Reflection practice Essay

Reflection practice is an approach that allows practitioners to understand how they use their knowledge in realistic situations and how they mix action and learning in a more successful manner (Henderson, 2002). Kondrat (2004) claims that the aim of critical reflection is to be conscious of the influence of the subject self in relations to prejudices so that such prejudices may be reduced or removed. However, Smith (2002: 138) argues that â€Å"for reflection to be critical it need to also embrace the capacity to consider social structures and power relationships analytically and apply this analysis in practice†. This assignment aim at researching the benefits and challenges of reflection in work practice by reflecting on an incident at work and examine what went wrong and what went well (see appendix 1). It will evaluate my progress about how I used reflection to develop professional practice after an incident. It will also assess how feedback from manager and colleagues may help me to maintain my continuing professional development. see more:the different ways that people may react to receiving constructive feedback According to Taylor and Beverly (2000) reflection is a significant human activity in which people recall their experiences, think about it, ponder over, evaluate it; and it is this working with experience that is important in learning. Du Gay (2005) claims that we learn through critical reflection by putting ourselves into the experiences and exploring personal and theoretical knowledge to understand it and view it in different ways. However, Swan (2008) argues that it may be hard to reflect in work practice due to time constraint and lack of understanding about how to reflect. Swan (2008) further argues that others practitioners may not be motivated enough in finding time to reflect. However, Taylor (2000) proposes that improved self-awareness, though not the principle reason for reflection, may create important changes in normal reactions to challenging clinical circumstances that may affect a beneficial change in the outcome observed. As a health and social care practitioner I appreciate that reflection offers a number of benefits such as improvement in practice and in patient service. Improved self-knowledge may offer this additional benefit, as contending with the behaviour of persons in strange circumstances outlines an important part of health care practitioners Taylor (2000). Wilkin (2002), Paget (2001)  and Taylor (2000) cited in Hayden, (2005) agree with the notion that reflection allows practitioners to broaden themselves intellectually and improves their professional role especially when pressure is wielded to behave more technically. However, Smith and Jack (2005) argue that practitioners need to be aware of personal advantages, improved self-awareness and improved confidence in progressing professional development as it may affect how they relate with patient. In relation to my individual learning plan (ILP) as identified in appendix one I have encountered problem such as involving colleagues and my manager in giving me feedback. This may be because of work demands placed on my manager and change in staff structure due to an incident which occurred in work. Therefore I had to reconsider using a diary to record activities identified in ILP and record of incident; this meant that I can only rely on my own feedback and the understanding of my work practise in order to achieve the best possible outcome. According to Boud (2000) health and social care professionals often work one on one with service users who may be experiencing various levels of emotional distress. Young and Henquinet (2000) claim that more than half of challenging behaviour occurs in social services and health care settings, therefore safety is paramount. Boud (2000) claims that it is vital that professionals and service users do not exist in blankness, as both parties are influenced by societal, community and organizational behaviour this is supported by Bronfebrenner’s theory (Adams, 2007). Smith (2002) states that these factors may impact on service users’ relationship and interactions therefore a key skill is needed to work in partnership with service users. When the service user went absent without authorised leave I had to respond immediately as it was apparent that I was the only person with sufficient knowledge. Having experience this before and knowing my work practice procedures on missing person prompted me to react as I did as identified in Schon (1991) reflection in action. Smith (2002) further argues that to attain this, it is essential for  professionals to be able to make logic of their practice, and to understand their involvement in therapeutic functioning. This was evident in my practice as I had to support other service users who were in distress and also I had to write an incident report whilst offering re- assurance. This was challenging as I am working as part of a small team which meant that I had to carry some of the task individually. However, being part of a small team meant that I was able to interact and communicate more easily with peers and gained their sense of commitment level as pointed out by (Young and Henquinet 2000). Northouse (2004) states that ethics in a small teams are important because as team progress through the decision-making or problem-solving process, several questions may arise that may need to be dealt with and the people’s behaviour or actions surrounds the communication process. Engleberg and Wynn (2003) suggest that staff member or team members need to consider how their verbal and nonverbal communication and listening skills may affect how they construct and construe these messages. Fujishin, (2007) argues that communicating in an unethical way may include misrepresenting a position or stance on a topic, and pretending to be informed about a topic. Fujishin, (2007) suggests that to avoid this staff member should not keep back information from other members and should be truthful when sharing information. As a practitioner I am morally required to contemplate the likely benefit or harm that may result if I chose to do nothing in a given situation. My actions matched my belief in the human rights to be safe and contribute to decision making and information sharing (Beidler and Dickey 2001). Controlled reflection may thus be an instrument to help professionals’ gain better understanding not only into professional practice but into their working relationship with service users Bould (2000). Gaining better knowledge and understanding into reflection is not new, Schon (1999) in Adams et al (2009) defines reflection in action as an approach taken by practitioners in work setting to instantly restructure and adjust their practice. However, Crisp and Green (2002) argue that uncontrolled reflection may not generate theory or understanding. Nevertheless, the practitioner who  is able to reflect on a situation, make sense of what happened and coherent the process and variables involved may create a better understanding of the situation and of theory. Another way of making sense of circumstances that affect us together individually and professionally is through organised reflective writing. The method of reflection does not have to be written, however Seymour (2003) and Ullrich et al (2002) suggest that more understanding may be gained if writing is involved as it may allow the professionals to structure opinions and reminiscences more subjectively. Ullrich and Lutgendorf (2002) also claim that it may also provide a lasting record for other professionals to access in future. In work setting I had to keep record and times of incident this is refer to as incident report. Lindeman (2000) claims that writing an incident report allows practitioners to learn about individuals, organisation and others. For instance, I have learnt a lot about different agencies that gets involved when a service user is reported missing. I have also learnt about the importance of keeping accurate conversation records. Duffy (2000) proposes that the process of reflective writing may offer time to reflect properly and make sense of happenings that may have affected work practice. Nonetheless, without a clear outline it may be problematic to know in what way or what to reflect upon. Burton (2000) argues that this is particularly applicable to trainee