Methodology (Research Design or Methodology of the Study) Essay

This chapter contains the discussion of the research design, the locale of the study, the respondents of the study, research instruments and validation of instruments, research procedure and statistical treatment of the data used in the study. Research Design The descriptive method of research will be use in this study withthe questionnaire as the main tool in gathering the needed data. Also use to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe â€Å"what exists† with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. On the other hand, the descriptive research design is scientific methods which involve observing and describing the behavior of subject without influencing it in any way. A grade point average is descriptive statistic that summarizes progress during student’s academic tenure. It is conducted for a number of reasons. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo and deals with everything that can be counted and studied to justify the validity of the research study that is beneficial to the company, schools and future researcher. The method revealed the personal background of the company and the status of the system, as well as certain perceptions of the type of system, how the present system works, as well as certain files and the common problem encountered in using their present system. Descriptive studies are done as the first step in a research investigation in order to find more information on a given topic to generate hypothesis. Statistically, the researchers made use of the z-test to determine whether the types of inventory they will have, has a great effect on their operational period. Z-test assesses if the hypothesis being stated will be rejected or not. Among to 33 small sized licensed drugstore in the town of San Pedro Laguna. Sources of Data The researchers utilized the empirical or direct data to attain the objectives of the study, which are gathered from three parts of questionnaires: The first part of the questionnaires contains four questions regarding on what inventory system the entity have, common problem that they face and how they refill their stock.   The second part contains six questions with regards to: if they encounter any problems regarding on preparation of inventory, if they experience hard to do it, if they experience delay on receiving new batches of drugs that they ordered, what types of payment they preferred and are they willing to adopt new system/strategy to be use in preparing inventory system. The third part contains nine statements with regards to evaluation on inventory system. The respondents will be asked to rate several items. Each item will be decided based on the following legend: (5) Strongly Agree, (4) Agree, (3) Neutral, (2) Disagree and (1) for Strongly Disagree Respondents of the Study The respondents of this research includes licensed small sized pharmacies in the town of San Pedro Laguna. Determination of sample size The population size is 36, the researcher get the sample size in order to find out how many respondents they will going to ask. Here is the formula: n = N/1+Ne^2 Where: N = Population size n = Sample size e = Margin of error Margin of error is 5% this percentage is an allowance for non-precision since a sample is used instead of a population. This formula is one of the easiest to follow and most convenient to use in determining the sample size. Computation: n = 36/1+36(.05)^2 n =36/1+36(.0025) n=36/1.09 n=33 Table 3.1 Registered List of Pharmacies in San Pedro, Laguna Small Sized Pharmacy in San Pedro Laguna| Population of small sized Pharmacy| Percentage%| Calendola| 2| 6%| Camella Homes Woodhills Subdivison| 2| 6%| Chrysanthemum| 1| 2.78%| Langgam| 3| 8%| Landayan| 3| 8%| Narra| 3| 8%| Nueva| 6| 16%| Pacita| 4| 11%| Poblacion| 2| 6%| Purok 3| 1| 2.78%| Sampaguita| 1| 2.78%| San Antonio| 5| 14%| Sitio Bukid Riverside| 1| 2.78%| Sto. Nino| 1| 2.78%| United Bayanihan| 1| 2.78%| Total| 36| 100%| Research Instruments Since this research is design to find out if there is an effect of manual inventory system in small sized pharmacy in dealing with in its operation. The researcher used the questionnaire survey method. A questionnaire is/are search instrument consisting of a series of question and other prompts for the purpose of gathering from respondents. The steps required to design and admi nister a questionnaire include: 1. Defining the objective of survey2. Determining the sampling group 3. Writing the questionnaire 4. Administering the questionnaire 5. Interpretation of the Results Validation of Instruments It is necessary to validate questionnaires. It is underwent validation by floating them to group of persons. The research questionnaire underwent validation with the help of our Research Adviser. Research Procedure The researcher have ask permission from the owner of the entity before gathering data and information needed in the research regarding the operation of the business and the problems encountered in their current system through a proposal letter and permission to conduct interviews. Statistical Treatment of Data The researchers will use frequency, weighted mean and percentage in analysis and interpretation of data gathering. After which, to check hypothesis the researchers will use Hypothesis Testing (Z-test) formula is show below: Percentage(%) this is use for the presentation demographic profile of the respondents. To get percentage, this equation is used as %=f/nx100 Where: % = Percentage f = frequency n = size of the sample 100 – constant And after getting the frequency we’re going to get are mean. Of those who answered that they experience having difficulty in making their inventory on the type of inventory system that they have. We are seeking to answer if the types of inventory system that they have make them to experienced difficulty in performing it and also if they encountered problems with regards to the type of system that they have by getting the average mean of those who answered yes they encountered problems and they having difficulty . 1. Compute for P: Let x = number of respondents said that they experience difficulty and problems n = total number of population p =proportion of respondents said that they experience difficulty and problems After obtaining the proportion of respondents who said they experience difficulty and problems by having this type of system, the next thing to do is to compute for the standard error. 2. Compute SP Let Sp =Standard error (For p and n; consider the above description) Sp = p1-p/n 3. Compute Ï€o Let Ï€ = parameter value Z = 1.645-tabular value for Z, level of significance at 95% confidence level. Ï€ = p-(Z∞)(Sp) 4. Testing the significance of parameter value 5. Ho: Ï€o < Ï€o Ha: Ï€o ≠¥ Ï€o 6. Z < 1..645 = Accept Ho Z > 1.645 Accept Ha 7. Compute Z Z = x-nÏ€o/nÏ€o(1-Ï€o)

