Change Management in Nursing Essay

Leadership is defined as influencing people to achieve a purpose or set of goals, but differentiating it from management causes confusion in many instances (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004; Senior and Fleming, 2006; Robbins, Judge and Sanghi, 2009). Leaders can be managers but not all managers can be effective leaders, making leadership an important aspect of effective management (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). Several attempts have been made over the years to explain the characteristics of an effective leader. Trait, behavioural/style, situational-contingency and transformational theories are some of the theories that have been proposed to explain these characteristics (Yoder-Wise, 2003; Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004; Senior and Fleming, 2006). Goleman (2000) also used competencies of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills) to explain these characteristics. Nevertheless, none of these theories seem to adequately explain the characteristics that make an individual an effective leader. Yoder-Wise (2003) recognises followership as attitudes exhibited by individuals that the leader comes into contact with and explains that followers collaborate and act with the leader. Mahoney (2001) states that all nurses must acquire leadership skills since nursing leadership ranges from the staff nurse caring for a patient to a nurse in charge of a hospital. Nurses in clinical leadership positions collaborate with other leaders in the healthcare system to promote positive change (Touati et al., 2006). However, Antrobus and Kitson (1999) criticise nursing leadership for its lack of external focus (socio-political impact on health policies). They recommend that, in addition to the knowledge on issues related to nursing practice, potential leaders of nursing should familiarise themselves with social and health policies, management and research. Sutherland and Dodd (2008) identify that a lot of changes are occurring within the healthcare system, driving the need for leadership development. As a clinical leader in the making, a sound understanding of strategies for change management would prepare me as an effective leader. This is a reflective essay on how I set up a personal development plan to gain much insight on strategies for change management. The reflection is guided by Gibbs’s reflective cycle (1988 cited by Jasper, 2003). Although Cotton (2001) sees reflective practice in nursing as a problem, Durgahee (1996) identifies that nurses are able to perfect their actions when they examine their experiences through reflection and, consequently, become conscious of how different elements of care inform total professional nursing practice. The essay begins with a brief introduction of my background, and a description of issues that led me to focus on change management strategies in my personal development plan. It, then, follows with a reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that I have and how these would influence my career in the future. The plan is presented, beginning with my learning objective and actions that I hope to take to meet my learning objective. The literature is then reviewed, followed by an appraisal of my organisation and how I plan to implement change. The last section describes my progress. Professional Background I graduated with a BSc. Nursing degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana in 2008. I practised at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), also in Ghana, as a general nurse for one year before enrolling at the University of Nottingham for MSc. Advanced Nursing. My responsibilities, as stated by the Ghana Health Service (2005), are to: Assess care needs of patients, develop and implement plans of nursing care accordingly Formulate, initiate and revise patient care as condition warrants Participate in ward rounds Allocate tasks based on skill of staff Supervise staff and students in the ward Evaluate nursing care and ensure continuity of care In the third year of my undergraduate course, I was one of three students selected for a twelve-week exchange programme in the United States of America. The goal was for us to experience healthcare system and nursing practice in the USA and effect positive changes in nursing and healthcare at KATH. Generally, students who participate in such programs develop themselves, learn differences between cultures, and are able to compare healthcare systems and nursing in the respective countries (Scholes and Moore, 2000; Button, Green, Tengnah et al, 2005). Judging from the exposure I had in the USA, I felt I could make a major impact on my colleagues upon my return. Exchange students, whether short-term (1 – 4 weeks) or long-term (more than 4 weeks), expect to have a positive influence upon their return to their home countries (Button et al, 2005; Carty et al, 2002). I developed myself, to an extent, as a result of participating in the exchange programme. This was confirmed by some of my colleagues. I, also, learnt some of the similarities and differences in culture, nursing practice and healthcare between the USA and Ghana. Notwithstanding, the overall purpose of having positive impact on my colleagues was not realised. I believe that lack of a strategy to effect the proposed changes as well as failure to collaborate with the other exchange students were the major reasons for the failure. I expect to develop a teaching package to delay the progression of chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetes as my Advanced Nursing Practice module project and implement it at KATH. I, also, hope to gain new ideas on patient care while I am in the United Kingdom. Upon my return to Ghana, I aspire to assume a nurse-educator role. This job would give me some influence over the training of nurses at KNUST and KATH. All these have led me to focus on change management in my personal development plan so as to make positive changes in nursing at KATH. I should be able to reflect on my strengths, weaknesses, any opportunities and threats that may influence my aspiration to effect some changes at KATH and Pearce (2007) suggests that using SWOT framework is a good way to do this. Therefore, using the SWOT analysis framework, I identified the following: Strengths I am committed to what I do I am good at motivating others I have good interpersonal skills I have good presentation skills Weaknesses I attempt to please everybody I am too lenient Opportunities I am studying with colleagues from different parts of the world I have other experience from abroad I am likely to become a nurse-educator at KNUST Threat Majority of the staff may see me as young and inexperienced to lead them Pearce (2007) suggests that once threats have been identified, there should be a way to handle them. By confidently demonstrating the experience gained, developing good interpersonal relationships and clearly presenting shared visions, majority of the staff are likely to collaborate with me (Martin, 2006). THE PLAN Learning Objective Needs assessment assists individuals to set clear learning objectives for their personal development plan (Holloway, 2000). Reflection on the exchange program reveals that I lack ideas on strategies and skills required to lead change within an organisation. Therefore, it is my primary objective to use this personal development plan to learn and develop strategies to lead change in the institution that I work in. Actions to Meet the Objective The Management Standards Centre (2004a) suggests that leaders must possess three kinds of knowledge and understanding to be able to lead change successfully. These are general knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on models and methods for leading organisational change, their strengths as well as their weaknesses), sector-specific knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on emerging developments in the health sector) and context-specific knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on areas within the organisation that need change, with reasons and priorities). To lead change successfully, leaders must, also, be able to describe the change process within the organisation and how it affects the people within (Mott, 1996). Considering these, actions that I consider as appropriate for me to meet my objective are as follows; Review literature on change management within organisations; Perform an appraisal of the organisation that I work in; and Plan the implementation of the change. Main resources that are needed to undertake these actions are time and literature on leadership and change management within organisations. I should be able to achieve my objective within seven months and the outcome measure for me would be my ability to identify change management strategies that would best fit my organisational context. LITERATURE REVIEW Change Management within Organisations Change in organisations is inevitable (reactive) and desirable but, usually, complex and difficult to bring about (Sturdy and Grey, 2003; Bellman, 2003; Boshoff, 2005; Dzik-Jurasz, 2006). Yet, there are many a time when change is proactive (planned) – organisations make changes due to opportunities that they have to improve the workplace or their output (Dzik-Jurasz, 2006), and is also described as innovation. Change is very vital for healthcare institutions that seek to deliver quality and patient-centred care to its clientele, and nursing leadership is regarded as a linchpin for such changes to be successful (Dzik-Jurasz, 2006; Sutherland and Dodd, 2008). As a nurse aspiring to be a clinical leader, understanding the processes of change is, therefore, indispensable. Pettigrew, McKee and Ferlie (1988) state that leaders of change should focus on the content, the process, the context of the change as well as the successful regulation of the relationship between the three. They explain content as the specific areas where the change is expected to occur, and processes as the activities, expected reactions and interactions between the groups that seek to bring about the change. Context, as they explain, refer to internal and external factors that have influence over activities within the organisation. Lewin (1951 cited by Senior and Fleming, 2006) identifies three stages; unfreezing, moving and refreezing. At the stage of unfreezing, problems, needs or opportunities for change are identified, and the stage where new strategies or ideas are implemented causes individuals within the organisation to experience the change (moving). Finally, the stage of refreezing is reached when the change has been well integrated into the organisation (Yoder-Wise, 2003; Boshoff, 2005). Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead (2004), also, identify that change process is in four phases; description of the change, planning the implementation of the change, implementing the change, and integrating the change. Change starts when awareness of the need for it is created and ends when a complete evaluation of its expected effects has been done after the implementation (ibid). Lewin (1951 cited by Baulcomb, 2003) states that change is associated with certain forces that either facilitate or resist it; success would result when the forces facilitating the change exceed those that are resisting it within the context. Personnel within the organisation may be one of such forces. People resist change on the grounds of their psychosocial needs, the appropriateness of the change and, also, how the change affects their position and power (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). Therefore, they should be taken into consideration and be actively involved in the change process (Boshoff, 2005). Bennis et al. (1985 cited by Bellman, 2003) identify three strategies of change and these are rational-empirical, power-coercive and normative-re-educative strategies. Rational-empirical and power-coercive strategies both use top-down approaches while normative-re-educative approach employs a bottom-up approach. Top-down approach involves senior management generating the idea, planning and directly implementing the change while the bottom-up approach directly indulges the employees in the change process (Ryan, 2008). However, Ryan (2008) adds that top-down strategy alone is not effective for managing change at all times although it is very common under transformational leadership. Other strategies are education and communication; participation and involvement; facilitation and support; negotiation and agreement; and manipulation, cooptation, and coercion; and, dependent on the situation, these strategies may be used alone or in combination (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979 cited by Yoder-Wise, 2003). It appears that the kind of strategy used would influence how the content of the change would be communicated to the parties involved. Action research is another change strategy and the process is said to begin when change is considered necessary (Bellman, 2003). Relevant data is collected systematically and reported to individuals who must act on it, after which plans are collaboratively formulated and the necessary actions undertaken – research and action combined (Senior and Fleming, 2006). The process is in five stages (diagnosis, analysis, feedback, action and evaluation) and is described as problem-focussed, and able to reduce staff resistance because of their active involvement in the process (Robbins, Judge and Sanghi, 2009). Organisational Appraisal Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is the second largest teaching hospital in Ghana, training many doctors, nurses and other paramedics in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is an autonomous service delivery agent under the Ministry of Health of Ghana (MOH, 2009a). In addition to training many of the health personnel in the Ashanti Region, many people within and outside the Ashanti Region seek healthcare there. As a result, provision of quality healthcare has always been the focus. An organisation that recognises the need for change, weighs costs and benefits, and plans for the change when the benefits outweigh the costs is ready for a change (Dalton and Gottlieb, 2003). KATH is, therefore, ready for change because some of its employees are sent overseas or to other parts of the country, whenever there is the need for a new skill or knowledge to be gained, to bring about a positive change within the hospital. This may be a factor that would facilitate my agenda to implement lead change within the institution upon my return. However, Ghana, as a country is underdeveloped (CIA, 2008). Therefore, financial support, many a time, becomes a difficulty. Another challenge may be the fewer nursing staff. The Ministry of Health (2009b) estimates that there was a nurse-to-population ratio of 1:2024 in Ashanti Region and 1:1451 for the entire country in year 2007. Planning the Implementation of the Change This is the second stage of the change process, as was identified by Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead (2004), and it involves identifying possible resistant forces to the proposed change and identifying strategies to prevent or overcome them. The change strategies to adopt as well as how to communicate the need for change are considered at this stage (Management Standards Centre, 2004b). Bellman (2003) suggests that the normative-re-educative (bottom-up) strategy is suitable for changing practice within nursing. As it appears in my case, the need for change would be driven from bottom (an employee) to top (management) and is likely to be supported by the nurses since it is coming from their colleague. Nevertheless, others may resist the change because they might not see the need for it (Baulcomb, 2003). But Martin (2006) suggests that a clear presentation of the vision and need for change may cause a majority of the staff to support it. Flower and Guillaume (2002) suggest that unfreezing stakeholders of healthcare is a necessity to unfreezing the institution. Stakeholders at KATH for my project include the Director of Nursing Services (DNS), the Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) for the medical directorate, and the head of the diabetic clinic. When these key people are made to recognise the need for a change, then hospital management is likely to support the proposed change. In times like these when evidence-based practice is being advocated for (McEwen, 2007), I should be able to use evidence to justify the need for a change. I, therefore, plan to undertake a study that would compare the teaching package that I hope to introduce with the current approach used at KATH. If the new teaching package proves to be relatively successful, then majority of the staff are likely to appreciate the need for it. Progress Reflecting on the exchange program, I realise that the idea of bringing about change in practice was not clearly communicated. None of the processes of change, as has been identified now, were known at that time neither was there a strategy or a plan for the change. Some changes are unsuccessful because they are not clearly defined (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004) and that is exactly what happened. Although I am still working on developing the teaching package that may be different from what is already present at KATH, I now realise that its purpose and effectiveness should be well communicated to other colleagues and management before the idea would be supported. I have discussed my ideas with the Director of Nursing Service of KATH and the Deputy Director of Nursing Services for the medical directorate and both of them seem excited about my idea. However, I have come to understand that all kinds of change are likely to face some form of resistance from the people (Baulcomb, 2003; Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). I therefore, hope to apply the normative-re-educative (bottom-up) strategy because it has been identified as suitable for changing practice within nursing (Bellman2003). I also believe that such a strategy would let my colleagues feel actively involved in the change process and, hence, support it. Moreover, I hope to gain new insights from my visits to some hospitals and my interactions with some specialist nurses while developing the project. I, therefore, hope to modify my plans and strategies, when the need arises, in order to become an effective change agent within my organisation. Conclusion Personal development plans assist individuals to focus on specific needs and steps to take to achieve their objectives (Floodgate and Nixon, 1994). This essay has assisted me to reflect on my practice and roles as a leader. Whenever there is reflection, there must be a change in perspective (Atkins and Murphy, 1993). Development of change management strategies was identified as my learning objective. Actions to meet this objective were identified and pursued. Gibbs’s reflective cycle (1988) was used as a guide. Consequently, I have become familiar with different strategies that could be employed to effect and lead change successfully, and plans to implement these in my institution have been proposed, although they are subject to change when new insights are gained.

International Staffing Policies Essay

Ethnocentric is a staffing policy that is used in companies that has primarily international strategic orientation. This policy is generally adopted by headquarters by sending employees from the home or parent countries to the host country. This approach is used best in some situations such as, a team is sent from the home country to help setting up a new plant as well as train subsidiary personnel to use new system. The benefit of having staffs from home country abroad is that employees may gain experiences worldwide in order to become higher level in management of their headquarters because international managers require broad perspective and international exposure. For the example of Ethnocentric policies have McDonald’s. McDonald’s follows the ethnocentric orientation model. This requires an American management culture in all world’s areas inside and outside the company (HRM, production method, training, motivation†¦) McDonald’s has created it own world center for training: The â€Å"Hamburger University†. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois (USA). It offers training programs exclusively for McDonald’s employees. These staff, coming from over 119 countries, represents the â€Å"McFamily†. The training program of the â€Å"Hamburger University† aims to develop the McDonald’s staff at all levels of the organization. it also aims to train people for a long career at McDonald’s, as the policy is based on long-term career’s concept and strong possibilities of change and development within the group. It promises simple teammate to move up the ranks quickly. This is a crucial point for McDonald’s HRM’s communication. I n Europe and in spite of cultural diversity, this model demonstrates its large success. Polycentric is the policy involved hiring and promoting employees who are citizens of the host countries that the subsidiary is operated. This policy is best used when companies want to keep hiring cost low. Moreover, employees who are hired at subsidiary level would not have any problem adapting to the culture. Communication is smooth within the operation. For the example of Polycentric policy: Starbucks Through a flat and flexible structure, Starbucks empowers employees to make decisions without management referral and are encouraged to consider themselves as a part of the business. This point is issued by company’s corporate culture and such work environment has positive ripples on employees’ motivation. This principle increases the involvement and the commitment of each employees from subsidiaries and makes them feel necessary for the company. This high level of autonomy allows workers to be more innovative and to take more initiatives. Thanks to its structure and to the empowerment of its employees, the company has managed to facilitate the exchange and the transversal communication, which allows it to react rapidly to the customers’ needs or to cope with more effectively with problems. Starbucks CEO and the board of directors wanted the mission statement to convey a strong sense of organizational purpose and to articulate the company’s fundamental beliefs and guiding principles. They also pay attention to employees’ and customers’ concerns to make the mission statement evolve. Indeed, these mission statements are based on several principles that consider the interests of customers, communities, employees, shareholders, and ecological considerations in all aspects of their operations. Geocentric staffing approach is used when companies adopt a transnational orientation. It is best used when companies need the best personnel to work at subsidiary. Employees are selected regardless where they come from. This staffing strategy is reliable for all subsidiaries because best employees are selected and sent from the company’s worldwide network. For the example of Geocentric staffing have: Volkswagen The challenge of this joint venture was in harmonizing the Czech culture with the Volkswagen’s (VW) culture. The formation of the new corporate culture has gone through three stages: To install this VW culture in the Czech plant, policy measures varied. For example, information was disseminated concerning the activities in all sections of the company, including in the head office, training was implemented at VW and VW were assigned to the VW factory in the Czech Republic to spread the to VW company philosophy. The main problem centered on the difference between the socialist mind set and the VW culture. To resolve the problem, key positions were entrusted to employees from VW, trained in the dual system. The creation of a uniform corporate culture in a multicultural environment is a very important strategic task. The solution was to link the different work attitudes with different business structures for a new unit to be reborn. Then, all participants would be satisfied. Staffing Approach Strategic Appropriateness Advantages Disadvantages Ethnocentric International Overcomes lack of qualified managers in host nation Unified Culture Helps transfer core competencies Produces resentment in host country Can lead to cultural myopia Polycentric Multidomestic Aleviates cultural myopia Inexpensive to implement Limits career mobility Isolates headquarters from foreign subsidiaries Geocentric Global and translational Uses human resources efficiently Helps build strong cultre and informal management network Expensive

Direct Mail and Email Advertising Research Paper - 1

Direct Mail and Email Advertising - Research Paper Example The report examines direct marketing as a method of sending advertising messages to potential and existing customers through direct mail. It highlights the major advantages and disadvantages of this method as a traditional method of advertisement. This method is costly and customers may not read the intended ad message. Email advertising involves the conveyance of advertisement messages through email. With the rise of internet technology, emails are becoming easy and fast methods of sending emails. It is less costly and generates more customer response than direct mail advertising. Email marketing is considered as the most suitable method of advertisement because it is less costly, easy, fast and effective. It generates more customer responses than direct mail and earns more returns on investment. However, the retailer should avoid sending email messages too often and send only relevant information targeted at specific individual customers who demonstrate an interest in the companyâ €™s products. Working as a marketing consultant in Big Consultant Company, my aim is to advise a retail marketer in the High Street who has approached our company for consultancy services. The client wants to choose the best method to advertise his retail products to target customers. He is faced with a rhetoric situation in which he has to choose between direct mail and email advertising to advertise his products. The retailer sells electronic devices including computers, mobile phones and tablets to customers on order. He already has a large number of customers within his neighborhood, but he wants to expand to other neighborhoods. He has already generated a large database of potential customers including university and college students. He is now wondering which method he should use to communicate with them. Direct mail and email advertising are his most preferable methods.

