Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Effective Communication in Healthcare

Successful correspondence is an imperative part of social insurance. As indicated by Namrata Palta (2006), successful correspondence in medicinal services gives down to earth methods of upgrading correspondence between wellbeing experts and patients. Swayne et al. (2012) contends that human services associations are adjusting to structures that give the plan of both the useful structure and horizontal structure.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on Effective Communication in Healthcare explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Swayne et al. (2012), associations should execute a model that encourages cross-unit correspondence, coordination, and cooperation. Correspondence between clinical staffs and patients must be exact and viable so as to guarantee the common advantages for all gatherings just as for patients (Swayne et al., 2012). This paper looks at the association models that best depicts my medicinal services association. This paper will likewise inspect the work environment correspondence procedures utilized inside the social insurance association. Which hierarchical model best depicts your association? Our facility is a very mind boggling association that is made out of various Departments including CEO, Clinical Department, Marketing Department, Human Resource Department, Legal Department, Information framework Department, and Finance and Accounting Department. The parts inside clinical Department incorporate Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, pediatrics and Clinical Services. Along these lines, the association model that best portrays our facility is the grid structure. While making this model, the primary goal of the facility was to hold the work task doled out to experts together. The model was additionally made to encourage the execution of techniques that are fundamental for accomplishing the strategic objectives of the center. As per Palta (2006), the grid structure is one of the best models since it empowers decentralization of dynamic in an association. Swayne et al. (2006) contends that the framework model increments organisations’ capacity to react viably. Palta (2006) contends that lattice association structure empowers more collaboration, data sharing, correspondence and aggregate critical thinking in an association. The framework structure includes seeing the whole association and what request are being made of it from inside and outside the association. The best strategies for sharing data inside this model incorporate month to month meeting, efforts, and phones. The facility frequently start month to month meeting to address issues concerning the associations government assistance. Month to month gatherings among professionals and partners give wide portrayal to key choices and encourage correspondence of the organisation’s course and methodology execution. Procedures, for example, crusades and phones have empowered powerful sharing of data between staff individual s. Individuals from the staff can assess how data as developed gives a lot of fulfilling task for the laborers, regardless of whether it is adjusted in requests and desires, and what relational abilities are required to guarantee successful conveyance of social insurance administrations to patients.Advertising Looking for exposition on wellbeing medication? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The inadequate methods for sharing data in the center incorporate the utilization of messages and informal organizations. These methods are inadequate in light of the fact that they require an elevated level of education. Besides, one must have a PC; a web empowered telephone or a PC to utilize these techniques. Numerous collaborators in our association don't have these devices. In this manner, correspondence through an interpersonal organization and messages doesn't give productive sharing of data in a human services association. In the huma n services condition, all these correspondence procedures can be applied to advance both vertical and horizontal correspondence. The insufficient methods, for example, messages can likewise be changed to guarantee successful correspondence among PC educated laborers and patients. How innovation has influenced successful correspondence in our medicinal services association Technology considerably affects social insurance correspondence process. Data and correspondence innovation has made it simpler to keep and reestablish understanding records. Innovations, for example, videoconferencing guarantees standard gathering among professionals and colleagues at a diminished expense. Data and Communication innovation has additionally prompted powerful sharing of data and important conferencing in our association. There is likewise improved dynamic inside the center, as laborers can convey effectively and uninhibitedly by utilization of channels, for example, PCs. In addition, innovation has empowered specialists to get plenteous data in one Inbox. Professionals don't cause voyaging cost as they can get all the necessary data through messages and fax. Data innovation has additionally prompted the rise of virtual group inside our human services association. How does your association at present offer information or include representatives in defining answers for issues? As of now, our facility staffs share information through channels, for example, video conferencing and staff gatherings. These channels assume an imperative job in dynamic and critical thinking in the center. Meeting between the associates and specialists regularly guarantee the usage of sound strategies that address the government assistance of patients. Then again, video conferencing frequently guarantee that most suitable procedures are executed at a less expensive expense as staff individuals don't need to travel. Innovation, hence, has assumed a significant job in improving compelling correspondence i n our foundation. End Conclusively, viable correspondence influences the nature of patient social insurance (Arredondo, 2000). In this manner, it is fundamental for each human services association to execute the association structures that can help increment sharing of data and thoughts. Human services associations ought to likewise execute innovations that improve correspondence at a low cost.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on Effective Communication in Healthcare explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Arredondo, L. (2000). Imparting Effectively. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Prof Med/Tech. Palta, N. (2006). The Art of Effective Communication. Detroit: Lotus Press. Swayne, L., Duncan, J., Ginter, P. (2012). Vital Management of Health associations. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. This exposition on Effective Communication in Healthcare was composed and presented by client Eli Cook to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for exploration and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it likewise. You can give your paper here.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Country-risk analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nation chance examination - Research Paper Example to characterize South Africa situated regarding regular event and standards of society yet in addition as far as typifying the business condition and specifying how an individual or their family may fundamentally be affected by a move from contender to South Africa. Instead of keeping away from the issue until some other time in the investigation, it is first important to think about the notorious gorilla in the room. Basically, up until just two decades prior, South Africa was a politically-sanctioned racial segregation state. While the United States and different countries around the world stopped isolating people dependent on race numerous years prior, South Africa clutched a traditionalist and racial perspective of society; one in which Africans and people of European lineage didn't incorporate with each other and frequently didn't connect inside society. Normally, these standards were set up by an administration which was overwhelmingly European in ethnic cause (Vincent and Howell, 2014). As anyone might expect, the ethnic struggle this caused and the trouble on race relations was significant. Inside the present period, South Africa keeps on displaying probably the most significant and as a rule vicious racial relations of about any country on earth. As needs be, numerous people that originate from Europe or North America are flummoxed to see the level of racial pressure that exists inside South Africa and the general degree to which the excruciating past is reflected in current society, governmental issues, culture, and even diversion. As an immediate consequence of this dynamic, it is essential for people to welcome the way that the racial suggestions and hints inside South Africa will be a lot more grounded when contrasted with Canada. In light of this, a reestablished degree of affectability to racial concerns and the degree and degree to which communication and commitment with people of various races happens inside society and is standardized will be required (Govinder et al., 2013). Another important worry as forever and directing

Friday, August 7, 2020

Introducing MindMeister Offline - Focus

Introducing MindMeister Offline - Focus Please note: this article was last updated in 2007 and at present, MindMeisters offline mode is only available on MindMeister for iOS and Android. For more details, please visit mindmeister.com/apps. Were sure youd agree that web-based applications are great you can access your data online from wherever you are, instantly share documents with others, and even work on them simultaneously. But what happens when you have no internet connection, maybe on a plane or stuck in a meeting without wifi or reception? Well, thats where MindMeister Offline comes in now you just take all your mind maps offline using the handy slider at the bottom of the maps list, and hey presto! You can work on your mind maps anytime, from anywhere. Next time you get connected just slide the slider back and all your changes (and new maps) will be synced back to your online account automatically! MindMeister Offline uses Google Gears offline technology, which is still in beta stage, so please bear with us should you experience any glitches with the offline mode. Drop us an email if you encounter any issues and well do our best to iron them out! The offline mode is available to all users for a 30 day trial period (even if youre already subscribed and your initial trial period has expired). After that only Premium users will be able to use it. Introducing MindMeister Offline - Focus Please note: this article was last updated in 2007 and at present, MindMeisters offline mode is only available on MindMeister for iOS and Android. For more details, please visit mindmeister.com/apps. Were sure youd agree that web-based applications are great you can access your data online from wherever you are, instantly share documents with others, and even work on them simultaneously. But what happens when you have no internet connection, maybe on a plane or stuck in a meeting without wifi or reception? Well, thats where MindMeister Offline comes in now you just take all your mind maps offline using the handy slider at the bottom of the maps list, and hey presto! You can work on your mind maps anytime, from anywhere. Next time you get connected just slide the slider back and all your changes (and new maps) will be synced back to your online account automatically! MindMeister Offline uses Google Gears offline technology, which is still in beta stage, so please bear with us should you experience any glitches with the offline mode. Drop us an email if you encounter any issues and well do our best to iron them out! The offline mode is available to all users for a 30 day trial period (even if youre already subscribed and your initial trial period has expired). After that only Premium users will be able to use it.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Legalization Of Marijuana And Marijuana - 1163 Words

