negative effects of ageing. Doctor’s surgeries, community centres and hospitals will also have leaflets and posters with information on revealing how to stay active and will show activities and exercises that older people can do in order to keep healthy. It is now viewed as very important to remain active because as we grow older people tend to lose their memory. This is caused by a decrease in the number of brain cells and the body weakening. Therefore, maintaining a heighted level of activity that is engaging, fulfilling, and stimulates the brain helps delay complications and the aging process. Policies and procedures have changed over the years, giving older people more respect. Having these rights help older people feel more safe and secure in society. All these services for older people will aim to provide quality assurance, choice and ensure the upmost respect is given to the people they are caring for. Older people should always have a choice as to how active they wish to be. If some older people do not want to take part and be disengaged in activities and other participations then that is fine as they have free will in what they want to do and what they do not want to do. Some people may even have disabilities or mental health problems. Therefore, they may not want to take part as they will feel belittled or intimidated it is also a part of their human rights. Quality services will never attempt to force older people to be active and engaged, but they will provide opportunities and encouragement for individuals to maintain the continuity of their lives and remain as a ctive as they wish which must be respected and always taken into account. Looking at the disengagement theory, it is clear that it still has an impact on health and social care settings. Although there are many services that provide physical and social engagement, it can be difficult for elderly people to be involved. I believe there are a number of influences in today’s society that encourage disengagement. For example, Disabilities contribute when forming interaction socially and physically, travel expenses is also an issue, many people don’t have access to transport, although there are mini buses/bus passes now available for elderly people, lots of elderly, mentally challenged and disabled find it difficult to attend these services (forced disengagement). Some people may even struggle to adapt to retirement, someone who has been working all there life may find it difficult to find themselves out of the loop through the loss of ex colleagues and friends even death i.e. the loss of a loved one is a contributing factor and provides an outlet to disengage completely. Furthermore, more people now use drugs, smoke and drink alcohol excessively. Alcohol is a depressant and if used inappropriately it can form an addiction which eventually results in people wanting to be on their own and not wanting to leave their homes. Drugs, smoking and alcohol can also cause diseases such as cancer, liver disease and mental illnesses which all affect how individuals engage. All  these factors could result in serious complications/implications i.e. people not waiting to interact physically or socialise at all. Conclusion Overall I personally believe that today’s society is based more on the activity theory. People are becoming less ill because of the NHS and living longer due to various health and social care services providing engagement both physically and socially. Campaigns on healthy eating, exercise and things to do to keep active is being put out in the open daily. This includes medicines, treatments and screenings. The activity theory provides some evidence of being effective because more and more older people are living in their own homes, keeping active both physically and socially and even cooking healthy meals for themselves as people are becoming more alert to what their body requires, retirement is also now shown to be enjoyable, elderly people ensure they maintain a routine which involves interacting with family and friends, in addition to volunteering which helps them engage and in theory, be more in touch with what is going on around them leading to a happier, healthier life. In my opinion the disengagement theory is very negative on society and on a person. Although it is sometimes viewed as an unavoidable weakness, no one in today’s world wants to be separated from society because of their age. I believe the theory to be ignorant to the fact that older people are still individuals regardless of the process of ageing there are still people who are capable of enjoying life and being part of society which deserve respect and the right to have choices and be independent. Although complications can occur as the ageing process takes place i.e. loss of mobility, illness, malfunction of the body. It is important that people rights are respected and if they want to disengage themselves from society they are free to do so.