reflective professionals. Furthermore, Brennan and Hutt (2001) argue that another additional likely risk is that professionals only reflect upon circumstances that they perceive as gone wrong. Taylor (2000) states that in this case reflective writing then becomes possibly negative and not useful if left unstructured or un- facilitated. This was apparent common in my work practice as staff focused more on the negative of the incident instead of encouraging the use of positive. McCabe (2004) suggest that it is the duty of the experienced practitioner to question the practice of another if they believe inappropriate treatment may harm or be negative to service user. It was extremely difficult to challenge my colleagues about their negative comments this may be because they have  been in my work practice longer than me. McCabe (2004) argues that health practitioners may feel uncomfortable due to uncertainty in their work practice. Conversely, Paget (2001) argues that service user’s best interest must be conserved all the time even if conflict should arise. According to Joyce (2005) common difficulties with using reflective journals involve procrastination, fading, eagerness, and also reluctance or lack of ability to reflect. Reflective diaries or periodicals may be an effectual tool for self – assessment and development of reflective skill, specifically reflection on practice (Joyce, 2005). The skill of reflective writing may be advanced either through working separate or within peer groups. Teekman (2000) believes that record keeping is part of showing consistency and caring about service user’s outcome. Caring is also paramount in health and social care, I feel strongly about this belief and try to practise continuously. Ritz (2009) cited in Ritz and Weissleder, (2009) proposes that writing and thinking goes together when developing critical skills. According to Wilkie and Burn (2003) Health and social care have a spoken culture in which practitioners have restricted chances to develop critical, analytical skills through writing. I found it easy to use diary this may be due to the time I spent writing incident report. However, getting feedback from my colleagues proofed difficult as they had different views about giving me feedback. This may be due to what they perceive as of importance as pointed out by Bowers and Jinks (2004). In conclusion reflecting about incident at work has been self- empowering and has provided me with a perception into personal understanding and control (McCabe 2004). This reflection has recognised the opinions, hindrances associated with working in Health and social care (HSC) practice. Additionally, it has also shown that the present-day premise of HSC is multifaceted. However using Schon’s context does aim to reveal the insufficiencies of a positivist attitude to knowledge and practice and this may result to new understandings (Teekman, 2000). Consequently, it is essential that the professional is allowed to reflect critically on practice  so as to improve and extend knowledge and eventually the quality of service and care provided to service users. Reflective writing has helped me to cope with critical incident at work and I feel like I can pass this tool to my work colleagues. References Adam R, Dominelli L, and Payne, M (2009) social work themes, issues and critical debates(3rd ed). Basingstoke: Palgrave. Boud, D. (2000) Sustainable Assessment Rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education. 22: 151-167. Bowers S. J. and Jinks A. M.( 2004) Issues surrounding professional portfolio development for nurses. British Journal of Nursing, 13 (3): 155-159 Brennam A.M. and Hutt R. (2001) the challenges and conflicts of facilitating learning in practice the experience of the clinical nurse educators nurse in practice 1(4) :181-188. Bulman C, and Schutz S. (2004) Reflective Practice in Nursing (3rd ed) Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. Burton A. J,.(2000) reflection nursing ‘s practice and education panacea . Journal of Advanced Nursing 31: 10009-1017. Crisp, B.R. and Green L. P. (2002). Assessments methods in social work education A review of the literature social work education 21: 259-269. Demmke, C, Hammerschmid, G, Meyer, RE (2006) Decent ralisation and Accountability as a Focus of Public Administration Modernisation: Challenges and Consequences for Human Resource Management. Maastricht/Brussels: EIPA Duff, L,.(2000) from rote to reflection an incredible Learning Journey Canadian Nurse 96(7) 30-33. Du Gay, P (2005) The Values of Bureaucracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Engleberg, I. N., & Wynn, D. R. (2003). Working in groups: Communication principles and strategies (3rd ed.). Boston, Houghton Mifflin Fisher, K (2003) Demystifying critical reflection: Defining criteria for assessment. Higher Education Research & Development 22(3): 313–325. Fujishin, R. (2007).Creating effective groups: The art of small group communication (2nd ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Hayden, K S. (2005) Critical incident A nurses personal reflection. Pro quest nursing & Allied health source (15):329. Henderson, GM (2002) Transformative learning as a condition for transformational change in organizations. Human Resource Development Review 1(2): 186–214. Joyce P.(2005) A framework for portfolio development in postgraduate nursing practice. Journal for Clinical Nursing,14(4) :456-463. Kondrat, M. E, . (2004) ‘Who is the â€Å"Self † in Self-Aware: Professional Self-Awareness from a Critical Theory Perspective’, Social Service Review 3(4): 451–77. Lindeman C. A. (2000) the future of nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education 39:5-12. McCabe, C (2004) Nurse patient communication an exploration of patients experience. Journal of clinical Nursing 13 (1): 45-54 McCutcheon, H. and Pincombe J. (2001) Intuition an important tool in the practice of nursing. Journal of advanced Nursing. 35(3) :342-348. Paget T(2001) reflective practice and clinical outcomes pracitioners views on how reflective practice has influenced their clinical practice. Journal of clinical Nursing. 10(2): 204-214. Parton, N and O’Byrne, Pk (2000) Constructive Social Work. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Ritz A, Weissleder, M (2009) Management development in public administration. In Thom N, Zaugg RJ (eds) Modern personnel development. Wiesbaden: Gabler, pp. 371–394. Ritz, A (2009) Public service motivation and organizational performance in Swiss federal government. International Review of Administrative Sciences 75(1): 53–78. Rogers, R (2001) Reflection in higher education: A concept analysis. Innovative Higher Education. 26(1): 37–57. Seymour, B,. Kinn, S,. and Sutherland N,. (2003) Valuing both critical and creative thinking in clinical practice narrowing the research practice gap. Journal of advanced Nursing 42: 288- 296. Smith, A,. and Jack K,. (2005) Reflective practice a meaning task for students nursing standard 19 (26): 33-37. Smith, S. (2002) ‘What Works for Whom: The Link between Process and Outcome in Effectiveness Research’, Australian Social Work 55(2). Swan, E,. (2008) Let’s not get too personal: Critical reflection, reflexivity and the confessional turn. Journal of European Industrial Training 32(5): 385–399. Taylor, Beverly J. (2000) Reflective Practice: A Guide for Nurses and Midwives. St Leonards,Australia: Allen and Unwin. Taylor B.J. (2000) Reflective practice A guide for nurses and midwives. Open University Press, Maidenhead. Teekman, B. (2000) Exploring reflective thinking in nursing practice. Journal of advanced nursing 31(5): 1122-1135. Thorpe, K (2004) Reflective learning journals: From concept to practice. Reflective Practice 5(3): 327–343. Ullrich P. M. and Lutgendorf S. K,. (2002) Journaling about stressful events effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioural Medicine. 24 : 244-250. van der Meer, F, Marks, P (2013) Teaching and learning reflection in MPA programmes: Towards a strategy. Teaching Public Administration 31(1): this issue. Wilkie K. and Burn I. (2003) Problem based Learning A handbook for Nurses. Palgrave MacMillan Basingstoke. Wilkin K (2002) Exploring expert practice through reflection nursing in critical care. 7(2) :88-93 Young, C. B., & Henquinet, J. A. (2000). A conceptual framework for designing group projects.Journal of Education for Business, 76, 56–60.