Mary Jane, Aunt Mary, MJ, Pot, Bud, Purp, Marijuana all nicknames for cannabis has been cultivated since the 1600s. Marijuana accounts for the most commonly used illegal drug. The criminalization of marijuana has resulted in many arrests, drug convictions, and harsh sentences that are truthfully unwarranted. It naturally grows in the ground just like aloe vera and daisies do, but it is not harmful like poison ivy or tobacco. Unlike to cocaine and heroin which are man-made substances that have harmful consequences of their consumption, the severity of the consumption of marijuana is nowhere equal to that. Marijuana’s severity is often over-exaggerated. The federal government should decriminalize the recreational and medicinal use of†¦show more content†¦The enforcement of marijuana should be enforced just like every other law is supposed to be enforced. Unbiased. In 1970, Marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug as per the Controlled Substances Act for it â€Å" not being an accepted medical use in treatment in the United States (CSA Schedules).† Medicinal marijuana has a lot of benefits. It helps with cancer, HIV/AIDS, insomnia, depression, and eating disorders. Marijuana has a monumental positive effects of treating cancer. The American Cancer Society states that there has been scientific studies that conclude that THC is helpful in minimizing the rough side effects that originate from chemotherapy. They also have stated that in scientific studies that it helps HIV/AIDS patients with appetite. HIV/AIDS and cancer are illnesses that carry poor prognoses. Marijuana would greatly help these suffering individuals. For example, one prominent side effect of marijuana is that it causes an increase of appetite; people suffering from cancer and AIDS are often severely underweight and lack an appetite The American Public Health Association concluded that in the state of Colorado that it has resulted in the decrease of deaths from pain-kille rs (Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, 2000–2015) Marijuana grows in the ground, naturally (unlike pharmaceutical drugs). Nowadays everything has to be natural for it be good enough for humanShow MoreRelatedLegalization Of Marijuana And Marijuana1633 Words   |  7 PagesBalyuk March 8, 2016 Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has a few different names that are commonly used in today’s society including weed and cannabis. Weed is smoked with joints, bongs, or pipes. Marijuana can also be mixed with foods usually brownies, cookies, and candy which are called edibles. The main chemical responsible for the high feeling is called THC but marijuana also contains over 500 chemicals. The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves and buds. â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonlyRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana And Marijuana Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana or Cannabis is one of the bused drugs in America and the rest of the world. Interesting accumulating evidence show that the significant negative impact of this drug outweighs the positive effects. However, the medical benefits of the drug seem on the process of chemical compounds as compared to the drug itself. Medical debates show that chemical compound in marijuana are the problem as compared to the plant. The said chemic al compound affects the mental and physical health of the personsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana For Marijuana2792 Words   |  12 PagesThe legalization of marijuana in America Overview Issue The new events of legalizing marijuana for recreational use has increased controversy in the United States, those against it say it was bad enough before when it was merely allowed for medicinal use and now that these new laws and rules are really infuriating those who are against it. However on the flip side people are also arguing that now that it is allowed for recreational use people it will lessen crime rates, related to selling and buyingRead MoreMarijuana And Its Legalization Of Marijuana1993 Words   |  8 PagesMarijuana And Its Legalization Marijuana, is and will most likely always be the most used illegal drug used in the United States following tobacco and alcohol. This drug , also known as cannabis, is obtained from a plant named Cannabis Sativa, which holds the sought after chemical named delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol, or THC (Barbour 14). This plant, when smoked, causes a high due to how THC interacts with the brain. But nonetheless, this paper is not based off of what marijuana is, but ratherRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana1550 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization of Marijuana: Benefits and Statistics The topic of legalizing marijuana has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now not only throughout our local streets, but throughout the local and into the state government. The legalization of marijuana is such a controversial topic because some are for it and some are against it. People are for the legalization because of the great uses it has towards medicine, the money that could come from the taxation of legalized marijuana, andRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana972 Words   |  4 PagesOn January 1st the states of Colorado and Washington officially began the regulation of legal marijuana sales. Thousands of people from all over the country including tourists from Wisconsin, Ohio, Chicago, and even Georgia lined up out front of dispensaries to make a purchase. Recreational marijuana is being regulated and monitored like alcohol; you must be at least 21 years old to make a purchase. The drug, which is controversial in many states’ legislations, is currently l egal for medical useRead MoreLegalization Of Medical Marijuana And Marijuana1486 Words   |  6 Pages Legalization of Medical Marijuana Name: Institution: Abstract In 1996, California set a pace that would lead to today’s debate on medical marijuana and marijuana as a whole by passing the Compassionate Use Act that allowed the use of medical marijuana. Other states have since followed the trend and school of thought, case in point; Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont andRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana628 Words   |  2 PagesThe Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana, the plant of the cannabis, has been around since the early 1900’s. Throughout history, marijuana has been used illegally, for both recreational and medical uses. Recently, marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes, like aiding HIV/AIDs patients, healing migraines and controlling nausea caused by chemotherapy. Today, there are currently 21 American states that have legalized medicinal marijuana including two states that have legalized recreational marijuanaRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana2735 Words   |  11 PagesLegalism and Marijuana People have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years while also using hemp for everything from fabric to make clothes and other items. Unfortunately, Harry J. Anslinger with a bit of power and enough determination decided pot was evil and addictive. The struggle continues to this day to overcome the lies about marijuana (â€Å"Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts†). There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana and the government should take advantage of it. Marijuana is evenRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana761 Words   |  3 PagesLegalization of marijuana should be legislated for medical use across the country. Marijuana does not have a potential good value that it should have, in the eyes of the government and the public. In reality it is actually natural and a effective medicine. The debate about medical marijuana is spreading like a virus across the country. Marijuana can be that one thing to clear off US 13 trillion debt as well as it can decrease crime rates and create more possibility of jobs for people who do not speak

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Creons Demonstrations of a Tragic Flaw in Sophocles’...

In Sophocles’ Antigone, the protagonist, Creon, serves as a great example of how recurring themes, such as the realization and recognition of a tragic flaw (hamartia), cause the downfall of the powerful in Greek literature. Sophocles is effective in portraying the concept of hamartia as an essential component in Creon’s downfall and, based on Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic character, able to create a character that can be accurately and easily identified as the significant tragic character in the play. Despite the title of the tragedy, Creon undoubtedly provides greater moral significance and can capture the audience’s attention as the central character. Creon’s significance is clear as he is the successor to Oedipus’ throne in Thebes. His status as king makes him renowned and prosperous. Initially, Creon restrains his respect for his subjects, however, it is clear to them he is not perfect through his pride (hubris). His profound re versal of prosperity is displayed after he struggles to recognize his erroneous judgment (hamartia). Finally, his compassion and apprehension develops into an understanding of his arrogant and destructive nature leading to his redemption. Nevertheless, Creon is left with the burden of the deaths of his family, becoming a shell of misfortune and loneliness. Although Creon’s actions cannot be labeled as courageous, his character traits pertain greatly to that of a tragic hero. As ruler of Thebes, Creon’s power lead to his irrational

