Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Action Plans: Enhancing Training Development for Employees Essay

Abstract This research paper analyzes and summarizes three published articles and a textbook that provides information on the results from a previous research conducted. The previous conducted research analyzed and summarized the use of action plans that employers and employee structure to develop and enhance training methods to improve job performances. The three articles vary in the definitions of an action plan, the different types of action plans, and the effectiveness of action plans in the workforce. Paul Thoresen states, â€Å"action planning should be an interactive process involving both management and employees because it allows more generated ideas, spreads out accountability for successful results in job performances† (Thoresen, 2014, p.1). On another note, the other articles define and provide precise information regarding action planning in the workforce. This paper analyzes and summarizes three different articles, including Thoresen’s, each article pertains to the use of an action plan that will enhance the training development in the workforce. Action Plans: Enhancing Training Development for Employees Human Resource Development is a practice used in the working environment that combines training, organization, and career development to help improve and encourage individuals, group, and organizational performances. Employers are practicing enhancing the training development for employees’ job performances by structuring action plans for the employee who is obtaining employment. â€Å"An action plan is a written document that provides steps that a member of the management team and the employee will abide by to ensure that the training transfers into the job performance† (Noe, 2013,p.216-217). Action plans used to design training for employee development will be the topic that will be researched and analyzed in depth throughout this paper. The foremost reason behind choosing this topic is that there will be an opportunity of gaining knowledge surrounding action plans. In addition, researching and analyzing this topic will also benefit in developing and enhancing certain managerial skills that focus on training and developing an employee’s job performance. Action plans are strongly emphasized in the  workforce and are effective in the development in the employee’s training and job performance. Paul Thoresen’s article, Survey Action Planning to Drive Change, is an effective article published on LinkedIn, a social media website for members who have a connection within the Business Industry. The article’s summary is based on a conducted survey that was researched within the internal and external roles. The summarization also provides resourceful tips in introducing the topic of action planning in the workforce. Thoresen provides general guidelines on effective action planning, his definition of action planning, and steps on structuring an effective action plan. According to Thoresen, â€Å"there are five benefits of action planning such as: building credibility, helping in understanding the purpose of employer’s reactions, enhancing open communication, learning that time and opinions matter, and buy-in for all involved and opportunities to pull† (Thoresen, 2014, p.1). Previously stated, â€Å"Action planning should be an interactive process involv ing both management and employees by allowing ideas to be generated and a broader spectrum of the workforce is represented† (Thoresen, 2014,p.1). Read more:  What is Employee Development? Action plans help in expanding accountability for management and employees. In addition, this article exhibits common mistakes from employers when developing training guides for future employees. Thoresen (2014) provides an exceptional insight stating that one area that often gets short shrift is training for managers as well as for HR Business Partners. Managers may likely need assistance to communicate results and conduct feedback sessions. Also stating that there needs to be support for this and time allotted to make it happen. Managers and teams need to be empowered to make suggestions and make change happen. This article clearly exemplifies that training development amongst employers and employee should be well structured and focus on the impact of an employee’s job performance and the workforce. The next article’s, researched and published by the Littler Learning Group in 2009, is summarized as a guideline for individuals who obtain a management or supervision pos ition. Performance Management and Corrective Action: A Resource Guide for Managers and Supervisors gives a breakdown of an effective training guide that employers should provide and make sure their management team are extremely knowledgeable to train the employees. The Little Learning Group (2009) states, that a good action plan is task-oriented, specific, offers the appropriate training or help, sets  goals, sets a timetable for effecting change, explains the consequences of continued poor performance, removes obstacles to performance, and lastly considers appropriateness of professional resources. The opinion of this group corresponds with Thoresen’s definition of action planning because it identifies that an action plan is used in training development to better the employee’s job performance. In addition, each action plan must be structured in a sufficient amount of time in order to be efficient and make an impact in the training development. There are various guidelines in structuring effective action plans, but most importantly is that managers are capable of helping the trainees get resources they need to complete his or her action plan (Noe, 2013, p.216). In order for an action plan to be effective in training development and improving the employee’s job performance, the management team must have sufficient knowledge and the necessary tools to help ensure that the employees are able to improve and learn. In addition throughout all the conducted research, action plans must effectively partake in training development by being planned with enough time. According to the article and textbook, â€Å"action plans provide schedules that check progress being made in using learned capabilities on the job and that the action plan process should begin by identifying goals and strategies for reaching the goals† (Group, L. L. (n.d.)., 2009, p.14) Furthermore, the last article researched is a sample of an action plan that was structured by a Human Resource department in hopes to determine the effect it has in the training development and the business’s performance. The article written by Ciel S. Cantoria, Human Resources Strategic Planning and a Sample HR Action Plan, concludes that Human Resource departments obtain a vital role in achieving a business’s mission and that it must first establish goals and strategies in a timely manner. In addition, the article (2011) explains th at it is important that goals are formed and structured to be met to help enhance job performances and to also have a process that begins by first identifying a goal and strategies to reach that particular goal. For example, this article provides ten goals that the Human Resource department would like to include in the hiring process of a new employee and the strategies needed in order to accomplish the goals successfully. It is easily interpreted that Cantoria’s article corresponds with the other two articles and the textbook by stating that the members of the management team must be knowledgeable and  qualified in training employees to create an effective action plan. For example, this action plan is similar to the sample action plan listed on page 217 in the textbook, Employee Training and Development, by Raymond Noe by stating each goal must have strategies to correspond with the goal. In conclusion, it is easily determined that action plans obtain a vital role in the Business Industry by enhancing the development in employee training. Action plans need to be structured carefully and must be precise in order to be effective in employee training development. Most importantly, in order for action plans to continue enhancing the workforce, action plans must be introduced and supported by the management team of any business. After carefully researching, analyzing, and summarizing the articles, action plans in the workforce will be beneficial in all future endeavors that consist of employee training development, employee’s job performances, and lastly the business structure. Action plans are strongly emphasized in the workforce and are effective in the development in the employee’s training and job performance. References Cantora, C. (2011, March 11). Fundamentals of Human Resources Strategic Planning: Sample HR Plan Available. Brighthub Project Management. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/26611-human-resources-strategic-planning-and-a-sample-hr-action-plan/ Group, L. L. (n.d.). Performance Management and Corrective Action: A Resource Guide For Managers &Supervisors. www.csus.edu. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.csus.edu/hr/docs/professional/perfmgmtandcorrectiveaction050109.pdf Noe, R. A. (2013). Program Design. Employee training and development (6 ed., pp. 216-217). New York: McGraw-Hill. Thoresen, P. (2014, April 7). Survey Action Planning to Drive Change. World’s Largest Professional Network. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140407110833-29417413-survey-action-planning-to-drive-change

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

What Does It Mean to Be an Effective Teacher?