Overall objectives of Holly Farm operations Essay

i. Executive Summary This case study proposes overall objectives of Holly Farm operations, and analyzes how to achieve those objectives in details. Symptoms and natures of operational problems are identified, in order to suit the remedy to the case. Solutions of two end-of-case questions are addressed, and the thought process is demonstrated thoroughly. Five options aiming at improving the operation are also provided at the end of the case study. ii. Overall Objectives of the Operation: Since Holly Farm was founded by Charles and Gillian Giles, there were several operational problems within the management during the business running process. The objectives of Holly Farm operations are to maximally increase the profitability by making use of current resources including human resources and material resources, as well as balance demand and control capacity. iii. Symptom of the Problem 1. Time spending on promotion activities was reduced. After three years’ operation, Gillian was unable to give so much time to do the promotional activities. 2. The number of people visiting maintained in the level of 15,000 per year, and there was no increase since then. 3. Visitor number fluctuated during the day time, and there was a visitors’ queuing problem on weekends. The farm opened at 11.00am, but most visitors would arrive later than 12.30pm, so very limited visitors were in the farm during that time period. However, between 4.00pm and 7.00pm, 4 out of 5 visitors would gather in the same place to watch milking, visit farm shop and purchase produce. Moreover, for milking watching on Saturdays and Sundays, visitors would queue before 4.00pm, but this activity could not start before 4.00pm. 4. There was a strong seasonality on the farm business. Only during April to October, the farm was open to the public, and within each week of this period, mid-week demand was too low, and Friday to Monday was high. 5. There were not enough workers for new designed activities. Gillian considered tying up with schools for educational visits, but she did not want to use farm guide staff on extra weekends and Charles needed them three day s a week to do farming work. However, most farm workers were glad to do that. 6. The production of the ice cream was 350 liters per day maximum, and there was only one flavor was made on any day. 7. There was no separate record kept of ice cream sales to the paying farm visitors and those to the farm shop only. iv. Natures of the Problem 1. Symptom 1 is the problem of marketing. The nature of this might be not enough market research and survey to figure out the most effective promotional activities. 2. Symptom 2 is the problem of decreased number of visitors, and there are several natures for it. First, not adequate or effective promotional activities might be one of them, since optimizing promotions could best meet customers’ needs and stop the trend of visitors decrease (Chandon, Wansink, & Laurent, 2000). Second, the accessibility and capacity of the farm might be another one, because the farm could only be open on Friday to Monday, which limited visitor number. 3. Symptom 3 and Symptom 4 are both about seasonality and fluctuation problem. One nature is seasonality and fluctuation itself, because other period of time throughout the day or the year was not suitable for the farm to either open to public, or conduct milking activities. Another nature is  the capacity and accessibility of the farm. 4. Symptom 5 is the problem of human resources. The nature for it might be not enough workers to perform new designed activities, because of lack of human resources in the farm. 5. Symptom 6 is about ice cream production and low sales. First nature for it is the capacity of ice cream equipment was limited. Second nature for it might be the once a week deliveries of ice cream was not enough for selling ice cream. The last nature could be not effective marketing to promote on ice cream to the public. 6. Symptom 7 is about sales problem. The nature of it might be inappropriate accounting system. v. Response to Questions Question 1 If Gillian intends to increase the total number of farm visitors by 50% in 2008, the vital capacity constraints for Holly Farm are the low demand in mid-week periods from Tuesday to Thursday and high demand during Friday to Monday within these businesses. In order to manage those limitations of capacity, Gillian is expected to promote and encourage coach company guests with the providing of discounts on the admission charges, and is also supposed to make more efforts to attract more families in cars and school students for educational purpose. That could stimulate low demand in the period of mid-week and limit high demand between Friday and Monday, resulting in smooth demand in the operation (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). In addition, Gillian needs to change the work schedule and augment the number of productive hours for the employees so as to alter capacity, which is a potential technique to react to the fluctuating demands (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). For instance, when more visitors are coming and extra  demand is happening, Gillian could use their farm staffs who are interested in working extra hours after doing their normal work to earn more money for their lives, which is a potential method of idle time for adjusting capacity (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). The existing farm staffs are more familiar with the conditions of the farm and the farm work, which could reduce the costs of error mistakes that could be happened in new employees. Moreover, part-time workers could be employed during peak demand periods. Furthermore, mixed plans could be employed for Gillian, which include managing demand plan and chasing demand plan (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). Discounts could be offered during the periods of low demand to encourage customers’ expenditure on visiting Holly Farm (manage demand plan) and capacity could be adjusted through the applying of chase demand plan to avoid the wasteful of extra staff, satisfy customer demand and restrict the inventory of finished goods (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). Question 2 If Gillian proposes to increase the amount of ice cream flavors from four to ten, there are several aspects that need to be considered, because variability in supply and capacity will lessen the ability of an operation to produce its inputs (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). In a short, that will â€Å"reduce its effective capacity† (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010, p.325). To begin with, if the number of flavors will be increased by ten, the working time of ten flavors will be increased as only one flavor made on one day, which will augment throughput times and decrease the effective utilization of capacity (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). As a result, Gillian needs to take into account the problems that result from increasing working time. After that, when the amount of flavors increased, the queues will be accumulated on account of the longer throughput times (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). Therefore, Gillian needs to plan and manage the waiting line of customers and retailers in terms of more working hours will be consumed for the ten flavors. Followed that, the inventory will also be influenced due to the increased variability (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010), so Gillian