Project Management and Project Management It

Examination Paper: Project Management IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper Project Management Section A: Objective Type (30 marks) †¢ †¢ †¢ This section consists of multiple choices questions and short answer type questions. Answer all the questions. Part One questions carry 1 mark each and Part Two questions carry 5 marks each. Part One: Multiple choices: 1. During _________formal tools and techniques were developed to help and manage large complex projects. a. 1950s b. 1980s c. 1920s d. 1990s 2. PERT stands for: a. Program Evaluation and Reverse Technique b.Progress Evaluation and Review Technique c. Program Evaluation and Review Technique d. None of the above 3. The most basic model of any Operating System is: a. Project Model b. Input-output model c. Output-input model d. None of the above 4. Overall complexity = a. Organizational complexity*resource complexity*technical complexity b. Organizational complexity+technical complexity-resource comple xity c. Technical complexity+resource complexity/organizational complexity d. Organizational complexity*resource complexity/technical complexity 5.Relevant areas of the APM body of knowledge are: a. Quality Management b. Budgeting and cost Management c. Project Cost Management d. Both ‘a’ and ‘b’ MM. 100 1 IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper: Project Management 6. Costs associated with the planning process include: a. Planer’s tools b. Opportunity cost c. Planned labour and associated expenses d. All of the above 7. CPA stands for: a. Critical Path Analysis b. Common Path Analysis c. Critical Path Algorithm d. Common Problem Analysis 8. The project duration with the normal activity time is ____days. . 11 b. 16 c. 17 d. 21 9. The nature of the work organization is important as it: a. Defines responsibility and authority b. Outlines reporting arrangements c. Determines the management overhead d. All of the above 10. Matrix Managemen t was invented by a. Mullins b. Belbin c. Drucker d. Frederick Taylor Part Two: 1. 2. 3. 4. Define ‘Cost Estimating Techniques’. Write a note on ‘Critical Path Analysis’. Differentiate between General Management and Project Management. What is ‘Team Life Cycle’? END OF SECTION A 2 IIBM Institute of Business ManagementExamination Paper: Project Management Section B: Caselets (40 marks) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ This section consists of Caselets. Answer all the questions. Each Caselet carries 20 marks. Detailed information should form the part of your answer (Word limit 150 to 200 words). Caselet 1 It’s a Risky Business Four friends wanted to start a business. After much discussion, they had hit upon the idea of launch a mail-order toys and games business. They were in the development stage of their business plan and wanted to be sure that they had been through with their planning.To reinforce this, they had just received a letter fr om a group of venture capitalists, agreeing to fund the start up. It concluded its review of their plan by stating: The business plan presents a credible opportunity for all involved and we are prepared to approve the funding request, subject to a risk analysis being carried out on the project to start the business. The group was stunned-the funding that they had been hoping for was suddenly a reality. Just one thing stood in their way- that damned risk analysis process. They started with identifying the key risk elements that could face the business during in start up phase.They considered the process between the time that they received the funding and day one of trading. What could possibly go wrong? Lots of things. They brainstormed the possibilities and recorded them. They then considered the effect that these would have on the project as a whole. The list they generated prothings going wrong and not enough making sure that the positive steps towards the business opening were ha ppening. They needed to priorities’ the events. As importantly, what would happen, when they eventually occurred? Who would be responsible for each of them? On what asis could they rank each risk, in order to identify the most important risks for which they would develop mitigation and ownership? They decided to use a table to show the risk event, the likelihood, the severity and by multiplying the two providing a risk priority number (RPN). This would the allow ranking of the risk elements. For the three highest ranked elements, the group then generates a mitigation process with someone in the group taking ownership of that process. As can be seen, the top three risks were identified and mitigation tasks put in place to either prevent the risk event happening or to reduce its effect.The initials of the ‘owners’ of that risk in the last column show who has agreed to monitor that set of events and ensure that the mitigation is put into place before the project suf fers from that event occurring. Questions: 1. What further methods could have been used to generate ideas for the identification part of the risk process? 2. What should happen as the project progresses to manage risk? 3 IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper: Project Management Caselet 2 Fast-track Product Redevelopment at Instron Background Instron designs and manufactures machines for testing the properties of all types of material.One particular plastic testing instrument has been selling around 250 units per year worldwide. In 1992 at the height of the recession, with margins being squeezed and sales volume dropping, Instron decided to redesign the instrument to reduce its cost and make it easier to manufacture. The Project Instron began to undertake change in the late 1980s, which included a programme to institute concurrent new product development. This was accompanied by pressure for cost reduction, the introduction of manufacturing changes, and the breaking of the firm into business teams.The team was highly transient and changing environment, there were few restrictions on the way the redesign project had to be handled. It was one of the first projects in Instron to be run from the beginning as a concurrent engineering project. A small multi-functional team was formed, consisting of a manufacturing engineer, a design engineer, a marketing engineer and a draughtsman. The design rief was to improve the ease of manufacture of the product such tat a cost reduction of 20 percent could be achieved. The team was co-located in an area adjacent to the manufacturing facility.Although there was some initial resistance, the comment was made that ‘they don’t know how they ever worked without it’. The ease of communication and sharing of ideas became a more natural part of working life. Adverse Effects The principles of concurrency were, in general, favorably accepted by departments downstream of the design process and with som e notable exceptions, unfavorably viewed by the design department. Individuals had concurrency imposed on them in the initial projects selected; be tried out. Senior management staff was selected as champions of the cause, with the objective of overcoming the resistance to change that existed.This came in a number of forms: 1. Passive resistance- summarized as ‘don’t show reluctance to apply the new ideas, attend all the group meetings, nod in agreement, then carry on as before. 2. Active resistance- ‘do what you like, but don’t ask me to do it’ 3. Undermining the initiative- through overstating the apparent problems. They began by carrying out brainstorming sessions with manufacturing engineers, buyers, members of the shop floor, suppliers and additional design engineers, to find new and innovative ways to improve the product.The outcome of these investigations was to draw up a list of areas where improvements were thought possible. The Benefits Ach ieved The results of this team’s action were: †¢ Cost reduced by 49 percent †¢ Product range rationalized from 12 to 2 versions †¢ Unique part count reduced from 141 to 98 and total number of parts reduced from 300 to 189 †¢ Assembly/machining time reduced by 55 percent †¢ Project completed on time, with last version being released in April 1994. Once operational, few problems were encountered and those that did occur were minor in nature.The success was attributed by the firm to two decisions: †¢ The selection of the right project- one that made it easy to demonstrate concurrency †¢ The selection of the right people- those who were prepared to be open-minded and have some enthusiasm for the changes. The company now views this as a simple project that restored the profitability of an established product through the use of innovation, ingenuity and new design techniques by the whole concurrent team. What 4 IIBM Institute of Business Managemen tExamination Paper: Project Management is also clear is that the product was subject to technical change in only one area- the materials used. The other benefits have all been due to the approach tat the firm’s management has taken to its new product development (NPD) Process. The firm felt that the project has been a success and that this method of working would become an institutionalized methodology. Questions: 1. Identify the steps the firm took in this project. How did this contribute to the success? 2.How might the main adverse effects be identified? END OF SECTION B Section C: Applied Theory (30 marks) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ This section consists of Applied Theory Questions. Answer all the questions. Each question carries 15 marks. Detailed information should form the part of your answer (Word limit 200 to 250 words). 1. What is the role of strategy in Project Management? 2. Identify the different roles that cost, price and profit can play in determining proje ct costs. END OF SECTION C 5 IIBM Institute of Business ManagementExamination Paper: Project Management IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper Project Management in IT Section A: Objective Type (30 marks) †¢ †¢ †¢ This section consists of multiple choice questions and short notes type questions. Answer all the questions. Part One questions carry 1 mark each and Part two questions carry 5 marks each. MM. 100 Part One: Multiple choices: 1. The knowledge areas of Project Management Process Group are: a. Planning and Initiating b. Executing and Closing c.Monitoring and Controlling d. All of the above 2. To create a successful project, a project manager must consider: a. Scope b. Time c. Cost d. All of the above 3. Which one of the following is not involved in the top ten skills or competencies of an effective project manager: a. People skills b. Leadership c. Integrity d. Technical skills 4. Another name of a phase exit is a _______ point. a. Review b. St age c. Meeting d. Kill 5. Which process group includes activities from each of the nine knowledge areas? a. Initiating b.Planning c. Executing d. Closing 6 IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper: Project Management 6. The project team works together to create the ______. a. Scope statement b. WBS c. WBS dictionary d. Work package 7. __________ is a network diagramming technique used to predict total project duration. a. PERT b. A Gantt chart c. Critical Path Method d. Crashing 8. Which of the following is not a key output of project cost management: a. A cost estimate b. A cost management plan c. A cost baseline d.None of the above 9. CMMI Stands for: a. Capability Maturity Model Integration b. Complex Maturity Model Integration c. Common Maturity Model Information d. Capability Maturity Model Information 10. A proposal evaluation sheet is an example of: a. RFP b. NPV analysis c. Earned value analysis d. Weighted scoring model Part Two: 1. Define Product Life Cycle. 2. What is Project Integration Model? 3. Write a note on Gantt charts. 4. What is Project Quality Management? END OF SECTION A 7 IIBM Institute of Business ManagementExamination Paper: Project Management Section B: Caselets (40 marks) This section consists of Caselets. Answer all the questions. Each Caselet carries 20 marks. Detailed information should form the part of your answer (Word limit 150 to 200 words). †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Caselet 1 A preliminary estimate of costs for the entire project is $140,000. This estimate is based on the project manager working about 20 hours per week for six months and other internal staff working a total of about 60 hours per week for six months.The customer representatives would not be paid for their assistance. A staff project manager would earn $50 per hour. The hourly rate for the other project team member would be $70 per hour, since some hours normally billed to clients may be needed for this project. The initial cost estimate al so includes $10,000 for purchasing software & services from suppliers. After the project is completed, maintenance costs of $40,000 are included for each year, primarily to update the information and coordinate the â€Å"Ask the Expert† feature and online articles.Projected benefits are based on a reduction in hours consultants spend researching project management information, appropriate tools and templates, and so on. Projected benefits are also based on a small increase in profits due to new business generated by this project. If each of more than 400 consultants saved just 40 hours each year (less than one hour per week) and could bill that time to other projects that generate a conservative estimate of $10 per hour in profits, then the projected benefit would be $160,000 per year.If the new intranet increased business by just 1 percent, using past profit information, increased profits due to new business would be at least $40,000 each year. Total projected benefits, ther efore, are about $200,000 per year. Exhibit A summarizes the projected costs and benefits and shows the estimated net percent value (NPV), return on investment (ROI), and year in which payback occurs. It also lists assumptions made in performing this preliminary financial analysis. All of the financial estimates are very encouraging.The estimate payback is within one year, as requested by the sponsor. The NPV is $272,800, and the discounted ROI based on a three-year system life is excellent at 112 percent. Discount rate 8% Assume the Year project is done in about is months 0 Costs 140,000 Discount 1 factor Discounted 140,000 costs Benefits Discount factor Discounted benefits Discounted 0 1 0 1 40,000 0. 93 37,037 2 40,000 0. 86 34,294 3 40,000 0. 79 31,753 Total 243,084 200,000 0. 93 186,185 200,000 0. 86 171,468 200,000 0. 79 158,766 515,419 (140,000) 148,148 137,174 127,013 8 IIBM Institute of Business ManagementExamination Paper: Project Management benefits – costs Cumulat ive (140,000) benefits-costs Payback year 1 112% Discounted life cycle ROI—Assumptions Costs PM (500hours, $50/hour) Staff (1500 hours, $70/hour) Outsourced software & services Total project costs (all applied in year 0) Benefits # consultants Hours saved $/hour profit Benefits from saving time Benefits from 1% increase in profits Total annual projected benefits Questions: 1. What according to you are the factors that can hamper the profit growth related with the project? 2. Mention some strategies to further improve the project’s turnover. ,148 in 145,322 272,336 NVP #hours 25,000 105,000 10,000 140,000 400 40 10 160,000 40,000 200,000 9 IIBM Institute of Business Management Examination Paper: Project Management Caselet 2 Many organizations spend a great deal of time and money on training efforts for general project management skills, but after the training, project managers may still not know how to tailor their project management skills to the organization’s particular needs. Because of this problem, some organizations develop their own internal information technology project management methodologies.The PMBOKR Guide is a standard that describes best practices for what should be done to manage a project. A methodology describes how things should be done, and different organizations often have different ways of doing things. For example, after implementing a systems development life cycle (SDLC) at Blue Cross Shield of Michigan, the Methods department became aware that developers and project managers were often working on different information technology project in different ways. Deliverables were often missing or looked different from project to project.They may have all had a project charter, status report, technical documents (i. e. , database design documents, user interface requirements, and so on), but how they were producing and delivering these deliverables was different. There was a general lack of consistency and a need for st andards to guide both new and experienced project managers. Top management decides to authorize funds to develop a methodology for project managers that could also become the basis for information technology project management training within the organization.It was also part of an overall effort to help raise the company’s Software Capability Maturity Model level. BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan launched a three-month project to develop its own project management methodology. Some of the project team members had already received PMP certification, so they decided to base their methodology on the PMBOKR Guide 2000, making adjustment as needed to best describe how their organization managed information technology projects.See a complete article on this project on the companion Web site for this text. Also see the Suggested Reading to review the State of Michigan Project Management Methodology, which provides another good example of an information technology project management methodology. Many organizations include project management in their methodologies for managing Six Sigma projects. Other organizations include project management in their software development methodologies, such as the Rational Unified Process (RUP) framework.RUP is an interactive software development process that focuses on team productivity and delivers software best practices to all team members. According to RUP expert Bill Cottrell, â€Å"RUP embodies industry-standard management and technical methods and techniques to provide a software engineering process particularly suited to creating and maintaining componentbased software system solutions,† Cottrell explains that you can tailor RUP to include the PMBOK process groups.Specifically, IBM Rational, the creators of RUP, found that it could adjust RUP input artifacts with PMBOK process inputs, RUP steps with PMBOK process tools and techniques, and RUP resulting artifacts with PMBOK process outputs. Questions: 1. Accordi ng to you what are the skills that needed for the project management of an organization? 2. How the six sigma project became a helpful tool in very sophisticated kind of project management? END OF SECTION B 10 IIBM Institute of Business ManagementExamination Paper: Project Management Section C: Applied Theory (30 marks) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ This section consists of Applied Theory Questions. Answer all the questions. Each question carries 15 marks. Detailed information should form the part of your answer (Word limit 200 to 250 words). 1. What is cost? What is the importance of Project cost Management and explain basic principles of Cost Management. 2. Define the following: a. Resource Histograms b. Project Communication Management END OF SECTION C S-2-260211 11 IIBM Institute of Business Management

