Coping with Traumatic Life Events Essay

  Ã¢â‚¬Å"All this time, I thought I was learning to live, when all along, I was learning to die.† So said Leonardo da Vinci. We read his words, smile and think to ourselves that they don’t really apply to us. Why so? Most Westerners run from even the talk of death. True, we cry at movies like Terms of Endearment when dying is unrealistically romanticized; we weep at funerals, cheer when the bad guys die on television, and shudder at newspaper accounts of catastrophes, though we soon get over it. But as for the thought of our own death, we avoid discussing it at all cost. We deny death because we are afraid of it. This fear is so deeply ingrained that it keeps us from being fully in the present. It takes attention to hold off death. We plan. We become anxious. We busy ourselves so we do not have to think about it. And we lose contact with present time and present place where wonder and joy–and not death—exist.   Introduction Mourning is a complex process in which the bereaved separate and detach themselves from loved ones who have died and replace them with new relationships. If the work of grieving is handled well, new ties can afford equivalent or greater satisfaction to needs formerly satisfied by lost relationships. On the other hand, if restitutive relationships are not established or are incapable of equivalent satisfaction, the process of mourning becomes diverted, remaining incomplete and in danger of becoming dysfunctional. Mourning is a stressful process. It takes its toll psychologically as well as physiologically. Dysfunctional grief is the root if an astonishingly high proportion of emotional, behavioral, addictive and psychosomatic disorders. The literature of psychotherapy is rich with case materials relating symptomatology to dysfunctional grief. In recent years, an increasing body of data has accumulated relating significant increases in the incidence of physical illness and death to populations experiencing the loss of spouse or other central family members. Parkes, Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life (1973), summarizes the results of a number of studies. He concludes that mourning is a powerful stressor, subjugating body and psyche to crushing pressures, which frequently cause mental and physical illness. A survey of studies on the psychological effects of childhood bereavement is found in Chapter 9 of Furman’s (1974) volume on childhood bereavement. These studies strongly suggest that childhood bereavement, even more than adult bereavement, can be a significant factor in the development of various forms of mental illness and adult maladjustment. Counseling the bereaved Counseling can shorten the period of unresolved grief, and it can increase the probability of establishing satisfactory replacement relationships. This help can be useful in preventing and minimizing the pathological outcome of bereavement. Those interested in primary prevention of mental illness see bereavement as a crucial area requiring further research and new services. This paper takes a look at this event in one’s life and the different ways by which academic and clinical psychologists identify ways of coping that facilitates coping during these traumatic events. This hopes to guide professionals in helping the bereaved by establishing theoretical and clinical benchmarks for assessing the individual situation. The bereavement counseling task is complex and emotionally draining. The novice counselor will find it difficult to translate theoretical formulations into successful clinical work without supervision. Authors Wortman and Cohen Silver pose the question on whether certain beliefs or assumptions about how people should react to the loss of a loved one that is prevalent to Western Cultures. Thus, to determine whether such assumptions exist, they then review some theoretical modes of reactions to loss such as Freud and Bowlby’s. Apparently, it was revealed that there are strong assumptions about the grieving process in Western society. The study also demonstrates that if counseling fore bereaved individuals is based on these erroneous assumptions, then it may ultimately prove unhelpful. Understanding bereavement Early in his clinical work with healthy and dysfunctional grief, the author concluded that a theoretical map to guide the clinician through the labyrinths of normal grief is a necessity. Without a baseline description of normal grief, it is difficult to distinguish factors that lead to pathology. The writings of Lindemann (1944), Glick, Weiss and Parkes (1974), and Parkes (1973), in particular, extended the author’s thinking about the phenomena of normal bereavement. The five-stage theory of a patient’s response to terminal illness, developed by Kubler-Ross (1969), made available a theoretical model for describing the bereavement process.

Muscular System Essay

The human muscular system is made up of over 600 connecting muscles. All of the muscles work together in sync to make your body move in several different ways. None of the body systems can work without muscles and your muscles can’t work without your other body systems so that means that all of your body systems need each other to work and make your body function correctly. Your muscles need protein, nutrients, and oxygen to move and work. Then the circulatory system carries those essential particles to your muscles from the digestive and respiratory systems. That is when your circulatory system carries the leftover waste back to the original systems to be discharged from your body. Your nervous system runs the whole show by telling your different systems to make this whole process happen Muscles Your muscles are made up of body tissue which consists of very very small fibers which make up your muscles and you also have ligaments which help your muscles move in the right way. Each of your muscles are responsible for their own special job. All of your muscles contract to provide motion when the brain sends a signal through the nervous system which are stimulants. These stimulants tell your muscles to move your arms, legs and other muscles move your eyelids and they all work in sync to make you walk and talk. There are some muscles in which you have no control over like the muscles in your internal organs like your heart, stomach, and other organs in all of your body systems. There are three different types of muscular tissues. There are the Smooth, the Skeletal, and the Cardiac muscular tissues. Smooth muscles are made of spindle-shaped cells. Smooth muscles are found in the skin, internal organs, reproductive system, major blood vessels, and excretory system. Skeletal muscles are composed of long fibers surrounded by a membranous sheath, the  sarcolemma. Since the Skeletal muscles are under control by whom ever they belong to are called voluntary muscles. This muscle is attached to two or more bones which are then attached to the skeleton by tendons. For example, head and neck muscles; contraction of these muscles produces facial expressions and head movements. They are also responsible for speech and swallowing. Skeletal muscles are the main muscles which move your body. Muscles nearly always work in coordinated groups; contraction of one muscle is accompanied by relaxation of another, while other muscles stabilize nearby joints. Then the last of the muscle types is the Cardiac Muscle or the involuntary muscles. Cardiac muscles are not under conscious control they do not react by a persons decision or movement. and are connected to the nervous system which are stimulated by autonomic impulses. Cardiac muscles are found in your internal organs like the heart or the intestine. For example; they include muscles that propel food through the intestine and those that control sweating and blood pressure. Muscles that are properly exercised react to stimuli quickly and powerfully. As a result of excessive use muscles may have an abnormal increase of an organ or tissue in the muscle cells. That is why if you work out at the gym your muscles become larger, but if you overwork your muscles they decrease sometimes to a fraction of its original size and becomes substantially weaker

Gay marriage should be legalized and accepted Essay

Gay marriage (also known as same-sex marriage) generally refer to the marriage between two people with same sex can be either both male or both female. Imagine this, you and your beloved person walking on the street, everyone look at you in a strange way and mumble about you. How will you feel? That is how homosexual people feel these days. Remember this, they are just human beings like us but have different sexual orientation and that is the one and only difference. They can feel pain, happiness, sadness and lost just like how we feel, both physically and psychologically. It is one of our liberties to pursue happiness, which homosexual people are not able to chase, because they cannot marry the person they love. Who give you the right to take away others’ happiness? The happiness which did not and will not harm you. Are you racist? Are you sexist? Reasonable people will know that discriminate against anyone for any reason is rude and uneducated. And denying same-sex marriage sends the message of it is acceptable to discriminate against them. Some people may say that the institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as between a man and a woman, and allowing gay marriage will weaken the institution of marriage. This is absolutely nonsense. To not to change the institution is like to tell the court to not to change the law even when the law does not fit the modern world anymore. Nowadays, everything is changing as time passing by, so why not the institution of marriage. The legalization of gay marriage will also make it easier for same-sex couple to adopt, and provide stable home for children who otherwise be left in orphanage which hardly makes kids feel like home. Even gay marriage will lead to children being raised in same-sex household that lots of people may refer as not an optimum environment because children need both mother and father. However, according to a research by University of Melbourne lead by Doctor Simon Crouch which surveyed 315 same-sex parents and 500 children. The research shows that children who were raised in same-sex parents scored an average of 6% higher then general population on both health and family cohesion. Clearly the evidence shows that the children who grown up in same-sex couple family won’t grow unhealthily, in fact sometimes it is even better for kids to gain more resilience, because all the kids need is no more than two loving parents. So how many lives should be ruined, how many happiness should be  taken away before we take actions?