Honda Civic EX vs Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel Mileage

Honda Civic EX vs Honda Civic Hybrid Fuel Mileage Here at Hybrid Cars and Alt Fuels, we field a lot of questions about hybrids, and probably the most common of all is simply, Are they really worth it? Do hybrids really get that much better fuel mileage than regular carsand is it enough to justify their price premium? Well, we always do a number crunch as part of our hybrid reviews, but weve never actually done a real side-by-side comparison, instead relying on EPA mileage estimates of the non-hybrid versus our observed hybrid model fuel mileage to draw conclusions. This works pretty well, but the more I (Scott) thought about it, the more I wanted to do a little street test of my own to see whats what in the real world. So, I needed a car that is offered in both conventional and hybrid drivetrains, and I needed to put them both through the same types of driving conditionsand carefully track all datato get as close as possible to an apples-to-apples comparison. This testorama would give me a good solid no arguments here body of data to unequivocally say X car in hybrid dress performed this way against X car with a regular engine. Having recently completed a test drive of the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid (in which I did extensive fuel mileage tracking), I decided that this car and its popular and efficient (and comparably equipped) brother, the Honda Civic EX, would be my guinea pigs. Honda agreed and sent over a beautiful Alabaster Silver 2008 Civic EX sedan, and I commenced to drive. I was pretty confident that Id be able to handily beat the EPA estimates in the EX by simply employing some of my favorite Thrifty-Drive techniquesthe same I used when test driving the Civic Hybrid. Ive been steadily honing these skills over the years and its gotten to the point that I can best the EPAs numbers by 15 percent or more for any given vehicle. I just slow down and drive gently, which ironically enough, gets me there in just about the same amount of time as aggressive yellow-light-running driving does, but at a much better bang-for-the-buck-for-the-minute rate. The Drivetrains Honda Civic EX: My tester EX came outfitted with the standard 140 hp 1.8-liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine and optional 5-speed automatic transmission. Its a nice package with plenty of power and great fuel economy numbers, thanks to Hondas thrifty variable valve timing scheme. The EPA gives the EX 25/36/29 city/highway/combined ratings. Honda Civic Hybrid: The hybrid version gets its very own purpose-built drivetrain package consisting of a 110 hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine and electric motor combination that transfers power to the wheels through a CVT transmission. EPA ratings for this package come in at 40/45/42 city/highway/combined. For more info on how this unique drivetrain works, see our 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid test drive and review. The Tests Because of the nature of pure city driving, with its short distances between numerous starts and stops, its difficult to employ Thrifty-Drive techniques and improve on EPA ratings. For this reason, I limited my mileage compares to all-highway and then combined (an assortment of roadways and traffic conditions) situations, and I further divided them by eco-styles and normal styles. I suppose at this point, its important to define what I call normal driving. In short, its aggressive behavior that I observe during my daily travels out on the roads with thousands of other motorists: jack rabbit starts ... not slowing (or worse, accelerating) on highway exit ramps ... speeding to stop signs (and then jamming-on the brakes at the last moment) ... and of course, my favorite shake-my-head-maneuver, constantly jockeying and darting to get ahead of the next guy. The Four Tests and Results All mileage numbers are expressed in miles per gallon: Normal combined jaunts driving like normal motorists described above. EX32.2, Hybrid41.5 Normal highway long freeway runs using no cruise and changing lanes frequently to keep pace with the fastest traffic (usually between 75 and 80 mph). EX36.6, Hybrid49.1 Eco combined everyday trips using the eco-techniques described in Scotts Thrifty-Drive. EX37.4, Hybrid48.7 Eco highway long highway jaunts with cruise set at a steady 61 mph. EX42.3, Hybrid54.7 Interpreting the Results These test results leave little doubt that the Honda Civic (hybrid or no) gets excellent fuel economy. Even when driven hard, I still was able to pretty much beat EPA ratings across-the-board. My experience has usually been that the more fuel-efficient a vehicle is, the less adversely its fuel economy is affected by aggressive driving habits. Conversely, economy cars respond better to eco-driving techniques than their large, less efficient counterparts. While both cars responded well to eco-driving, the EX did a little better in the combined mileage tests, whereas the hybrid aced the highway improvements. What gives here? It seems to me that the engine-only EX is more readily influenced by easy driving/light throttle techniques in combined roadway conditions where the engine could/would be more taxed during frequent acceleration. On the highway, a steady throttle can only do so much. On the other hand, on combined roadways in the hybrid, the electric motor mitigates some of the drivers influence for easing load on the engine (the hybrid system does it automatically). But on the open highway, the combination of the engines cylinder deactivation and steady electric motor assist allows the engine to work with minimal fuel use. So, Is the Hybrid Civic Really Worth It? In most cases, I think so, and under the right conditions, absolutely. Just look at the fuel mileage numbers. The hybrid bested the EX in every category, some by a larger percentage than others. Depending on the types of driving conditions/styles the Civic Hybrid owner would most regularly encounter, pay back time will likely fall within a four to six and a half year period of ownership. (Based upon $3055 hybrid price premium, $525 hybrid tax credit *ends 12/08*, 15,000 miles/year travel and gasoline $3.95/gallon).

