Concept of HRD Essay

‘Dhanesh â€Å" Auto Inc. has been a major global manufacturer of automotive product. In December 2002, Lumax Industries acquired it. Headlight, side indicator and brakelight are among their leading products. One of the challenges that both the former Dhanesh Auto Inc. and the present Lumax Industries have faced is the fact that over half of their employees not regional employees. Lumax Industries executives recognised that there was a need for more company leaders with global expertise, as Lumax Industries then became a publicly traded company in February 2004. They wanted executives with expertise concerning issues in more than one country. They also wanted leaders who could help promote a â€Å"Seamless† organization, that is, an organization that had fewer boundaries between functions, business units – and countries. Dhanesh auto had already established an executive development program that it called the Business Leadership Program (BLP). This program was aimed at developing the top one percent of â€Å"promotable† employees. The BLP addressed issues such as global strategy, leadership style and behaviour, culture and organization capabilities. The program used various techniques during the formal training portion, including lectures, discussions, individual projects, case studies, and team building interactions. There was also an â€Å"action learning† module, where trainees worked on actual issues that the company was currently facing. Approximately thirty-five people at a time went through the BLP process. An assessment made by Lumax senior managers was that, in general, Lumax management did not have the level of global competency that was required to manage their increasingly global corporation. In particular, the company’s succession planning process had identified a sufficient gap between the global skills required and those possessed by their top managers. This led them to refocus their Global Leadership Program (GLP). This was also connected to their performance appraisal, professional development, and succession managerial management process. Questions: If you were part of the leadership development team at Lumax, what type of global issues would you like to see emphasised in the new GLP? What types of training methods do you; think might be appropriate for training top managers and executives? Why? Are there other things that you would include in addition to formal training? Increasingly more importance is given to â€Å"people† in organizations. This is mainly because organizations are realising of all assets. This emphasis can also be partly attributed to the new emerging values of humanism and humanisation. Moreover with the increased emphasis on creativity, and autonomy, which people are increasingly acquiring and enjoying in the society, the expectations of people are fast changing. People cannot be taken for granted any more. If you said â€Å"yes† to any of the above questions, you have been involved in some form of human resource development†. Organisation of all types and sizes, including schools, retail stores, government agneices, restaurants, and manufacturesrs have al least one thing in common: they must employ competent and motivated workers. The concept of HRD was formally introduced by Leonard Nodler in 1969 in a conference organised by the American Scoiety for Taining and Development. Leonard Nodler defined HRD as, â€Å"those learning experiences which are organised, for a specific time, and designed to bring about the possibility of behavioural changes†. Definitions: A comprehensive definition of a term provide clear understanding and scope of the subject. HRD’s main concern is the development of skill and abilities, knowledge and competencies of employees/ people. 1. According to TV Rao: A process by which the employees of an organisation are helped in a continuous planned way to: i)acquire and sharpen capabilities required to perform various functions associated with their present or expected future roles. ii)develop their general capabilities as individual and discover and exploit their own potentials for OD. iii)development an organisation culture. In HRD employees of an organisation are helped / motivated to acquire knowledge and competencies. 2. According to TN Chabbra: HRD is a continuous process to ensure the development of employee competencies, dynamics, motivation and effectiveness in a systematic and planned ways†. 3. According to Jon M. Werner: HRD can be defined as a set of systematic and planned activities designed by an organisation to provide its members with the opportunities to learn necessary skills to meet current and future job demands. 4. According to Jennifer Joy and David Megginson: HRD is the term we use to describe an integrated and holistic, conscious and proactive approach to changing work-related knowledge and behaviour, using a range of learning strategies and techniques. HRD activities should begin when an employee joins an organsiation and continue throughout his or her career, regardless of whether that employee is an exceutive or a worker on an assembly line, HRD programs must respond to job changes and integrate the long-term plans and strategies of the organisation to ensure the efficient and effective use of resources. Features of HRD On the basis of the above definitions, important featues of HRD may be summarised thus: a.HRD is a system: It is a system having several interdependent parts or subsystems such as procurement, appraisal, development etc. Change in any one subsystem leads to changes in other parts. For example, if there is a change in the promotion policy where seniority is replaced with merit, the chain reactions on affected individuals, unions shall have to be assessed – keeping the difficulties in framing acceptable guidelines regarding ‘merit’ in mind. b.HRD is a planned process: It is a planned and systematic way of developing people. Further, it is undertaken on a continuous basis. Learning, as we all know, is a life-long process and goes on and on. c.HRD involves development of competencies: Basically it tries to develop competencies at four levels. At the individual level, employees are made to realise the importance of playing their roles in tune with overall goals and expecitations of other people (regarding such roles). By enriching and redesigning jobs, the roles of employees are made more meaningful and interesting. At the interpersonal level, more stress is laid on developing relationships based on trust, confidence and help. At the group level, task forces, cross functional teams are created to cement inter-group realtions. At the organisational level, the organisation is made to nurture a ‘development climate’, where every effort is made to harnes human potential while meeting organisational goals. d.HRD is an interdisciplinary concept: HRD is an amalgamation of various ideas concepts, principles and practices drawn from a number of soft sciences. e. Learning is at the core of all HRD efforts. Four agents of development: (i) The person or role (ii) the immediate boss of the person (Dyad) (iii) HR Department (Group) (iv) the organisation. There are many strands to HRD, e.g., Personal developemnt; development for a current job on situation; development in or for new work settings; activites through which individual and organisational goals may be reconciled; and development leading to a better, fuller life for individuals, organisations and wider communities. In a way broad sense HRD may also be seen as ‘the capacity to incorporate learning into behaviour’. ACTIVITY: CREATE YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF HRD Take a few moments to think about your own position and scope for HRD by defining what HRD means to you. Start by writing ‘Human Resource Development’ in the centre of a landscape page, draw ten radiating lines and attach to each one a key word or short phrase you associate with the words in the centre. It can be illuminating to compare your own result with that of colleagues. What proportion you think you will have in common? _________________________________________________________________ HRD Goals and Beliefs The goal of HRD system is to develop: †¢the capabilities of each employee as an individual; †¢the capabilities of each individual in relation to his or her present role; †¢the capabilities of each employee in relation to his or her expected future role(s). †¢the dyadic relationship between each employee and his or her employer; †¢the team spirit and functioning in every organisational unit; †¢collaboration among different units of the organization; †¢the organization’s overall health and self-renewing capabilities, which in turn, increase the enabling capabilities of individuals, dyads, teams and the entire organization. The basic philosophy of HRD is based on certain beliefs. BELIEFS Human beings are capable of enlargement. Even ordinary mortals can produce extraordinary results. Common men can do uncommon things. Trust them, give them a chance and leave them on their own, with occasional help wherever needed. They not only grow but also help the organization realise its goals and progress. There will be amazing improvements in production, productivity and quality. †¢Human resources are the most important assets in the organization. †¢Human resources can be developed to an unlimited extent. Two plus two could be five, six or ten. †¢A healthy organisational climate (openness, trust, collaboration) is essential for developing human resources. †¢HRD can be planned and implemented to benefit both individuals and organizations. †¢ If the organization is able to inculcate a spirit of ‘belongingness’ in its employees, they will be more loyal and committed. †¢To ensure this healthy feeling, the organization has to provide for their basic as well as higher order needs through appropriate management styles and systems. †¢The commitment of employee increases when he / she is able to find opportunities to use his / her potential while at work. †¢The managers must clear the paths, create a development climate and help employees realise their full potential. †¢The higher the level of the manager the more attention should be paid to the HRD function in order to ensure its effectiveness. †¢The maintenance of a healthy working climate and the development of its human resources are the responsibilities of every organization. Why HRD HRD is needed by any organization that wants to grow continuously in the fast changing environment organizations can scale new heights only through the effective and efficient use of human resources. Appropriate personnel policies help maintain employee motivation and morale at a high level, but this alone may not help the organization achieve success and venture into new fields. To this end, employee capabilities must be continually trained, developed and expanded. The employees must be encouraged to take risks, experiment, innovate and make things happen in an atmosphere of mutual trust, goodwill and cooperation. â€Å"People need competencies to perform tasks. Higher degree and quality of performance of tasks requires higher levels or degrees of skills. Without continuous development of competencies in people, an organization is not likely to achieve its goals. Competent and motivated employees are essential for organizational survival, growth and excellence†. BENEFITS OF HRD 1.HRD improves the capabilities of people. They become innovative and enterprising-ever eager to take the risk and get ahead. It improves the all round growth of an employee. Feedback and guidance from superiors help employees grow continually and show superior performance. 2. HRD improves team work. Employees become more open and trust each other. The organizational climate too, improves a lot. 3.HRD leads to greater organizational effectiveness. Appropriate employee-centred policies help the organization achieve the goals more efficiently. 4.Performance related rewards help employees realize the importance of utilizing their skills fully in the service of organizational goals. The organization’s overall health and self-renewing capabilities, too, improve quite significantly. HRD MATRIX The HRD matrix shows the interrelationships between HRD instruments, processes, outcomes and organizational effectiveness. a.HRD instruments: These include performance appraisal, counselling, role analysis, potential development, training, communication policies, job rotations, rewards, job enrichment programmes, etc. These instruments may vary depending on the size of the organization, the internal environment, the support and the commitment of the top management, the competitive policies, etc. b.HRD process: The HRD instruments led to the generation of HRD of processes like role clarity, performance planning, development climate, risk-taking, and dynamism in employees. Such HRD processes should result in more competent, satisfied and committed people that would make the organization grow by contributing their best to it. c.HRD outcomes: HRD instruments and processes make people more c ommitted and satisfied, where they tend to give their best to the organization enthusiastically. d. Organizational effectiveness: Dimensions: such HRD outcomes influence the organizational effectiveness, which in turn, depends on a number of variables like environment, technology, competitors, etc.

