Internet-Driven IS Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Internet-Driven IS Development - Essay Example Information technology or information systems development in the organization relate to one such operational strategy that utilizes the organizational resources - physical and human - as also the processes for achieving the other strategies relating to a business or top-level corporate aims. Business-related IT initiatives are strategies that strive to achieve desired strategic objectives by applying the organization’s internal capabilities and external drivers in the immediate industry environment in which the organization operates. The organizational capabilities include competencies and resources that provide a competitive edge in countering competition from within the industry. In conjunction with external drivers in the industry environment, the strategy and operational decisions get integrated into a successful process delivery (Johnson, et al, 2008). The formulation of suitable strategy, choosing and acting upon available options for operational delivery and for attaining competitive position is a comprehensive approach most often sought to be driven by adopting the technology, particularly computer and internet technology. A strategic business information systems development is thus a critical necessity for an organization of repute and size to achieve in delivering on its competitive position. First, the firm has to understand where it stands with respect to the environment and its internal capabilities. The next step involves the actual choice of direction and method by which the strategy is affected. The analysis of the firm’s external macro-environment can help identify the key drivers in the industry that can determine the strategic choices made. In case of changes in the environment, such analysis can also be used to reframe the strategy. Among the external drivers, the state of technology and its adoption has a sig nificant effect in giving direction to the organizational strategies.

What is the Origin of Christianity Identification and Discussion of Essay

What is the Origin of Christianity Identification and Discussion of Issues - Essay Example . . the most powerful moral lever that has ever been applied to the affairs of men† (pp. 28–29). There is no denying that Christianity has wide-ranging effects on the history of man. It has been an important force that shaped culture and society. This paper aims to look at the history of Christianity, in order to determine how it changed society and culture at its period of establishment. Through the use of the Bible and historical documents, the researcher hopes to create a picture of society of the period covered by the period covered by the Holy Book, in order to understand the context of Christianity’s introduction. This research hopes to identify why and how Christianity became a source of development in the Western world. Moreover, through the use of biblical and historical text, the researcher can determine why Christianity was instituted in the first place. By gaining an insight as to the purpose of Christianity, this research can pose some recommendations on how the thousands of Christian denominations found in the world today can work together and bring about lasting change. This research aims to rediscover the Christian legacy and help Christian denominations fine their common heritage in order for them to face the challenges of the future.This research also hopes to understand why the Western world is now in the process of abandoning its Judeo-Christian tradition and determine whether such a move is beneficial or harmful for development. Significance of the Study/Significance to Reader As has been mentioned in the previous section, Christianity has been a major force of change in history. While a study of history shows that the effects of Christianity has not always been positive, it is also true that many values such as freedom and equality would not be present today. In R.R. Palmer’s words: It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the coming of Christianity. It brought with it, for one thing, an altogether new se nse of human life. For the Greeks had shown man his mind; but the Christians showed him his soul. They taught that in the sight of God, all souls were equal, that every human life was sacrosanct and inviolate. Where the Greeks had identified the beautiful and the good, had thought ugliness to be bad, had shrunk from disease and imperfection and from everything misshapen, horrible, and repulsive, the Christian sought out the diseased, the crippled, the mutilated, to give them help. Love, for the ancient Greek, was never quite distinguished from Venus. For the Christians held that God was love, it took on deep overtones of sacrifice and compassion. (as quoted in Williams, 2012) As the world forges its way to modernity, the value of religion and Christianity is slowly being degraded. The West, the very recipient of the change and development brought about by the introduction of Christianity is abandoning its Christian legacy as horrors made in the name of religion (i.e. the Crusades, I nquision, black slavery, etc.) come into light. It is true that the formal church is (as represented by the Papacy) has not always been a positive influence for social change. As more and more people reject the value of God and the divine, it is important for believers to merge what they know about Christianity and the facts of history in order to fortify their belief. It is no longer possible for believers to disregard the crimes made in the name of Christ. The study is important because it provides a scientific understanding of Christianity and its context. It also tries to determine the purpose that Christianity served in human history, provides and insight into the future role of