Counselor and Ethical Boundaries

Counselor and Ethical Boundaries Introduction Boundary issues in counseling result from failure of a counselor to stick to the limits to which he/she is professionally authorized regarding a client. As a counselor, I have to ensure that my relationships with clients remain professional when delivering psychological services within the restrictive parameters that are safe for clients.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Counselor and Ethical Boundaries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dual relationships, on the other hand, refer to a situation where, in addition to profession relationship, a significant emotional relationship exists between the client and the counselor. This dual relationship is generally unfit for professional counseling, since there will be power imbalance that may negatively influence the counseling process (Syme, 2003, p.6). Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships Various issues exist in relation to situations pertaining to ethical a nd appropriate professional relationships between the counselor and the client. Boundaries to a counselor might include the fee charged, time span of the counseling sessions, level of personal disclosure, and physical contact. The primary concern of counselors is establishment of boundaries and management with respect to individual clients, where the counselor focuses on delivering services beneficial for clients. Although determination of whether acts are appropriate or ethical may be difficult, the above criteria can clearly distinguish their appropriateness. Observation of these boundary issues and dual relationships is paramount, considering the existence of inherent power imbalance where the client trusts the therapist’s expertise, and therefore discloses personal information (Pope, Tabachnick Keith-Spiegel, 1987). There are situations where dual relationships are complex and ambiguous. In this case, there is a need for application of a decision-making model where clien ts are involved in discussions to maintain professionalism. In my place of counseling in the community, it coincidentally happens that among the clients who come for counseling services are my students whom I teach in college. In this case, an ambiguous dual and complex relationship exists. In such a case, there must be a discussion with clients in order to avoid interactions that may hamper success of counseling services. Over and above discussion and avoidance, therapists may choose to terminate the therapy process in order to observe the codes of conduct. As a counselor, I may be involved in community projects of my interest, where I am appointed as a board member. It coincidentally happens that among the board members are my clients who go ahead to meet me in person during the board meetings, and openly admit being glad of sharing similar interest and characteristics in the community. These situations call for one-on-one discussion with clients to enable distinction of the two r elationships.Advertising Looking for report on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One example of a complex dual relationship may occur in a case when an unmarried counselor is celebrating a special day, and in the process, a friendly couple joins his celebration and decides to take charge of organizing the occasion and inviting other people. The couple also invites another single person of the opposite sex, a situation that happens to be a blind date for the counselor. Coincidentally, the blind date turns out to be one of the counselor’s clients, thus resulting in a complex dual relationship. As a counselor, agreeing into the invitation is fine, but clear-cut distinctions of both relationships must be established through personal discussion with the client. The same decision model can be applied to a scenario where close friends come for counseling services, putting pressure on the counselor to pay specia l attention to them considering that his services are the only relevant and available counseling services in the community (Borys Pope, 1989). Thinking Development about Ethics Dual Relationships and boundary issues with respect to professional counseling can be generally concluded as a result of therapists being members of the community. Generally, dual relationships cannot be avoided, since counselors carry out their day-to-day activities within the community and more so, they have their own interests and livelihoods. In a case where a counselor is elected to membership of a community project boards in which one of the clients is also a member, there arises an issue of complexity with respect to a dual relationship. Modification of thought in such issues of complexity bases its claims on the fact that counselors cannot continuously deny the opportunity of advancing their interests in order to avoid dual relationships with clients. In order to resolve issues related to the dual re lationships, new ways of managing dual relationships should be put in place rather than evade the