Philippine Telecommunications Essay

The Philippine Telecommunications Industry remains to be one of the most robust and fastest growing industries in the Philippines. This report will touch on the present state of the elecommunications industry, the regulatory environment, the broadband landscape, broadband technologies, and broadband equipment suppliers and investment opportunities. The Philippine telecommunication sector is estimated to have reached USD4. 0 billion in annual service provider revenues by end 2009. Growth in the next five years, however, is projected to experience a slow down due to the increasing saturation in the industry’s two main segments – cellular mobile and fixed line. This growth is estimated o be at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenues of about 8% over the next five years, compared to a CAGR of 11% in the last five. Aside from cellular mobile and fixed line, the other segments of the telecommunication sector are on broadcast and broadband. For purposes of this report, it will touch briefly on cellular mobile, fixed line and broadcast segments but focus will be on the broadband segment which holds the most promise in regard to growth opportunities given that the cellular mobile and fixed line segments have already reached its saturation point and is expected to achieve flat or negative growth for 2009. The dominant telcos are PLDT, Globe Telecom, Bayantel, and Digitel. Liberty Telecom is a previously inactive player that is expected to play a bigger role in the industry beginning with 2010. Liberty Telecom recently attracted attention when San Miguel Corporation, the Philippines’ largest food and beverage conglomerate, acquired a 32. 7% stake in the previously inactive telecom company. Liberty Telecom had previously been under corporate rehabilitation after trading of its stock was suspended in 2005 due to â€Å"excessive volatility†. San Miguel recently entered the telecommunication industry by establishing its wholly-owned subsidiary Vega Telecom, Inc. The company later partnered with Qatar Telecom (QTel) in drawing up plans for re-establishing the market presence of Liberty Telecom. The Philippine Telecommunications Report 2010 Page 2 Overview of industry landscape and key players Fixed Line Prior to 1993, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) had been and continues to be the dominant carrier, being the first to establish a fixed line telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. Following the telecommunications liberalization in 1993, coupled with the introduction of the Service Area Scheme (SAS), the competitive environment drastically changed with the entry of 10 new entrants that resulted in lower tariffs and improved fixed line penetration. However as of 2008, relative to the SAS, only 50%i of the fixed line capacity has been utilized with only 3. 9 million fixed line subscribers, or a low fixed line penetration rate of only 4. 32%. i The low fixed line penetration rate is due mainly to the cellular mobile segment having overtaken the fixed line segment on account of faster roll-out and deployment of cellular mobile infrastructure. There are approximately 7. 45 million installed and 4. 89 million subscribed land lines as of 2008iii. Filipinos were mobile phone subscribers. The phenomenal growth was attributed to the popularity of SMS or â€Å"Text Messaging† with a little over 300 million text messages being sent daily as well as the availability of cheaper handsets brought about by the introduction of pre-paid services and over the air loading (electronic loads). The cellular mobile segment has been dominated by three (3) large telcos, namely Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular with Globe Telecom pioneering the GSM platform followed by Smart Communications and later Sun Cellular.

For this assignment I intend to look at the issue of Racism, why it persists and what should be done about it

For this assignment I intend to look at the issue of Racism, why it persists and what should be done about it. I shall also look at the links between slavery and those of the asylum seekers living in Britain. I intend also to try and give a brief explanation of the racism and discrimination in the Chhoka case. There are many different definitions of racism, all of them having one thing in common. Racism is the belief that someone is either inferior or superior regarding race, colour, and religion. Racism is â€Å"The belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance†. The first place that most people associate with racist language is the home or the playground. For some parents, its not unheard of to â€Å"go to the Paki shop†, or â€Å"the Chinkies†, so our children are being schooled in the art of racist language from an early age. The media is the next most powerful weapon. We open our papers daily and read about muggings, killings mostly to do with black youths, but when a white youth is mugged or murdered or intimidated, it will make front page for sensationalism, again fuelling people's hatred or misgivings. We can associate the use of language as being racist, for example anything black is understood to be evil or bad whereas white is the epitome of everything good and pure. Goodness will always triumph over bad. We can place certain people into 2 categories, those who are the targets and those who are the agents. By doing this it is easier to gain an insight into how some establishments or communities work. Targets: Are individuals or groups of people who are victimised by other individuals, groups of people, institutions, educational establishments, the lawmakers of the land plus the people entrusted to carry out and implement these laws. These people are the oppressed. Asylum seekers are perfect targets for any agent group. Even within this group, there can be agents who prey on the weakest of the group. Agents: These are the dominant social groups, people who would never describe themselves as dominant over another human being. They have a superior attitude, which sets them apart from sometimes even others in the same agent group. Agents are the groups or individuals of people who perpetrate acts of physical, verbal abuse towards others, but do not get their hands dirty in the physical sense of the word. They are instigators and normally to be found in high positions where their ideals are carried through on the pretext of professionalism. Targets can be found in the playground, in the media, in educational establishments, in high society and any other walk of life. These people are known as the oppressors. They blame the targets for any misfortune inflicted upon themselves. As before, there can be targets included in this group, as well as other agents as power is their ultimate weapon or tool. Slavery was at its most popular during the late fifteenth century. From the 1640's a period of free trade opened up and Britain was one of the countries who exploited this to their advantage. Slave trading opened up new markets for British and European goods in Africa. Sugar, coffee and cotton were common commodities now. By the middle of the eighteenth century, British ships were carrying approximately 50,000 slaves a year. Royal Navy sailors complained of smelling the stench from the slave ships as they crossed from Africa across the Atlantic. It was with great delight to some and great sorrow to others when this trade was outlawed in 1807. Most British towns and cities were built on the labours and exploitation of the slave trade. The vast profits from American plantations were ploughed into cities such as Glasgow and Bristol and to anyone who suggested that â€Å"they don't need to be here, they can go back to their own countries†, then we must ask them, who forced these people over here in the first place. We, the British people did. According to the Geneva Convention the term â€Å"refugee† applies to anyone who: â€Å"owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country†. Asylum seekers did not choose to leave their own homes and countries, but were forced too. They left behind their families and their homelands due to war, oppression, violence and hate. They escaped fascist regimes, and the daily threat of hunger, oppression and death. Britain is the land of the unskilled, under-educated, socially excluded, yet many of the refugees are professionals in medicine, health, education and yet some see them as being scroungers of the state. Asylum seekers are discriminated as soon as they set foot in Britain. They are issued with sub-standard housing, in tower blocks full of dampness and repairs which will never be done, they are not allowed to work or offer their expertise and are sometimes trapped in their own homes for fear of their emotional and physical wellbeing. These people did not leave their own countries to become scapegoats for a society that pretends it cares. They are issued with food vouchers which is humiliating and degrading and are once again, under threat of a regime that they do not necessarily understand. Problems surrounding the recent events concerning the refugees are not helped by the fact that there has been no educational programme to teach young people and others in the community about the refugees backgrounds, no local support for the existing members of the community and a distinctly second rate police service, which is not being utilised to the best of its advantage or for the people to whom it is supposed to protect. There are four key elements in place to support and reinforce each other. Sometimes these processes can be in force one at a time, but in the Chhoka case the four levels were present: Structural: Combining physical, legal and political structures such as the law, the government and all political processes. Cultural: The assumptions and norms of a shared society that bind individuals and institutions together and also their behaviours. Institutional: Educational establishments, the police force, government departments, businesses, the health system and the welfare system. Personal: Attitudes and beliefs of individuals and their behaviour towards others, either directly or indirectly. The case of Surjit Singh Chhokar, a 32 year old waiter who was stabbed to death has highlighted the flaws and faults in our so called civilised society. No one has ever been convicted of Surjit's murder although it has taken over three years and two murder trials involving three men. The Chhokar case has shown how structural, cultural, institutional and personal racism all become linked. There were no interpreters available for the Chhokar family which was the first step in the cultural discrimination. This was a heartbroken family grieving at the loss of a son, a brother and who wanted answers. They trusted the police, the government, only wanting answers and no one even explained to them why the accused walked away free. They were treated inhumanely again when lawyers corresponded with them in English without translations or an interpreter available. When the news first broke, the murder only warranted a five line statement in the Evening Times, but when it became clear that there was more to the story, there was a sudden media frenzy Elements of institutional racism were found in the procedures of the police and the procurator fiscals offices. Police immediately ruled out a racial motive and the case would probably have been filed away and closed had it not been for Lord McCluskey, Scotland's most senior judge. He questioned the Crown's decision to accuse only one man of murder when it was obvious that there were another two involved. Lord Hardie, the then Lord Advocate said,†from the preliminary report given to me, I am satisfied the action taken in this case was the most appropriate in the circumstances†. Lord Hardie obviously did not realise the impact that this case would have on the whole judiciary system and the questions that would be raised. The key findings from the report were † The Crown Office quality and practice review unit should be reinforced and reconstituted as a formal inspectorate of the Crown Office and Procurator fiscal Service. The inspectorate should conduct a thematic review of the service's response on race matters within two to three years. The police should make it their priority to translate policies into practical instructions for officers. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary should make it an early priority to conduct a thematic inspection of family liaison. More systematic communication, co-operation and exchange of ideas between the Crown Office and the police at the most senior levels.† The family's lawyer also faced criticism when he took on the dual role of interpreter and public campaign organiser. The judiciary system made a mockery of our so called justice courts, but hopefully lessons have been learned, sad though it is that an innocent family had to suffer before this level of racism and discrimination was dragged into the forefront of every household. Hopefully the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 will â€Å"shake up† what authorities need to be, in order for trust and respect to be shown and given by the people for whom their services are intended. The main purposes of this Act are to extend further the Race Relations Act 1976 in relation to public authorities; to make chief officers of police vicariously liable for acts of racial discrimination by police officers; and to amend the exemption under the Act for acts done for the purposed of safeguarding national security thus remedying a European Convention on Human Rights incompatibility in that legislation. The primary school that my youngest child attended has a anti-racism attitude (not in an official capacity) and they do their best to highlight every child's culture, race, religion and involve the other children in a way that is enjoyable and educational. Parents are also invited to any concerts put on by the children and are asked to be involved in any specific food days, in which a group of children bring in their national food or sweet, letting again, the other children share in a culture which they would otherwise never have the experience of. It was with outrage one day when all parents were given letters by the local council stating that this practice would stop, as it was encouraging children outwith the school area to participate in bullying the small minority of ethnic children. Parents quickly sprang into action and with the support of parents of all nationalities, the local counsellor and a cover story by the local newspaper that our children were again allowed to enjoy the sharing and learning about each others culture, but it was shameful that children of that age were witness to the powers that be in the education system who would have stopped which is a learning experience in a close and safe environment, where hatred and name calling is not allowed and all the children are equal. This is only a small school with 160 children, but if they can succeed in an area where poverty, high unemployment, drugs and crime are linked then we should all take lessons from these teachers and children. My conclusion is that each of these events starting from the slave trade and the exploitation of the slaves by the British has paved the way for the terrible way in which we as a society treat the refugees, or asylum seekers. Until there is an educational system in place starting from nursery schools and ending in nursing homes, we will never be able to eradicate racism or discrimination. We need to challenge government, the school system, the law makers and decide on a curriculum which will enable our young people, the next generation, to grow without hate or prejudice and to pass their skills and knowledge onto the next. We need to see and accept that the asylum seekers are bringing with them a wealth of culture, expertise and experience and together we can all learn and enjoy each other as a multi-cultural society.