Love and like (comparison and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love and like (comparison and contrast - Essay Example When someone loves someone, the former is overwhelmed with the thoughts of the latter. Love throws a curtain over the drawbacks of the beloved. The lover can only see the good qualities in the beloved. A mother loves her child. Even if the child is not very beautiful, he/she might be the most beautiful child to her mother among all the children in the world. A mother has so intense feelings for her children that she can even sacrifice her own life for her children. Such power only reflects in a relationship which is grounded in love. An individual may not have a very rational reason to love someone. Love just happens even; sometimes, even without a reason. To like is to appreciate someone. People like others because they see some qualities in them that they appreciate. They can tell others why they like someone. An individual does not necessarily have to get anything in return for liking someone. While liking is sufficient to cultivate friendship, it does not suffice to cultivate a marital relationship. On the other hand, love is too powerful a feeling to be between friends. While friendship is also a very important relationship and many people often use the word â€Å"love† to describe the feeling they have for their friends, yet it is often a misinterpretation and overstatement of the feeling. However, friends rarely have feelings of love for each other as well. Liking is a more suitable way of rationally judging an individual than love. Both words â€Å"love† and â€Å"like† are used in positive sense. Both words are the names of feelings. However, the two terms differ in that love demands sacrifice whereas liking does not. It is for the very reason that while a marriage can sustain when there is love, there are good chances of its breakage when there is only liking between the marital partners. People generally have more rational reasons to like others than they have to love others. To conclude, â€Å"love† and â€Å"like†

International business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

International business - Assignment Example This project covers all aspects of producing green cars. Starting with research, production of green cars and production of batteries the government wants to produce a network of battery charging stations throughout France. The government plans to provide 900 million Euros of the total investment announced in the form of state loans. By 2030 the green fuel car sector in France is projected to hold 27% of the market share and will be worth 15 billion Euros as per the ecology ministry projections (Boehm 2009). Thus, looking at these ambitious plans of the French government, France is the best country to collaborate with for hybrid car technology. China and France are completely opposite to each other as far as the cultural and institutional aspects are concerned. This difference is reflected in their management style also. Starting with the demographics, the population of China is more than 1.3 billion while that of France is around 63 million. Because of high population the Chinese government has made laws to restrict the growth and also generate a population which is hardworking and devoted. Thus, all people in China voluntarily seek for employment as unemployment is seen as a social stigma. In contrast to this, French people enjoy the social security provided by their government. Hence, they are more secure as far as unemployment benefits are concerned. This reflects in their way of working as they are not always driven by the need to keep their jobs. The basic difference between the two countries lies in their government set up. China is a socialist republic while France is a capitalist and democratic country. If we look at their religious and social setup, we can see that Chinese people are more religion oriented and also believe in taking care of old. Because of the vastness of population, there are many religions in China. The old generation of China is the responsibility of

Development of Bio Materials for 3-Dimensional Printing Research Paper

Development of Bio Materials for 3-Dimensional Printing - Research Paper Example Prototyping Procedures In general, rapid prototyping (RP) is defined as the process of building or fabrication a physical part, layer by layer directly from its 3-dimensional computer aided design model (Choi and Samavedam, 2001). RP is also known in another term such as layer manufacturing, direct CAD manufacturing, solid freeform fabrication and rapid prototyping and manufacturing (RPM). From these several terms for RP it can be drawn that its basic principle is actually â€Å"additive manufacturing.† It is because the 3D object is being formed by building layer by layer through adding, depositing or solidifying one or more materials in a horizontal layer-wise process (Heynick and Stotz, 2006). Lam et al (2002) described the rapid prototyping (RP) as â€Å"the process of creating three dimensional (3D) objects through repetitive deposition and processing of material layers using computer-controlled equipment †¦ based on the 2D cross-sectional data obtained from slicing a computer-aided design (CAD) model,† (49). ...   The whole model is completed by printing successive 2D profiles on a fresh layer of powder. The profiles of each layer are joined using the printed binder and completed after the removal of the unbound powder and this has been used extensively for the fabrication of drug delivery devices (Wu et al, 1996). Tissue engineers soon caught up and started using 3DP to design and fabricate scaffolds (Wu et al, 1996). Developments include the use of the technology combined with salt leaching technique to fabricate polymeric scaffolds using copolymers of polylactide-coglycolide (PLGA, 85L:15G) and a suitable solvent. Cylindrical scaffolds (F O 8X7 mm) and managed to achieve interconnected porous channels of about 800 ?m and microporosities of 45–150 ?m by using salt leaching. They were able to attach large numbers of hepatocytes on the scaffolds. In a study that investigated cellular reactions to pore size and void fractions based on 3DP fabricated scaffolds, cell proliferation was observed on the scaffolds but varied between cell types and the experimental parameters. The scaffolds used in the experiment had varying pore sizes of 38–150 ?m and void fractions 75% and 90% (Zeltinger et al, 2001). RP is far different from traditional fabrication because this technology is only possible through the aid of the computer which controls all the mechanical system in fabricating 3D objects. Traditional fabrication technique could include solvent casting, gas foaming, fiber bonding/ meshes, phase separation, melt molding, emulsion freeze drying, solution casting, and freeze drying.

Culture and Diversity in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Culture and Diversity in Latin America - Essay Example Much of what is now taken as their culture originated from the Portuguese and the Spaniards who conquered the land. Their colonization blurred and made complicated the cultural and racial mixture that existed at the time. A great diversity within followed with the influences of other European countries, Africans and Indians being ingrained in both the culture and the language. In order to organize the diversity created by their stay, the Spaniards formed hierarchies with the varying ethnic groups through ranking. This did not sit well with many writers and artists whose feelings for the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors are quite ambivalent. Said racial hierarchies are still present and is in fact still very strong during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thought the media, the arts and other intellectuals, e.g., writers and artists, the Latin American identities are reshaped particularly those of the people with the mixed racial background and the indigenous Africans. The interplay of various cultures from different countries played a huge part in forming the Latin American culture. This is what is represented by Chapter 14 of the book. It made mention of the the â€Å"Colossus of the North†, no other than the United States, which had an effect especially on the cultural production of the region in the 20th century. It also discussed the ironic fact that Brazilian modernism relied on the European nations for its inspiration yet argued that its own artists should be able to create artwork that is uniquely Brazilian. Also in the 20th century, the communist parties in the Latin American region, instead of gaining notoriety, gained much appeal to many artists. All these facts as written in the subject chapter brought to light what made up the culture that the Latin Americans have and why though diversity is present.

Housekeeping and Mrs. Dalloway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Housekeeping and Mrs. Dalloway - Essay Example Robinson’s first words are: â€Å"my name is Ruth. I grew up with my younger sister, Lucille, under the care of my grandmother, Mrs. Sylvia Foster, and when she died, of her sisters-in-law, Misses Lily and Nona Foster, and when they fled, of her daughter, Mrs. Sylvia Fisher† (Robinson, p. 3). The choice of introductory sentence is extremely telling as, apart from establishing this work as a female-centric narrative, it draws up a picture of a female-dominated world. Its blatant and explicit exclusion of reference to any males may be interpreted as a direct challenge to dominant patriarchal systems. Indeed, it is even reminiscent of the exclusively-male genealogies outlined in the Bible, starting with the Book of Genesis. Within the context of the stated, the opening line may be interpreted as the narrative’s own genesis, the genesis of a matriarchal, as opposed to patriarchal, world. Patriarchy versus matriarchy is carried through in the novel’s expression of the themes of grief and loss. The protagonist, Ruth, has evidently lost both mother and father but the loss of the father and his absence is passed over as inconsequential, while the loss of the mother gives the novel its impetus. Ruth is aware of the extent to which her mother’s loss has affected her and refers to the resultant grief as a â€Å"predatory thing,† a feeling which gnaws at her and deprives her of her very sense of self (p. 198). Her grandmother’s death, her â€Å"drowning in air† (p. 164) is recalled and with it her mother’s physical drowning; her abandonment by Misses Lily and Nona are told; and her sister’s departure/abandonment, cuts through her very soul like a knife but, never is her father’s death/abandonment/loss touched upon. This clearly indicates that the world of this novel is a solidly matriarchal one in which males are, if g ranted any place at all, marginalized, semi-invisible and

AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AIRPORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example According to London City Airport (2006: 10), LCA Master Plan indicates that the airport is in a position of accommodating 8 million passengers up to 2030. This is anticipated to occur in line with continued support of London growth, and meeting the increment in the demand for business travel. Moreover, the LCA Master Plan illustrates that the airport focuses on maintaining good neighbourhood with local citizens and environmental record. In addition, the plan illustrates that the airport will maintain its operational hours of closing at night during weekdays, and operating 24 hours during weekends (London City Airport 2006: 10). Further, the Master Plan claims that the airport will neither create another runway nor will it host larger aeroplanes. As such, the airport focuses on achieving its growth through maximization of its runway, creation of better facilities, and improving flight occupancy for passengers. Finally, LCA Master Plan indicates that passenger growth will increase duri ng the Olympic Games and employment opportunities will be created through the implementation of the Master Plan (London City Airport 2006: 10). The purpose of LCA Master Plan is to indicate the growth potential of the airport up to 2030 (London City Airport 2006: 10). The Master Plan was prepared in response to 2003 government requirement on White Paper that all UK airports have to develop Master Plans, which indicate growth in response to passenger demand. As such, LCA Master Plan indicates how to optimize on the current runways without a need of constructing new runways. In addition, LCA Master Plan reflects White Paper principles, as well as how the airport intends to make objectives outlined in the Master Plan a reality. LCA Master Plan illustrates how the airport intends to have a growth of 8 million passengers by 2030, minimize noise, and maintain environmental sustainability (London

An analysis of the influence of technology on contemporary interior architecture Essay Example for Free