The Alignment Of Compensation And Business Strategies Commerce Essay

The Alignment Of Compensation And Business Strategies Commerce Essay Compensation is a key element in the success of any business. Although compensation plans were not always seen as a strategic business initiative, their huge impact on a companys bottom line, recruiting, retaining and motivating people has led to compensation design being considered an important element to achieving success (OConnell, 2007). The alignment of compensation business strategies It is essential that a fair, competitive and attractive compensation plan is created in order to ensure the future success of the company. If the compensation plan is carried out properly it can improve organisational effectiveness, support human capital requirements of a business, and motivate and reward achievement of key corporate strategic and financial goals (OConnell, 2007: 20). It is thus essential that compensation plans are well thought out and effectively designed. Compensation is the answer to attracting, retaining and motivating employees who have the necessary competencies to carry out the business strategy and handle greater responsibilities (Milkovich, Newman Gerhart, 2007). Managers must take note of the rewards that motivate their employees. If this is not done, it may result in a mismatch between the strategies being used by managers to motivate their employees and the motivational rewards that the employees prefer (Arnolds Venter, 2007). This mismatch, as well as failure on the part of managers and employees to reach common ground in the pursuit of organisational objectives, can result in firms failing to successfully implement their business strategies. Employees will perform at a low level, doing only what is least expected of them when the reward systems are not aligned to their needs. They will not be motivated to put in extra effort so that the organisations goals can be achieved (Arnolds Venter, 2007). It is therefore important for all firms to regularly assess the rewards that motivate employees. Different organisations have different compensation policies in place. Matching compensation policies to business strategy leads to greater organisational performance (Montemayor, 1996). Some organisations are quick to introduce a new compensation program based on what they have heard about it. The problem is that it may not fit with their organisations strategic direction. Only programs that can move the organisation further along its strategic path should be identified and implemented (Kaplan, 2007). Ultimately, compensation strategies seek to either decrease costs or increase revenues relative to competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). Compensation professionals play an important role in helping organisations put their business strategies into effect by introducing appropriate compensation plans. Compensation experts need to be at the focal point where strategy, organisational effectiveness and human capital management converge (OConnell, 2007: 25). It is important that they have a clear understanding of the business, the organisational issues and the direction in which the company is headed. Organisational, employee and business needs must be balanced with the financial and strategic goals of the company. Only then can the right compensation strategy be developed to motivate, reward and sustain high levels of performance. When this balance is found, a company can effectively use compensation to execute and achieve desired business results (OConnell, 2007: 25). For example, if a companys strategy is to be innovative, the strategy will focus on new products and a short response time to market trends. The compensation strategy must be tailored to align with the business strategy. A supporting compensation strategy will thus place less emphasis on evaluating skills and jobs and more emphasis will be placed on incentives designed to encourage innovations (Milkovich et al, 2007). A cost cutting business strategy will focus on efficiency and doing more with less. To support the business strategy, the compensation policy will focus on competitors labour costs, variable pay will be increased and productivity will be emphasised (Milkovich et al, 2007). A company with a customer-focused business strategy will focus on pleasing customers and employees will be paid according to how well they do this. The compensation strategy will thus include customer satisfaction incentives (Milkovich et al, 2007). In order to do better than its competitors, a firm m ust come up with ways in which it can add value by matching its business and pay strategies. When business strategies change, pay systems must also change (Milkovich et al, 2007). Organisations want to see the returns that they are getting from paying incentives, benefits and even base pay. Companies are starting to realise that by sharing in the economic gains of achieving targets, they keep employees motivated to reach increasingly difficult goals. When there is a clear line of sight between work and reward, employees will work harder to achieve the goals and receive the rewards (Ulrich, 1997). It has been suggested that performance-based pay works best when there is success to share (Milkovich et al, 2007: 54). An organisation can pay larger bonuses and stock awards when their profits or market share is on the rise. By paying bonuses fairly, employee attitudes and work behaviours improve, which in turn improves their performance (Milkovich et al, 2007). One of the major challenges in managing total compensation is to understand how the pay system can add value and create a more successful organisation. Internal alignment Internal alignment refers to comparisons among jobs or skill levels inside a single organisation. Jobs and peoples skills are compared in terms of their relative contributions to the organisations business objectives (Milkovich et al, 2007: 19). Internal alignment is not only concerned with the pay rates for employees doing equal work, but also for those employees doing different work. One challenge that managers face is how to determine differences in pay for people doing different work (Milkovich et al, 2007). An employees decision to stay with the organisation, to become more flexible by investing in additional training, or to seek greater responsibility is influenced by the pay that they receive (Milkovich et al, 2007: 19). A compensation system should not stand in the organisations way of retaining talented and productive employees. One of the main causes of employee turnover is inadequate compensation (Grobler, Warnich, Carrell, Elbert Hatfield, 2006). Tensions will result if employees feel that they are not being treated equally and this may cause employees to reduce their future efforts, change their perceptions regarding rewards for their efforts or leave the organisation (Grobler et al, 2006). Managements goal is to minimise turnover and lost production due to feelings among employees that they are not being compensated equitably. In order to ensure greater equity among jobs, a process known as job evaluation may be embarked upon, whereby a systematic relationship between the pay scales for jobs within an organisation is created. Job evaluation is the systematic determination of the relative worth of a job within the organisation that results in an organisations pay system (Grobler et al, 2006: 404). When comparing jobs, the following factors are taken into account: the skills needed to complete the job, the efforts needed to perform the job, the responsibilities of the job holder, and the working conditions of the job (Grobler et al, 2006). Job evaluation is preformed in order to develop a system of compensation that employees will consider to be fair, and in this way internal consistency among jobs is obtained. Internal consistency thus refers to the relationship between the pay structure, the design of the organisation and the work (Grobler et al, 2006). It is important to design a pay system that supports the work flow, is fair to employees and directs their behaviours toward organisation objectives (Grobler et al, 2006: 404). Many organisations are dividing their employees and creating different compensation plans for the different employee groups. For example, the executive team will be compensated one way, while a different approach will be used for the sales team, and yet another set of rules will apply to those working in the admin department. In todays business environment, a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effectiveness (OConnell, 2007). Compensation methods have undergone a number of changes over the years such as the use of performance pay and other contingent systems of reward, the flattening of pay scales with fewer but broader pay grades and flexible cafeteria-style benefit systems (Brewster, Carey, Grobler, Holland Warnich, 2008). This new approach to compensation is known as strategic pay and is much more suitable to todays changing organisational environments and structures. Strategic pay flows from and implements an organisations business strategy. The old methods of compensation were associated with job-evaluated pay structures, time and seniority (Brewster et al, 2008: 188). These old methods were appropriate for hierarchical organisations who operated in a stable environment. Internal pay structures must be designed in such a way that employees will be motivated to achieve the organisations objectives. There must be a clear line-of-sight between each job and the objectives of the organisation. It is also essential that the structure is fair to all employees (Milkovich et al, 2007). To motivate employees, management can build the following ideas into their strategic pay structure: increase the proportion of pay contingent on performance, increase the potency of variable pay by making base salaries only moderately competitive, broaden the range of incentive schemes to include linking pay to group and organisational performance as well as individual performance, identify new performance measures of business success, and introduce flexibility into compensation plans so that rewards extend beyond monetary ones to include prizes and recognition (Brewster et al, 2008: 188). Pay structures vary among organisations depending on the number of levels within the organisation, the pay differentials between the levels, and the criteria used to determine the levels and differentials i.e. work content and its value. People are usually paid more if their job requires more knowledge or skills than another job, if their working conditions are unpleasant, or if their job adds a great deal of value. One reason for pay differentials is to motivate employees to work towards promotion and a higher-paying level (Milkovich et al, 2007). Internal structures are shaped by both external and organisation factors. External factors include: economic pressures; government policies, laws and regulations; stakeholders; and cultures and customs (Milkovich et al, 2007: 75). Organisation factors include: strategy; technology; human capital; HR policy; employee acceptance; and cost implications (Milkovich et al, 2007: 75). With regards to economic pressures, one job is paid more or less than another because of differences in relative productivity of the job and differences in how much a consumer values the output (Milkovich et al, 2007: 76). It will only be worthwhile to employ an additional worker if they can produce a value equal to the value of their wage. This is referred to as marginal productivity (Milkovich et al, 2007). The supply and demand for labour, products and services all affect internal structures. Organisations are constantly forced to redesign their work flow and employees must continuously learn new skills in order to keep up with changes in competitors products and customers tastes. Unpredictable external conditions require pay structures that support agile organisations and flexible people (Milkovich et al, 2007: 76). Government policies, laws and regulations also have an impact on the internal pay structure. Our law gives everybody the right to fair compensation. This is also known as the right to a living wage. Laws have also been put in place to govern minimum wages (Brewster et al, 2008). Pay-related legislation tries to achieve social welfare objectives by regulating economic forces (Milkovich et al, 2007). The government has influenced compensation by legislating pay levels, hours of work, pay for overtime and holidays and non-discriminatory pay practices (Grobler et al, 2006: 187). The Basic Conditions of Employment Act has a direct impact on a companys compensation strategy. Unions, stockholders and political groups also influence the internal pay structure. In order to promote solidarity among members, unions generally prefer small differences among jobs and seniority-based promotions. Stockholders compare the salaries paid to executives with the salaries paid to others in the organisation. Stockholders are interested in this difference (Milkovich et al, 2007). If the pay structure is not aligned to the organisations strategy it can become an obstacle to the achievement of the organisations goals. Another factor that has an impact on internal structures is human capital. Human capital refers to the education, experience, knowledge, abilities and skills required to perform the work (Milkovich et al, 2007: 78). The technology used will influence the organisational design, the work that needs to be performed, and the skills or knowledge that is needed to perform the work (Milkovich et al, 2007). The organisations other HR policies also have an impact on the internal pay structure. The more levels an organisation has, the more promotions it can offer, but the pay differences between the levels may be smaller. It is believed that when promotions take place often, even if they do not include pay increases, employees develop a sense of career progress (Milkovich et al, 2007). Some companies develop talent from within the organisation. This also se rves to retain top talent. These candidates are promoted when job vacancies arise. The result is that they do not have to employ expensive talent from outside the organisation. It is also easier to manage these individuals as they are already aligned with the culture and business priorities of the organisation. This leads to a greater return on the companys investment (Barnes, 2009). Another important factor influencing the internal pay structure is whether or not the employees involved accept it. In order to assess the fairness of their pay, employees compare the pay that they receive to that which others receive for doing different jobs in the same internal structure. They also look at what others are paid for doing the same job at competing employers (Milkovich et al, 2007). The procedures for determining the pay structure must be fair as well as the pay structure itself. It has been suggested that employees and managers will accept low pay if they believe that the way in which the pay was determined is fair. It is likely that the pay procedures will be considered fair if they are consistently applied to all employees, if employees participated in the process, if appeals procedures are included, and if the data used are accurate (Milkovich et al, 2007: 80). Pay structures do not stay constant. They change in response to external factors. An organisation will achieve much better results if the structure is aligned. The structure must be perceived as fair by the employees and it must motivate them to achieve the organisations goals. If there is a big pay differential between an entry level job and the highest level job in an organisation, it