HRM in a Changing Environment: The Challenges Essay

Today’s organizations are facing challenges upon following levels: i. Environmental Challenges ii. Organizational Challenges iii. Individual Challenges i. Environmental Challenges Environmental challenges refer to forces external to the firm that are largely beyond management’s control but influence organizational performance. They include: rapid change, the internet revolution, workforce diversity, globalization, legislation, evolving work and family roles, and skill shortages and the rise of the service sector. Six important environmental challenges today are: a) Rapid change, b) Work force diversity, c) Globalization, d) Legislation, e) Technology f) Evolving work and family roles, g) Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector a) Rapid Change Many organizations face a volatile environment in which change is nearly constant. If they are to survive and prosper, they need to adapt to change quickly and effectively. Human resources are almost always at the heart of an effective response system. Here are a few examples of how HR policies can help or hinder a firm grappling with external change: b) Work Force Diversity. All these trends present both a significant challenge and a real opportunity for managers. Firms that formulate and implement HR strategies that capitalize on employee diversity are more likely to survive and prosper. c) Globalization. One of the most dramatic challenges facing as they enter the twenty-first century is how to compete against foreign firms, both domestically and abroad. Many companies are already being compelled to think globally, something that doesn’t come easily to firms long accustomed to doing business in a large and expanding domestic market with minimal foreign competition. Weak response to international competition may be resulting in upwards layoffs in every year. Human resources can play a critical role in a business’s ability to compete head-to-head with foreign producers. The implications of a global economy on human resource management are many. Here are a few examples: Worldwide company culture Some firms try to develop a global company identity to smooth over cultural differences between domestic employees and those in international operations. Minimizing these differences increases cooperation and can have a strong impact on the bottom line. For instance, the head of human resources at the European division of Colgate Palmolive notes, â€Å"We try to build a common corporate culture. We want them all to be Colgaters.† Global alliances† Some firms actively engage in international alliances with foreign firms or acquire companies overseas to take advantage of global markets. Making such alliances work requires a highly trained and devoted staff. For instance, Phillips (a Netherlands lighting and electronics firm) became the largest lighting manufacturer in the world by establishing a joint venture with AT&T and making several key acquisitions. These illustrations show how firms can use HR strategies to gain a worldwide competitive advantage. d) Legislation Much of the growth in the HR function over the past three decades may be attributed to its crucial role in keeping the company out of trouble with the law. Most firms are deeply concerned with potential liability resulting from personnel decisions that may violate laws enacted by the state legislatures, and/or local governments. These laws are constantly interpreted in thousands of cases brought before government agencies, federal courts, state courts, and t Supreme Court. How successfully a firm manages its human resources depends to a large extent on its ability to deal effectively with government regulations. Operating within the legal framework requires keeping track of the external legal environment and developing internal systems (for example, supervisory training and grievance procedures) to ensure compliance and minimize complaints. Many firms are now developing formal policies on sexual harassment and establishing internal administrative channels to deal with alleged incidents before employees feel the need to file a lawsuit. Legislation often has a differential impact on public- and private sector organizations. (Public sector is another term for governmental agencies; private sector refers to all other types of organizations.) Some legislation applies only to public-sector organizations. For instance, affirmative action requirements are typically limited to public organizations and to organizations that do contract work for them. However, much legislation applies to both public- and private sector organizations. In fact, it’s difficult to think of any HR practices that are not influenced by government regulations. e) Technology The world has never before seen such rapid technological changes as are presently occurring in the computer and telecommunications industries. One estimate is that technological change is occurring so rapidly that individuals may have to change their entire skills three or four times in their career. The advances being made, affect every area of a business including human resource management. f) Evolving Work and Family Roles The proportion of dual-career families, in which both wife and husband (or both members of a couple) work, is increasing every year. Unfortunately, women face the double burden of working at home and on the job, devoting 42 hours per week on average to the office and an additional 30 hours at home to children. This compares to 43 hours spent working in the office and only 12 hours at home for men. More and more companies are introducing â€Å"family-friendly† programs that give them a competitive advantage in the labor market. These programs are HR tactics that companies use to hire and retain the best-qualified employees, male or female, and they are very likely to payoff. For instance, among the well known organizations / firms, half of all recruits are women, but only 5% of partners are women. Major talent is being wasted as many women drop out after lengthy training because they have decided that the demanding 10- to 12-year partner track requires a total sacrifice of family life. These firms have started to change their policies and are already seeing gains as a result. Different companies have recently begun offering child-care and eldercare referral services as well to facilitate women workers as well as are introducing alternative scheduling to allow employees some flexibility in their work hours. g) Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector. Expansion of service-sector employment is linked to a number of factors, including changes in consumer tastes and preferences, legal and regulatory changes, advances in science and technology that have eliminated many manufacturing jobs, and changes in the way businesses are organized and managed. Service, technical, and managerial positions that require college degrees will make up half of all manufacturing and service jobs by 2000. Unfortunately, most available workers will be too unskilled to fill those jobs. Even now, many companies complain that the supply of skilled labor is dwindling and that they must provide their employees with basic training to make up for the shortcomings of the public education system. To rectify these shortcomings, companies currently spend large amount year on a wide variety of training programs. HRM in changing environment With the evolution of the study of HRM, it is no more mere an academic discipline rather an important factor of organizational success in the practical field. Today HRM needs to sense, respond and deal with all the issues of the organization at different levels and prove its worth. HRM has to deal with all the challenges that organization faces and these are at the following levels: †¢ Environmental Challenges (Seven) 1. Rapid Change 2. Work Force Diversity 3. Globalization 4. Legislation 5. Technology 6. Evolving Work and Family Roles 7. Skill Shortages and the Rise of the Service Sector †¢ Organizational Challenges (Four) 1. Controlling Costs 2. Improving Quality 3. Creating Distinctive Capabilities 4. Restructuring †¢ Individual Challenges 1. Productivity 2. Empowerment 3. Brain Drain 4. Ethics and Social Responsibility 5. Job Insecurity 6. Matching People and Organizations Research

It depends on the question that the writer choose Essay - 1

It depends on the question that the writer choose - Essay Example While the previous era of globalization came up around falling transport costs, the current globalization is linked to the decrease in the costs of telecommunications, which make it easier to propel the world higher and make it a global village 1. These technologies have made developing nations to become big producers other than just relying on the trading of their raw materials to the west and get finished products in return. All these developments showcase a world full of selective understanding in which the main market players will be more coalitions of conjuncture and the traditional alliances built around a strategic interest point. In essence, globalization has led to the creation of more opportunities than harm. The benefits do outweigh the harms largely. The essay seeks to expound on how globalization has affected the word at positive level 2. The concept of globalization has remained a topic of interest, with great debaters focusing much on it. Its proponents have marked it as an exquisite phenomenon to happen in the world while its opponents criticize it strongly as a component linked to create harm rather than improving the existing conditions. One thing is well notable: that despite the challenges globalization faces, there is a great impact it has played on the lives of millions of people in the world3. Those against globalization may present diverse negative effects of its existence, such as environmental degradation, inequality in economic patterns, loss of jobs and other catastrophic events. However, a good number of developing countries are benefitting immensely from the vice more than before, in terms of economic growth, sustenance of culture and other angles. First, globalization has created many employment opportunities especially in developing nations. Many companies are reviving their operations especially with reference to ICT sector. There

How my proposed (GroupBased) Scheme fit within the existing literature Essay

How my proposed (GroupBased) Scheme fit within the existing literature - Essay Example However, the label of the root-node in each group is allocated based on this node’s parent pre label. The scheme borrows two major strengths of interval-based schemes. This is the ability to produce compact local labels and the simplicity of the labels produced by interval-based schemes (Dietz, 1982 #19;Li, 2001 #72;Zhang, 2001 #225;Zhuang, 2011 #204). In the proposed scheme, the local allocation of these labels facilitates the direct and quick extraction of the parent/child, sibling and label order information between nodes within a group. (see Chapter 5). The next challenge that is then faced by this scheme is the support for updates. As noted before, interval-based schemes have limited support for updates. This means that in the proposed scheme there has to be a methodology to handle an update. In the interval-based schemes, the handling of an update would substantially affect the performance of the scheme due to the re-labelling requirement. More to the need to handling updates is the ability of the proposed scheme to also handle different types of insertions, especially as the introduction of most forms of insertions may require automatic updating (Scott, et al., 2011). There are generally new nodes and existing nodes that may be inserted into the xml document. It is therefore important that the proposed scheme will be structured and created in such a way that accommodates the functional characteristics of handling both types of insertion without any pragmatic effect on the updating process and the time used to perform updates. Amagasa, Yoshikawa, and Uemura (2003) also explained that whether insertions may be new or existing, there are chances that such types of insertion as uniform insertion, skewed insertion, and random insertion will all be performed. But as it has been noted in the literature review section, each of these types of insertions comes with their own limitations and challenges. It was therefore importa nt that in

United States and education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

United States and education - Essay Example Education for all is the most important thing to be achieved by nation as a whole.Thomas Jefferson,the third president of United States of America pioneered the plan that could be implemented upon to make education available to every single citizen while considering right to education equivalent to fundamental rights and would also get over the inequality factor.He elaborated his views about education as a tool not only to make better personalities but also a better nation.His work as mentioned above have envisioned learning not just along the old philosophy of what the students are learning but also on how are they learning. The vision of learning skill is what an educator would wish to see. This is because of the rise in number of students that will provide better results. The incorporation of improved theory into regular administrative schedules and classroom will help the educators and students in concentrating on teaching and learning process and then infusing another wave of dy namicity with reference to real world context. Learning in the classroom will generate a new relationship between the world and the student thereby engaging and modernizing various methods for assessment as well as study. The broader relation between the educators and the students will give real time information to the teachers about the performance of the students. Through this they can search for newer methods to help their students. These processes will ensure more compact relationship and the students will learn in a very few period rather than the months.... Increasing reliability in the classroom can be achieved through the use of Positive teaching methods. Constructivism has been an important ingredient of Jefferson learning theory proposing learners to create their own understanding as they combine what they already believe to be true based on their past experiences with new experiences. Though modern education may consider constructivism as a philosophy of learning which has its roots primarily to the work of John Dewey (1916) and Jean Piaget (1973). Vygotsky's work (1978) also contributed to the movement toward constructivism. Jefferson emphasized that theories of learning should be shifted from orientation based on observable phenomenon to an orientation that emphasize internal cognitive processing. This shows significant shift toward constructivism. The belief that learning comes from inside continues to grow. Knowledge could only gain on which circumstance it comes from that had meaning to the learner. The learning context must be a social context in which students work together to build knowledge. The children should be encouraged to develop concepts and derive their own ideas from those introduced to them. A social learning perspective should be developed through which children learn through interaction with others. Critical thinking is one of the areas where over the decades both educators & policy make argued about schools. Much of this debate has not been based on empirical data. Even though students, right from primary schools must learn facts and basic skills, the data suggest that emphasis on advanced reasoning skills promotes higher student performance. Jefferson pedagogical models promotes this meaningful type of learning process, a process in which learning helps students make sense of new