An analysis of the influence of technology on contemporary interior architecture Essay The analysis of the articles is based on the influence of technology on interior architecture education and of employer’s expectations in the interior design industry. This also addresses the issues faced by interior designers in today’s world and how technology is hindering/fostering their creativity. Talking about the article on â€Å"Technology Changing the Face of the Modern Fit out†, it addresses a strong point of how the interior design industry was never considered as a crucial part of the industry and was dealt with a stereotype attitude that interior designers dealt only with the part of â€Å"decorating† the space until technology gained importance. Technology has now given a 180-degree turn to the industry because of which the industry has finally started gaining the deserved recognition. The underlying point in the article â€Å" is technology hindering or fostering the creativity in interior design†, although is on similar lines like the above mentioned article about the positive aspects of technology, it also talks about the pitfall side of technology on the industry. Their argument is supported with an example cited of a professor from a state university of how although he accepts that the technology has given the students, the most innovative platform to communicate their design ideas, somewhere down the lane, the students who are the prospective interior designers are lacking the basic creative skills and hand drafting techniques. â€Å"Interior Designers’ Perceptions of the Influence †¨of Technology on Workplace Performance† article gives us a different perspective of the influence of technology and how it caters to the interior designers. The statement is supported by examples cited by employees from the industry who have been interviewed of how 2D and 3D software have enabled the designers to get their work done in reduced time in comparison to how it was in the past. It also talks about what the expectations of the employers from new hires are , 2 which includes being efficient in 2D and 3D software which will enable them to be proficient in expressing their design ideas. The other side of the coin is that it is hindering the employers in certain ways. This point is well supported by examples they cite of how in case if the computer crashes the students are unable to come up with a hand made drawing ready for a meeting. The over dependence on the computer has led to this state where the new graduates are finding it tough to inculcate sketching and hand drafting although their competent computer skills enable them to complete a design project in no time. The articles that we have looked at firmly state that the influence of technology has its pros and cons. The use of technology has catered to designers in various ways in terms of the time factor, design output etc. But the basic thing we have to understand is every opportunity has both sides. So technology is definitely fostering the designers but having said that it is better that we don’t become over dependent on it that it hinders our creative and innovative skills of designing. 3 Works Cited (Melinda Lyon 2009) (Moore 2011) (TAUTE 2005) Melinda Lyon, Shiretta Ownbey, Mihyun Kang. International Journal of Instructional Technology and distance learning. January 2009. http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_09/article07.htm (accessed August 2013). Moore, Tim. Design Build Source. October 05, 2011. http://designbuildsource.com.au/technology- ­Ã¢â‚¬ changing- ­Ã¢â‚¬ modern- ­Ã¢â‚¬ fitout (accessed August 28, 2013). TAUTE, MICHELLE. IIDA. 2005. http://www.iida.org/content.cfm/compass- ­Ã¢â‚¬ vs- ­Ã¢â‚¬  computer (accessed August 28, 2013).

The Nhs Quality Standards Health And Social Care Essay

The Nhs Quality Standards Health And Social Care Essay The Quality Standards for Health and Social Care set out the standards that people can expect from Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS). In developing these standards, this report aims to discuss the quality of services and to improve the health and social wellbeing of the people of UK. (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, March 2006). At the heart of these standards are key service user and carer values including dignity, respect, independence, rights, choice and safety. The recent NHS Next Stage Review (England, 2008) outlined a number of initiatives designed to improve the measurement and monitoring of quality within the NHS. In the other UK countries, despite a reduced focus on market mechanisms to incentivise quality, data which helps others understand the patient experience and the quality of care delivered by the multidisciplinary team still remains an important theme. (RCN position statement, Publication no: 003 535, 2010). The measurement and communication of health and social care quality therefore requires assessment of key and consensual variables that reflect the breadth and complexity of health care. Engaging with multiple stakeholders to identify core elements of health and social care quality is essential to this process (See Figure 1) (Soane DM and Silber JH 2003). Figure-1 Health Care Environment Setting System Regulation. What is Quality? The quality of technical care consists in the application of medical science and technology in a way that maximizes its benefits to health without correspondingly increasing its risks. The degree of quality is, therefore, the extent to which the care provided is expected to achieve the most favourable balance of risks and benefits (Avedis Donabedian, M.D., 1980). As matter of fact, one cannot assure of guarantee quality only increase the probability that care good, or better because quality cant be guaranteed, many my-self included have criticized the term assurance. (A.Donabedian R. Bashshur, 2003). Quality is an umbrella for continuous staff and organization development using new methods, an equal emphasis on specification and measurement as an attitudes and relationships. It also building on good practices as well as introducing new procedure raising satisfaction at the same time reducing costs and increasing productivity. (J.Ovretveit, 1992). Definition of quality is different from many others according to Maxwell (1984), accessibility, relevance to need, equity, social acceptability, efficiency and effectiveness. But here is something missed which is central to the quality which is customers responsiveness and what customers want. Fully meeting customer requirements or the totality of futures and characteristics stated of implied needs (BSI, 1990). The most comprehensive and perhaps the simplest definition of quality is that used by advocates of total quality management doing the right thing right, right away.(Quality Assurance Project, Lori DiPrete Brown, 2010). Quality is proper performance (according to standards) of interventions that are known to be safe, that are affordable to the society in question, and that have the ability to produce an impact on mortality, morbidity, disability, and malnutrition. -M.I. Roemer and C. Montoya Aguilar, WHO, 1988 According to Roemer, M.I., (1998) the most comprehensive and conceivably the simplest definition of quality is that used by advocates of total quality management: .Doing the right thing right, right away. Quality frame Work: As health and social care quality is, by necessity, a multi-factorial and broad ranging concept, the definition, measurement and communication of quality in health and social care should involve multiple stakeholders. (RCN position statement, 2010). In health care, quality assurance has been meant to apply predominantly, or even exclusively to health and social care practitioner (A.Donabedian, 2003). However discrepant views between the different stakeholders, ranging from service users (the public, patients and carers) to service providers (nurses, allied health professionals and clinicians) and commissioners of health and social care, exist with regards to the definition and prioritisation of quality issues (Leatherman and Sutherland, 2008, Campbell et al., 2002). Many authorities and organisations in the UK and elsewhere have chosen to adopt an off the shelf performance improvement model or tool in order to help them manage strategically and deliver against the national modernisat ion agenda. (Review of Performance Improvement Models and Tools, 2006). These are the Investor in People, ISO9001:2000 quality system and Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO) etc. On the other hand there are many other approaches and tools available on the market and the choice which to use can be a difficult one. Investor in People: Over 34,000 UK organisations are recognised as Investors in People employing around 27% of the UK workforce. Investors in People provide a straightforward, proven framework for delivering business improvement through people. 73% of Captains of Industry working with recognised Investors in People organisations believe that working with the framework leads to increased productivity.  79% of employers recognised with the Investors in People Standard say it helps all types of organisations adapt to change and growth'(Ipsos Mori Tracking study 2008). Figure: The Investors in People Standard There are three principles of Investor in People to which an organisations key indicators and to work towards have donate to and It is the reflects of business planning cycle (plan, do, review) for following and implement in their own planning cycle structure it obvious for organisations .The structure is based on three main principles: Plan -development to improve the performance of the organisation. Do -to improve the performance of the organisation they take necessary step/action. Review assess the impact of its investment in people on the performance of the organisation. Organisations perform better when their employees have clear goals and are supported by human resource (HR) practices Investors in People recognised organisations have greater human capital flexibility. This denotes to alter their behaviour, to cope with changing workplace circumstances or practices in practice are employees in Investors in People organisations are more capable. Including doing poles apart jobs and acclimatizing to new ways of working with the Investors in People Standard has a positive contact on novelty of a greater willingness to gain new skills. People acknowledgment is more expected to have high levels of service and product innovation effectual communication has a straight and positive result on profitability of Organisations that have Investors. By the learning to have a positive effect on communication inside an organisation and therefore a collision on profitability, assessed by profit margin and profit per employee is shown for Investors in People standing. (Institute for Employment Studies, 2008). The whole process is driven by your needs as a customer. Investors in People specialist will establish with organisational priorities and goals are at the start and then identify the most relevant parts of the framework for your organisation and its particular needs. Through the assessment process Investors in People specialist will provide feedback and advice on the areas of achievement and where there is room for development and Continual support which is personal, practical and flexible in the form of visits, online tools such as the business improvement tool IIP Interactive. Relationship with the Investors in People specialist is enhanced and their input is even more consultative (IIP, 2010). ISO9001:2000 quality system: ISO 9001:2000 is the global standard and come up for quality management systems. The standard mainly focuses on the management of processes and documentation work in order to meet customers needs and expectations. The standard originated in the UK in 1976 as BS 5750. It later evolved to ISO9001 and was revised in 2000 to ISO9001:2000. The nature and reduced documentation requirements of the latest edition of the standard have significantly increased its applicability to the public sector. (ISO: 9000, 2010) The technical committee (TC) 176 developed a series of international standards for quality systems, which were first published in 1987. The standards (ISO 9000.9001, and 9004) were intended to be advisory and were developed for use in two-party contractual situation and internal auditing. However with their adoption by the European community (EC) and a worldwide emphasis on quality and economic competitiveness, the standards have become universally accepted (Besterfield, D. H. 2007). ISO 9001:2000 Quality management systems (QMS)- requirements in the standard used for registration by demonstrating conformity of the QMS to customers, regulatory, and the organizations own requirements (Besterfield, D. H. 2007). The mark is a public demonstration that the organisations quality system has been assessed and is internationally recognised. Once an organisation has gained ISO9001:2000 status it will be visited at regular intervals each year to ensure the standard is maintained. Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO): Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO) is an off-the-shelf quality assurance system. It was first developed in 1997, which offers a practical step-by-step and designed specifically for use within voluntary and community sector organisations to improve the way organization runs and to help them to improve the quality of their services (PQASSO 3rd edition 2008). It provides a stage approach to working out what an organisation is doing well and what could be improved and approach to implementing 3 qualities through levels of achievement'(Proveandimprove 2010). Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO) is a quality assurance system that was produced by the Charities Evaluation Service (CES) specifically for small and medium sized voluntary and community sector organisations (PMMI 2006). It aims to help organisations to set priorities for the future to improve their performance. Charities Evaluation Services (CES) has also designed a CD-ROM to complement the work pack and make the self-assessment process more manageable. PQASSO covers twelve standard quality areas, which organisations should address in order to operate efficiently and achieve good results. The twelve areas are: Planning for quality Governance 3. Management 4. User-centred service 5. Staff and volunteers 6. Training and development 7. Managing money 8. Managing resources 9. Managing activities 10. Networking and partnerships 11. Monitoring and evaluation 12. Results Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations (PQASSO) is currently a self assessment tool although the CES are looking at building peer review into the approach. The system is very flexible and is designed to be worked through over a period of time anything from 12 months to several years. Its focuses strongly outcomes, and helps you to measure the differences to any organization and users that come about by planning and implementing improvements. Organization also can choose to work towards the externally assessed PQASSO quality mark. Especially any small or medium-sized organisation without any paid members of staff or organisations with one or two members of staff can use Quality First. The PQASSO quality mark validates an organizations progress made through self assessment, and it will be cost between  £1,055 to  £1,200 depending on the size of your organization [Islington Voluntary Action Council (IVAC), 2010]. It is a good starting point for organisations tha t are unfamiliar with quality tools. According to Paton (2003), suggests that organizations which allow plenty of time to engage properly in the PQASSO process are more likely to gain significant organisational benefits. However research conducted by Aston Business School (2004) advises funders of the critical importance of allowing and encouraging VCOs to make informed choices about quality systems. Health and Social care Quality standard in UK: In the UK governments White Paper A First class service: Quality in the NHS clinical governance is defined as a framework through which NHS organizations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services safeguarding high standards of care by creating an environment in which excellence in clinical care flourish (DoH, 1998). There are numerous concepts and theories associated with ever-increasing base of knowledge on the subject of quality assurance, so much so that it was difficult to choose which to develop. There are many definitions of the term quality assurance written by people who have researched the subject thoroughly (Diana N.T. Sale 2000). Quality assurance is the measurement of the actual level of the service provided plus the efforts to modify when necessary the provision of these service in the light of the results of the measurement (Williamson, 1979). In Britain, the 1990 government NHS reform put quality on the agenda for the first time (DoH 1989). A standard is a level of quality against which performance can be measured. It can be described as essential- the absolute minimum to ensure safe and effective practice, or developmental, designed to encourage and support a move to better practice. The Quality Standards for Health and Social Care, which is contained in this document, is classed as essential. Given the rapidly changing environment in which the HPSS operates, it is important that standards do not become outdated or serve to stifle innovation. To prevent this, standards need to be regularly reviewed and updated. It will be the Departments responsibility, drawing on the best evidence available, including advice, reports and/or information from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), to keep the quality standards under consideration, with a formal review being completed by the end of 2008. In recent years under the rubric of total quality management it has become popular to include in the idea of quality assurance almost every function or activity a health care organization (A.Donabedian, 2003). It is reasonable to say that the quality of the environment of health care, including the managerial activities in it, have an influence of the quality of care- either directly, by influencing the performance of practitioner or indirectly, by influencing the convenience, comfort, or safety patients(Berwick, D.M., 1989). Conclusion: Some believe that quality in health care is too abstract and nebulous a concept to precisely defined or objectively measured and one cannot assure or guarantee quality. One only increases probability that will be good or better (A.Donabedian, 2003). Quality cannot be guaranteed, many, included myself, it criticized the term assurance. It suggested alternatives have been improvement or, better still continuous improvement, terms meant to remind us that no given level of quality can be fully satisfactory; one should always try to do even better, progressing to ever higher level of goodness (Berwick, D. 1989). Quality if care is the responsibility of everyone involved in health care and it has never been more important than it is today. Setting and monitoring standards of care and quality assurance are separate issues, although they are sometimes discussed as though they are same (Diana N.T. Sale 2000 p.34-38). Standard must be evidence based and dynamic always moving, always changing to ensure or improve the quality of patient care rather than just a paper exercise.