can encourage employees to stay with the employer and increase their training and experience. It can also result in greater co-operation with co-workers and for employees to look for more responsibility within the organisation (Milkovich et al, 2007). External competitiveness External competitiveness refers to the level of pay that an organisation offers in comparison with its competitors (Montemayor, 1996). This has a huge impact on the attraction and retention of talent as well as on labour cost objectives. With a high pay level, the organisation will be better able to acquire a competent workforce. By increasing the pay level, total labour costs will increase but it may also result in improved labour costs per unit (Montemayor, 1996). The efficiency wage theory states that paying above market levels can promote employee motivation that would offset any increment in labour costs (Montemayor, 1996: 891). The pay systems of many organisations are market-driven i.e. based on what competitors pay. In the hope of attracting the best applicants, some organisations set their pay levels above that of their competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). In order to compete with the external market, organisations must ensure that the pay that they are offering is sufficient to attract and retain employees. Employees are likely to leave an organisation if they believe that their pay is not competitive in comparison to what other employers are offering. Organisations must also ensure that they control their labour costs so that they can supply their products and services at a good price and remain competitive in the global economy (Milkovich et al, 2007). It is essential that when companies prepare their business strategies they decide how they are going to compete in the marketplace. For example, they can choose to compete on price, or they may prefer to differentiate themselves based on products or ser vices, they could even decide to segment the market and only focus on a particular group of buyers. Understanding the competition is key (Kaplan, 2007). Employers can better differentiate themselves from their competition by introducing learning and development programs and creating a fun and flexible work environment. These are also known as relational rewards. These initiatives will enhance employee commitment to the organisation (Kaplan, 2007). Employers that are highly-rated usually receive more employment applications as people want to work for the best organisation. The high ratings also result in improved retention of staff and greater profitability as committed employees usually provide better customer service (Kaplan, 2007). Job applicants who receive more than one offer will compare the offers and the pay scales. More weight is often placed on the salary being offered rather than on the other types of compensation, like benefits and intrinsic rewards (Grobler et al, 2006). In order to remain competitive within the local labour market, employers usually offer salaries that are similar to those offered by competitors. Employers thus need to know what the going rate is for jobs within the local labour market. Wage surveys as well as published market data can be used to determine the average salaries for various positions. These methods assist the organisation in maintaining external consistency with other organisations (Grobler et al, 2006). An important strategic decision must be made as to whether the organisation should mirror what its competitors are paying, or whether it should design its own pay structure that differs from its competitors but is aligned to the business strategy. The pay level can be set above, below or equal to that of competitors. The mix of pay forms must also be determined relative to those of competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). The following three factors shape external competitiveness: labour market factors, product market factors and organisation factors. Together these factors influence pay-level and pay-mix decisions (Milkovich et al, 2007). As mentioned above, organisations usually claim to be market-driven. Looking at the demand and supply of labour gives one a greater understanding of how the markets work. The demand side deals with the actions of the employer i.e. the number of new employees they require, and what they are willing and able to pay them. The supply side deals with the potential employees i.e. their qualifications and the pay that they are likely to accept (Milkovich et al, 2007). The market rate is found at the point where the demand for labour meets the supply of labour. In the short run, the only way that an organisation can change its level of production is by changing its level of human resources. The other factors of production, such as technology, capital and natural resources are fixed in the short run. The marginal product of labour is the additional output associated with the employment of one additional person (Milkovich et al, 2007: 207). However, each additional employee hired will produce less than the previous employee due to the fact that the factors of production are fixed. Each employee thus has fewer resources to work with. The additional amount that each new employee produces is known as the marginal product (Milkovich et al, 2007). When the marginal product is sold, the money that is generated from the sale is known as marginal revenue. Employers will hire new staff until the marginal revenue generated by the last hire is equal to the costs associated with employing that person (Milkovich et al, 2007: 208). At this point the employ er is maximising their profits. Therefore, in order to determine how many people to employ, a manager must establish two things: the pay level that is set by the market forces and the marginal revenue generated by each new employee (Milkovich et al, 2007). This, however, is not so easy to do in reality. With regards to labour supply, the model assumes that many people are seeking jobs, that they possess accurate information about all job openings and that no barriers to mobility exists (Milkovich et al, 2007: 209). It is not so simple in the real world. For example, the supply curve slopes upward and shows that as pay increases more people will want to take jobs. In the case where unemployment is very low, supply may not increase with offers of higher pay as everybody has a job (Milkovich et al, 2007). The model provides a useful analytical framework but oversimplifies reality. In certain instances employers pay more than the market-rate. For example, if there are negative elements to a job such as very expensive training, small chances of success, weak job security and unpleasant working conditions, employers may decide to pay higher wages in order to compensate for the negative characteristics. This is referred to as compensating differentials (Milkovich et al, 2007). As mentioned above, in terms of the efficiency wage theory, high wages can in fact increase efficiency and lower labour costs. This can be achieved by attracting more qualified applicants and encouraging existing employees to work harder or smarter. It is assumed that the pay level determines effort (Milkovich et al, 2007). An organisations ability to pay is also an important issue. The greater an organisations profits in comparison with its competitors the more it is able to share with its employees. These organisations will usually pay more that their competitors and may even pay bonuses in line with their profitability (Milkovich et al, 2007). Employers can design their pay levels and mix in such a way that a signal is sent to both current and future employees as to the kinds of behaviour that they require. This is known as signaling. For example, if the organisations base pay is below the market-rate but they offer good bonuses, they may be sending a signal that employees who are risk takers are required. If the organisation pays the market wage and offers no performance-based pay, a different signal is sent and different people are attracted. Signaling helps to communicate expectations (Milkovich et al, 2007). There are also two theories that help us to understand employee behaviour. A job seeker will not accept a job offer if the wage is below a certain amount irrespective of the other benefits or job attributes. This is known as the reservation wage. It may be above or below the market-rate (Milkovich et al, 2007). The second theory is the human capital theory. In terms of this theory, those who have improved their productive abilities by investing in themselves through education, training etc will earn higher wages (Milkovich et al, 2007). The next factor that shapes external competitiveness is the product market and ability to pay. To a large extent, product market conditions determine what the organisation can afford to pay its employees. The organisations ability to change what it charges for its products and services is affected by the demand for the product and the amount of competition (Milkovich et al, 2007). An employer who increases their wage level will either choose to increase its prices, thereby passing the higher labour costs on to consumers, or it can choose to keep prices fixed and pay the increased labour costs out of their revenues. If an employer is operating in a very competitive market they will not easily be able to increase prices (Milkovich et al, 2007). Lastly, organisation factors include characteristics that are unique to each organisation and their employees such as: industry and technology, employer size, peoples preferences and organisational strategy (Milkovich et al, 2007). The industry in which an organisation competes influences the technologies used (Milkovich et al, 2007: 216). Lower wages are paid in labour-intensive industries than in technology-intensive industries. When new technology is introduced within an industry, pay levels are also affected (Milkovich et al, 2007). Large organisations generally pay more than small ones. In big organisations, talented people have a greater marginal value as they are able to influence more people and decisions resulting in larger profits for the organisation (Milkovich et al, 2007). Better understanding of employee preferences is increasingly important in determining external competitiveness (Milkovich et al, 2007: 217). It is, however, difficult to measure preferences. It has been found that pay is more important to people than they are willing to admit (Milkovich et al, 2007). With regards to organisation strategy, some employers compete by adopting a low-wage, no services strategy. These organisations, such as Nike and Reebok, often rely on outsourcing to manufacture their products. Other organisations may choose a low-wage, high services strategy or even a high-wage, high services approach (Milkovich et al, 2007). Employers will pay more than their competitors if the job has a direct impact on the success of the organisation. Pay levels will equal that of competitors in jobs that have less of an impact on the success of the organisation. Evidence shows that those organisations with higher-skilled workers who make use of high-performance work practices and computer-based technology also pay higher wages (Milkovich et al, 2007). The integration of internal alignment external competitiveness In order for a compensation strategy to be successful it must blend internal consistency with market competitiveness, and must be structured to recognise the credentials, knowledge and performance of the individuals involved (Martocchio, 2001). An appropriate compensation policy is designed around the organisational structure, competitive position, leadership style and the strategic plan of the organisation (Santone, Sigler Britt, 1993: 86). A mentioned above, one of the main causes of employee turnover is inadequate compensation. The competitiveness of pay will affect the organisations ability to achieve its compensation objectives, and this in turn will affect its performance (Milkovich et al, 2007: 221). It is common for organisations to match the rates paid by their competitors. If organisations fail to do so, the existing employees will be unhappy and the organisations ability to recruit will be limited (Milkovich et al, 2007). Such a policy will result in the organisations wage costs being similar to that of its product competitors and the organisations ability to attract new employees will thus also be similar to its labour market competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). Job evaluation, whereby the worth of a job within an organisation is determined, is performed in order to develop a system of compensation that employees will find fair. In this way, internal consistency among jobs is obtained (Grobler et al, 2006). However, if a competitor is willing to pay an employee a higher wage to do the same work, the employee will leave their current job to earn better pay elsewhere. An employer must therefore not only consider what they are willing to pay for a particular job but also what the competitors are paying for the same job. This is important if they want to attract and retain quality workers. Conclusion It is important that companies ensure that their reward systems are aligned with their organisational goals, strategy and culture. Strategic compensation allows for employees to earn incentives if they accomplish company goals. Compensation has a huge effect on recruiting, retaining and motivating people. The compensation strategy of an organisation also has a direct impact on its performance. Internal alignment and external competitiveness should be integrated when forming the pay structure. Practical Core strategy details ABSA SARS Objectives -Attract and retain high quality individuals with the optimum mix of skills, competencies and values. -Motivate and reinforce superior performance. -Encourage the development of skills and competencies required to meet current and future objectives. -Employees should share in the success of the business. -Drive productivity, service quality and cost efficiency. -Enable employees to perform at their peak. -Build a skills inflow through the graduate and youth recruitment programme. Internal alignment -Remunerate people fairly and consistently according to their contribution. -Ensure that employees of equal value are remunerated more or less equally. -Parity in the immediate environment is the most important. -Fair remuneration. -Recognition system. -Employee development. -Talent management. Externally competitive -Set cost to company (CTC) at the market median. -Reads the market regularly to strategically position itself at mid-market for fixed remuneration packages with differentiation between employees via variable reward programmes. -Differentiates aggressively between levels of performance. -Emphasis on variable pay i.e. incentive and commission schemes. -Incentive system in place. Employee contributions Direct rewards (standard): Fixed remuneration (CTC), allowances, overtime, leave encashments, variable/ performance based pay (long and short-term incentives). Direct rewards (non-standard): Commission. Indirect reward: Recognition rewards (prestige awards, service heroes, long service awards). Bursaries for employees and employee dependants. Benefits: free banking, staff interest rates, disability support fund, leave. -Fixed remuneration, allowances. -Overtime. -Government subsidies. -Incentive pay. Management -Open and transparent communication. -Objective remuneration decisions. -Show genuine care and concern. -Create an enabling environment. Rewards/ compensation strategic map LOW HIGH Objectives Attraction and retention Superior performance Quality service Please see attachment Internal al