Managing the risks of organizational accidents by James T. Reason Essay

Managing the risks of organizational accidents by James T. Reason - Essay Example As the above diagrams elucidate there are layers of defenses placed at every step of operation. When a latent error happens due to at one stage the next operating layer has defenses so that the mistake is not passed on in the chain of procedures. Only when all the layers of operation fall in line to allow for the lapse to carry on does the entire system come crashing down. The first chapter on "Hazards, Defenses and Losses" brings to light the type of errors (human or organizational) that may occur, the precautions or defenses a person or an organization may take in order to prevent them. Also talked of are the tangible and intangible losses that have to be borne. "The Human Contribution" is a chapter devoted to the prospect of human error. Though the book in its entirety does not hold individuals responsible for a systemic failure, the many times human errors led to large scale mishaps are explored here. Important examples include the Apollo 13 slip-up, Glenborough disaster, Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident etc. "Maintenance cans Seriously Damage your System" is a misnomer as the author presents sets of bad maintenance leading towards the damage of the entire structure. It is a continuation from the previous chapter of the human factor responsible for great errors. "Navigating the Safety Space" is a chapter wherein the author forays into the amount of leeway allowable to a system before it crashes. The next four chapters are useful instruction guides to policy makers; design engineers etc. to make for defect minimizing systems. In "A Practical Guide to Error Management" the author writes on the hands down approach to managing errors. The chapter "The Regulator's Unhappy Lot" explains the measures and methods of restructuring an organization to steer clear of catastrophes. Chapter 9, "Engineering a Safety Culture" suggests a whole lot of relevant arguments for creating a safety culture within an establishment. "Reconciling the Different Approaches to Safety Management", the final chapter calls upon managers, engineers and the maintenance people to adapt to appropriate safety techniques in order to avoid the risks of ending up with a disaster financially, materially or otherwise. Critique: The book is a compulsory read for all personnel working in risky atmosphere, hazardous industries etc. The author has used all his expertise in dealing with the issue of accident negation or at least reduction. Strengths: The strength of the book lies in its simplicity. The easy to understand language and lucid style make it a universal reference guide for managers and workers alike. Weaknesses: Apparently there appear no

An analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Pyscho and its contribution to the Research Paper

An analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Pyscho and its contribution to the American horror film - Research Paper Example The following paragraphs try to analyze the reasons behind the movie "Psycho" turning out to be a benchmark film, not only for its introduction of new genre, but for the presentation of art in such a unique and unconventional manner. (Schaffer 2000) The man behind the movie is the person to be 'blamed' responsible for the introduction of this genre. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time is claimed to be one of the very few who could understand the pulse of the audience and play with that. His principle technique in presenting such kinds of Slashers films, especially Psycho was that he always scripts the movie with the audience in mind and how do they respond for each scene. His theory behind people coming to movie halls to watch it in dark is to enjoy their fear without having to worry about any danger. Falling from cliffs, fighting a tiger etc., all are things highly improbable in reality. (Bays 2004) But, people like to realize them and when such events are shown in film medium, they enjoy the fun and they become eager for more. Such is the power of cinema and none other than Hitchcock could have exploited it like the way he did. (Schaffer 2000) Secondly, Hitchcock captured the emotion of the audience in each and every scene. In any frame of a movie, the position of the camera defines the emotion of the audience. A close up shot brings out the emotions of the audience in relation with the movie whereas a long shot dilutes the emotions and brings them to a normal state. (Bays 2004) Hitchcock was able to handle the audience has his puppets making them to react according to his will. He holds the position of being first to introduce unconventional angles, such as close up shots of people screaming and top angle views. But, what made all these shots such a phenomenon and a juicy piece of information for the critics to rave about was the way each shot panned from one to other. A top shot swiftly changing to a close up and a wide to close up change became the hall marks of Hitchcock's Psycho. It thrilled the audience with full of surprises, instances which could have been told very simple. Each frame of the movie was subtle with emotions yet eccentric to watch. (Alan 2010) The final method involved in creating this genre is the use of sound and dialogues. Alfred was very confident in describing a character in the plot through his course of actions rather than through the delivery of dialogues. This was his main weaponry and his forte, yet to be matched by his compatriots as well as successors. He always believed many a times that a human can say a lot through his eyes that a 10 page dialogue. (Bays 2004) He indeed believed in it and this movie is a perfect example to describe the character of the psyche. Also, Hitchcock was skeptical in the usage of background music. A continuous flow of music followed by a sense of silence always puts the viewers to the edge of their seat and Alfred was a master of that in this movie. The continuous violin background used in major portions of the movie still lingers as fresh piece of music in everyone's years. Alfred proved that music could bring a lot of thrill into the viewers as much as the on screen actors could d o and he proved it in this film. (Alan

Nursing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing - Article Example The article maintains that the health industry has critical lapses in its implementation of modern technology in its leadership structures. In addition, the author acknowledges the static nature of work environment and the need to restructure leadership policies. Thus, the article compliments health management literature. My Analysis The modern business environment is characterized by scarcity of resources and, hence the need for effective management. Application of technological innovations has been identified as a significant aspect of management in the modern business environment. Although the health sector deals with the inherent problem of people’s health, it requires effective management. This indicates the existence of a legitimate research problem for analysis. The author utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore the extent of the problem. In particular, the researcher utilizes quantitative techniques to measure the level of application of information technology in the health sector. This enables him to make a precise comparison of the health industry with other industries of equivalent interests. To complete his analysis, the researcher utilizes qualitative research techniques to establish factors that have contributed to lack of application of information technology in the health industry. ... To enhance credibility of his argument, the author cites primary articles from refereed journals and government publications. The paper concludes its analysis with recommendation that calls for speedy implementation of information technology in the health industry. Areas of first priority include prescription and patient’s progress records. Application I consider the article relevant to the current teaching and nursing practice. It is interesting to note that the health sector lags behind other industries in its application of information technology, despite its significance to the society. This signifies the need to have conclusive restructure of the entire system beginning with training programs for nurses. I consider the problem as a twofold problem due to patient’s contribution. The conservative nature of patients and other beneficiaries of public health services have contributed to the delayed implementation of information system in the health industry. Thus, the p ublic needs relevant training as a prerequisite for the implementation. In addition, there is need to create user-friendly systems that can be utilized by different categories of users. Integration of the newly developed systems into the current work environment should also involve all stakeholders. I consider the issue critical for the sustainability of the health sector and I recommend speedy reforms. Professional Organization â€Å"Factors Affecting Nurses' Decisions to Join and Maintain Membership in Professional Associations† Summary Professional organizations are effective tools in maintain professionalism and social welfare among workers. Although nurses comprise majority of health workers in a given country, most of have not discovered the values of joining

Technology Implementation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology Implementation Paper - Essay Example Human capital is the most important factor in the organization’s success therefore, it is important that the staff feels comfortable with the implementation of new technology at workplace and they believe that the new technology implementation will be equally beneficial for them as much as it is beneficial for the company. This can be possible by providing the employees with all the information about the new technology and involving them in the decision making process, which will give them the sprit of ownership which will motivate them to actively participate in the new technology implementation (Garber, pp. 6-12). Organizational culture plays an important role gaining the competitive advantage since the employees feel comfortable working in the company, there is a low rate of employee turnover, and such employees are motivated to work well. The managers need to realize that the organizational culture should emphasize on learning new things by providing continuous training an d coaching. The employees must be motivated to learn new things and go for trainings by showing them how these training and learning will be beneficial for them and how the training benefited their seniors who also went trough the trainings programs and learning new technologies. There is a possibility that the staff may not be happy about new technology implementation, as it will require them to spend time on learning it and their routine might be disturbed. Moreover, they might think that this will not be of any benefit for them. The manager should arrange a meeting before actually implementing the new technology and inform the technical staff about the pros and cons of the new technology (Garber, pp. 6-12). They should make an impressive presentation showing the innovative features of the new technology they are going implement. The manager should make sure to attract the employees by informing them about the advantages of using the new technology for the company as well as for t he employees. Technology usually makes the work simpler therefore; the employees feel threatened of loosing their jobs, as new technology requires less human capital. The manager should satisfy the employees by answering all such questions that might be disturbing them that might be affecting their work. Manager should ensure their job safety, which will automatically bring them at ease in accepting the new technology (Holley, Jennings, Wolters, pp. 337-339). It is important that the manager gives timeline for the implementation of the new technology so that the employees prepares for it and starts working accordingly. The manager must inform the employees well ahead what they expect from them so that they plan their work according to the goals that they set with their manager. They should inform the employees about the training hours they will need to attend in order to learn how to implement and use the new technology and the input and output of training they are going to receive. Although attracting the employees towards the new technology is important but the manager must make sure that, they do not make any promises that they cannot fulfill or give them any unrealistic information about the new technology as it might result in the dissatisfaction of employees in long term and the employees might

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

Groupware - Essay Example Let us now discuss whether implementing a groupware turns out to be a problem for my organization or not. The name of the organization, where I work, is United States Air force. I work in the satellite communications department where my job is to supervise wireless radio and satellite systems and equipment maintenance activities. Some of my other core responsibilities include ensuring compliance with maintenance management publications and procedures, inspecting wireless radio/satellite communications activities, employing orbiting communication satellite, line-of-sight, and tropospheric scatter techniques, Installing ground radio, satellite, and telemetry communications equipment, and locating radio frequency interference sources.   The organization has recently implemented a groupware to help all departments fulfill their responsibilities in a collaborative manner. â€Å"If designed and implemented properly, groupware systems are very useful when it comes to supporting knowledge management† (Frost, 2010). The type of groupware, which has been implemented for use by the company, is management information system. Let us discuss this groupware and its advantages and disadvantages for the company. Information is the key to success of any organization. Management information system means management of the information, which is required to administer different business activities. MIS keeps proper record of all information that is needed to run the business activities effectively. The main task of a management information system is to ensure delivery of correct information to the intended receivers of the information. In our company, MIS helps us document the collected information, store the information in appropriate locations, keep track of the information, and provide required information to the concerned departments. Completeness and relevance are also two of the key aspects of a management information system. The users are provided with complete and the

Darwin Natural Selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Darwin Natural Selection - Essay Example As the paper highlights  one of the issues that creationists and individuals that believe in intelligent design point to as a shortcoming of natural selection is with respect to those organisms or systems that are highly complex and in which partial inadequacy of function would preclude natural selection.   One such system would be that of the human eye; arguably one of the most complex mechanisms that exists within nature.   However, Darwin, and those that support him would point to the fact that the need to see would be evidenced through many of the different states of eyesight that exist from the most basic caterpillars to the most advanced mammals.   Although it is true that the theory itself exist on something of an extension basis, the understanding and believe that the validity and truth of the statement ultimately exists as a function of its existence, there are a number of moral parallels and understandings that can be constructed via immoral understanding of specifi cally what Darwin’s theory entails.This paper outlines that  without the four a higher power, morality and another itself is constrained only with regards to the way in which humanity seeks to buy morality within the current context. In other words, natural selection in and of itself is a process by which furtherance of species is sure by the natural and â€Å"blind† process that nature engages to select those which will most likely carry on genes further the process of reproduction.

Shakespeares Sonnets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shakespeares Sonnets - Essay Example For centuries, and still today, the theme of Shakespeare's sonnets was presented as a complex set of stories concerning Shakespeare's own relationship(s) with that rival poet, his fair-haired friend, and a dark women, whom he either served, was in love with, or was angry with because she was pursuing his friend. Sonnet 149 continues the theme of the other sonnets by speaking to the dark lady. The sonnet seems to be both apologizing for the speaker's actions, as well as explaining those very same actions. The tone of the poem is apologetic as well as abject. It's a confusion shared by the speaker as well as the reader of the sonnet The tone is set by the first couple of lines of the sonnet by showing how subservient to his mistress the speaker has become, even to the point where he is going against himself or his own thoughts, by loving her "for her sake". The speaker continues on by saying that he will hate all those whom she hates, and that (though he considers her a tyrant) will punish himself if he does wrong by her. The speaker seems to have sunk so low that he does not even know, or understand, his own subservience (thy service to despise). In the very next line of the sonnet, he says the best of him worships the worst of her. This is the tone of someone who realizes that what he is doing is pretty low, but he sees no way that such actions can be stopped. Many experts agree with this assessment of the sonnet and even evidence it with the last two lines of the sonnet. "Tucker dismisses the couplet as 'either very obscure or impotent" and Booth notes that it 'seems inappropriate" (Evans 269). Lately, however, the theme from the sonnets has been challenged by a 'modern' translation that says William Shakespeare was expressing some homoerotic tendencies, but had to keep them under wraps because an individual (during that era) could be 'hanged from the neck' for sodomy or fellatio.Duncan-Jones states; "as for the compromising or 'disgraceful' elements of the sonnets: their homoeroticism is here confronted positively, and is newly contextualized within the powerfully 'homosocial' world of James I's court" (Duncan-Jones xiii) Many experts disagree with Duncan-Jones and even use the sonnet(s) as evidence that Shakespeare was not homosexual, but was in fact, the exact opposite.The structure of the sonnet is classic Shakespearian. Shakespeare enjoyed writing sonnets and followed the English sonnet pattern, rather than the Italian pattern. This pattern is recognizable as the standard pattern for sonnets and includes fourteen-line poems set in an iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg. As I read and analyzed this particular sonnet, the tone led me to believe that I did understand and feel the tone when it was perceived in the old-fashioned way; man torn between his love of a dark women, whom he should not love and society's perception of his love, than the Johnny-come-lately perception of the sonnet that says Shakespeare was attempting to espouse his 'homosexual' tendencies. The sonnet just did not make sense to me when I tried to read his love for another man into it. Sonnet 149 (Paraphrased) O cruel one, can you say you don't love me - Canst thou, O cruel, say I love thee not When I go against my own best