What does it mean to be an effective teacher? Introduction There are many factors that contribute to what it means to be an effective teacher. They could be someone who has a deep understanding of what they are teaching and skills to create an ideal environment to encourage positive learning outcomes for students regardless of their background or ability (Victorian Department of Education & Training, 2005). They will have the ability to develop a variety of strategies and practices to support student’s learning through planning, implementing and evaluating their lessons and a positive philosophy on pedagogy. Some other factors that form a successful and effective teacher could include having a professional attitude, a variety of knowledge from a range of areas and exceptional planning and organisational skills. An effective teacher will have the means to successfully manage a classroom, an ongoing commitment to professional development and of course, an ability to relate to children. A philosophy, such as constructivism, reflecting the teacher’s ideals and morals and teaching abilities will also provide structure to an effective teacher. Professionalism A professional teacher encompasses a range of standards such as academic, ethical, legal, personal and cultural (professional standards, is discussed in depth further on) (Whitton, Barker, Nosworthy, Sinclair & Nanlohy, 2010). Academic standards involve attaining formal teaching qualifications and complying with the relevant state teaching authority’s requirements on supplementing qualifications with teaching certifications (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will have attained the relevant qualifications and looked into their governing body’s standards and requirements to be able to teach. Ethical standards encompass undertaking the right conduct and practice in incorporation with the schools policies and procedures and the teachers own moral ideals and being sensitive to private information and transparent in behaviour (Whitton et al, 2010). Legal standards involve complying with child protection laws and providing relevant documentation clearing the teacher to work with children (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will provide this documentation upon application in any teaching role. Legally, teachers are also providing a duty of care to students, protecting them from any reasonable foreseeable harm whenever they are involved in a school based activity (Whitton et al, 2010). Personal standards refer to performing the duties of the role employed for in an honest and integral manner (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will need to appropriately â€Å"dress, act, speak and behave† (Whitton et al, 2010, p. 60). Arriving to school activities in a timely manner will also show a professional attitude (Whitton et al, 2010). Finally, cultural standards refer to respecting and showing tolerance towards students, parents and fellow staff from different race and religion (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will encourage community cohesion, recognise and value other cultures and promote tolerance (NSW Department of Education & Training, 2005). A teacher with professional standards and ideals will be effective as an educator, co-worker and community leader. Teaching philosophy An effective teacher will have developed a philosophy of teaching that fits within their ideals and provides a positive learning outcome for students. A teacher will need to decide what type of teaching approach they want to use such as an authoritarian approach which demands student compliance; a permissive approach where the teacher is more of a friend than an authority figure or; an authoritative approach where expectations are explained and self-direction is encouraged (Whitton et al, 2010). Setting goals and objectives in line with what type of teacher they intend to be, interpreting the curriculum and understanding students learning needs and abilities will help provide structure and organisation in the classroom environment. A productive way to set out these goals, objectives and teaching philosophy could be by creating a teaching portfolio. A teaching portfolio will allow a teacher to list any personal achievements, what they hope to achieve in the teaching profession and how they hope to achieve it and will continue to change over time as different approaches to teaching are developed and evaluation and reflection on teaching practices are planned and implemented (Haugen, 1998; The University of Adelaide, 2005). Although not mandatory, a teaching philosophy, especially for a graduate teacher, will provide a platform to return to when facing uncertainty, anticipation or fear when teaching for the first time (Beginning Teachers, 2011). A teacher’s philosophy will influence how they teach and show that they are committed to their profession and creating a positive learning environment. An effective and common type of teaching philosophy involves a constructivist approach. Constructivism A constructivist approach to teaching is currently the main type of method used in Australia today (Fetherston, 2007). Constructivism typically involves students taking whatever they learn in the lesson, interpreting it with the assistance of their own view and memories and constructing an individual variant of the lesson (Fetherston, 2007). In most classrooms, this will happen in a group setting, known as social constructivism but can happen individually which is known as psychological constructivism (Fetherston, 2007). A social constructivism approach relies on language and interaction with others and is more effective if the others have a greater understanding of the task (Fetherston, 2007). Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist, believed that adults can nurture a child’s approach to learning and development through encouraging them to undertake activities using physical and cognitive tools to further their performance and interpretation of the activity (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). In a classroom, a social constructivist approach will allow children to develop their thinking processes, communication and ability to complete tasks through social interaction then adopt an individual approach to tasks through repetition and personal interpretation (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). A psychological constructivist approach is based on a child’s physical and social environments effect on their cognitive development (Fetherston, 2007). Jean Piaget, a pioneer in child development, implied that people have four stages of development, each with their own characteristics starting from birth through to adulthood (Fetherston, 2007; McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). Piaget found that different cognitive processes take place, influencing a child’s interpretation of a task depending on the development stage they are in (Fetherston, 2007). In a classroom, using this approach would require the teacher to understand the stage of development the child is in and incorporate their abilities whilst in that stage to the presentation of the lesson. Adopting a constructivist approach, whether social or individual, to teaching will allow a teacher to have a range of well researched teaching strategies to incorporate into lessons, creating a positive, nurturing class environment (Fetherston, 2007). Knowledge & planning A teacher’s knowledge is not just about what they have learnt through study, but their knowledge of curriculum and content, issued by the relevant governing body; knowledge of students, including information gathered before meeting the student and information gathered whilst teaching; knowledge of the school environment, such as school history, policies and procedures; knowledge of the community the school is situated in and; self-knowledge of the teachers own teaching style (Whitton et al, 2010). By using their knowledge from all these fields, an effective teacher will be able to plan, implement and evaluate a lesson to attain an ideal learning outcome (Whitton et al, 2010). Planning a lesson will involve taking the required knowledge from the areas above and preparing to deliver it to the class (Whitton et al, 2010). Implementing a lesson will involve using the appropriate planned materials and resources to deliver the curriculum content to the students in the allocated timeframe (Whitton et al, 2010). Evaluation will require the teacher to reflect upon a number of factors including the students understanding of the lesson, the suitability of the lesson content and the teaching strategies used (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will be organised so students are continually motivated to complete any tasks and participate in the lesson. Motivation Motivating students to participate in learning will require a positive, effective teaching strategy. Motivation can be described as setting students in the right direction and keeping them on track (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). Even though one person is not accountable for the motivation of another, a teacher should make learning attractive by offering incentives and positive reinforcement and encouraging self-motivation (Christophel, 1990). There are two types of motivation to understand, intrinsic motivation, when the student completes a task for no external reward or extrinsic motivation, where they receive an award or avoid punishment for completing a task (Marsh, 2008). Understanding the types of motivation will help the teacher set achievable learning goals for the students and attaining these goals through extrinsic motivation will encourage students to be more confident and in turn use intrinsic motivation to achieve tasks (Marsh, 2008). A motivating teacher will have a lasting effect on a student’s ability to learn. By understanding that student motivation decreases through the school years, an effective teacher will have strategies in place to engage students and keep them focused (Whitton et al, 2010). Some of the most effective motivational strategies include having a relaxed body position, enthusiasm and sensitivity, providing verbal encouragement and offering a simple smile (Christophel, 1990; Marsh, 2008). This will come across as positive to the student who will feel competent and self-efficient. Incorporating motivation into the classroom requires a teacher to have effective management techniques. Classroom management Being an effective teacher means setting in place a classroom management plan that encompasses proactive behaviour management, setting clear expectations and successful lesson planning skills (Queensland College of Teachers, n. d). This will create a positive, safe learning environment that can motivate and ncourage students to be involved in their learning experience. Proactive behaviour management will require the teacher to use effective, appropriate responses to misbehaviour that minimise disruption to the rest of the class (Bennett, 1994). A teacher will need to incorporate skills from a number of areas such as knowledge of curriculum and content, understanding of human development and planning skills to create an effective lesson (Whitton et al, 2010). They will also need to have: access to a variety of resources and materials to assist in presenting the lesson; teaching and learning strategies in place such as what instructional modes will be used to deliver the lesson, how the students will be grouped during the lesson, how much time will be allowed for the lesson, what space will be required to undertake the lesson and how the students will be assessed on their understanding of the lesson; exceptional interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to enhance how the teacher relates to students, co-workers, non-teaching staff and parents and; day to day classroom management and organisation abilities (Whitton et al, 2010). An effective teacher will allow considerable time to prepare lessons and organise the management of the classroom. To continue to develop on these skills, the teacher will need to reflect on their skills and seek further development to enhance their abilities. Professional development & reflection Lastly, an effective teacher will continue to reflect upon their teaching and seek further development to enhance their pedagogical abilities. They will understand that being part of a dynamic profession, there is continual advancement in teaching and learning strategies therefore keeping up to date with any new information could improve their pedagogical skills (Victorian Department of Education, 2005). They will identify and understand any areas of development needed by seeking advice and support from co-workers and other experienced teachers, students and parents and from their own personal reflection (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2010). Failing to participate in further development or not feeling the need to update skills and knowledge, will impact on the students learning outcomes and the class environment. The NSW Institute of Teachers has a policy on continued professional development that lists the mandatory requirements for teachers to participate in authorised further development over 5 year periods (NSW Institute of Teachers, 2008). This could include participating in formal and informal training, conducting research or participating in staff development days (Whitton et al, 2010). The more knowledge a teacher has, the more they will understand their student’s learning abilities and how to create a positive learning environment. This will enhance their effectiveness as a teacher. Conclusion Being an effective teacher means having the ability to manage the classroom, having an understanding of how to relate to children and having a professional attitude and demeanour. They should have a wide knowledge base with a commitment to ongoing professional development and a philosophy on how they teach and why. An effective teacher will encourage students to be engaged and motivated to learn and be able to manage the classroom in a positive way that makes children feel safe and comfortable. If a teacher can encompass all these things they will find that they make themselves effective in their profession. References Bennett, B. (1994). Bump 1: Preventing and responding to misbehaviour through low-key responses. Classroom management: A thinking and caring approach. 10, 187-218 Retrieved from http://edocs. library. curtin. du. au/eres_display. cgi? url=dc60261243. pdf©right=1 Christophel, D. (1990). The relationships among teacher immediacy behaviours, student motivation, and learning. Communication Education, 39. Retrieved from http://professoryates. com/seu/Podcasts/Dissertation%20Research/SteveArticles11. 12C/Christophel90ImmediacyMotivationLearning. p df Department of Education & Training, Victoria, Office of School Education. (2005). Professional learning in effective schools: The seven principles of highly effective professional learning. Retrieved from http://www. eduweb. vic. gov. au/edulibrary/public/teachlearn/teacher/ProfLearningInEffectiveSchools. df Fetherston, T. (2007). Becoming an effective teacher. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Haugen, L. (1998). Writing a teaching philosophy statement. Retrieved from http://www. celt. iastate. edu/teaching/philosophy. html McDevitt, T. M. , & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education. (4th ed. ). New Jersey, USA. Pearson Education Inc. NSW Department of Education & Training. (2005). Cultural diversity and community relations policy: Multicultural education in schools. Retrieved from https://www. det. nsw. edu. au/policies/student_serv/equity/comm_rela/PD20050234. shtml? level= NSW Institute of Teachers. (2008). Policies: Professional competence. Retrieved from http://www. nswteachers. nsw. edu. au/Continuing-ProfessionalDevelopment/CPD-Policy/ NSW Institute of Teachers. (2010). Professional teaching standards. Retrieved from http://www. nswteachers. nsw. edu. au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards/ Queensland College of Teachers. (n. d). Classroom management: essential skills for classroom management. Retrieved from http://beginningtoteach. qct. edu. au/Teachingandlearning/ClassroomManagement. html The University of Adelaide, Centre for Learning and Professional Development. (2005). Developing your teaching portfolio. Retrieved from http://www. adelaide. edu. au/clpd/teaching/portfolio/t_portfolio. pdf