My Experience with Computers :: Technology Essays

My Experience with Computers Walking down the hallway to computer class excited me and made me a little anxious. The world of technology was slowly opening up to me. It was the year I took my first computer class. I learned how to push a button to start the computer, open up a program, and type. It was interesting, but my fear that I would accidentally hit the wrong key and make the computer crash overshadowed my ability to enjoy it. I would have to learn to conquer that fear, as digital technology became a part of my every-day life. Computers became more common around school as I got older. In fifth grade, there was actually one computer in the classroom. I rarely practiced it, except if the teachers made us do an exercise using it. I picked up the skill more readily when I discovered the Internet. The first time I used the Internet was at my friend's house. She had gotten it and was telling me about all the people she was meeting on-line in "chat rooms." I didn't understand how you could talk to real people over the computer. I went to my friend's house and we spent hours in front of the screen talking to people from all over the country on America on-line, the popular Internet access. I was obsessed. That was the only thing we did when I went over to her house. I was amazed at the expertise my friend developed at typing; she learned it after having to carry on multiple conversations with different people who instant-messaged her all at once. I was still pecking at the keys one-by-one. Everyday I would beg my dad to get the family AOL. Finally he broke down and got it. I was glued to it for the first three months. Then the novelty began to wear off. I wasn't so impressed with talking to strangers anymore. I realized that people I met face-to-face I could hang out with, but I had no way of knowing that "kids" I talked to on-line weren't actually 50 year-old men.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Official Statistics In Sociological Research Essay