Information Management and Systems

Information Management and Systems It is defined as the discipline that covers several applications including people,procedures and technologies.these a ppliocations aree collectively reffered to as information systems. Information Systems Management (ISM) are distinct from the normal information systems in the sense that they are capable of analyzing other information sytems that are apllied in operational activities of an organization.It is a planned system of perfoming collection,storingand dissemination of data in the form of the required information for carrying out necessary management functions. In the academic world the term is used to refer to,a group of information management methods twined to the automation of human decision making.Such systems include;Expert Systems,excecutive information Systems and Decicion Support Systems. ISM includes the application of Information Technology in support of major functions and activities in an organization or institution.ISM supports processes of:Storage,collection,manipulation,utilization and distribution of information resources of an organization.Manual processes are also included in an information system.This term is used as a synonym for information that are computer-based. Information systems will often deal with dockets such as use,development and management of an organizations information technology infrastructure. It includes systems that are not intended for decision making Currently the focus of companies has shifted from product oriented to information oriented.this means that there is more competition in process and innovation,by market operators, rather than product.There is much emphasis on the production process and services that accompanies the process of production. One of the most valued asset of a company is its information. This calls for a very strong information infrastructure.Therefore the study of information systems is keen on why and how technology can be put into excellent use in service to information flow within an organization. A great majority of information systems are developed for people. This peole employ the same in various areas including functional areas such as;human resource,marketing,finance,accounting etc.ISM professionals require a strong mixture of both technical and business knowledge for them to develop an information system that meets the needs of an organization. They must understand organizations objectives,its structures,operations and financial implications that are relative to these factors.Good understanding of these factors will give the ISM professionals a good base for effective communication with users before designing systems that will support their needs.It is also a good attribute of an ISM manager or professional to be updated with the evolving information technologies.They should posses a strong foundation of technical skills so as to select appropriate technologies and implementation of computer based information system. OVERVIEW In the current workplace,it is definite that technology works both effectively and reliably. ISM professionals have a key role in implementing technology within organizations. Infomation Systems Managers plan,network,and direct research and facilitate all computer related duties of firms.They are functional in determining both business and technical goals during consultation with the top management.They make detailed plans in accomplishing these goals.They give directions to other computer related workers e.g computer programmers, system analysts etc.They also aid in planning and coordinating activities like installation and upgrading of hardware and software,developing computer networks,implementation of internet and intranet sites and systems designing.They are involved with upkeep,security and mantainance of networks.They have a role in analyzing the computer and information needs of the organizations they work with from a strategic and operational persp[ective.Hence determining the longrange personnel and equipment requirements.Their duties also include assigning and reviewing their surbodinates work.They are also supposed to ensure that their organiza tions do not lag behind competitors. INFORMATION NEEDS End users of a system have different information needs depending on what he/she is trying to find,why she/he is trying to find and when she/he is trying to find the information.An example is the design of a staff directory,where there is an assumption that most users will be able to perfoam known item searching.Thet the user knows exactly what he is looking for,e.g Kerrys phone number.He has necessary terms to articulate the need,e.g he knows Kerrys second name is Brown and thats what he will search under.And finally he knows that that staff directory exists and that its the right place to look. Identification of information needs is important in designing an information system and to the provision of relative information services.For effective identification of information needs one has to identify the different methods for gathering information on various factors influencing those needs.A selection depending on the needs of the user is necessary.A step by step procedure is necessary in identifying information needs of most users.a careful analysis is to be made to distinguish the actual needs from the data gathered. The information needs identifierwill be able to discover, as a bye product, several ideas, tools, methods and techniques of satisfying the users in meeting their needs.At present,insufficient self sufficiency constitutes information needs. These information needs represent vacuums in the current knowledge of the enduser. Besides the expressed or articulated needs, there exists unexpressed needs which the user is aware of but will not like to express. The other category of need is the dormant need which the user is not aware of. But the information services provider might be able to bring to light these needs . A need is specific.It is generally time bound,either immediate or deferred.Information provided for a need will be used.Information provided may also be used or may not be used. Information needs depend on: Area of interest Hierarchical position of individuals work activity need to take a decision Availability of facilities. Need to seek new ideas Motivation factors for information needs Need to establish priority for recovery etc Information needs are also affected by a variety of factors including: The consequences of information Range of information sources available Background,professional,motivational orientation Uses of which information will be used. The social, political, economic, legal and regulatory systems surrounding the user Information needs identification is also somewhat a complex process. Some of the factors rendering it complex include: Original documents needed by researchers Individual preferences and behavioural aspects add a further dimension. Same information is perceived differently by users Information is put to different uses Need is satisfied by having access to the identified information in a particular package and form, and at a suitable time The flow of information and channels of communication are complex and add to the complexity The main steps in the process of identifying information needs is shown below: Studying the subject(s) of interest to the organization and or User(s Studying the organisation and its environs Studying the immediate environment of the User(s) Studying the User(s) Performing a formal interview Identifying and recording of the information needs Analysing and refining the identified information needs. Preparation for identifying information needs A very undefined situation is faced maybe only by the information professionals. They are unable to prescribe the required information to their clientele in the way the other professionals like physicians prescribe.Such prescriptions have a final say and authority, and which are embraced by the clients.Prescription is authoritative mainly because the clients of physicians and other professionals are seeking advice in a field which they themselves are ignorant of. But the clients of information professionals are more often specialists in the areas they seek information and professional advice. The main reason why there are difficulties experienced by the information professionals in distinguishing the wishes or the desires from the actual needs of the users . Therefore the information professional has to prepare himself/ herself in such a way as to create confidence in the users about his/ her professional capabilities. It will also be important if the investigation of information nee ds is to be successful, it is above all good to bear in mind that the person chosen to be the information needs identifier will need to be acceptable at all levels of users and have credibility. most guidelines in the form of a step by step procedure to identify information needs is presented incorporating the steps to be taken by the information system adentifier to equip himself/ herself for this investigative work. Study of subjects An information needs identifier must study the subjects of interest to the organization,users, and identify the central, peripheral and supporting areas.The result of such a study would produce a handbook on the subject to guide further work of identifying the information needs. This handbook is not a technical manual for technical personnel but a handy tool for the information professional. Such a handbook would present a birds eye view of the subject giving the following : Definitions of the subject concerned, collected from different authoritative sources bringing out the similarities and differences; scope of the subject giving definitions and scope of divisions and subdivisions; scope of the subjects that are tool subjects applicable to the subject concerned for its development; and scope of the subject in terms of the areas/subjects where the subject concerned is applied for their development. The different types of classification of the subject concerned including special subject classifications, taxonomic classifications, general document classifications, and vocabulary control tools such as thesaurus. The historical development of the subject giving the landmarks (significant contributions) under the broad divisions and subdivisions; the trend of research in the subject concerned as revealed in review documents marking out the broad areas in which current researches are in progress; and the trend of education and training in the subject concerne d. The important sources of information such as documentary sources , institutional sources and human sources; and the information transfer process among the users of information on the subject. After carrying out such a study of subject the Information Needs Identifier becomes confident enough to continue the work of identifying the information needs as he is exposed to the technical terminology and structure of the subject. Study the organization and its environment This is the second step in studying the organisation and its environment and preparing a profile for the organisation. Here, it is helpful for the information need identifier to know the type of the organisation for example, whether it is a corporate office, business or industrial enterprise and also differentiate whether it is public sector or private sector government or non government organisation, profit making or not for profit organisation, so as to identify the different types and styles of management and decision making processes which have a bearing on the information needs. As for this purpose, the information need identifier has to study the overall objectives, functions and the factors that affect the functions of the organisation concerned. Hence the organizations chart, the functions/ activities chart, annual reports, project reports, internal reports and other publications of the organisation would have to be studied. It will be of benefit to the information need ident ifier to attend special training courses/ orientation programmes usually organised for the benefit of new employees/ entrants/ management trainees by the organisation. The training courses are usually in the form of a series of lectures by senior personnel in the organisation spread over a period of three to six months. It would cover all subjects relating to the work of the organisation the basic scientific and technical background and detailed aspects of the engineering and technology of production. Further the participants would be taken to the different divisions of the organisation for observation and practical knowledge of the different items of work. Further, the environment in which the organisation works and its impact would have to be analysed. An information need identifier may have to study the super ordinate organisation, its objectives, functions etc., forming the environment and the factors that may affect the particular organisation concerned. Incase of a national organisation, then the countrys political, social, economical and technological environment having a bearing on the organisation as well as government regulatory environment would have to be taken note of. Study of the users specific environment At this point, it may be necessary to define in an ordely manner, the category of users whose information needs are to be identified. The Information need identifier must get himself well acquainted with the department of the individual user before conducting any actual interview with the user for the identification of his/her information needs. Most of the aspects to be covered in this study are: History of the concerned department, its objectives and functions. Organisational structure. Details of products and/ or processes of manufacture and/ or research. Details of plant, machinery, equipment, testing and other facilities. Scope of each discernible activity of the department. Information flow in the functioning of the department. Present sources of information and the channels and media used in the departments. Types of information services being used in the departments. Specific subjects on which information is being sought including type of information and kind of presentation required. Recent significant events and problems solved and the way they are solved including specific information used in solving the problems. Any other items of interest such as on going projects, training programmes etc., in the unit. Some of the sources that are to be studied for this purpose include the monthly/ quarterly/ annual reports by and on the department/ unit and its functions, minutes of meetings on and by the department/ unit, progress reports, project reports, all investigation/ review reports, performance reports, correspondence, proposals by and on the department, records of equipment, machinery and other facilities etc. It may be necessary for the INI to spend sufficient time in the users department to understand and acquaint himself with the working of the department, its organisational set up, the various activities etc., and thereby understand the situation in which the user is operating. This understanding will help the INI to easily correlate the users information needs in relation to his environment/ situation and enable the INI to grasp what the user is intending to communicate during any future interview with the user. Study of the user Users often tend to classify their wants/ interests into fragmented shopping lists, whereas their true needs may only be identified from a greater understanding of the user as a person . Therefore,emphasis should be placed on the basic needs of the individual as person . As such, it is essential that information need identifier should attempt to perceive the users problems as holistically as possible. If this is acceptable, then the expression of the information need ceases to be scientifically impersonal objective entity and becomes an expression which cannot be fully communicated apart from the user. Therefore, the next step, after the study of the users environment, is to study each of the individual users. Users are individuals. Nevertheless, in designing information systems, it is useful to classify groups of users. In relation to a specific existing or planned information facility, at least four different types of users can be distinguished .. Potential user; the one who needs information which might be provided by specific services of the information facility. Expected user; the one who is known to have the intent of using certain information services (subscriber to a specific information service such as an abstracting service). Actual User; the one who has actually used an information service regardless of whether any advantage was derived from it or not. Beneficiary; the one who derives measurable advantage from information services. Turning a potential user into an actual user and into a beneficiary should of course be the aim of planners, designers and operators of information systems. Users may be further classified into the following broad functional groups : Top Management which is responsible for policy making, strategic/ long range planning regarding mergers, acquisitions, capitals, new product lines. Scientists responsible for research, innovation, technical know how generation etc. Middle Management responsible for solving problems and making decisions required to fulfill the goals and implement policies set up by the top management. Supervisors responsible for ensuring that the products and services are produced on time, within the cost and quality level set. Operating Personnel / Technicians responsible for routine operations. Moreover, in an organisation setting, a user may play different specific work roles in performing his duties and in carrying out his functions and responsibilities. Some of the specific roles managers play, for instance include : Team Leader Liaison Monitor/ Controller Disseminator Spokesman Trouble shooter Resource allocator Resource Seeker Negotiator Decision Maker. Some of the communication activities of a manager and the percentage of events for each of the activities are given below: Receiving information, facts 27.8 % Receiving request for information, facts 8.0 % Receiving request for action 5.1 % Receiving request for approval 1.1 % Receiving opinion 0.7 % Receiving request for opinion 0.4 % Receiving applications for positions 0.4 % Receiving invitation 0.4 % Giving information, facts 12.1 % Giving opinions 0.7 % Giving instructions 0.7 % Seeking information, facts 9.2 % Requesting action 3.3 % Seeking opinion 0.4 % Checking and signing documents 6.6 % Circulating and moving documents 2.6 % Making notes and writing 1.5 % Interviewing 1.1 % Discussing interviewees 0.7 % Introducing speaker 0.4 % Participating in decision making 0.4 % Delaying response 0.4 % General discussion, meetings 12.8 % Complex events 1.8 % Others 1.5 % Further an individual may form a node in the following three directions of information flow in the organisation: Communicating down the line which is basically of five types : Giving job instructions and specific task directives. Job rationale information that is designed to produce understanding of the task and its relation to other organisational tasks. Information about organizational procedures and practices. Feedback to the subordinate about their performance. Indoctrination of goals information of an ideological character to inculcate a sense of mission. Communicating upward which may be reduced to what people say: about themselves, their performance and their problems; about others and their problems; about organisational policies and practices; and about what needs to be done and how. Horizontally communicating with colleagues in the same hierarchical level. A user, in his professional capacity, is in continuous interaction with: his culture that sets values and policies, and other influences and attitude. formal organisations such as his employing organization. invisible colleges, gate keepers as a type of reference group sufficiently distinguished by its membership criteria and communication patterns to warrant separate identification. the political system that can promote or inhibit activity and information flow. the legal and economic systems that impose legal and financial restraints on access to information. his work team, a sub system of the organisation that is distinguished because of interpersonal characteristics. himself, that is his cognitive system, motivations, attitudes etc formal information systems such as libraries and information centres. membership groups like professional societies that control information channels reference group made up of individuals having similar specialisation or interests but who are not necessarily in the same membership groups. Users who find themselves in such complex situations may have to be studied using a combination of various direct and indirect methods. Direct methods of user study are: Personal informal contacts with the user. Observing the user while at discussion with his colleagues; Survey using questionnaire Dialogue with the user while rendering information services to him/her Observing the user at his work spot (office, laboratory, factory, group meeting etc.) Interviewing the user, his supervisors, his subordinates, his personal secretary/assistant or his colleagues of co ordinate status. Observing the user while using information sources and services. Observing the user while giving a lecture/demonstration etc. Indirect methods include: Study of diary record of activities/ functions/ events maintained by the user. Study of citations received by the users publications Study of citations/ references given in the users publications Study of papers, books etc., published by the user Study of job description of the user Analysis of users response/ feedback to information services Analysis of reference queries received from the user Study of documents used by the user Analysis of the patents, designs etc., held by the user Scanning correspondence and reports prepared and received by the user Advantages of direct observation are that the information need identifier comes in direct and personal contact with the user in a dialogue, interview or discussion and that it provides an opportunity for observing the users in their normal environment. Therefore direct observation provides information on the personality and behaviour pattern of the user in different action situations. A disadvantage of the direct observation is that it so much depends on the observers own capability and adequacy in carrying out such observational studies. Inadequacies may come up in professional attainments, ability in communicating, maturity, tact and knowledge of and skill in carrying out an observational studies. It is also necessary to note that the inferences drawn from the observations may have incidence of subjective element of the observer. The analysis and inferences from indirect studies are based on the work done by the users which is based on serious thought on their part and is not merely some kind of off hand ad hoc statements.Therefore the records of users is adequate in providence of a more reliable indication of his/her subject interests, level of understanding, orientation, up to date in the subject and the skill to express ideas in writing for communication with peers. These studies also provide adequate time for analysis.The data collected is about a situation at a point in time and in a particular context which is to be extrapolated to a dynamic changing situation.Users are a living, developing beings, working in a system which itself is subjected to constant change.Few methods of study of users are discussed below: Preliminary survey of users. To begin with it is very useful to start with a survey of users.key attributes of a user may be grouped as follows: Subject interest Normal field of specialisation Specific topics of interest within the field of specialisation Subjects closely related to the above Academic background and orientation Educational background Professional background Background of research, developmental activity, management activity etc. Psychological attributes, particularly Temperament Reception and communication of ideas Attitudes towards professional team mates, colleagues, etc., in the organisation Ability to express ideas precisely Attitude to using and acquiring ability to use the tools and techniques of information services Specifically the information need identifier would need information about the user relating to the following : Foreign language competence. Types of reports both internal and external received and sent by the user Types of reports both internal and external which the user is not receiving but would like to receive Functions, activities, tasks (job description) and responsibilities (specific work roles) in the organisation; Authors and Corporate Bodies, whose works are of interest Education, training and special expertise. Membership in professional bodies Channels of communication between the user and other departments/ personnel of the organisation Outside organisations with which the user has academic or professional contacts Membership in committees, task groups Periodicals and other information services received through membership Subject and associated interests specific subjects, allied subjects Annual Reviews and other Series publications in which interested. Periodicals often containing articles of interest which are to be specifically notified Kinds of information media preferred by the user; Time most convenient to the user to receive information services Position of the user in the organization. Types of information notices/ services preferred by the user Approximate time available to the user in a day or week for reading Also information about the user may be obtained by a study of his/ her resume.Information need identifier should also carryout surveys using questionnaires for collecting such preliminary information about the users. He should fill up the questionnaire himself after following the steps of studying the subject, the organization, the specific department and the resume of the user. This would show some gaps in the resume and would help concentrate on information not available from it. A shortcoming with the questionnaire method is the low return rate. Study of Work Diary Maintained by the User Users may maintain a diary about their work for their own use. It records; important activities like filing of license applications, critical events and incidents comments on how improvement could be achieved in the organization discussions/ meetings with experts and / or with colleagues, for specific problems and their solution the consultants/ consultancy organisations preferred method of solution or probable reasons for non solution route of search for specific information, kinds of documents/ sources/ services/ channels/ media consulted and used and their usefulness procedures, techniques s/he has used and/ or has planned to use details of projects s/he is engaged in working details observations cases of problems faced results arrived at Some organisations it is mandatory that such a diary or record is maintained by each member of staff above a certain level as a part of the project routine, in a general prescribed form. Users to be studied should be asked to maintain a diary of all important events, cases of problems faced, method of solution, the specific information sources/ services/ channels/ media used and their usefulness. Also, they may be asked to record each and every event in the order of occurrence. Such a diary record, properly designed and carefully maintained can be a source of useful information on the specific topics of interest to the user.The methods and techniques s/he has used or planned to use in his work; the kinds of documents, information sources and services s/he uses extensively; the extent of time he normally spends in reading books, articles, reports etc., in discussion with colleagues, experts; and the kind of personal information services s/he prefers. Occassionally it may give some inf ormation on the persons in the organisation and outside it, with whom he usually associates himself with. Survey of information sources used The next step is to make a study of the different sources of information/ information services being used by the users. This aim of this study is to bring out the relevance of different types of sources/ services, the frequency of use, the availability/ accessibility of the s

My Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education The single word â€Å"teacher† does the profession no service. A teacher is really a combination of the most important professions in the world: doctor, mother, philosopher, motivational speaker, scientist, counselor, and so much more. Besides the parents, an educator is the biggest influence in a child’s life. The age span in which children are in school is the most impressionable years of their lives. A student’s educational experience can mold the events of his or her future. That is why I want to become a teacher. I want to be a mold for younger generations, and I hope for students to remember a knowledgeable and ethical teacher. The overall purpose of education is to provide the knowledge and some of the experience that a student needs to survive today. The world is harsh and fast-paced for newly graduated young adults to enter blindly. All the student has to take is the educational background that he or she has been provided. It is imperative that critical thinking and problem-solving strategies are taught. In this way, I am a Progressivist. I believe education should be relevant to the future and to life in general. Decision-making is a hard task for even the most experienced. A young adult leaving home for that first time has no idea what decisions to make. Educators should teach students about life applications such as: cooking simple foods, changing a tire, or balancing a checkbook. I also hold an Essentialist idea of the classroom. I want to be the authority figure and I want the respect of the children. I not only want it for myself, but for other adults also. Children need to b e taught to respect others and to show general consideration. It seems like this type of teaching has been left out of learning programs and now even young children are involved in fights at school. I believe knowledge is relative—dependent upon person, place, and time. This is why I also believe that the role of the teacher is so important. Children learn by example and are extremely impressionable.

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carroway proceeds through two stages of development as the novel unfolds. Beginning with tolerance of the other characters' actions; ending with full moral responsibility dealing with their conflicts, Nick Carroway found that immoral decisions lead to harmful situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning, Nick Carroway was very tolerant of the numerous affairs happening within his circle of friends and acquaintances. Shortly after Nick was first introduced to Daisy's husband Tom, he learned of an affair happening between he and another woman from New York. Nick seemed surprised to hear this, yet he kept quiet about it. Nick was also introduced later to the woman Tom had been having an affair with, Myrtle Wilson, the gas station attendant's wife. Nick did not speak to Tom of his infidelity he instead remained tolerant of it. And later when Tom and Nick met her in town, he still kept his thoughts to himself, rather than becoming involved in the conflict. Also, with Daisy and Gatsby's relationship Nick remained tolerant of the scandal. For example, when he set up the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby within his own home. He was aware of the sin, but he did not actually come forward with his opinion on the matter. Daisy would often go to Gatsby's house in t he afternoons, and still Nick would remain tolerant of the immoral acts performed by his cousin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the end of the novel as things became more involved Nick realized the error of his ways, and became a more moral character. He did not involve himself in either of the affairs any longer. In one enlightening evening, when Gatsby proclaimed Daisy's love for him, and Tom admitted to his own disloyalty, Nick made a decision to be moralistic. When Tom, Nick, and Jordan had arrived back at Tom and Daisy's home, Nick parted ways. When he drove away from the house, he spotted Gatsby. Who had decided to watch over things, and make sure Daisy would be alright that evening. Instead of trying to help Gatsby in any way, Nick drove home, and stayed out of his business. Making the decision that pursuing any further with the conflict was a bad idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through all the friction Nick Carroway learned that playing a part in others' personal matters led to even more conflict than the beginning matter. Throughout all the deceit and unfaithfulness, friendships were broken and lives were taken. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick Carroway proceeds through two stages of development as the novel unfolds. Beginning with tolerance of the other characters' actions; ending with full moral responsibility dealing with their conflicts, Nick Carroway found that immoral decisions lead to harmful situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning, Nick Carroway was very tolerant of the numerous affairs happening within his circle of friends and acquaintances. Shortly after Nick was first introduced to Daisy's husband Tom, he learned of an affair happening between he and another woman from New York. Nick seemed surprised to hear this, yet he kept quiet about it. Nick was also introduced later to the woman Tom had been having an affair with, Myrtle Wilson, the gas station attendant's wife. Nick did not speak to Tom of his infidelity he instead remained tolerant of it. And later when Tom and Nick met her in town, he still kept his thoughts to himself, rather than becoming involved in the conflict. Also, with Daisy and Gatsby's relationship Nick remained tolerant of the scandal. For example, when he set up the reunion of Daisy and Gatsby within his own home. He was aware of the sin, but he did not actually come forward with his opinion on the matter. Daisy would often go to Gatsby's house in t he afternoons, and still Nick would remain tolerant of the immoral acts performed by his cousin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the end of the novel as things became more involved Nick realized the error of his ways, and became a more moral character. He did not involve himself in either of the affairs any longer. In one enlightening evening, when Gatsby proclaimed Daisy's love for him, and Tom admitted to his own disloyalty, Nick made a decision to be moralistic. When Tom, Nick, and Jordan had arrived back at Tom and Daisy's home, Nick parted ways. When he drove away from the house, he spotted Gatsby. Who had decided to watch over things, and make sure Daisy would be alright that evening. Instead of trying to help Gatsby in any way, Nick drove home, and stayed out of his business. Making the decision that pursuing any further with the conflict was a bad idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through all the friction Nick Carroway learned that playing a part in others' personal matters led to even more conflict than the beginning matter. Throughout all the deceit and unfaithfulness, friendships were broken and lives were taken.

Electronic mail will out perform the regular Postal Service Essay

New technologies have always allowed us to do things faster, more efficiently and more professionally than ever before. Generally, every new technology is a step forward for speed and productivity. The speed, usage, reliability, and expense make electronic mail more desirable than our general postal system. The speed of transfer is an important part of the decision to send mail by either E-Mail or Postal System. E-mail has a distinct advantage in this category. With the click of a button, ones message is sent. Whether you are sending an e-mail to a person across the street or to Afghanistan, the transfer rate is virtually the same. The Postal Delivery System takes from two days to two weeks to deliver even the smallest package. Depending on the locations of the sender and the receiver, even sending a letter to the house across the street takes unnecessary time. Another variable aspect of the two mail systems is ease-of-use. E-Mail has advantages when viewed from this angle. For one thing, E-Mail has no limitations on pick up or delivery. Anyone who wishes to use E-Mail may do so on his or her own leisure. When receiving letters from the Post Office waiting is a major inconvenience, taking time out of the person’s day. In addition, writing a letter by hand often allows room for error. The E-Mail user also has to pay a monthly fee for an internet account, generally ranging from eight dollars to twenty-five dollars per month, and the user may send unlimited E-mails. Local Post Offices charge for envelops and packaging material. The cost of a stamp is thirty-seven cents for each letter. This cost adds up when mailing three to four letters a day. Reliability of E-Mail far outweighs the Postal System. Because a computer network runs e-mail, human error is unlikely. Consequently, E-Mail is usually transferred to the correct address; it is never lost, stolen, and its contents are never removed or damaged. On the other hand, the Postal System has more problems. Since humans deliver the envelopes, error is very  common. Letters are often delivered to the wrong address creating delay for the intended recipitant. In addition, dishonest postal workers have stolen checks and other items out of packages. When choosing how to mail letters, think about the most used system in the world of today. E-Mail is a system that rarely looses or damages letters, and offers fair and low rates. Even though the Postal System offers low rates, the speed and safety of delivery is sacrificed due to unqualified and dishonest employees. E-Mail is instant, cheaper, and most reliable way to send letters.

In Oedipus the king Essay

Fate is an unavoidable part of a person’s life that may control who we are, what we do and what will happen to us. So, regardless of human actions and regardless of emotions and wishes, fate upon each humans being will occur. Fate can be undeserving and cruel, awesome and unchangeable, so much so that no one can change its course. Even when others try hard to help, fate will have its way. Certainly, in Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the king was such an individual for even though exercising free will to determine the course of his destiny, fate ultimately had its way in that he is to kill his father and to marry his mother. An individual life is governed by the forces of fate that takes away autonomy and only leaves destiny as the road an individual will travel on. Despite Queen Jocasta’s individual effort to change her destiny, that she could stop her son from murdering his father and herself will marry her son, she was unable to do so. Even though she gives up her son to death in the useless hope to avoid fate, the oracle seals her destiny. However, later on, she herself admits that â€Å"chance rules our life†, for she realizes that all that efforts are not enough to change the predestined course of her life. Jocasta’s calm and reasonable brother, Creon, also support the philosophy that simple mortal do not control life, but gods control human’s destiny. Calm and in control, he announce to Oedipus before his self-proclaimed banishment, by saying that, â€Å"god will decide not I. † therefore, it shows that no one can predict their own future because what happenings in our life are decided by a greater force than humanity that is the control of the gods and human beings have little say in their destiny. Even when others interfere in one’s life, fate will in the end have its way. Jocasta and Laius try to escape the horrible prophecy set down by the god by giving up their new born son to a terrible death. However, the control of the god reign and the baby does not die, but lives. Oedipus, like his real parents tried to exercise free will in determining his destiny rather than that control by the gods. Once Oedipus hears of his fate from the oracle that he is to murder his father and marry his mother , Oedipus flee from Corinth to save his â€Å"parents† lives and so shows that he is willing to do anything, including giving up the throne, to make sure the prophecy does not come true. Yet, this very act leads him directly towards his fate, it is fate that drives him towards Thebe, the place where his destiny began. As well as placing him on the three crossroads where he angrily killed his real father laius. in addition, the efforts of the shepherd further add to the belief that humans cannot escape the control of the Gods, in his claim that â€Å"I hadn’t the heart to destroy it,† thereby ultimately allowing fate to continue in its path. Some humans, however, are able to exercise free will and control their own life; their lives have not been predetermined by destiny from the gods. Teiresias exercise free will to determine his own destiny, as such circumstances have not been imparted on him. Although cursed with blindness for he â€Å"lives in perpetual night†, Teiresias may exercise his own wish in his actions and is not restricted in his ultimate fate by the workings of the gods. Creon, jocata’s brother and Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle, has all the rights of a royal couple with none of the kingly responsibilities, for he claims that â€Å"who in his right mind would rather rule and live in anxiety than live in peace, mainly if he enjoys the same authority. † Unlike Oedipus who has had his fate set out for him from birth, Creon has not been give with such a tragedy, and so allows â€Å"chance to rule his life,† â€Å"living each day as best he can. † Likewise. Since human beings often suffer great pains in order to discover their true selves, it is ultimately the powerful and dominant Oedipus, whose â€Å"name is known afar,† who pays a very high cost for such revelations. At the same time as demonstrate free will to show himself to be a king with little self knowledge, his passionate and dogmatic nature leads him on this path of self- discovery. However, fate also has its way, for ultimately he suffers the indignity of a man who has committed the most dreadful of crimes.

Michael Pollan on Peter Singer

In his article published in the New York Times, Michael Pollan interprets Peter Singer’s thoutghs as those of an ardent defender of animal rights, especially with regard to those slaughtered for meat.According to Pollan, Singer looks at the moral obligation of treating people with equal capabilities and uses it in the context of the relationship between people and animals.   Singer’s argument is not to give animals equal rights with people per se, but at least consider their rights where they both share interest.Because avoiding pain is a behavior associated with both humans and animals, animals should be given moral consideration on those grounds. Singer’s arguments, according to Pollan, have led to the conversion of thousands of people into vegetarians. Singer is therefore depicted as strong animal rights crusader.Pollan defends the meat eating culture in a number of ways. First, he believes that animals have the habit of eating each other all the time, and t herefore human beings are justified to eat them. The problem with this argument is that animals kill in order to survive. Human beings, on the other hand, do not have to kill to survive.  His second argument on why human beings should kill animals is based on domestication of animals. His position is that farm animals would be worse off if they lived in the wild.   However, domestication is driven by a demand, and that is the reason why domesticated animals exist.Indeed, animal rightist believe that if there were no domesticated animals, there would be no suffering for them. Pollan finally accepts that animal suffering is a legitimate problem, but expresses the need to solve human problems first. Again, this perspective puts animals at a disadvantage because they cannot participate in any moral decision making process.Pollan appears to embrace utilitarianism on the grounds that humans owe animals that can feel pain moral consideration, and this justifies why they should be eaten . Pollan concludes that industrialization has led to the loss of human feelings, which he refers as dehumanization. Specifically, he points out that America raises and slaughters animals in a brutal manner more than any other country.However, he insists that there is some kind of protectionism, whereby a variety of key players lack adequate information on the real status of the meat industry in America. If this information were to become available, the meat industry would undergo an overnight transformation, with meat becoming more expensive.  Ã‚  People will eat meat while giving the animals the respect they deserve. Pollan does not call for total abolishment of the places where animals are slaughtered, but rather advocates for a more humane way of growing and slaughtering them.Pollan’s argument appears more rational because his case is argued from a holistic perspective, taking views from both animal rightists and meat crusaders. His final stand is based on an analysis of the interests of both the animal rightists and meat crusaders, while that of singer appears to strictly consider animal rights only. Meat eating has featured in the diet of human beings for a long time.The hunter-gatherer societies and the early man both exploited meat, not for luxury but for subsistence. The idea of animal farming is to sustain the meat industry without compromising the availability of meat in the future. This, however, should be done in the most humane way. For example, animals should be allocated sufficient space for exercise while they are being grown. They should also be slaughtered in such a manner that they should encounter least pain.ReferencesPollan, M. (2002). An Animals Place. The New York Times magazine. Retrieved from http://michaelpollan.com/article.php?id=55 on 9th April 2009

Earth Is Being Harmed by Human Activity Essay

Earth is being harmed by human activity. Humans already made the earth being damaged and it is because of their own activity. In this essay I will describe how people can damaged the earth in more specific like in environment problems. Humans are responsible for taking what they believe is theirs and finding ways to destroy it. Human activity is a behavior or the way that people doing in this environment in a good or bad ways. There are two topics of my essay that will support my opinion to agree with the topic which is earth is being harmed by human activity. There are pollution, and excessive logging. These three topics will contain specific example which are will connected with the human activity. â€Å"Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment†(2013). It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disaster. Pollutions have a huge effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. There are so many human activities that accidentally or not already made the earth became damaged. And one of them is pollution, pollution is one of the big problem that we face now. There are three pollutions such as, air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Air pollution became the most famous issue in the world right now. â€Å"Air pollution is the accumulation of hazardous substance into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter†(2013). The simple example from human activity that accidentally we made or not of air pollution are when we drive car and the car will release the emission. One more is tobacco smoke, believe it or not smokers have a big role in air pollution. It contains the most dangerous element of air pollution for health. Fact of cigarettes â€Å"Cigarette smoke produces 10 times more air pollutions than diesel car exhaust†(2004). Surely all of these problems started from human activity and make a big impact for all human being in the world. The other examples again from air pollution are acid rains, aerosol sprays, manufacturing building, paint fumes, etc. The second is water pollution, â€Å" Water pollution is the introduction of chemical, biological and physical matter into large bodies of water that degrade the quality of life † (2004). A few facts of water pollution are â€Å"Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink† (2004). And in my opinion, this issue is very clear to describe how big damaged that our earth got from human activity. We can’t blame anybody in this case but at least we should realize and try to think how to react and do after we know about this one. One simple example from me are try to use non-toxic material and avoid using pesticides that can run off into water systems. And the last one is land pollution, which is maybe we don’t notice at all but have the big impact on us. One fact from land pollution is â€Å"We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63. 000 garbage trucks† (2004). If we realize earlier that how big impact that have we done in this earth maybe we can handle this one and decide a solution to save our earth from our activity. The second topic is excessive logging. Nowadays many people never think before they want to cut down the trees. They just cut the trees without thinking how big affect that will they get after they cut the trees to excessive or over. Some people just think in an economical thinking like they will cut almost all of trees and not thinking how many trees they still keep for the future. Actually that is really really a bad thinking, we should think in an environmental way as well. We can’t live the life in the future if we don’t think about it from now. â€Å"Excessive logging is one of the big issues that we should think after pollution†(1991). Actually we just need a good paradigm to think about this problem and how can we solve this problem. One of many example that we can learn from this case is try to limit the demand and supply. Maybe it will have another reaction in the economic, but we should think in environment way as well. For example, some company should limit their logging and maybe increase the cost of the wood so it will decrease the demand supply wood from the consumer. In my opinion this problem will make a complicated situation which is will make another problem but so far if we can handle it together and think about this one slowly, for sure we can solve this one clearly. And in the conclusion, The earth is being harmed or damaged by human activity is genuinely right for me. Many examples that I told and spread in this essay. From the pollutions which is include Air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Three of them have their own impact in this world. For example air pollution release a bad effect from automobile emission, water pollution came from many pesticide and trash that everyone throw to the river or sea and made the sea became dirty and polluted. And land pollution also came from trash that we throw on the land and made our land contaminated and can’t reduce or recycle the things again, moreover land pollution became the first impact that we got because we stay on the land. And actually we should solve this problem first before we solve the others. And because all of these pollutions came from human activity we should fight and find the solution before too late. Excessive logging also have a big role beside the pollutions, maybe trees still growing but we never think that human activity is too expose the resources and never think what will happen in the future if we are to expose or excessive logging. Because we made the problems first and definitely we should find the solution for our best future. â€Å"Human activity should be reduce, and limit the demand to make environment sustainably† (2002).

Case Analysis - Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Analysis - Management - Essay Example The strengths and weaknesses of NASCAR go hand-in-hand, as often overlap each other. The biggest weakness is trying to make everyone happy. While Brian France wants to do one thing, his sponsors and other people in power, such as those at Nextel and ISC, want something completely different. The larger argument is that NASCAR is now being treated as though it were a source of entertainment, something that Brian claims is true. However, he is treating it as such for the sakes of the audience and fans. The external environment of NASCAR involves sponsors, fans, Nextel, and ISC. These are the groups and individual people that have the power to make things happen, as well as the power to stop other things from taking place. They are the ones to supply the money and the tracks. The fans play a large role, considering there would be no NASCAR if there were not people to watch and cheer the racers on. Brian France is the person whom the responsibilities of NASCAR were passed down to, after his father, Bill Jr., gave them up himself. All of the decisions to be made are now in the hands of Brian, as well as his sponsors and the company that is attached to NASCAR, ISC. There is much controversy between Brian and the others that are helping him out; constant debates are arising in regards to what there next steps should be concerning spreading NASCAR. Brian sees expanding the locations of races and the companies that broadcast them as benefiting the audience and fans, while his company believes he is in it for his own publicity, as well as for personal monetary benefits. As the costs go up to maintain the racing tracks, as well as the team, equipment, and other goods to keep the races running, Brian must convince his sponsors and companies to keep spending. To do this, Brian must convince them of his intentions, and prove to them that it is not for personal gain. Another thing that needs to be considered is that there are other tracks already available; it is

The sweetest dreams inn Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The sweetest dreams inn - Coursework Example With the objective of accomplish its mission and vision of getting superior; its services offered a well enhancing capability of its services. The industry needs a most accurate strategic plan on the basis of day to day examination of the threats faced in the business. Well-organized and efficient strategic plan requires significant declaration from the trade by way of the expenses and time. Mai Phan is attempting to make a decision to build some minor alterations in the usual method of operation in the Sweetest Dreams Inn motel. It is mainly because the current process of the Sweetest Dreams Inn motel leads to money loss. But, joining any of the novel chains will require a comprising novel capital asset that will also lead to the significant change in the motel. One of the major advent is that, it does not necessitate chief capital assets by Phan. Mai Phan, after his good career as production manager in a large industrial machinery firm, bought the 60-room motel Sweetest Dreams Inn in a tourist area. There are several types of motels in that resort area. There was heavy traffic in the interstate highway which will block the proper site of his Inn and that place is not fully developed. Mai Phan wished to promote his Sweetest Dream Inn into a very big firm. But, he knows that the strategy with him is not enough to maintain a large resort motel. He is having different ideas by visiting different motels. He found that the people are more fond of simple modern rooms with standard bath facilities, comfortable bed and free cable TVs for their recreation. Even though he felt a restaurant is difficult to manage in a motel, he was ready to give free breakfast services for his customers. After two years, Mai Phan found his occupancy rate is less compa red to the other motels. Mai Phan tried to attract the visitors by offering the motel at modest prices by avoiding the unnecessary expenses. Then also he found some