Monday, July 29, 2019

Ethical and Legal Issues

Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Over the last several decades, professional nursing has evolved and changed because of the influence of ethical and legal issues. There may be a variety of reasons for the changes. Examples in changes are advances in medical technology, legal changes about abortion and euthanasia, a push toward patient rights and litigation, and ever decreasing resources in which to provide nursing care. With all these influences affecting care, it has become increasingly difficult to have a true understanding of the direction nursing should take when faced with moral, ethical, and legal issues. Examination of personal moral and ethics along with utilization of available resources will no doubt aid nurses in sorting out feelings, strategizing for the patient and families, and providing guidance to give the best care possible. One resource available is the American Nurses Association, they have developed a code of ethics that should act as a guide in directing care and solving the ethical and legal dilemmas that surface. When applying the code of ethics resource; nurses can assist their patients families in making informed decisions as well as understand their own and their colleague’s responsibilities. By examining two case scenarios, the first involving end of life decisions, the second involving nursing conduct, the application of the code of ethics, the legal aspects, and the nurses responsibilities would be better understood. It is prudent to begin by examining the legal responsibilities of the nurse in the work setting. A Registered Nurse carries a legal responsibility in the work setting. A nurse has a commitment to the safety of the patient and must be aware of inappropriate practice. All nurses have ethical duties to the patients they serve. According to the American Nurses Association; a nurse â€Å"promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient† (ANA, 2001, p. 18). If an action is taken that poses harmful effect on a patient’s health this needs to be immediately reported to a higher authority within the workplace or if necessary to a suitable outside authority. A nurse must be accountable for his or her individual nursing practice. The nurse’s duty is to identify anyone with questionable practice. All workplaces have guidelines set in place for these types of events. A nurse should concern herself about repercussions when reporting unethical practice. A nurse should be familiar and compliant with his or her state’s nurse practice act and his or her workplace policies applicable practice standards of care for each clinical area. In the malpractice exercise the nurse was observed on several occasions violating standards of care. The occurrences were reported immediately through the chain of command which in this case was administration. After anecdotal notes were kept by the nurse, she should prepare written documentation, including the time and location of the incident and names of any witnesses. Time should be taken to think about the incident and write down all important points that come to mind, who and, when, she notified in administration and what was told to them. This way everything would be in order and accessible if you need to recall when answering questions. Be honest and truthful if there is something you cannot remember you, state that you do not recall. There should be no disregard during this process, it is the ethical and legal duty of a nurse, as the patient advocate, to stand up, and protect the patient. Every nurse is equally responsible for his or her own actions. Responsibility also carries over to patients not under her direct care, the obligation for all patients. The incident was reported in the correct manner and she kept personal anecdotal records and upheld her ethical duties. Personal and societal views play a major role in the way a nurse views a current ethical situation. As nurses and as human beings, we each will have our own way of evaluating and assessing different circumstances that we are part of daily. No matter what kind of nursing or nursing experience that you may have, you cannot run from these trying predicaments. â€Å"Our ethical framework assists us when we experience serious ethical dilemmas† (Cameron & Salas, 2010, p. 655). In the case regarding Marianne, there are countless ways in which personal and societal values could have played a part. They could affect how the family would be viewed by society if they did not try everything to save their loved one, or how would it look if they went through with the surgery and it looked as if Marianne was experiencing torture. Ethical dilemmas are never straightforward and never with a right or wrong answer. It is our job as nurses to put aside our feelings and beliefs and to educate the family on all of the potential outcomes that may be expected. We must remember as health care providers, to be non-judgmental. When reviewing the case of Marianne, the significant legal aspect to consider is the lack of a Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will. Not possessing Marianne’s documented wishes creates a legal ethical dilemma and creates family conflict. The responsibility of deciding the future of Marianne’s care will fall on the family with guidance from the hospital’s Ethics Committee. The ANA Code of Ethics provides nurses with guidance in legal and ethical responsibilities. The code describes the obligation of treating patients and families with autonomy. Lachman describes the role of autonomy in nursing care: â€Å"patients have a moral and legal right to determine what will be done with their own person; to be given accurate, complete, and understandable information in a manner that facilitates an informed judgment; to be assisted with weighing the benefits, burdens, and available options in their treatment, including the choice of no treatment; to accept, refuse, or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress, coercion, or penalty; and to be given necessary support throughout the decision-making and treatment process â€Å"(Lachman, 2009, p. 55). Providing autonomous nursing care to Marianne and her family will ensure all the options are presented. The family members place trust in the nurse to provide good care and be supportive, regardless of the decision they make for Marianne’s future. The trust placed on nurses includes responsibility to the patient and the institution ensuring policies are adhered to thus avoiding the possibilities of negligence. With trust, nurses have an obligation to society. Legally we are â€Å"responsible to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence and to continue personal and professional growth† (ANA, 2001, p. 8). No matter the situation of the patient in regard to age, race, religion, economic status, etc. We are to treat each patient and family member with the same amount of respect. Both case studies The Nurse as the Witness and The Six Caps are unique in different ways. Nurses often have the tendency to develop close relationships with patients. Reminders may be ne eded often that the purpose of nursing is not friendship but to alleviate suffering, protect the patient, promote wellness, and to help restore the health. In Marianne’s case the legal responsibility of the nurse is to communicate all possibilities of Marianne’s care. The nurse in this situation has an obligation to provide all the information possible to help the family come to a decision in regard to Marianne’s life. Nurses are to be truthful and never withhold any information. No matter what a family or patient decides, the nurse is to advocate for that decision. Family decisions are not the function of nurse, no matter what the nature. There may be instances when a nurse will be a witness or perhaps a defendant. Medical professionals see many and unique situations some will have to be reported and investigated. Documentation is a huge legal aspect of nursing. It will be always important to document exactly what you do and see. Opinions and assumptions are not good practice for documentation purposes as this would not hold up in court and may sway decisions. The malpractice case regarding the nurse as the witness is a fine example of the need to be proficient in documentation. Months and years later, what is in writing is what will count. As nurses we know, if it was not documented, it did not happen! For this particular case study, the nurse was obligated to report exactly what she wrote about the nurse in question. That nurse has an obligation to report any suspicions of abuse and neglect to administration even repeatedly if necessary. In any situation, the nurse has an obligation to act in the best interest of the patient. It may have consequences but, the overall nurse’s responsibility is to keep the patient safe. Summing up, it is clear that nursing practice can be influenced by personal ethics and morals. The American Nurses Association’s code of ethics provides a guide for practice. When applied to a practical case, such as Marianne and her family, the code of ethics allows the nurse caring for here to remain professional and objective without letting her own feelings influence the family. The nurse has a responsibility to Marianne, her family and the employing institution. Overall, these guidelines extend throughout practice and are set in place to protect society. It becomes a mutual trust and is why nursing is held to such a high standard. References American Nurses Association (ANA). (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington, DC: ANA. Blais, K. K. , Hayes, J. S. , Kozier, B. , & Erb, G. (2006). Professional nursing practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Prentice Hall. Cameron, B. L. , & Salas, A. S. (2010). Ethical openings in practical home care practice. Nursing Ethics, 17(5), 655-665. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com Practical use of the nursing code of ethics: part I. Medsurg nursing: official journal of the academy of medical-surgical nurses, 18(1), 55-57. Retrieved  from  http://EBSCOhost

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Essay - 2

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) - Essay Example This paper will examine various functions of human resource management in relations to APS business objectives and evaluate the human resource management aspects of the company. Strategic human resources management, alignment with mission achievement, strategic alignment these terms are some of the phrases, which are being used to explain the latest, evolving function of human resources management (HRM). Different people will give different meaning for these terms. Consequently, it is imperative to ascertain from the starting what we are really talking about. Human resources management alignment implies integrating decisions concerning employees with decisions regarding the outcomes a business is attempting to reach the objective of the company in relations to its business targets. (Hunger & Wheelen, 2003) This report will address strategic human resource management in APS Company. The report will take a critical evaluation of the human resource and offer the best strategy to follow. With human resource rising as the primary asset of an organisation, human resources (HR) management are being faced with new challenges to come up with strategic approaches that can add value to the organisations when sourcing for new employees. To address this issue the human resource have to formulated strategies that will add value to an organisation in pursuit of identifying, recruiting, developing and retaining highly talented employees who can take the company to new heights and provide a competitive advantage to the company (Armstrong, 2006) Recruitment and retention Beardwell & Holden (1997) states that; employee recruitment is very important in an organization. It consists of administration, performance and staffing. All these are interrelated activities that are carried out in an organization. Management and staffing activities help in ensuring that employees with right or desired skills are recruited. The employees have also to be in the right numbers desired by the organization. Employee recruitment aims at ensuring that employees are at the right place at the right time. Human resource manager in this case is concerned with ensuring that employees perform their best. Best recruitment processes insure that the organizations get the best staff that can improve and add value to the company. The human resource has to provide better employment terms to retain employees who are experienced in the organization. This will highly help the restructuring processes. (Beardwell & Holden, 1997) Training and development Each employee requires more learning in order to improve his /her skills, no matter how best a candidate is, he/she can not be 100% percent qualified. Thus, the human resource management should implement learning management system (Beardwell & Holden, 1997) In general the human resource management is supposed to come up with training and education programs for its employees. Training can be termed as systematic enhancement of knowledge, skills and attitudes of the needed by an employee in order to perform a given task. Development is the growth of an employee in terms of capability, understanding and awareness. In an organization training and development is important in order to; 1. Develop a workforce that can perform higher-grade assignments 2.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Taxation and Personal Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Taxation and Personal Finance - Essay Example The current theory of â€Å"Green† taxation posits that the revenues received from the companies, industries or organizations that are guilty of emitting these greenhouse gases should be used to repair the environment that these gases have destroyed in one form or the other. This means that the taxes placed on the emission of the greenhouse gases are actually used to carry out researches and invest in alternative source of energy that are more friendly to the environment when compared to the use of the greenhouse gases. The current theory of green taxation is just like using a problem as an advantage to proffer a viable solution It is pertinent to note that business and corporate income taxes are taxes placed on the useful productive activity of a corporation or industry and should not be classified as green taxes. Green taxes are described as the taxes placed on the industrial activities that are capable of destroying the environment and these taxes are placed in order to reduce or put a stop to these activities (Taxation Trends in the European Union, 2009). The current theory of â€Å"Green† taxation has forced corporations and industries to invest less in environmentally dangerous sources of energies for their production. The concept of this â€Å"Green† taxation intends to generate a substantial revenue from the taxation of environmental degradable industrial activity that should reduce the taxation on gainful corporate and industrial activity that have done little or nothing to destroy the environment. If this theory of green taxation must be duly followed, there has to be an even balance between the damage done by the greenhouse gases to the environment and the taxation placed on the emission of the gases. The taxation of the gases would now seek to resolve the problems created by the greenhouse gases as earlier stated above. Finland became the first country to introduce carbon tax in 1990,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

PH Determination of Solutions Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PH Determination of Solutions - Lab Report Example The pH of the solution in each test tube was then measured using a pH meter and the value was recorded. Thereafter, two to three drops of the universal indicator were added to the solution in each test tube and the resultant color was noted and read against the matching color and pH on the universal indicator chart. A similar procedure was repeated for the basic solutions in four different test tubes labeled 10, 11, 13, and 14. The colors of the solutions and the resultant pH using the pH meter as well as the universal indicator were recorded and comparisons were made. In comparing the pH of various acidic and basic solutions using a pH meter and universal indicator, the color, pH of universal indicator and pH from the ph meter was recorded for each solution. Table 1 below summarizes the observed results for the acidic solutions. It was observed that the pH obtained from the pH chart varied from the pH obtained from the pH meter in most of the solutions. The variations were small in some of the solutions such as1, 3 and 13. On the other hand, the variations in pH were significant in solutions such as 4, 7, 10 and 11. The pH meter value was the same as the universal chart pH in solution 14. The variations in the pH values can be attributed to the challenges in color interpretation when using the pH chart. Some of the resultant colors of solutions did not exactly match the color of the pH chart leading to the discrepancies in the pH values as the closest color was taken. The slight variations in the pH chart values and pH meter values can be attributed to the sensitivity of the pH meter that allows it to quantify small changes in pH between 0.1 and 0.9. The pH chart, conversely, does not allow for the determination of pH values smaller than one

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Graduate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Graduate - Essay Example The film closes with the celebrated shot of the two in the cover of a transport with devoid interpretations on their appearances. The story centers separately on the excursion of one character, Benjamin Braddock, it is organized in a manner that he is in just about every scene, and his activities drive the story through the three demonstrations. In place for the group of onlookers to think about this character the crowd must have the capacity to feel what the saint feels and be earnestly occupied with his choices. This is accomplished generally through the cautious shot choices and encircling of the Polaroid. One will see that the cinematography is rich with imagery and is frequently set in the perspective of the hero bringing about the group of onlookers to feel the way that the hero feels attaining a feeling of sympathy and backing for the hero. To demonstrate this point the course and cinematography will regularly be tended to (Caporrimo, 2011).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Graduate starts with a nearby up on Benjamin Braddocks face. This instantly creates the principle character. The shot zooms out to uncover that he is on a plane encompassed by exhausted, resting, bland individuals. He mixes right in. The accompanying shot is Ben standing vacuous on a moving walkway. The levelheadedness in his face is very nearly automated; he takes after a thing descending a manufacturing plant line on a conveyer cinch. He is going to return home to a universe of shallow individuals and this shot appears to be speaking to that outwardly. The shot keeps going for a moment considering a watchful perception of our hero. Yet this pacing is deliberate and works adequately for this story. The gathering of people deciphers that our hero is in a trance. He appears lost or out of spot. He appears troubled and out of his component. This begins the group of onlookers considering who Benjamin Braddock is. Not just does this moderate