Official statistics are quantitative data produced by local and national government bodies, and can cover a wide range of behaviour including births, deaths, marriages and divorce, income, crime, and work and leisure. Official statistics can be produced as a by-product of the normal workings of a government department, but they can also result from research designed specifically to produce them. Two main sources of official statistics are the government and its departments, and surveys. For example, government departments such as the Home Office and Education and Skills request; process and then publish information from organisations such as local tax offices, social services and hospitals. An example of a source of surveys that produce official statistics is The Office for National Statistics, which is a government agency and is responsible for compiling and analysing statistics. Every ten years this agency carries out the Census of the Population, which covers every household in the UK. By law each head of household must complete a questionnaire that includes family composition, housing occupation, transport and leisure. Official statistics are used by sociologists because of their many advantages. A main plus is that official statistics are often compiled from data which has been gathered from a large sample size. The majority of sociologists could probably not afford to carry out such vast research. The size of the sample also tends to increase the representivity of the statistics. They also tend to be well organised and planned when researched, so the standards of sociological research can be met. Official statistics are usually readily available and relatively inexpensive, so sociologists can spend more time and money analysing data than collecting it. Statistics can also sometimes be the only source available for a specific topic, such as unemployment figures. Another advantage is that statistics allow sociologists to make comparisons over time, as they are usually produced regularly, for example the Population Census, which is carried out every ten years. This is similar to longitudinal studies, however the sample size of official statistical data is usually much larger. Looking at the above advantages, it would be easy to draw a conclusion that official statistics are in fact very useful as a source of data, however there are also important disadvantages to official statistics. Official statistics are not always produced in a useful form, making them harder for a sociologist to analyse and draw any trends and patterns from. Another disadvantage is that statistics do not always measure what they intend to measure. For example the Home Office Crime Rates Statistics do not take into account the fact that not all crime is reported. This can decrease the representivity of the data. Another factor which must be considered when interpreting official statistics is that because official statistics are usually produced by the government, they may be politically biased, for example to show that their policies are having the predicted effect. A well-known example of this is that the method of collecting unemployment statistics has changed many times, which gives the appearance that the unemployment rate it falling. From these disadvantages it would appear that although statistics can be very enlightening and useful, there are several pitfalls, which cannot always be avoided. Positivists view official statistics as a potentially valuable source of quantitative data; however they do recognise that statistics have several faults. They generally agree that statistics can provide measures of behaviour that can be used to investigate possible ’cause and effect’ relationships. However Interpretivists, in particular ethnomethodologists and phenomethodologists, reject the use of official statistics for measuring or determining certain behaviour of which they refer to. Cicourel and Atkinson believe that statistics are the products of meanings, which are assumptions of those who construct them. However, although they think that official statistics are not social facts, but social constructs, this does not mean they are not of sociological interest. Phenomenologists believe that they can be studied in order to discover how they are produced. Cicourel said that this is the only use of official statistics, partly because all statistics involve classifyin g things, when such decisions are really subjective. When assessing this view, it seems it cannot be applied to all types of official statistics, especially those concerning data on age and gender. Although there may well be considerable room for interpretation when considering whether, for example, a sudden death is suicide, there is less room for interpretation when deciding whether someone is male or female. Conflict theories such as marxist and feminist theory, argue that official statistics are neither hard facts or subjective meanings. Instead they believe they consist of information which is systematically distorted by the powerful institutions in society. Although the statistics are not complete distortions, they are manipulated through the definitions and procedures used to collect the data, so that they tend to favour the interests of the rich and powerful. One example of this is the claim by Anne and Robin Oakley that official statistics are sexist. They have pointed out that in eighty-percent of cases a man is defined as the head of the household, and that women engaged in housework or unpaid domestic labour are defined as economically inactive, despite the contribution which housework makes to the economy. These theories suggest that official statistics aren’t particularly useful in presenting a valid picture of an area of society. Compared to other methods of collecting data, official statistics can seem both superior and inferior. As a secondary source of data official statistics come ready coded and presented, which can be hard to do with some data, particularly qualitative. However this categorised data may not be categorised in the exact way a sociologist might prefer it, so this is a definite disadvantage. Like questionnaires and social surveys, official statistics produce quantitative data, can generally cover a fairly large sample size, and are pre-coded. Again, like questionnaires and social surveys, the data can be manipulated to support or reject a hypothesis; for example by the way the data is collected and categorised. Official statistics are generally not an in-depth profile of the sample being researched, unlike methods such as participant observation and longitudinal studies. However because these studies are more in-depth, they also tend to have a smaller sample size than statistical data. To conclude, it seems that although there are many benefits to using official statistics as a source of data, they must be treated with caution, bearing in mind the social processes involved in their collection. Although some see statistics as social constructions rather than social facts, official statistics do often provide a unique opportunity for sociologists to obtain data the whole population. This would otherwise be far too expensive and time-consuming for a sociologist to collect themselves.

Examine The Advantages Some Sociologists May Finds When Using Participant Observation

Participant observation is where the researcher joins the group or community they are studying, the researcher will participate in the activities over a period of time, to do this, the researcher attempts to become accepted in order to collect more valid research and to try and see the world in the way the group does. There are two types of participant observation, Covert and Overt.Covert participant observation is where the researcher will take an undercover role in order to do research into the group they wish to study, there is normally a ‘gate keeper’ within this group that knows the researcher is there to do research, the gate keeper helps get them into the group to do this research. Overt participant observation is where the researcher takes a more open role; they openly ask the group if they will allow the researcher to study them.Interpretivists prefer participant observations as they argue that it’s the most effective way to understand the meanings people give on certain things, they also prefer it as there is a greater chance of developing their understanding further by verstehen. An advantage of covert participant observation could be that more valid research will be gained as they study is true to life when compared to overt research. With overt participant observation there can be a risk of less valid data due to the Hawthorne Effect; this is where the presence of the researcher can affect the way the participants behave.With both covert and overt participant observations rapports can be made which may lead to more valid data and data that is normally hard to reach as the group that the researcher is studying will begin to trust them. However, this can take time and can be less practical. An example of this is Eileen Barker’s study on the Unification Church, she studied the ‘Moonie’s’ over 7 years, gaining the trust of the participants, who soon saw her as a friend, thus enabling her to gain more valid and truthful research.By doing this, Barker gained verstehen meaning she could understand the feelings of the people she was studying, empathising with them; as a result she developed a further understanding of their way of life. Other practical issues with covert participant observation are that it can be hard to find a gate keeper to let the researcher into the group. Both covert and overt research are very time consuming and cost a lot, so the study must be worth the time of studying.Both covert and overt observations can be low in reliability as they are hard to replicate and get consistent results. Researchers may remember and interpret things differently thus reducing the reliability of the research even further. This tends to be more of a disadvantage with covert research as they are unable to write down everything the group being studied says as it will risk their cover and could ruin the research.With an overt role, this can be avoided as they are able to take notes in the open, and can use different types of methods such as interviews or questionnaires. Covert participant observation tends to be more unethical than overt participant observation as the researcher doesn’t ask the group for consent thus deceiving the group, the researcher may take part in illegal acts in order to maintain cover, an example of this is Patrick, he studied a gang in Glasgow over four months, during his time in the gang he was required to partake in burglaries to keep the trust of the gang.To prevent this, researchers may want to take more of an overt role, which means they have an honest and open role within the group, meaning there is no deception and they won’t have to take part in illegal acts. Positivists don’t like participant observation as it’s hard for them to gather quantitative data, so they aren’t able to generalise or see patterns or trends.