should to enlarge its inventory level of ice cream (there is only 7,000 liters for its inventory). Lastly, more staff will be  recruited for the ice cream factory, since the recent three employees’ productivity and efficiency would be decreased with the increasing working hours and duties. Consequently, Gillian should reset the base level of capacity higher to accommodate its increased number of flavors. vi. Options 1. Gillian could consider hiring extra staff who can handle the promotional activities, because she did not have much time to do it. According to Almira (2011), the company could build a positive image to the public through effective promotions. It could be concluded that the promotional activities could not be restricted to giving lectures to local schools and local organizations, and it should expend on more advertisements on magazines, newspapers and TV programs. In addition, Lawrence (1993) claimed that accurate market research and financial analysis are strong in presenting information to marketers and sellers. From this statement, she also could authorize a market-research company which is able to provide a comprehensive version of the Holly Farm’s performance, including financial data, ratio and SWOT analysis, to collect useful information. After that, through these professional surveys, the most effective promotional activities could be figured out, and there would be a more accurate business forecast for improving Holly Farm’s capacity of product and economic benefit. 2. The essential solution of decreasing number of visitors is that increasing customers’ satisfaction. Outstanding reputation could be an intangible advertisement for potential consumers, via word-of-mouth promotion of current consumers. Schwaiger and Cannon (2005) found that value of reputation demonstrates the firms’ capacity to get more future profits through decreasing transaction costs with their stakeholders. Therefore, Gillian could be suggested to do more training for their managers and service staff, which could improve their comprehensive skills and abilities to guarantee that they could do their best to meet the demands of visitors. In addition, the flexible operation strategies could remedy the emergencies and meet the diverse needs of consumers. Although managing the flexible and specific product could cause the problem of costs, offering the flexible product to meet the specific demands of customers can improve profits significantly (Gallego & Phillips, 2004). For instance, on the one hand, during the busy days, the explanatory tape could be cancelled for customers who were not interested in it, which could save time. On the other hand, Holly Farm could promote a new time schedule of each 15 minutes from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm, which could provide a suitable option for visitors and it also avoid crowded situations, and the waiting time could used to play explanatory tape. Besides that, the various marketing should cooperate with flexible operation which could bring a refreshed image for current consumers, even potential ones, thereby attracting more visitors to come to Holly Farm. In order to meet different demands of diverse customers, various activities packages should be launched during the peak and off-peak seasons. For example, the package could include the maize maze, milking watching, and making DIY ice cream. 3. Concerning human resource management, a strategic operation system is required (Onyango & Okech, 2008). The appropriate staff plan and control capacity should be one of the criteria to function the entire business (Chang, 2011). In terms of the lack of human resource management of Charles and Gillian’s Holly Farm, there could be two major recommendations in order to improve. Firstly, enough skilled employees in each area of different businesses are necessary (Varpilah, Safer, Frenkel, Baba, Massaquoi, & Barrow, 2011). For example, different employees are responsible for doing advertising, and several focus on communicating with sponsorship. In this case, every employee would spare no effort to contribute their values to take responsibility for their business. Secondly, in order to control the costs of hiring staff to tie up with educational visits, casual or part-time employees could be better (Heneman & Milanowski, 2011). Therefore, the money that is saved could be used into other programs such as providing more facilities about educational concept. 4. In the overall operations, the inter-functional accounting management should be playing an important role (Inglis, 2008). The explicit and detailed financial documents are necessary for the organization to conclude the output of different sectors (Jorgensen & Messner, 2010). As there was no separate record between the outcomes of people visiting the farm and people only buying ice cream in special entry, there could be several recommendations to improve such condition. First of all, it would be the best that different records are done for different entries (Jorissen & Otley, 2010). As long as the special entry leading to ice cream shop only is confirmed, there would be two major financial records for the entries, the whole farm visiting and shop buying. According to the statistics, the farm can formulate different promotions and strategies to enhance the profitability. References Almira. (2011). Public relations as promotional activity. Theoretical and Applied Economics, 11(564), 21-26. Chandon, P., Wansink, B., & Laurent, G. (2000). A benefit congruency framework of sales promotion effectiveness. The Journal of Marketing, 64(4), 65-81. doi:10.1509/jmkg.64.4.65.18071 Chang, S. (2011). Study on human resource management in Korea’s chaebol enterprise: A case study of Samsung electronics. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1-26. doi:10.1080/09585192.2011.579922 Gallego, G., & Phillips, R. (2004). Revenue management of flexible products. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 6(4), 321 Heneman, H. G., & Milanowski, A. T. (2011). Assessing human resource practices alignment: A case study. Human Resource Management, 50(1), 45-64. doi:10.1002/hrm.20405 Inglis, R. (2008). Exploring accounting and market orientation: An interfunctional case study. Journal of Marketing Management, 24(7), 687-710. doi:10.1362/026725708X345470 Jorgense n, B., & Messner, M. (2010). Accounting and strategising: A case study from new product development. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 35(2), 184-204. doi:10.1016/j.aos.2009.04.001 Jorissen, A., & Otley, D. (2010). The management of accounting numbers: Case study evidence from the ‘crash’ of an airline. Accounting and Business Research, 40(1), 3-38. doi:10.1080/00014788.2010.9663382 Lawrence, K. D. (1993). Market research using forecasting in business. International Journal of Forecasting, 9(4), 579-580. doi:10.1016/0169-2070(93)90083-Y Onyango, F. E., & Okech, R. N. (2008). Human resource systems in Kenya: A case study of hotel human resources performance. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 49(4), 413-427. doi:10.1177/1938965508326390 Schwaiger, M., & Cannon, H. M. (2005). The role of company reputation in business simulations. Simulation and Gaming, 36(2), 188-202. doi:10.1177/1046878105275136 Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2010).Operations Management (6th ed.) Essex: Prentice Hall. Varpilah, S. T., Safer, M., Frenkel, E., Baba, D., Massaquoi, M., & Barrow, G. (2011). Rebuilding human resources for health: A case study from Liberia. Human Resources for Health, 9(1), 11-11. doi:10.1186/1478-4491-9-11