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Minerals (Geology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minerals (Geology) - Essay Example Moreover, there are some minerals that are required to improve our nerves and hormone system. To be more precise, minerals can be defined as those analogous inorganic substances that occur in nature, have a specific chemical form, and have attributes of crystalline constitution and color. The goal of this paper is to bring forward complete and comprehensive information about minerals. Minerals have more than a thousand diverse shapes, colors, potencies, mass, and separating centers. Crystals, metals and rocks are all minerals, but they occur in different forms naturally. Crystals have refined appearance. For example, metals have a glossy look, and they are flexible and soft as they can resist the hard strength. Coal, graphite and gold are three such minerals that play a variety of vital roles. Gold is one of those valuable and precious metals that one wears for one’s individual manifestation. It is really important for all of us as the currency rate of the whole world depends on it. It seems as if the whole world is rotating around this metal. Also, our paper money is based on hard currency (gold) that is stored in Fort Knox (USA). â€Å"Gold also occurs in seawater to the extent of 5 to 250 parts by weight to 100 million parts of water† (Cash Gold Tree, para.3). Graphite has its own significance. It is used in pencils. Furthermore, there are two basic kinds of minerals biologically. They are macro-minerals and trace minerals. Macro-minerals group is composed of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, potassium, sulfur and magnesium. Group of trace minerals includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. According to a scientific point of view, our body needs more macro-minerals rather than trace minerals. Calcium is the most important macro-mineral as it helps to strengthen our bones and teeth. Sources of calcium are milk, animal protein, leafy green vegetables, and etcetera. Iron is also essential for human body as it helps

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Genetic of Hereditary angioedema Research Paper

Genetic of Hereditary angioedema - Research Paper Example Mutation can result from alteration or modification in the nucleotide sequence. In line with this, Type-III individuals involve mutation in F12 gene which codes for coagulation factor XII (Hageman factor). Since Type-III is estrogen dependent, this type of HAE occurs only among the female population. Up to date, only Faiyaz-Ul-Haque et al. (2010) conducted a study with regard to HAE among the Middle Eastern Arab patients. HAE is a rare kind of hereditary disorder (Kesim et al., 2011). Therefore, healthcare professionals should study the genetic etiology of this disease by determining its genetic components that have occurred in different geographical region across the world. To assist the healthcare professionals in their study of HAE in UAE, a literature review will be conducted to identify the genetic etiology of HAE. Literature Review HAE can result from the functional deficiency of the C1 esterase inhibitor (C1INH) protein (Gosswein et al., 2008; Papadopoulou-Alataki et al., 2008 ). Basically, C1INH is an inhibitor that activates the proteases C1r and C1s. C1INH is also responsible for activating the coagulation Factor XII (responsible for checking the formation of bradykinin) and the plasma kallikrein (Duan et al. 2009; Bell et al., 2008; Gosswein et al., 2008). Pappalardo et al. (2008) explained that deficiency of C1INH is actually caused by the mutations in its structural gene. Using a genetic screening method for C1INH gene (SERPIN1G) in Italy, Pappalardo et al. (2008) found out that the presence of amino acid residues, which are important in protein function, could trigger mutations in the C1INH gene. Also related to the functional deficiency of C1INH, Papadopoulou-Alataki et al. (2008) revealed that â€Å"a new missense mutation in exon 2 of the C1INH gene, c.1A>G; p.Met-22Val (p.Met1Val)†, is common among patients with HAE. A study carried out in Greece by Speletas et al. (2009), with 11 HAE cases from 3 unrelated families, displayed diminished C1 inhibitor antigen levels when analysis was performed for SERPING1 mutations. The findings recognized conversion of TC to AA as the main cause of alteration. This toggle can turn the codon as a stop signal to terminate the polypeptide. However, the second family exhibited W482X mutation, while the third family displayed missense mutation M1V, signifying diversity in mutation in the area. Genetic mutation analysis in similar manner was performed in a Turkish family by Bork et al (2011), suggesting that HAE individuals with normal C1-inhibitor possess two missense mutations in codon of coagulation factor 12 gene in a few families, while in others, deletion of 72 base pairs (bp) was recognized. The study instituted deletion of 48 base pairs of exon 9, (otherwise responsible for coding amino acids 324 to 340), together with 24bp deletion of intron 9. Deletion of 72 bp was situated in the same F12 gene region as the missense mutations p.Thr328Lys* and p.Thr328Arg* accounted earlier, s ignifying a close linkage between F12 gene mutations altering the FXII proline. The mutation in the region was associated with proline rich sequence of FXII protein and HAE cases with normal C1-ING (Bork et al., 2011). Duan et al. (2009) also performed genetic analysis of FXII and bradykinin catabolic enzymes in Type-III

Functional Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Functional Analysis - Research Paper Example Compatibility of land-use plans and circulation systems that are already in place is essential. This is because only highly viable projects are treated as the best land-use options. In order to make an assertion of this claim, past, present and future land status have to be critically assessed and evaluated in the light of the project being undertaken. In other words, land-use plans match existing circulation systems for optimal land use purposes. The compatibility of land-use plans and existing circulation systems is necessary for striking a balance between meeting people’s needs and resource sustainability for future generations. Current and future demands can only be met if planners make certain considerations in the context of land-use projects. Change is a force that significantly influences planning. Planners therefore must consider diversity and dynamism of physical, social and economic factors that affect land-use projects over time (Levy, 2011). These variables integrate change in different magnitudes and it is up to the planners to consider the magnitude of each of them to both short term and long term projects prior to the characteristic trends in demand. For example, globalization is an undisputable factor to consider in the context of change and land-use projects in the light of local and international current and future

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Purchasing Power Parity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Purchasing Power Parity - Assignment Example uest to depict the relation between three exchange rate indices, the author goes through all the relevant information pertaining the purchasing power of the chosen countries. The indices include the trade-weighted multilateral indices, import based multilateral indices, and the bilateral indices (Mkenda 39). The theory, PPP, relates a country’s exchange rates to the relative price levels of other respective nations. For this reason, any nation with a high level of inflation has a depreciating currency, and thus loss of its value. The model has been questioned, and it fails to apply in a variety of cases, where the theory does not hold empirical evidence in regards to a country’s economic performance (Taylor 440). In the article, African countries are seen to focus on minimal manufacturing activities, and rather rely on imported products. The countries face a number of limitations, among them being price takers rather than the decision makers. The nations take the market prices, affecting the states of their economy from time to time. Another major hindrance is the fact that these countries often make deals with exporters, where they get foreign aid, but have to rely on the country’s products. At such situations, the African nations have no choice but to take the fixed prices set in markets. Such limitations result to the depreciation of the countries’ currencies in the markets. Consequently, their exchange rates deteriorate and their purchasing power is therefore affected by the weakening currency. The author explains the mechanism of the Purchasing Power Parity Theory and its institution in the African continent. Through the econometric method, the report develops a number of findings, which help develop a conclusion for the research. From the report findings, African nations have a negative multilateral index, in terms of exports, imports and trade weighted indices. The bilateral index is also negative, proving that the countries have a lower

