Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Case - Essay Example 5. The management of the company used the scientific management in their strategy. They looked at how the result of reducing the production would affect the growth of the company. In so doing they chose a method that could work and enable them make profits. 6. The quality control that the company used is that they satisfy their employees and motivate them enough. This ensured that they work well and produced quality goods. I believe that this is a good strategy as it ensured that they created quality goods for a long time. 7. The forces that are very important in the management of the company are the socio cultural forces and the technological forces. This is because they will keep the company in the upfront of the competition if they are looked at keenly. 10. The competitive strategy that the company has used is observing the competitors and coming up with a method that is a weakness for their competitions. The weakness of the competitors was also the strength of the company. 11. The key elements that the company observed was working with a target duration, having a measurable and attainable goals and having specific and results oriented objectives. These elements go a long way in ensuring that the company achieves all its goals and objectives. 12. One of the cultural variation issues that was once a problem for the company is the need of the manager to reward the workers in any instancing they do a good job. This is because it did not motivate them to work as hard. This is because they knew they could get a reward for putting just enough effort in the work that they did. 13. The company was wise to choose the acquisition strategy over the Greenfield. This is because with the acquisition strategy they have assurance that they will use their own strength to grow their company. 14. The company did not embrace the technology world and they thus cannot be able to have wider coverage. The company will also experience the problem of the wrong

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay

A Case Study Of Social Work With Families Social Work Essay This was my third contact with Mrs G however my first contact with Mrs G on her own without Ps presence. The purpose of the visit was to carry out a carers assessment which focused on Mrs Gs needs separate from Ps needs. It was important that I tuned into the visit in order to work with Mrs G effectively. The process of tuning in helped me consider the legal mandate for the intervention, it helped me prepare myself for areas Mrs G may have wanted to discuss, I was able to consider relevant theories, Mrs Gs feelings, my feelings as a worker and how I would address these feelings through the use of good knowledge, skills and values. Before meeting with the family I had read through the existing case file which allowed me to gain an insight into the social work involvement of MS the transition co-ordinator to date, other professionals involved and an insight into the family background. I had previously carried out a UNOCINI assessment on P, had been on a few visits to P and Mrs G and liaised with several other professionals involved with P such as the Renal Team at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC), the school, Ps G.P, Clinical psychologist etc. I had already gathered relevant information and thus obtained a good insight into the family situation, particularly through liaising with the Clinical Psychologist who had done some brief family work with the family. From liaising with him, I was able to determine that there were strained relationships within the home. As my role in this instance involved assessing the needs of a carer, I read around carers in Northern Ireland, their needs and what the y often experience etc. This allowed me to tune into what Mrs Gs life may involve with regards to caring for P and consider some of the challenges carers experience on a regular basis. As I had already been involved with the family and completed a UNOCINI assessment, I gained a great insight into the familys circumstances, history/background. During this contact I wanted to obtain a greater insight into how Ps disability impacted is currently impacting on Mrs G, the primary carer of P. I prepared myself for the contact by familiarising myself with the carers assessment form however I had already decided to approach the situation by allowing Mrs G to take control and explain openly how she was coping etc. My practice teacher also discussed her expectations with me during supervision. My primary purpose in this piece of work was: The purpose of the work was to meet with Mrs G in her home. Carry out an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer separate from Ps needs by allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her situation, how she was coping as a carer etc, express any concerns she had and ask her how she feels we could best support her at this time. This allowed Mrs G to take control of the discussion and identify areas to discuss. My main aims and were they achieved I contacted Mrs G prior to the visit to explain the observation so that she was aware of the situation before we arrived at the house. On arrival, I discovered that Mrs G had forgotten about the visit and planned to go into town. I asked Mrs G if she would like to reschedule but she said she would prefer to go ahead with the visit. I did not have to introduce myself at the beginning of this contact as I had clarified my role and function within the agency during the first visit with the family. I firstly introduced my practice teacher, reassuring Mrs G that she was there to assess me and my practice and that anything she would be writing would be about myself and not her. I further reassured Mrs G that anything discussed within the visit would not be discussed outside of the visit. At this stage I feel I could have explained the boundaries of confidentiality. I explained to Mrs G she was entitled to a carers assessment under the Carers and Direct Payments Act and that this would focu s on her needs as a carer as apposed to Ps needs. On reflection I do feel I could have explained to Mrs G at this stage what the assessment involved and I could have summarised what I intended to cover during the visit. Instead I just explained her entitlement to a carers assessment and that it focused on her needs. I acknowledged how difficult life has been for Mrs G and her family up until this point and asked Mrs g what it was like caring for P. Mrs G gave a very detailed account of Ps medical history and how his condition affected him. Issues arising were Ps restricted diet intake, Ps noncompliance to take medication and his personal care. On reflection, although I did attempt to probe further on these issues as an attempt to determine if and what triggers may have been contributing, looking back I do feel I could have used more effective questioning as an attempt to determine the impact this has had for Mrs G as a carer. Other issues arising were Ps lack of