Review of the Film Immortal Beloved Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Of the Film Immortal Beloved - Movie Review Example The film â€Å"Immortal Beloved† was released in 1994 and dealt with the life and loves of the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. It is both a beautiful tribute to the genius of a man who gave to the world such great masterpieces as the Ninth Symphony (made while completely deaf) and an attempt to throw new light into a mystery that has perplexed and fascinated many Beethoven scholars and researchers. In particular, it concerns the mystery behind the true identity of the â€Å"Unsterbliche Gelliebte† or the Immortal Beloved. Three letters that were found in the private files of the renowned singer were addressed to this Immortal Beloved. The movie begins upon the death of Beethoven and his assistant is faced with the task of carrying out the instructions in the Last Will and Testament. He chances upon one of the letters addressed to an â€Å"Immortal Beloved† and wonders who this might be. The movie then shows a series of flashbacks from the famous musicianâ⠂¬â„¢s past and comes to the conclusion, after showing Schindler interviewing several people, that Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved is none other than Johanna Reiss, the daughter of a prosperous Viennese upholsterer named Anton van Reiss. In the film, she had become pregnant out of wedlock with Beethoven’s child, but because of a series of unfortunate events, she did not marry him, but rather she married his brother Kaspar. The movie, however, cannot be considered a faithful depiction of the life of Beethoven. It is a work of fiction and should be taken as such. There are several things about it that were true, such as the fact that Schindler was indeed a secretary and a close confidante, that he had gotten into a legal battle with his sister-in-law Johanna (the one who the film suggests is the Immortal Beloved) and there is indeed the love letter which was found in the possession of Beethoven after his death. Most importantly, it showed the intensity of the man and his mu sic, and the raging emotions that this music depicted. â€Å"It is the power of music to carry one into the mental state of the composer,† is a powerful line in the movie, delivered by Beethoven, as magnificently played by Gary Oldman. Maynard Solomon, a Beethoven biographer and scholar, had called the love letter the only â€Å"unalloyed love letter of [Beethoven's] bachelor existence—an uncontrolled outburst of passionate feeling, exalted in tone, confused in thought, and ridden with conflicting emotions" (Beethoven, p. 159). However, and this is an important historical inaccuracy, it cannot be true that the recipient of that letter wherein he referred to the unidentified woman as   "mein Engel, mein alles, mein Ich . . . meine unsterbliche Geliebte" (which translates as "my angel, my all, my I . . . my immortal beloved") According to Maynard Solomon, the woman being referred to in the letter is not Johanna Reiss Beethoven, but rather, it is a married woman by the name of Antonie Brentano. Her husband and sister-in-law are friends of Beethoven, with the latter even introducing the composer to the famous German poet Goethe. Through fine investigation skills and deft use of dates, Solomon had managed to place Brentano in Prague from July 1 to July 4, 1812, when Beethoven says he saw her. Brentano also went ahead to Karlsbad, a small spa town, where she and Beethoven had planned to meet later that summer. Beethoven had also dedicated the op. 109 piano sonata, the magisterial  Diabelli Variations, and the English edition of the op. 111 piano sonata to Brentano and her daughter Maximiliane. Maynard Solomon suggests that Brentano, who was a great fan of the music of Ludwig Beethoven, had also fallen in love with him and their relationship, even though short-lived because Beethoven could not see any long-term prospects in carrying on a relationship with a married woman, was a serious one. Fanny Giannatasio, who Beethoven had met at a later time, had bewailed the fact that he was still in love with another woman and Solomon concludes that it was

X-Ray Powder Diffraction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

X-Ray Powder Diffraction - Essay Example (Marta J.K Flour, 1997) Theory A non amorphous material consists of a three dimensional structure having atoms in a series of planes separated by a distance. When X-Rays are directed on to this structure, part of it is transmitted the specimen, some part is absorbed, a part is refracted and the rest diffracted. Diffraction of the beam brings out a fingerprint of the crystal lattice which depends on the arrangement of atoms in different planes and the type of mineral in the lattice. (Ron Jenkins, 2000) Applications 1. Apart from identifying the different minerals present it also gives an accurate data regarding the proportion of each of these minerals in the mixture. 2. It is also used in determining the degree of crystalline phase in a mineral and the divergence from its ideal state. 3. Study of secondary minerals helps in ascertaining the degree of solubility of the mineral and the kind of storage facility this would require. 4. Analysis of the under clays lying under coal beds have helped in identifying the nature of environment and climate that existed in these Middle Pennsylvanian regions. Introduction-2 The discovery of x rays by W.C Roentgen in 1895 led to its use in identifying the structure of crystalline materials. In principle a monochromatic beam of x-ray electrons will be dispersed by the atomic electrons and different diffraction patterns are obtained for each plane of crystal lattice. The diffraction pattern that is obtained by using the x ray powder diffraction method is used to identify the various phases in different materials.( James R Connelly, 2007) Theory X rays generated under vacuum conditions are made to impinge on a sample that has been ground into powder of size less than 10 microns. The arrangement of atoms in the crystal lattice causes these electrons to be diffracted by varying degrees. This can therefore be used to ascertain the distances between different planes of atoms by applying Bragg’s law. This ‘fingerprint†™ allows in better identification of a material. ( Mike Meier, 2004) Applications 1. Identification of materials chemical compounds and rocks in single phase and multiphase respectively. 2. Ascertaining amorphous materials that are partly in crystalline state. 3. The amount of different phases calculated using peak-ratio calculations 4. These are used in remote sensing study of hydrothermally distorted rocks that are found on several Cascade volcanoes and its study helps in gathering information regarding landslides and mudflows. Introduction-3 X ray powder diffraction method is a non-destructive procedure used in the identification of phases and determination of crystal structure along with its imperfections. All kinds of microcrystalline structures of metals, ceramics, organics and catalysts can found out using this technique which was initially devised by Debye and Scherrer in 1916. Theory Current applied releases electrons from a filament. These electrons are then accelerated at voltages of 60kV onto a copper piece producing x rays on impingement. These x rays are then directed onto a sample that has been ground to fine powder of size less than 10 microns. The diffraction pattern that is obtained can be used to measure the actual distances between crystalline planes using the equations of Bragg’s Law. ( Stock.S.R & Cullity B.D, 2001) Applications 1. Ascertain crystal structure of an unknown material and phase identification of high and low temperature phases. 2. Degree of crystalline phase that is present in a material. A crystalline phase presents narrower diffraction peaks compared to amorphous phases. 3. The amount of residual stress that exists in a material after the external load has been removed. 4.

Factors in Choosing a Quality Lighting Luminary for a Building Assignment

Factors in Choosing a Quality Lighting Luminary for a Building - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that a fluorescent lamp refers to a low-pressure mercury lamp powered by an electric current. In a construction of a fluorescent lamp, a glass tube is filled with a mixture of argon and mercury vapor at low pressure. The inner side of the tube is coated with the phosphoric coating. The basic structure is as in the diagram presented in the paper. When the light is switched on, current flows through the electrodes in the tube and as a result, it passes through the gas which is contained between the electrodes. The current flow results in the emission of Ultraviolet light from the mercury arc which is converted to visible light by the fluorescent coating found on the inner side of the tube. The circuit contains a starter switch (which is a bimetallic strip), an inductor, a small radio suppressor capacitor and a power correction capacitor that is connected to an AC or DC power supply. The power supply provides the necessary current required to op erate the lamp. This type of lamp contains an outer glass envelop that is filled with nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas acts as a coolant in that it keeps the arc tube at correct temperatures. It also contains a quartz discharge tube which is filled with argon gas and some small amount of mercury which is in liquid form. Either end of the discharge tube contains two electrodes and a secondary electrode which begins the discharge. The secondary electrode is connected in series with a 10 – 30 â„ ¦ resistor. At first, there is no current flow when the lamp is powered on. Then the power supply voltage appears across the main electrode and between one of the mains electrodes and the secondary electrode through the series resistor. Consequently, there is a production of an arc between the secondary and the main electrode resulting in occurrence of ionization. The pressure and the heat build-up results in the formation of more high pressure and vaporized arc between the electrodes.

Difference between the British Parliament and the Indian parliament Term Paper

Difference between the British Parliament and the Indian parliament - Term Paper Example The Prime Minister selects other ministers, which forms the government and acts as supporting leaders of the different Government sections. Nearly twenty of the most superior government ministers constitute the cabinet and about 100 ministers comprise the government. According to the lawful convention, all the ministers are the components of the parliament or peers in the House of Lords. The prime minister is the leading in the cabinet and is accountable for leading the cabinet conventions, selecting Cabinet ministers, and planning government policy (Manning 27). A permanent politically unbiased party called the civic service carries out the implementation of minister’s resolutions. Its legitimate function is to support the government despite the political party in control. Contrasting other democracies, a leading civil servant continues to be in post upon a transformation of government. Ahead civil servant recognized as a Permanent Secretary leads the governmental administration of the department. Most of the civic staff work in executive groups, which are divided into operational organizations reporting to branches of state (Manning 27). The system in India covers loosely the official leader of the executive who is the president, the real executive, which is the council of ministers, and the permanent organization that is the public services. India is a democratic and a union state with a leader who is the voted president. Thus, it has the distinctive feature of being a once parliamentary polity and a state with a president.     

Financial Ratio and the Gross Profit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Ratio and the Gross Profit - Assignment Example The ROCE is has decreased over the four years from 15.78% in 2010 to 11.63% in 2013; indicating that the company received fewer earnings for every unit of capital invested in the company in the recent years compared to the past years. However, it is above average in the industry in terms of utilization of assets to earn profits because its ROCE is more than the industry average of 8%. Generally, the company is doing well in terms of profitability. Inventory days decreased from 2011 to 2013, indicating that the number of days that inventory remains in the store has decreased; hence the company is managing its inventory successfully. Compared to the industry, the company is below average in the number of inventory days because the average industry average is 60 days. This shows that the company manages its inventory more effectively than most companies in the industry. Receivable days are also lower than the industry average indicating that the company collects its debts faster than most companies in the industry. Payable days are also lower than the industry average, showing that the company pays its credit faster than most companies in the industry. Debt/equity ratio decreased from 0.96 to 0.82 in 2013 indicating that the equity could pay total liabilities more times in 2012 than 2013 using its equity. This is a lower number of times compared to industry average, meaning that the company’s equity can pay off its liabilities faster than most companies in the industry (Sutton, 2004). The interest cover of decreased over the four years from 11.16 times in 2010 to 5.70 times in 2013; indicating that the company uses fewer debts to fund its total assets in the recent years. it is also below the industry average of 12 times; hence it uses less debt to fund its assets than most companies in  the industry.

Leadership and Organisational Performance Essay - 1

Leadership and Organisational Performance - Essay Example The modern world is witnessing change as almost a continuous phenomenon – Globalization, Optimization, Transformation, Competitiveness, etc. The dynamics of the global markets & corresponding businesses have caused increased pressures on the modern leaders to sustain & improve organizational performance. Proactiveness, Analytics, Research, Honesty, Out of Box thinking, Continuous Learning, Knowledge Sharing & Management, Directions, Team Motivation, Skill Management & Enhancement, Evolution & Focus on strategic Organizational Goals, Customer Orientation, Sound Governance, Technology Understanding & Leveraging, Automation, etc. are key attributes of a Modern Leader in order to establish the path to success & take the entire organization along with him/her on this path towards well thought of & established goals. All successful leaders are the ones who have been successful to sustain & enhance the performance of the organizations they lead and ensure success & good image among P ublic, Customers, Stake Holders, Government & Employees. To grow, flourish & be successful in the modern Global Competitive markets, the Leadership Team of an organization should structure & manage the internal system to ensure Flexibility, Creativity and Excellence by addressing the following building blocks of success: Result Orientation: The internal system is completely fine-tuned towards achievement of results that delight the customers, stakeholders, the board, the Government and the Employees. Customer: The Internal System is strongly oriented towards customer focus to achieve optimum levels of Customer Satisfaction. Management by data & facts: The technology enablement of the internal system such that adequate data is captured from all the systems and modelled in Business Intelligence Systems such that the exact performance of processes within the organization and their reasons are clearly evident. People involvement: People are involved in strategic decision making such that decisions are taken based on ideas from wider groups within the organization and not just by virtue of the thought process of few individuals sitting on the top. People Development: The skills & capabilities of people are developed in such a way that their consolidated outputs form a large competency model of the organization that supports the Competitive Advantages of the organization in the target markets & businesses. Partnership Development: Developing efficient & competent partners to the business either from within the organization or from the external market Continuous Learning: Developing internal Knowledge Management Framework to capture all explicit knowledge and also to ensure transition of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge Innovations, Technology Enablement & Automation: The success of an organization depends a lot on the underlying IT systems & the corresponding processes that are used to effectively automate the business transactions of the

Villagers remain upbeat despite tight cutbacks Essay Example for Free

Villagers remain upbeat despite tight cutbacks Essay Orange County – There was absolutely nothing left to do, 39 year-old Mr. Berger, an office clerk, decided to sell his latest model of LED television he just purchased the other year to a well-off friend, the economic crisis steeply increasing his weekly budget deficit. â€Å"I believe its the high spending we do everyday amid threats from financial meltdown thats taking its toll on us lately,† Mr. Berger said. It is no small irony that while unemployment rate has blown only 9. 5% of the population today against the 10% in the first quarter this year, the figure could not justify how some of the residents continue to lose their jobs. What may add insult to injury is the sharp decrease in prices of U. S. Imports from 0. 5 last month to 1. 3 today, outweighing the July 2009 1. 3% decline (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Mr. Berger is just part of the growing fraction of the figure promising to outnumber those working in a cozy office. Poking his way through a small, rough tenement just a few blocks from his house, he was looking for a viable job that could stand the present economic turmoil. The number of jobless persons for over 27 weeks remained at 6. 8 million, which covers 45. % of the total unemployed citizens all over the country while those who are working part-time involuntarily either because they could not find full-time employment or their working hours were reduced compose another 8. 6 million (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Taking advantage â€Å"I speculate some self-centered politicians are now using the economic crisis as their political tack to keep hold on power. The idea is simply that no single grou p is better equipped to release the plagues from Pandoras box and choke the very things it spawned than the most desperate gang in town. This time making itself the champion of economic crisis,† lamented Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson, 40, was forced to move his family to Mississippi and currently lives here on yet another mortgaged property, something he might lose again should the cutbacks realign sharply upward. It has a leaky roof, a clear sign the family is going through tough times. â€Å"I have no choice but to relocate again,† he said. History repeats itself The economy of the United States of America holds the highest rank in the world, its GDP being estimated to rich a nominal value of $14. 2 trillion last year. The US labor market has been attracting immigrants abroad and holds the largest number of migration rates streaming in. It has nested the biggest stock exchanges, thereby becoming one of the worlds most influential financial markets. But these facts did not prevent the history of the 1930s, the Great Depression, from repeating itself, this time with an equally forceful blow to different sectors. Fearing to see another Great Depression whipping the country, when the fangs of recession appeared to be a serious threat, the government sought many answers to solve economic problems. It took on a course of allowing consumers to spend more by exerting heavily itself or cutting taxes. It fostered rapid growth in the money supply, which also encouraged more spending. It can be recalled that economic woes brought on by the costs of the Vietnam conflict, major price increases, particularly for energy, created a strong fear of inflation. As a result, government put more concentration on controlling inflation than on combating recession by limiting spending and tightening credit. Economic crisis quickly creeps through different places, wherever financial stability gives its way, affecting a not so small portion of the population. The recession in the last two years might have been the worst since the Great Depression but there are no labor forecasts that have to do with the same fate employment suffered during those times. â€Å"Its a pain that we had to cut on our weekly budget and sacrifice our luxuries to prioritize our foremost needs. And were not alone on this, almost everyone in the neighborhood is feeling the effects of the crisis striking them,† Mrs. Cowell said. Mother to four, Mrs. Cowell, 41, had to stop sending Makky, her eldest, to school to give way to the others still studying in high school, an alarming scenario which led to an entirely different behavior acted by his eldest. This is just one of the fall-outs experienced by the family. Economists say the economy might start to flourish by third quarter of the year. However, quick make up of the employment rate may take place later by end of year, the setbacks having been too rough of late. Brian Fabbri, chief North American economist for BNP Paribas, said the efforts of the Obama administration to flood the economy with $800 billion and the buying up of credits along with shoring up of banks by the Federal Reserve may put an end to this. I believe the government can â€Å"I suspect Obama and some allies in Congress can prove themselves to be the powerhouse of stability in one of Americas most trying times, thus, preventing the country from sinking into the utter pits of despair. I hope he will do, having the public behind him,† Mr.  Gardner, 42, said optimistically. â€Å"I would love to see nothing else but a government eager to pluck us out of the groveling depths of global financial meltdown,† he added. Mr. Gardner recalled how he has constantly been a victim of economic failure. He and his soft-spoken wife, Kelly, lived in Ireland for more than a decade only to witness the dwindling economy which forced everybody to go out and look for a greener pasture. â€Å"We felt like nothing awaits us in there, no other choice but to leave Ireland,† he exclaimed. If only the government would take radical reforms and slash in its superfluous spending, perhaps in less than a year the economy would begin to grow again steadily. But if this would remain unmitigated for the next months, it probably may not just end up in burying this country to the pits of despair, it may also lead to bitter strife between the government and the labor force ,† Mr. Gardner foretold. Still upbeat â€Å"With the rate of pace our government is taking on, I guess we can all do pitching in behind someone fired up by the passion of saving his country by restoring economic stability,† Mrs.  Dolloy sh owed optimism. Though affected by the uneasiness associated with realigning home budgets and luxuries, Mrs. Dolloy continues to hold to what she has been hoping as a savior snail that would come someday in the form of stable economy, massive opening of full time jobs, and fairly low commodity prices. Today President Obama boasts that his country shows signs of getting back to its feet in just one year time after a major setback in the last two years.

The National Development Policies Of Ethiopia Economics Essay

The National Development Policies Of Ethiopia Economics Essay The main purpose of this paper is to review the national agricultural development policies of Ethiopia during the reign of the Imperial, Derg and EPRDF led government and the predominant trends of international field of development thinking pursued (similarities and differences among) in the period of post 1974 to 2004. Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations on earth. From its 77 million people over 80 percent depend on subsistence agriculture and more than 40% live below the absolute poverty line, (CSA, 2007). The country has remained to be one of the tragic places where the worst cases of famine and drought and man made problems such as extended civil war and degradations of natural resources have been observed (EC project proposal 1998). However, the country has a good resource potential for economic development. In response to these socio- economic situations, various development policies and strategies have been brought in to practice by the successive governments that ruled the country which had in most of the cases ended up with bare minimum impacts in reversing the prevailed development bottlenecks of the country. Thus a good part of the poor performance is explained by policy failures of the past regimes generally and the derg regime in particular (EEA, 1999/2000) as sited by (Alemayehu, G.2007). Thus, after the collapse of the military regime in May 1991, the EPRDF led government adopted various development policy reforms and structural adjustments that included liberalization of markets, decentralization of central government authorities to regions, woredas and designed agriculture development led industrialization strategies. Similarly, at the later stages of the period (2002), the government pinpointed poverty reduction as its crucial development objective which is in consonance wit h international directions and commitments. In what follows this paper tries to review development policies of the up to the current regime in Ethiopia.2. Trends and Development Policy Environment Before and after 1991Â  [1]Â   2.1 Development Policies up to 1974 The imperial government of Haileselasie, was the first government to exercise different development policies as Ethiopia is first African state to attempt economic development planning (Georgi. G. 1981). But the plans determined only general trends and likely development rates as they gave an extremely generalized allocation to particular sectors of the economy as of 1960s (Haile H., 1995). During this time three five-year plans were prepared for the development of the economy with different targets and area of priorities. They were: The first five year plan (1957-62) The second five year plan (1963-67) The Third five year plan (1968-73) 2.1.1. First five year plan (1957-62)Â  [2]Â   This plan had some targets on the agricultural sector. According to the evaluations of the plan targets that was made in the second five year plan, its impact on the agricultural sector was negligible since emphasis during this plan period was on infrastructure and social transformation (raising the level of education and the training of technical personnel) for the implementation of the five year program. No need to bring about fundamental changes in present methods of (peasant) production and stuck to the kind of tools now used(Dejene (IEG 1957),pg 45 Donors policy of this period was biased in favour of urbanization vis-Ã  -vis rural development. the world bank for example, by far the largest single source of development assistance to Ethiopia in recent years, allocated 85% of its total loans to modern roads during the 1950-59 period, and nothing to the agricultural sector(world Bank 1985). 2.1.2. Second five-year plan (1963-67)Â  [3]Â   Mainly the priority focus was given to industry (manufacturing), minerals and electric power development, but, unlike the first five year plan, some attention was given to agriculture. In this plan, quantitative targets for the production of agricultural marketable products like cereals, cotton, cattle, and coffee; and for the rate of growth of agriculture were set. To achieve the production targets set in the plan three main approaches were outlined: Execution of land reform, introduction of tools implements and machinery as well as elementary training of the producers so as to raise productivity, per capita income and consumption so as to transform the subsistence economy into a monetized economy. The organization of farmers cooperatives The organization of commercial farms based on mechanization IEG (1962). However, in the second five-year plan agriculture was anticipated to grow at a rate of 2.4 percent, but it was said to have grown at a rate of 1.9 only, It was only 42.2 percent of the investment target that was actually full filled because of which much of the development programs were not achieved, The land reform policy was completely ignored, a fact which basically accounted for the failure and above all, there was lack of progress in policy measures and organizational programs, which were essential for the success of the plan. Because of all these, the agricultural sector could not develop as much as it was anticipated in the plan. 2.1.3. The third five-year plan (1968 -73)Â  [4]Â   This time exhibited a marked departure from the previous plans. It recognized the importance of the agricultural sector and charted out a relatively clear and well articulated agricultural development strategy. The plan argued that modernization of peasant subsistence agriculture in all areas of the country simultaneously is hardly possible, but no time should be lost in making a start in strategically selected areas in which good results can soon be seen. This being the strategy, two main approaches for the development of Ethiopia agriculture were indicated in the third five-year plan. These were the package program and the development of large-scale commercial farms: The Package Program The package program followed the policy of concentrating development efforts in a given area so as to bring the required changes in agriculture. The practice was to be limited to specific areas since the modernization of peasant subsistence farms in all areas of the country simultaneously was assumed that it would lead to the dilution of efforts and scarce resources. In accordance with this, the implementation of the program was started in strategically selected areas where good results were expected in a relatively short period of time. At first the package program took the form of a Comprehensive Package Program (CPP), and later the Minimum Package Program followed. The CPP aimed at achieving maximum result by focusing on specific high potential areas such as Chilalo, Wollaita, Ada District, Tahtay Adyabo, Hadegti and Humera and established agricultural development units for each of them. This program had the following objectives (Tesfai 1975:41) To increase the income of low income small holder farmers and tenants and narrow the prevailing income disparities in the rural areas; To achieve economic and social development; To enhance local participation in development; To increase employment opportunities; and To stress on research, training, and transferability. The objectives were supposed to be achieved through The provision of extension services; i.e., spreading innovations and organizing demonstration fields to farmers; The establishment of marketing organizations aiming at selling production fairly in comparison to the cost of production; Sale of inputs through marketing organizations which would make high yielding seeds and fertilizers available to the farmers; The provision of credit facilities at a reasonable rate of interest so that the farmers could be able to purchase the new supplies; and Promoting improved water supply system and expansion of education. Health and nutritional studies were to be established In general, the CPP has resulted in the increase of incomes of peasants and tenants in the project areas. The increases in incomes were, however, directly related to the size of the land holdings and thus it resulted in growing differentiation among the peasantry. This and its huge resource requirements led to the reevaluation of it adoption of what is known as the minimum package program. The Minimum Package Program (MPP) The comprehensive package projects were found too costly to be duplicated in other parts of the country. It was thus decided to launch a scheme which was thought to be less costly per farmer. Thus, in 1972 the minimum package program (MPP) involving only those minimum services considered critical for rural development (mainly fertilizer and credit) started to be implemented along all-weather roads. The MPP was envisaged to reduce the cost of developing the agricultural sector that in comparison to the CPP a much wider coverage could be attained. Tentative programs were made for the establishment of about ten projects in selected high response areas each year for thirteen year. According to the program; By 1985 it was estimated that one million families or about 20 percent of the total would be reached The MPP was designed to cover 440 woredas out of the 550 woredas of the country and this was to cover about 70 pre cent of the agricultural population For the implementation of MPP, the Extension and Project Implementation Department (EPID) was established To achieve the objectives, the diffusion of a few proved methods and innovations including improved seeds, fertilizers and farm implements as widely as possible was envisaged to reach the small farmers in various parts of the country. However, due to shortages of manpower, improved seeds and fertilizers, the MPP was not able to achieve its objective of coverage of wider areas and the cost of the MPP was not as low as it was envisaged. landless and semi-landless rural population. As a result of these, agricultural production did not increase as much as anticipated was not increased and the standard of living of the majority did not improve. In fact the programs demonstrated that rural development policy based on feudal land holding arrangements would tend to worsen the conditions of the low-income target population. The Development of Large Scale Commercial Farms The objectives in establishing large-scale commercial farms were to achieve rapid gains in output both to domestic consumption and the availability of surpluses for investment, to get an increase in agricultural exports or substitution for imports, to create new employment opportunities this is because of the fact that such farms require big investment which was not available from internal sources, the implementation of the strategy necessitated a heavy dependence on foreign capital. To attract foreign investment a number of incentives were provided including: Exemption from income tax (tax holiday) for five years for investments of Br. 200,000 and above; Exemption from customs duty; and Remittance of profits and salaries in hard currency. As a result, a number of large-scale commercial farms, mainly owned by foreigners, such as the Wonji Sugar Enterprise, the Setit Humera Plantation, and the Tendaho Plantation were quickly established. But due to misguided incentives, capital dependent operations and outflow capital the large farms did not live up to the expectations of the country. At the end of the second five years plan the industry First argument of the 1950s was being challenged theoretically as post independent Africas aspiration for a rapid industrialization process become increasingly frustrated (Johnston,M et.al 1961) and the major donors made a significant shift in their aid policies in favor of rural development vis-Ã  -vis urbanization and construction of infrastructure. In an attempt to realize this change of policy, donors subjected to Ethiopian government to strong pressure foreign assistance agencies, particularly the World Bank (IBRD) and American organizations, advised Ethiopia to give high priority to the agricultural sector and recommended the package approach concentrating on the more promising regions. This idea also supported by FAO (Nekby 1971:9) The third five-year plan largely followed and coincided with the strategy of what has been known as the Green Revolution (1960s-70s) and which had its own success story in raising agricultural production tremendously in (e.g., India, Pakistan, and other Asian countries).However, it could not minimize the income gap (in fact it is believed to have increased it) and benefits were not fairly distributed (many areas were not included in the program). 2.2 Development Policies during the Derg Regime (1974-1991) It is generally acknowledged that the pre-1975 land tenure system in Ethiopia was one of the most complex in the world and had not been thoroughly studied (Cohen and Weintraub, 1975; Gilkes, 1975; Dessalegn, 1984; Dejene, 1999) as sited by (FAO, 2003). After the 1975 land reform by the Derge has been considered by many as a radical measure that has abolished tenant landlord relationships in Ethiopia. In order to implement the Proclamation, peasant associations were established at various levels. Following the land reform proclamation, another decree that was knows as Peasant Associations Organization and Consolidation Proclamation No. 71/1975 was made. This was followed by the All Ethiopia peasant Association Proclamation No 130/1977. University and high school students were dispatched to rural areas to help the implementation of the land reform. 2.2.1. Agricultural Development Strategy Proclamation No. 31/1005 was not about agricultural production. It was about radically changing the tenure system that existed in the country. The agricultural development strategy of the Derg period was what was known as socialist transformation of agriculture; that of transforming agriculture along socialist lines. This was to be implemented through the establishment and consolidation of state farms and producers cooperatives. Thus producers cooperatives and state farms became the overwhelming priority of the government and its implementation was supported by various proclamations and decrees. Implementation of this policy resulted in the existence of two main types of economic structures in agriculture; namely, The small peasant sub sector represented by the overwhelmingly large number of small farmers; and The socialist sub sector represented by the producers cooperatives and state farms. The small peasant Farms In countries like Ethiopia peasant farms have a relatively good productivity record. Although they employ traditional technology and hardly use modern inputs, their crop-yields are often comparatively high, as they make more efficient use of productive resources than cooperatives or state farms. However small scale agriculture is often considered an obstacle to long-term industrial development and the creation of more mechanized frames. Faced with the choice between a smallholder strategy and a socialist approach, based on collective ownership, group and state farming and governmental control of the rural economy, the government chose the latter. The peasant farms continued to be dominant in Ethiopia even at the height of collectivization year in 1987 by cultivating 94% of the total farmland in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, government policy towards small farmers was discriminatory in that it favored the socialist sub sector. Government policy pertaining tax, modern inputs, credit, pricing policies, and extension services almost completely ignored the small peasants in favour of cooperatives. Quota have been set for every peasant association to sell a given amount of their produce to the Agricultural Marketing Corporation (AMC) at prices fixed by the AMC which were substantially lower than the open market prices and even lower than the prices fixed for cooperatives and state farms. In situation where peasants could not meet the quota, there were incidences where farmers had to buy from the market at higher prices and sell to the AMC at extremely low prices. In spite of all these, however, the smallholders were more successful at absorbing labour, raising yield and increasing income than producer cooperatives and state farms were. Small farmers were resistant to be collectivized, but the government adamantly pushed forward to strengthen cooperatives unsuccessfully. Apart from other concomitant factors, the disappointing performance of the agricultural sector during the Derg period can be attributed to agricultural policies favoring the socialist strategy as opposed to a smallholder approach. The Socialist Sub Sector Producers Cooperatives The Directive for the establishment of producers cooperatives was issued in June 1979. Accordingly, an agricultural producers cooperative was defined as an economic organization of farmers which is established through the gradual transformation of individually owned means of production in to common ownership based on the will and common interest of the farmers. The Directive for the establishment of cooperatives was based on the following principles: The principle of voluntarism. This principle indicates that cooperatives shall be established on the free will of those to be cooperativezed. The principle of gradualism. According to this, the development of cooperatives shall proceed from the simpler type to the more advanced types of cooperatives. The principle of all round state assistance. The government is expected to provide all embracing assistance to the establishment and consolidation of cooperatives. In practice, the principle of voluntarism was violated. In many cases the establishment of cooperatives was conducted by force as opposed to the principle of voluntary entry. As for the gradualism, the directives provided for a gradual progress of cooperatives from simple to advanced types. Cooperatives would start in the form of malba, a type of cooperative where members pool their land together (except their backyard) but keep their production implements and animals privately; they would then proceed to welba, where land, production implements and animals become communal property and a small plot is kept as a backyard. Weland was a kind of higher cooperative made by a number of malbas and/or welbas. With regard to all round state assistance, the government gave priority to cooperatives at the expense of smallholder peasants. Once they were established, Privileges not offered to peasant cultivators, or even to state farms were given to cooperatives. They paid less per tax head than individual peasants and modern inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, etc. were provided to them at subsidized prices and bank interest rates were comparatively lower. They were also given priority on extension services and had access to additional labor from peasant and youth association members. With all these however, the process of collectivization was still very much at an embryonic stage and in the eve of total collapse. Producers cooperatives were tilling 2 percent of the total farmland in 1987. The marketed surplus of cooperatives and individual farms were also about equal in that the average that both were selling was about 20 percent of their harvest, and the rest was consumed at home (68 per cent) while 12 percent was reserved as next seasons seed. However, the cooperativization drive ended in complete collapse largely because of the lack of farmers willingness. Good evidence is what happened when the government was forced by circumstances to issue the Mixed Economic Policy Reform of March 1990. Although the government intended to reorganize and strengthen them, over 95 percent of the producers cooperatives disintegrated with in three months after the declaration of the policy reform. State Farms State farms are farming enterprise that are owned, managed and undertaken by the government. Most state farms were privately owned commercial operations before 1975. According to the March 1975 land reform proclamation all large-scale farms shall be organized, as state farms, and the government shall administer these farms in any manner found it fit. In addition to these, many state farms were also established during the Derg period. The chief aims of state farms were to help alleviate the countries food problems, Contribute to export earning and employment generation. However their performance had been very disappointing due to the following main reasons. Management inefficiency: Lack of appropriate management in the sate farms resulted in misutilization of resources. Highly centralized management system curtailed the exercise of managerial autonomy at farm levels. Problems of Planning and Implementation: Farms were not given the right of preparing their own plans. Plans were prepared at enterprise or corporation level, and each farm was ordered to implement the plan, which may not reflect the objective conditions in the farm. The establishment of state farms was not conducted on the basis of proper study and analysis. Inadequate Controlling Systems: State farms, as in other public firms, had little managerial freedom to plan and to control. Even the cost-benefit analysis was worked at higher levels and each farm is evaluated base on the grand balance sheet of the enterprise or corporation. Disguised Unemployment: Every farm was over populated. There exist unnecessary labour imposing additional costs to the farms. Unnecessary structures were formulated deliberately to absorb more employees. Resettlement and Villagaization Resettlement Prior to the 1974 revolution, resettlement was started out on a small scale as a result of individual initiatives by local governors and aid agencies with a variety of motives and objectives. By the time of the revolution a mere 7,000 household heads had been established in 20 settlement sites at a cost of 8 million US dollars. Resettlement was seen as a means of addressing a range of issues. From an ecological perspective it reduced population pressure in the highlands; from an economic standpoint it was believed that resettlement could help to increase productivity and make use of under-utilized fertile lands; and from a social point of view resettlement was seen as a way of providing land to those with out it, to settle paternalists, and remove unwanted urban unemployment. Resettlement continued at a small scale in the first decade of the military rule so that in total some 46,000 households, comprising 150,000 people had been resettled on 88 sites in 11 regions. Villagization Villagization is a process by which rural households were moved from scattered dwellings into nucleated villages as part of a governmental attempt to modernize rural life and agricultural production patterns. Villagization in Ethiopia began as a regional operation in Bale during the Ethio-somalia war in 1977/78. One of the main objectives of the program at that time was to guarantee the safety of the local inhabitants from invading Somali troops during the war with Somalia. Six years later in December 1984, the prorgamme was extended to the adjusting region of Hararghe, again chiefly for security reasons. In June 1986, a National Villagization Coordination Committee was set up to undertake villagization work as an economic policy to improve rural life. By mid-1987, the government claimed that 12 million people (about one third of the rural population) were villagized. The highest number of newly established villages were built in Shewa and Hararghe. The objectives of this program were the creation of a conducive situation that would facilitate the dissemination of improved agricultural inputs and services. However, this program, like the other programs, was not successful because it was not done on the basis of the participation of the people to be villagized and they were largely unwilling to be villagized. Moreover, it was poorly planned and implemented. The above development policy reforms of the Dergs Military government was a result of the ties made with the East Socialist states such as Russia and other east European countries that had an ideology of command economy system. 2.3. Policy reform during the early transitional government (1991-1994) The EPRDF overthrew the Derg regime in May 1991 after a 17-year prolonged civil war in all parts of the country, leading to the formation of Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE). The 1991 economic policy document of the TGE declared collectivization and villagization as undesirable and liberalized both agricultural markets. The overriding objective of the government was given as attaining fast broad based economic development. an economic reform program was initated, which took the form of structural adjustment program(SAP) nder the auspices of the world bank and IMF. the reform included the removal of substantial taxation of agriculture, market liberalization and devaluation. The fertilizer market was liberalized, creating a multi channel distribution system. (Alemayehu and Berhanu (1999),pg.52). The TGE which was replaced by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) in August 1995 through public election. Since 1992 the TGE was successful to favor market driven development policy by undergoing important structural adjustments and reforms (European Union, 2002). These included; the abolishment of all price controls to agricultural products, the reduction and harmonization of trade tariffs, privatization of state owned enterprises. The government has also made decentralization of power from the Addis based central government to the autonomous regions and nationalities that were believed to accelerate the policy shift from the previous ones to agricultural development, which was not actually endorsed during this period. But the period TGE was characterized by unstable political environments full of suspicion and mistrust over the EPRDF led ruling (Daniel Ayalew, and et.al, 1999). It can therefore be said that main agenda was the rehabilitation type of development thinking and that the development policy in this period was not just fully materialized for the fact that the government was confronted with complexity of challenges from the internal environments that were discussed above. The external policy environment during this period can be generally regarded as cool in response to the structural and policy adjustments made by the country until the constitution of Ethiopia was fully endorsed in 1994. This was a remarkable condition for the endorsement of the Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI) strategy. (EPRDF,1995) 2.4. The National Development Policy and the Five-Year Development Plan (1995-1999) In the fiscal year of 1995 the establishment of the first federal government structure in the country, it was then possible to attract the attention of the western developed nations. The development policy was well recognized in this period and it was successful enough to become one of the African nations which were nominated for the Sasakawa Global 2000 Agricultural Extension Intervention. Although this extension model was introduced to the country at a pilot level in late 1993, it was widely adopted in all the regions. Significant production increments were registered as a result of this extension system through the supply of inputs such as improved seed, fertilizer, pesticides etc. The approach was heavily criticized for its blanket approach with out giving due consideration to variability in biophysical conditions such as ecology, soils, moisture condition, fertility, topography, altitude, etc. and socioeconomic conditions such as wealth, labor, social setting, food habit, cultur e, etc. More over it was recognized by some scholars and research institutions that landraces, that have been suitable for erratic and unpredictable areas, were endangered by the replacement of single varieties introduced by the SG2000 extension system (MUC, 1996). The way the development policies during this period relate or differ from the international development thinking can be seen from the discussion made by the odi published Rethinking Rural Development (odi Briefing Paper, 2002). Accordingly the development policies during the TGE remarkably relate to the policy environments in the developed world back to the 1950s, where a model based on small farm development has been dominate. On the other hand the attempt to address rural development policy differs from the then international development context in that the budget priorities given to maintain the balance between productive sectors (agriculture manufacturing, etc) and social sectors (road infrastructure, health, education, etc.) was not compromised. The development policy emphasized the SG2000 extension system through the adoption of new technology including improve seeds and fertilizer. Towards the end of this period the macroeconomic policy of ADLI was supplemented by new policies for the sector development programs (SDP) that include education, health, HIV/AIDS and other important sectors (EU Country Strategy Paper, 2002). The other development strategy adopted with in the context of ADLI by the government of Ethiopia in 1996 was the National Food Security Strategy. Following to the adoption of this strategy the National food security Program was established in 1998 by targeting food insecurity in four regions. The implementation of these programs was interrupted by the boarder conflict that occurred with Eritrea in the same year. 2.5. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) and the Second Five Year Development Plan (2000-2004) The overall objective of this strategy was to encourage the external resource/capital inflow and to increase aggregate output level (IPRSP, 2000). It can be said that the Ethiopian government have took an initiative to prepare the IPRSP soon after the end of the Ethio-Eriteria border war look like to the Marshall plan prepared for the period of 1948-1952 as discussed in Singer (singer, 1989). This is meant for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the European countries that were heavily destructed by e World War II. On the other hand the government has adopted poverty reduction as the core objective for development by arguing that economic growth as the principal, but not the only means to the development of Ethiopian economy. This thinking is quite similar to the combination of the Neo-Classical Economic Theory that existed in the 1980s and the New Development Theory (Todaro, 1987) in that it tries to address four important issues: the sources of economic growth and the potential for growth in the future, the mechanisms and conditions by which economic growth translates into poverty reduction, the initial effect of poverty and inequality on the sustained and rapid economic growth, and the links among economic growth, income distribution and pover

Attention Deficit Disorder :: essays research papers fc

Attention Deficit Disorder   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For centuries children have been grounded, beaten, or even killed for ignoring the rules or not listening to what they're told. In the past it was thought these †bad† kids were the products of bad parenting, bad environment, or simply being stubborn, however it is now known that many of these children may have had Attention Deficit Disorder, or A. D. D., and could've been helped. A. D. D. is a syndrome that affects millions of children and adults in the United States and is a very frustrating and confusing syndrome that often goes undiagnosed. While there is no clear-cut definition of A. D. D., it's known that it's a genetic disorder that affects males more often than females, in a 3:1 ratio, and is marked by a classic triad of symptoms, which are impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity (Hallowell 6). There are two general types of A. D. D., the stereotypical, high-energy, hyperactive group, and the less known underactive ones that often daydream and are never mentally present anywhere. Typically, people with A. D. D. are very likable and are usually very emphatic, intuitive, and compassionate, however they have very unstable moods that can range from an extreme high to an extreme low instantly, for no apparent reason. Usually, they procrastinate often and have trouble finishing projects, while conversely, they can hyperfocus at times and accomplish tasks more quickly and efficiently than a normal person could. Often they have short tempers and lack the impulse to stop themselves from blowing up over minor details (Hallowell 10). Although A. D. D. has just recently been discovered and there is still relatively little known about it, it has an interesting history. In 1902, George Frederic Still first thought that the dilemma of problem children was a biological defect inherited from an injury at birth and not the result of bad parenting. In the 1930's and '40's stimulant drugs were first used to successfully treat many behavior problems due partly to Still's hypothesis. In 1960, Stella Chess further boosted research in the field by writing about the â€Å" hyperactive child syndrome.† She stated that the behavior problems weren't a product of injury at birth, but instead were inherited genetically. Finally, in 1980, the syndrome was named A. D. D., due in large part to Virginia Douglas' work to find accurate ways to diagnose it (Hallowell 12). Formally, A. D. D. comes in two types: A. D. D. with hyperactivity and A. D. D. without hyperactivity (Hallowell 9). However there are several other subtypes that are used to diagnose the syndrome and aren't formally recognized.

Different Sources of Finance for Businesses Essay -- Papers Business F

Different Sources of Finance for Businesses Introduction This assignment will look at the different sources of finance that are available to a small business or a big company. With each source of finance listed the report will assess the implications that can arise and along with this the report will look at the cost to the business to taking a curtain source of finance. All businesses need short-term finance from the very beginning to start up the business and to cover day-to-day running costs. This provides the business with working capital. However businesses also need long-term capital to help them to grow and expand, and this is paid back over a number of years. Without finance a business would find it difficult to accomplish anything, for example someone who decided to start up a shop would need finance at first to just buy the shop and the stock. Even a window cleaner would need finance to buy equipment such as ladders and buckets. But this can be taken onto a larger scale, as all businesses need finance at some point. Different sources of finance The report will now list the different sources of finance available, starting with sources available to small and new businesses to sources only obtainable to big companies. External Sources of Finance This source of finance comes from outside the business and involves the business owing money to an outside individual(s) or companies. Personal Savings This mainly applies to sole traders, partnerships and small private companies. Owners may use some of their own money as capital to invest in the business. Usually this option is used by the person(s) who will... ...business plan * Details of how much finance is needed and how it will be used * The most recent trading figures of the company, a balance sheet, a cash flow forecast and a profit forecast * Details of the management team, with evidence of a wide range of management skills * Details of major shareholders * Details of the company's current banking arrangements and any other sources of finance * Any sales literature or publicity material that the company has issued. A high percentage of requests for venture capital are rejected on an initial screening. Thus only a small percentage of all requests survive both this screening and further investigation and result in actual investments. Recent successes in this area if financing include the internet search engine 'Google'.

Danielle Steeles Daddy and Norman Macleans A River Runs Through it :: essays research papers

The two books Daddy by Danielle Steele and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean are both stories where the main characters are male. The books deal with how a man reacts when he is presented with different situations. Oliver, the main character from Daddy, and Norman the main character from A River Runs Through It, are both presented with different situations that bring out their prevailing qualities. The two men have both similar and different traits. The time periods and society that they live in have totally shaped the way Norman and Oliver react when presented with certain qualities however they still have the same masculine traits. The time period in witch both men are accustomed to are very different. Norman lives in the early 1900’s when it was still the time of men had their place working and women had their place in the kitchen. While Oliver is in the time setting of around the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s in a time when women are equal to men. The time periods that the two characters live in have changed their personalities. If they were to switch places they would more than likely have reversed personalities. Norman is living in the early 1900’s when the man was expected to be the strong one in the any situation. Norman does this stereotype justice he is in his early to mid 20’s and an upstanding citizen. Norman is faced with the problem of facing his brother’s death. His brother’s death is not a situation that is confined to this time period it is just handled differently because of this time period. Norman handles the situation by not mentioning it very often and acting like it didn’t happen. Whereas if Norman was living in a more modern time period he may be more apt to talking about his brother’s death Oliver is a middle aged advertisement agent in the 1990’s, a time when men are not depended on so much to be the tough guy and people are more open-minded to the different things. Oliver is presented with a lot of the problems that are common to the 90’s. He is also a very decent guy that is presented with some of the hardships of life, but unlike Norman Oliver is not ashamed of his problems because they are more acceptable in the time that he is living. Danielle Steele's Daddy and Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through it :: essays research papers The two books Daddy by Danielle Steele and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean are both stories where the main characters are male. The books deal with how a man reacts when he is presented with different situations. Oliver, the main character from Daddy, and Norman the main character from A River Runs Through It, are both presented with different situations that bring out their prevailing qualities. The two men have both similar and different traits. The time periods and society that they live in have totally shaped the way Norman and Oliver react when presented with certain qualities however they still have the same masculine traits. The time period in witch both men are accustomed to are very different. Norman lives in the early 1900’s when it was still the time of men had their place working and women had their place in the kitchen. While Oliver is in the time setting of around the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s in a time when women are equal to men. The time periods that the two characters live in have changed their personalities. If they were to switch places they would more than likely have reversed personalities. Norman is living in the early 1900’s when the man was expected to be the strong one in the any situation. Norman does this stereotype justice he is in his early to mid 20’s and an upstanding citizen. Norman is faced with the problem of facing his brother’s death. His brother’s death is not a situation that is confined to this time period it is just handled differently because of this time period. Norman handles the situation by not mentioning it very often and acting like it didn’t happen. Whereas if Norman was living in a more modern time period he may be more apt to talking about his brother’s death Oliver is a middle aged advertisement agent in the 1990’s, a time when men are not depended on so much to be the tough guy and people are more open-minded to the different things. Oliver is presented with a lot of the problems that are common to the 90’s. He is also a very decent guy that is presented with some of the hardships of life, but unlike Norman Oliver is not ashamed of his problems because they are more acceptable in the time that he is living.

Freedom: Meaning of Life and Br Essay

Freedom is often spoken of in what can be referred to as a â€Å"loose sense†. One country has more freedom than another; a twenty-one year old has more freedom than a fifteen year old, but what exactly does this word, which is so often flippantly used, mean? Or, if this conclusion cannot be reached, what does it not mean? For different people it may mean different things, but there has to be an equilibrium that can be reached in order to determine the meaning of freedom itself. In one form, freedom can mean that a person has â€Å"exemption from an obligation.†* If only the root (free) is looked at, it can be interpreted that one is â€Å"not under the control or power of another.†* However often the latter definition is used, it is also disagreed with, and for good reason: there is always a ruler, although the ruler may not necessarily be in the form of a person or group of persons. Take, for instance, the human body. It consists of basically three things, as far as ruling powers are concerned: prudence, will, and raw appetite. Raw appetite can be looked at as what we have without reason, will is what can control raw appetite (or desires that we have without reason), and prudence is that which provides a choice between will and raw appetite. Prudence has the ability to choose between the two options. This is just one example of how a ruler must always exist, although it may not have a physical form. Taking this into consideration, the meaning of freedom can further be explored. Perhaps it can be defined as having the liberty to choose who/what the ruler is to be. For, since nothing can exist without having some form of rule, if people are not permitted to choose what the ruling factor is, then that would not be considered having freedom. Through this, it can be concluded that freedom, possibly, is not simply the ability to be able to do whatever it is that you want, and it is not simply being liberated from the power of another. It can also be concluded that one of the definitions of freedom could possibly be the liberty to choose the ruler. However, it is possible that it is unfeasible to ever obtain the exact definition of freedom.

Equity and diversity anti-discrimination policies and procedures Essay

Diversity is the variety of differences between individuals, for example; gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, values or disabilities. However, equality refers to everyone being treated fairly which doesn’t mean treated the same, it means everybody being able to access the services and treatments they individually require to meet their personal health needs. When diversity and equality are used in the same context it is about recognizing and valuing individual and group differences.The significance of diversity and equality is to ensure everybody has equal opportunities and are treated professionally, respectfully and with fairness. The Equality Act (2010) legally protects clients from being treated unfairly this is because if they were to be treated unfairly and their diverse needs weren’t met, the client may not feel accepted by the professional therefore a trusting relationship may not form. Therefore the aim of diversity and equality is to make clients feel we lcome, accepted and feel trust in the relationship with the professional to ensure the client is gaining the best treatment for their individual requirements. For example; this relates to Patrick because he was concerned if he proved to be HIV positive he didn’t think he would be accepted as a member of the martial arts club. He was assured he would still be welcome which shows that he wouldn’t be treated unfairly and have different opportunities to the other members due to his differences. For example; this relates with Brenda because she asked for a female professional rather than a male due to negative past experiences but the health professionals said that may not be able to happen every time however, the female manager said she will be present at all visits. This shows the professionals involved were able to communicate to come up with a plan where Brenda needs and differences were met in order for her to have equal health opportunities whilst feeling comfortable and as if her needs were accepted. For example; this relates with Maria because she is able to take time off work and is treated fairly as she is able to keep her job and go back to it with reduced hours when she is ready because she needs to ensure her mother is settled with the new plans and Maria needs to catch up with taking care of herself. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different types of people especially linked with the terms race, age, disability or sex. Anti-discrimination is the action taken to prevent discrimination against people on the grounds of race, gender, age, disability. Anti-discrimination promotes equality by introducing anti-discrimination policies in the workplace and social/ health services. Therefore discrimination is the negative act towards diverse people and anti-discrimination is the policies that prevent discrimination. If discrimination is prevented by anti-discrimination policies, this ensures diverse people are treated with equality and feel accepted by the service they are using. However, if discrimination is not prevented, vulnerable or diverse people can feel quite damaged and are not able to access the treatment or services required for their individual needs. For example; this relates to Patrick because he may feel scared that he might be discriminated by homophobic people which means they show an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people like Patrick and James. Anti-discrimination policies protect homosexual people like Patrick from this in the workplace or the services they are using and allow them to feel part of the society and not like they are not ‘right’ or ‘normal’. For example; this relates to Brenda because she may feel like she will be discriminated because of her disability (mental illness) which is when you are treated less well or put at a disadvantage for a reason that relates to your disability. Anti-discrimination policies protect Brenda from being discriminated for her disability as the health care professionals who are involved with her plan are ensuring she is completely informed and has control over what happens with her rather than thinking Brenda is ‘less’ able and making decisions for her. For example; this relates to Maria because she may feel like she would be discriminated for taking time off work to take care of her mother but her boss and the trade union representative agreed that Maria will not be discriminated against when she returns and will have to have her old job back. Anti-discrimination policies will help Maria feel welcome and comfortable when she returns. Types of discrimination are age, disability, e qual pay, genetic information, harassment, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion,   retaliation, sex, sexual harassment. The type of discrimination Patrick may experience is sex discrimination. The type of discrimination Brenda may experience is disability discrimination. The type of discrimination Maria may experience is harassment discrimination. Stereotyping is when judgment is made on a group of people who are different/diverse from the person/ group making the judgment based on theirs and others opinions or encounters. Stereotyping is usually a negative judgment about a set idea that the certain people have about others or what something is like. Whereas prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Both prejudice and stereotypes are similar concepts related to beliefs and attitudes some groups of people have towards other groups of people and things. The difference is prejudice is not based on truth and experiences and usually originates from the lack of knowledge, whereas, a stereotype may be based or truth, however, a stereotype can sometimes originate fr om a prejudice. For example; this relates to Patrick because he was worried that his landlord won’t accept them to live in their house anymore if he is HIV positive due to being stereotyped as having a bad health status and his landlord may want to steer clear of that as he thinks he might catch it, however, this stereotype that HIV positive people are something to stay away from could originate from a prejudiced opinion from perhaps a person with homophobic views. It is important to prevent discrimination because treating individuals less favourably than others or bullying/harassing them because of their gender, age, race religion, sexual orientation,disability or employment status (which are unlawful grounds to discriminate) may lead to negative impacts on someone’s general well-being, self-esteem, self worth and social relationships. Discrimination may lead to mental health problems like increased stress, depression, and anxiety. This relates to Maria because she wasn’t discriminated by the head teacher of the school she works in as she will be able to take up her old job when she returns to work, the head teacher did not discriminate her which prevents maria from feeling negative impacts of her mental health. It is crucial to prevent discrimination because we live in a multicultural society which means we have to treat different people equally and ensure we provide a service which doesn’t discriminate against any group or individual clients. Some organizations may discriminate groups of people without intending to, for example having signed up that that is not appropriate for sight-impaired people or printing patient information booklets that are only in one language or neglecting to recognize the needs of people with illnesses like dementia. Organisations can communicate the diversity and discrimination policy regularly and clearly to their employees by having meetings about this policies, having posters around the buildings which show no discrimination etc†¦ Organisations may also train and educate the staff to help them understand why discrimination is not acceptable and why having a diverse workforce is so important and how they can improve and show anti-discriminatory practice in their own work. Organisations could also put into place reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities so they can access health care places and even their own workplaces, this can be done by adapting the environment, facilitates, mobility and access. Organisations can also have an advocacy service which is provided by an advocate who is independent of social services and the NHS, who isn’t related to you. An advocates job includes arguing your case when you need them to and ensuring the correct procedures are followed by your health and social care services. This relates to Brenda as she is provided with an advocate to support her to express her own views. Brenda and her advocate spent time together to form trusting relationships and so the advocate could spend time listening to Brenda’s views and opinions. A strength of promoting anti-discriminatory practice is that everyone in the service will feel equally important and feel as if they are included and not isolated. Anti-discriminatory practice allows every client to feel as though they have a say no matter what race or gender. Another strength of promoting anti-discriminatory practice is that it ensures that all individuals have equal opportunities despite their gender, race or if they have a disability, it allows everyone to feel like they have a chance and are able to do something without any limitations. Which also links with Maria because she is able to take up her old job again when she is ready to go back to work because she has equal opportunities and the head teacher of the school ensures her chances aren’t taken off of her due to a family crisis. Furthermore, a strength of promoting anti-discriminatory practice is that it makes sure that all service users are put first in any situation and have the care providers undi vided attention when they are being cared for. This also links with Maria’s case because her mother has to be put first in all of her care support therefore for this to happen a volunteer interpreter will be present at all sessions. Checklist 2 The 6C’s (Care, Compassion, Competence, Communication, Courage, and Commitment) are a set of values that ensure compassion in practice, it’s a vision and strategy for all health and care staff.