Monday, July 22, 2019

World War I, World War II Essay Example for Free

World War I, World War II Essay Technological innovation has played a significant role in most modern twentieth century armed conflicts In both the great wars- World War I, World War II and in the consequent Cold War era ,technology was used to enhance and develop weapons to garner military advantage and turn the conflict in favour of a particular country or respective front. In fact technology has helped to revolutionize the manner in which both the great wars were fought and eventually won. The cold war was actually more of a foreign policy exercise than an actual war. After the Second World War the new world order stipulated the polarization of most of the world into two blocs- the Capitalist Bloc headed by the United States and the Communist Bloc headed by the USSR. Though the cold war was never fought as a military battle the accumulation of weapons of destruction was a major feature of the foreign policy tactics of both the USSR and the US. Known aptly as the arms race this tactic was a key factor that helped determine regional power play in the thirty to forty odd years of the cold war. Some of the weapons introduced by various countries to secure military advantage in the first and Second World War as well as the cold war have been developed and widely adopted to form the military arsenal of most countries world wide Today when we look at armed conflict it is difficult to imagine a battlefield without machine guns, grenade and tanks. But prior to world war one most battles were fought with bayonets, swords, rifles and muskets. The use of technology to develop new weapons to be used in conflict revolutionized combat in World War One. Combat underwent a metamorphosis from a battle fought by infantrymen on a battle ground to a new model: trench warfare. This new style of warfare is attributable to technological development that was taking place in the factories of an industrial Europe. The innovative weapons that helped changed the course of the First World War can be essentially categorized as follows: Machine guns: Though machine guns were first developed and employed in the American Civil War to achieve a devastating effect it was in World War One that the effectiveness of these weapons reached a new height. These weapons achieved the capability to fire up to 600 bullets a minute- the equivalent of 250 men firing bullets with rifles and were classified as a weapon of mass destruction. This was highly beneficial to the armies deploying the weapons because it increased both effectiveness and reduced the number of infantry men employed in combat. These additional infantry could be trained and deployed in Ariel and naval combat Artillery: The First World War set a new standard in the number of cannons used. Never before were so many cannons used in one war. German scientists were responsible for developing Big Bertha the deadliest artillery of the time. This cannon was so powerful it had the potency to fire into the heart of Paris from a distance as far away 120 kilometres away. The scientists of the time did not only work on improving the cannons they also developed high-explosive shells. Instead of using the conventional materials these shells used thin casings filled with tiny lead pellets. These shells were highly effective and artillery power killed hundreds and thousands of men during the course of the war. The artillery was also used to blow up the ground and render trench warfare ineffective as it mad hiding underground in trenches more difficult. Gas Warfare: the First World War introduced humanity to the horrors of gas warfare. Invented by the Germans gas grenades were extremely toxic and highly effective in wiping out battalions of enemy soldiers. There were 3 main types of gas warfare which was used in the First World War. The first type of warfare employed a tearing agent which was responsible for causing temporary blindness and resulted in greatly inflaming the nose and throat of the victim. The second type of Warfare employed poisonous gases, including chlorine, phosgene and diphosgene which were highly toxic and resulted in almost certain death. Though gas masks were used during the war to protect against these gases they did not prove to be very effective. The third type of warfare employed the most dreaded of all chemical weapons in World War I mustard gas. Mustard gas burnt the lungs and skin of the inhaler leaving them to die a slow agonizing and extremely painful death. Thousands of troops were forced to die a painful death as a result of the gas warfare employed in the First World War. Tanks: Manufactured and deployed during the First World War to aid trench warfare the early tanks were no more than giant blocks of metal that could carry 1-2 people and travelled at 5 kilometres per hour. The benefits of these early tanks were that they served as moving armour car that could stand machine gun fire and could move over bared wire and destroy the machine gun nests of the enemy. Though they still required considerable developments the early version of the tank did meet with some success and created a permanent place for itself in the contemporary battle field. Planes: In the First World War planes were not armed and air combat did not play an active role in the war. Warplanes were developed in 1914 and were used primarily to observe enemy troop movements provide support to ground troops and provide information about artillery deployment. The Germans in particular deployed a number of aircrafts to help their war efforts including mini scout planes to huge floating blimps called Zeppelins that were used to carry bombs and throw them at the unsuspecting enemy. Naval Units: Naval combat played a very important and significant role in the First World War. The majority of the conflicts were fought at sea with the Allied powers aiming to negotiate a blockade of the Central Powers by sea and the Central powers attempting to break this blockade. Technoloy was used to create and deploy battleships that could carry weapons and engage in naval warfare. While the British excelled at producing and deploying Battleships the Germans developed the initial version of a submarine which would attack these battleships with stealth and speed and benefit from the element of surprise by submerging itself in the water. Technological warfare played a crucial role in determining the outcome of World War II. By the time the Second World War broke out in 1939 Scientists and researchers had already developed most of the weapons that were initially deployed in the First World War including tanks, and submarines and also developed new technology to accommodate a new brand of warfare known as aerial combat. The war greatly escalated technological development in most nations throughout the world and when the war ended many nations found them in possession of invaluable technological knowledge. This research and technological knowledge initially carried out during the war to develop new weapons of technological warfare later lead to several new sciences and developments after the war ended like cybernetics and the production of nuclear energy to name a few some innovative weapons that defined and characterized the course and outcome of the Second World War include Air Bombs Torpedoes and Missiles. Air combat was one of the biggest strategies used during the Second World War to bomb and eliminate enemy targets. Considerable research was put into developing aerial â€Å"smart bombs† which could be manoeuvred to destroy enemy targets. The German Military lead the development and deployment of these aerial weapons. Some of the weapons developed for air combat by Germany include the Glide bombs which were the world’s first smart bombs and the Fritz X anti-shipping missile, which was operated using radio remote control. The German Military also developed and deployed the world’s first jet fighter known as Messerschmitt 262 as well as the first jet bomber called Arado 234 as well as first operational military helicopters known as Flettner Fl 282 and the worlds first rocket-powered fighter (Messerschmitt 163) The war also witnessed the development of the worlds first cruise missile known as the Pulse jet powered V-1 flying bomb as well as the creation of self guiding weapons such as Torpedoes. Considerable research and development was also done on aiming devices for bombs, torpedoes, artillery and machine guns. Radar The development of digital electronics was given a massive boost by war-related research one such important invention which was used to garner significant military advantage during the Second World War was an instrument known as the radar. The UK and the US achieved prominent breakthroughs in the development and deployment of these devices which were used to track and destroy enemy aircraft, ships, submarines and carriers these devices proved to be very useful and extremely strategic in helping the Allies win the various battles. After the war these radars were deployed in various capacities for policing, monitoring and supervisory purposes in the civilian context. Submarines and Air craft Carriers Though submarines were initially deployed during the First World War they developed increased capability during the Second World War and helped change the face of naval combat. Another major development which changed the manner in which naval battles were fought was the production of the world’s first aircraft carrier. These ships made it easy for fighter planes to launch aerial attacks on enemy battleships and destroy them. Atomic Bomb: The extensive research and the quest to develop new and dangerous weapons to advance the cause of the war lead to the institution of what came to be known as the Manhattan Project which was dedicated to the endeavour of developing an atomic bomb. Today the atomic bomb remains the most profound military development of the Second World War and the ultimate weapon which helped the allies win the war irrevocably. Though there is evidence that Germany was endeavouring to develop the bomb before America the German atomic Bomb project did not come to fruition. The world’s first atomic bomb was developed and deployed by the American military against Japan in 1945. The use of the nuclear bomb against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the turning point and also the virtual end of the Second World War. The devastating effects of the bomb in these two cities made the bomb a horrendous weapon of mass destruction which grew to be feared by most nations. The atomic bomb thus became a symbol of the ultimate power the possession of which gave a country significant leverage over others. After the Second World War ended the new world order was dominated by a conflict between two ideologies: communism and Capitalism. After the defeat of Nazism and fascism the Allied forces of the Western World found a new enemy: the USSR and its doctrine of Communism. Though the USSR had been among the allied nations during the Second World War it soon became apparent that the ideological differences between the country and its neighbours could mot let them exist together peacefully? The ensuing cold war between the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union was essentially a clash of the two rivalling ideologies of Communism and Capitalism. The cold war never played out an actual war between the two super powers. It was manifested in the arenas of espionage diplomacy and to some extent in the early 80’s in the field of sports. It was also manifested in lands ravaged by internal strife and struggling to find a new political system to function under. Over the course of the cold war there were several conflicts and wars which were connected and influenced by this ideological conflict. These wars include The Korean War of 1952, the Cuban Missiles Crises 1962, the Vietnam War of 1969 and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980 to name a few. The majority of the weapons used in these wars were developed and manufactured by the US and the USSR The Cold War witnessed the development of may new weapons ranging from improved fire arms to new technology deployed in tanks , jets submarines ships helicopters , explosives and missile guidance systems. In the Korean War the American military supplied technologically advanced weapons to the UN forces as well as the South Korean forces. Since the battles in South Korea and Vietnam involved jungle warfare the weaponry involved in both battles followed a similar pattern. However the weapons used in Vietnam were more technologically advanced than those used in Korea. Some of these weapons include: M1 Garand the world’s first successful semiautomatic rifle which had the capability to dominate the battle field. A more advanced variation of these rifles was used in military hand combat in Vietnam. The Sioux and Huey Helicopters these were used predominantly by Allied troops in Korea to ferry troops to battle fields. Advanced versions of these helicopters were also used in Vietnam by the American troops T-34 Tanks These technologically advanced tanks were designed in Russia and used by the Communist forces in North Korea. A highly technological advanced version of this tank was also used in Russia Fighter Jets F-86 Sabres and the MIG-15 Fagot The Korean War is known for some of the intense jet fights which took place between USAF pilots flying their F-86 Sabres and North Korean and Russian pilots flying the MiG-15 â€Å"Fagot†. Both of these planes incorporated the latest technology and set the standard for future jet planes designed and deployed by both the countries Napalm Gas: Used as a biological weapon of mass destruction by American troops in the Vietnam War, the Napalm gas was developed for use in the Second World War but was never deployed. It gained notoriety in Vietnam for destroying both the agricultural lands of Vietnam and poisoning the Vietnamese people. The Cold war also led to the development of technology to aid espionage activity. The U2 spy plane was one such weapon which was developed in the United States to record and photograph military activity in the USSR and other communist States. These planes used especial technology that was not easily distinguishable on the radar and could easily take pictures and document confidential activity without detection. The pictures from one of these spy planes had led to the escalation of Cuban Missiles Crises of 1962 when the US discovered that Cuba was building a missiles program with USSR’s backing The so-called stealth bomber should be able to penetrate the Russian air defence system better than existing American bombers. The Cuban Missiles Crises was perhaps the closest the world ever came to a nuclear confrontation. The Cold war and the policy of brinkmanship often cantered on the crucial deployment of both the super powers ability to use nuclear bomb. In 1949 the US lost its monopoly over the atomic or hydrogen bomb as it was called at the time when the tested their first nuclear weapon The importance of the hydrogen bomb, and its even more powerful successors lead to a competition between the two superpowers to develop the most deadliest weapon first . This mad rush to build nuclear weapons lead to an arms race with each nation spending billions of dollars to build a military arsenal designed to effectively eliminate enemy weapons. One of the weapons that were given considerable importance from both sides was the ballistic missile. This is essentially a rocket which shoots its warheads into space and then guides them towards the desired targets. The ballistic missiles were developed by both sides at a cost of billions of dollars to ensure that neither party retains the upper hand in the arms race. The development and search for elusive technology to create weapons deployed in the First World War second war and the cold war has left an enduring legacy. Though these weapons help determine the fate of the war they also left humanity with a source to wreck endless destruction and havoc. The negative effects of the race to build nuclear weapons were witnessed in the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. With the end of the cold war the endless arsenal of weapons of mass destruction that both the USSR and the US spend billions of dollars to build was rendered useless. However as evidenced in history as one conflict ends another begins and the US has found other battles and causes to fund more development of new weapons to fight new enemies. Many of the weapons used in all three of the conflicts are the predecessors of the modern weapons deployed in modern military combat throughout the world and therefore present considerable historical significance Works Cited History on the Net dot com. World: War One Weapons Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website, http://www.historyonthenet. com/WW1/weapons. htm First World War dot com: Weapons of War Retrieved. May 27 2010 from the website, http://www. firstworldwar. com/weaponry/machineguns. htm World War Two dot net :Weapons . Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website http://www. worldwar-two. net/armamento/ Military Discovery dot com: Korean War Weapons and Vehicles. Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website http://military. discovery. com/history/korean-war/weapons/weapons. html

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Equality Diversity And Rights In Health Care Social Work Essay