Critically analyse the MTV event in the Reid Essay Example for Free

Critically analyse the MTV event in the Reid Essay This essay will analyse the MTV event in the Reid (2003) case study. And suggest how improvements to the organisation and management of this event could have been made. We will look at how the event was organized and with whom in mind. We will also look into how the management of the event was carried out and try to come up with improvements which both the MTV and Scotland might benefit from in future. All event have a direct social and cultural impact on their participants, and sometimes on their wider host communities, as outlined by Hall (1997) and Getz (2005). According to Sharron and Perry (2004) there are various attribute to special events, these characteristics are that they are unique, intangible, have a fixed time scale, and labour intensive among others. This characteristic is what makes an event into a special event. A special event recognises a unique moment in time with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs, Goldblatt (2001). And in the case of MTV it was there 10th European Music award and they wanted to create an event which would mark a milestone and show its critics and competition that they are still the big boys and market leader when it comes to the music industry. MTV Networks operates a leading portfolio of cable TV channels; they also have music video networks MTV, VH1, and CMT. MTV Networks International oversees more than 120 channels worldwide and distributes content online, and produces video games through MTV Games. MTV decided to have their 10th European music award ceremony in Edinburgh. Allen, (2000) suggests that there are various type of event, for MTV this is/was a special event, as it’s for the music industry only and it recognises the music industries contribution, with access to public and media. MTV’s biggest stakeholders are its shareholders and its customers, of course there are others, and MTV need keeps an up to date with what its customers wants. MTV wanted a start stuck event where they will celebrate the 10th ceremony, create a lot of buzz and excitement and hope to gain new customers in the process. While Edinburgh and the Scottish government wanted to use MTV to reimage Scotland. And show the world what it has to offer, creating a feeling amongst viewers that it is a dynamic, vibrant, historical city. With the councils wish to make Edinburgh the most prosperous northern city by 2015. According to an article published in Event Magazine (2007), public events are increasingly being used around the world as promotional tools by cities, to increase the city’s image. Hughes (1999) suggests that public officials must market the city as a dynamic environment, as this will attract not only tourist but also new jobs and settlers to the region. According to a report by Ofcom (2006), the telecom regulator, 16 to 24-year-olds, a key demographic group for advertisers and MTV’s core audience. And this is one of the segment that Scottish official where hopping to target though their reimage campaign to show them, why they should come to Scotland/ Edinburgh. As well as lure other older age group at the same time, educate them about Scotland and its history. For a private sector company, such as MTV, the client defines the events budget, leaving the events planner/ organiser able to spend it how they choose and therefore do not have to justify what they do with the money. In the case of public sector, local government and tourist boards, it is not just the immediate benefits that are measured post event. It is also the long-term or â€Å"flow on effects† (Bowdin et al. 2006) that benefit the community as a whole. From an every early stage there were problems between, the two parties’ objectives, desire and goals which were very different. The goals of a public and private event differ in that private companies are more often than not in pursuit of profit (Andersson and Getz, 2008). In this case one wanted to put a spectacular show to celebrate and the other wanted to use the show to reimage its self. This is because; MTV is more likely to adopt a ‘consumer orientation’ whereas ELTB might have a ‘product orientation’ approach (Andersson and Getz, 2008: 849). The event was criticized from early on by critics and local newspaper, when it was found that MTV was given a ? 750 thousand public subsidiary to part fund for shows temporary structure and also for the simultaneous live concert. This caused some tension, and the local newspaper was very critical about this, specially when the money could have been spend on other things e. g. Scotsman journalist felt that the event did very little for the Leith’s poverty, prostitution etc. These doses not help when MTV’s parent company is Viacom and according to website www. answere. com Viacom made a profit of $369 million in 2003. So giving a ? 750 thousand pound to MTV is seen as a waste of money by some; however it might have been necessary to attract MTV to Scotland and also to persuade MTV to have a simultaneous concert at a different venue. What MTV could have done is either not taken any of the money or taken a proportionally small amount just for the concert at the Princes Street Garden. This would have prevented them from receiving the backlash from the press. Or found/ made the venue bigger and incorporate a larger audience to make it a huge spectacular. Further anger was expressed by resident and newspaper when it emerged that, the event was not a live concert with thousand of ticket available and rather was a television show, rising the expecting of the local wishing to be at the show. Moreover only 50 of 6000 ticket were being sold in Edinburgh and locals had to compete with other European to pick up one of the 2000 ticket which sold out within 20 minutes. Rest were allocated to event sponsors like Vodafone Live and American Express. This obviously was a weak point for both MTV and the local government who did not communicate well with each other and in turn was late to tell the residents. Creating a buzz and anticipation during the weeks ahead of the event which lead to disappointment, Sharron and Perry (2004) suggest that there are various possible motives for attending an event, in this case it would social motives its why resident of Edinburgh would want to go to the concert and was angry when they didn’t get the ticket. This social motive involves social interaction with others, creation of community spirit, status or recognition of achievement. They were surrounded by all the hype and excitement of this event and as a community wanted to embrace this event as it was first of its kind in Edinburgh, and specially for youth generation it would have been something exciting as they would have been able to see there stars who they normally see on television. In order to avoid this kind of isappointment, both ELTB and MTV need to communicate more effectively in future, and think about this issues when they are conducting there feasibility study before making the decision to carry out such event. This will not only save time and negative press but will let the anticipated residents/ consumes know what to except. The organizer solved the problem by having the concert which have good line-ups and also a 30 sec live feed at the actually award show. They also gave 750 tickets to local charity and used 1000 local youngsters for various tasks, (Mooney Halstead, 2003). As mentioned above that MTV was given a  £750 thousand pound subsidiary, but the local council spent a further ? 75 thousand in â€Å"hidden cost† which the newspaper and opposition council were angered about as it came from the council budget. Money which was spent to window shop the town before the event so that it looks presentable to the world and dose not effect the reimaging process. This cost include extra cleansing, policing, traffic management, staffing. Further  £30 thousand used to part finance banners in the city. Moreover,  £5 thousand was spend to clean up the city centre hotel fronts in preparation of the event which according of a conservative group should have been the responsible of the Hotel. According to Watt (1999) debate that place marketing requires a â€Å"pristine environment†. So as it was the objective of the local government at that time, they would have seen it as a useful and essential cost which needs to be carried out in order to give audience the message they wanted to project to its consumes, tourists. However, MTV could have also share the cost when it came to the policing, traffic management and staffing. As this would have shown locals and press that they care about customer’s safety and also its dose not want to burden the local government with the extra costs, and it already planned for such cost in their $4. 5 million budget which gave MTV the editorial control. Local government needed to communicate with the cities Hotels, restaurant and clubs to negotiate deals, where they all put some money in to a pot which would be use for the cleaning of the city and business fronts. Public sector bodies, (ELTB) tend to look at long-term objectives when it comes to planning their events, or as Mules (1998) states â€Å"the ‘spillover effects of events’. Mules goes on to say that even if the actual event makes a loss, it still may produce benefits for local industry’s such as transportation, restaurants, hotels and local caterers or suppliers. As by doing so not only the city was benefiting from the extra trade but also the business as people are more likely to go somewhere clean then dirty. Roche (2000) remarks that mega events often physically transform an area; here we had an attempt to symbolically reconnect Edinburgh with its waterfront to aid future business prospects. The problems which occurred during this event, was mainly due to the reluctances of councils project officers not standing their ground, and communicate and consult with MTV successfully. They were happy for MTV to decide what sort of content the show should be and comply with every request, as one put it, MTV knows what they are doing. This attitude cost them both money and marketing opportunities. ELTB had to pay for slots during the show for their advertisement and spent further  £5000 writing the publication editorial bearing their logos. Local councils wish to promote a new charity promoting Arts in the city was also scrapped during the event. Even when at one point MTV said they would help to promote the charity but later changed their mind. Nonetheless if ELTB was not, bit scared, at times they would probably use MTV more and without paying them. ELTB should have bargain more with MTV when it came to this issues, specially allowing them to use the screen at the award and the concert venues to promote their reimaging project and cheaper slots during the actual award show. Though MTV did not support the charity openly and needed discussion, they did however auction pop star memorabilia at the charity launch and provided donation from MTV UK, Reid (2003). Edinburgh Leith Tourist Board, received a ward from MTV for hosting the best show in the events 10 year’s. The city was also praised by A-list celebrity who attended the award and several international news agencies for hosting excellent award ceremony. This obviously shows that government project of reimaging the city worked and they are getting noticed, while MTV produced spectacular shows which help them achieve their objective. Therefore, creating an excellent and effective event which helped all those who took part in making it reach their objective, at the same time both parties learnt for future how to deal with different clients specially that they need to communicate more effectively and learn to negotiate and convey the message if possible to their customers from an early stage. This will ensure that future event will run smoothly and successfully.