An Opportunity to Give the Unwanted Youth a Happy Home Essays

An Opportunity to Give the Unwanted Youth a Happy Home Essays An Opportunity to Give the Unwanted Youth a Happy Home Paper An Opportunity to Give the Unwanted Youth a Happy Home Paper Adoption is one of the greatest ways for loving responsible couples to give unwanted youth a happy home. As the number of children in the care of foster homes and orphanges grow, adoption is a vital way for children from broken homes as well as potential parents with a stable environment to become connected. As these families are formed, not only is it important to learn new heritage, but also it is equally important for adoptive children to be informed of their biological heritage as well. Adoptive parents have an obligation to diclose all pertinent information to their adoptive children, to include the identity of their birth parents. As children grow and develop, the desire and curiosity for them to know their biological parents will also grow. Questions concerning the origin of their eye color, hair color and their looks in general almost always arise. Curiosity of where children develop certain natural talents and interest never seem to be fully answered without a good knowledge of biological lineage. This information is very important to every human being, including adoptive youth. No one should be denied the right to know everything that can be learned about themselves. As these adoptive children grow into mature and respectable adults, certain issues concerning health will usually begin to surface. Genetics play a big role in determining our physical and mental well-being. many preventable illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and anxiey may all be avoided if certain risk factors are addressed early in the adoptive childs life. Without a detailed and adequate knowledge of family health history, many individuals are subject to making critical health decisions such as dieting and stress management which can eventually result in disease and illness. It is imperative for everyone, especially adoptive children, to know his/her family history. It can drastically affect ones health both mentally and physically. Knowledge of family history also gives a person a sense of self and belonging that no other component can bring to a family unit. It completes the vision of where one came from without limiting how far one can eventually go in life. Our society must not allow our youth to live in darkness and doubt about their biological background. We should never consciously withhold informatoin concerning the family history of any child, especially adoptive children. They have a right to know their biological parents and we, as prents, should have an obligation to tell and to expose them to a healthy, bright, and productive future!

Free Essays on Red Convertible

The Cost of War Vietnam was a hell on earth for the solders that were forced to fight it. The solders that had a bad experience were traumatized beyond help. The story â€Å"The Red Convertible† was a story about a man named Henry that was sent to Vietnam and upon his return was never the same. Lyman, Henry’s younger brother, narrates the story and he was fortunate not to have to fight. Henry did not get enough support when he really needed it. When Henry came back from Vietnam he was traumatized. He never acted the same and his family never recognized him from before he left. His actions seem to be more hostile to everyone. Henry seemed always withdrawn and overly aggressive upon his return. Before he went into the service he had a good relationship with his brother and acted a little â€Å"loony†. The part of the story where they go on a road trip with their new convertible defines Henry’s personality. Henry and Lyman were driving around when they saw a girl named Susy walking along the road, on a whim they both decide to pick her up and give her a ride home. When they find out where she lives in Alaska they don’t care and they drive her home. They were both so carefree that they decided to go take her home. Henry and Lyman were so charismatic that Susy’s family took them in as their own. When Susy let down her hair and Henry held her up on his shoulders showed what a carefree and expressive p erson he was. Lyman seemed to have all the luck and that led to Henry’s resentment toward him. Lyman seemed to be a prodigy with making money. He was so good that he was able to own a restaurant at the age of 16. And he showed he good luck more by getting a good number on the draft where Henry got a bad one and so he signed up for the military. Henry’s hostility toward Lyman manifested by him not going through the same experience, and Henry not getting any help. Henry was unbalanced when he came back from the war. He didn... Free Essays on Red Convertible Free Essays on Red Convertible Unable to Cope in Erdrich’s â€Å"The Red Convertible† In the short story â€Å"The Red Convertible† Louise Erdrich writes about two brothers who were Chippewa Indians, living on a reservation in the 1970’s. Lyman, the youngest brother, reveals how an event in his older brothers life, Henry’s, turned him inside out, dwindled from the person he was. Lyman’s story is about how Henry changes, before the war Henry was out going, liked telling jokes and hanging out with his brother. After Henry comes home from being drafted into the Vietnam War; he doesn’t talk or laugh and is to himself, Lyman even destroys the car they shared, trying to bring his brother back. Henry worked at Jewel Bearing Plant before the layoff. He didn’t seam as lucky with money as his brother Lyman. â€Å"But Henry was never lucky in the same way as me.†(409) Lyman became owner of a restaurant at sixteen. â€Å"It wasn’t long before the whole thing was mine.†(407) Henry didn’t seam to have a problem with Lyman’s good fortune; he loved his brother, they did every thing together. Lyman and Henry bought a red convertible together and traveled all summer in it. Henry liked having fun and making people laugh. â€Å"Then my brother Henry did something funny†¦he started twirling, this way and that, so her hair was flung out from side to side. â€Å"I always wondered what it was like to have long pretty hair,† Henry says. (408) Henry liked to talk; he never met a stranger, â€Å"†¦talking to whoever sat with us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (409) After three years of being a prisoner of war, Henry came home. â€Å"†¦Henry was different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good.† (409) Lyman knew that Henry would be different from the experiences he under went in the war, he didn’t know how deep the wounds ran in his brothers mind. The way Henry acted, never smiling or talking and always jumpy, unable to deal with everyday life; even his friends quite coming around. â€Å"†¦now y... Free Essays on Red Convertible The Cost of War Vietnam was a hell on earth for the solders that were forced to fight it. The solders that had a bad experience were traumatized beyond help. The story â€Å"The Red Convertible† was a story about a man named Henry that was sent to Vietnam and upon his return was never the same. Lyman, Henry’s younger brother, narrates the story and he was fortunate not to have to fight. Henry did not get enough support when he really needed it. When Henry came back from Vietnam he was traumatized. He never acted the same and his family never recognized him from before he left. His actions seem to be more hostile to everyone. Henry seemed always withdrawn and overly aggressive upon his return. Before he went into the service he had a good relationship with his brother and acted a little â€Å"loony†. The part of the story where they go on a road trip with their new convertible defines Henry’s personality. Henry and Lyman were driving around when they saw a girl named Susy walking along the road, on a whim they both decide to pick her up and give her a ride home. When they find out where she lives in Alaska they don’t care and they drive her home. They were both so carefree that they decided to go take her home. Henry and Lyman were so charismatic that Susy’s family took them in as their own. When Susy let down her hair and Henry held her up on his shoulders showed what a carefree and expressive p erson he was. Lyman seemed to have all the luck and that led to Henry’s resentment toward him. Lyman seemed to be a prodigy with making money. He was so good that he was able to own a restaurant at the age of 16. And he showed he good luck more by getting a good number on the draft where Henry got a bad one and so he signed up for the military. Henry’s hostility toward Lyman manifested by him not going through the same experience, and Henry not getting any help. Henry was unbalanced when he came back from the war. He didn...

Adidas is one of the famous company in sporting items industry Essay Example for Free (#2)

Adidas is one of the famous company in sporting items industry Essay Program (51) , Adidas (19) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? Adidas manager is requiring me to create and design a training program which will improve and develop their graduate employee existing skills. This report is going to target to non-graduate or college student and giving them chances to join this training program. This program is going to help trainee do their function in sporting industry Adidas Aim They are trying to build the relationship with their employee via passion, diversity. Adidas may find an excellent balance between life and work of the employee and more than that they provide an essential need for their employee such as food, drink, work benefit to encourage them which will increase business productivity Adidas Human Resource Strategy Adidas is one of the famous company in sporting items industry. At the moment Adidas are doing staff recruitment for their store which across all over the world and especially in the UK. In a past few year Adidas Human Resources Department decided to do Functional Training Program (FTP) in short- period time which giving opportunity for graduate student to get foundation and great educational qualification before for they start to become a functional professional career inside Adidas group also co-operate with internship and apprenticeships for non-graduate and student who want to work for Adidas company straight after school. We have developed on National Vocational Qualification that will contribute to the business and individual need. According to Olin and Tucker (1997) state that â€Å"National Vocational Qualification government and organisation figure out NVQ training program will develop specific profile of ability and basic knowledge of employee at any level which associated vocational area† NVQ training program focus on particular business industry or sector, it will help Adidas group to find the right employee for specific role in the sporting industry Demonstrate NVQ contribution to Adidas NVQ will also comfort organization or company decrease company cost, increase the competiveness and company productivity. Adidas group found putting resourcing in staff will change in work environment spirit and staff inspiration, much easier to recruitment staff and enhance communication in workplace. It will also make Adidas group look more professional and stand out compare to another business. In another way, NVQ are enabled to help Adidas proof to the world that business hired staff or employee has reach minimum standard quality. NVQ to individual needs NVQ programme provides the portfolio for learner or employee which help learner or employee able to learn-practical or work- the related task which helps them to develop their skills and knowledge to do a job more effectively. National Vocational training program intended to develop employee existing skills and that will improve business performance, NVQ is going to evaluate the staff able to carry out their job as indicated a set of rule in an organization, which rely on work performance. Adidas can adapt NVQ training program to improve their standard via examination. Main body NVQ training program overall design 164465275336000It has a variety of ways to get NVQ: succeeding a normal training program, blend of casual and informal or starting to have a learning approaches or just based on the past capability. NVQ framework are design to testing learner capacities in the working environment. To achieve a NVQs qualification the employee or learner have to demonstrate that there can do certain task which related to the roles or area that they apply to the company or business. NVQs training program are going to do the evaluation in a blend of courses by portfolios are going to confirm and proof that what you have done in training program and perception, an assessor will check and may give reference to the company that you can do the task that related to the business. Following by Malcom (1996) â€Å"NVQs framework system made as capability are created, course are movement and exchange are distinguished. Framework task is to provide a reasonable sorting for NVQs and facilities delivery and progres sion both external and internal of competence† NVQ are design for adult and young people who want to improve their skills to increase their work performance which will lead to build up business productivity. NVQ are set level for the learner from level 1 to level 5, in lowest level are going to aim at company operation and highest level for manager position. NVQ are suitable for people are working are in college and having a part- time job are at school are fulfilled apprenticeship NVQs training program delivery strategy Focus on employee and trainee ought to acclimate themselves with structure, substance and evaluation requirement of certificate previously planning a training program course NVQs training program is delivery to any trainee or learner in many ways which Meets the learner and trainee need and capabilities Pleased acquired qualification NVQs is going to provide to learner and trainee the other skills that not a part of the qualification but will help them improve the existing skills Literacy / language / numeracy Critical thinking and personal learning Individual and social advancement Employability Where pertinent, this could include empowering the possibility to get to applicable capabilities covering these abilities. 1651004191000 With these detail in overall design and delivery training of NVQs. This program will bring benefit to the Adidas group. This will include manage time to teaching so not spend much time or little time on teaching. If too much teaching due to costly and the material which delivery to training or learner can be confusing. Spend little time on training will not improve and maximise trainee skills. More over this training program is classify trainee or student what their aim in training and link back to business role they apply for. In addition, NVQs training program is measuring the employee and trainee by knowledge, attitude and skills. It’s going to be connect between organisation and employee. Moreover, Jim and Roger (2009) suggested that â€Å"Training program is providing individual chance to perform their task more effectively and it will help an organisation get the current target† Finally, NVQs training program may bring benefit to learner and Adidas group by motiva ting, group or personal to inspect current implementations and working environment. NVQs material and exercise support NVQs objective NVQs are cooperate with many practical organisations to become a leader in development skills. They are doing services to training suppliers, employers and learner over an assortment of sector to satisfy the need in workplaces. NVQs certificate or capabilities are estimated by employers all over the world, helping people to build up their talented and capacities for profession career. NVQ Training plan The NVQs is aiming to the employee of Adidas who contributes to the work performed. As, Mayo (2000) â€Å"training plan may have added by Human Resource Department purpose, weigh into the advantages of an individual group in particular organization†. It is including Personal skills: Knowledge/ skill/experience, ability to do the task and what employee will convey to the work from the other part of their social life Personal motivation: desire, goal, work inspiration. Workplace environment: The background of the business, personal respect, free to renovate. Teamwork efficiency: having a same objective and values, helpfulness, communal respect Essential material need in NVQs Assessment and homework to consider becoming the important material in NVQs. It gives speedy and basic methods for checking employee has the right stuff and abilities to work in an exchange. The specialist gets his or her NVQ Level 2 or 3 by a mix of evaluation and works environment preparing, during which time they give confirm they meet the NVQs requirement. Other material, may aid to the learner or trainee to achieve NVQs qualification such as the computer, pen, folder, tablet, video or textbook Example practical organization NVQs is co-operated with City NVQs Logistic Delivery Adidas is one of the famous company in sporting items industry. (2018, Apr 24).

Give an account of the main rules of statutory interpretation and Essay

Give an account of the main rules of statutory interpretation and illustrate their operation by reference to decide cases. do these rules provide a helpful guid - Essay Example When comparing legislation with common law, statutes can change the set norms of common law but the common law can not overturn or change statutes; it can be modified by a later statute. There is a common belief that law is straightforward; actually it is not so. There are three rules being practiced by judges to interpret statutes (UK Law Online). The golden rule – when literal interpretation leads to silliness, it is improvised to a less obvious meaning. Otherwise also, there could be policy implications arising out of literal interpretations. The mischief rule – It defines the issue the Act was meant to resolve and decides on the interpretation which best suites the issue. Law Commission reports and Hansard – the journal of debates in Parliament – can also be consulted to decide the problem before the Act. Smith v Hughes (1871) LR 6 QB 597 is an example of the mischief rule (UK Law Online). The literal approach is the default position that honours Parliamentary Sovereignty. It demands that judges enforce law and not make it. The purposive approach, based on the golden rule, is preferred in Europe and the ECJ while the literal approach of statutory interpretations is the preferred choice throughout in the UK (legal Easy, 2006). In certain particular social policy implementations, the like of outlawing of sex discrimination, judges need to be flexible by using a more purposive approach (the golden or mischief rules) There is the case example of Pickstone v Freeman [1988] 2 All ER 803. The above approaches have wider applications. There are certain other rules of interpretation, which come under two sub categories (UK Law Online). Rules of Language – The â€Å"eiusdem generic† rule – a Latin phrase, which means of the same kind: It states that normal words follow particular examples for getting meanings, and are not that general or ordinary after

BUYER BEHAVIOUR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BUYER BEHAVIOUR - Essay Example to as consumer behaviour is an essential component of marketing because it helps in the determination of pricing incentives, mode of advertising and brand differentiation among others. This paper therefore seeks to identify and illustrate the concepts that facilitate understanding of buyer behaviour as well as evaluate the various models or theories of buyer behaviour with close association with the concept of neuroscience. Another area that will be looked at is the area of decision making process in consumption that gives rise to the various types of consumer purchases. To begin, buyer behaviour generally refers the process in which consumers take in order to make decisions on acquiring certain goods or services for their own use. Consumer buying behaviour is therefore a multi-staged process that involves the identification of a specific need and even goes beyond the consumption stage to an evaluation one. It is for this reason that consumers are likely or unlikely to consume one product as opposed to the other in cases where there is indifference between two products. The consumer buying process is a complex one because of the influences it relies on and the characteristics of human diversity that makes us act differently. Some research studies have also indicated that the buying behaviour can also be linked to neuroscience. It is therefore important to understand the process of consumer buying behaviour as shall be discussed in the following section. The consumer buying decision-making process model adopts a five stage interconnected process that illustrates how individuals or consumer groups will always conduct themselves before and after purchase of a product or a service (Riley 1). The first stage is the need identification and problem awareness stage. At this stage, an individual identifies a need within him or her that needs to be satisfied. The utilitarian theory has been associated with this stage of decision making. Since an individual identifies that