Workbook Summary for Individualized Education Programs Coursework - 1

Workbook Summary for Individualized Education Programs - Coursework Example The level of disability must be able to influence the learning ability. The eligibility test requires the statement on the current academic performance of the child indicating the effect of the disability on the learning 0progress of the child. IDEA 2002 emphasizes on the need for education providers to develop an IEP that conforms to the needs of every student who has specific needs  within  the eligibility tests and regulations of the state with regard to disability (Weishaar, 2001). All areas of suspected disability are evaluated by the school to see if they meet the threshold under the IDEA guidelines. After the evaluation, the school meets the respective parents to undertake the review of the collected disability results and influence the students’ learning. It is the collective responsibility of the school, and parents to determine whether the student requires significant education services. Thereafter, a team is constituted to develop the IEP plan. The team will use the results obtained in the evaluation stage to draft a relevant IEP that responds to the needs (Weishaar, 2001) of the  intended  students. The team developing the IEP should be made up of the student’s parents or guardians, case manager or exceptional education teacher, the student. In addition, at least of the regular education teachers, a person with knowledge about the availability of the school resources can support the intended learning (Weishaar, 2001). The team then drafts the plan by initially identifying the student’s personal information. The team then uses the full individual evaluation (FIE), in order to establish the current level of the student’s academic performance and specific academic services needed by the student. The evaluation information is significant in identifying the academic strength of the student. The functional needs of the student must be

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - MicroFB Essay

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics - MicroFB - Essay Example For example, when a 20% increase in vehicles results from a 20% increase in investment on manufacturing equipments, then the firm could be experiencing constant returns to scale. Question three Economic profit refers to the difference between total revenue and opportunity cost. For instance, Pesso invests $1,000 to begin a business in a particular year which she earns $1,200 in profits. But if she had not begun the business she could have earned a salary of $4,500. In such a case, the economic loss is $250 (1,200 – 1000 – 450). Question four Law of diminishing marginal returns states that as new workers continue to increase, the marginal product of any additional worker will at some instant be lower than that of the previous worker. For instance, if a company employs workers to produce its commodities, at some point in time each additional worker will provide lower output than the previous worker, if all other factors remain unchanged. Question five Marginal product of labor refers to the change in output resulting from hiring an additional worker. For example, if a pizza restaurant with three employees makes 100 pizzas in a day and 120 pizzas with four employees, the marginal product of labor is 20 pizzas (120 – 100). ... For instance, a firm that has spent $10 million acquiring a machine which is not yet installed has to consider the $10 million sunk because it cannot recover the money. Question eight The principal-agent problem refers to the conflict of interest that occurs when an agent is hired by a principal to conduct specific tasks that are extremely costly but in the best interest of the principal. For example, the problem will occur when a company hires a rating agency to set a credit rating and the agency is objective to give a higher rating than that which is deserved in fear of losing future contracts. Question nine Equilibrium price refers to the market price where demand of a good equals the supply. For example, when a market is able to produce 100 pizzas which exactly equal the demand of the pizzas, the price at which the pizzas are offered is the equilibrium price. Question ten Tragedy of the commons can be defined as the dilemma that arises from the situation in which many individuals , working independently and only consulting own interest, will eventually diminish a shared scarce resource even when it is apparent that the action is not in the long-term benefit of all. For instance, if the activities of a mining company affect a natural spring that is the source of water for local people and animals, the occurrence is a tragedy of the commons. PART THREE Question one Economies and diseconomies of scale refer to two completely opposite models. Economies of scale occur at a point when the quantity produced by a firm offers the firm the low cost advantage and the firm earns the minimum cost advantage. Conversely, diseconomies of scale occur at a point when the firm produces less than the amount of the input costs and the