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

In the current scenario, a 64-year-old female patient has suffered from Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ) and she seemed to demo no betterment despite her current intervention for 6 months. RA is a chronic redness disease and harmonizing to the study of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ( NICE February 2009 ) RA affects 10000 people each twelvemonth in the UK population. RA is characterised by swelling and painful articulations, usually symmetrical and frequently impacting diarthrodial articulations of custodies and pess [ Firestein GS. We will write a custom essay sample on The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now , 2003 ] . Although RA normally attacks articulations, it can besides impact other variety meats such as bosom, lung and eyes. The exact pathogenesis of the disease still remains to be discovered. However, autoimmunity activities are believed to be to play a major function in the development of the disease. The unnatural release of inflammatory factors such as interleukins ( IL ) and tissue mortification factor ( TNF ) by the peripheral inflammatory cells such as CD4+ T cells, B cells and macrophages are involved in the patterned advance of RA which leads to inflammatory reaction at the synovial fluid ( SF ) and synovial tissues ( ST ) that line the joint and resulted in joint devastation [ Agarwal et al. , 2005 ] . When the redness progresses into farther phase, portion of the synovial membrane which envelops the SF will develop into pannus which is an inflammatory tissues that farther assail the joint and gristle and may take to joint merger by let go ofing destructive enzymes suc h as collagenase. Harmonizing to Scots Intercollegiate Guidelines Network ( SIGN 48 ) guidelines, RA is normally diagnosed by recovering patient ‘s medical history and scrutiny on elevated degree of inflammatory markers such as non-specific erythrocyte deposit rate ( ESR ) , C-reactive protein ( CRP ) and a more specific arthritic factor, which is an auto-antibody nowadayss in 80 % of RA patients [ Firestein GS. , 2003 ] . The incidence of RA may non be seen every bit serious as other diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplastic disease which recorded a higher morbidity and mortality rate, but one time the disease progresses, it can give a great impact on patient ‘s day-to-day life. It accounts for 0.8 % of entire planetary Year Lived with Disability ( YLD ) , which is the 31st prima cause of YLD globally [ Symmons et al. , 2006 ] . As a chronic redness disease, RA causes lasting joint harm if it is non treated suitably every bit shortly as possible and a long-time medicine is required to decelerate down the patterned advance of the disease. The joint harm starts at the early phase of disease and worsens increasingly resulted in troubles in patients ‘ day-to-day work. A simple day-to-day undertaking such as opening a bottle or walking across the room can ensue in great hurting for RA patients. Some patients might even necessitate to discontinue or alter their current oc cupation due to sore articulations. Epidemiology survey showed that RA is associated with decreased life anticipation and increased mortality [ Anthony et al. , 2003 ] . As RA develops, the disease finally invades the bone around the joint and may take to osteoporosis due to inflammatory activities. Furthermore, RA intervention utilizing corticoid besides increases the hazard of osteoporosis due to depletion of Ca and increase loss of bone mass [ Kelman et al. , 2005 ] . Besides that, merely like other redness diseases, RA patients can confront anemic jobs where red blood cells production is inhibited during redness. After the importance of early intervention of DMARDs has been recognised, the old â€Å" intervention pyramid † used in RA which started off with diagnostic intervention utilizing anodynes such as NSAIDs has been reviewed. The â€Å" intervention pyramid † describes the usage of anodynes in the early phase of disease to alleviate hurting and merely starts DMARDs when the disease develops into more advanced phase where NSAIDs can no longer command the hurting and redness. However, several surveies have shown that protection of articulation from harm utilizing DMARDs should be started every bit shortly as possible to supply better patients ‘ forecast and continue patient functional ability [ Egmose et al. , 1995 ; van der Heide et al. , 1996 ] . Therefore both NICE and SIGN guidelines suggest the early usage of DMARDs to command and detain RA symptoms after diagnosing of RA is confirmed. There is no definite intervention for RA as patients may react otherwise to the assortment picks of RA pharmacological therapy. Normally RA patients would be started with the most normally used DMARDs and reviewed invariably for drugs effectiveness until symptoms are well-controlled by the DMARDs therapy. Further change in the intervention needs to be done if no satisfactory response is achieved. As in this instance survey, the female patient has failed to react to six-month intervention of sulfasalazine, which is one of the commonly used DMARDs in commanding RA. Thus an option should be sought every bit shortly as possible to forestall major joint devastation. Treatment Harmonizing to NICE guidelines 2009, it is stated that if RA patient does non react to the first DMARDs intervention, the dosage of the drug should be reviewed and focused to supply an effectual and suited dosage for the patient before a 2nd option of DMARDs is sought. In the current scenario, the patient had failed to react to six-month therapy of SLS, it is assumed that the dosage of SLS had been adjusted to the possible maximal bound but still demo no benefit in the patient. Thus, farther intervention would be focused on seeking for an alternate DMARDs. DMARDs are drugs from different categories that are grouped together due to their similarity in decelerating down the patterned advance of RA and understating joint devastation caused by RA besides commanding the symptoms. The normally used DMARDs include sulfasalazine ( SLS ) , amethopterin ( MTX ) , gold, Cuprimine, anti-malarial, azathioprine, leflunomide and cyclosporine. SLS and MTX are most preferable in clinical pattern due to their favourable toxicity profiles although intramuscular gold and Cuprimine had shown similar effectivity in handling RA [ Aletaha et al. , 2003 ; Felson et al. , 1990 ; Capell et al. , 1993 ] . MTX and SLS were considered to be safer at usage as it was shown that there was no important difference in the incidence of side-effects reported between high and low dose intervention of the drugs [ Aletaha et al. , 2003 ] . Since the patient has failed to react to SLS, MTX would normally be the following option in head. However, there is a pick to do whether t o utilize MTX in combination with SLS or replace SLS with MTX as monotherapy. DMARDs combination has been recommended in NICE guidelines for early RA intervention, but more clinical groundss need to be sought for the usage of combination in established RA, which is pictured in the current scenario as the patient has been suffered from RA for more than 6 months and immune to SLS therapy. Three surveies were found to compare the usage of MTX monotherapy and dual-therapy with SLS in patients unresponsive to SLS. Among the three, two were randomised controlled tests ( RCT ) while one was non-randomised experimental test [ Haagsma et al. , 1994 ; Capell et al. , 2007 ; Schipper et al. , 2009 ] The first RCT was carried out in 1994 which merely included a little figure of patients ( n=40 ) based on a single-observer method over 24 hebdomads while a longer continuance ( gt ; 18 months ) of double-blind placebo-controlled survey with a larger survey group ( n=165 ) was adopted in the 2nd RCT in 2007. Despite the difference in the survey features, both RCTs concluded that MTX-SLS double therapy had a greater efficaciousness in commanding symptoms over MTX monotherapy in SLS-resistant patients without important addition in toxicity. However, although the 2nd RCT had shown important clinical benefits for combination therapy compared to the usage of monotherapy, no important a dvantage was seen in radiological results or functional disablement. The 3rd survey was a recent test published in 2009 investigated 230 patients who were immune to SLS intervention utilizing the similar intervention magnitude as the old surveies to measure the drug efficaciousness. This test was carried out for more than 15 old ages and concluded that that both options provided similar consequence. The disagreement was believed to be caused by the deficiency of control group in the ulterior test which might lend to biased consequences and inconsistent usage of other drugs such as corticoids in different tests which might misdirect the reading of drug efficaciousness. Besides efficaciousness and toxicity, cost of intervention is the following of import factor to be considered in taking the right intervention for the patient. However, really few surveies were done comparing the cost-effectiveness of different DMARDs because RA is non every bit prevailing as other major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and it does non normally result in immediate decease. The more recent cost-effectiveness analysis on DMARDs was done in Thailand from the social point of position where the costs included a direct cost and indirect cost [ Osiri et al. , 2007 ] . In order to enable numerical comparing, the cost-effectiveness of the therapies was measured utilizing the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio ( ICER ) which is the entire cost in US dollar needed to accomplish one unit of ( HAQ ) Health Assessment Questionnaire, which comprised of 20 inquiries on patients ‘ self-report functional and disablement position. The ICER of each intervention was compa red against the anti-malarial monotherapy as anti-malarial was recognised as the cheapest and least efficacious DMARDs available. Comparing among the sum of 152 RA patients, it was found that MTX and SLS therapy recorded a three times lower ICER compared to MTX monotherapy, which explained that the double therapy was less dearly-won and more effectual compared to the monotherapy ( US $ 625 versus US $ 2061 per one unit of HAQ mark ) . However, this survey was non specifically directed to SLS-resistant patients. Therefore, merely a comparative comparing can be made on the cost for the current scenario. The following option of intervention for the current patient is the usage of three-base hit therapy which uses MTX, SLS and an anti-malarial. It was shown in a biennial, prospective randomised test on 180 patients that the ternary therapy had given a better curative efficaciousness over the dual- ( MTX and SLS or MTX and anti-malarial ) and MTX monotherapy irrespective of the drugs given in the early RA intervention [ Calguneri et al. , 1999 ] . Again, the incidence of inauspicious effects did non increase significantly with the addition in figure of drugs. The enhanced benefit by adding an anti-malarial agent to MTX intervention had further strengthened the grounds shown antecedently by a long-run followup survey on patients who were treated with ternary therapy. It was shown in the old survey that patients who had failed to react to at least one DMARD and treated with ternary therapy had shown continued betterment with minimum toxicity after 3 old ages compared to MTX monotherapy a nd SLS-hydroxychloroquine therapy [ O’Dell et al. , 1999 ] . Addition of anti-malarial agent to MTX had been shown to execute better than MTX-SLS combination, which proposed an implicit in interactive activity of anti-malarial and MTX when they are used together likely due to heighten MTX bioavailability by anti-malarial [ O’Dell et al. , 2002 ; Carmichael et al. , 2002 ] . In footings of the intervention cost, based on the same cost-effectiveness survey mentioned above, ternary therapy recorded a lower ICER ( US $ 1222 per one unit of HAQ mark ) than MTX monotherapy, but about twice every bit high as the ICER of MTX-SLS therapy. Other than utilizing the traditional DMARDs, the freshly developed biological anti-rheumatic drugs are besides being studied for SLS immune patients. Since RA involves a great trade of cytokines activities, specific cytokines blockers have been investigated to stamp down or modify the redness procedure. The most normally used biological agents include infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab which target the tissue mortification factor, TNF-I ± , which is one of the chief cytokines released by macrophage that farther induces the release of other cytokines which are responsible for the redness. NICE guidelines emphasized that TNF-I ± inhibitors can merely be used when the patient has failed to react to intervention of at least two DMARDs including amethopterin. However, Combe et Al. had tried a different attack where Enbrel has been used and investigated in patients specifically having SLS intervention but still have ailment of active RA without affecting MTX [ Combe et al. , 2006 ] . It was found that etanercept monotherapy or in combination with SLS had given better betterment in American College of Rheumatology ( ACR ) standards compared to patients treated with SLS entirely. There was no important difference in the efficaciousness in the etanercept monotherapy and combination group. However, there was a significantly higher incidence rate of side-effects such as concern, sickness and astheny in the combination group while a higher hazard of infections and injection side reactions were recorded in patients with etanercept entirely. Besides that, as a biological drug, TNF-I ± inhibitors can non get away the fact of doing serious inauspicious effects such as malignance, demyelination and increased susceptibleness to infections like TB [ Nahar et al. , 2003 ] . However when the ratio of efficaciousness over toxicity is concerned, a meta-analysis showed that TNF inhibitors have a higher ratio than gold and sulfasalazine [ Ravindran et al. , 2008 ] . Again, whe n cost is concerned, etanercept intervention, as expected is much expensive compared to DMARDs, where the cost was shown to be more than twice higher than the most expensive DMARD available, cyclosporin [ Jobanputra et al. , 2002 ] . TREATMENT RECOMMENDATION Comparing the four options available, MTX monotherapy, MTX-SLS dual-therapy, ternary therapy and etanercept therapy, MTX-SLS dual-therapy seems to be the best intervention for the current patient as it is supported by groundss for its lower cost with comparable efficaciousness in SLS immune patients. It might non be the most effectual intervention compared to treble therapy, but it is ever advisable to understate the figure of drugs used in a patient to forestall unneeded inauspicious effects or drug interactions. However, there is still possibility that the patient may still be unresponsive to the dual-therapy as there is no definite warrant on the action of the therapy on every RA patient and the possibility of developing immune to MTX. Thus, the National Clinical Guidelines recommends monthly reappraisal of CRP ( C-Reactive Protein ) , an inflammatory marker and other cardinal constituents of disease activity such as DAS 28 ( Disease Activity Score based on 28 articulations ) unti l the disease is controlled by the given intervention to a degree antecedently discussed and agreed by the patients. If there is still no satisfactory respond, farther change in the therapy needs to be done such as sing the ternary therapy or etanercept therapy. Besides giving the slow-acting disease modifying drugs, SIGN 48 guidelines suggest the usage of intra-articular injection of corticoids to give rapid diagnostic alleviation before the oncoming of the new DMARDs therapy. Oral corticoids are non preferred to be used as a long-run intervention as it can do serious inauspicious consequence on bone mass and GI systems and it merely shows benefit in the early intervention of active RA [ Saag et al. , 1995 ; Kirwan et al. , 1995 ] If injection is non possible, so low dosage of unwritten corticoid is used in a shortest continuance possible [ Laan et al. , 1995 ] . For the diagnostic hurting control on top of DMARDs, mentioning to SIGN 48 guidelines, whenever possible, simple anodynes such as paracetamol are preferred over NSAIDs due to set up side-effects peculiarly GI annoyance. If simple anodynes are non powerful plenty to alleviate the hurting, a low dose NSAIDs such as isobutylphenyl propionic acid or more selective Cyclooxygenase ( Cox-2 ) inhibitors such as etoricoxib can be prescribed for the shortest continuance possible. When NSAIDs or Cox-2 inhibitors have to be used, coincident usage of GI protective medicine such as proton-pump inhibitors should be considered for aged and patients with history of GI ulcerations. Both NICE and SIGN guidelines recommend that dosage of NSAIDs should be reviewed and reduced once patients show equal response to DMARDs. In drumhead, the patient should be continued with SLS, at the same clip, added with MTX as the combined DMARDs therapy. In add-on, intra-articular or short-course unwritten corticoid should be commenced as a â€Å" span therapy † before the oncoming of action of the new DMARDs therapy. For diagnostic control, if paracetamol is non equal to relief hurting, NSAIDs such as diclofenac together with a proton pump inhibitor such as Prilosec can be used unless it is contraindicated in the patient, so a Cox-2 inhibitor such as etoricoxib should be used. Besides that, patient would be put on a monthly monitoring to reexamine the effectivity of the new therapy. How to cite The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Health And Social Care Essay, Essay examples