relationships. Dual relationships widely vary and may include social, professional, business, communal, and even institutional relationships. These relationships often result in complex professionalism issues that are ambiguous and difficult to resolve. Dynamic views towards these complexities involve distinctive dual relationships where counseling is completely separated from the emotional relations shared outside the profession. The client should understand that the counselor has a duty to observe professional codes of conduct irrespective of other relationships. At work, both the client and therapist must make the assumption that no other relationship exists, and that the right to this distinction during interactions outside therapy is paramount. References Borys, D.S., Pope, K.S. (1989) Dual relationships between therapist and client: A national study of psychologists, psychiatrist s, and social workers. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 20(5); 283-293.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Counselor and Ethical Boundaries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pope, K.S., Tabachnick, B.G., Keith-Spiegel, P. (1987) Ethics of practice: The beliefs and behaviors of psychologists as therapists. American Psychologist, 42(11); 993-1006. Syme, G. (2003) Dual Relationships in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Exploring the Limits. NY: SAGE.

Risk and Complexity in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Risk and Complexity in Social Work - Essay Example entails the collection of the patient’s facts, the demographic data, the current presentation, and the history and in particular the recent scenes of violence. The facts gathered are evaluated according to a certain formula and a particular number is arrived at; this figure or number offers the predictive value which can indicate a likelihood of violence in the future. The approach has a disadvantage in that so many facts have to be collected in order to ascertain the individual’s clinical judgment. For example, the grading or the rating of the severity, the content, and the presence of delusion; the difference the delusion makes if it is a section of a systematized collection of delusional beliefs, and how systematized the delusion is. It is not likely that this type of psychopathology can be quantified unless it is done in crude terms (Ronald Manual Doctor 2003, p9). The clinical approach is viewed as a method that is informal and not open to quantitative assessment, and it usually leaves all the authority to the clinician. The clinical approach often results in an evaluation that is hard to quantify due to the fact that external validation lacks. As a result, the employment of organizations such as social work agencies and health trusts are incapable of managing the risk in an auditable and coherent manner. Thus, they are unable to take medico-legal responsibility that is meaningful in regard to the actions of the clinician. As such, the risk assessment model and the management are supposed to take into consideration the reality that every clinical situation is distinct. It is also necessary to have a formal structure that can be understood and it is repeatable (Ronald Manual Doctor 2003, p9). The implementation of the Child Act 1989 was done in 1991. The act aimed at revolutionizing proceedings and practice that concerned the welfare of the children in Wales and England. The act began from the principle that the basic responsibility in the upbringing of

Testing the Stability of Okuns Law Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Testing the Stability of Okuns Law - Term Paper Example However, this inverse relationship was not replicated in the year that followed. In other words, while average growth in real Gross Domestic Product slowed down in the year that followed, the downward trend in the unemployment rate continued. Many economists could easily view this situation as an anomaly. Given the importance of economic growth and job creation to both policy makers and the citizenry, it is important to study the relationship between the two in order to ensure a more effective and efficient decision-making. Okun (1962) made the first attempt to study this relationship and he found that real GDP and unemployment are inversely related to each other and this has come to be known as the Okun’s Law. More specifically, a 2% rise in output is associated with a 1% decline in the unemployment rate. In another version, a 3% rise in the Gross National Product is associated with a 1% decline in the unemployment rate. While the relationship determined by Okun appears to have some empirical deficiencies, it, nonetheless, serves as a guide to policymakers in making crucial economic decisions. This paper seeks to determine whether or not there is some variability in the relationship between changes in real GDP growth rate and changes in the unemployment rate over an extended period. It is done by means of a recursive Ordinary Least Squares or rolling regression techniques.