Business Strategies for the Firm Tetra Pak Essay

Business Strategies for the Firm Tetra Pak - Essay Example Tetra Pak joined Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) which is an initiative of WWF with intent to manage the usage of wood fiber (Environmental leader). Later in 2005, Tetra Pak began another venture with WWF when it joined Climate Savers project that encourages the companies to reduce their greenhouse emissions. These two programs indicate Tetra Pak’s concerns on environmental safety as one of its main objectives. Through the Climate Savers program, the organization aims at achieving increased energy efficiency at production sites and finding renewable materials and energy. Tetra Pak believed that integrating energy efficiency with the purchase of green energy would assist the company to keep absolute energy consumption stable while reducing dreadful greenhouse emissions (Climate innovation case study). In order to meet the extra premium price of green energy, Tetra Pak plans to utilize savings from high energy efficiency. The relationship between Climate Savers and thereby WWF has assisted Tetra Pak to set a clear and definite internal target. By the end of 2006, the firm could bring proposed organizational changes into practice. Tetra Pak jointly operates with World Class Manufacturing (WCM) which focuses on regular improvements in cost, quality, lead time, flexibility, and customer service (Foodproductiondaily.com). In order to carry out these operations efficiently, the WCM cooperatively work with the Tetra Pak’s pillars (teams) which contain several areas such as cost, quality, focused improvement, maintenance, and safety. This area focused activities have aided the organization to increase its operational efficacy. As the part of the restructuring in strategic alignment, the factories at the Tetra Pak altered the energy efficiency operations. It is identified that this conversion process fundamentally differs from traditional approaches as it gives specific emphasis on implementing solutions for environment-related manufacturing problems. In short, the â€Å"pillar approach† enabled the Tetra Pak to efficiently deal with different types of manufacturing related issues that would seriously impinge on the environmental safety.

OP-ED columnist Joe Nicera Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OP-ED columnist Joe Nicera - Research Paper Example Pamela Cantor’s research which was based on high poverty schools. Throughout his article, Nocera adopts an informative and discursive tone in order to enlighten his readers about the gravity of the consequences the effects of poverty have on the educational system as well as to motivate them to deal with this issue. According to an article, high poverty schools take up about 40% of schools in cities but their average scores are very low compared to other schools. (Christine Armario, 2010). The article opens with the mention of Dr. Pamela Cantor’s speech, titled â€Å"Innovative Designs for persistently Low-Performing Schools†. It then moves on to talk about how Dr. Cantor has studied the effects of poverty on education. Nocera informs his audience that â€Å"chaos reigned† in schools where there was a high poverty level. The teachers were not equipped to bring order to chaos and the â€Å"most disruptive children dominated the schools†. These school s are normally populated by levels of racial minorities. (Mike Green, 2011). Needless to say, these schools were functioning as schools should be. Nocera explains the findings of Dr. Cantor’s research in order to build a base for the discussion about how to tackle and eliminate these effects in the longer run. He goes on to describe how the â€Å"Turnaround for Children† came about as Dr. ... Poverty figures have become more serious since September 2011, when it was quoted by the NY Times that about one out of five people in New York could be categorized as poor. (Sam Roberts, 2011). Approximately half of America’s children live in high poverty districts according to a census done in 2011. (Lisa Lambert, 2011). A map that depicting changes in poverty in the United States shows that poverty in America is becoming a rising trend; where once in 2010 only 15.1% Americans were living below the line, today, two years later, that number is much higher. (Andy Hull, Nick McClellan and Troy Schneider, 2012). Turnaround plays an important part in this issue because it is working to â€Å"bridge an important divide† by facing the issues high-poverty schools face â€Å"head-on† instead of beating around the bush with them. Nocera then shifts to a brief discussion of how this project operates and how it creates a â€Å"positive, disciplined culture† by motiv ating the students about how they can excel in school and education in general. He goes on to clarify that even though this project is of extreme importance; it is still in its experimental stages and is â€Å"relatively small†. Results of Turnaround’s efforts in various schools have shown that the schools that they had worked on were on average â€Å"calmer, safer, indeed, happier places† however, they should work more on improving academic environment if they want to achieve better results from this venture. Nocera moves towards the closing of his article by mentioning again, Dr. Cantor’s speech mentioned first in the very beginning of his article. He explains how her speech talked

Assignment 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 5 - Essay Example The company was designed to create cruise ships especially for pleasure in the warm-water Caribbean. Royal Caribbean Cruise Case sailed not only in the Caribbean but also in many other parts of the world (AirGuide Business 216). The Work System Framework Following the work system framework, the company can be analyzed by its activities and processes, information, technologies, products and services, the environment, strategies and infrastructure. Below is a detailed analysis following the criterion. Processes and Activities There were several activities that could be identified within the Caribbean work system. The processes were aimed at enhancing the customer experience, reducing costs, and increasing revenue. As such, activities such as deployment of ships to the US ports – a new development in the industry, carrying out promotion including giving huge discounts to customers have been witnessed in the company. The aim is to entice customers to travel and in the long run rea lize higher revenue. Another key process in the company is a distribution which is mainly done using the Travel Agent Channel. The participants in the Caribbean who ensure that these processes and activities are promptly and conveniently accomplished include the employees in the organization (The Cruise Industry News Quarterly 24). The company like any other is composed of the management, technical staff, travel agents and many other participants that work strongly to ensure that the objectives of the company are vehemently met (Applegate, Austin and McFarlan 56). Information Information plays an increasingly significant role in the Royal Caribbean Cruise case work system. This has particularly followed the realization that information is perhaps the most powerful tool that any organization can use to remain relevant in the wake of competition witnessed in the dynamics of the society. The Caribbean realized this and took a significant step in using the resource in marketing their se rvices. This is a way to enhancing their competitive advantage and is in line with their objectives of increasing revenue. Technologies Technologies were not left behind. At a time when technologies sweep the globe at a rate never witnessed before, the Caribbean realized that it is perhaps the only way to stand the test of time. Consequently, the issue of connectivity was very fundamental. Satellite was used to facilitate communication to the onshore purchasing agents and to the vendors. Ship-to-shore synchronization was also ensured at least four times a day. JDE system was used for financial gains of the company. This system was particularly critical in the accounting inventory and in the management of cash. The nature of the ship management was very diverse and required a special information subsystem to fulfill these special needs. AMOS was developed by developed by the Xantic Software Company again in the realization of the need for information technologies for the Caribbean. T he information system was specifically designed for ship maintenance purposes. It was fully implemented. However, there was significant work needed to standardize the parts database. Other technologies also formed part of this reputable ship management processes. As a result, technological equipments were fundamentally utilized to ensure that the ship met the legal and safety requirements and standards. Galley equipment, engines, valves, electrical systems, and even consumable items such

What causes lead to the statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What causes lead to the statistics - Essay Example Chile records high growth in developments in the agricultural sector; the level and number of industries have since grown in Chile. The high economic growth creates opportunity for most citizens improving the income. Education is also a sector in which the Chilean government is keen on. Gender equality is scoring low despite having had a female president; the women get fewer opportunities in job markets and leadership positions. The women fail to take up competitive opportunities like in science and engineering ending up on low salaries. Life expectancy in Mexico sets at 77.5 percent below the OECD standards, and it’s below the level in most countries. The level is dependent on the rate of government commitment to quality health. The Mexican government commits 6.2 percent of the GDP on health services. The standard of obesity and other chronic diseases is at 32.4 percent affecting the Life expectancy levels (World Bank publication 2014 11). Rate of substance abuse is also a contributor. Mexico is one of the largest economies with the purchasing power higher. Mexico has over time invested in industrialization with high diversity, large numbers of manufacturing firms and increases in the level of exports. The high industrialization has improved the gross income rate per individuals because of increased employments. The balance in the educational sector in urban and rural areas shows much parity (Lara 121-132). The government allocations in the education sector have since improved the area. Gender equality has since improved, but there are still high levels of imbalance in leadership, pay gap disparities and levels of domestic violence. Life expectancy is far below the world standard set levels due to the low standards of health service provision in the country. The number of health service facilities available for the population is small. Most rural people have difficulty in accessing health

Jane Eyre as a bildungsroman novel Essay Example for Free

Jane Eyre as a bildungsroman novel Essay Bildungsroman is a novel genre that narrates a hero or heroines process of psychological maturation and focuses on experiences and changes that accompanies the growth of the character from youth to adulthood. The term Bildungsroman was introduced to the critical vocabulary by the German philosopher and sociologist Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1941), who first employed it in an 1870 biography of Friedrich Schleiermacher and then popularized it with the success of his 1906 study Poetry and Experience (Boes 231). To be a Bildungsroman, the hero or heroine in a novel will experience certain forms of pain or loss that pulls him or her away from either family or home and into the journey of desiring self-identity. At the end of the story the hero or heroine finally succeeds in the society. The plot of Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontà «, generally follows this form. The growth of the main character, Jane Eyre, is distinctively divided into phases by places that she stayed at, starting from her tragic childhood to her final destination as Mr. Rochesters mistress. The changes of emotions and maturation of identities as Jane Eyre goes through her life provide evidence of a Bildungsroman. Through the novel, Jane Eyre grows up, moving from a radical stage to a more pragmatic consciousness (Mickelsen 418). Psychological maturation is a typical trait of Bildungsroman genre. At the beginning, Jane uses the knowledge she learns from the books to defend herself when she is angry: you are like a murderer you are like a slave-driver you are like the Roman emperors!' (Brontà « 8). Her angry and chaotic emotions have built up since she lost her parents and was adopted unwillingly by Mrs. Reed. Jane cannot find her place in this family. Her anger and desperation becomes more intense each time Mrs. Reeds family treats her not as a family member but more like a servant. Janes burst of emotions against her cousin, John, resulted in her being locked ino the red-room and eventually sent to the Lowood School, where she spends the rest of her childhood and the beginning of her adolescence. When Jane is again treated unfairly and libelled by Mr. Brocklehurst, through the support of her patient friend Helen Burns, and kind-hearted Miss Temple, she is able to release her indignation. Jane Eyre experiences a huge emotional transition when she no longer feels like a wanderer but gains a sense of belonging through the care of Miss Temple and  the support of Helen. After Jane finishes her education at Lowood, she applies and becomes the governess of Adele where she will work at Thornfield. At Thornfield, Jane meets Mr. Rochester and experiences the most powerful emotion love. Love makes Jane brave and mature. Her relationship with Mr. Rochester makes her fell confused but respected. She feels psychologically equal with Mr. Rochester when he admits how much he loves her. However, Jane still feels insignificant that she has to depend on Mr. Rochester. The strong emotional conflict between love and shame makes Jane run away from Thornfield and go to Marsh End where she meets St. John. The final emotionally transitional state for Jane Eyre happened when St. John asked her to marry him and go to India to serve as a missionary. Jane strongly refused St. Johns proposal and decided to follow her heart and marry her lover, Mr. Rochester. The story concludes when, Jane Eyre, who is a successful Bildungsroman character, finishes her emotional maturation process. Another significant feature of Bildungsroman is that the character will go through a series of challenges and changes in order to finally achieve complete self-actualization. Jane Eyre undergoes a period which she was called a mad cat, or titled less than a servant in Mrs. Reeds house (Brontà « 9). Deep in her mind, Janestrongly refuses these names; therefore she often hides and reads books in order to educate herself [rep] in order and build up her inner-self. In constructing a sense of inner self, Jane is able to differentiate her identity from the rest of Mrs. Reeds family members. Jane has similar experience at Lowood School where she is incorrectly labelled an interloper and an alien and also harshly, a liar (Brontà « 56). However, Miss Temple and Helen trust Jane which allows Jane to rebuild her point of view and establish new identity. In Janes life, they were the first to acknowledge Janes unique identity. Under Miss Temples protection and guidance, Jane completes her educa tion at Lowood; however, Jane lives more like a shadow of Miss Temple. Jane then later became the governess of Adele in order to break away the image of Miss Temple and create her own. There in Thornfield, she continues to educate herself by painting and reading to build up the real Jane Eyre identity. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane to marry him and gives e her the title of Mrs.  Rochester, [p_voice] it stunned Jane that she will no longer be Jane Eyre but under the name of Rochester. Losing her self-identity frightened Jane and the shadow of class differences and unfairness from her childhood experience affected her and made her leave Mr. Rochester. Later in the story, Jane finds her relatives in Marsh End and sheinherits a considerable amount of money, which makes herreconnect to family. Moreover, her newfound wealth makes her economically independent; these conditions eliminate Janes self-contempt and complete her desired image as an independent woman in society. At the end of the story, she choses to give up her independence and reunite with Mr. Rochester. Indeed, Bildungsromane typically conclude with the protagonist making some choice, thereby confirming that the protagonist has achieved a coherent self The story of Jane Eyre starts from her helpless childhood until the last step of [her] maturity when [she] finally finds self-knowledge (she in the original source is he for it was referring to hero) (Kern 6). After all Jane has experienced, from an adopted orphan to a gentlemens mistress, she finally comes to a successful and independent state which she can make her own decision and will not be restricted by anything. The various challenges during Janes growing process that educate and change her emotions and identities align with the basic definition of a Bildungsroman genre. Although the story of Jane Eyre falls into a fairy tale ending, the novel Jane Eyre functions as a Bildungsroman.

Ap American History Essay Example for Free

Ap American History Essay 1. â€Å"The opponents of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War attacked slavery as the root cause of expansion, but in fact it was no more important than other causes.† Assess the validity of this statement, using the documents and your knowledge of U.S. history from 1820-1860 to support your answer. During the early-mid part of the 19th century (mainly 1820-1860) Americans objected many things they didn’t like. Taxes, the government, even presidents were some of the rejections of the people. But the one thing the people did not like during this time period was the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War. â€Å"The opponents of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War attacked slavery as the root cause for expansion.† However, slavery was not the only reason America sought for expansion. Other than slavery, people wanted to expand America because they believed in Manifest Destiny (an idea during the 19th century in which people believed that America should expand over the entirety of North America) or because they feared that Texas was an independent state, even the Gold Rush in California (1848-1855) contributed to the expansion of America. Even though â€Å"the opponents of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican War attacked slavery as the root cause of expansion† the idea of Manifest Destiny, fear, and the Gold Rush were other important causes for expansion. As you may know, slavery was the key reason as to why people wanted to expand America, especially southerners. Abolitionists (people who were against slavery) did not like the idea that the expansion of America was based on slavery, but it was. In Document B it states, â€Å"Texas†¦will strengthen ‘the peculiar institution’ of the South, and open a new and vast field for slavery.† Many southerners wanted Texas to be annexed to America because it would allow the south to have more slave states (states that allowed slavery). However, people feared that if Texas was annexed, slavery would expand everywhere in America, and they did not want that. Document C also talks about slavery. It states that, â€Å"The slave population of America†¦must be increased.† Texas is annexed; it will benefit the South in moving some slaves out of the â€Å"superabundant slave population† and will ultimately improve the living conditions of slaves because they wou ldn’t be as crowded. You see, slavery was an important cause for expansion, but the idea of manifest destiny was just as important. The idea of manifest destiny came about the early part of the 19th century. People who believed in manifest destiny believed that America should be able to expand to the entirety of North America. In Document A, Thomas Hart Benson says, â€Å"†¦the American population has begun to extend itself to the Oregon [Territory]†¦I say to them all, Go on!† People like Mr. Benson want America to expand because they want the world to show the world how prosperous America is. In Document D, John L. O’Sullivan said, â€Å"A population will soon be in actual occupation of California.† In this document, Sullivan was talking about the California Gold Rush (1848- 1855). Since many people on the eastern side of America have been hearing about the sightings of gold in California, many people decided to venture out to California to collect some of it. Thousands of people rushed to California that it was given the term â€Å"gold rush†. The gold rush allowed America to expand itself into California, which was supported by the manifest destiny believers. Document E also talks about the ideas of manifest destiny. It states, â€Å"We ought to have the Bay of San Francisco! Why? Because†¦I think†¦our people [should move there]!† The author of Document E obviously believed in the idea of manifest destiny because he wants to see people in San Francisco, which is in California. The manifest destiny idea helped encourage people to have more pride in their nation, which allowed them to expand from the East coast of America to the West. However, not every idea of expansionism was happy. Others people wanted to expand America because of fear. In Document F it states, â€Å"None can fail to see the danger to our safety and future peace if Texas remains an independent state, or becomes an ally or dependency of some foreign nation more powerful than herself.† After Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1835, Texas could not cede the American Union because it needed to enter America with a free state (a state with no slavery) because of the Missouri Compromise (the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 in which stated that there would be no slavery in the Louisiana Territory above the 36th parallel). Since there were no other states to enter with Texas, Texas had to remain as an independent state for about ten years (1835- 1845). During that time, people urged for a state to enter as a free state with Texas because, since Texas was not a part of America, it could do whatever it wanted. Things like joining a d ifferent nation or starting a war with America were options that were available for Texas. That is why many people wanted Texas to join as quickly as possible. Thankfully, Texas joined with Iowa in 1845. You see, slavery was not the only cause for expansion in America. The idea of Manifest Destiny and fear allowed the expansion of America, even the Gold Rush encouraged people to settle in California, allowing America to expand from the east coast to the west.