Equality Diversity And Rights In Health Care Social Work Essay What is equality and diversity? Although sometimes used interchangeably, the terms equality and diversity are not the same. Equality is about creating a fairer society, where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential (DH, 2004). It is about identifying patterns of experience based on group identity, and the challenging processes that limit individuals potential health and life chances. For example, occupational segregation. Women make up almost 75% of the NHS workforce but are concentrated in the lower-paid occupational areas: nursing, allied health professionals (AHPs), administrative workers and ancillary workers (DH, 2005). People from black and minority ethnic groups comprise 39.1% of hospital medical staff yet they comprise only 22.1% of all hospital medical consultants (DH, 2005). An equalities approach understands that our social identity in terms of gender, race, disability, age, social class, sexuality and religion will impact on our life experiences. Diversity literally means difference. When it is used as a contrast or addition to equality, it is about recognising individual as well as group differences, treating people as individuals, and placing positive value on diversity in the community and in the workforce. Historically, employers and services have ignored certain differences. However, individual and group diversity needs to be considered in order to ensure that everybodys needs and requirements are understood and responded to within employment practice and service design and delivery. One way in which organisations have responded to the issue of diversity in recent years has been the development of flexibility in working practices and services. For example, an employer may allow an employee to work a flexible working pattern to accommodate child care arrangements, or a GP surgery may offer surgeries at the weekends in accommodate those who work full time during the week. These approaches recognise that in order to be inclusive and equal to all, organisations may need to respond differently to individuals/groups. Therefore, a commitment to equality in addition to recognition of diversity means that different can be equal. Learning outcomes Understand concepts of equality, diversity rights in relation to Health and Social Care. Equality and diversity is becoming more important in all aspects of our lives and work for a number of reasons. We live in an increasingly diverse society and need to be able to respond appropriately and sensitively to this diversity. Learners in the healthcare setting will reflect this diversity around gender, race and ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, class and age. Your organisation believes that successful implementation of equality and diversity in all aspects of work ensures that colleagues, staff and students are valued, motivated and treated fairly. Every member of society is likely, at some point, to be a recipient of health and social care. The Department of Health can only achieve its aim of better health, care and well-being for all, by building an explicit commitment to equality, diversity and human rights throughout the health and social care system. All public organisations including the Department of Health and public providers and commissioners of health and social care services have a duty to promote equality. Successfully delivering these duties is a core part of the health and social care systems objective to offer services that deliver high quality care for all. To do this, the diversity of the population has to be recognised, in policy development through to service delivery and patient care, acknowledging the diverse experiences, aspirations and needs of staff, patients and service. The Department of Health and local health and social care organisations continue to take proactive steps to address unequal access and outcomes experienced by some sections of the community. DH is working to ensure the principles and practicalities of fairness, equality, diversity and human rights are a central to the work of the Department. In 2007 the UK established a new single equalities body, to bring together the existing equality Commissions dealing with gender, disability, and race and ethnicity into a Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The promotion and enforcement of equality and diversity is one of the three duties of the new body. This paper briefly explores diversity in relation to the theory of gender equality and also examines developments in policy at the EU level, which has provided much of the impetus for change. Our focus is on the policy approach and the tensions that the policy documents reveal about the emphasis on equality and diversity approach, in particular the extent to which attention to gender issues may get lost in the diversity bundle, and the extent to which a focus on the individual may be strengthened over the group. This page lists some of the guidance materials produced by the former equality commissions and guidance produced by external organisations, who have given us permissi on to reproduce their materials on our site. Guidance from ACAS Age, Religion or Belief, Sexual orientation There are no statutory Codes in force covering sexual orientation, religion or belief, or age discrimination. However,ACAS has published guidance documents covering each of these areas. The following guides are also available on the ACAS website. Guidance from the EOC advising young people The Equal Opportunities Commission produced guidance to help advisers who work with young people to  work out  whether they might have experienced unlawful discrimination. The main focus was sex discrimination but other forms of discrimination are also referred to. Young people need advice too.. Guidance from the TUC mental health issues The  TUC produced guidance to help trade union reps and officials provide a good service to members with mental health problems. It aims to equip reps in workplaces with the information they need to deal as well with mental health issues as they do with the other issues that crop up on daily basis. Guidance from the Refugee Council employing refugees We have worked with theRefugee Council to produce guidance on employing refugees. The guidance explains which documents can provide evidence of entitlement to work. This guidance is aimed at employers but could be useful for advisers as well. Guidance from Advocacy Action Human rights toolkit for advocates Action for Advocacy, the independent advocacy organisation has developed a toolkit based on an initial series of Commission-funded training days to advocates across England and Wales. The toolkit is a resource to promote further thinking and better use of resources that can support advocates to use human rights in their advocacy work. Understand discriminatory practice in health and social care. Discrimination is less favorable or bad treatment of someone because of one or more aspects of their social identity. Understanding how discrimination can impact on individuals lives is essential to prevent potential discrimination within in teaching and learning situations and ensure that you are confident in dealing with discrimination issues if and when they arise. Our social identity comprises our: gender race or ethnicity sexuality religion or faith age class disability. While we can face discrimination because of any of these aspects, it is important that we also identify the links between social identities and individuality and/or a state and situation. Bad treatment can be multi-layered and occur because of: an aspect of individuality, e.g. some aspect of personal appearance, size, personal likes, etc. our state/situation, e.g. homelessness, being a lone parent, misuse of drugs or alcohol, citizen status, health, etc. Valuing diversity It is important that you consider how an individuals social identity may impact on their experience of the programme/teaching session of clinical activity in which the learner is engaged. The ways in which discrimination works include stereotyping, making assumptions, patronising, humiliating and disrespecting people, taking some people less seriously. To ensure that we value diversity and consider the individuals identity appropriately in clinical teaching, the following principles may be useful: recognise that we need to treat all learners as individuals and respond to them, and their social identity, in an individual manner understand that treating people fairly does not mean treating people in the same way we need to recognise difference and respond appropriately respect all learners regardless of their social identity try to increase our knowledge and understanding of aspects of social identity that may be different from our own avoid stereotyping or making assumptions about learners based on their social identity recognise that some course content may impact on some learners in a negative/difficult way because of an aspect of their social identity recognise that the course structure, e.g. timing of lectures, unsociable hours, weekend working, and so on, may impact on some learners more than others due to their social identity recognise that your own social identity may impact on learners in different ways avoid using inappropriate and disrespectful language relating to social identity Institutional discrimination Institutional discrimination is concerned with discrimination that has been incorporated into the structures, processes and procedures of organisations, either because of prejudice or because of failure to take into account the particular needs of different social identities. Looking at the long historical perspective, there is a very fundamental evolution of how public institutions have dealt with the notion of anti-discrimination. Whereas the typical 19th century anti-discrimination arrangements were developed for settling the case of philosophical and religious minorities, contemporary legislation is facing the challenge of addressing new issues such as, for instance, those raised by the massive immigration of colonial and guest workers immigrants. If racial discrimination is among the most problematic forms of discrimination, it is far from being the only one. The struggle against discrimination is an ongoing process, which is now facing the challenge of, not only addressing new social realities, but also addressing old ones innovatively. The inclusion of disability, sexual orientation and age as a basis for anti-discrimination struggle reflects the feeling that the law must be adapted to processes of social change, which are marked today by an unprecedented diversity in terms of lifestyles, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Three features distinguish institutional discrimination from other random individual forms of bad treatment. Triggered by social identity the discrimination impacts on groups (or individuals because they are members of that group). Systematic it is built into: laws, rules and regulations. For example, selection criteria for jobs or courses, laws such as the Minimum Wage, pension regularities, etc. the way we do things round here, including the use of authority and discretion, e.g. how training opportunities are allocated, how flexibility in learning practices is authorized the popular culture and ways of describing normality, e.g. long working hours culture/expectations. Results in patterns incidents of discrimination may appear isolated or random but where institutional discrimination occurs they are part of a wider pattern of events which often may be hidden. Patterns of discrimination can often be surfaced by effective organizational information relating to social identity. For example: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ which groups of people get promoted in an organization? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ which groups of people get accepted onto a training course? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ which groups of people leave an organization after six months of employment? Questions such as this may point to some people experiencing the organization in a different/more negative way than others. Understand how National initiatives promotes anti-discriminatory practise in Health education and Social care. The concept of discrimination adopted in the legislation derived from Article 13 is inspired by the EU legislation on the equality of treatment between men and women.5 Equality of treatment is defined as the absence of any direct or indirect discrimination. By direct discrimination, The same document defines indirect discrimination as follows: indirect discrimination shall be taken to occur where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice is liable to affect adversely a person or persons to whom any of the grounds referred to in Article 17 applies, unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving it are appropriate and necessary Harassment is also considered a discrimination in its own right. Harassment is any form of action that creates a disturbing, intimidating, offensive or hostile working environment, such as verbal abuses and gestures. As in the equality of treatment between men and women legislation, the two anti-discrimination directives following Article 13 place the burden of proof on the defendant in case of legal action. Discrimination can happen in many different ways but you have rights to protect you By law people are protected from discrimination on the grounds of: race sex sexual orientation disability (or because of something connected with your disability) religion or belief being a transsexual person having just had a baby or being pregnant   being married or in a civil partnership (this applies only at work or if someone is being trained for work) age (this applies only at work or if someone is being trained for work) These are known as protected characteristics. Race discrimination Wherever you were born, wherever your parents came from, whatever the colour of your skin, you have a right to be treated fairly. Gender equality sex discrimination Women and men should not be treated unfairly because of their gender, because they are married or because they are raising a family. Sexual orientation Whether you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight should not put you at a disadvantage. Disability discrimination If you have a physical or mental impairment you have specific rights that protect you against discrimination. Religion and belief Your religion or belief, or those of somebody else, should not affect your right to be treated fairly. This could be at work, school, in shops or while using public services like health care. Transgender discrimination Trans people should be able to live with dignity. There are protections for some of the forms of discrimination that trans people experience. Age equality By law you cannot be treated less favourably in your workplace or in training for work because of your age. For example, it would be unlawful to not employ someone because of their age. The EU notion of anti-discrimination offers a minimal standard of legal protection, not an extensive and uniform one. This means that some countries will remain more advanced than others in their struggle against discrimination even after the implementation of the two directives. The legislation also suggests that equality of treatment is expected to result from combating discrimination.8 It does not enact a positive duty on public and private authorities to promote positive action or equal opportunities policies. In this respect, one suspects that this absence will in the long run be felt as a major shortcoming. Lessons from both the perspective of gender studies and from ethnic and racial studies have taught that a thin notion of equality of treatment is far from being a promise of equality. Human rights Human rights are the basic rights and principles that belong to every person in the world. They are based on the core principles of dignity, fairness, equality, respect and autonomy (E and HRC, 2008). Human rights protect an individuals freedom to control their day-to-day life, and effectively participate in all aspects of public life in a fair and equal way. Human rights help individuals to flourish and achieve potential through: being safe and protected from harm being treated fairly and with dignity being able to live the life you choose taking an active part in your community and wider society (E and HRC, 2008). Intrinsic to these statements should be the principles of equality and diversity. Since 1998 the UK has also included human rights within its legal framework. The Human Rights Act applies to all public authorities and bodies performing a public function. The Human Rights Acts places the following responsibility on your organisation. Organisations must promote and protect individuals human rights. This means treating people fairly, with dignity and respect while safeguarding the rights of the wider community. Organisations should apply core human rights values, such as equality, dignity, privacy, respect and involvement, to all organisational service planning and decision making. The Human Rights Act provides a complementary legal framework to the anti-discriminatory framework and the public duties. The legal context As a clinical teacher you will want to ensure that you understand the legal framework regarding equality, and that you can relate this framework to your everyday role. The UK framework has two elements to it: the anti- discriminatory framework (which gives individuals a route to raise complaints of discrimination around employment and service delivery) and the public duties (which place a proactive duty on organisations to address institutional discrimination). Overview of anti-discriminatory framework Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Race Relations Act 1976 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) and (Religious Belief) Regulations 2003 Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 Equality Act 2006 (covers service delivery in relation to sexual orientation and religious belief) It is important to note that at the current time, age legislation only protects individuals in the area of employment and not service delivery. The SEN and Disability Act 2001 The SEN and Disability Act 2001 extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to education with effect from September 2002. This act requires teachers to explore the provision of reasonable adjustments for students who may have disabilities, including learning disabilities, to enable them to participate effectively. The EU took great care to avoid national and EU anti-discrimination provisions becoming concurrent. The solution introduced for solving this difficult question was to adopt the most appropriate technique of legislation. By choosing the directive, the EU has in effect opted for flexibility. The Directive, contrary to the regulation, offers Member States general guidelines, which should be implemented within two years after the adoption of the two directives. The anti-discrimination package proposed by the Commission and later adopted by the Council of Ministers defines minimal common standard of legal protection for victims of discrimination, without prejudice of what the Member States already have on offer in their internal legal order . It is particularly crucial for the success of the legislation that Member States take the EU initiative as a motivation for upgrading their internal standard of protection and not as a justification for lowering them. This is why the two directives contain a non-regression clause which will in practice lead to better legislation in all Member States. Another reason why EU legislation should be seen as complementing national initiatives is the material scope of the Article 13. As indicated above, the sphere of competence of the EU in the area of anti-discrimination is restrictively defined by the Treaty on the European Union. The main area where it will be relevant to think in terms of Article 13 is the labour market. Therefore, there is a whole range of areas of potential discrimination where the role of the Member States will remain primordial. Know how anti-discriminatory practice is promoted in Health Social Care setting Active promotion of anti-discriminatory practice: ethical principles; putting the patient/service user at the heart of service provision, eg providing active support consistent with the beliefs, culture and preferences of the individual, supporting individuals to express their needs and preferences, empowering individuals, promoting individuals rights, choices and wellbeing; balancing individual rights with the rights of others; dealing with conflicts; identifying and challenging discrimination Personal beliefs and value systems: influences on, eg culture, beliefs, past events, socialisation, environmental influences, health and wellbeing; developing greater self-awareness and tolerance of differences; committing to the care value base; careful use of language; working within legal, ethical and policy guidelines. Beliefs are the assumptions we make about ourselves, about others in the world and about how we expect things to be. Beliefs are about how we think things really are, what we think is really true and what therefore expect as likely consequences that will follow from our behavior. Since the last comprehensive review in 1974, the Health Belief Model (HBM) has continued to be the focus of considerable theoretical and research attention. This article presents a critical review of 29 HBM-related investigations published during the period 1974-1984, tabulates the findings from 17 studies conducted prior to 1974, and provides a summary of the total 46 HBM studies (18 prospective, 28 retrospective). Twenty-four studies examined preventive-health be haviors (PHB), 19 explored sick-role behaviors (SRB), and three addressed clinic utilization. A significance ratio was constructed which divides the number of positive, statistically- significant findings for an HBM dimension by the total number of studies reporting significance levels for that dimension. Summary results provide substantial empirical support for the HBM, with findings from prospective studies at least as favorable as those obtained from retrospective research. Perceived barriers proved to be the most powerful of the HBM dimensions across the various study designs and behaviors. While both were important overall, perceived sus ceptibility was a stronger contributor to understanding PHB than SRB, while the reverse was true for perceived benefits. Perceived severity produced the lowest overall significance ratios; however, while only weakly associated with PHB, this dimension was strongly related to SRB. On the basis of the evidence compiled, it is recommended that consideration of HBM dimensions be a part of health education programming. Suggestions are offered for further research. It is important for care workers to promote equality, value diversity and respect the rights of service users. There are various ways of how they can challenge discriminatory issues and practices in health and social care. One of the ways in which care worker can promote equality, value diversity and respect the rights of service users is to always put the patient/service user at the heart of the service provision. This means that the patients individual needs will be met and achieved Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. Ideas about human rights have evolved over many centuries. But they achieved strong international support following the Holocaust and World War II. To protect future generations from a repeat of these horrors, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. For the first time, the Universal Declaration set out the fundamental rights and freedoms shared by all human beings. These rights and freedoms based on core principles like dignity, equality and respect inspired a range of international and regional human rights treaties. For example, they formed the basis for the European Convention on Human Rights in 1950. The European Convention protects the human rights of people in countries that belong to the Council of Europe. This includes the United Kingdom. Until recently, people in the United Kingdom had to complain to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if they felt their rights under the European Convention had been breached. for example; a personal eating plan to a specific individual. Putting the service user at the centre of the provision generally makes a happier and healthier patient in all areas. Care workers can help achieve this by: * Understanding what it is like to use those services * Involving those who use the services Another example can be quoted as, Rights of one patient will clash with the rights of another A patient has the right to watch TV or listen to the radio, while the patient in the next bed has the right the right to an undisturbed sleep the rights of these two patients clash. By providing earphones could help resolve this. If patients share a room one wants the door propped open and the other one doesnt although this is a clash of rights the rights of the patient who wanted the door closed would outweigh the other as propping open doors is a fire risk Care settings must provide services in such a way that all service users get equal benefit for them. For example a person who does not have English as their first language may require a translator in order to understand the services available and to express a choice about them. One of the most beneficial ways in which a social care setting can challenge anti discriminatory is through staff development and training this may be done formally through supervision sessions or more informally in the course of day to day working. The manager should supervise the work of their staff, offer advice and guidance in difficult situations and help the workers identify training opportunities to improve their practise.  