Wife and Filipino Women Essay Example for Free

Wife and Filipino Women Essay â€Å"They seemed faded plants sown and reared in darkness, having flowers without perfume and fruits without the sap†, Jose Rizal said in his letter â€Å"To the Young Women of Malolos† that the women were very passive to what the church teaches them but he had been proven wrong when the news of what had happened in Malolos reached him. In his letter, Rizal praised and honored the twenty brave women of the town for their victorious battle for their just demand to education and their battle to stop slavery to the friars. He also emphasized the obligations and roles of the Filipino mothers to their children; he compared the Filipino women to the Spartan women as role model. Rizal concluded his letter by encouraging the Filipino women to Let us, therefore, reflect; let us consider our situation and see how we stand†¦. May your desire to educate yourself be crowned with success†. The part which struck me most is where Rizal made mention of a situation to one of the mothers of Sparta, handed the shield to her son who said nothing but to return triumph or return dead. I find the scenario a bit heartbreaking and ironic when the other Spartan mother was told by a soldier that her three sons had died and replied that she was not asking about her sons but only wants to know whether they won or not. The soldier said they were victorious and the mother just went to the temple to thank God. Rizal compared the Filipino women and the foreign women, which entails his huge respect to the Filipino women on their vital roles as mothers and wives. Being the foundation of principles and values in ensuring the progress of the nation, a mother should nourish her children with proper values, desired knowledge and shape them to become God-fearing and responsible citizens. As a wife, a Filipina must support her husband in every problem, inspire him, encourage him, take a part with him all obstacles and dangers, to sympathize and comfort him in bad times, guide him to conquer his fears and struggle to achieve their goals in life. And as a mother, she must educate her children love of honor, love of fellowmen, love of country and love of God. This is the best writing of Rizal I have read so far. I admire him and respect everything he wrote in his letter. Rizal sets his standards of an â€Å"Ideal and Perfect Filipina†, one must have fine demeanor, well-mannered, clean conscience and correct thinking. The message of the letter is clear, it focuses on the most important issues the country is facing during those times, such as the maltreatment and abuse of the friars in exercising their spiritual authority bestowed upon them by the church and the great desire for Filipino women to enjoy the privileges in education with men. The letter speaks of the duties and obligations of Filipino mothers to the youth, the roles of a wife to her husband and guidance to young women on their choice of their lifetime partner. The letter also speaks of the philosophy of freedom and independence that would be a key for the emancipation of humankind from slavery, and the necessity for education as the fundamental source of liberation, to quote from Rizal, â€Å"Men are born equal, naked. God did not create men to be slaves, nor did he embellish them with reason in order to be blinded by others†.

The Alma Ata Declaration

The Alma Ata Declaration The Alma Ata Declaration was formally adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma Ata (in present Kazakhstan) in September 1978 (WHO, 1978). It identifies and stresses the need for an immediate action by all governments, all health and development workers and the world community to promote and protect world health through Primary Health Care (PHC) (ibid). This has been identified by the Declaration as the key towards achieving a level of health that will allow for a socially and productive life by the year 2000. The principles of this declaration have been built on three (3) key aspects which include: Equity It acknowledges the fact that every individual has the right to health and the realisation of this requires action across the health sector as well as other social and economic sectors. Participation It also identifies and recognises the need for full participation of communities in the planning, organisation, implementation, operation and control of primary health care with the use of local or national available resource. Partnership It strongly supports the idea of Partnership and collaboration between government, World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, other international organisations, multilateral and bilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations, funding agencies, all health workers and the world community towards supporting the commitment to primary health care as well as increasing financial and technical support especially in developing countries. Other important principles identified by the Declaration include: health promotion and the appropriate use of resources. The declaration calls on all governments to formulate strategies, policies and actions to launch and sustain primary health care and incorporate it into the national health system. It was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1978 hence enshrining it into the policy of the WHO (Horder, 1983). Background Back in the 1960s and 1970s, many developing countries of the world gained independence from their colonial leaders. In efforts to provide good quality healthcare service for the population, these new governments established teaching hospitals, medical and nursing schools most of which were located in urban areas (Hall Taylor, 2003) thus creating a problem of access to good quality health service especially for people that reside in rural communities. Successful programmes were initiated by Tanzania, Sudan, Venezuela and China in the 1960s and 1970s to provide primary care health services that was basic as well as comprehensive (Benyoussef Christian, 1977; Bennett, 1979). It is on the basis of these programmes that the term Primary Health Care was derived (Hall Taylor, 2003). In low income countries, the primary health care strategy as described by the Alma Ata was very influential in setting health policy during the 1980s however in high income countries such as the United Kingdom, it was considered irrelevant on the presumption that the level of primary care service was already well developed (Green et al., 2007). Primary health care has been defined in the Declaration of Alma Ata as; essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self reliance and self-determination. It forms an integral part both of the countrys health system, of which it is the central function and main focus, and of the overall social and economic development of the community. It is the first level of contact of individuals, the family and community with the national health system bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process. (WHO, 1978) The Alma Ata Declaration brought about a shift on emphasis towards preventive health, training of multipurpose paramedical workers and community based workers (Muldoon et al., 2006). In order to achieve the global target of health for all by the year 2000, goals were being set by the WHO (WHO, 1981) some of which include: At least 5% of gross national product is spent on health. A reasonable percentage of the national health expenditure is devoted to local health care. Equitably distribution of resources At least 90% of new-borne infants have a birth weight of at least 2500g. The infant mortality rate for all identifiable subgroups is below 50 per 1000 live-births. Life expectancy at birth is over 60 years. Adult literacy rate for both men and women exceeds 70%. Trained personnel for attending pregnancy and child birth and caring for children for at least 1 year of age. It has been over 30 years now that the Declaration of Alma Ata was adopted by the WHO. A look at the current health trend around the world especially in developing countries such Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Zimbabwe and so many others will reveal that the goal of achieving health for all by the year 2000 through primary health care has not been a reality. Although there have been reasonable improvement in immunisation, sanitation and access to safe water, there is still impediments in providing equitable access to essential care worldwide (WHO, 2010) What went wrong? Lawn et al. (2008) explain that the Cold War significantly impeded the desired impact expectation of the Alma Ata Declaration in the sense that global developmental policy at that time was dominated by neo-liberal macro economical and social policies. The effect of this on poorer countries of the world particularly in Africa was implementation of structural adjustment programmes in effort to reduce budget deficit through devaluations in local currency and cuts in public spending. This resulted in the removal of subsidies, cost recovery in the health sector and cut backs in the number of medical health practitioners that could be hired. The introduction of user charges and encouragement of privatisation of services during this period had an untoward effect on poor people who could not afford to pay for such services. The combination of these factors hence resulted in part to the crippling of the quality of service that can be provided at the primary care level. People who could afford such service resorted to health service offered at secondary or tertiary care which in most cases is difficult to access. The introduction of a new concept of Selective Primary Health Care as proposed within a year of the adoption of the Alma Ata Declaration by Walsh Warren (1979) changed the dimension of primary health care. This interim approach was proposed due to the difficulty experienced in initiating comprehensive primary health care services in countries with authoritarian leadership (Waterston, 2008). Walsh Warren (1979) argued that until comprehensive primary health care can be made available to all, services that are targeted to the most important diseases may be the most effective intervention for improving health of a population. The measures suggested include; immunisation, oral rehydration, breast feeding and the use of anti malarias. This selective approach was considered as being more feasible, measurable, rapid and less risky, taking away decision making and control away from the community and placing it upon consultants with technical expertise hence making it more attractive partic ularly to funding agencies (Lawn et al., 2008). An example of a selective primary care approach is the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). Selective primary health care is concerned with providing solutions to particular diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis while comprehensive primary care as proposed the Alma Ata begins with providing a strong community infrastructure and involvement towards tackling health issues (Baum, 2007). The shift in maternal, new-borne and child health as a result of programmes that removes control from the community hinders the actualisation of the goals of primary health care as emphasized by the Alma Ata Declaration. The reversal of policy in the 1990s by the WHO and other UN agencies to discourage traditional birth attendants and promoting facility based birth with skilled personnel (Koblinsky et al., 2006) is an example of such. The World Banks report Investing in Health which was published in 1993 saw the World Bank become a great influence and major key player in international public health as such robbing the WHO of the prestigious position (Baum, 2007). It considers investments for interventions that only have the best impact on population health as such removing local control and advocating a vertical approach to health. This move counteracts the process of the social change described by the Alma Ata Declaration which is necessary for realisation of its goals. These go to show that consistency both in leadership (locally and globally), policy as well as good evidence (to drive policy making and actions), are important ingredients for global initiatives to succeed. What went right? Even with the several elements that prevailed against the achievement of the collective goals of the Alma Ata Declaration, several case studies show that when provided with a favourable environment, primary health care as prescribed by the Alma Ata is sufficient to bring about a significant improvement in the health status of any population or country. Case study 1: Primary Health Care in Gambia Using data obtained from a longitudinal study conducted by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council over a 15 year period for a population of about 17,000 people in 40 villages in Gambia, Hill et al. (2000) compared infant and child mortality between village with and without primary health care. The extra services that were provided in the villages with primary health care include: a village health worker, a paid community nurse for every 5 villages and a trained traditional birth attendant. Maternal and child health services with vaccination programme were accessible to residents of both primary health care and non primary health care villages. There was marked improvement in infant and under 5 mortality in both sets of villages. After primary health care system was established in 1983, infant mortality dropped from 134/1000 in 1982 83 to 69/1000 in 1992 94 in the primary health care villages and from 155/1000 to 91/1000 in non primary health care villages over the same period of time. Between 1982 and 83 and 1992-94, the death rates for children aged 1-4 fell from 42/1000 to 28/1000 in the primary health care villages and from 45/1000 to 38/1000 in the non primary health care villages. However, in 1994 when supervision of primary health care was weakened, infant mortality rate in primary health care villages rose to 89/1000 for primary health care village in 1994 96. The rate in non primary health care village fell to 78/1000 for this period. The implementation and supervision of primary health care is associated with a significant effect on infant mortality rates for these groups of villages that benefitted from the programme. Case study 2: Under 5 mortality and income of 30 countries To assess the progress for primary health care in countries since Alma Ata, Rohde et al. (2008) analysed life expectancy relative to national income and HIV prevalence in order to identify over achieving or under achieving countries. The study focused on 30 low income and middle income countries with the highest year reduction of mortality among children less than 5 years of age and it described coverage and equity of primary health care as well as other non health sector actions. The 30 countries in question have scaled up selective primary care (immunisation, family planning) and 14 of these countries have progressed to comprehensive primary care which has been marked with high coverage of skilled birth attendants. Equity with skilled birth attendance coverage across income groups was accessed as well as access to clean water and gender inequality in literacy. These 30 countries were grouped into countries with selective primary care; mixture of selective and comprehensive primary health care; and comprehensive primary health care alone. The major players among countries with comprehensive primary health care are Thailand, Brazil, Cuba, China and Vietnam. Overall, Thailand tops the list and it has comprehensive primary health care. Maternal, new-borne and child health in Thailand were prioritised even before Alma Ata and has been able to increase coverage for immunisation and family planning interventions. The Government investment in district health systems provided a foundation for comprehensive primary health care in maternal, new-borne and child health as well as other essential services. Community health volunteers also played a significant role towards Thailands medical advancement. They promoted the use of water sealed latrines to improve sanitation and were very instrumental towards the decline of protein calorie malnutrition in pr e-school children in the past 20 years (WHO, 2010). Participation of the community health volunteers is a major source of community involvement into health care of Thailand (ibid). The following factors were identified as important lessons from high achieving countries: accountable leadership and consistent national policy progress with time; building coverage of care and comprehensive health systems with time; community and family empowerment; district level focus which is supported by data to set priorities for funding, track results as well as identify and redress disparities; and prioritising equity, removing financial barriers for poorest families and protection against unavoidable health cost. Case study 3: Integration of cognitive behaviour based therapy into routine primary health care work in rural Pakistan Rahman et al. (2008) in a cluster-randomised control study in Pakistan shows the benefits derived when cognitive behaviour therapy in postnatal depression is integrated with community based primary health care. Training was provided to the primary health care workers in the intervention group to deliver psychological intervention. The health care workers also receive monthly supervision and monitoring. Significant benefit (lower depression and disability scores, overall functioning and perception of social support) was reported in the intervention group to suggest that this kind of measures as supported by the Alma Ata can drive the initiative towards Health for all. It is evident and clear that countries that practiced comprehensive primary health care as enshrined by the Alma Ata reaped great benefits in terms of population health improvement. Although it has been argued that comprehensive primary health care is too idealistic, expensive and unattainable (Hall Taylor, 2003), evidence suggest that it is more likely to deliver better health outcomes with greater public satisfaction (Macinko et al., 2003). This kind of care can deal with up to 90% of health demands in low income countries (World Bank, 1994). Relevance of Alma Ata in this present time Our present world that has been characterised by marked epidemiological transition in health. Low income countries as well as high income ones are faced with increasing prevalence of non communicable as well as chronic disabling disease (Gillam, 2008) hence, the existence of infectious diseases (malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis etc), and diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For low income countries such as sub-Sahara African Countries, this constitutes a major health problem because their health systems are mainly oriented towards providing services inclined with maternal and child health, acute or episodic illnesses. As such current health systems need to have the capacity to provide effective management for the current disease trend. The Alma Ata provides a foundation for how such effective health service can be provided. Because, primary health care is the first line of contact an individual has to health care, it is thus very influential in determining community heal th especially when the community is fully empowered to participate. As societies modernise, as it is the case in our current world, the level of participation increases and people want to have a say in what affects their lives (Garland Oliver, 2004). Thus, the level participation in health care is better off and more powerful in this present time than it was when it was the Alma Ata was adopted. Evidence suggest that the values as enshrined by the Alma Ata are becoming the mainstream of modernising societies and it is a reflection of the way people look at health and what they expect from their health care system (WHO, 2008). Alma Ata failed in some countries because the Government of such countries refused to put strategies towards sustaining a strong and vibrant primary health care system that is appropriate to the health needs of the community such that access is improved, participation and partnership is encouraged and health is improved in general. There is no goal standard guideline or manual on Alma Ata but individual governments have to develop their own strategies which should be well suited towards meeting their own needs. The Alma Ata founding principles is still relevant towards achieving these goals especially as it brings health care to peoples door step as it encourages training of people to efficiently and effectively deliver health services. Evidence has shown that there is a greater range of cost effective interventions than was available 30 years ago (Jamison et al., 2006). It is for these reasons that primary health care is essential towards achieving the millennium development goals e specially as it concerns child survival, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. The Alma Ata emphasises the importance of collaboration as an important tool towards introducing, developing and maintaining primary health care. This partnership as supported by the Alma Ata is essential to increase technical and financial support to primary health care especially in low income countries. It is a current trend to find an increasing mixture of private and public health systems as well as increasing private-public partnerships. Governments, donor and private organisations are now working together to promote and protect health unlike after Alma Ata (OECD, 2005). There is also increased funding and this is shifting from selective global funds to strengthening health systems through sector wide approaches (Salama et al., 2008). This kind of collaborations is a step in the right direction and when it is strengthened according to the principles of the Alma Ata, it will not only improve the buoyancy of the health care system but also improve participation and equity in the sense that health care is more qualitative and accessible to the people. The years that followed after adoption of the Alma Ata by WHO member states was characterised by unstable political leadership and military dictatorship especially among low income countries which lead to neglect of the health sector. This created unfriendly environments for the development and maintenance of stable primary health care systems. In this current times however, most countries have embraced the democratic system of leadership that promotes equity, participation and partnership. Health equity is continually enjoying prominence in the dialogue of political leaders and ministries of health (Dahlgren Whitehead, 2006). Thus, the environment being created is friendlier to the Alma Ata hence making it more relevant in this time. Thirty years ago, the values of equity, people centeredness, community participation and self determination embraced by the Alma Ata was considered as being radical but today these values have become widely share expectations for health (WHO, 2008). Our current time has been marked by gross technological advancement which was not available in the 1970s. There is also an increased wealth of knowledge and literature on health and on the growing health inequalities between and within countries all of which was not available 30 years ago. All these put together provides a relevant foundation to support the Alma Ata in the present time making it more relevant in delivering effective health care service. Conclusion The prevailing political and economic situation around the world make the Alma Ata more relevant than it was in 1978. However, there is still need for more to be done. There is need for the revitalisation of primary health care according to the tenets of the Alma Ata and progress made should be consistently monitored. There is also the need for an increased commitment to the virtues of health for all as well as increased commitment of resources towards primary health care which should be driven by good evidence base. It is important that emphasis be changed from single interventions that produce short term or immediate results to interventions that will create an integrated, long term and a sustainable health care system. Even with the challenges being faced so far with full implementation of the Alma Ata, the ideals are relevant still relevant now more than ever.