Evaluating Teachers Unions Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluating Teachers Unions - Article Example They also discover and develop individual skills and talents in students, and the senior teachers also guide and mentor their assistants and trainees (Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008). In addition to the standard lesson-exam tasks, teachers are also responsible for the overall growth and development of their students as insinuated by Mr. Pipler who states that he is responsible for the overall development of his students. Considering their overwhelming tasks and their instrumental role in academic implementation, therefore teachers deserve rewarding employment packages. Unfortunately, the government and other employers tend to ignore teachers’ welfares and hence they depend on teachers’ unions to advocate for them. Teachers’ unions present their grievances to the government and if they are not met they mobilize their members to engage in attention-seeking actions such as strikes (Hoxby, 1996). Many observers feel that some of these actions are extreme and that unions should engage in conciliatory talks to avoid academic disruptions (Boyd, Plank & Sykes, 2000). Union leaders and teachers justify their actions and declare that all their actions work to improve the education system (Boyd, Plank & Sykes, 2000). This brings up the following question: Are teachers’ unions a solution or an impediment to the improvement of the education system? I conducted an investigative researc h to answer this question and the findings were insightful. In order to understand the situation properly, we need to understand the professional demands and responsibilities of teaching as a career. Many people think of teaching as an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule job. Teachers engage in many academic chores after official working hours such as academic research, setting, and marking examinations. In addition to these academic tasks, we have to remember that teachers have a social responsibility of managing students (Wahlstrom & Louis, 2008).

Personal Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Personal Philosophy of Education - Essay Example Personal Philosophy of Education I have been associated with the profession of teaching for quite some time now. Over the years, I have developed myself as a teacher. Today, when I reflect back at my teaching experience, I see a radical improvement not only in my style of teaching, but also in my overall persona. I attribute this to the development and refinement of my philosophy of education that has happened as a result of my years of teaching. I see teaching as a way of spreading information, awareness, and enlightenment in the society with a view to contributing positively to the development of the nation, and getting spiritual, psychological, and emotional satisfaction and gratification from it. Worldview or Philosophy of Life People’s worldviews are influenced primarily by their religious beliefs. The worldview of an atheist is fundamentally different from that of a monotheist. While the worldviews of monotheists and polytheists are also substantially different from each other, yet they are similar at least to the extent that both believe in the existence of an other world that is beyond the reach and sight of the human beings for a certain time. Religion happens to be the main source of guidance and influence in terms of worldview because it provides the most radical and sensible explanation of what life is all about. Metaphysics Since I believe in God, I believe that whatever I do in this world will have an impact on what I get in the world hereafter. My future in the world hereafter depends upon my performance in this world; the extent to which I remain noble, just, and fair will depict whether I deserve reward or punishment as a result of my deeds in the world hereafter. The concept of the impact of the deeds performed in this world upon the life hereafter motivates me to be good to others and sacrifice many pleasures in this world. The profession of teaching in this perspective is a very noble profession in that it provides me with the opportu nity to spread knowledge and light in the society, to empower the society by empowering the students and particularly the young generation from the standpoint of knowledge as well as morally. This is a just and respectable way of earning money because an individual gets to contribute positively to the society in compensation. My worldview implies that I do my duty with uttermost honesty and sincerity. This requires delivering as much knowledge to the students as I can without differentiating among the students on the basis of their factors of diversity. Some teachers teach for spiritual purposes. â€Å"This spirituality – evident in their teaching behaviors, their values, and their beliefs – often bore themes of transcendence and transformation† (Irvine, 2003, p. 13). I also approach my profession as a way of spiritual rejuvenation and personal enhancement, identifying my weaknesses and trying to transform them into strengths. Although I am a teacher, yet I am a human being also. My knowledge might be more in the subject I am teaching compared to that of my students, but there is also a limit to my knowledge. Occasionally, students ask such brilliant questions that even I do not know their answers. At those times, my perception of having a more powerful status as a teacher compared to the status of my students and my desire to maintain that status inculcates a desire

Does China's domestic political situation constrain its generation of Essay

Does China's domestic political situation constrain its generation of soft power - Essay Example Such an interpretational model has become so important that leaders of some of the most powerful nations in the world have even begun using the term and describing it as a fundamental and foundational element with regards to how they perceive the best course ahead with regards to development and world relations for the future. However, as with any interpretational model of interaction or other international/foreign relations tool, the use and application of soft power cannot definitively be said to be on the whole effective. This is of course due to the fact that different dynamics within individual countries, overall levels of democracy, and levels of emphasis that the decision-makers placed upon such a construct are all more important to defining the overall degree of success that soft power will enjoy within a specific system. Accordingly, the goal of this particular analysis will be to analyze and discuss the increasing role that soft power plays within the external relations of the People’s Republic of China and whether or not the current and past local dynamic that exist within this nation ultimately helps or constrains the overall level of soft power that it can hope to integrate within its foreign relations framework. Rather than seeking to engage in a value judgment with regards to whether or not the Chinese governmental structure is â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad†, the analysis will instead seek to gain a level of inference with regards to whether or not the current model needs and facilitates a more cohesive application of soft power or whether the undemocratic and monolithic structure of the government necessarily constrains the degree and effectiveness of whatever soft power might exist or be practiced in the first place. Soft Power and the Means Whereby States Engage with â€Å"the other† Soft power in and of itself is not a new concept. Ultimately, at least a basic understanding and interpretation of what this concept stands for has been engaged by many world powers over the past several hundred years. However, the work of Joseph Nye and the introduction into the global political lexicon of the term soft power as necessarily raised this as an issue and approach that has helped it to gain a greatly increased share of notoriety. For instance, in 2007, General Secretary Hu Jintao met with the 17th Communist Party Conference and specifically addressed the growing and extent need for an increase in the exhibition of Chinese soft power. In such a way, the reader can come to the understanding that regardless of what the preceding analysis might illuminate, the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Hu Jintao are keenly aware of the benefits that it can provide and the need to integrate with it on a more effective level as a means of furthering the individual goals that the People’s Republic of China hopes to see affected within the world. Likewise, before delving directly into the means by whic h soft power is furthered or produced by the Chinese system of governance, the reader should first consider the key differentials that separate the People’

Dehydrogenase in yeast Essay Example for Free

Dehydrogenase in yeast Essay During respiration, hydrogen atoms are removed from glucose molecules by enzymes called dehydrogenases and passed to various chemicals called hydrogen acceptors. As the hydrogen atoms pass from one hydrogen acceptor to another, energy is made available for chemical reactions in the cell. In this way, substances such as glucose provide energy for vital reactions in living organisms. In this experiment, a dye called methylene blue acts as an artificial hydrogen acceptor. When this dye is reduced by accepting hydrogen atoms it goes colourless. (a) Place about 30 mm of yeast suspension in a test-tube and, using a test-tube holder, heat this suspension over a small Bunsen flame until the liquid boils for about half a minute. Then cool the tube under the tap. (b) Label three test-tubes 1-3. (c) Using a graduated pipette or syringe, place 2 cm3 of the boiled yeast suspension in tube 1. (d) Using the graduated pipette or syringe, draw up 4 cm3 unboiled yeast suspension and place 2 cm3 in tube 2 and 2 cm3 in tube 3. (e) Rinse the pipette or syringe and use it to place 2 cm3 distilled water in tubes 1 and 2. (f) With the pipette or syringe, place 2 cm3 1 % glucose solution in tube 3. (g) Prepare a water bath by mixing hot and cold water from the tap to obtain a temperature between 35 and 45  °C. Place all three tubes in this water bath. Rinse the pipette or syringe. (h) Copy the table given below into your notebook. (i) After 5 minutes draw up 6 cm3 methylene blue solution in the pipette or syringe and place 2 cm3 in each tube. Shake all three tubes thoroughly and return them to the water bath, noting the time as you do so. Do not shake the tubes again. (j) Watch the tubes to see how long it takes for the blue colour to disappear, leaving the creamy colour of the yeast. A thin film of blue colour at the surface of the tube may be ignored but the tubes should not be moved. Record the times in your table. (k) The experiment may be repeated by simply shaking all the tubes again until the blue colour returns. |Tube |Contents |Time for methylene blue to go colourless Experiment 14. Discussion 1 Why was distilled water added to tubes 1 and 2? 2 What causes the methylene blue solution to go colourless (according to the introduction on p. 14.01)? 3 How do you explain the results with tube 1? 4 In which of tubes 2 and 3 was the methylene blue decolourized more rapidly? How can this result be explained? 5 If the hydrogen atoms for the reduction of methylene blue come from  glucose, why should the methylene blue in tube 2 become decolourized at all? 6 What do you think would be the effect of increasing the glucose concentration in tube 3? Explain your answer. 7 How could you extend the experiment to see if enzymes in yeast are capable of reducing methylene blue? 8 Why, do you think, the colour retuned on shaking the tubes? Experiment 14. Dehydrogenase in yeast preparation Outline Methylene blue, acting as a hydrogen acceptor, is decolourized during the respiration of yeast. Addition of small amounts of substrate increases the rate of decolourization. Prior knowledge An elementary idea of respiration as a process which releases energy during the breaking down of carbohydrates; yeast is a microscopic living organism. Advance preparation and materials-per group 20% yeast suspension* 0.005% methylene blue solution+ (prepared 1~2 days ahead) 10 cm3 1 % glucose solution distilled water 10 cm3 Apparatus-per group test-tube rack and 4 test-tubes Bunsen burner 3 labels or spirit marker graduated pipette or syringe 5-10cm3 test-tube holder beaker or jar, for water to rinse pipette or syringe -per class clock Result The methylene blue: in tubes 2 and 3 should be decolourized in a few minutes with tube 3 changing first. * Add 40 g dried yeast and 0.4 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) to 200 cm3 distilled water in a tall 600 cm3 (or larger) beaker (a large jam jar will do). Cover the mouth of the container with aluminium foil and bubble air through the yeast suspension for one or two days using an aquarium aerator. Observe the suspension from time to time during the first two hours and control the air flow to prevent the yeast suspension frothing out of the jar. +Dissolve 0.05 g in 1 litre of distilled water. Methylene blue stains skin and clothing. Lab coats should be worn Experiment 14. Discussion answers 1 The addition of distilled water to tubes 1 and 2 keeps the concentration of yeast and methylene blue the same in all three tubes. 2 The methylene blue accepts hydrogen atoms removed from glucose molecules during respiration. The reduced form of methylene blue is colourless. 3 Boiling will have killed the yeast. Dead yeast is therefore incapable of carrying out one or more stages in the transfer of hydrogen from glucose to methylene blue. (A similar answer may be given in terms of enzymes.) 4 Tube 3 will probably lose its blue colour first. Presumably if the hydrogen atoms for reducing methylene blue come from glucose, additional glucose will mean that more hydrogen atoms are available and decolourization will be more rapid. 5 Respiration will continue in yeast cells, using their own carbohydrate reserves such as glycogen. 6 It might be expected that increasing the glucose concentration would increase the rate of decolourization up to the point where all the available enzyme or enzymes were being used, or where the concentration of glucose was sufficient to plasmolyse the yeast cells. 7 If enzymes (dehydrogenases) are involved, it should be possible to extract them from yeast by grinding some dried yeast with sand and distilled water, and filtering. This could be the subject of further experiment, particularly if little or none of the carbohydrate reserve in yeast comes through in the filtrate. 8 Shaking the tubes introduces more oxygen which re-oxidises the methylene blue