self-esteem and body issues which clearly contributed to his low mood. Looking back I feel I could have explored into this area more through probing more however I recall the carer at this stage having given me allot of in-depth information. I had reacted by probing further on another topic and had forgotten to go back and explore this a rea. On reflection I feel it would have been important to have explored this area further to gain a greater insight into how Mrs G coped with knowing that her son was insecure and body issues. Does she attempt to talk to P? Does this worry her, make her feel stressed etc, how does she cope seeing how Ps disability impacts upon him? Looking back another issue which Mrs G explained was the fact that P had fell out with their local Church over his diet. This was a clear issue/concern for Mrs G, however looking back, I did not probe further on this issue as once again, I recall Mrs G explaining a number of issues at once. I explored further on one issue and again I forgot to go back and explore this concern. At this point I feel I should have listed back to Mrs G the concerns that were arising and explored each of them one by one. Instead I feel I became overwhelmed by all of the information she was giving me, I consequently responded by exploring into one issue, which then led into another issue and I forgot to cover the other issues arising a the beginning. This has been a big learning curve for me as a worker. From this in particular I have learnt that I need to be more assertive and take more control of the conversation, particularly if you are with a service user who is quite talkative. In future I plan to say , ok, mrs G, youve given me quite a lot of information there. You have raised concerns about this, this and this. I would then cover each of the issues separately to ensure I have explored all areas fully that the service user has identified as being problem areas. I will also ensure to take more control of the conversation by stopping the service user if I feel she has overwhelmed me with information and pace the flow of the interaction to ensure each area is being fully explored. I recall Mrs G explaining that P had been abiding by his restricted fluid and diet intake recently as apposed to what he had done in the past. Mrs G did however express that P would still sometimes push the boundaries. I recall just reassuring Mrs G that this was very positive, however on reflection, I feel that I could have picked up on the fact that she had expressed he still pushes the boundaries at times and explored more into how they managed this, how he reacts when she reminds him the importance of his restricted diet and how Ps reactions impacted on Mrs G and other family members within the home. Mrs G went on to explain that the clinical psychologist P had been to see recently had diagnosed P as being biologically depressed and not clinically depressed. I recall probing further as an attempt to determine how Mrs G felt about this diagnosis, and asked whether P would continue to see the psychologist. However on reflection I do feel I could have explored further with regard to the possible risks this presented for P, how P was behaving, had she noticed any significant changes in his mood, behaviour etc. Looking back I feel this would have been very important and usually I feel a very obvious area to cover however I recall reminding myself of my role within that visit and that was to focus on Mrs G as a carer and how she was coping as a carer. Looking back however I do feel it was important to have explored further on this issue as there evidently could have been risks involved which could have led me to determining how Mrs G felt and coped with these. I recall Mrs G explaining about Ps argumentative nature. I did attempt to explore this area further however again at this stage I recall Mrs G giving a lot of detailed information and again I do feel it would have been beneficial to have redirected the information she had given back to how Mrs G was affected and how she was coping. I summarised by explaining to Mrs. G the main issues which we had discussed during the visit and what Mrs G was currently dealing with. I then reminded Mrs G of the main reason for the contact which was an assessment of Mrs Gs needs as a carer, how things have impacted on her and how she was coping as a carer. I summarised by asking Mrs G to once again eplain what the main concerns were for her in coping and caring for P at the minute. Mrs G once again clearly highlighted that the main concern for her as a mother was the fact that P had no opportunities at the minute to meet, socialise and interact others his own age group. She further explained that she felt this would undoubtly help to promote Ps independence while giving her and her husband a little respite. I paraphrased this back to Mrs G to have her clarify what I understood in relation to Ps needs and how this would ultimately benefit them as carers. I summarised by acknowledging and explaining to Mrs G that I understood the l evel of Ps care needs, what the family have come through in their lives to date and the impact of caring for P and other family members. At this stage I recall advising Mrs G of some support groups which may be of support to Mrs and Mrs G. Mrs G however clarified that she felt it was not them as parents who needed the support but their son, P who would benefit from some sort of social outlet. Furthermore, she did highlight she felt this would additionally benefit her and her husband as P relied quite a lot on her and her husband to take him out. Mrs G expressed she felt it would be beneficial for P if someone Ps age were to come and bring P out for a few hours. I mentioned a voluntary befrienders scheme however I was unsure as to the likeliness of getting a befriender that age within the locality thus I reassured Mrs G I would follow this up and get back to her. At this stage I recall introducing the topic of direct payments. Looking back, I feel the conversation had flowed up until this point. On reflection I had no reason to bring up the topic of direct payments as the conversation up until this stage had been centred on Mrs G, her life as a carer and how this was impacting on her. I had prepared to cover this topic solely on the basis that this was one of the topics covered within the agencys Carers Assessment forms. Looking back, I feel there was no reason to introduce this topic as there was simply no purpose in this instance. I recall asking Mrs G if she was aware of direct payments and or if she received direct paymen ts. Mrs G was not and asked if this was the same as carers allowance. At this stage I recall going completely blank. I knew it wasnt however I went completely blank and I could not think and turned to my practice teacher for reassurance and ask her if they were the same. At this stage I felt quite nervous and found it hard to refocus my mind back on the topic of conversation. I then recall trying to explain the concept of direct payments to Mrs G. I was able to explain