Friday, May 1, 2020

Contemporary Hospitality Issues for Tourism- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theContemporary Hospitality Issues for Tourism and Borders. Answer: Introduction The hotel industry always represents the service profession and thus hotel can be said as a market where both demand and supply are present. Hotel provides shelter, food and various kinds of services to the people who visits and stays there (Wachowiak, 2016). However a lot of modern implementation can be done to describe hotel industry in detail. The main topics that will be discussed include the different issues faced by the hotel industry. This may include the problems faced by the management and employees as well as the problems faced by the customers of the hotel. The thesis statement of the hotel is as follows; Issues faced by the hotel The reason for the problems that the employees and the customers faces The solutions to such problems Body of the essay Key Area 1: The topic is Salary Gap between hotel and other industry. The salary gap between the hotel and other industries has been the main concern for the different types of industries as because in order to be creative the founders fails to pay heed to the salary demand of the workers. This leads to problems as because the employees seem to be reluctant to work which leads to organizational inefficiency (Aragon-Correa, Martin-Tapia de la Torre-Ruiz, 2015). The reluctance of the workers to work in the given circumstances is mainly due to the failure of the management to identify the demands of the workers. The management must be active enough to get a clear understanding of the workers. Key Area 2: The next Key issue is the Lack of Systematic Management System. As mentioned earlier the management of the hotels is reluctant enough and fails to understand the basic demands of the employees, which in turn leads to the organizational failure of the hotels. If the management of the hotels functions properly then the staffs will be led in a correct way (Deery Jago, 2015). Thus it is important for the management to function properly. The absence of the managerial skills makes the employees frustrated as the employment opportunities and chances for growth gets limited. Key Area 3: The Next Key issue is The lack of Promotional Activities. As mentioned earlier the absence of proper promotional activities is a major negative issue that hampers the proper growth of the hotels and makes the management of the hotel vulnerable to internal threats. This includes threats like constant change of employees and the failure of the management to retain loyal and trusted employees (Ryan, 2015). Conclusion The following plan has been arranged and highlighted in a proper format that clearly makes the way for a great essay. The plan has included three of the most important topics that are faced by the organization in the modern times. The thorough analysis of the plan will be essential to construct the essay in a proper and flawless manner. References Aragon-Correa, J. A., Martin-Tapia, I., de la Torre-Ruiz, J. (2015). Sustainability issues and hospitality and tourism firms strategies: Analytical review and future directions.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(3), 498-522. Deery, M., Jago, L. (2015). Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention strategies.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(3), 453-472. Ryan, C. (2015). Trends in hospitality management research: a personal reflection.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management,27(3), 340-361. Wachowiak, H. (Ed.). (2016).Tourism and borders: contemporary issues, policies and international research. Routledge.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

The Audobon Zoo free essay sample

THE AUDUBON ZOO, 1993 The Audubon Zoo is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization. In 1914 the Audubon Commission was created to maintain and develop Audubon Park. In 1919 the Audubon Institute was established as the parent agency. Over the next several decades many changes would occur including the addition of a monkey cage, mammal cage and a deer paddock. Louisiana school children purchased the first elephant in 1924 and shortly thereafter an aquarium and sea lion pool was added. Through the Great Depression of the 1930s and 1940s the zoo was barely able to keep its doors openand in the 1950s it was labeled an animal â€Å"ghetto† by the media. In 1970 the U. S. Humane Society insisted the zoo be brought to industry standards. In the early 1970s the Commission worked closely with Mr. Ron Forman, City Hall Liaison for Audubon Park, to pass a special referendum that generated close to $2 million in bonds. We will write a custom essay sample on The Audobon Zoo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These funds were the beginning of the Zoo’s restoration project that enabled it to expand from 19 acres to over 55 acres. Volunteers at the Zoo formally became known as Friends of the Zoo. By the 1980s the Zoohad received accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and was noted as one of the nation’s top-rated zoological parks. And in 1989, Friends of the Zoo became known as Audubon Nature Institute where it remains today. Today, the zoo combines research laboratories with acres of pristine natural habitat where rare and endangered animals roam and reproduce (ANI, 2009). The Audubon Nature Institute’s mission to servesone purpose: Celebrating the Wonders of Nature. Its facilities carry on this mission through the Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Entergy IMAX Theatre, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Audubon Wilderness Park, Audubon Insectarium and Audubon Nature Institute Foundation. Additional opportunities for the Zoo include technological advances in animal breeding and new interactive computer programs that allow visitors to become educated about the animals history, environment, special characteristics, feeding and origination. Educational programs for both children and adults are offered through visitor programs, school field trips, outreach programs, and educator’s resources. A very real threat to the Zoo is the unpredictability of Mother Nature. New Orleans is located on the Gulf of Mexico and hurricanes cause a threat to coastal areas during the summer and fall seasons. Tourists and residents will be deterred from visiting the Zoo during inclement weather and will have a negative impact on admissions revenue for an undetermined amount of time. A SWOT analysis is essential in evaluating the market potential of the Zoo. In areas of strength; new attractions will draw repeat customers and with the educational activities offered year round there is a limitless supply of â€Å"new† school children as they grow and develop their interest in the world around them. The rehabilitation center for injured animals is a favorite of the public and should be marketed accordingly. And, the Zoo’s Center for Research of Endangered Species has been recognized as â€Å"top notch† and as such also holds considerable value in marketing. The one major weakness of the Zoo is its absolute necessity to depend on donations from a generous public. Unfortunately, not all funds that are pledgedare actually received by the Zoo and this creates challenges in budgeting from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. In a poor economy when the public are forced to worry about basic survival needsdonations will sharply decline. While the Zoo enjoys a heavy supply of volunteers, which creates a positive image to the community, they cannot be held to the same standards as paid employees. Volunteers are more apt to come and go as they will and this leaves the Zoo at the mercy of over worked, understaffed employees. A financial analysis of the Zoo reveals that it has done very well and that at the end of 1982 it was virtually self-sufficient. Improved efficiency in the area of operations was the first step towards this turnaround. The Zoo is entering a maturity stage and should look for opportunities to reduce its employment costs, non-value added programs and departments, administrative supplies and expenses associated with daily overhead. Media exposure can be highly expensive and as a non-profit entity the Zoo should take advantage of as much free exposure as possible. Press releases about new acquisitions, programs, animals, and the rehabilitation center should be sent to the media on a continuing basis. News articles with information about the different animals and the lands they originate from could become a regular travel guide feature of the local print media. Holding special events for a targeted segment of the public could draw additional revenue; live music on the green or in the park, Sunday afternoon Jazz Concert, or birthday parties with the special child’s favorite animal as the thememay stimulate growth in revenue. Another idea would be to consider an â€Å"adopt-an-animal† program. Local schools, businesses or individuals could agree to â€Å"adopt† an animal and provide monetary support through fund-raising or in-kind donations. Offering a yearly pass for residents at a discounted rate may seem contradictory to the idea of increased revenue but, if the community felt that they could visit the Zoo at any time without paying an entrance fee they may be more apt to spend discretionary dollars on hats, tee-shirts, sweat-shirts or other accessories, concession stand items and impulse buying of souvenirs. Key factors in bringing a successful turnaround of the Zoo begins with the original bond of $2 million and the total of a $5. 6 million development program that was created by the Audubon Park Commission. These funds permitted expansion of the Zoo to its present 48 acres allowing the area to be divided into geographic sections that featured the differentiation of the animals. Next was the implementation of admission charges to generate revenue and help off-set the few donations the Zoo received. The creation of the group Friends of the Zoo, which managed guidelines for the many topics and programs available also offered the edZOOcators conductededucational programs. The implementation of fundraising through new and interesting events and finally, the continuous expansion of programs and updating of other programs helped to create the Zoo’s success.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Customer-letter writing for tax professionals - Emphasis

Customer-letter writing for tax professionals Customer-letter writing for tax professionals When the naturalist Charles Darwin outlined natural selection, he almost certainly didnt have business people in mind. But his idea, that the species best suited to their environments are the ones who survive, has never been truer in the world of work. Competition for clients can be fierce, and never more so than now. The firms most able to meet their clients needs are often the most successful. One effective way to do this is to make your written communication client-centred. It doesnt have to be complicated simply pre-empting client phone calls and emails with a letter, for example. In fact, well-written, aptly timed letters are one of the best ways to provide good customer service. They help to make your clients feel that you really care about them and their businesses. The trouble is though that too many letters get it wrong. They unwittingly offend the client, dont take responsibility for misunderstandings and talk around issues as though they were having a debate. Clients need you to be the expert; provide the right figures; be honest when you dont know the answers and consistent about the information they need to provide you with. In short, they need to know their needs come first. With the dealings of financial institutions increasingly under public scrutiny, trust is a sought-after quality. So, make sure that it shines through in your written communication because integrity and accuracy will help the numbers add up for your clients. Just SCRAP it Good letters and emails have a clear structure and a specific goal in mind. The aim is to make youre your readers know why you are writing to them and what you want them to do. The SCRAP formula can help you to write clearly. The acronym stands for: situation, complication, resolution, action, politeness. Situation Begin by explaining the situation (or where they are). By doing this your reader will realise you understand and empathise with them. Complication Introduce the idea that theres a problem (why they cant stay there) they need to solve or a request they need to fulfil. Resolution State your resolution to the problem or request. Your reader will probably be relieved that youre offering a ready-made way of fixing things. Action Suggest what action the reader can or should take. In some cases, this will be what further action you are going to take. Make sure that this follows on logically from the resolution. Politeness Finally, end with a polite sign-off. Like any good recipe, you dont have to follow this formula to a tee. Some client correspondence will be so simple and straightforward that theres no problem to resolve. You just need to decide whats happened and what you want the reader to do about it. Top writing tips Get active Use the active rather than the passive voice. So write we found a mistake in your tax return rather than a mistake was found in your tax return. Keep it short and simple Good sentences contain no more than 15-20 words. Long flowery phrases are difficult to follow and can even breed distrust. Clear, plain writing suggests that there is nothing to hide. Always choose a simple word over a complication one. And remember that you can never have too many full stops! Clarify your main message If youre having difficulty figuring out what you really want your letter to say write down the words; who?, what?, where?, when? and why? at the top of a piece of paper. Use these headings to brainstorm the contents of your document. Ditch the management lingo If youve been immersed in the business world for some time, its easy to start writing in management-speak. So, prune carefully through your written work to ensure that youre not unwittingly lapsing into the types of language that would make David Brent in sitcom, The Office proud. Metaphors such as raising the bar and picking the low hanging fruit sound more like a tropical limbo challenge than references to taxation matters. While generic phrases such as working in close partnership with and after due consideration may make your clients think that your letters arent tailored to their industry or even to them. Dont add redundant words, such as pre in pre-prepare and forward in forward planning. All planning goes forwards and you cant prepare until youve prepared. The extra words dilute your message and can make the reader think that your advice is full of padding and waffle too. Remember, clients will thank you for being short and concise, as it will save them time. Brevity can be a courtesy. Case study Whether it is tax, technology or telecommunications; these letter writing principles work in any industry. Heres how letter-writing skills training transformed the customer services of a major insurance provider. The problem: The customer services department wanted to reduce the number of second-stage complaints they were receiving so they asked Emphasis to help the complaints team make its letters more customer-centred. The solution: We helped the team to fully identify the issues and facts behind the letters from complainants. We instructed participants about importance of structure in letters and then analysed the types of language, intentions and assumptions used in their standard responses. We enabled them to write letters in an easily accessible style. The benefits: Each delegate had a one-to-one coaching clinic six weeks later, where they submitted a post-training writing sample. All had progressed in structure and style. The team was so motivated by the course that they now talk about Emphasising their letters. Robert Ashton is Chief Executive of Emphasis.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Evaluate how domestic and regional factors limited Japan's abilities Research Paper