One Scary Night :: essays research papers

The One Scary Night Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy that lived in a small town of Roughville. They were best friends. They did every thing together – sleep, eat, just everything. There were about 700 people in the Roughville. Most of which were hard workers in the town next to Roughville. This is was where all the businesses were located and most of the people worked there. So most of the times they were left alone with the caregiver. Jack and Katie usually got up around 9 o’clock to go and see what Katie was up to and they would got outside and play at the woods over by the end of town. One day during the summer they went on there usually route and went into the wood. Walking around having a good time they heard a weird noise and all of a sudden stop and shut up trying not to make a noise. After they stopped and listen to what they heard they heard a man talking sometime. But who every the other person was didn’t make a sound but some type of deep slow whisper but it wa s not English. Then they heard the noise start walking again but this time walking straight towards them. So they ran there fastest to their house and ran to their room and started talking about was happen. Jack’s caregivers LaKisha came into the room and ask what was going on coming in the house and running straight towards your room. â€Å" What is wrong,† said LaKisha. Then Jack and Katie started to tell what happen and LaKisha didn’t believe was they were saying and told them not to lie and not to go back in the woods ever again. So later that day Jack and Katie when back into the woods to look around to see if they could find any clues so they could show LaKisha. Walking around in the bushes Jack thought he saw something up ahead. He stopped and told Katie what was going on. She said that she saw it too. So they both walked up to what they saw and as they got closer and closer they saw that it was a old rusted and beat up house. So they went up to the house and looked around to see what was in the house. They couldn’t see any thing and it was getting dark outside and they started to leave and they would come back another time. One Scary Night :: essays research papers The One Scary Night Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy that lived in a small town of Roughville. They were best friends. They did every thing together – sleep, eat, just everything. There were about 700 people in the Roughville. Most of which were hard workers in the town next to Roughville. This is was where all the businesses were located and most of the people worked there. So most of the times they were left alone with the caregiver. Jack and Katie usually got up around 9 o’clock to go and see what Katie was up to and they would got outside and play at the woods over by the end of town. One day during the summer they went on there usually route and went into the wood. Walking around having a good time they heard a weird noise and all of a sudden stop and shut up trying not to make a noise. After they stopped and listen to what they heard they heard a man talking sometime. But who every the other person was didn’t make a sound but some type of deep slow whisper but it wa s not English. Then they heard the noise start walking again but this time walking straight towards them. So they ran there fastest to their house and ran to their room and started talking about was happen. Jack’s caregivers LaKisha came into the room and ask what was going on coming in the house and running straight towards your room. â€Å" What is wrong,† said LaKisha. Then Jack and Katie started to tell what happen and LaKisha didn’t believe was they were saying and told them not to lie and not to go back in the woods ever again. So later that day Jack and Katie when back into the woods to look around to see if they could find any clues so they could show LaKisha. Walking around in the bushes Jack thought he saw something up ahead. He stopped and told Katie what was going on. She said that she saw it too. So they both walked up to what they saw and as they got closer and closer they saw that it was a old rusted and beat up house. So they went up to the house and looked around to see what was in the house. They couldn’t see any thing and it was getting dark outside and they started to leave and they would come back another time.