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay

The Green Revolution A Glorious Success History Essay The term Green Revolution was first coined by the USAID United States Agency for International Development in 1968. It all started in Mexico with US aid and backed by the support of giants like Ford and Rockfeller Corporation way back in the 1940s. It was the initiative of a man named Norman Borlough who developed a strain of rice and wheat which yielded an output (under optimal conditions) so far only dreamt off. These strains of cereals were termed as HYV (High Yielding Variety). Norman Borlough is considered to be the father of the Green Revolution. He played a very instrumental role along with M.S. Swaminathan who was our minister for Agriculture in bringing Green Revolution to India. The G R was considered as the solution to feed the worlds growing population, it very well may have been. [J R McNeill] In India alone the astounding agricultural growth in Punjab is exemplified by the increase in Punjabi wheat production from 1.9 to 5.6 million tons during the years 1965 through 1972.  [1]  The production of rice also increased greatly. India soon adopted IR8 a semi-dwarf rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that could produce more grains of rice per plant when grown with certain fertilizers and irrigation. In 1968, Indian agronomist S.K. De Datta published his findings that IR8 rice yielded about 5 tons per hectare with no fertilizer, and almost 10 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. This was 10 times the yield of traditional rice. IR8 was a success throughout Asia, and dubbed the Miracle Rice. IR8 was also developed into Semi-dwarf IR36.  [2]  India was on the brink of a famine in 1961, but with the introductio n of G R we became an exporter of food grains within a very short period of time. G R was a gift of the developed nations to the third world countries. It was a package deal promoted by the World Bank to help them get out of their debt traps. The G R was accepted with open arms with little or no thought about its viability or sustainability. It was looked on as a one stop shop to their economic and demographic problems. The green revolution- the US-sponsored technological package for agricultural development-was accepted in India some-what over-enthusiastically and also un- critically. It was hoped that with improved farm production, not only a lasting solution would be found for the perpetual problems of rural poverty and hunger but also it would generate a new resource base-a launching pad for rural industrialisation that would create new employment opportunities and would improve the quality of life at the grassroots in an appreciable measure. [Dhanagare 1987] Rather than Why was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to argue from the point of view of Was the Green Revolution such a great success? I would like to consider the viewpoints of some scholars which may be quite contrary to what the advocators and promoters of Green Revolution would like to believe. The G R as already mentioned earlier was a package deal it came along with certain factors like irrigation, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and mechanization and large size holdings without which the success of G R would not be dramatic. These are factors that India did not and could not afford at all levels. Apart from this G R was not all positive it looked like it came in with more negative as time passed on. Through different case studies I would like to present my argument. Endosulfan Poisoning in Kasargoad, Kerala, India This is the story of a small village in the state of Kerala a village named Swarga literally meaning heaven. A village untouched by industrialization and people depended on plantation farming. A typical Indian village until suddenly people found things going wrong, Calves dying honeybees disappearing, wildlife being affected and then slowly the people being affected by a strange illness. The cause, unknown. The Kerala state government decided to spray its cashew plantations with ariel pesticide. It was a sight to see a helicopter hovering over the village and it attracted a lot of attention. Little did the people know what the aftermath of this would be. Even when a sudden and strange kind of illness hit little did they associate it with the helicopter, they believed that it was some kind of a curse. Until one farmer noticed a strange coincidence in the death of his three calves and raised up an issue. This interested a journalist who began to probe into this situation. A local doctor who began to see a strange pattern of new diseases in his patients added value to the work of the journalist. It was not an easy path to travel and prove their stand as they had to fight capitalist giants whos stakes were high in the manufacture of the deadly chemical. The help of an international organization was sought. A fact finding team of PAN(Pesticide Action Network) AP headed by Dr Romeo F Quijango was formed. The objective of the mission was: To find out the veracity of the reports that there have incidents of illness since the cashew nut plantations started their operations The extent to which these aerial sprayings have affected the people and the environment After detailed inspection of the surroundings, physical examination of the affected people and a wide range of interviews with both the local people and authorities the reports of poisoning were confirmed. The findings stated The cause for the illness was intrinsic toxicology properties of endosulfan There seems to exist no other probable causes other than endosulfan for the occurrence of illness There is a clear time and geographical association between the occurrence of illness and the aerial spraying There is a corroborated effect on both the environment and the animals which are related to endosulfan poisoning. Medical reports of the victims as recorded by the local physicians confirmed the poisoning Biological and environmental samples analyzed at laboratories confirmed the presence of endosulfan. The findings confirmed the poisoning and a permanent ban on the spray of endosulfan was placed. The extent of damage cannot be undone. Most of the cases of poisoning described in the report are of young children born with cerebral palsy due to the poisoning. Though this report was confined to Kasargod there are wide spread use and effects felt in the neighboring states as well. Here I would like to include an article from the newspaper that report cases of endosulfan poisoning from Karnataka Gowda was born in 1977. To his chagrin through RTI he found that 92 villages were sprayed with endosulfan in the four taluks of the district. He visited 82 villages and found that horrifying cases of disabilities, especially cerebral palsy affecting adults and children. I have decided not to get married -firstly to carry this fights forward and secondly to see that my children dont live like me. I may get married if I can afford to do a gene test which proves everything is alright with me, he adds. Gowda says: In some places the situation is too horrible to describe. A mother who is an anganwadi teacher has two children one of them is affected with this type of poisoning. She gives him food at 9 am locks the door and goes for work. When she returns, the boy will be rolling in his own fecal matter. This is an everyday story. The government officials, if they visit each and every home, they will understand the gravity of the problem. But they dont, hence dont understand our situation  [3]  This has been the effect of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides on the unaware and innocent lives. Rachel Carson dedicated her entire book The Silent Spring to bring awareness to the effects of insecticides and pesticides on man and his environment. Though she did succeed to large extent on banning their indiscriminate use still continues in the third world countries. This according to Clevo Wilson Clem Tisdell are due to varied economic reasons and also due to lack of knowledge. Farmers continue to use pesticides if their net discounted rate of return is greater in the present. This happens much more in less developed countries than in more developed countries. To make themselves economically viable farmers are forced to use pesticides because it causes an increase in the production in the short run, though the cost will increase in the long run which they are unaware of, and also once a new technique is used the cost of reverting back maybe very high. Further it may be due to a lack of knowledge on the part of farmers. It may also be that use of pesticides and fertilizers are considered to be an integral part of commercialized agriculture. To add to this would be the pressure the farmers may face from advertisements and sales schemes of companies manufacturing insecticides and fertilisers. It has also been found that though farmers may be aware of Integrated Pest Management systems they may not be easily accessible, as seen in the case of farmers in Sri Lanka.  [4]   Our next case study is based in Punjab that highlights the negative effect that G R has had on the employment of the youth. Punjab agriculture has been known for the green revolution of the late 1960s and the 1970s. Not only has it achieved an irrigation coverage of 95 per cent of the net sown area, cropping intensity of 185, and 98 per cent HYV coverage which are all the highest among the Indian states, but even the yields of major crops wheat and paddy are of a very high order, i e, 3,941 kgs and 3,393 kgs per hectare respectively [CACP 1997] The agricultural sector in Punjab is very capital intensive with the highest number of tubewells and tractors in the country and the highest consumer of electricity, 21% of wheat, 9% of rice and 21% of cotton produced in India came from Punjab. In the 1980s the scene began to change, the same level of production could not be maintained. The net costs began to increase mainly due to over mechanization and small holdings were no longer profitable to cultivate. This became apparent in the rise in tenancy of small farms and another evidence of this was an increase in the market for second hand tractors. The proportion of marginal holdings in total decreased from 37 per cent to 26 per cent during 1970-71 to 1990-91 and those above 10 hectares increased significantly [GoP 1997] The unemployment rates increased The proportion of agricultural labour in total rural male workers went up by 2.2 per cent during the 1980s and that of cultivators went down by 2.7 per cent. The unemployment rate among rural males (2.9 per cent) in the late 1980s was marginally above that at the national level (2.8 per cent) and that among rural females more than double (7.4 per cent) that of the national level (3.5 per cent) [Chand 1999a]. To add to this were the problems of monoculture and lack of diversification, increased attack of pests due to increased resistance to insecticides decreasing water levels. Thus based on the Jhol committee agriculture was diversified to include horticultural crops leading to the opening of food processing industries.This did not seem to make much of a difference as the three industries could work only with a small number of farmers and this did not make much of a difference to the rest. The high mechanisation of agricultural operations had added to the problem of rural un- employment. Now, combine harvesters could do the entire harvesting of paddy and a large proportion of wheat crop, which had cut down the number of days a farm worker could be gainfully employed in the farm sector. The labour requirements were also increasingly met from migrant labour. On the other hand, educated rural youth did not find farming profitable enough as an occupation. Unemployment of youth in Punjab was not due to lack of work opportunities in the farm sector per se, but due to the strong preference of these youth for non-farm jobs. But the industrial sector of the state which was dominated by small-scale industry did not offer many skilled jobs and depended on migrant labour for manual work as these workers were available for lower wages, did not create trouble as they had less political clout and bargaining power. On the other hand, urban people were preferred for skilled jobs as they are more tuned to industrial or corporate work culture [Chand 1999b]. The problem of rural unemployment was compounded by the fact that rural youth did not possess any specia l skills and did not have an aptitude to work in conventional industries owned by local capital. The only industries they were more familiar with were agro-processing ones which had recently roped in some rural youth but the jobs were few as the operations were highly mechanised and few manual jobs remained.  [5]   The very purpose of G R was to improve agriculture and reduce the income disparities but that very purpose was defeated. Through our next paper Green revolution and increase in social inequalities in India D.N. Dhanagre  [6]  we are going to see how social inequalities have increased. The effects of G R were assessed within five years of its initiation into India through a symposium organised by the Centre for the Study of Social Change in 1973. Where both, the positive side and the negative side were highlighted. On the positive side the increase in crop production was stressed on. This increase was 87.2 per cent in Punjab, and 64.90 per cent in Haryana where the gains in production performance were impressive'[Vyas, 1974: 67-70], and hence there was no alternative to G R to develop the backward regions of our country. The green revolution was distributed differentially to different categories of farmers putting the small and marginal farmers at a relative disadvantage. The reasons for differential distribution were obvious. The high cost/high yield cereal technology of the green revolution called for substantial capital investments generally beyond the means of a majority of small and marginal farmers.'[CSSC 1984]. To add to this the Indian Government was criticized by the Halselemere Group of favouring the rich and large land owning farmers in distribution of cheap credit and subsidies rather than the poorer ones. Size and nature of land holdings- Initially it was believed that the size of the holding did not matter in G R practices, but when it came to the reality of implementation it was found not to be true. The agricultural development bureaucracy working at the grass root level that scale neutrality was not true, the larger holdings were at an advantage. According to Danagare even the introduction of HYV seeds there was a pro rich bias seen. The requirement of each farmer to buy two shares of seed worth Rs 100/- each per acre was again to the advantage of the larger land holding farmers. Since the G R package was created with the perennially irrigated land in mind the government favoured them rather than farming in semi-arid and dry areas again leading to disparity in the distribution of income regionally. Further it has been found that while poor farmers own only 21% of land in wet regions almost 50% of the land was owned by poor farmers in the dry regions,[Atherya et,al 1983]. The polarisation process that accentuates the rural class differences has been further intensified by the green revolution. In a survey done by Bhalla and Chada in Punjab its been found that farmers with land holdings less than 2.5acres earned Rs1231/- while those with land holdings 25acres or more earned Rs24,283/- annually. In other words a rich farmer without putting in any physical effort was earning much more than a poor farmer, where he and his entire family would have had to work. Use of mechanization- as very apparent mechanization of farming was to the advantage of the rich and large land holding farmers. It not only increased disparity among the farmers but also hit hard on the labourers. Billings and Singh have discovered that in Punjab the demand for agricultural labour went up from 51 mandays to 60.1 mandays with the introduction of the persian wheel as a means of irrigation and of fertilisers and pesticides. However, when pump-sets, wheat-threshers, corn-shellers and tractors are introduced the average demand for labour drops down to 25.6 mandays (1969: A 221-24) It was found through surveys both in Punjab and in Chengilpet TN that the poorer farmers did not hesitate to invest and compete with the rich farmers though it was an uphill task for them but they did not benefit. In fact, all available statistics indicate greater and greater immiseration and pauperisation as the green revolution technology package has spread in diffierent parts of India. [Dhanagare 1978] I would like to conclude by mentioning Vandana Shivas view as expressed in her book The violence of the Green Revolution Third world agriculture, ecology and politics in the western view our system of agriculture was primitive and they wanted to thrust upon us their modern scientific view, as a socio political solution to our problems which only created more problems. In the traditional agricultural systems Shiva believes that people used their knowledge and experience to create a balance between the resources and their uses. Cropping systems include a symbiotic relationship between soil, water, farm animals and plants. They were preserving and building on natures process and natures patterns. This system was based on sustainability and made the farmers self- reliant as advocated by Gandhiji. As Rachel Carson puts it In nature nothing exists alone'[ Silent Spring] and if we dont recognize this and awake to the fact that we are a part of the nature we are destroying we may be too late.

Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels - Attitudes and Perceptions of Societies :: Gullivers Travels Essays

Attitudes and Perceptions of Societies in Gulliver's Travels    By the end of Book II in Gulliver's Travels, it is very clear that the character of Gulliver is not the same man who wrote the letter in the beginning of the story.   In fact, he is not the same man he was in Book I.   From the onset of Gulliver's Travels, Swift creates for us a seemingly competent character and narrator in Gulliver.   In his account we learn how his adventures have changed him and his perception of people, for the central theme of this story is how human nature and reason reflect society. Throughout the novel, the character, Gulliver changes his attitudes and his perceptions of people because of the different attitudes and perceptions of the different societies of Lilliput and Brobdingnag.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the whole, Gulliver is a very frustrating character to deal with for a number of reasons.   For example, he's not steady; this unsteadiness as a narrator leads us to question the validity of what Gulliver tells us.   This means that we have to be on our guard against what he says, and even though he's our guide, we can't follow him everywhere, which is just what Swift wanted.   Gulliver makes many apologies for himself and his actions and puts us the reader emotionally involved in the story.   Gulliver seems to direct a good deal of hostility toward us, creating a tinge of hostility back at him.   Ultimately, Gulliver works as a narrator because we can relate to him and as a result find him engaging.   We too can jump from emotion to emotion, but in the long run, Swift is not attempting to create an Everyman.   This Gulliver is not, by any means a wholly allegorical character, but as much an individual as the next person.   In certain ways, Gul liver proves to be more resilient than the average man is by managing to survive the disastrous shipwrecks and people so foreign they might as well be aliens.   Still in other ways Gulliver is a naà ¯ve person, bereft of decency and consideration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gulliver is an entirely credible and probable person at the same time that he is precisely the person to be the instrument for Swift's satire.   In his incredible circumstances, Gulliver shows himself to be very resourceful and observant of his surroundings.   With that he changes in relation to the places he visits and the events that befall him as he voyages.

Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs Essay examples -- essays research pap

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paganism is an ancient type of religion which has quite an inauspicious reputation today. There are many types of paganism, most date back thousands of years, which include Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, and a few other lesser known and practiced variations. Yet all of these religions are similar and share common beliefs. Wicca is the most common of these, as it also demonstrates the shared belief of doing good that is common to most forms of paganism. Another common belief, is to gather in small groups, called covens, to practice pagan rites and ceremonies with others. There are many ancient beliefs, archaic rituals, and forgotten traditions that are practiced by pagans. Many of these are also the origins of widely practiced traditions in the Christian-dominated world of today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A defining characteristic of many pagan religions, especially Wicca, is the worship and closeness to nature. Pagans treat animals kindly and respect all things, living or nonliving, as though they were a person (Roy N. p.). They also share the worship of their nature gods, which increases their respect for all that is around them (Roy N. p.). Pagans are very sensitive people that also have a high regard for personal privacy (Roy N. p.). With this belief of privacy, many pagans have more time to keep in touch with their inner selves and with the nature around them. Wicca, a more popular pagan religion, focuses on the Earth and uses pure white magic to help others (Roy N. p.). In fact, the Wiccan creed is, â€Å"An it harm none, do as thou will,† which agrees with the â€Å"good† philosophy (Beliefs N. p.). Altogether, pagans have a great deal of emphasis on the life and beauty of the nature that thrives around them and are radically different than the mythical rumors of witches that have been given to them over time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another defining characteristic of many pagans is the dedication to knowledge and self exploration (Roy N. p.). In fact it has been said that, â€Å"Witchcraft is the oldest, most irrepressible religion in the world because it stimulates the intellect, promotes a simple, practical way of life, and most importantly, is emotionally satisfying† (Art N. p.). There is a set of beliefs, called the Laws of Magic that help illustrate the beliefs supported by Wicca and other pagan religions. Many of these la... .... The Laws of Magic. Online. Necronami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/magic.laws.txt, 30 Nov. 1996. General Beliefs. Online. Necronami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/wicca.gen_beliefs.txt, 15 Dec. 1996. Hicks, J. Brad. Ceremony of Initiation. Online. Necronami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/initiation.ritual.txt, 15 Dec. 1996. Hunter, Ryan. Handfasting Ceremony. Online. Necronami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/handfasting1.ritual.txt, 15 Dec. 1996. Roy, R. Thirteen Questions. Online. Necromnami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/13Questions.txt, 30 Nov. 1996. The Ancient Art. Online. Necronami Net. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.necronami.com/d/paganism-celtic/craft.intro.txt, 30 Nov. 1996. The Sabbats. Online, Teleplex Communications, Inc. Available HTTP:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.teleplex.net/SCNPA/sabbat.html, 8 Dec. 1996.