Evaluate how domestic and regional factors limited Japan's abilities to play more definitive security roles in East Asia. Asse - Research Paper Example There are some signs that this is now changing, but the Japan-US military alliance will continue to be the defining feature of Japan’s foreign policy for the foreseeable future. Article 9 Following the Second World War, Japan officially renounced its right to declare war, which has left the country in a unique situation, somewhat removed from the life of a ‘normal’ nation state. The Japanese military is restricted by Article 9 of its constitution, which states that Japan has forfeited its right as a nation to declare war, and will not recognize force as a valid means of settling disputes between nations. As a result, Japan does not officially keep its armed forces for any purpose except self-defense. Article 9 ends: ‘The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized’. Japan does maintain a large military force, and has one of the world’s largest military budgets, but this is justified as being purely in a defensive capacity, and unt il the past two decades, Japan did not even contribute personnel to peacekeeping missions sanctioned by the United Nations (UN). The defense budget is nearly $50 billion, approximately 1% of Japanese GDP, and it spends a further $2 billion annually on supporting American forces based in Japan1. Japanese forces are controlled tightly by civilian politicians, and the first time they were allowed to operate outside of the country was in a peacekeeping capacity in Cambodia in 1992-3. Article 9 effectively prevents Japan from taking a particularly active military role in international affairs, and for many Japanese, who are broadly pacifist, the horrors of the Second World War remain a powerful reason not to abolish Article 9 from the constitution2. As Kingston put it, ‘The US actually insisted on the insertion of Article 9 in the Japanese Constitution [as part of postwar peace negotiations], but has regretted it ever since’3. The United States would prefer Japan to take a m ore active role in attaining their shared security goals, so that it would not have to shoulder the absolute burden of operations in East Asia, including making considerable provision for Japan’s own defense. Kingston argues that, despite strong popular support for Article 9 – ‘For many Japanese, it is a point of pride that Japan’s Constitution embraces pacifism, a powerful symbolic break with the wartime past and an ongoing guarantee’, it has ‘diminished sway over government security policy’4. As we shall see, Japan has indeed circumvented the provisions of its constitution to deploy its forces abroad in recent years. The Japan-US Alliance Following the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan’s foreign policy has essentially been guided by its close relationship with the United States. Japan has been able to leave international issues to the United States, and concentrated mainly on economic recovery and development, ‘with relative ly little concern (and cost) for its own defense’5. The Alliance has had benefits for the US also. Keen to expand its practical influence right across the Pacific in the aftermath of the Second World War, Japan, as an archipelago right off the Asian mainland, offered an ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ from which to pursue this policy. Bases in Japan have helped with deployments against Communist forces in Korea and Vietnam, as well as other conflicts in the region. This alliance is boosted by the large volume and value of trade between the US and Japan.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture Research Paper

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture - Research Paper Example It does not require settlement, but it is also not reliable and makes it difficult to prepare for difficult times. Horticulture refers to the science of cultivating plants for human use which requires a great deal of knowledge regarding which plants are the most useful for which activities and how to make them grow. Pastoral lifestyles are characterized by herding large numbers of livestock around open land areas according to the seasons and availability of water. This type of lifestyle requires the availability of open land and the ability to move around. An agricultural form of subsistence can be thought of as farming, raising both animals and crops to support human life. This is different from an agrarian lifestyle only in that the agrarian lifestyle focuses on an entire community working together, all of them relying on agriculture as the base means of support but not all being engaged in farming as their personal means of support. An industrial society is recognizable to most of us simply because it is closest to the type of society we live in today in the modern world dominated by businesses, technology, mass production, and masses of people everywhere. However, there are still some societies that have managed to hold onto older forms of subsistence even in the face of widespread industrialization. By studying societies such as the Amish, it is possible to understand how a cultural group's form of subsistence helps to shape other elements of their culture such as their attitudes to religion, family life, and marriage. The Amish are a relatively isolated group of horticulturalists living in scattered pockets throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to Powell (2012), "The first sizeable group of Amish arrived in America around 1730 and settled near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as a result of William Penn's 'holy experiment' in religious tolerance" (p. 1). This group of people disagreed with the Anabaptists in Switzerland regarding some foundational religious concepts associated with their selected lifestyle, causing them to move to the Americas and begin their own religious sect. As a group, the Amish are dedicated to the horticultural way of life, which works to grow fruits, vegetables, and other plant materials necessary for survival within a self-contained, self-sustaining community of close-knit individuals. They believe in living as close to the land as they can, doing things naturally and depending on nature to meet their various needs. "Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of 'huchmut' (pride, arrogance) and the high value they place on 'demut' or humility and 'gelassenheit' (German, meaning: calmness, composure, placidity)" (Scully, 2007, p. 30). This natural approach to life was easy back when they first moved to America and the land was mostly wilderness, but as the land became more populated and particularly once it began to industrialize, it was their dedication to th eir traditional means of subsistence that led them to isolate themselves further and further from the rest of the world, as they found it necessary to create rules that would govern and protect their way of life. "All aspects of Amish life are dictated by a list of written or oral rules, known as Ordnung, which outlines the basics of the Amish faith and helps to define what it means

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Performance and Reward Challenges in the Retail Sector