The Nature of Technology Essay -- Technology Internet Communication Es

A good portion of my life is lived on-line. It might even be said that I live a double life, part of it with family, friends, and co-workers in the immediate, material world, and another part with circles of family, friends, and co-workers on the net. Not only am I connected to other people, but I am also connected to a collection of tools and resources that help me in my day-to-day life. For example, I use hypertext as a thinking tool for producing and developing my ideas; I use the Web as a canvas for mapping and presenting myself and my work; and I use a smart phone not only to keep in touch, but also to manage my time and organize my projects. Yet, as I write, I realize that I must detail the nature of my on-line relationships, both with these people and with these tools, in order to validate them. After all, how can these friendships be true if I never see the people I claim to love? How can I justify exchanging texts with my father when he lives only two blocks away from my apartment? How can I have a successful working relationship with an individual who lives in another country? How can these demanding, maddeningly opaque technological tools help me do anything except waste time? If you feel that these questions are no-brainers, with obvious and unextraordinary answers, then you are at least familiar with the rhetoric behind a now-familiar pro-computing credo. More specifically you will recognize the key ideas of the global village and the use of high technology tools to improve life, to connect people to people, to promote freedom of expression, and to increase learning. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, neatly sums up every aspect of pro-technology rhetoric in the introduction to his book Being... ...to begin. Neither liberation nor oppression can become living powers in any soil except that of the human heart. As soon as we put the matter this way, however, we can begin to talk about the "nature" of the Net. Not some absolute, intrinsic nature, to be sure, but an established character -- a kind of active willfulness -- that ultimately derives from our character. ...We should not ask, "Is technology neutral?" but rather, "Are we neutral in our use of technology?" (Talbott 127) Works Cited Birkets, Sven. "The Electronic Hive: Two Views." Harper's, (May 2009). Negroponte, Nicholas. Being Digital. New York: Random House, (2011). Postman, Neil. Technopoly. New York: Random House, (2012). Stoll, Clifford. Silicon Snake Oil. New York: Doubleday, (2012). Talbott, Stephen L. The Future Does Not Compute. New York: O'Reilly & Associates, (2011).

The Great Gatsby Film Essay -- omnipotent feelings, classic novel

Class distinctions often determine actions. People who believe themselves as better than others will strive to garner, or even just associate themselves with, wealth in order to feel omnipotent. Through the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, film Washington Square, based off the novel by Henry James and cover of the October 12th, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, the authors show that money will result in perversion. Because some people have delusions of superiority, they are more likely to be corrupted by money as its power appeals to them. It is only those who are humble and do not desire the power money bestows who can remain uncorrupted. Tom Buchanan, Doctor Sloper, and the woman from the cartoon all boast their â€Å"superiority† over others. Tom, a man of â€Å"old money† (family wealth), owns a home that indicates his status to all who pass by. Described as a â€Å"Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay† (11), the home is located in East Egg, the more â€Å"fashionable† place where â€Å"White Palaces... glittered along the water† (10). Nick even mentions that Tom is one of the few men of his generation who was rich enough to own â€Å"a string of polo ponies† (10). Tom, along with being ostentatious, uses force to assert his power over those who are not wealthy like him. This is foreshadowed from the beginning of the novel when he asks Nick if he read The Rise of the Coloured Empires. The title alone indicates that it is a novel that only a power-hungry and egotistical man would read. Even his wife refers to his as a â€Å"brute of a man† (16). However the r eader does not get a true feel for his barbarity until the great fight in his apartment. The small New York City loft located on 158th street serves as a meeting place for Tom and... ...iman goes to formals with the family, dresses in extravagant dresses, and interferes with Catherine’s life. When Catherine is away, Mrs. Penniman tries to transform Mr. Townsend into her perfect man, rather than Catherine’s. As a result, she corrupts him with money by helping him find a high-paid job and letting him live the high life while the Slopers are in Europe. When Catherine confronts her, she replies, â€Å"I thought of him as my own†¦ my own son† (1:29:40). Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2013. Print.

Alternative Automobiles: The Electric Cars

As time approaches the 21st century, the automobile has become our major source of mass transportation. Everything about our culture and society has developed around this necessary form of travel. However, along with this necessity comes the issue of pollution to the environment. These great gasoline powered vehicles have contributed greatly to the impurity of our environment. The two prominent alternative fueled vehicles yet brought up are the Electric car (EV) and the Hybrid electric car (HEV). The ultimate clean, efficient car is the EV, a vehicle powered by an electrical motor, which is powered by batteries and controlled by an on-board computer. But there are questions about the mid-term viability of EV vehicles. This is due to unresolved technical issues of on-board energy storage capacity, high vehicle cost, and infrastructure limitations (e. g. , lack of public charging stations, repair/replacement facilities, and battery recycling centers). HEV vehicles are almost as clean as the EV†s and have vehicle performance comparable to that of today†s standard internal combustion engine vehicles. More important, such performance appears to be available in the mid-term future (e. g. , 2002), and therefore represents a practical, technically achievable alternative approach. Some suggest we develop both the EV†s and HEV†s in parallel, because many of the technical advancements can be shared and because either or both will be needed to achieve efficiency and clean air goals. Unlike EV or the HEV vehicles, motor vehicles generate more air pollution than any other human made machine. This air pollution, or toxic mixture of chemicals released by motor vehicles, is recognized as a major health hazard. According to the American Lung Association, this air pollution kills between 60,000 and 120,000 people in the United States each year and costs $93 billion dollars in medical bills. Some of these air-polluting greenhouse gases that are emitted or attributed to gasoline powered vehicles are chlorofluorocarbon (CFC†s), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and the precursors to tropospheric ozone – hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These gasoline-powered vehicles are also a major source of carbon monoxide (CO). CFC†s are the most potent greenhouse gases on a per-unit mass basis. They now contribute nearly 24 percent of the total global warming effect. While incremental improvements can be made in standard vehicles, regulators and auto makers have defined at least two new vehicle classes that may provide a step-wise improvement in emissions. These are the Electric Vehicle and the Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Unlike an EV, an HEV utilizes the intermittent operation of a small engine to assist a typically battery-powered electric propulsion system. The electric motor propels the front wheels at low speeds. At higher speeds the internal combustion engine takes over. When the engine drives the vehicle, it automatically charges the batteries used for the electric motor, therefore making the battery pack a lot smaller. EV and HEV vehicles are a lot more beneficial to the environment than internal combustion engines. The EV vehicles have a zero tailpipe emission. Another major problem of motor vehicles is its unsafe nature after its life dies out. Automobile junkyards, which litter the American landscape, contain thousands upon thousands of old broken up cars. From such junkyards are the problem of oil, lead, and battery acids, which enter the ground. However the lead in the batteries of electric vehicles is in a very stable form, unlike the trace amounts of lead in even unleaded gasoline and since electric vehicles do not contain oil or chlorofluorocarbons, they do not risk contaminating the area. Noise is also an advantage of getting an electric vehicle. Because motor vehicles have combustion motors, they tend to be loud and obnoxious. On the other hand, EV vehicles do not have a combustion engine; thus, they are noticeably quieter. Because the electric vehicle motors are also more efficient compared to motor vehicles, they are expected to last over a million miles compared to the motor vehicles† one hundred thousand miles. Initially, HEV vehicles are not expected to compete directly with standard vehicles on performance alone (e. g. , acceleration and range), but they are expected to offer benefits that a standard vehicle does not offer. Compared to today's standard vehicles, HEV vehicle will reduce local/regional pollution, by means of: increased vehicle mileage, (two times per gallon of fuel) , lower emissions per vehicle mile traveled. Propulsion systems that can be cycled off during stop-and-go driving, producing no emissions, fuels or fuel systems with reduced fuel evaporation and refueling losses. As with any new technology, there are obstructions to its ready acceptance by consumers. Initially there may be resistance to the vehicles' higher price and slightly reduced performance. Rugged and durable systems will be needed to provide credibility to a claim of long life with low emissions.