Timeline 1945-1964 :: essays research papers

1945 Ho Chi Minh and his People's Congress create the National Liberation Committee of Vietnam to form a provisional government following the surrender of Japan to Allied forces and Japan transfers all power to Ho's Vietminh. President Roosevelt dies Making good on his threat to unleash "...a rain of ruin the like of which has never been seen on earth...," President Harry Truman authorizes the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan -- one on Hiroshima on August 6, and a second on Nagasaki on August 9. The Japanese surrender. Ho Declares Independence of Vietnam. British Forces Land in Saigon, Return Authority to French.1946 France recognizes Vietnam as a "free state" within the French Union. French troops replace Chinese in the North. Negotiations Between French and Vietminh Breakdown. Indochina War begins. 1947 Vietminh move north of Hanoi. Marshall Plan announced. French General Etienne Valluy attempts, and fails, to wipe out the Vietminh in one stroke. 1949 Bao Dai and President Vincent Auriol of France sign the Elysee Agreement. As part of the agreement the French pledge to assist in the building of a national anti-Communist army. NATO formed. Volkswagen introduced in US. 1950 Chinese and Soviets offer Weapons to Vietminh. Record heist in Brink's robbery. When Communist forces from North Korea invade the Republic of South Korea on June 25, President Truman appeals to the United Nations to take action. The UN quickly brands North Korea the aggressor, and Truman follows up by sending US air and naval support to Korea immediately thereafter. The United States sends $15 million dollars in military aid to the French for the war in Indochina. Included in the aid package is a military mission and military advisors. 1951 Ho Chi Minh creates Workers' Party. Truman dismisses General Douglas MacArthur . Worst floods in US History inundate Kansas and Missouri. 1953 France grants Laos full independence. Rosenbergs executed for Espionage. Vietminh forces push into Laos. 1954 A force of 40,000 heavily armed Vietminh lay siege to the French garrison at Dienbienphu. Using Chinese artillery to shell the airstrip, the Vietminh make it impossible for French supplies to arrive by air. It soon becomes clear that the French have met their match. Supreme Court rules on Brown v. Board of Education. Responding to the defeat of the French by the Vietminh at Dienbienphu, President Eisenhower outlines the Domino Theory: "You have a row of dominoes set up.

Characters in Lord of the Flies Essay

The power struggle, egocentric and intolerance in society today is ruining human relationships and Golding shows this through his characters in Lord of the Flies. Through the characters Jack, Roger and Ralph, Golding shows this interaction. Jack symbolises the struggle and silent fight for power over other people, Roger represents people who easily gives up in relationships and walk away and Ralph helps demonstrate mans reliance on appearance to create and keep relationships. The island emphasises these relations and shows Goldings view of relations among people. The relationships between humans is emphasised throughout the novel, and Golding has given his views on these relations through characters in the novel. Jack is a very strong, dominant character who feels the need to gain superiority over everyone else to feel power and control. He represents the power and hunger for dominance over others and Jack shows this through scaring others and demanding them to do jobs that put Jack on top which is emphasising the silent fight for dominance in human relationships today. Jack says â€Å"I ought to be chief†¦ because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I and sing C sharp†. This narcisstic dialogue shows how Jack wants escalate the idea of how important and better he is than Ralph and all the other buys, by saying this he is showing the boys how much better he is and scaring him with his range of talents. This affects the way that the reader understands and develops Jack’s character which then shows his egotistic approach to dominance over the other boys. Golding is using the character Jack and his silent fight for dominance over the boys to show how society is constantly trying to gain superiority in relationships. This is showing how the power struggle in society is ruining human relationships. Roger in Lord of the Flies is a character developed by Golding to comment of how humans too easily give up on relationships. Roger throughout the novel develops into one of the savage followers of Jack, which brings out and dramatises the human characteristics and actions in relationships. Piggy died by being hit by a falling boulder that was pushed from the side of a cliff by Roger. This action of pushing the boulder to stop Piggy talking and complaining is how Golding showed us how human relationships are easily given up. â€Å"storm of sound†¦incantation of hatred†¦Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever†. This imagery and hyperbolic language emphasises how Roger found the easy way to escape the relationship all the boys had with Piggy as they were in a disagreement. The imagery gives a picture which makes the reader feel the tension and the hyperbolic language helps emphasise the tone of aggression that humans use today to escape relationships easily. Golding has used the character Roger to show the intolerance in relationships in society today, which is running human relationships. There are many purposes to Ralph’s character in Lord of the Flies, one is that he gives a emphasised view on mans reliance on appearance to create and keep relationships. In the beginning of the novel when the boys first arrive on the island they elect Ralph instead of Jack because of his appearance and characteristic demeanour, this reflects the attitudes of humans in society today. Golding describes Ralph through the perspective of the boys by saying â€Å"could see not that he might make a boxer, as far as width and heaviness of shoulders†, this imagery and comparison to the features needed to be an athlete gives the reader an image of what Ralph would look like and why he is looked up to by the other boys. This means the boys would rather have a fit good looking leader that they would aspire to be like, which is close to the way many people decide on their relationships with others. This is what Golding is trying to show through the character Ralph that in society h uman relationships are becoming ruined by creating relationships based on the appearance of others. Golding uses the characters in Lord of the Flies to demonstrate the power-struggle, intolerance and dependence on appearance to create and keep relationships. This is through Jacks power struggle over the other boys, Roger’s intolerance towards Piggy and how through the boys choosing Ralph to be their chief in the early hours of landing on the island it shows how his strong, built appearance was more appealing that Jack which demonstrates how appearances have a big effect on human relationships.

Advantages of Group Decision-Making Essay

Firstly, group decision making from experts in different areas is beneficial to solve complicate problems. For instance, in a small company, boss often makes suggestions by himself; the result of his behavior relies on the ability of the boss. So there are cases when he can’t make things right, which may be serious fault to the operation of a company. However, people with different backgrounds consider the problems more carefully and comprehensively, as a result, running the company will be in less risk. Secondly, people making decisions in groups are eager to bear more risks individually. Decisions come with risks. People who make the wrong decision will take the responsibility. A contradiction rises up when they attempt to avoid being wrong and at the same time, solve problems correctly. As a result, people will somewhat not dare to make the final decision. Nevertheless, group decision makers can share the risks because each of them has responsibility for the suggestions to the problem. Moreover, individual risks are decreased when some others rectify the suggestion for him or her. 2.Disadvantages of group decision-making Firstly, low efficiency in decision-making, everyone has his own opinions and under certain circumstances such as brainstorming, it costs more time to decide what to do by group decision-making than by personal decision-making. If things go well, the results will come out quickly. But if each of them in a group can’t comprise in the end, nothing will be achieved. For example, there is news from CCTV about the 2012 DOHA Climate Change Conference, †Nearly 200 countries haggling over how to stop climate change – and how to pay for it – failed to reach a deal on schedule Friday. That sets the stage for the wrangling to continue late into the night.† Things like these are usually occurred when a large number of people attend. Finally, the conference extended until they arrive at an agreement. Secondly, group decision-making will lose effectiveness when people are not likely to put up with suggestions out of some reasons. In such cases, the leader of the group will be the only one who does decision-making, which has no diffidence with personal decision-making. All the members of the group should have equal opportunities and are willing to speak out. Then, group decision-making functions better in dealing with problems.

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 27

My heavy-lidded eyes fought to drift open. I didnt know how much time had passed. Was it one night? Two? A week? It was dark, wherever I was. I was vaguely conscious, hearing footfalls and yelling, and once a voice that sounded like Callies, calling out my name. But one day I woke up without suddenly falling back into unconsciousness. I lifted my arms, realizing I was shackled to the wall. I had vervain burns on my arms and legs. Dried blood crusted my entire body, making it impossible for me to tell where I was wounded. Next to me, Damon was sitting with his knees to his chest. Blood covered his body, and his cheeks were gaunt. Dark shadows rimmed his sunken eyes, but a slow smile was spreading across his face. â€Å"Not so powerful now, are you, brother?† I struggled to sit up. My bones ached. The attic was soaked in a dim gray light that came from a filthy window. The padding and sniffing of a mouse sounded somewhere far across the room. It stirred a hunger inside me, and I realized that I hadnt fed since being here. In the corner, two unfamiliar guards were sitting, oblivious to our near-silent conversation. I shook my head in disgust. How could I have been so stupid? Lexi had been right. Of course she had. Callie had betrayed me. It must have been her plan all along, from the second shed noticed the ring on my finger that matched Damons. I should have realized it the moment Id seen her father in the room. How had I stepped into such a stupid, obvious trap? I deserved to be chained up like an animal. â€Å"Did you love her?† Damon asked, as if he could read my thoughts. I stared straight ahead. â€Å"She hasnt come to visit, in case you were curious,† Damon continued conversationally. â€Å"She is pretty, though in my humble opinion, you could do better.† Anger pushed my fangs into place. â€Å"Where are you going with this?† I growled. Damon gestured to the bars. â€Å"Nowhere, apparently. Excellent job on the rescue attempt.† â€Å"At least I tried,† I said, my fury ebbing and resignation flowing in its place. â€Å"Why even bother?† Damons eyes flashed. â€Å"Have I not made my feelings about you perfectly clear?† â€Å"I † I began, before I realized I had no idea where to even start. How could I tell him that rescuing him wasnt a choice? That our blood ran in each others veins, that we were bound to each other. â€Å"It doesnt matter,† I said. â€Å"No, it doesnt,† Damon said, adopting a philosophical tone. â€Å"After all, well both be dead soon enough. The question is, will you be killed by a crocodile or by a tiger? I heard Gallagher saying crocodiles are the best fight opponents, because they dont go for the kill. They drag it out.† Just then the attic door opened with a flourish, and Gallagher strode into the room, his boots echoing on the floor. â€Å"The vampires are awake!† he bellowed. The two guards hastily jumped to attention, pretending theyd been watching us the whole time. Gallagher strode toward the cage, kneeling at our eye level. His three-piece suit was impeccable, as if hed made his fortune as a financier rather than by torturing vampires. â€Å"Well, well, well the family resemblance is obvious. Im embarrassed to not have noticed it sooner.† He reached through the bars and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me against the side of the cage. My face clanged against the bars, and I winced as something wooden jutted into my chest. A stake. â€Å"And you almost got away with acting like a human!† Gallagher threw his head back and laughed, as if it were the most amusing thing in the world. â€Å"You wont get away withthis,† I hissed, pain ripping through my body as he dug the stake farther into my skin. â€Å"Pay attention, vampire!† Gallagher said, his lips curled back in a snarl. â€Å"You know, I think Im going to bet youre the one wholl get killed. Yes, I think that will do very nicely.† He turned toward the two guards. â€Å"Hear that? A tip from the boss. Bet on the dark-haired one,† Gallagher said, twisting the stake against my body. â€Å"I think his brother has more hatred in his belly.† I couldnt see Damons face, but I could picture the smirk that no doubt played on his lips. Gallagher snorted in laughter and threw the vervain-soaked stake to the floor. â€Å"Oh, and I dont want you using the stakes on the vampires for sport anymore,† he said in the direction of the guards. The heavyset one glanced guiltily down at the floor. â€Å"Why not?† the other asked indignantly. â€Å"Its good for em. Shows em their place.† â€Å"Because we want them in tip-top shape for their fight,† Gallagher said, his voice an exaggerated parody of patience. Then Gallagher smiled at us. â€Å"Thats right, boys. You two are going to be fighting, to the death. Its the perfect solution. Ill have one dead vampire to sell for parts, a live one for performances, and profit beyond my wildest imagination. You know, it might be sacrilege, but I say, thank God for vampires!† With that, Gallagher turned to leave the attic, slamming the door behind him. I sank back against the bars. Damon did the same, shutting his eyes. The two guards gaped at us through the bars. â€Å"I know the boss said the dark-haired one, there, but aint he lookin a little weak? My pennies are goin for that boy,† one commented. â€Å"Eh, I always go with what the boss says. Besides, aint all about size, right?† the scrawny one said, sounding affronted by the first guards implication. I slumped against the wall, closing my eyes. The hatred that my brother had for me was surely enough to want me dead. But would Damon really kill me? â€Å"Im more vicious than a crocodile, brother,† Damon said with a smile, his eyes still closed. â€Å"And this is the best piece of news Ive heard since we turned into vampires!† He laughed, long and loud, until one of the guards clambered over and, despite Gallaghers decree, jabbed him with a vervain-laced stake. But even then, he continued to laugh.