Performance and Reward Challenges in the Retail Sector REPORT ON PERFORMANCE AND REWARD CHALLENGES RETAIL SECTOR FACE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. OVERVIEW This report aims to discuss, analyse the Reward and Performance challenges faced by the retail sector, there were two major retail organisations used in the names of Tesco Store and Waitrose Supermarket, Hence the report considers recommendations and solutions to these challenges with the help of performance and reward theories by the writer. INTRODUCTION Organisations generally need to monitor the performance of itself and its employees in order to achieve its goals either in a short or long term, however, in order to attain an acceptable performance level, there is a motivating factor attached to the employer/employee relationship which is called reward. In relations to the Retail organisations there is a need for organisations to retain and motivate employees to work due to the demand for manpower to satisfy the retail sector needs, for employees to perform well, it is necessary for an existence of a reward package in place; this is basic in retail organisations just like any other business firm, on the other hand, organisations expects a good performance from the rewarded employees as well, thus, there are some arising issues and differences of opinions between both parties such as failure in psychological contracts, low employee morale,absence,e.t.c which results in major challenges for organisations to reach their desired goals, however, there is a need to explore what performance and reward really entails in order to have a easy understanding as this report evolves, hence, examine how rewards scheme enhances employee performance as there are major challenges faced by organisations to fulfil psychological contracts between them a nd their employees which has a vast implication on performance. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This has changed over the years, it has been a general believe that performance management is about rating employees using a trait-biased instrument such as neatness, punctuality and attendance as opposed to focusing directly on the work output, it tends to be secretive while employees were not really involved in the process nor told of what rating they got, however, this style of performance method is no longer considered to be of good practice. It is the means of getting better results from the organisation, teams, and individuals where there is an agreement of objectives, skills and competence required so it is therefore, the way in which an organisation improve and develop its workforce, however it is also used to measure the distribution of rewards aligned to a performance related pay procedure.(Armstrong,2002:373), hence it is the believe that PM is a process of management by using it to analyse,measure,monitor performance and plan for organisation improvements. Furthermore, as it has been highlighted earlier that performance management aids the measurement and distribution of rewards, the next paragraph would explain what reward is, and how it helps performance within an organisation. REWARD MANAGEMENT This has been related to the performance output of an individual, it has changed the tradition of status but contribution as employees are being awarded benefits which could be tangible or intangible rewards for their additional hard work, Armstrong and Murlis,(1998) argued that performance related pay is a motivator for reward management but stressed that it should not only be about money but those non-financial rewards which provides intrinsic and extrinsic motivation such as continuous development, more employee involvement, partnership, mutuality, trust and transparency hence, it is now evident that performance is related to rewards. As they are both key factors in organisation success, there would now be an in-depth evaluation of the current challenges retail organisations face today. There are two retail organisations considered in this report, first is Tesco Plc which I have worked with for five years, second is Waitrose supermarket which is also a leading retail firm in the U.K, the use of these two organisations has given me advantage to compare and contrast while I was able to critically evaluate these challenges they face. TESCO BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK with over 2,200 stores worldwide and 450,000 employees around the world, it also has around 1,878 stores throughout the UK with many other stores outside the country which includes America, Asia and Europe. The company also offers online shopping and home delivery, its largest market is in the UK with four different types of stores namely Extra store which runs 24hours, Superstore which also runs 24hours, Metro and Express, it has as a non-food and clothing department with three different own label named value, normal and finest which accounts for almost a half of the organisation sales. REWARD AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO Tesco organisation structures runs in form of a bureaucratic structure as power and authority flows from the top to the low level in the organisation, this equally has similarity in the rewards structure as well because top level employees get much reward that the low level though the latter are more influential in the carrying out of the operational activities that makes the organisation succeed. The present salary structure does not reward individual or team effort, the staff receives the expected automatic annual increments that are incorporated into their base pay in addition to that they get cost of living rise which is determined by the location, this structure reflects the increasing value which individuals are deemed to give to the organisation as they gain experience in the job, it has major disadvantages as increments reward the passage of time and ignore performance as the current reward structure is thus geared towards rewarding staff for their time and loyalty to the organisation and disregards individual performances within the organisation(Boyne,2002) The pay structure is standardised as directors, senior managers are set on individual basis, and new employees are normally placed on the lowest salary point within the grade for their post and service longetivity, the appropriate grade for a post is identified using HAY job evaluation scheme, progression in the grade is reached by acquisition of annual increments until the maximum of the grade is reached which however leaves employees stuck at the top of their grade with no real prospects to progress further or get a promotion into the next salary grade as this could be considered as a factor which derails the morale of individual and it certainly affects performance too. Hence, there is a big issue that needs to be solved as Tesco needs to balance the advantages of having a long service,reliable,experienced,commited workforce against the inherent conservatism, inflexibility and resistance to change usually associated to them, the organisation faces pressures to become more efficient and performance-oriented. Automatic service increments are costly to Tesco and they are not fully appreciated by employees that feel they are entitled to annual increases and progression though star performers are encouraged and signed on to a programme called Options which is training on how to be a manager but there are still questions if everyone is motivated with such motive as some wouldnt be interested in this initiative. As a result they may put in the minimum effort as they are fully aware that they will be guaranteed a pay increase at the end of the year which some writers referred to as a golden handcuff as poor performers continue to stay with the organisation because they continue to be rewarded well, as a matter of fact, a director mentioned 2we have many long-serving staff, as pay and conditions here are very good and there are not too many performance expectations. (Dittenhofer, 2001). This might contribute to organisational inertia if managers are reluctant to manage poor performances through the performance management system and employees may feel as the programme manager put it so they can get away mediocre and contribute to under- performance. Additionally, there is a free company shares given annually to employees as a way to reward them for their hard work which is a good idea and gives them the advantage of 10% discount from any of their purchases from the company by issuing employees a discount/privileged card after six months of service but how are the exceptional performers rewarded? It is left be unknown which is a major challenge to be considered and looked into. Therefore, the challenges faced by Tesco from the discussion above could be listed as follow Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Lack of Motivation Organisation is Less Performance Oriented Low Performance Output from Employees Inability to Manage Poor Performances Hence, the need for comparison with a relatively successful and large retail organisation is needed in order to justify the challenges the retail sector is facing in the reward and performance management world, this would enable one to evaluate the situation more and leads me to the discussion of reward and performance management in Waitrose supermarket in the subsequent paragraphs. PERFORMANCE AND REWARD MANAGEMENT IN WAITROSE Waitrose is a relatively big supermarket in the UK; it has 221 branches across the United Kingdom. Waitrose creates some act of uniqueness for itself from competitors by offering high quality food and emphasising good customer services which is fundamental for the success of any organisation. However, for the organisation to attain the required level of customer services offered, they strategized by making cultivating the culture of making all its employees a co-partner which is very welcoming from the view of any employees as this gives them sense of belonging in the business running, partners get certain benefits called partnership bonus which is around 10-20% of a partners annual income and it is paid in a monetary value sometimes in the year, discount cards are issued after 3 months of service which entitles them to 15% discount in Waitrose and 25% in John Lewis departmental store as to rewards for their efforts towards the success of the organisation, this sound like a good initiative to reward the employees for their good and hard work. There is a focus to train new partners for customer services skills, health and safety, fresh food handling and fire safety, partners are trained to drop whatever they could be doing(within reasoning) upon the request of the customer and lead customers to the product ,so this shows the extent at which customers are being taken to be their priority. In 2005, there was an introduction of performance management scheme called Mystery Shopper which scores its branches on the service they provide considering the presentation, service on the shop floor by the employees ranging from the service counters, checkouts, wine, grocery departments and general assistants, this initiative is believed to help keep level of performance of each partner on top but it is left to be known if it is a motivator for good performance or trick for the organisation to succeed In 2008 W?itro introduced training for its p?rtn?r? with a new program called frh on rvic? which ?im? to lift core rvic? ?t?nd?rd? and continue to make the bu?in ?t?nd out from its competitors by training partners to be more confident on their job to deliver great service by inspiring among other things an attitude to believe things can be done. (www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk) At this point, it can be deduced that Waitrose tries its best to attain the best performance level with range of offers and trainings they give to the partners of the business, additionally they train people to be managers, and where school leavers are being trained to become section managers within a period of few years, then they also offer a graduate scheme that groom people achieving high managerial posts within some few years. The last few paragraphs evidently shows how Waitrose rewards its co-partners in order to achieve its set goals but the argument is that, does these rewards and benefits given to the partners motivate and spur them all to put in a better performance on their jobs, is money a good key to motivate them or is everyone motivated with tangible things? This leads me to highlight the challenges faced by Waitrose in Respect of Performance and Reward Management. Inability to manage performance Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Too focused on customer satisfaction INTRODUCTION Organisations generally need to monitor the performance of itself and its employees in order to achieve its goals either in a short or long term, however, in order to attain an acceptable performance level, there is a motivating factor attached to the employer/employee relationship which is called reward. In relations to the Retail Supermarket sector, there is a need for organisations to retain and motivate employees to work due to the demand for manpower to satisfy the retail sector needs, for employees to perform well, it is necessary for an existence of a reward package in place; this is basic in retail organisations just like any other business firm, on the other hand, organisations expects a good performance from the rewarded employees as well, thus, there are some arising issues and differences of opinions between both parties such as failure in psychological contracts, low employee morale,absence,e.t.c which results in major challenges for organisations to reach their desired goals, however, there is a need to explore what performance and reward really entails in order to have a easy understanding as this report evolves, hence, examine how rewards scheme enhances employee performance as there are major challenges faced by organisations to fulfil psychological contracts between them and their employees which has a vast implication on performance. RETAIL SUPERMARKET SECTOR OVERVIEW The retail sector a very active in the society in terms of day to day living as it involves food,clothing,furniture.e.t.c it is always an increasing market though the present economic situation in term of recession making slow down of growth as companies who cannot compete suffer, however organisations face challenge of meeting both customer and employee needs, organisations try to secure the confidence of customers as there is a high risk of losing them because customer spending will decline, hence there is need to be at utmost best delivery best service at every given time, on the other hand, this would require a 100% performance from its employees in order to deliver a high and acceptable service but there are challenges being faced in this respect at the sector as employers face the challenges of meeting employees expectations such as psychological contracts which this report aims to evaluate and suggest recommended solutions with the help of academic theories. This report would discuss findings on the performance and reward challenges faced currently by have two of the Britain most successful retail supermarkets namely Tesco and Waitrose. It aims to discuss and analyse the Reward and Performance challenges faced by the retail sector, there was a SWOT and PEST analysis carried out in order to realise the situation of the supermarkets and the challenges they face. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT This has changed over the years, it has been a general believe that performance management is about rating employees using a trait-biased instrument such as neatness, punctuality and attendance as opposed to focusing directly on the work output, it tends to be secretive while employees were not really involved in the process nor told of what rating they got, however, this style of performance method is no longer considered to be of good practice. It is the means of getting better results from the organisation, teams, and individuals where there is an agreement of objectives, skills and competence required so it is therefore, the way in which an organisation improve and develop its workforce, however it is also used to measure the distribution of rewards aligned to a performance related pay procedure.(Armstrong,2002:373), hence it is the believe that PM is a process of management by using it to analyse, measure, monitor performance and plan for organisation improvements. Furthermore, as it has been highlighted earlier that performance management aids the measurement and distribution of rewards, the next paragraph would explain what reward is, and how it helps performance within an organisation. REWARD MANAGEMENT This has been related to the performance output of an individual, it has changed the tradition of status but contribution as employees are being awarded benefits which could be tangible or intangible rewards for their additional hard work, Armstrong and Murlis,(1998) argued that performance related pay is a motivator for reward management but stressed that it should not only be about money but those non-financial rewards which provides intrinsic and extrinsic motivation such as continuous development, more employee involvement, partnership, mutuality, trust and transparency hence, it is now evident that performance is related to rewards. As they are both key factors in organisation success, there would now be an in-depth evaluation of the current challenges retail organisations face today. There are two retail organisations considered in this report, first is Tesco Plc which I have worked with for five years, second is Waitrose supermarket which is also a leading retail firm in the U.K, the use of these two organisations has given me advantage to compare and contrast while I was able to critically evaluate these challenges they face. TESCO BACKGROUND/OVERVIEW Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK with over 2,200 stores worldwide and 450,000 employees around the world, it also has around 1,878 stores throughout the UK with many other stores outside the country which includes America, Asia and Europe. The company also offers online shopping and home delivery, its largest market is in the UK with four different types of stores namely Extra store which runs 24hours, Superstore which also runs 24hours, Metro and Express, it has as a non-food and clothing department with three different own label named value, normal and finest which accounts for almost a half of the organisation sales. (www.tesco.com) REWARD AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO Tesco organisation structures runs in form of a bureaucratic structure as power and authority flows from the top to the low level in the organisation, this equally has similarity in the rewards structure as well because top level employees get much reward that the low level though the latter are more influential in the carrying out of the operational activities that makes the organisation succeed. The present salary structure does not reward individual or team effort, the staff receives the expected automatic annual increments that are incorporated into their base pay in addition to that they get cost of living rise which is determined by the location, this structure reflects the increasing value which individuals are deemed to give to the organisation as they gain experience in the job, it has major disadvantages as increments reward the passage of time and ignore performance as the current reward structure is thus geared towards rewarding staff for their time and loyalty to the organisation and disregards individual performances within the organisation(Boyne,2002) The pay structure is standardised as directors, senior managers are set on individual basis, and new employees are normally placed on the lowest salary point within the grade for their post and service longetivity, the appropriate grade for a post is identified using HAY job evaluation scheme, progression in the grade is reached by acquisition of annual increments until the maximum of the grade is reached which however leaves employees stuck at the top of their grade with no real prospects to progress further or get a promotion into the next salary grade as this could be considered as a factor which derails the morale of individual and it certainly affects performance too. Hence, there is a big issue that needs to be solved as Tesco needs to balance the advantages of having a long service,reliable,experienced,commited workforce against the inherent conservatism, inflexibility and resistance to change usually associated to them, the organisation faces pressures to become more efficient and performance-oriented. Automatic service increments are costly to Tesco and they are not fully appreciated by employees that feel they are entitled to annual increases and progression though star performers are encouraged and signed on to a programme called Options which is training on how to be a manager but there are still questions if everyone is motivated with such motive as some wouldnt be interested in this initiative. As a result they may put in the minimum effort as they are fully aware that they will be guaranteed a pay increase at the end of the year which some writers referred to as a golden handcuff as poor performers continue to stay with the organisation because they continue to be rewarded well, as a matter of fact, a director mentioned 2we have many long-serving staff, as pay and conditions here are very good and there are not too many performance expectations. (Dittenhofer, 2001). This might contribute to organisational inertia if managers are reluctant to manage poor performances through the performance management system and employees may feel as the programme manager put it so they can get away mediocre and contribute to under- performance though organisation sometimes tend to stay on the neck of employees trying to impose behaviours that meets the need of organisation. Additionally, there is a free company shares given annually to employees as a way to reward them for their hard work which is a good idea and gives them the advantage of 10% discount from any of their purchases from the company by issuing employees a discount/privileged card after six months of service but how are the exceptional performers rewarded? It is left be unknown which is a major challenge to be considered and looked into. The next paragraph shows the strong and weak sides of Tesco with aid of Swot analysis to figure out its challenges. Therefore, the performance and reward challenges faced by Tesco from the discussions above could be listed as follow Non-existence of individual/team reward Lack of motivation Organisation is more performance oriented than rewards Low performance output from employees Inability to manage poor performances STRENGTHS Increasing Market Share It has an increasing market share and a good percentage of the UK retail market of around 13% which continues to grow share in food and non-food, it has also grown to into various parts of the country and world making it the second biggest chain convenience store chain retailer so far and it plans to explore with new stores openings so it has a good market share which is a strength. Tesco Online The companys dot.com is the world online biggest online supermarket with huge millions of sales with an increase of 29% on last year and operates in over 250 stores in the UK so this is a strong base where they could still exploit for longer time. Brand Value The results from the last fiscal year suggests that the company profits on operations around the world increased by 78% which is affected by the strong image the company has and also the good quality that equals to good value, profits from the other forms o their market such as insurance and finance is a major factor to this. WEAKNESSES Reliance upon Success. The company is too dependent on the believe they are the leading retailer in U.k which could cause them lapses making them exploit in some cases as they believe people will come for their products because of their customer base and also could exploits staff too as it is widely known that people will always come to work for them. Reliance upon the UK Market. The company is too dependent on the UK market bringing 73.8% of revenues in 2003 though it might not affect them in short term but they are of risk of any changes in the UK supermarket industry in the near future like threats from organisations merging could alter the balance of power and affect them, however the international business is still growing and widely known to contribute huge amounts to the companys profit till the near future. Signs of Serial Acquisitions The company is in risk of becoming a serial acquirer due to the firepower it has and the circulation of its product range mostly in the UK while the gap filling strategy would be useful just as it is to the convenience markets so this may reduce earnings visibility and quality. OPPORTUNITIES Health and Beauty Tescos UK health and beauty ranges grows drastically, and it is currently the fastest growing skincare retailer in the UK market leading in toiletries and healthcare, it also delivers a first class service in the baby goods products. It continues to invest in price to deliver the value customers have come to expect and this year invested  £27 million on health and beauty pricing and it now has 19 ?tor with opticians and closely 200 ?tor with ph?rm?ci. Non-food retail The companys plan to make its non-food be as big as the food sector is a sign of growth opportunity they are really planning to exploit which would see their retail share climb over the next few years as it boost sales and production, it has advantage of a good clothing brand as well which could bring profits too. TREATHS UK structural change could spark a price war The price followers in the UK market are about to become aggressive investors in price, Safeway because of now ownership and Sainsbury because of now manegement. Morrison is reducing safeways prices by up to 6% ?nd Sainsbury is bound to see lower prices is one of the basic changes necessary to drive its recovery. With both Asda and Tesco committ?d to price leadership, this could result in a step down in industry profitability. Wal-Mart/ Asda Challenge Since the US shopping giant Wal-mart purchased Asda, Tescos rank as the top UK supermarket has been threatened. Asda can now compete extremely well on price and range of goods. For the moment, Asda is the third largest supermarket in the UK, just behind Sainsburys and then Tesco. However, Asda closed the gap on Sainsburys in 2003, leaving the company to directly challenge Tescos dominance. Tesco is well aware of this, and has so far been quick to keep up with price cuts or special offers at Asda. Wal-mart may also decide to wield its buying power more heavily in the UK, and this could spell the end of Tescos brand dominance in the future. Hence, the need for comparison with a relatively successful and large retail organisation is needed in order to justify the challenges the retail sector is facing in the reward and performance management world, this would enable one to evaluate the situation more and leads me to the discussion of reward and performance management in Waitrose supermarket in the subsequent paragraphs. PERFORMANCE AND REWARD MANAGEMENT IN WAITROSE Waitrose is a relatively big supermarket in the UK; it has 221 branches across the United Kingdom. Waitrose creates some act of uniqueness for itself from competitors by offering high quality food and emphasising good customer services which is fundamental for the success of any organisation. However, for the organisation to attain the required level of customer services offered, they strategized by making cultivating the culture of making all its employees a co-partner which is very welcoming from the view of any employees as this gives them sense of belonging in the business running, partners get certain benefits called partnership bonus which is around 10-20% of a partners annual income and it is paid in a monetary value sometimes in the year, discount cards are issued after 3 months of service which entitles them to 15% discount in Waitrose and 25% in John Lewis departmental store as to rewards for their efforts towards the success of the organisation, this sound like a good initiative to reward the employees for their good and hard work. There is a focus to train new partners for customer services skills, health and safety, fresh food handling and fire safety, partners are trained to drop whatever they could be doing(within reasoning) upon the request of the customer and lead customers to the product ,so this shows the extent at which customers are being taken to be their priority. In 2005, there was an introduction of performance management scheme called Mystery Shopper which scores its branches on the service they provide considering the presentation, service on the shop floor by the employees ranging from the service counters, checkouts, wine, grocery departments and general assistants, this initiative is believed to help keep level of performance of each partner on top but it is left to be known if it is a motivator for good performance or trick for the organisation to succeed In 2008 Waitross introduced training for its partners with a new program called fresh on service which aims to lift core service standards and continue to make the business stand out from its competitors by training partners to be more confident on their job to deliver great service by inspiring among other things an attitude to believe things can be done. (www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk) At this point, it can be deduced that Waitrose tries its best to attain the best performance level with range of offers and trainings they give to the partners of the business, additionally they train people to be managers, and where school leavers are being trained to become section managers within a period of few years, then they also offer a graduate scheme that groom people achieving high managerial posts within some few years. The last few paragraphs evidently shows how Waitrose rewards its co-partners in order to achieve its set goals but the argument is that, does these rewards and benefits given to the partners motivate and spur them all to put in a better performance on their jobs, is money a good key to motivate them or is everyone motivated with tangible things? This leads me to highlight the challenges faced by Waitrose in Respect of Performance and Reward Management. Inability to manage performance Non-existence of Individual/Team Reward Too focused on customer satisfaction