that It focused on empowering service users through allowing them to be employers and this was a payment paid to them which would allow them to effectively employ someone if for example they wanted to pay someone to come in and care for their disabled child. I recall stumbling through this explanation as I consciously knew I wasnt communicating my understanding of direct payments effectively in a way to ensure that Mrs G understood it and furthermore I doubted what I was saying. I feel I cold have tuned in better to w hat direct payments were, whether Mrs G and P would have been eligible for this service, what the options were for them and been able to explain to them in a way that they understood and have given an example of their circumstances as apposed to a child. i.e. considering the fact that P was turning 18 in a few months. I feel if I had prepared better by doing this, there would have been more structure and purpose to introducing the topic in the first instance, Mrs G would have grasped a clear and concise understanding of what direct payments were, I would have come across as a more competent and knowledgeable worker and this would have lessened the likeliness of confusion or unrealistic hopes and expectations on Mrs Gs behalf on their eligibility and entitlement for the service. Straight away following the visit I acknowledged how my responses could have potentially have given Mrs g unrealistic hopes and expectations with regard to what they could get. I feel nervousness and lack of concise preparation significantly contributed to my inability to explain the service effectively and concisely, particularly after I was unable to explain the difference between carers allowance and direct payments initially. I finally summarised what I was going to do for Mrs G such as looking into the befriending scheme, their eligibility for direct payments, as she queried if she would be able to pay someone to come and take P out for a few hours a week etc. I then explained Mrs G that I would be in touch to arrange a time and date to talk through the assessment once I had completed it and have her sign it. Mrs G agreed. Skills I do feel I listened to Mrs G and demonstrated respect by being empathetic towards her and her situation past and present. I was very aware of the sensitivity around what Mrs G has come through in her life to date and used silence allot to allow Mrs. G to gather her thoughts before answering the questions. When she was talking I continued to use silence as a means of letting Mrs G tell her story and express her feelings. I ensured to maintain eye contact. My non verbals I hope indicated to Mrs G that I was listening to what she had to say. Although I contently listened to Mrs G and what she had to say, I do feel she overwhelmed me with information a lot of the time. Although I managed to explore further some of these issues by probing further on certain issues, I feel I failed to probe further on all the issues/concerns expressed by Mrs G. I feel I could taken control of the interaction more by stopping Mrs G at times and sensitively saying for example, ok Mrs G, you have given me quite a lot of information there. You mentioned this, this, this and this.. Can you firstly tell me a bit more about (1st issue), how does this affect you as a carer etc. I would then have gone through each issue separately and have explored each issue fully. I then would have got Mrs G to proceed. This would have ensured that I was using my probing skills more effectively and ensured I was exploring and analysing equally all areas which arose. Furthermore, I feel I did probe further on certain subjects to gain a further insight into how G fe lt about certain things although in doing this I do accept that I still may not have kept the topics focused on Mrs G as much as what I could have. I do feel however that in this instance, the needs of Mrs G was very dependent on that of meeting Ps needs first as she continually stated, if I thought that P was getting ready and looking forward to going out and meeting with others his age, I would be able to relax and when he would be away, this would act as respite for me. I truly feel this was the main issue for Mrs G and she clarified this towards the end of the visit. I was particularly ware of this as I had tuned into the fact that in a typical encounter involving two people, it is estimated that the actual spoken or verbal content is likely to carry only one third of the social meaning in any given event, whereas the non verbal forms convey roughly two thirds of the meaning (Birdwhistell, 1970). Communication is a two way process. It involves listening as well as speaking. Non- verbals used were: nodding, having an appropriate body posture, using eye contact, smiling and sitting in the SOLAR position. Allot of the time Mrs G was talking. I hope my non-verbals indicated to her that I was listening to what she had to say, respected the information she was sharing and demonstrated empathy and respect. I feel I used my interpersonal skills throughout the visit ad this contributed to a relaxed atmosphere and interaction. I do feel however I had developed a good rapport at this stage with Mrs G as I had been on a few previous home visits through carrying out the UNOCINI assessment. I feel I had a generally good structure to the contact however I do feel I could have explained at the beginning the content of what I hoped to cover with Mrs G instead of just summarising that I would be looking at her needs as a carer. I feel I demonstrated good non verbal communication through appropriate facial expressions, a good sitting position with an open posture, good eye contact and nodding my head to reassure Mrs G I acknowledged, was listening and understood what she was saying. I feel I laughed when appropriate and showed empathy when covering sensitive issues such as Ps past medical history of cancer and chemotherapy. I did ask various open questions which I had planned as a means of applyin g the exchange model and allowing Mrs G to talk openly about her life as a carer. This also allowed me to gain an insight into what Mrs Gs life was like, what her caring role entailed and how she coped with her caring responsibilities. I asked closed questions to gain more information on certain issues and clarify information. I feel my tone of voice was appropriate considering we were covering issues which were sensitive to Mrs G. Generally, I feel I effectively communicated with Mrs G. Effective communication is an essential component of traditional social work activities (Lishman, 1994, pg 1). I communicated clearly with Mrs G by explaining why I was there, introducing my practice teacher, explaining her role, reassured Mrs G my practice teacher was there to observe me and not her. I explained clearly what I hoped to cover during the contact and under ground she was entitled to a carers assessment. The process of engaging entails social workers being explicit about what we are do ing and why (Munro 1998a: 98). I feel I engaged well with Mrs G by clearing explaining my role and purpose. I paraphrased back to Mrs G what she had said at certain stages, particularly towards the end of the contact to show Mrs G that I understood what shed told me. This involved me paraphrasing or feeding back to Mrs G what theyd conveyed, in a meaningful way. This was also useful in having Mrs G clarify that this is indeed what she meant. Empowerment- Empowerment is more commonly used to describe service users being given meaningful choice and valuable options (Clark 2000: 57). I feel I provided Mrs G with choice and valuable options by providing her with information, informing her of the services available. I do feel I actively listened to G and responded by probing further on certain issues. On reflection, I feel the type of questions I asked G could have been more focused on the needs of G and Ge as apposed from having her explain about P. Initially I felt this may have given R an insight into what Gs life is like and I thought it may have been a good starting point however I feel I could have covered aspects such as how she coped when P was away to college, to dialysis. In saying this I do feel that G made it very clear particularly towards the end that the main concern for her at the minute was the fact that her son had no friends his age, was unable to get out and had nothing to look forward to. And continually expressed that this was the main issue for her and that if he had an opportunity to get out and socialise with others his age, this would positively impact on her as she would be able to relax if she felt P was happy and this would also act as a few hours respite for her as relationships in the family had been strained recently. I feel I did not communicate to Mrs G in a clear and concise manner what direct payments was and was unable to provide her with a clear distinction between that of carers allowance and direct payments. Looking back I went blank at this point and felt I could not think and panicked. As a result I looked to R for re-assurance. I do not feel I came across as a competent worker as on reflection I turned to my practice teacher when G asked me if a carers assessment was the same as a direct payment. Looking back on this I feel very silly as I knew the difference but I just recall going blank as I stumbled with how to explain the difference. I feel this was down to nervousness and as a result I panicked and turned to R for advice. I will definitely try to avoid doing this in future as it is not professional and service users expect that we as workers know what we are talking about. I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to knowledge in relation to direct payments and carers allowance etc. Although I thought I knew what they were, obviously hadnt read enough around them or had the information prepared in a way that would enable me to effectively communicate to the service user what they were. Although prior to the contact I felt I was prepared, On reflection, I feel I could have been better prepared with regard to familiarising myself better with direct payments and carers allowance etc. I should have prepared in my head how I would explain this to G in a way that was clear and concise that she would have understood. My main aims achieved were: I was successful in getting Mrs G to open up about her situation and her feelings I was successful in determining what it was she felt would best help and support her and her husband at the moment, which was providing them with respite by providing P with opportunities for social interaction. The main knowledge used and how it impacted upon my work: I had an understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances through previous visits with the family and carrying out a UNOCINI assessment and liaising with other professionals already involved with the family. I feel I tuned in thoroughly to Mrs Gs past history, current circumstances and her life and needs as a carer. I did not have a lot of knowledge about the appropriate way of completing the carers assessment form. From discussing the topic with my practice teacher and other work colleagues, I felt it was better to not bring the form in with me during the visit. I felt this may have put Mrs G of or have distracted her. I considered the sensitivity of some of the issues that Mrs G may be relaying to me and I wanted to give her my utmost attention, reassure that I was fully listening to her, engage fully with Mrs G and let her lead the interaction and speak openly about her situation. This then led me to apply the exchange model of assessment which looks upon service users as experts in their ow n lives. I tuned into the fact that no-one knew Mrs G and her life situation as well as herself and so I felt this model was ideal to apply as a method of assessment. The Life needs model is another model which informed my knowledge base prior to the visit. This is a developmental and social-ecological model and increased my knowledge base on key transitions in childrens lives. Although this model informed my knowledge base more so with regards to Ps UNOCINI assessment, it also allowed me to consider how Mrs G as a carer may be coping with Ps transition and current life stage of adolescence, as a carer and mother. Knowledge around assessment theory increased my knowledge base on what assessment is and what it involves. Erik Eriksons life stage theory increased my knowledge base around Mrs Gs life stage. Theories around loss increased my knowledge base as to how Mrs G had experienced loss as a consequence of Ps physical disability and his cancer. This was very significant as the focu s of the work was on assessing Mrs Gs needs as a carer, considering who she cares for, how that impacts on her life and how she effectively copes with her caring responsibilities. As a carer of a child who has a physical disability and who had had cancer and been treated with chemotherapy and has had two failed kidney transplants, this theory allowed me to tune into a number of losses Mrs G may has or may have had, losses in terms of lack of socialisation, independence etc. This knowledge allowed me to consider that Mrs G may have been affected psychologically, physically, emotionally and socially. One of my objectives for the visit was to discuss direct payments. I feel that I did not carry out sufficient research to allow me to explain this service clearly and concisely in a manner that Mrs G would have understood. I recognise that direct payments is a relatively new way of receiving services and other professionals are still learning about what they are and how they are used. How ever, this is an area I had planned to cover with Mrs G as it is one of the questions within the carers assessment form and thus I do feel I could have researched this area more concisely to ensure I was confident in explaining it in a way that Mrs G would have understood. I also feel I had a good grasp of the current family situation through completion of the initial UNOCINI assessment and thus I could have enquired into the familys eligibility for receiving direct payments prior to the visit. I feel I had already previously adequately researched into Ps renal condition, kidney dialysis, the effects, the importance of a restricted fluid and dietary intake and the consequences of not abiding by a restricted diet from completing Ps UNOCINI assessment. This information allowed me to further consider what life is like for Mrs G as a carer. I had already gained a great insight into the family circumstances through liaising with other professionals and completing the initial UNOCINI asse ssment. This knowledge was significant as it allowed me to consider the challenges Mrs G was facing as a mother and carer and thus I already had an insight into how she was coping with caring for P. I also done some research on carers of children who have disabilities which allowed to familiarise myself with what pressures and stresses carers are faced with on a daily basis. Throughout my work with this family I am constantly aware of overarching legislation such as the Childrens Order (NI) 1995, the Human Rights Act 1998, Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1989, and The Education (NI) Order 1996. The main piece of legislation that informed this piece of work however was the Carers and direct payments Act (NI) 1996. I must always be aware of the legal and statutory context in which I work. It is impossible to practice without coming up against the Law: it is impossible to practice effectively without an in-depth understanding of how the Law affects everyday social work practice (Johns, 2005:1). Looking back I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and familiarise myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. I have since spoken to other workers in the team and have read around the topic more and thus feel much more confident about the topic. The main values I used were: The NISCC Codes of Practice for Social care Workers underpins my professional value base and I felt this impacted when working with this family. I feel that I treated Mrs G and her home environment with respect by asking Mrs G prior to the visit if she would mind my practice teacher being present to observe my work. I feel I empathised with G by being understanding of her all that her and her family have come through in their lives to date. I felt I could easily empathise with her when she was referring to P and his medical history and his cancer. I considered prior to contact how devastating this particular time would have been in their lives and acknowledged the importance of showing empathy, particularly if this service user was willing to talk openly to me who she may have looked upon as a stranger, about such a sensitive area in her life. I empathised with her further when she talked openly about her older son also having been born with a renal condition and the ongoing everyday stresses and strains this had. I did not judge Mrs G. I listened openly to what she had to say and demonstrated empathy by being understanding of Mrs Gs circumstances at present and what she has come through to date. By being empathetic and understanding towards Mrs G, I feel she was more motivated to work in partnership with me. I feel I demonstrated respect by explaining the issue of confidentiality, explaining my student status, gaining consent and ensuring Mrs G was happy and content working with myself, a student, by reminding Mrs G of my student status and allowing her to clarify she was happy to proceed. Furthermore, I feel I respected Mrs G by pre arranging the appointment and turning up on time. I feel I demonstrated respect at all times throughout the visit by maintaining eye contact, listening to Mrs G, using silence when appropriate and allowing her to speak, gather her thoughts and express her feelings. I was genuinely interested in what Mrs G had to say, finding out m ore about her life and past experiences and I was honest and open which I feel contributed to an effective, positive working relationship with Mrs G. I made myself aware of any cultural/structural oppression that the service user may be experiencing, such as gender, religious issues. I also considered that Mrs G attended a Church group and that she and her family held firm religious beliefs and attended Church on a regular basis. Future learning requirements indicated by this piece of work What I hope to improve upon in the future: From looking back I can see that there are significant areas I need to develop my knowledge and experience in. For example I strongly feel I could have increased my knowledge base more effectively around direct payments and have familiarised myself with what the criteria is for eligibility for families. My lack of experience delivering direct payments is obvious here. I feel that my understanding on this topic could be improved through reading further on the topic and possibly shadowing other social workers in the team when they visit service users about direct payments. Being well prepared for what it is I want to cover during contacts is another significant area I need to work on. Looking back, I feel the contact had flowed up until the point at which I introduced the topic of direct payments. I feel, I already had an insight into the family situation through completing the initial assessment ad I knew that Mrs Gs main concern was that P did not have enough opportunities for social outlets and if I had prepared to introduce this topic, I should have previously enquired into whether this was an option for Mrs G and her family. On reflection this would have made much more sense as I would have had reasoning for introducing the topic and I would have been able to inform Mrs G of information that was clear, concise and accurate, preventing informing Mrs G of information that was inaccurate, risking false hopes and possible dis

Declining Trust In Our Government :: essays research papers

Declining Trust in Our Government Is the American people's trust in our government declining? According to most people, it definitely is. Recent polls make this argument very valid. In 1995, the Princeton Survey Research Associates conducted a telephone interview of 1514 random sample adults. In this interview, people were asked how much of the time they trusted in the federal government to do the right thing. Twenty- one percent said most of the time and seventy-one percent said only some of the time. When asked the same question of their state governments, the results were only slightly better. Thirty percent said most of the time and sixty-two percent said only some of the time ("Why Don't"). This indicates that a majority of the American people believe that the American government is not doing the right thing in a lot of the actions it takes. Of course, nobody expects the government to operate perfectly with no mistakes, because this is not a perfect world. These numbers are too high though. What caused this problem in the United States, what is the extend of this problem in our country, and is this distrust of our government even a serious problem at all? These are three questions that need to be addressed in out society today. What really has caused the American people to distrust our government and when did this trend actually begin? I do not believe there is any clear answer to these questions and I do not believe it would ever be possible to pinpoint any exact reason for the feelings of the American people. One reason cited by some is that it is the fault of poor leaders. Two commonly blamed leaders are President Johnson and President Nixon. Two of the biggest drops in the public's confidence in our government occurred in 1964, during the bombing of Vietnam, and in 1972, during Watergate (Nye). Although these two events may have contributed to the distrust of the American government, I do not believe that two events and two leaders can be held totally responsible. For one thing, these things occurred over twenty years ago, why is there still distrust today. Not only does this distrust still exist, but many would say that it has increased greatly since then. I do not thing that two leaders can be pinpointed and blamed for destroying the trust in our government. Perhaps though the blame could be laid on American political leaders in general. In a 1995 poll, thirty- five percent said the main reason that they do not trust the federal government

Challenges in Motivating Employeess Essay

Why motivating employees is becoming increasingly challenging. The study of motivation is concerned basically, why people behave in a certain way or why people do what they do? Generally motivation can be described as the direction and persistence of action. However different items such as work environment or internal and external forces can influence the person’s choice of action. Managers face a significant challenge in finding ways to motivate their employees. Some employees can often if hard to get motivated for a job even after being employed. Maybe because there is a day job duties repletion, work condition and etc. Below I discuss some of the most significant challenges in employee’s motivation: Money is one of the major variables of satisfaction and motivation, no doubt that employees will feel less motivated if they feel their compensation is not appropriate. Paying employees less will lead to dissatisfaction and of course dissatisfied employee is an unmotivated employee. However we have to consider individual differences in the motivation. Employees have different needs and given reward do not motivate all individuals similarly. Managers should spend time necessary to understand what is important to each employee and the align goal, level of involvement and reward with individual needs. For example professionals and knowledge workers which highly trained with a college or university degree are more concerned with content of work rather than their place on the organization chart. Money and promotions typically are low on their priority list in contrast job challenge and having skill-development opportunities tend to rank high. However motivating low skilled service workers which pay levels are often little above minimum wage such as retailing and fast food is different. Many employees working in low skilled service jobs feel that they do not get the respect they deserve from their employers. Unless pay and benefits are significantly increased, high dissatisfaction is probably inevitable in these jobs. Trying to understand the needs of such employees might help motivate them better. Motivating employees in a unionized workplace environment is another challenge. For example unions have not been very receptive to pay for performance plans. They believe that differential pay to employees doing similar work can hurt corporation and lead to competition in the workplace. In other word in unionized companies providing opportunities for training and advancement and listening to employees concern all help in creating a more positive environment. On the other hand with todays globalized companies we have to consider motivation do not necessarily work equally through the world. Reward practices in different countries are variable based on cultural differences. For example countries that put a high value on uncertainly avoidance prefer pay base on objective such as seniority. Countries that put a high value on individualism place more emphasis on an individual’s responsibility for performance that leads to rewards. Countries that put a high value on human orientation offer social benefits and programs that provide working family balance, such as childcare, maternity leave and etc. Work conditions and environment is another motivation challenges. Changing the way workers are treated may boost productivity more than changing the way they are paid. An employee who feels his working conditions are unreasonable maybe unmotivated. If he feels completing a task would place him in a dangerous situation, he may not see the value doing or completing it. Other thing which could affect employee motivation is training. An employee being asked to do work which he is not qualified for or capable of doing can result in an unmotivated employee. People are generally the most motivated when their jobs give them an opportunity to learn new skills and tasks that are performed and enable them to demonstrate competence. So no doubt having an open, safe and welcoming environment is one of the most important factors. Regulation of the hours of work is another condition. If an employee is working 60 hours a week instead of the standard 40 hours, he may feel unmotivated to show up or give a full effort knowing that he will give more work and expected to stay late to finish project. Multicultural Team is another challenge in motivation. Nowadays most of the companies from big to small have multicultural team. People from diverse culture, background and beliefs. It’s clear we cannot motivate multicultural teams the same way we motivate teams with members all from same culture. Multicultural teams are differing from same culture teams in a variety of aspects. For example people from different culture have different communication style, working method and decision making practices. The expectations of team behavior vary among nationals and ethic cultures. In result managers in these companies have special challenges for motivation. Managing and motivating employees who respect different cultures can be simultaneously exciting and challenging, provide supervisors and managers understand how culture differences inspire organizational excellence, at the same time, employers encounter challenges by separating employees instead of using management and motivation techniques that focus on common traits through the workforce. In these companies as a motivating factor, money is important but only to some extent. Usually After they start getting a fairly level of compensation for their input, money stop being the greatest motivator for most people. Knowing the strength, weaknesses and performance history of each team member are very important. Some training such as multicultural awareness, team building and intercultural management workshop, motivate multicultural team members are very helpful but they must know why they are being trained. Result: All said and done working with a cross cultural team is significantly challenging as the manager must develop strategies to cope not only with differences but also motivate the team to be productive and efficient. Can a manager or supervisor â€Å"empower† an employee? Generally managers used their power as the part of their interaction with employees. In today’s workplace, there is a movement toward sharing more power with employees by putting them in teams and also by making them responsible for some of the decisions regarding their jobs. Some managers believe that to empower people is a real part of leadership as opposed to management and they give examples of way empowerment can actually set people set free to do the jobs they are capable of and also allow them to do self-managing. However managers have different concepts of empowerment, for example one group of executives believed that empowerment was about delegating decisions making within a set of clear boundaries. While another group believed that empowerment was a process of risk taking and personal growth. There is a lot of positive press on empowerment but much of the talk of empowerment, but much of the talk of empowerment, does not result in employees being empowered. Some managers have difficulties letting employees have more power. But most of the managers agree that the employees should understand how their jobs fit into the organization and that they are able to make decisions regarding job action in light of the organization purpose and mission. Empowerment can offer a number of potential benefits throughout all levels of organization. Although there is a continuing debate about the real benefits of empowerment, there appears to be a general assumption motivated staff, quality customer service and improved profits. However all the theories share a common assumption that workers are an untapped resource with knowledge and experience and an interest in becoming involved, and employers need do provide opportunities and structures for their involvement. It’s also assume that participative decision making is likely to lead to job satisfaction and better quality decision and that gains are available to employer (Increased Efficiency) and workers (Job satisfaction), in short an everyone win scenario. According to Erstad, among the many fashionable management refers to the change strategy with the objective of improving both the individuals and the organization’s ability to act. From the context of articles especially in this area empowerment is a complex process. In order to be successful it requires a clear vision, a learning environment, both for management and employees, participation and implementation tools and techniques.

Explore the Relation Between Othello and Desdemona

Furthermore, the tragedy of the play is Othello hubris forcing him to murder his wife – the action which proves his Inability to Integrate with Venetian society. Shakespeare presents the relationship between Desman and Othello in a deeply Immersed way by defining it both in terms of their personal interaction, and the reaction and interference of the characters in the play. Most importantly, the antagonist of the play, Ago, uses Adhesion's â€Å"goodness† as the net to â€Å"enmesh† Othello, In addition to his other victims Including Cassia and Ordering. Gags Machiavellian plot to be evened with Othello, â€Å"wife for wife† depends heavily on his ability to destroy his marriage – thus confirming the importance of Desman. The status of Desman and Toothless relationship as a major point of conflict is clear from the very beginning of the play – where Ago and Ordering attempt to â€Å"poison the delight† of Abrogation by revealing that D esman had secretly married Othello. In terms of context, the concept of marriage without parental consent was taboo in Jacobean society, and would've been controversial even in Venetian society – which was considered much more relaxed than Jacobean Britain.It Is also Interesting to note the use of the word â€Å"poison†, which Is a strong theme throughout the play -? ND foreshadows Toothless eventual request that Ago â€Å"get me some poison† in order to murder Desman. Foreshadowing is further utilizes by Shakespeare in Act II Scene l, where he has Barbarian warn Othello to â€Å"look to her Moor, she has deceived her Father and may thee†. This effect Is heightened by Toothless claim that he places â€Å"my life upon her faith†, a moment of great irony which perfectly complements the claim that ‘in losing [Desman], he loses himself.It is important to note the great trust Othello places in Desman In this scene and how it coincides with his non event, eloquent speech which prompts the Duke to acknowledge â€Å"this tale would win my daughter too†. The poetic blank verse which Othello speaks, and has led some critics such as A C Bradley to describe him as â€Å"the most romantic among Shakespearean heroes† is in stark contrast to the clumsy, monosyllabic prose which he speaks later In the play – by which point his confidence In Desman, and therefore himself, has been destroyed by Ago.There is some element of truth in Othello claim that he â€Å"loved too well† and it is this resolute nature which ultimately dooms him. His rashness, which would have been praised as decisiveness on the battlefield, forces him to dismiss Cassia perhaps too swiftly – and place too much trust in â€Å"honest Ago', whose role as â€Å"ensign† should be confined to military affairs – not his general's private life. It could also be argued that Othello was doomed by his race, in the words of Anta Lo mb the inflict of the play derives from â€Å"the threat of a black man and a white woman† to the â€Å"patriarchal† Venetian society.The racist semantic field used in the opening scene, â€Å"thick lips†, â€Å"old black ram† and simply â€Å"the moor† sets a precedent for the rest of the play, and Othello final speech where he acknowledges he is an outsider, â€Å"circumcised dog† is evidence that Lagos manipulation has forced him to question himself and become the stereotype Ago depicted him as. Ultimately, the relationship of Desman and Othello is integral to the play, and Othello descent into barbarism is facilitated by his loss of faith in Desman.Othello himself placed his â€Å"life upon her faith† – and as a resolute man he was left with no choice but to destroy himself when he felt she had betrayed him. Lagos malignant, calculating intelligence led him to the conclusion that the moor he hated could be destroyed by his love for his wife – Just as Ordering could be destroyed by his lust, and Cassia by his arrogant, flirtatious nature. Lagos ability to detect the weaknesses of those around him is the characteristic which defines the tragedy of ‘Othello', and thus the knowledge that Desman is Vital to her Husband' allowed him to exact his Machiavellian plot with tragic consequences.

Ford Ka Essay Example

Ford Ka Essay Example Ford Ka Paper Ford Ka Paper Historically, car manufacturers including Ford segmented buyers according to their income and age. Ford used these figures to classify small car buyers into four target groups. Financially constrained buyers (single men and women without children 100,000 FF) Average income, more youthful/expressive buyers (100-250 thousand FF, single men/women/childless couples) Average income and/or family constrained buyers (full nesters, empty nesters 100FF and above) Higher income, not family constrained buyers (single men, women, childless couples 250,000 FF) Pros: Manufacturers specialized in certain categories; small car manufacturers focused on low production costs while luxury car manufacturers focused on differentiation through product features and quality. This delineation resulted in less competition. In addition, regional level marketing was practiced. Cons: Max profits is not exploited because a fleet of cars to service a range of geographic, demographic, psychographic, behavioral and attitudinal segments is unavailable. Which segmentation approach should be used for the Ford Ka? Demographic segmentation was advocated by management due to its historical success and the fact that data was accessible. However, demographic focus group results contradicted management’s view. The 40-44 year old group comprised a 32% share. Attitudinal segmentation was advocated by the advertising agency. If it is true that the market is fragmented to a greater extent than Ford’s management currently assumes, then the attitudinal segmentation approach has the dual advantage of not alienating traditional market segments, such as the 40-44 year olds that featured highly in addition to encompassing a wider demographic based on lifestyle choices. Attitudinal segmentation had a risk of being expensive and risky. : Overall, the risk of choosing demographic segmentation and potentially experiencing project failure appears greater than the risk of favoring an attitudinal approach that aligns with an evolving market thesis. Favoring this approach is the fact that Choosers who placed the Ka among their top 3 choices also included the Twingo, which spanned demographic segments and aligned with an attitudinal approach. Freedom lovers and attention seekers could potentially convert Sensible Classics over time.

Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children

Music is no longer simply a way to relax and express your self anymore. Rather, it is a way to expand the brain’s faculties. From the beginning of life as a fetus until death music affects everyone’s lives. Indeed, it has been shown, that music has a profound effect on a child’s physical, intellectual and social development. To a great extent, through the early stages of childhood one can truly understand how worthwhile music is in a growing child’s life. The interest on how music affects young children began toward the latter part of the 19th century. Studies were taken up to determine an infant’s musical abilities. It appears that until the middle of the twentieth century, scientists failed to appreciate the capabilities of infants. They presumed that because infants lack speech and spend so much time eating and sleeping that not much cognition was going on inside an infant’s head. That view was largely displaced with the fact that infants have considerable musical abilities. For example, infants can perceive and distinctly remember not only the contour, but also the pattern of rising and falling pitches in a piece of music. They can also recognize a melody as the same when it is played at a very different tempo. Infant perception and cognition have been found to be similar to the ways in which adult listeners process music. Through the scientific discovery of musical abilities in infants there is never the less, a question that arises. To address this issue, at what age, do these types of abilities first appear? To answer this question, scientists must focus on the issue of whether or not infants remember their birth or even the experiences that go along with it. To do this they primarily rely on anecdotes, which claim that people have detailed memories of birth or even in utero experiences. Chiefly, the reliability of these stories have been claimed on the basis either of hypothetical reasoning or that... Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children Music is no longer simply a way to relax and express your self anymore. Rather, it is a way to expand the brain’s faculties. From the beginning of life as a fetus until death music affects everyone’s lives. Indeed, it has been shown, that music has a profound effect on a child’s physical, intellectual and social development. To a great extent, through the early stages of childhood one can truly understand how worthwhile music is in a growing child’s life. The interest on how music affects young children began toward the latter part of the 19th century. Studies were taken up to determine an infant’s musical abilities. It appears that until the middle of the twentieth century, scientists failed to appreciate the capabilities of infants. They presumed that because infants lack speech and spend so much time eating and sleeping that not much cognition was going on inside an infant’s head. That view was largely displaced with the fact that infants have considerable musical abilities. For example, infants can perceive and distinctly remember not only the contour, but also the pattern of rising and falling pitches in a piece of music. They can also recognize a melody as the same when it is played at a very different tempo. Infant perception and cognition have been found to be similar to the ways in which adult listeners process music. Through the scientific discovery of musical abilities in infants there is never the less, a question that arises. To address this issue, at what age, do these types of abilities first appear? To answer this question, scientists must focus on the issue of whether or not infants remember their birth or even the experiences that go along with it. To do this they primarily rely on anecdotes, which claim that people have detailed memories of birth or even in utero experiences. Chiefly, the reliability of these stories have been claimed on the basis either of hypothetical reasoning or that...