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services Maria Delos Angeles Mora HCA460 Research Methods in Health and Human Services Professor TyKeysha Boone April 22, 2013 Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services In this competitive health care environment, consumers want and expect better health care services and hospital systems are concerned about maintaining their overall image. There is also attention to ways in which patient satisfaction measurement can be integrated into an overall measure of clinical quality. As lots of information is available to be used in a hypothetical evaluation.The American Red Cross is my selection due to that I worked with them for several years as a voluntary and telephonic representative to answer incoming calls that needed to be checked for different parts of the United States and commonwealth territories. The fundamental Principles of the Global Red Cross Network are based on humanity- the Red Cross, born of a desire t o bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors-in its international and national capacity-to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation lasting peace amongst all peoples, impartiality-it makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress, neutrality- In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Red Cross may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or deological nature, independence-since the Red Cross is considered is independent. The national societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their govern ments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with Red Cross principles, voluntary service-is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain, unity-is there is a Red Cross society in any one country no one can be turned out as it may be open to all.It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory, and universality-as the Red Cross is a worldwide institution in which all societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other. In the continuing effort to improve human service programs, funders, policymakers, and service providers are increasingly recognizing the importance of rigorous program evaluations. They want to know what the programs accomplish, what they cost, and how they should be operated to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness.They want to know which programs work for which groups, and t hey want conclusions based on evidence, rather than testimonials and impassioned pleas. This paper lays out, for the non-technician, the basic principles of program evaluation design. It signals common pitfalls, identifies constraints that need to be considered, and presents ideas for solving potential problems. These principles are general and can be applied to a wide range of human service programs.We illustrate these principles here with examples from programs for vulnerable children and youth. Evaluation of these programs is particularly challenging because they address a wide diversity of problems and possible solutions, often include multiple agencies and clients, and change over time to meet shifting service needs. It is very important to follow the steps in selecting the Appropriate Evaluation Design. The first step in the process of selecting an evaluation design is to clarify the questions that need to be answered.The next step is to develop a logic model that lays out the expected causal linkages between the program (and program components) and the program goals. Without tracing these anticipated links it is impossible to interpret the evaluation evidence that is collected. The third step is to review the program to assess its readiness for evaluation. These three steps can be done at the same time or in overlapping stages. Clarifying the Evaluation Questions is a design of any evaluation begins by defining the audience for the evaluation findings, what they need to know, and when.The questions used are determine which of the following four major types of evaluation should be chosen such as: The Impact evaluations focus on questions of causality. Did the program have its intended effects? If so, who was helped and what activities or characteristics of the program created the impact? Did the program have any unintended consequences, positive or negative? How performance monitoring does provides information on key aspects of how a system or program is operating and the extent to which specified program objectives are being attained (e. g. numbers of youth served compared to target goals, reductions in school dropouts compared to target goals). Results are used by service providers, funders, and policymakers to assess the program's performance and accomplishments. Process evaluations answer questions about how the program operates and document the procedures and activities undertaken in service delivery. Such evaluations help identify problems faced in delivering services and strategies for overcoming these problems. They are useful to practitioners and service providers in replicating or adapting program strategies.Cost evaluations address how much the program or program components cost, preferably in relation to alternative uses of the same resources and to the benefits being produced by the program. In the current fiscal environment, programs must expect to defend their costs against alternative uses. As the comprehensive eval uation will include all these activities. Sometimes, however, the questions raised, the target audience for findings, or the available resources limit the evaluation focus to one or two of these activities.Whether to provide preliminary evaluations to staff for use in improving program operations and developing additional services is an issue that needs to be faced. Preliminary results can be effectively used to identify operational problems and develop the capacity of program staff to conduct their own ongoing evaluation and monitoring activities (Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995). But this use of evaluation findings, called formative evaluations, presents a challenge to evaluators who are faced with the much more ifficult task of estimating the impact of an evolving intervention. When the program itself is continuing to change, measuring impact requires ongoing measurement of the types and level of service provided. The danger in formative e valuations is that the line between program operations and assessment will be blurred. The extra effort and resources required for impact analysis in formative evaluations has to be measured against the potential gains to the program from ongoing improvements and the greater usefulness of the final evaluation findings.Performance monitoring involves identification and collection of specific data on program outputs, outcomes, and accomplishments. Although they may measure subjective factors such as client satisfaction, the data are numeric, consisting of frequency counts, statistical averages, ratios, or percentages. Output measures reflect internal activities: the amount of work done within the program or organization. Outcome measures (immediate and longer term) reflect progress towards program goals. Often the same measurements (e. g. number/percent of youth who stopped or reduced substance abuse) may be used for performance monitoring and impact evaluation. However, unlike impact evaluation, performance monitoring does not make any rigorous effort to determine whether these were caused by program efforts or by other external events. The way that we are looking at Design Variations is when programs are operating in a number of communities, the sites are likely to vary in mission, structure, the nature and extent of project implementation, primary clients/targets, and timeliness.They may offer somewhat different sets of services, or have identified somewhat different goals. In such situations, it is advisable to construct a â€Å"core† set of performance measures to be used by all, and to supplement these with â€Å"local† performance indicators that reflect differences. For example, some youth programs will collect detailed data on youth school performance, including grades, attendance, and disciplinary actions, while others will simply have data on promotion to the next grade or whether the youth is still enrolled or has dropped out.A multi-sc hool performance monitoring system might require data on promotion and enrollment for all schools, and specify more detailed or specialized indicators on attendance or disciplinary actions for one or a subset of schools to use in their own performance monitoring. Another look is at the Considerations/Limitations when selecting performance indicators, evaluators and service providers need it is important to consider: The relevance of potential measures to the mission/objective of the local program or national initiative. The comprehensiveness of the set of measures. The program's control over the factor being measured.The validity of the measure and the reliability and accuracy of the measure, feasibility of collecting the data. How much effort and money is required to generate each measure? Practical Issues. The set of performance indicators should be simple, limited to a few key indicators of priority outcomes. Too many indicators burden the data collection and analysis and make it less likely that managers will understand and use reported information. Regular measurement, ideally quarterly, is important so that the system provides the information in time to make shifts in program operations and to capture changes over time.However, pressures for timely reporting should not be allowed to sacrifice data quality. For the performance monitoring to take place in a reliable and timely way, the evaluation should include adequate support and plans for training and technical assistance for data collection. Routine quality control procedures should be established to check on data entry accuracy and missing information. At the point of analysis, procedures for verifying trends should be in place, particularly if the results are unexpected. The costs of performance monitoring are modest relative to impact evaluations, but still vary widely depending on the data used.Most performance indicator data come from records maintained by service providers. The added expense invo lves regularly collecting and analyzing these records, as well as preparing and disseminating reports to those concerned. This is typically a part-time work assignment for a supervisor within the agency. The expense will be greater if client satisfaction surveys are used to measure outcomes. An outside survey organization may be required for a large-scale survey of past clients; alternatively, a self-administered exit questionnaire can be given to clients at the end of services.In either case, the assistance of professional researchers is needed in preparing data sets, analyses, and reports. Process Analysis key element in process analysis is a systematic, focused plan for collecting data to: (1) determine whatever the program model is being implemented as specified and, if not, how operations differ from those initially planned; (2) identify unintended consequences and unanticipated outcomes; and (3) understand the program from the perspectives of staff, participants, and the commu nity.The design variation is the systemic procedure used to collect data for process evaluation often include case studies, focus groups, and ethnography. As strong pressures demonstrates program impacts dictates making evaluation activities a required and intrinsic part of program activities from the start. At the very least, evaluation activities should include performance monitoring.The collection and analysis of data on program progress and process builds the capacity for self-evaluation and contributes to good program management and efforts to obtain support for program continuation-for example, when the funding is serving as â€Å"seed† money for a program that is intended, if successful, to continue under local sponsorship. Performance monitoring can be extended to non-experimental evaluation with additional analysis of program records and/or client surveys. These evaluation activities may be conducted either by program staff with research training or by an independent evaluator.In either case, training and technical assistance to support program evaluation efforts will be needed to maintain data quality and assist in appropriate analysis and use of the findings. There are several strong arguments for evaluation designs that go further in documenting program impact. Only experimental or quasi-experimental designs provide convincing evidence that program funds are well invested, and that the program is making a real difference to the well-being of the population served. These evaluations need to be conducted by experienced researchers and supported by adequate budgets.A good strategy may be implementing small-scale programs to test alternative models of service delivery in settings that will allow a stronger impact evaluation design than is possible in a large scale, national program. Often program evaluation should proceed in stages. The first year of program operations can be devoted to process studies and performance monitoring, the information from which can serve as a basis for more extensive evaluation efforts once operations are running smoothly. Finally, planning to obtain support for the evaluation at every level-community, program staff, agency leadership and funder-should be extensive.Each of these has a stake in the results. Each should have a voice in planning. And each should perceive clear benefits from the results. Only in this way will the results be acknowledged as valid and actually used for program improvement. Reference Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995) New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Concepts, Methods, and Contexts. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute. Ellickson, P. L. , Bell, R. M. , and McGuigan, K. (1993) â€Å"Preventing Adolescent Drug Use: Long- Term Results of a Junior High School Program. 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