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Why Should We Legalize Gay Marriage?

Why should we legalize gay marriage? Or, in other words, why isn't gay marriage legalized already? Same-sex marriage is just about as humane as opposite-sex marriage. One in ten people are gay. Seems perfectly normal to me. Is it normal to you? And anyway, why don't people like two gays marrying? Let's start out with the facts. The evidence. The nitty-gritty of all this debate. One out of ten people are gay or lesbian. So there's about twenty-eight people in this class, am I right? So that's at least two people that are gay, technically. But if your friend was gay, would you hate them for it?Would you turn around to be the face of injustice and all that is unfair? Would you be the person translating hate to your friend because he or she is homosexual? Would you be the so-called ‘friend' that is the image of degrading human rights? There's this other statement too, which really gets me. A heterosexual woman can get four or five marriages in her life, when two same-sex lovers can 't even get one. How does this work? Oh, religion, religion, religion, you crack us up in so many ways. Apparently, in the Bible, gay marriage is sin. Yet, you say: â€Å"God loves everyone. Yet, it's alright to SELL your children into slavery. Yet, it's alright to DISCRIMINATE someone because he or she likes the same sex. In some cases, religious people stroll around the streets of England with signs stating: â€Å"GOD HATES FAGS. † Is this fair? As Russell Howard once said: â€Å"Jesus isn't gay or straight, he's bisexual because he's in everyone. † What I'm about to say is a true story. Imagine a twenty-one year old student, blonde hair, brown yes, almost six feet in height and has a chiselled chin. This young lad's name is Matthew Shepard.Your average university student, am I right? One the night/morning of the 6th and 7th of October, he was attacked and brutally tortured. He passed away on the 12th of October from fatal head injuries. During the trail, witnesses expressed that Matthew was homosexual. Ask yourselves, is it right to slaughter an innocent person because they like the same gender? The two murderers, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson robbed, pistol-whipped and tortured Matthew, and then tied him to a fence in a rural area, leaving him to rot and bleed to death all on his own.After this, Aaron and Russell acquired Matthew's home address and were intending to burglarize his own home. My fellow students, look at me in the eyes, is this more humane than accepting your friend for being gay? Bullying is a common occurrence when students and teenagers admit they are homosexual. Stupid expressions like: â€Å"OI FAG, GO CRY ON YOUR BOYFRIEND'S SHOULDER! † can emotionally disturb someone. A so-called joke such as: â€Å"Eww, lok, there's the local lezzo. † can tear someone to pieces. Are you going to be that self-centered, halfwit who bullies someone because of their sexuality?Let me tell you this, this is one of the stu pidest mistakes you can make in life. Bullying someone is low. In fact, you could high-five the Devil because you stooped that low. In some cases, bullying takes a unusual turn of events and the victim bites back. Like Frankie Boyle said: â€Å"I would have loved to have a gay dad. Do you remember at school, there were always kids saying â€Å"My dad's bigger than your dad, my dad will batter your dad! † â€Å"So what? My dad will have sex with your dad. And your dad will enjoy it. â€Å"I envision a world where people can openly admit they are gay without feeling oppressed or scared of the reaction. I envision a world wherein homophobia ceases to exist. I envision a world where a same-sex marriage occurs without any fuss from religion and/or politics. I envsion a world where families will not abuse their child for being homosexual. This is why we should legalize gay marriage. By doing this, you are bringing more equality to the world, and you are bringing smiles to the fa ces of those who can now marry their dearly beloved.By accepting homosexuality instead of denying it, we are now creating a healthier atmosphere for all. I want to go home next week thinking that we have made a change for the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transsexual community for all. So, please, next time you see a gay or lesbian couple walking down the street, accept them and don't shout crude words at them. Next time, if you see a fellow student in school which rumours tell him or her is a ‘fag', don't jump on the abuse bandwagon. Because all this world needs is a bit of love. Thank you all for listening.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Mathematics Web-Based Learning for Malaysian Secondary Schools in Geometry

MASTER RESEARCH PROPOSAL Prepared by Yeo Lian Ming 1. Title : Mathematics Web-Based Learning For Malaysian Secondary Schools In Geometry 2. Chapter 1 Introduction Background Of The Problem Learning of geometry is formally introduced in the Malaysian primary mathematics curriculum. The emphasis in geometry increases as students progress to secondary education, where about forty percent of the sixty topics in the five-year secondary mathematics curriculum comprises geometry content (Malaysian Ministry of Education, 1998).It is paramount that students at the beginning level of secondary education are provided with logical reasoning skills to build on subsequently more rigorous experiences of formal geometry. The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM,2000), and other important literature in the area of mathematics education call for emphasis in geometry at all levels. Geometry is a unifying theme to the entire mathematics curriculum and as such is a rich source of visualization for arithmetical, algebraic , and statistical concepts.For example, geometric regions and shapes are useful for development work with the meaning of fractional numbers, equivalent fractions, ordering of fractions, and computing of fractions (Sanders, 1998, p. 20). However, geometric concepts are often neglected in elementary and middle level schools in favour of teaching computational skills ( Huetinck & Munshin, 2004 ; Noraini Idris, 2006 ).Various reasons related to mathematical system itself, curricular materials, instructional practice, and cognitive development have been proposed to explain students’ the difficulties with geometry. In many Malaysian schools, the teaching and learning of mathematics has been reported to be too teacher centred and that the students are not given enough opportunities to develop their own thinking (Malaysian Ministry of Education, 2001). This situation invariably results in students becoming passive receivers of information , which in many cases do not results in conceptual understanding.Many students are not able to comprehend what their mathematics teachers teach especially on the topic of geometry because mathematics content is taught with the intention of finishing the syllabus and preparing for examinations. Little regard is given to how well the students understand geometrical concepts. On the topic of geometry, students encounter difficulties in applying what they have learnt due to spatial inability and visualization problems. In secondary school, mathematics teacher’s biggest challenge is to find a way how to get students’ interest to learn geometry.Through web-based learning, teacher can give students a new and stimulating way to learn and practice mathematics when and where it is suitable for them. The use of computers in education can be utilized as a new technological support for the visualization of abstract concepts through computer-generated virtual representations, allowi ng for the generation of mental model of the geometrical concepts. Moreover, the use of the World Wide Web as an educational delivery medium has pushed the limits of instructional design.It is becoming commonplace for students to register for programs, access course materials, communicate and submit assignments, and retrieve grades electronically. Classrooms and conference facilities in schools around the world are web-friendly, with many offering video-conferencing or full virtual classroom facilities. But the real question is this: does web-technology help or hinder learning? The best answer seems to be that it depends on the situation. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it hinders.On the plus side, the Internet has moved management education ahead by enabling rapid, easy access to education and information, shared workspace tools for collaboration, instant communication and messaging, and online help. On the negative side, the quality of learning, more often than not, fails to meet ex pectations. Statement Of The Problem Teaching and learning process in mathematics particularly in the topic of geometry is not an easy task. Students tend to fail in developing an adequate understanding of the concepts, reasoning, and problem solving skills.The lack of understanding in learning geometry often cause discouragement among the students, which invariably will leads to poor performance in public examination. A number of factors have been put forward to explain why learning geometry is difficult due to geometry language, visualization abilities, and ineffective instruction. Poor reasoning skills are also another area of concern among secondary school students. Many are unable to extract necessary information from given data and many more are unable to interpret answers and make conclusions.Traditional approaches in learning geometry emphasized more on how much the students can remember and less on how well the students can perform the process of problem solving that includ es higher order mathematical thinking skills and reasoning. Thus learning becomes forced and creates anxiety among students and seldom brings satisfaction to the students. Objectives Of The Study This study will explore the ICT ability such as the web-based instructional objects as learning visual aids for the teaching and learning process in Geometry.This skill will enhance the teaching and learning process in delivering the topics in Geometry. The study will address some of the primary issues that should be included in the curriculum design process to develop a more interesting learning experience that truly engages the students from a cognitive perspective, while encouraging or fostering a greater accomplishment in the student's learning development particularly the visualization ability and problem solving skills.Scope Of The Study This study focuses on the curriculum design of web-based instructional objects for the teaching-learning process that involves hands-on ability with emphasis on experiential model. From the experiential perspective, the goal is to provide an opportunity or event that will engage or involve the student in the active process of learning. Experiential web-based learning can occur when the following conditions are met during the design phase: a )the appropriate level of cognitive and/or affective domain is reached, causing the student to do much more than simply receive the learning or knowledge, ( b )the relationship between the type of knowledge establishes an implied level of student involvement, ( c )the outcomes are evaluated with respect to the domain (cognitive and/or affective) in terms of the type of knowledge. Once these steps are included during the design process, rather than as an afterthought, web based learning will become richer, and provide the student an authentic learning event.Significance Of The Study In designing instructional objects, emphasis should be placed on designs that are conducive to meaningful learni ng rather than designs that aim merely at presentation of objects. This study will examine the integration of technology, content, pedagogy and online delivery as it affects the student learning experience. The process and model for creating interactive-rich learning environments is presented to improve their course development practices and online classroom quality. . Chapter 2 Literature Review The application of instructional objects in the teaching and learning of mathematics helped the students to understand the subject matter more clearly through novel presentation; making the learning of mathematics interesting and fun as well as easier to understand (Clarke ; Gronn, 2004). The wise use of web-based technology can help to break the boundaries between classroom and workplace, between theory and practice, and between the roles of instructor and learner.A second generation approach carefully designed and extended, can lead to many win-win solutions that can promote meaningful ac tion-based learning that combines the best in technical and soft skills education in both classroom and workplace settings (Morgan, G. ; Adams, J. , 2009). However, there was a significant interaction effect between delivery model and prior web experience. This indicates that for some learners, certain delivery models may be more ffective for web-based environments (Ahern, T. ; Martindale, T. , 2001). The results of the recent study showed that the learners who used the hybrid web based learning model displayed a better understanding of the necessary concepts and were able to apply their learning experiences to real life contexts better than the learners who were exposed to the traditional teaching method only (Naidoo, N. ; Naidoo, R. , 2006).With the current bodies of research and knowledge on development both of the learner, and the instructor, there is a need now more than ever to re-examine and develop a new model for instructional design. It may be necessary then, to abandon, o r perhaps significantly modify, the traditional instructional design models that were grounded in behavioral terms in favor of a model that is more experiential (Kolb, 1984). 4. Chapter 3 Research Methodology Research Design ; ProcedureThrough the use of programs that can be downloaded from the internet such as Moodle an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), an interactive course materials containing online activities such as self assessments, animations, and simulations on the topics in geometry can be produced to develop an e-learning websites to encourage self-learning and ability to seek for knowledge from various sources. These can improve learning and are often more enjoyable , flexible learning time and meaningful for students. Operational FrameworkThis study will adopt quasi-experimental design which consists of two groups of students. One treatment group will undergo the lessons of geometry using web-based learning while the other control group will be taught by tradi tional approach. I will conduct interviews, surveys and questionnaires to obtain empirical information on this research. Please refer to the attached Gantt chart. Assumptions ; Limitations This study will only use one instructional module entitled Geometry as the treatment period, and an expanded study should encompass the entire Mathematics subject.There are many other delivery models to examine in terms of effectiveness for web-based learning. Studies should be conducted using these models in combination. It would also be interesting to examine participant variables (age, gender, prior experience, etc. ) and the effectiveness of various delivery models. Research Planning ; Schedule Preparation Phase : Study the content of geometry. A literature review of the web-based learning by previous research endeavours will be conducted to complete and narrow down the orientation I will take for the following steps of my research.Analysis Phase : Observe a group of students to identify probl ems in teaching-learning the topic of geometry and analyze the types of instructional object activities in the web-based learning. Design Phase : Select a few subtopics of geometry as the research target. Employ experiential model to produce interactive course materials for geometry which containing online activities by using Moodle an Open Source Course Management System. Application Phase : Test the instructional objects on the sample group to collect data in terms of web-based learning quality, analyze the results and draw conclusions.Evaluation Phase : Refining and enhancing the interactive course material of geometry in the web-based learning. 5. Chapter 4 Expected Findings and Summary The rapid expansion of web-based learning necessitates examining its effectiveness because instruction is more than simply displaying information. Instruction requires an integrated fit that considers the content, the current state of the student and the delivery model to achieve success.The most important long-term outcome of web-based learning may be the students's increased capabilities to learn more easily and effectively in the future, both because of the knowledge and skill they have acquired and because they have mastered learning processes. That implies that a major role in teaching is to create powerful learners. In conclusion, I hope that the students can apply their knowledge of geometry to solve the mathematical problems as well as everyday problems they face in daily life through this web-based learning.