Saturday, July 20, 2019

External Environment of Baker Mckenzie

External Environment of Baker Mckenzie 1. External Environment of Global Legal Industry To analyze Baker McKenzie organization in order to provide its authorities with specific recommendation for the successful future management of the firm and its employees it is critical to evaluate the principal factors of External Environment of global legal industry that have implications for the management of people and organization. To design an elaborate plan and implement it successfully in the firm it is essential to be aware of the wide business environment in which firm operates and of how this environment is changing over time. PEST analysis is used to access Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors of the Global Legal Industry (see Appendix 1). In general, the legal market was highly segmented comprising a few prestigious law firms at the top and small practices, consisting sometimes of a single attorney at the bottom. As a result of the globalization pattern a lot of legal firms became more international. While entering new markets and opening offices in new areas such political factor as local licensing laws pushed the firms to employ local lateral hires. If we have a look at the global legal industry on firm-levels we can state that the structure of an average law firm was common: LAW FIRM Equity Partners Ownership stake in the firm Revenue generating Responsibility for attracting new clients Associates (law-degree) No ownership stake in the firm Everyday routine consultancy Opportunity to be promoted to Partner (depending on the performance and firm needs) Support Staff Paralegals assistance to lawyers (law degree is not required but possible) Personal Assistants assistance to all levels In USA and many other legal jurisdictions the system of regulations was quite strict and law firms were not allowed to generate capital though IPO (Initial Public Offering) and the firms lawyers were the only ones who could held an ownership stake. This was a way to protect the company in terms of possible conflicts of interests. By 2004 various industries had to face high turnover trend and legal industry was not an exception. Such social factor as a work-life balance tendency added a new criteria which were critical for potential employees while entering the company. In law firms associates were changing the employers more often than ever before due to various factors the main of which is disaffection of: Poor firms culture the main reason resulting into â€Å"long work hours, lack of meaningful assignments and unfriendly work environment†. Compensation system as a result of â€Å"war for talent† and the practice to attract and retain star attorneys from competing firms (â€Å"lateral hires†) there was a high spread between partner and associate rates (sometimes as much as 20:1). Promotion system firms expansion strategyaffected the timeline for reaching the status of equity partner which was extended and a second tier of partner termed â€Å"junior partner† was addedto prevent the growing number of equity partners. In many firms it was understood that high billables were a requirement for advancement but in reality it did not necessarily encourage efficiency and taking into account the global character of some law firms such practice ran the risk of superseding all other metrics when promotion decisions were being made. In the recent years the customers appetites to the quality of legal services have been changing significantly and the clients expectations have been rising all over the world. The legal market was saturated with the number of law firms with appropriate professional expertise but only a few of such firms could offer a †value-added† service. Thus, to have a competitive advantage in the industry and to make a client happy a law firm had to accelerate its efforts to reduces associates turnover by focusing on corporative culture and soft skills and emotional intelligence development in the organization reviewing the performance management systems, financial patterns as well as each firm is to pay appropriate attention to all aspects of the international character of business and personal development maintaining a good relation with clients to make them satisfied. 2. Internal Environment of Baker McKenzie Baker McKenzie was founded in Chicago in 1949 and from the very beginning has intended to be truly global. By 2004 it was the largest law firm in the world by headcount comprising about 9000 employees spread across 70 offices in 38 countries and being among the industry leaders in revenue. Regardless of the fact that the firm has a strong position in the legal industry there are some areas alarming that Baker McKenzie is to review its internal environment particularly focusing on attorneys retention, motivation and improving companys culture. Such concepts as firms strategy, structure and culture are to be analyzed. 2.1. Organizational Strategy For a long period of time the general strategy of Baker McKenzie was global expansion. Due to the increasing competitiveness in global legal market and bearing in mind the fact that some clients became more oriented on not expensive routing legal needs in the late 1990th the firm felt that some changes were required not to lose competitive advantage. Baker McKenzie came to conclusion that their initial strategy which included such learning program as professional management education for partners, key-client account program and four-point strategic plan, was not efficient and ambitious enough. Even though the firm did make impressive progress on many fronts a more sophisticated approach was needed to develop further. By 2004 a new strategy was developed the main objectives of which were as follows: To achieve market preeminence by building upon unparalleled international capabilities through: deeper penetration of major clients; growth of core practice areas; greater industry specialization; To develop the firm in a systematic way so each office is able to support multinational clients and global strategy and excel and prosper in its local market; To align the firms organizational, financial and management structures more effectively with its strategic objectives. Finally, Baker McKenzie realized that people were paramount to the firms successful future and in this updated strategy the focus was shifted from the expansion to peoples qualities prioritizing the HR management. To achieve a competitive advantage in the quality of legal services the following combination of HR and competitive strategies (Armstrong, 2000) were followed: Companys Strategy HR Strategy Resourcing HR Development Reward Achieve competitive advantage through quality Use sophisticated selection procedures to recruit people who are likely to deliver quality and high levels of customer service Encourage the development of a learning organization and support total quality and customer care initiatives with focused training Link rewards to quality performance and the achievement of high standards of customer service Achieve competitive advantage by employing people who are better than those employed by competitors Use sophisticated selection procedures based on rigorous analysis of the special capabilities required be the organization Develop organizational learning processes; encourage self-managed learning through the use of personal development plans as part of a performance management process Develop performance management processes that enable both financial and non-financial rewards to be related to competence and skills; ensure that pay levels are competitive One of the major improvements in HR strategy was the implementation of Associate Training Program (ATP) which allowed the associates to transfer for the period of a year to 18 months among any Baker McKenzie office in the world. The strategy was a success as it enhanced the lawyers experience by exposing them to different jurisdictions, laws and cross-border terms. Also it was a great tool to embed and develop the relationships across the firm. It is also important to mention the rewarding performance which was used in the firm. For many years Baker McKenzie used a compensation system of objective nature called â€Å"the formula† rewarding the following four criteria: â€Å"Work Credit† (personal productivity of a partner; â€Å"Client Credit† (partners ability to delegate and supervise work done not by partners); â€Å"Associate Profit† (work done by non-partners); Tenure with the firm (number of years as an equity partner). As a result of such strategy the partners were not focused on development tasks but principally on generating fees. Such compensation system was suitable in early years when the firm opened its first offices in different countries. However, such formula is not efficient today and Baker McKenzie was to review it bearing in mind the best interests of the business. In 2002 the firm adopted new rules that facilitated the evolution to discretionary compensation systems based on more subjective criteria. In spite of the fact that not all partners were satisfied with such method and it was hotly debated before being approved, the key implication of such approach is growing recognition within the firm that changes in the financial structure and compensation system were needed to advance the overall strategy. However, the updated compensation system involving such new subjective elements as development associates and demonstrating leadership used for the evaluation of partners meant that there could be risk for the partner to receive substantially less. To conclude it is to be emphasized that new strategy requires a well-developed framework for its successful implementation. 2.2. Organizational Structure As it was mentioned in the previous chapter the principal strategy of Baker McKenzie for a long time was global expansion with the local lateral hires which were more steeped in techniques and traditions of their regions law (only few offices were staffed from the main office)3. It resulted to decentralization and spread among continents (see Chart 1). As per Burns and Stalker (1961) Baker McKenzie could be defined as an Organic structure rather than Mechanistic and can be characterized by the following: High decentralization of authority; Tasks loosely defined; Horizontal communications; Greater individual authority; Flexible and adaptable. Chart 1. Baker McKenzie organization, 2004 The advantages offered in the decentralization are that it: + Increased responsiveness to the local circumstances; + Enables decisions closer to the operational level of work; + Improved level of personal customer service; + More in keeping with developments in flatter and more flexible structures. But there are also some negative aspects: The same lateral hires results in tough control over offices letting no interference; Firm becomes inert to new programs and changes or their implementation results are low; Low sociability and interaction between offices caused by rare meetings. 2.3. Organizational Culture A key weapon in the war for talent in the 21st century is going to be organizational culture. To analyze the culture of Baker McKenzie it is important to look at it from different perspectives and use various approaches. In general, Baker McKenzies culture was a strong one encompassing several core elements such as: Internationalism and multi-culturalism; Sense of friendship; Equality of employees; Strong sense of independence; Consensus-building based on multilateral mindset and highly consultative, transparent and respectful style; Attention to selection process of laterals. According to Goffee Jones (1996) Grid (see Chart 2) Baker McKenzie located in Mercenary area gravitating to Fragmented organization as of its numerous offices around the world which tend to be autonomous. That results in general low sociability of the employees. This can be supported by the fact that international interaction was quite poor, presented only by annual meetings for equity partners and some star lawyers. Solidarity is high due to result-oriented strategy (a lot of billable hours required to be rewarded by bonus) and high compensation for partners level only. Chart 2. Goffee and Jones (1996) Grid Organizational cultures and their associated structures typology of Charles Handy (1986) is another popular model to examine the firm. According to his classification Baker McKenzie is â€Å"the person culture cluster structure† which is described as structure where autonomous experts and professionals pursue their own interests. This type of culture is characterized by high autonomies of partners and associates where management hierarchies are not acceptable and the legal business is operated by mutual consent and influence based on expertise. Having noted that it could be stated that such culture is in balance with the decentralized structure mentioned in the previous chapter. Facing high turnover and â€Å"war for talent† Baker McKenzie has to pay more attention to its employees to shape a firm-friendly culture required not only for personal and professional development of the lawyers but such culture which could have an immediate positive effect on the successful future of the firm. 3. The Development Framework By 2000 Baker McKenzie recognized importance of retaining associates as every lawyer who left the firm within the first two years never provided the firm with even a partial return on investment in terms of training, development, and replacement costs. The developed HRM strategy was placed in jeopardy. To find the causes of high associates turnover KPDC lunched a survey lead by two outsourced HR specialists which educed the following gaps in performance management: No or poor feedback on associates performance were provided (no deep review, no examples are given). This circumstance was complicated by cultural obstacle as many of associates reported that â€Å"it is not the practice of their offices to conduct reviews or that is a new concept†; No guidelines explaining business and legal skills required for each career step were given to the associates. This resulted in low motivation and lack of self development; Development opportunities and training programs were not clearly explained or not explained at all to the lawyers. In April 2003 two industrial psychologists were invited to develop new framework to overcome these asperities and meet common performance expectation across different locations of the firm. It was the right choice as it is almost impossible to deal with the different cultures from the position of usual management. The following final Development Framework qualities were highlighted as the basic criteria: Personal Qualities (PQ); Key Performance Areas (KPAs) comprising Individual Activities Categories (IACs). By such framework associates have been rated on a scale of 1-3 for each component: 3 â€Å"exceeds expectations†; 2 â€Å"meets expectations†; 1 â€Å"falls short of expectations†. This highly segmented system of evaluation could satisfy everyone and could meet the needs of the multicultural firm. Also it represented an actual approach to talent management. In general, the talent management strategy of Baker McKenzie can be characterized by the following main aspects: Recruitment identifying and selecting right people to met the challenges of the firms strategic goals; Development personal and professional development of the employees; Career Management coaching and supporting the employees throughout their careers. Having analyzed the external and internal environments and the Development Framework it can be concluded the main tool for Baker McKenzie successful recruiting, developing and retaining the chosen talent and to win war for talent is to find a common language within international offices of the firm for discussing excellence in order to facilitate firm activities and find the best fit between a lawyer and Baker McKenzies operation and culture. 4. Recommendations Undoubtedly, the New Development Framework is a well-designed foundation ready to be implemented and now it fully depends on how much effort the Executive and KPD Committees will contribute to convince each partner of its implementation importance. Based on the analysis of the Baker McKenzies organization, culture and strategy, including New Development Framework aimed on successful recruiting, developing, and retaining the talent it is recommended to pay more attention to the following aspects: Recruitment and Selection Process Organizational performance depends considerably on the quality of its workers. It is required to continue generating a pool of skilled and qualified associates, which have some of the necessary attributes to enable a suitable candidate to be selected. Appropriate range of selection methods of evaluation which can be partly taken from the Development Framework (IACs and PQs) are to be applied to cover such gaps as lack of soft skills for the potential employees. This will facilitate the candidates to integrate into Baker McKenzies culture and to meet the expectations of the firm. It is worth recommending while selection and recruiting process to bear in mind the fact that firm is working on standardizing its processes on international level. It means that there should be given more attention to the ability of the candidate to be a good team member. Such characteristic feature of the human being can be measured by some psychological testing as well the firm could several steps of selection process one of which could be a simulation or role-playing within the number of candidates. Such simulation should be observed by a number of specialists and assessed accordingly. Also it can be added that due the nature of globalization the preference is to be given to those candidates who have international experience or willing to obtain it. Developing Competent Employees In spite of the fact that the firm is focused on the highly qualified attorneys recruitment we should not underestimate the role of work-based learning. This is particularly important for paralegals being loyal to the firm and associates whose target is to become partners. Such methods can be divided into following groups: Learning from another person consists of coaching and mentoring. Mentors provide two functions: 1) career advice and support, 2) psychological function. As we could see from the analysis of Baker McKenzies performance management the lack of career development advice was one of the main drawbacks in the firm. It is important to note that coaching does not come naturally to all managers and it requires a number of skills which can be developed by sending the responsible managers to special management courses; Learning from tasks consists of job rotation and delegation. This involves moving lawyers into different limitrophe groups (e.g. associates from the Major Project and Project Finance group may broaden their expertise by being placed into International Commercial or Corporate group, etc.) Delegation is also a way of developing of employee as it can offer new challenge and responsibilities. Retaining Associates As the final point Baker McKenzie have to be focused on staff retention as high turnover damages not only performance, service quality and financial side but also a corporate image. First of all, Motivation is directly expressed by how to make people contribute to organizational goals while satisfying their personal needs. A good balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is the key to success. In terms of extrinsic motivation can be applied such tangible rewards as: improved salary, the firm is to develop a more reasonable and balanced compensation system between partners and associates which can result to comfortable work-life balance; Perks like corporate transport or enhanced workplace. Performance Management is the other aspect which is extremely important for the firm to develop particularly in providing associates with: Constant and detailed feedback with clear explanations of their performance. Exposing their strengths and weaknesses; Guidelines explaining business and legal skills required for each career step. That will result in high loyalty and motivation as well. All these recommendations will result in successful Talent Management and firms prosperity in the future. Detailed Implementation Plan provided in Appendix 2. Also it is important to control and shape the implementation of current Development Framework. The future researches on the results of implementation have to be carried on as well. Bibliography Case study. Baker McKenzie (A): A New Framework for Talent Management. MPO lectures. Goffee, R. and Jones G. (1996). What holds the modern company together? Harvard business review, November-December. Mullins, Laurie J. (2005), Management and Organisational Behaviour. 7th ed. Pearson Education Limited, Essex, England. Green, Richard, (2003), Business Environment: An MBA Study Guide. University of Hull, Hull, UK. Palmer, Adrian and Hartely, Bob (2002), The Business Environment. McGraw-Hill, New York, USA. Graeme Martin (2006), Managing People and Organizations in Changing Contexts. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK.