Successful and unsuccessful organizations

The success rate of a business organization is determined by the level of satisfaction it has being able and is still capable of rendering to those who patronize its services or products. It also9 depend on the level of trust the clients or buyers have for the service or product from the organization. This will form the bases whether they will continue to patronize the organization. The quality services and product has always being the reckoning force for successful business organizations.Thus, most successful business organizations have adopted the Total Quality Management (TQM) as a tool for the expansion of their success rate and also curving an edge for themselves over their counterparts in contemporary business world. Total quality is about bringing about a fundamental culture change within an organization. The foundation of the new culture has to be faith- that there is a better way of doing things, and that we are really fully committed to it.According to KPMG (2005), â€Å"T otal quality means adopting a customer- oriented business strategy. † This write- up tends to be base on Hilton International as a case stu7dy. Here, the organization operations in the past, present will be studied to see whether it will be successful or not in the next five years to come. HILTON INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION Hilton International organization is a name to be reckoned with when it comes to hostel industry world over.It has spread its tentacles to developing programmes such as esprit and Hilton University used in training its manpower. The organization is a Multi- International Corporation. Hilton International (HI) owns the right to the Hilton brand name throughout the world, with the exception of the USA, where the Hilton brand is owned and managed by Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC). The Hilton International operates 403 hotels, with some 261 branded Hilton and 142 under the mid- market Scandic brand.The Hilton International and the North American Hilton Hotel Co rporation has a global alliance which extends the number of hotels operated by both companies worldwide to over 2,700- over 500 of which are branded Hilton. Also, both organizations share responsibility for the Conrad brand which includes 17 hotels in 12 countries (national business awards, 2005). Hilton International started its operation in hotel business in postwar cities, with its modest services of offering a clean environment, air- conditioned respite and a cheeseburger.The Hilton hotels were designed for political impact during this time. The hotels were seen as â€Å"little America†, where businessmen and tourists in Europe and the Middle East could retreat from the disturbingly alien into the comfortable services provided by the Hilton hotels. These same features lent the Hilton a utopian aura, for the economically exhausted local population where a space of luxury and promise which realized permanently and prominently, the new and powerful presence of the United Sta tes (Wharton, 2001)The Hilton International built 16 luxury hotels abroad between 1953 and 1966. â€Å"All were planned according to the Hilton programme and styled as ‘corporate modern’- the same form that distinguished the American embassies and consulates proliferating in the period† (ibid). The Hilton was the first significant modern structure, introducing a striking visual contrast to the vernacular fabrics of places such as Istanbul, Cairo, Athens and Jerusalem. The new architecture impact was amplified by the hotel’s unprecedented siting and scale.As already stated, the ideological base of the creation of Hilton International was not only for profit maximization, but also for political considerations. According to Conrad Hilton, â€Å"Hilton International Hotels were constructed not only to earn Hilton shareholders a profit, but also to make a political impact on host countries; an integral part of my dream was to show the countries most exposed to communism the other side of the coin†¦. the fruits of the free world† (ibid). Hence, the American government had assisted the corporation in no small measure in expanding its base internationally.The capital for the construction of the earlier Hiltons was commonly provided not by the corporation itself, but by institutions in the host countries, with occasional subsidies from the American Economic Co-operation Administration with the support of the US Department of state. Hilton envisioned a global peace where universal capitalism reign. The consistent modernity of the original Hiltons has made it lost its authority and bears no utopian meaning. This has to do with the remodeling of Hilton International in order to make it remain fashionable.THE ORGANIZATION’S STRATEGY AND PRESENT STANDING. The Hilton international is recognized presently as the world best known hotel. It triumphed at the prestigious UK National Business Awards for a second year by winning the cov eted ‘Broad-system Customer Focus Award 2005’. Previous year the organization won the Best Marketing Strategy Award. (National business awards, 2005). The Hilton International has operated a business strategy that makes its customers to have the best quality of service. The organization embrace a creative marketing agency, campaign works.This has supported Hilton’s new brand strategy. The strategy first embraced industry and customer research. Innovation Hubs were set up to turn lifestyle analysis and research into a contemporary hotel experience and conventional thinking was challenged which contributed to the creation of the new customer brand promise. The next phase saw the development of innovative internal and external marketi9ng tools that communicated and delivered the brand strategy throughout the organization and to the customer.The embraced strategy of Hilton International has led to its outstanding success with significant commercial returns. Hilton is now the number one hotel brand in every global market with higher guest satisfaction, improved team member satisfaction and increased financial perfo4rmance (ibid). The Hilton International is expanding its manpower knowledge through its Hilton University. Currently, there are 8000 team members, team leaders, departmental managers and general managers in 70 countries in the Hilton University.The university is recognized as a world standard for management development in the hospitality industry. It has a primary focus of a web- based delivery of core management and skill development with the goal of maintaining world-class customer service throughout the Hilton International organization. The Hilton International sees it as a challenge to increase and broaden the reach of the university to serve even more emp0loyees worldwide, to increase the sophistication of learning activities it offers and to more directly link learning and skills development with the company’s business r esults.The Sum Total learner management system is aimed at developing more in-depth, blended learning programs, incorporating employee competencies by job role and function, and aligning them with specific content and business goals. (elearnity. com, 2004) According to John Guthrie, head of International management development at Hilton International, ‘what sets Hilton apart is the immense pride we take in the standards of service we deliver to all our guests. Sum-Total will help us measure the effectiveness of certain training programs- for example in e-commerce and reservations – in increasing customer satisfaction†(ibid)In year 2000, Hilton International unveiled a plan to double the speed at which it opens hotels around the world. The shares of the organization enjoyed a massive 40 per cent rise since Hilton announced plans to expand Ladbrokes, into internet betting. The online betting becomes interesting to investors, even though its hotel business accounts f or more than two thirds of the group’s profits. (Lindsay City, 2000) The present crave for internet betting has made the organization take its turn in partaking in the business.Turnover of the Hilton in 2000 slipped to 4. 23 billion pounds from 4. 68 billion pounds, mostly as a result of selling off the Corals betting shop chain. The hotel division, bolstered by Stakis, saw profits rise from 181 million pounds to 264 million pounds. In year 2003, the Hilton International sees the increase in its revenue. Hilton reported a pretax profit before exceptional and goodwill for the first half, of 110. 5 million pounds, down from 130 million pounds the previous year.Hilton plans to open 17 new hotels in 2003, with most of them incorporating either management contracts or franchises, and will continue to open around 20 each year going forward. HILTON INTERNATIONAL POTENTIELS FOR SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. The historical and present operations of the Hilton International have sh own that the organization strategy is a strong base for its success in years to come. Total Quality Management as a management tool is used by the organization to continue to win its customers’ patronage.The strategy sees that customers are given the best standard quality of services. This business strategy has made the Hilton International to win the UK National Business awards for 2004 and 2005. The Hilton Business strategy, as discussed earlier on, has a creative marketing agency, campaign works which help in supporting industry and customer research, innovative internal and external marketing tools that communicate and delivers brand strategy throughout the organization and to the customer. This is in practice in the organization.Also, the divers and expanding business operations of the Hilton International would make the organization to continue to succeed. Even, if one or more business unit of the Multi Corporation experiences a d own ebbs in its operational level, othe r chains and units that is successful would keep the organization going. As already discussed the Hilton International operates a university where its manpower are trained and equipped with the professional skill in delivering standard services to its customers.In this instance, the practice of Strategic Human Resource Management is put in place, where the workforce of the organization are integrated into the strategic operation of the corporation, in order to attain the organization’s objectives and long term goals. This practice tends to bring the achievement of best results, and thereby making the Hilton International organization to succeed over the next five years to come and more.

Miss Essay

A simple break in the chain of infection by always using the Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) can save the NHS thousands of pounds every year not to mention saving patients’ lives. Cleanliness Champions have been put in place to make sure Standard Infection Control Precautions are implemented within health care settings. MRSA (Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is one example of the staphylococcus family common bacteria (BBC Health–MRSA). There are many strains of MRSA and many people carry it in their throat, nose and skin folds. MRSA is an infectious agent and can live on the body for example in eczema, varicose and decubitus ulcers, this acts like a reservoir providing ideal conditions for the MRSA to lie in skin folds and in wounds. For the bacteria to exit the portal it can simple be spread from skin to skin contact. To break the chain of infection the patient should wash their hands. However, not practising good hygiene gives the bacteria a means of transmission. The bacteria will wait for a portal of entry; this could be another patient touching contaminated skin. There have been a number of campaigns to eradicate the transmission of MRSA, and one of them is from the World Health Organisation â€Å"Save lives clean your hands†. This campaign is for Health Care workers to assess within their own departments how often hand hygiene is being carried out by their colleagues (WHO 2012). Hand hygiene is considered one of the most effective measures in reducing and preventing the incidence of avoidable illness, in particular HAI. All staff within health care settings should be aware of this and perform hand hygiene effectively and in a timely fashion (Health Protection Scotland (HPS) May 2009). There are three main types of hand hygiene. Social Hand Hygiene which involves using soap and water. Hygienic Hand Hygiene is using antiseptic hand cleansers from a soap dispenser and then there is Surgical Scrub which involves scrubbing the hands and forearms with antiseptic cleansers. Each hand decontamination process uses a seven step technique. The 5 moments for hand hygiene guidelines explain when hand hygiene should be used (WHO 2009). PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) can also be used to protect against HAIs. PPE consists of gloves, aprons, face masks and goggles. When dealing with potential infections a risk assessment should be done before dealing with the threat of the infection being transmitted. The risk assessment should include whether or not you may need to wear gloves or aprons. Eye protection should be used for theatre staff due to a huge potential of blood splashes. Sharps include needles, scalpels, stitch cutters, glass ampoules and any sharp instrument. The main hazards of a sharps injury are hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. (Royal College of Nursing 2005). All sharps must be handled and used with a great deal of care and disposed of according to the Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs). If there has been an incident of a needle stick injury it must be reported and documented as required. All in all the Cleanliness Champions programme will help Health Care workers understand the importance of Infection control and hopefully it will create new generation of Nurses who will be vigilant to how important hand hygiene is. References BBC Health – MRSA (2012), What is MRSA, [On-line], Available: http://www. bbc. co. uk/health/physical_health/conditions/mrsa. shtml [17 March 2012] Health Protection Scotland (HPS) (May 2009), National Hand Hygiene NHS Campaign Compliance with Hand Hygiene – Audit Report Health Protection Scotla nd (Report): Available: http://www. hps. scot. nhs. uk/haiic/ic/ nationalhandhygienecampaign. aspx [17 March 2012] Royal College of Nursing, (2005). Good Practice in Infection Prevention and Control, Guidance for Nursing Staff, Vol. 1, pp. 7-8 WHO (2009) WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health care: a summary, [Online] Available: http://whqlibdoc. who. int/hq/2009/WHO_IER_PSP_2009. 07_eng. pdf WHO (2012), Your action Plan for Hand Hygiene Improvement Template, Action Plan for WHO Framework, Inadequate/Basic Results, [On-line], Available: http://www. who. int/gpsc/5may/EN_PSP_GPSC1_5May_2012/en/index. html [17 March 2012]a

The Dangers of Facebook

They found that 65% of Facebook users accessed their account daily, usually checking it several times to see if they had received new messages. The amount of time spent on Facebook at each log-in varied from just a few minutes to more than an hour. The Ohio report shows that students who used Facebook had a â€Å"significantly† lower grade point average – the marking system used in US universities – than those who did not use the site. â€Å"It is the equivalent of the difference between getting an A and a B,† said Karpinski, who will present her findings this week to the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.She has not yet analysed whether a student’s grades continue to deteriorate the longer he or she spends on Facebook. Some UK students have already spotted the potential danger. Daisy Jones, 21, an undergraduate in her final year at Loughborough University, realised the time she was spending on Facebook was threatening her grades – prompting her to deactivate her account. â€Å"I was in the library trying to write a 2,000-word essay when I realised my Facebook habit had got out of hand,† she said. â€Å"I couldn’t resist going online.You do that, then someone’s photo catches your eye. Before you know it, a couple of minutes has turned into a couple of hours and you haven’t written a thing. † Jones is among the few to have recognised the risks. According to Karpinski’s research, 79% of Facebook-using students believed the time they spent on the site had no impact on their work. Facebook said: â€Å"There is also academic research that shows the benefits of services like Facebook. It’s in the hands of students, in consultation with their parents, to decide how to spend their time. †

The Kite Runner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Kite Runner - Essay Example Both of the kids get to spend some time together and play together in their early life, till they are separated by events in form of a tragedy and subsequent invasion of the occupation force of Soviet Union .The rich man takes his son along with him to United States of America .Their relation and adolescent friendship gets compromised at the hands of ethnic conflicts, invasion, and social imbalance. It is a story that shows the relationship between a father and son and most importantly between two friends. The entire sequence of events in the novel are divided into three phases, the first covers the childhood part of the two adolescents, the second part constitutes Aamir and his father’s departure from their motherland to California, while the third and final part constitute the current day when Aamir returns to his homeland in a new century .Both the kids have one thing in common, both were brought up without a mother and shared a common nurse. The master of the house Aamirâ €™s father shows kindness towards the servant’s child Hassan. ... Aamir finds himself totally helpless and watches the incident as a spectator. Not being able to find courage to face Hassan, he decides to take on a path thornier, and hides some valuable material under Hassan’s mattress and makes his father belief that it was done by Hassan. The owner of house as expected, fires both the servant and his son. Soon Afghanistan is invaded by the occupant forces and Aamir’s father being a noble man doesn’t feel safe anymore and takes refuge in United States of America along with his son. The second part constitutes the years spent at California by Aamir. He grows up there, goes to the local school completes his education, and the father’s health goes down in coming years and eventually depart to land of eternal bliss. Amir’s father gets him wedded to a girl called Soraya before he dies . The last part of the story is moving one and sees Aamir returning to his motherland which is marked by the beginning of 21st century. He goes there and meets a character named Rahim khan and enquires about everything that happened after their departure. Hassan got married to a local girl and had a baby boy named Sohrab, however Hassan did not get to live long and was killed by Taliban along with his wife, the child, Sohrab remains totally orphaned and is lost someplace .in the course of revelation Aamir finds out that Hassan was his half brother and this encourages him into tracing down Sohrab. In his pursuit for finding Sohrab, Aamir does show some courage and goes through some challenge and eventually manages releasing Sohrab which gives him some comfort inside his heart for all the secrets he is holding and the injustice he did to Sohrab’s father in childhood .Sohrab is reluctant to going to America and

Course Work Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Course Work - Coursework Example This is due to what is known as protective factors. This are influences that a person can have which will increase their ability to deal with certain stressors which can increase their ability to influence their mental health. Protective factors lead to a person developing resilience to certain stressful situations. 2) Decriminalization of illicit drugs like marijuana, cocaine will increase drug related social problems. Drugs are not regarded as being dangerous because they are illegal; they are illegal since they are dangerous. Decriminization of illicit drugs help in not regulation of illicit drugs. Decriminization is actually part of a back door effort that will help easy society into accepting the use of addictive drugs; this will include the use of drug related social problems. 3) Children are very sensitive to the issue of HIV/AIDS. Children have many fears regarding this disease. F children are taught about HIV/AIDS they c n make their health choices (Dyk 87). If children are taught about HIV/AIDS this will be an indication that people care about their wealth. At the age of 8 to 10 you can start to teach a child the basic of HIV/AIDs and how it is

Democracy in the Arab world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Democracy in the Arab world - Essay Example In the present world, the nature of democracy varies from state to state. Not all democratic states are actually democratic in nature. We can take example of the Arab world countries where the kings and the presidents hold the actual powers and the governments hardly take any step according to the desire of the public. â€Å"Presidents and kings remain too powerful, untrammeled by the limits imposed by effective parliaments and independent judiciaries† (Ottaway). The governments do not take into account the suggestions given by the citizens while developing or implementing any kind of law. There is a great desire of democracy on part of the citizens of the Arab countries but the dilemma is that in Arab countries, there are no social movements, labor unions, or widely supported political parties, which act as the foundations for development and implementation of a proper democratic system in any particular state. Without the establishment of publicly supported political parties, the real form of democracy can never be enjoyed in the Arab countries. There is hardly a true democratic state in the current Arab world. In the Arab countries, people have no awareness about the basic elements and benefits of democracy due to which they are not given importance during the process of any constitutional development and their suggestions regarding any political or constitutional matter are generally suppressed by the governments of their states. It is due to the continuous struggle of the western governments that people belonging to the Arab countries are becoming more and more aware of democracy. Today majority of people belonging to Jordan, Palestine, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, and some other Arab countries view democracy as the best form of government. There are enough Arab people belonging to different countries who want a western style democracy to progress in their countries (Hill). They

Does radio have a future A historical perspective Essay

Does radio have a future A historical perspective - Essay Example The next decade saw several radio experimenters building their own radio receivers and by the evening of November 2, 1920, Westinghouse has launched KDKA as the first commercially licensed radio station (Encyclop?diaBritannica, 2011). From 1920 onward phenomenal successes were made in radio technology and broadcasting through research activities in Europe, North America, and Asia. The phenomenal success in the art and science of radio has greatly influenced human activities ranging from politics, economics, culture, and religion (NationalMuseumofAmericanHistory, 1933; BBC, 1940; Saul, 2009). However, recent advances in science and technology offers the same if not better means of communications that the radio offers. For instance, the internet offers better and more glamorous means of advertisement and communicating then the radio. With the presence of these technologies, one could not help but ask: does the radio have a future? The article seeks to answer this question from a histor ical perspective. History of the radio The radio has come a long way. Its journey to its present status differs in different societies. Different rules and regulations govern radio broadcasting in different countries. Even it development differs. Thus the history of radio and radio broadcasting will be explored under different countries. Radio and radio broadcasting in the United States Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian working in the United States, developed the first known radio program in the United States. With the use of Alexanderson’s Alternator in his experimental station at Brant Rock, Mass., on Christmas Eve, 1906 he succeeded in transmitting the first radio program over several hundred miles. Many experimental stations subsequently sprang up following the relaxation of the military restriction of radio at the end of World War I. Most of these early radio stations were operated by individuals who pursued radio broadcasting as a hobby. As the number of people who want to hear music from the â€Å"air† increased, the demand for radio receivers suitable for operation by the layman increased. This increase justified the establishment of stations for the sole purpose of broadcasting entertainment and information programs. On the evening of November 2, 1920, the first commercially licensed radio station, KDKA in Pittsburgh went on air with a broadcast of the returns of the Harding/Cox presidential election. Following the success of the KDKA broadcast and the musical programs that were presented on air, several radio stations were established. Indeed, by the end of 1921, a total of eight radio stations were operating the United States. The sales of radio receiving sets and component parts for use in home construction of such set boomed between 1921 and 1922. A phenomenal increase in the number of radio stations follows with 564 radio stations licensed by Nov. 1, 1922. In 1922, long-distance wire telephone lines were used to connect a radio station in New York City with one in Chicago to facilitate the broadcasting of the description of a gridiron football game. This innovation introduced a new idea, radio networking, into radio broadcasting. In 1926 the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) purchased WEAF in New York

The factors responsible for Mexican debt crisis in the 1980s Essay

The factors responsible for Mexican debt crisis in the 1980s - Essay Example This problem soon spread to other developing countries in the world hence becoming a global debt crisis. It led to long term accumulation of commercial bank debts in the public sector. The factors responsible for the Mexico debt crisis of the 1980s can be broadly categorized into demand factors and supply factors. The demand factors are those that contributed to Mexico’s decision to seek for external financial aid hence contracting of many loans from commercial banks. The supply factors are those factors that enabled or encouraged commercial banks to lend money to Mexico and other developing countries. These factors contributed directly or indirectly to Mexico’s contracting loans or more loans and incapacity to repay these loans. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mexico borrowed lots of money from international creditors. The money was to be used for purposes of industrialization especially development of infrastructure. At this time, Mexico’s economy was good. This motivated the creditors to continue providing loans. This increased Mexico’s rate of debt to commercial banks and consequently to increased debt service, that is, repayment of the principal and interests. Later on, most of these loans were given on short term basis. This imposed a pressure of meeting loan maturation dates. External debt grew till it was 50% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1983 (Sebastian, 1996). According to (Rudiger, 1985), there was a general recession in the world economy in the 1970s and 1980s. This was caused by a sharp increase in the prices of oil which started in the year 1971. Oil prices increased because the fixed exchange rates system which the Bretton Woods innovated had failed. This innovation had helped governments to free themselves from limitations presented to them by a fixed parity. Its role was to ensure that domestic demand was managed well so as to safeguard against haphazard increase in imports. As a result of

An analysis on the movie The Untouchables Assignment

An analysis on the movie The Untouchables - Assignment Example Ness engages Malone who assists him with ideas on how he can create his own team from the police academy. Ness forms a strong team with George Stone an Italian-American trainee besides an accountant Oscar Wallace that will beat Capone and his unlawful welfares (Floyd). Ness and his team raids Capone’s liquor storeroom. The raid succeeds and Capone kills the storeroom caretaker. Press notes Ness and his team besides Oscar Wallace starts to probe the Capone’s organization savings. An alderman from Chicago, one of Capone’s cohorts, visits Nell aiming at convincing him to end the investigation (Floyd). Nell rejects the offer and the alderman warns him that Capone can get any person in to his arms. Carpone’s chief Frank Nitti threatens to kill Ness and his family where he shifts his family to a safer residence. Stone and Malone bring the news of liquor shipment coming to Chicago from Canada. Nell and his team then fly to the border northwards to plot for an attack. During the attack, Ness team either kills or arrests whoever is involved. George is arrested so that he can be evidence against Capone (Floyd). Infuriated, Capone orders his team to kill Ness and his family, besides it is at that time when Ness’ wife has just given birth. While in the Mise-en-scene of police station, George and Wallace are killed by Nitti who disguises himself as a cop. This leaves Ness with very little evidence to media charges and he becomes so much frustrated that he fights Capone. Malone gets involved and makes Ness to withdraw from the fight besides, he advises him to request the attorney general not to drop his case until he finds another witness (Floyd). Malone plans to get Walter Payne one of Capone’s storekeepers as a witness, but he is killed in the process. Ness and Stone gets Payne alive out of gangsters who had fled him to Union Station. Payne gives evidence in court against Capone. While in

Recruitment plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recruitment plan - Essay Example Recruitment plan It is located near New York City right at the foothills of Blessed Valley Mountains. Sincere College is a reputable institution offering higher education by promoting teaching as well as learning based on curriculum formulated under strong liberal arts. To this account the institution is accredited by Middle States Commission dealing with Higher Education earning high honours for exemplary performance in arts. The institution’s curriculum emphasises on sciences, liberal arts, professional programs as well fine and performing arts within a learning and suitable living environment. Today, the institution is acknowledged for its academic excellence based on its interdisciplinary curriculum, intercultural understanding, international education and also experimental learning opportunities. Job Description: The qualified candidate will teach mainly in the faculty of business particularly in business ethics. Additionally, the candidate may teach required elective courses like perspectives of Business and the Society. Qualified candidates must have a doctorate in a business related field. However, candidates who have completed their dissertation with a stated date of completion will also be considered. Successful candidates must have some teaching experience from a college institution and research interests in the area of Business Ethics. Experience also in the private sector under a for-profit organization will be highly regarded. Candidates who will demonstrate to be in possession of commendable teaching experience will have an added advantage.

Commodity Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commodity Paper - Essay Example The Chinese used hand fans as coolant since time immemorial. In the 1800, American engineers made an attempt to create air conditioners as they had money and resources for doing this. The 20th century saw major development in this area majorly contributed by the discovery of electricity. Willis Carrier a 25 year old American invented the first model of air conditioning which was not designed for human comfort but was made to reduce humidity at his printing plant. It was made of mechanical unit that cooled air through circulating it in cooled water coils. He later added a centrifugal cooler to this unit greatly reducing its size. By 1930s, air conditioners were been used in offices, department and cars and this increased the workers productivity during the hot summer periods. This was a major development for Carrier Corporation which grew incredibly during these years. At some point the use of Air conditioning in the workplace was seen as an unnecessary luxury. However, evidence from several researches conducted showed that the use of air conditioning during the hot summers came with increased productivity. Organization therefore started getting the air conditioners for their offices in order to leap off benefits (Street et al 629). The air conditioners were not very common in homes with only 10% of the American homesteads using air conditioning. The rest of Europe and eastern countries slowly stated using the air conditioning mostly in the workplace. Outside work people still use the traditional methods of staying cool like dipping their underwear in iceboxes. Some of the popular air conditioning companies include Carrier Corps, Daikin Industries, LG and Samsung and lastly Haier, Midea and Gree. Carrier Corporation is the biggest layer in the market. This can be as a result of the fact that it was the pioneer in this industry and has therefore has the competitive advantage over the others that mushroomed after it was established. The company has established its operations in almost every part of the globe. It engages in the production of a wide varied range of products including indoor units, outdoor units, heaters of all kinds and HVAC equipment. It has several established brands such as the weathermaster, weathermaker, centurion, Byrant and Payne among others. Daikin Industries is based in Japan which is responsible for the creation of the Variable Refrigerator Flow HVAC systems. This is a special kind of system that is used to supply cooling or heating to a room depending on the demand. It can also provide cooling and heating simultaneously in different parts of a building. In order to get to its current position, the company has wielded to the wind of globalization. For instance in the year 2006, it acquired the OYL group company based in Malaysia. This expanded its scope and also increased the company’s brand giving it a stronghold in the market. Some of the brands associated with this company include the J& E hall and AAl (Am een, 72). Acquisition has made Daikin the second largest company in the production of air condition equipments after Carrier Corporation. There are other players in this industry in Japan and they include Sanyo, Toshiba, Mitsubishi and Panasonic. LG and Samsung are the third largest companies in this industry both based in South Korea. In a united effort to have a large market share in the globe,

The American Dream Essay Example for Free

The American Dream Essay What is the American Dream? The American Dream is an idea people have that they can have happy and successful lives if they work hard enough. Since the Mayflower brought over the first settlers, America has attracted people all over the world to relocate to our country just to start a new and free life. They all had a dream, something we call the â€Å"American Dream†. We may think the American Dream doesn’t mean much but for some it could mean everything. The American Dream can mean different things to each individual. For example, in the novel Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, George and Lennie mentioned that they wanted to live on the fat of the land. This was their dream because George doesn’t want anybody around telling him what to do and Lennie wants to tend many of his own rabbits. Whereas, in the nonfiction story Of Plymouth Plantation written by Bradford, the pilgrims are brought to America to seek better lives. They wanted to escape religious persecution. Their dream was to be able to worship God and find land to own. America is known as the land of opportunity. People from other countries dream of bringing their families to the United States of America. They just want to own their own home and have stable jobs. We Americans don’t realize how lucky we are to be free. Other countries would give up anything to be given the opportunity to come here. The desire among many parents is for their children to lead happy lives. This is especially for immigrants because many of them left their home countries die to difficult living conditions. Although the concept of the American Dream is well known most people don’t realize how long it’s been around. Back in the 1900’s it was about being free and treated equal. Being free and treated equal meant more to African Americans because they were done with being so discriminated against. They worked so much harder than whites and got little to nothing in return. For example, Langston Hughes’ poem, â€Å"I, Too, Sing, America† is about an African American that gets mistreated. He has to eat dinner away from everyone else when company comes over. He finally plans to stand up for himself by eating at the table no matter what anyone says. His dream was to be free of racism and treated equal. Now days, it’s difficult for people to capture their American Dream. The economy has gotten so bad overtime to where people have to get more than one job to bring in enough income. In reality, your income decides your way of living which is utterly ridiculous. Money shouldn’t have to play such a big role in our lives. I think one job should be enough to buy all the necessities and then some but, unfortunately its not. My mom has 3 jobs with loads of stress piled on her shoulders and it’s still not enough to 100% support us. Her American Dream shouldn’t be about having less stress and more money but should be about her living a happy stable financial life. In other words, the American Dream can mean so many different things but in the end it all related in some way. Everyone wants to be successful with no worries. Not everyone is as lucky as us Americans to have a dream that we at least have an opportunity to achieve. People all over the world dream about coming to America for better lives. If you try hard enough, you may be lucky enough to achieve your dream.

Children With Intellectual Disabilities And The Effects Of Physical Activities

Children With Intellectual Disabilities And The Effects Of Physical Activities The research area will focus on the effects physical activities can have in the lives of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). In this research there will be a detailed account of the terms intellectual disabilities, social interaction and physical activities. This research aims to find the effects physical activities can have on such things as health and in particular the social interaction that occurs due to clubs and groups catered for the disabled. The researcher will be looking closely into the effects having a disabled child can have on parents and sibling and how social gatherings in the form of physical activities can help support families. The author will also look into the accessibility and availability of such social gatherings in the Castlebar, Co. Mayo area. 1.1.1 A little bit of history. People with intellectual disabilities exist in all societies and have been recorded throughout history. The earliest record is possibly the Papyrus of Thebes (1552 BC) cited in Bray A. (2003). They have had various names and titles some were very offending while others believed them to be angles and incapable of sin, Bray A (2003). There is actually very little evidence of the type of life people with intellectual disabilities lived in regards to how their families and the general population treated them. The name or title give can have an effect on how society perceives them. Many people still associate intellectual disabilities with mental illnesses this is not the case. An intellectual disability is not a disease it is a permanent condition that cant be cured it can however be improved with the proper help and facilities. Irelands special needs education system has gone through three stages these are the era of neglect and denial, the era of the special schools and the era of intergration or inclusion Swan (2000) cited in Flood, 2010. It wasnt untill 1831 that it was compulcory that children go to school. The government did not however think the education of children with special needs was important they felt that their needs were merely medical. From 1919 to the early 1990s special needs education was run by religious orders. It wasnt untill these religious orders started to rapidly decline that the state took over. At this time there was also a increse in awarness. It was also found that irish special needs fasilities were way behind any other nation these caused big chance in the govermenta policy and new pieces of legislation was introduced. Today there is a tolal of 107 special schools in Ireland. It was in the mid 1980s that people started to lobby for children with special needs to be intergrat ed into mainstreem schools. Over two thousand children were being educated in mainstreem school by 1993. There will always be changing thoughts on intellectual disabilities and the definitions and terms used as the times change and technology improves that is why it is important to continue reading and informing oneself on these topics, if you are interested in working in this area. 1.2 Justification Many parents can feel isolated and uninformed when they have a child with a disability. I feel that a social group for the whole family can play a vital part in helping families cope and expand their social networks and get a chance to meet other parents in the same situation. I believe that organised social settings are just as important for the family as they are for the disabled child. I feel it is important that siblings are involved in such groups and I wish to look into this further. In Ireland, close to 10% of the population have a disability or long-lasting health problem and more than 60% of these have more than one disability. (NDA website) This is a very high statistic and autism is on the rise in Ireland, I feel that this is a very underdeveloped area in the Irish education system and in outdoor education organization. I think it deserves to be researched properly and developed in a way that can be beneficial to people with physical and mental disabilities as well as their families and carers. I hope that if I were to show the benefits physical activity had on people with intellectual disabilities and how participating in these sport can help social interaction. I could use that information later on to help run and improve such courses. As families play such a vital part in the lives of people with disabilities I feel that this is worthy of research. In Castlebar, there are many courses run for people with disabilities but there is not a very high attendance rate in many of the courses. I hope to look at this in more detail and investigate the accessibility of these courses. Accessibility Outdoor education Ability is of little account without opportunity Napoleon Bonaparte Physical activity for people with intellectual disabilities in Ireland Get Ireland Active -The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland This is a booklet that can be easily downloaded or read on http://www.getirelandactive.ie/. On this sight there is a clear layout Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this Literature review the author will review articles and case studies and compare them in the hope of gaining a greater knowledge of the meaning of Intellectual disabilities and the effects having a disabled child can have on a family. 2.2 Intellectual disabilities Intellectual disabilities, is not a term that can be easily explained. The use of and IQ test is usually how intellectual disability is accessed. The average IQ is 100, there are three levels of disability these are: Mild IQ 52-67: Slow to develop but can be educated with proper training and go on to live a normal, independent life. Moderate IQ 36-51: They will be able to contribute to family life and a variety of activities. With the proper facilities they can learn to care of themselves. They will need lifetime support in planning and organising their lives and social activities. Sever IQ 20-35: It is likely that they will have little or no speech. They will need lifetime care in communicating and taking care of themselves. Communication can be hard. The use of pictures and photographs may be needed to communicate. They can also have some physical impairment. (Latto, 1981) This is only a rough guide to intellectual disabilities many other factors can affect how a person will live their life factors such as proper education and health services. If a person with intellectual disabilities has a physical disability also this can hinder their learning and may lead to them needing additional external assistance. Two disabilities this author will be looking at are Autism and Downs Syndrome. This part of the study will look at the different definitions of special needs. As cited in Rosenthal-Malek (1997). People with autism are often characterized by their self-stimulatory behaviours such as body rocking, spinning, hand flapping, head-nodding, object-tapping, gazing at lights and mouthing (Lovaas et al. 1987, Sugai et al. 1986) This study Jonathan M. Harris et al. (2008) attempts to investigate the relationship between cognitive performance and three major theories that try to explain the traits associated with autism these are, theory of weak central coherence and executive function. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, social communication and by a restricted, repetitive range of interests and behaviours. The theory of weak central coherence (Firth 2003) cited Harris et al. (2006), this theory suggest that autistic people are more inclined to work better with separate units as opposed to larger units they are found to see an image embedded in a more complex pattern faster than people with a strong central coherence. The second, theory of mind (Baron-Cohen et al. 1985) cited Harris et al. (2006); this is the ability to work out from evidence rather than direct statement the mental states of others. Finally executive function theory (Hughes et al. 1994) cited Harris et al. (2006); this is basically the ability to multitask. The study suggests that there may be more reliable results if further research was to be done on the individual traits of autism. The article also suggests that the relationship between Theory of mind and executive performance may be more related to features of ASD than the individual traits. 2.2.1 What this means for the family We always have to focus on the disabled child. No one asks us how this is for us and how we can survive as a couple Cited in Hareide ( ) Many families find it difficult to come to terms with having a disabled child it can be a shock and sometimes it can be unexpected. Even families who know there might be something wrong with the child before its born can find it very difficult to understand and cope with everything when the child is born. In this part of the study the author intends to look into the effects having a disabled child can have on a family as a whole, the strains it can have on a partnership and the effects it can have on siblings. It is thought that there are more negative effects than positive ones. The author will look into both sides of this argument through previous studies and compare them to give the reader a greater knowledge of this area. In the first study Hareide looks into how the couples relationship can be affected and how it is important for them to have time to themselves. Hareide was at a talk on the cooperation between parents and professional helpers it was afterwards when she was telling some parents that she was an outreach worker for couples that she was asked to run a couples workshop in the upcoming year. She feels that the most important factor to good parenting is how the parents work as a couple. From this impulsive question three projects came about. A research project, six one-week courses and the national initiative: a three year project. The research project consisted of nineteen families. This project was set up to take a closer look at married couples relationships. The parents of seventeen children were interviewed; four of the couples were divorced. They used both a qualitative and narrative approach. They looked at such things as how having a disabled child affected their live, the life of their other children, and their relationship with professionals and how their marital life was affected by it here is the breakdown of their observations. The professionals: most of the families felt helpless in the hospital, they felt that there was no one there to talk to them. Some of the families came home with what they thought was a healthy baby, these couples found the uncertainty extremely hard. One couple however had a more positive story they were however one of the younger couples. This showed that maybe the hospitals are starting to improve slowly in the way they treat families with a new born. The main difficulty was being able to handle their own reactions and be there for their spouse also. One thing that was common in both the divorced couples was that the father was not doing enough in helping with the daily care. Where to live: many parents commented on how different areas offered different support. This fact had influenced where some parents wanted to live. Many parents talked about how they felt they needed to be ahead of the professionals always when it came to things like moving from kindergarden to elementary school. Many of these transitions were very hard for the parents especially things like the day their child moved away from home, they found it very hard to let go. Daily life: it is noted in earlier studies that the woman were the main care giver and the men were the wage earner. This studies shows that this is not the case anymore except for the oldest generation. Although the household chores and child care was equally shared the mothers were always thinking ahead and worried more. In the report it was found that parents who had a strong relationship led an easier and less stressful daily life. Family and friends: many of the couples found that their friends were either close or distance when they were told about the child. Many parents found a dramatic reduce in their circle of friends. They found this challenging. Almost all the parents that were in this study worked outside the home and the felt this was very important and had a very positive impact on their life. It was a normal place where they could go to be free of their hectic lives, cited in (Hareide). The couples also found that social engagment brought the couples closer. Other childern: this study states that it is said that the mother looks after the disabiled child while the father lookes after the other children. This however is not always the case. Whlie some of the couples talked about a sence of grief there was also talked of a grest joy they felt at some of the little things in their daily life. Some of the couples talked of a deep meaning that behind all that had happened in their life. Others found there was no meaning behind their childs disability and all the positive things their child had given them. From theis study we can gather two things: practical support is nessary to have a somewhat normal life and secondly, the couples relatioship is very important and should be concentrated on more. The the second study, six one-week courses were run for parents. The course lasted five days and the parents came without their children. There was three parts to the course, psychoeducation, counselling and recreation. The psycheducation was a workshop about how important their relationship was on their family as a whole. They talked about what life was like having a disabiled child and how that effected the rest of their family. This was a workshop that let parents talk about their worries and meet other parents that were in the same situation as them. There was a councling servise for all the couples so they could talk to a profesional about anything that might have derive form the workshop or previouse problems. The recration also played a vitle part in the coures the workshops didnt start till late so it gave the parents time to relax and sleep. They were incuraged to take walkes in the woods around them. Althouh this course was a little exclusive and didnt cather to the needs of working couples there was extremly high praise given to the course. Ministry of Children and Family Affairs in Norway made this a three year national initiative project. It sets out to cater for a greater range of people. One day courses and weekend courses are ran. It is aimed at enhancing communication, strenghtning relationships and preventing divorce in families with disabled children (Hareide) the feedback is very positive. More than nine hundred profecionals have taken part in build-up courses. In a two day confrence in 2003, 240 people took part. Due to the large mida cover this course has received the general public have become more aware of these issues. All this came from within eight years of that first all important conversation. One thing can be said from this article listen to the parents and let their voice be heard and let them have a say on what should be done (Hareide) This is a crusial if we are to open peoples eyes to the needs of families and work on inclusion in our everyday lives. In this next study (Davison Dosser, April 1982) talk about how a special support system set up to facilitate families who have a developmentally disabled child can benefit them. The transition to parenthood is normally a relatively short period whereas becoming a parent to a developmentally disabled child can be sudden and it takes a lot longer to become accustomed to this new life. Many families find the transition very difficult, there is a higher than average separation and divorce rate among parents of disabled children. Out of 215 families studied only 18% believed that they received enough information after the birth of their child. Most did however say that the medical services were good. (Davison Dosser, April 1982) One family talked of how while their physicians were friendly they offered no reassurances to them. Most families felt that if they were provided inititly with some support a lot of unnessary anxiety could have been avoided. Abramson, et al. 1977 cited in (Davison Dosser, April 1982) says that information and support systems should be available immeditaly after recieving the news of their childs disability. To offer them a chance to work through their feelings and get enough information to make informed disissions and to provide them with what to expect next. The structure of the parent helpers program: during this program parents get positive information to help them come to terms with their new situation. This program invites parents who have developmentaly disabiled children to come and talk to new parents on how they managed to succeed positively in dealing with theis life changing situation. these parents are given the name peer-parents. They are trained in the basic elements of counselling. This program runs from the basic idea that because these peer-parents have gone through the process they will be sincere and understanding. Secondly, peer-parents attend lectures and training on various developmental disabilities. Most importantly, peer-parents have been through this experience and have adjusted to it. Parents that want to become part of the peer-parent group attend a ten week, 20 hour training course. This course involves lots of role-playing and counselling skills. They play the part of both the helper and the helped this allows them to consider both sides and work through different problems. They are constantly giving feedback to each other and receiving it from the trainers. There are many different trainers in different profession, such as nurses and special educators. 2.3 Benefits of Physical activities on people with Intellectual disabilities In an early study Dunlap and Koegel (1980) attempt to find an alternative teaching method in relation to autistic childrens general learning. There have been suggestions that introducing stimuli variation can lead to an improvement in autistic childrens levels of motivation and general responses to learning. (Faw Nunnally 1968; Panyan Hall 1978; White, 1966; Zeaman, House Orlando, 1968) cited in Dunlop and Koegel (1980) suggests that the introduction of stimulus variation may serve to heighten responsivity to such antecedent stimuli. This study is designed to test this theory. The study consists of two methods of teaching. A constant task consists of one continues task throughout the session and a varied task is taught the same as a constant task but has one main objective and is combined with a variety of other tasks. Overall the results of this study showed that there was generally a clear decline in both children during the constant task and a very positive and considerable rise in correct responses when it came to the varied task. Although the responses improved during the varied tasks there were also correct responses in the early stages of the constant task. The study also suggests that this could show that the varying task might have been influencing the childrens motivation to respond rather than their ability to learn. The study shows that although it is clear that learning occurs through both techniques. It is plausible to speculate that the children may have been bored during the constant task conditions (Ross, 1977) cited in Dunlop and Koegel (1980). In this next study twelve years later Weber and Thorpe (1992) attempt to further Dunlaps (1990) studies by transferring hes findings to a physical education setting. Weber and Thorpe (1992) used two techniques similar to that of Dunlap (1980). Constant task Conditions (CT) and Distributed Learning (Task Variation-with-Maintenance-Task) Condition (TV). The study consisted of 12 autistic males aged 11-15. All students displayed many Self-stimulatory behaviours, all children were nonverbal and all displayed similar psychological behaviours. All sessions were run in a room with three bicycles ergo meters, one mini trampoline and a box with various balls. The teachers provided the participants with physical shaping, physical assistance, physical prompting and social reinforcements (Fait, 1960; French et al. 1982, Sherrill, 1986) cited Weber et al. (1992) until the student responded on their own. Correct responses were always acknowledged and incorrect responses resulted in a plain No (childs name) cited Weber et al. (1992). These tasks were Overhand throw, kick, vertical jump, slide, continuous bounce and underhand roll. Weber et al. (1992) the article stated that there was a significant benefit to TV. The study shows that the TV has an overall higher success rate than that of CT. In the high level of skills acquired within the classroom. The study shows that Distributed Learning Condition (TV) can deal more efficiently with short attention span, one of the stronger traits of a person with autism. These results have a significant impact on teaching children and adolescents with autism. Task variation has a better impact then constant task method. Maintained tasks may help the student to retain the skills learned. Tasks being changed every 2-3 min appears to be extremely effective in holding the short attention of a person with autism. Teaching stations or something similar would more than likely improve learning. In this study Rosenthal-Malek (1997), attempts to look into the effects of aerobic activities on adolescents with autism. The author felt that there was not sufficient study done on these effects on adolescents with autism. The author also set out to investigate these effects on task performances in a workshop as well as in academic situations. The study took place in a public school and a community-based workshop programme with five autistic male adolescents. The author used two different preconditions an aerobic exercise and an academic precondition. The aerobic exercise consisted of a warm-up stretches and some mild jogging. The academic precondition consisted of a mixture of academic subjects taught the same way as a usual class. After every precondition either workshop or an academic condition was run as usual by the teacher. The author instructed the teacher not to attempt to control the childrens Self-stimulatory behaviour. The author noted the self-stimulatory behaviours as well as their academic responses. The results showed that there is a significant decrease in the levels of Self-stimulatory behaviours after the aerobic exercise. The level of correct responses increased dramatically and the number of tasks completed in the workshop also increased, compared to regular academic preconditions. The author was aware at the star of the study that the physical activities might result in negative effects such as fatigue. The author noted that physical activities do not appear to negatively affect any of the positive traits in this population. The author also finds that because of the simple nature of these activities the teacher does not need to be extensively trained and it relies on minimum equipment. The article states that there is a lack of research into the long term effects of aerobic activities on adolescents with autism and their behaviours. The benefit of physical exercise is very clear. Rosenthal-Malek (1997) proves that with a simple 20 min aerobics class the students self-stimulatory behaviours dramatically decrease and their learning increases. Todd and Reid (2006) also back this. A later study by Chien-Yu Pan (2009) also provides strong evidence towards physical activities and suggests that favourable environments and social interaction has the potential to make subsequent positive behaviours. Jonathan M. Harris et al. (2008) suggest that further research is needed in the traits of autism and how they relate to each other. There is little evidence to show that Ireland has incorporated any of these findings to their full potential. The author feels that there is a lot more to be done in this area in regards to Ireland. 2.3 Health improvements Intellectually disabled people have physical injuries and health issues just like anyone else. Many people with ID also have a physical disability. It is very important that before they start exercise that they are physically fit to do so. Many can have poor posture and such people will benefit greatly from exercise, Latto (1981). Special Physical activities that are catered for such disabilities can help build mussels and improve their posture. People with physical disabilities as well as mental disabilities may find it harder to take part in some activities. This is where a good coach comes in to facilitate all members of the team. Sometimes things like running, jumping or hopping might be difficult for a severely disabled person to do. The smallest bit of cardiovascular exercises can be of huge benefit to such a person. There are many studies done on the benefits of physical activities on the population as a whole, there is however not a great deal known about the benefits on people with intellectual disabilities. This next study by Dan Gordon discusses the benefits of exercise on to a Downs syndrome population. A recent study showed, Pastore et al (200) cited in Gordon (2006), that out of 42 individuals with Downs 43% were classed as obese and 61% showed low exercise tolerance these are just some of the frightening findings. This paper gives a review of previous articles that discuses different types of exercise. The author gives his opinion and offers recommendations on fitness regimes for people with intellectual disabilities. 2.3 Social interaction Many children with ID need to be thought how to play. This plays a vital part in the development of any child. Play eventually leads to sport and this leads to social inclusion. When working with intellectual disabled children play needs to be organised so they can learn how toys and games work. This can also be said when they get older and start playing sports and other activities. This next article shows the importance of organised sport and how physical activity can help improve social interaction. Chien-Yu Pan (2009), attempts to further the study of children with autism by introducing the concept of age and social engagement in relation to physical activity. In this article the author carried out a five day observation on twenty-five school children between the ages of 7 and 12 during their 10-20 min recess and their 40 min physical education class. The author noted the amount of physical activity the children were involved in and their social engagement throughout the day at school. The results showed that on average the children with ASD had a higher rate of activity and were more social during physical education than recess. The author also finds that according to the results that age has a significant impact on the amount of physical activities the children participative in. The author also feels that there is not sufficient enough research in the connection between age and physical activity and that this study shows that it is a very important factor in why autistic children participate in physical activities. In this study the author notes that the children with ASD participate more as they aged and their overall social interaction is a lot higher in physical education as they grow older, in elementary school. The author feels that this is because of the more structured and supervised physical education classes. The children were observed in both physical education and recess and they were found to pay more attention, giving feedback and participating in physical education, unlike the recess results where the children were noted to be spending most of their time not interacting with the other children. Mundy et al. (2007) as cited in Chien-Yu Pan (2008) suggest that favourable environments and social interaction has the potential to make subsequent positive behaviours. 2.3.4 Mental improvements In this nest study Todd and Reid (2006) attempt to examine the impact of an intervention programme that included edible reinforcements, verbal praise and self-monitoring on sustained physical activity of adolescents and a young adult with autism. (Todd et al. 2006). The author used three young men. All students attended a Canadian school for individuals with severe disabilities. The school had no physical education class available. The physical activity programme consisted of two one hour lessons a week either in the park or inside the school, 15 min walk to the park 30 min walking/jogging or snowshoeing then, the 15 min walk back. The author laid out a circuit and the young men followed the circuit any way they pleased in the half hour. For every lap they did they got a smiley sticker to put on their self-monitoring board when they did this they received a sweet. They were also verbally encouraged as they went around. The study intended to examine these techniques. As the lessons went on the author reduced the number of edible reinforcements. By the end of the lesson the participants stopped receiving edible reinforcements and only got verbally encouraged. The result of this study show that programmes that do not require high skill and can be incorporate individuals of different skill levels are beneficial in educational settings (Berkeley et al., 2001) cited in Todd and Reid (2006). The author stated that although the edible reinforcements were gradually wiped out the physical activity increased. The self-monitoring continued throughout the course. The author also feels that further research is needed in the effects of self-monitoring. 2.4 What these benefits mean for the family, Teachers or carers 2.5 Conclusion Chapter 3: The Methodology Methodology introduction The researcher intends to Possible Groups There is a Saturday club that runs every second Saturday in the Hall in St Geralds College, Castlebar from 11am-12.15pm. The author intends to attend this club on the 13th of November. The club is for children with disabilities as well their family and friends. It doesnt cost anything. There is a range of different sports including Basketball, football in addition to this general games and fun. During this time the author will talk to parents and children in an informal way to get their feedback on such a club and any other activities they might participant in. This will give the author a base to work from when compiling the questionnaire and interview question. There is also an Inclusive Gymnastics class for Children that runs in Breaffy school gym on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4.30-6.30. As well as this a PE class on Friday morning in St. Anthonys hall from 9.30-12. The author called Loraine on 10.11.10 and discussed the possibility of attending one of these days. The author will attend Breaffy on Wednesday the 17th of November. She proposes to assist the teacher and shadow her work to comply a list of questions and observations to add with her questionnaire that will be used at a later date. The author also works with two adults with Downs syndrome in the swimming pool

Research skills and techniques education essay

Research skills and techniques education essay This report highlights and evaluates my personal, academic and professional reflections throughout this course and applies the learning to consideration of my professional practice and ongoing future development. It explores opportunities for career paths within and outside of the prison service and how my range of skills can advance my aspirations as well as enhance the environment in which I work. To this end, I have critically evaluated my transferable skills and their development through this learning journey together with opportunities to enhance these further. In looking to the future, a revised Professional Development Plan (PDP) for ongoing future development has been compiled and included in Appendix I. Many of the learning outcomes have been already been covered in some depth within my PPD5 assignment and I have sought to elaborate on key areas of these within this paper. Background When first offered the opportunity to undertake further education through a Foundation Degree, I was initially excited at the prospect. However, this soon gave way to dismissive thoughts of successful completion as unattainable and self doubt about my ability to pursue such a venture which resulted in me not collecting the application form. It was only when a colleague, who had done so but decided not to take this forward, passed it to me, that I took the plunge. A lot of self talk was required to consider how valuable this opportunity was for me. I considered that several of my peers would have similar experiences and feelings which would make a natural and powerful support network meaning that I would not be learning in isolation. Later, I was able to reflect and realise that procrastination is a particular trait and pattern of behaviour for me, deep rooted in negative schema (Beck 1967:233) which I have been able to reflect on and write about at some length throughout my further e ducation. Even coming towards the end of the Honours Degree (which I undertook with greater enthusiasm), it is still evident and something to guard against. This has been particularly important in considering what has held me back from pursuing advanced career development until recently. Reflective Practice: Applying a range of reflective models throughout my further education studies, I now appreciate how analysis of my skills can help towards the goal of professional advancement and, importantly that of job satisfaction. I apply Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle readily to areas of my personal and professional life developing skills of evaluation and analysis, both of self and situations which has led to effective problem solving and informed conclusions as will be illustrated below. Doing this effectively, I have found, can widen the scope for a more in-depth and wider encompassing plan for ongoing development which hitherto, has been somewhat narrow in its view. In other words, from being resigned to thinking this is my lot, Ill just get on with it, to an active desire to apply new learning, seek more and become motivated for career progression. Straker (2008:172) whose work builds on the research of Gardner (1983 and 2006) summed up the importance of purposeful reflection for me Knowing yourself includes knowing that there are parts of yourself that you do not know and being ready to listen and explore these. It also means considering what parts of yourself you should expose or hide, based on how it will help your purpose rather than simply based on personal preference. The danger of reflection is that, for a procrastinator such as myself, one can get stuck in self analysis without doing anything about it or use the results of ones analysis to stay within a comfort zone. Kolb (1984) helped to evaluate my experiences and test hypotheses about myself, values and work ethics but it did not spur me on to action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. In PPD5, I considered how Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, in particular reminding me that reflection is important but it must always lead to action and the making of positive changes. She stresses the importance of experiential learning which includes reflection but qualifies this to incorporate active learning, ensuring intent to learn and mechanisms of feedback to ensure the whole process is effective and meaningful for development (p.122). SchÃÆ'-n (1983) explains how, as one becomes more experienced, it becomes increasingly possible to reflect in action rather than simply after action. This is something I am becoming more accomplished at and is particularly evident in critical incident situations in my role as a hostage negotiator where this has immediate and practical as well as personal value. Interestingly the Cycle of Change by Prochatska and Diclemente (1982), illustrated in Appendix II, highlights the phases which I can identify with through my learning, professional and personal journey. I can often remain in contemplation and need to find the drivers and motivators to avoid lapses but, I am encouraged that these now exist more in abundance which are sourced from many areas and the Honours Degree has been one of these. I am mindful that the grades and feedback I have received throughout my further education have been of a consistently good standard and this has served as a source of encouragement and measurement of progress and achievement. I must maintain measurements and goals for my future development and there are means in place such as the Staff Personal Development Record (SPDR), in Appendix III and Professional Development Plan (PDP) which I can use as signposts and yardsticks. It is important that, as the current period of study draws to an end, this motivation to achieve continues and I now feel best placed to ensure this happens. . As mentioned in my PPD5 essay, in the past I have questioned the decision making processes of management though this is being reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world, are key hurdles for which I must continually be mindful. (Elliott, 2011) This has also enabled me to evaluate what I can offer to roles to enhance the establishments performance. In my first Reflective Essay from January 2007 (Appendix IV) I described schema theory and the work of Beck (1967). From this I have developed an interest, not only in interpretation of situations which influence our beliefs but, particularly, how to develop the stimuli and positive emotional and cognitive drivers for professional and personal well-being. In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and reading this first essay shows how far I have come. The focus of this paper is skills evaluation but moreover, the action phase of my development, identifying opportunities and the practical steps required for ongoing development. Employability Skills and Development Needs A range of self analysis tools have proved helpful in ascertaining and evidencing personal skills which pave the way for ongoing professional satisfaction. This has involved being critical as to what is and may realistically be attainable as well as widening the scope for a range of career advancement opportunities. Using a range of self analysis tools I have been able to evaluate my employability skills and an example is in Appendix V. Examining these proved personally gratifying and formed the basis for an in-depth critique in a personal SWOT analysis (Appendix VI) which I had only ever previously applied to businesses within the scope of the Honours Degree. On completion of this, it seemed logical to me that the values which businesses ascribe to should find their roots in the personnel employed by the organisation as, ideally, they should embody the same corporate beliefs, ethics and work practices. As I will highlight later, this has brought me into conflict with my own work establishment where, using newly honed skills of assertiveness and corporate awareness, I am more readily able to challenge what I may perceive to be unsafe practices. This has been possible through balancing my potential weakness of being mission-focussed and developing this alongside effective and robust empathy towards management decisions At the time of writing my Performance and Development record for this year has not been recorded but as my SPDR for last year (Appendix III) illustrates, I can remain pleased that I continue to meet targets set and work collaboratively with others to ensure that the benefits of development are felt personally and by the organisation. I have expanded this further with creation of a new Development Plan (Appendix I) in order to maintain continuity and ongoing development. In order to consider the range of skills necessary to achieve my goals and aspirations, I completed a Career Values Tool and the report can be found in Appendix VII. To help with this I referred back to a Personality Type Questionnaire competed for the PPD5 assignment. This was an important analysis as it accurately highlighted the potential careers which fitted my profile. The role of Counsellor featured prominently which is something I have long been interested in (incidentally, Musician and Actor which are personal interests and also featured high in the analysis). My roles in offending behaviour treatment over the years have been the source of immense personal satisfaction as they met the values and skills which I have enjoyed developing the most. Using the Career Values Tool, I input Counsellor as an alternative career choice and it was interesting to note how this featured against the profile which had me as balanced between intuitive and logical in my approach to work. Feature d highly were communication skills and my ability to work alongside people and knowing that my work benefits others. When seen alongside my white knight mission schema of wanting to help others, which can potentially be unhelpful, the balance of taking a logical, measured approach to problem solving is something I now know I possess and is to be worked on continually. The development of analytical skills in my reflections and projects throughout this last year have helped to redress this balance whereas before, if I had taken the Career Values Tool, I might have been much further along the intuition side of the continuum which, is not healthy or helpful for one seeking to develop a managerial role. As well as reflective and study skills, it is important to develop the practical skills required for current and potential roles. At my SPDR review later this month I can explore the options for this with my line manager. The need to develop business awareness, in order to understand corporate strategy in the workplace and enable promotion prospects, is ongoing and the last few months have proved to be a testing time in that regard. This has largely been due to having to take a grievance procedure against the Programmes and Psychology management for what I perceive to be discriminatory and unethical behaviour against myself. Having weighed up the options over the last 12 months or so, this action was the only possible course and has required a measure of focus, assertiveness and an analytical overview of the situation to make this decision and take this forward. Without this, I would have reverted back to how I was prior to undertaking further education and left the situation unresolved and dwell in unhelpful rumination which would have affected my work and well being. The grievance is proceeding at the time of writing this report and, whatever the outcome, I can be satisfied that I have taken appropr iate steps to ensure best ethical practice and well being for the workforce and organisation as a whole. This has not been without an emotional response (acknowledging this is a strength identified in Gibbs Reflective Cycle, 1998) as I dont like conflict or rocking the boat but then, appropriate levels of assertive management and effective analysis are crucial management skills which I have developed over recent years and is ongoing. This is particularly important as I consider options for my future and it is gratifying that I can take the positive skills development learning from even the most testing of circumstances. The best measure of how appropriate ones actions are in the workplace, I have found, is ones own values of decency, ethics and responsibility and, in the above situation, to have these confirmed and used as my yardstick for decision making and professional integrity, has proved rewarding and strangely comforting. No one should ever consider themselves to be the finished article and being confident in pursuing continued development is a positive trait. In my case, this helps to overcome the schema driven low self-esteem and has certainly enhanced a more positive belief for the future. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In Appendix X I have conducted my own skills self appraisal which covers a range of academic and professional areas. This was motivated by a definition of entrepreneurship by Rothstein and Burke (2010) as one who is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦skilled in recognizing opportunities, exploiting those opportunities and creating value (p.217). Whilst I will never be an Alan Sugar or Duncan Bannatyne, I can be just as entrepreneurial in my skills base so as to add value to the organisation. The fact that funding was made available to allow this period of study serves as a reminder that, to some degree, this has already been recognised and how I choose to utilise this for mutual benefit is now being considered. Career Appraisal and Development During the Foundation Degree I was able to undertake and pass the selection examination for Senior Officer though I was unsuccessful in role play assessment. I was, however, able to take that experience and, rather than berate or chastise myself and dwell in self-doubt as I previously would have, I have decided to take the step of applying for and undertaking the assessment again later this year. For this, I will seek to use my Line Manager as mentor together with the training department as immediate point of reference and begin to research prison policy, security and management skills. I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in this not only from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the pride and sense of achievement this will bring. Following the disappointment of having to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work last year, I have reappraised my personal development and, using reflective skills developed on the degree studies, particularly Kolb (1984) to help evaluate the experiences and Beck (1967) to understand how I was interpreting them. Having specialised in Drug offender rehabilitation for the last twelve months I can take the benefits of new learning and role experience forward as I return to Sex Offender therapy later this year. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. Pursuing a Counselling qualification would serve as a path to an alternative career should personal circumstances change for me in the future. This could be due to cutbacks in the public sector or an establishment transition to the private sector. This could also potentially be utilised in my current role should a counselling or mediation function become available which I can argue would value to the establishment. A significant area of personal development has been in key skills of assertiveness and negotiation. These were identified early on in my reflective practice as things I needed to work on. I was able to negotiate a role within drugs support having originally offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Alongside this, within my current grievance procedure, I have assertively requested a clear professional development path from senior management which also ensures that all officer grades in the Programmes team are offered the same which has, hitherto, been lacking. Learning and Continuing Professional Development The Honours Degree has been immensely challenging and rewarding and, despite early fears, has worked in with my social and work life and has encouraged me to ongoing learning and consideration of developing career prospects. There has been useful overlap of the various modules of this course in which the learning and reflections from each have been transferable. An example is in studying Effective Management Decisions has been important for my dissertation which evaluates Crew Resource Management. Learning to examine the former, in an objective way, has enabled a critical approach for the dissertation ensuring the focus remains on the advantages to business performance and not just to areas of personnel safety which I might otherwise have concentrated. It has been gratifying that I have been able to use the modules of this course to look at areas which I find personally interesting and challenging which included designing projects to create best practice in offender management. Also, I have long been interested in the commercial aviation industry and to explore competitive advantage of an airline was good fun, whilst also rewarding in the study skills that were required. Similarly, the dissertation which looks at human factors in critical incidents arising from aviation accidents takes that same personal interest but analyses the learning points from that sector and explores what the prison service can benefit from this within its own operations. This seamless learning extends to the previous Foundation Degree which I frequently refer to including the module on ethics, cultural awareness and diversity where the strong principles I ascribe and have documented, are continually evaluated and applied to my work practice. It forms the basis of my mission statement for development as recommended by Covey (2004) where focussing who you want to be and what you want to do should be on the values you ascribe to each (p.106). I am currently exploring options for Higher Education such as a Masters Degree as well as qualifications in counselling. At this stage, I am unsure as to whether I should these at the earliest opportunity and continue the momentum of learning or have a year break in order to spend time focussing on my personal life which does need some attention. Whether I choose immediate and specific training at this time or not, I can develop and enhance the skills required for possible future roles in my current position utilising the training department, mentors and line management. All of these are part of my ongoing Professional Development Plan so I can maintain the motivation to keep personal and professional aspirations at the forefront of my future work. I am now certain that my further education will continue as will the depth and breadth of my career development. With the ongoing role in Drugs Support, a move back to Sex Offender Treatment later this year, together with the Senior Officer assessment in October and exploring accelerated promotion prospects in the prison service, I have much to keep me motivated and stimulated. These are key drivers for me as I have learnt in my four year journey and I can now realistically consider a managerial position and explore such options. The Honours Degree is regarded as a valuable qualification both for its relevant content to the Criminal Justice System and Business and Management but also symbolises the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development. For me, this highlights how seamless the transition has been through the learning journey and that it will continue to be so. This awareness has made further education and career progression options less of a mountain to climb but a gentle path to enlightenment as some learned and revered man of faith probably once said. A helpful resource has proved to be www.CIPD.co.uk which I have accessed throughout my studies. This organisations definition of learning is a self-directed, work-based process leading to increased adaptive capacity. http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/learning-talent-development-overview.aspx [Accessed 18 February 2011]. This highlights the importance of personal responsibility in using employer resources to develop an ever-widening scope for career development. Appendix VIII shows an extract which proved helpful in critically evaluating my development plan and ensured it was appropriate to my needs and abilities as well as offering value to the workplace. Conclusion: I regard my new Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IX) as a valid working document whereas I had considered my old one, prior to commencing Further Education, to be somewhat archaic, irrelevant and out of date. The core skills I have developed over the years and significant achievements are included which serve as a reminder that, just as I have now added the Honours Degree (final result permitting), more is to come. As I look over it now, the transition and learning process which has brought me to this point in my life now is clearly evident. I can see the journey of learning and experience I have been on and, with a renewed and positive view of myself and professional development potential, I will enjoy and apply myself to the opportunities that lie ahead. Appendices: I. Personal and Professional Development Plan II. Cycle of Change (Prochaska and Diclemente, 1982) III. Staff Performance and Development Record (SPDR) IV. Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) V. Study Skills Self Assessment VI. SWOT Analysis VII. Career Values Tool VIII. Extract from CIPD website IX. Curriculum Vitae X. Research and Employability Skills Appendix I Personal and Professional Development Plan Appendix II Cycle of Change (Prochaska and Diclemente, 1982) Appendix II The Cycle of Change: Prochatska and Diclamente (1982) This example is taken from the internet and the source is in the bibliography. The cycle of change has 6 phases and, for me, this diagram highlights well the areas at which I can lapse, particularly contemplation and, therefore am encouraged to maintain motivation. In pre-contemplation, the person does not see any problem in their current behaviours and has not considered there might be some better alternatives. In contemplation the person is ambivalent they are in two minds about what they want to do should they stay with their existing behaviours and attitudes or should they try changing to something new? It is this area which I need to be particularly on my guard to as not to lapse. In preparation, the person is taking steps to change usually in the next month or so. In action, they have made the change and living the new set of behaviours is an all-consuming activity. In maintenance, the change has been integrated into the persons life they are now more enterprising. Relapse is a full return to the old behaviour. This is not inevitable but is likely and should not be seen as failure. Often people will Relapse several times before they finally succeed in making a (more or less) permanent to a new set of behaviours. Appendix III. Staff Performance and Development Record (SPDR) Appendix IV. Extract From My First Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) Extract From My First Reflective Essay (Jan 2007) My earliest employment from leaving school was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve my practical skills base and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. Copies of certificates attained, both school and work based can be found in the appendix. The skills and achievements I have attained in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I have had no formal management training, yet gained significant supervisory experience through showing aptitude and dedication to task, client base and personnel. It is important for me to demonstrate, through the Foundation Degree and subsequent training that I can learn management and personal development skills, but also show I am able to apply this learning in my work and personal life. At the same time, I need to focus on a specific career path which includes, in the first instance, promotion to Senior Officer. The next logical progression will, therefore, be to apply for and undertake the senior Promotion Examination later this year. For this, I need to obtain details of the main job requirements for this role and, using my Line Manager as mentor and the training department as immediate point of reference, begin to research prison policy, security, management skills and training opportunities. Whilst I have considered undertaking this before, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in this not only from a practical, self-development perspective but also the pride and sense of achievement this will bring. On successful completion of this examination, I can seek to specialise in either offender rehabilitation or staff training which I would relish. This draws together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years and keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. It is important for me to develop assertiveness skills and, whilst these have been improved upon over recent years, I am aware there is a continued need for development in this area. I need to be pro-active in my own learning, seeking opportunities and not over-relying on others to simply recognise my needs or opportunities and make recommendations. Part of this includes my need to develop and seek out management training and practice/demonstrate the skills I have. It is equally important for me to enlist the help of others in my development. My personal statement highlights how I can become too self-reliant when I perceive no one understands my needs or are genuinely interested in my development. Seeking a more collaborative approach to my learning will not only engender positive belief in myself and others, it will make the next stage of my career more rewarding, satisfying, creative and productive as well as opening up a wider range of opportunities in all areas of my life. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this self assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style I have is schema-related and I will write a piece for my portfolio on schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, 1967 described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge  on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us and, thereby, how we interpret different situat ions in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing this with colleagues. Add to this, the personal development elements of the Foundation Degree, means I need to be mindful of balancing this wealth of introspection with practical steps for a successful future. One of the handouts for self-appraisal from this course has helped me consider what can get in the way of things I want to do. These include poor time management and a lack of structure and balance in and between my work, study and private life. This is important as I can become frustrated by unnecessary last minute attempts to meet deadlines. By having a clear coherent plan I can plan my work and life more effectively and, this alone gives me a sense of excitement and motivation. Appendix V. Study Skills Self Assessment Dowson, Paul., (2004) Study Skills Self Assessment, Leeds Metropolitan University Appendix VI. SWOT Analysis Appendix VII Career Values Tool Report Appendix VIII. Extract from www.CIPD.co.uk {Accessed 18 February 2011) Possible benefits of development planning Relevant learning and development is more likely to happen in practice when you are goal directed. Learning that is planned is more efficient. Unanticipated learning opportunities are more likely to come to your attention when you are prepared for them. The choices of learning methods are more likely to be appropriate following completion of a development plan and their use can be designed and managed to provide a tailored fit with your needs and interests. Motivation and confidence in taking responsibility for ones own learning can be enhanced. Possible limitations of development planning The quality of a completed development plan can suffer without timely and relevant diagnostic information from others. The creation of a valid and useable plan is particularly difficult to achieve without the active support and agreement of others who are relevant to you in your current role. The successful implementation of even a well-crafted plan is not guaranteed without continuing support and challenge from others. Operating hints Ensure that there is ready access to relevant and valid diagnostic data in the identification of learning needs. Ensure t