Technical Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technical Paper - Essay Example This is especially handy for developing graphical user interfaces. Create one (1) original example of a class with at least one (1) attribute and one (1) method. Class Person { Private String name ; Public Person (String name){ this.name = name; } Public String getName() { return this.name; } } (Hegner, 2000) The class represents a person. The attribute stored is the name of the person. The purpose of the related method is to retrieve the name of the person. The constructor stores the name of the person when you create an instance of the class person. In object oriented programming, the program can be seen as a group of interacting objects, in contrast to the conventional model where a program is essentially a list of tasks. In OOP, every object can receive messages, process data, and send messages to other objects. An object can be viewed as an independent entity with a distinctive role or responsibility (ECOOP 2010 & D'Hondt, 2010). Methods on these objects are directly related to the object. For instance, data structures in OOP tend to bear their own operators or inherit them from a related class or object except in cases where serialization is required. On the other hand, Visual Logic programs can be one extended list of commands, and more complicated programs often assemble smaller parts of these statements into subroutines or functions. Each function can perform a specific task. These kinds of designs commonly make some of the data for the program to be universal, i.e., the data can be accessed from any section of the program (ECOOP 2010 & D'Hondt, 2010). The programs allow any function to change any piece of data as they grow in size, meaning that bugs in the code can have extensive effects. Event driven programming is a technique of programming used to create responsive programs. The software created does not perform any action until the event occurs. One advantage of this method over purely procedural programming is that no concurrent data access by di fferent execution threads is required. This prevents the need for leveraging shared data with the complex procedure required for such, thus preventing a lot of bugs (Samek, 2009). The technique also makes computer applications more user friendly, meaning that they can be operated by most people without the need for expert information on computer programming languages like OOP. References ECOOP 2010, & D'Hondt, T. (2010). ECOOP 2010 -- object-oriented programming: 24th European Conference, Maribor, Slovenia, June 21-25, 2010 : proceedings. Berlin: Springer. Hegner, S. J. (2000). Intelligent help systems for UNIX. Dordrecht [u.a.: Kluwer Acad. Publ. Samek, M. (2009). Practical UML statecharts in C/C++: Event-driven programming for sembedded systems. Amsterdam:

An Issue Facing Human Resource Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Issue Facing Human Resource - Research Paper Example Rays of light slip through the recently washed window, as the sun begins its journey through the sky. A copy machine sounds in the background as well as the quiet hum of hundreds of people beginning their day in their cubical. This is the typical office scene that has defined work culture for the past several decades. There is a change on the horizon, however, that has begun to alter this scene and could prove to permanently change what the ‘typical’ office is defined as. This change, brought on by advance technology and rising cost for both employers and employees is, telecommuting. Telecommuting, or an employee working from home, is quickly becoming the norm for many employees today. It comes with both benefits and challenges, and as with most changes to the workplace, the responsibility for ironing out this transition has been placed on human resource shoulders. However, by taking an in-depth look into the specific challenges this change brings, such as: calculating w ork hours, maintaining office culture and community, and keeping lines of communication open. One can successfully apply good human resource strategies to them, and affectively integrate this new technological practice into the company for all to benefit. The first challenge brought by telecommuting is how to calculate hours worked. When an employee is working from home it is hard for a company to affectively manage whether or not time is spent working or doing other things. One successful approach to this issue is implementing performance management skills for all departments company wide. Performance management bases rewards, and job recognition on the outcome produced, as well as the process one takes in achieving to said outcome. This proves most beneficial when trying to manage the success of an employees work hours when they are away from the office. The company can then set up a schedule for how many hours it should take to complete a task and pay the employee accordingly. Th is type of performance management is not only beneficial for employees that are telecommuting, however, it also benefits for all employees and managers. The American Society for Public Administration, upon switching to a performance management style, stated that, â€Å"Requirements for outcomes-based performance management are increasing performance-evaluation activities at all government levels† (Heinrich 712). This increase in performance evaluation activities comes as a direct result of the fact that performance management focuses on the steps needed to complete the task, it allows room for the employee to feel comfortable asking for help when needed, and not just when a major problem arises, and it gives direct feedback and praise for a job well done. This management style also requires continual communication between employee and management, which helps the telecommuter stay, focused and connected with their company. Another challenge telecommuting brings, that relies he avily on the human resource department to remedy, is maintaining office culture and community when employees are not working in the office. A study done by the Journal of Applied Psychology found that telecommuting less than two days a week had little to no affect on the workplace relationships, however, they stated, â€Å" high-intensity telecommuting (more than 2.5 days a week) accentuated telecommuting's beneficial effects on work-family conflict but harmed

The financial crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The financial crisis - Essay Example Lehman Brother’s was one of the major victims of this crisis, and its bankruptcy acted as a catalyst in such a situation. The decline of Lehman Brothers started with the abolition of the Glass-Steagall Act. This is considered as one of the legislative acts which influenced the financial institutional structure of US. This was a seminal event that intensified the financial crisis of 2008. About $10 trillion eroded away from the equity market in 2008 after the bankruptcy event of Lehman Brothers, which was recorded to be the biggest decline of all times. Answer a: Financial Crisis of 2007-2010 The financial crisis of 2007-2010 is considered as one of the worst financial crisis after the Great Depression of 1930s (Coggan, 2007; Minsky, 1992). In this section, the discussion would be specifically on such causes that led to financial crunch Right from lax regulation, housing bubble, credit rating given by the agencies, to subprime mortgage lending, pay structure of the management a nd board, and easy credit facilities, are considered to be the major causes of financial crisis. In this study each aspect will be identified, and flaws in every situation would be evaluated, so as to discuss the grounds for the downfall major financial institutions in the second section. ... However, Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999, also known as Financial Modernization Act, was an abolished part of Glass-Steagall Act of 1993 acted as a force in minimizing the gap between the traditional commercial banking institutions and the modern risky investment banks. It allowed the banks to associate with each other and engage into underwriting activities and security deals (Baily, and Elliott, 2009; The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, 2011). The Commodity Future Modernization Act which was passed in 2000, allowed over the counter derivatives to become self-regulating. Derivative was designed to be a tool that hedged risk associated with investment in securities market. However, this soon turned into a speculative tool (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2012; (Duhigg, 2008). The banks sell the loans to the investment banks, which combine different types of loans such as home loan, car loan, education loan, etc into a complex derivative instrument, called Collateralized De bt Obligations (CDOs), and further sell them in the market to the investors. The borrower of the loans when paid the loan back, the money went straight to the investors. The Sub-prime loans were also popular because it was a high interest loan taken by those who could not afford it. The return and risk of any CDO investor was dependent on the various tranches. The securitization food chain is stated below. Figure 1: Securitisation Food Chain The Credit Default Swaps (CDS) allowed the investors to invest in certain corporations without feeling the heat of direct equity exposure, as can be seen in Figure 1. By 2008 it was found that the outstanding associated with CDS was around $40 trillion, and the over the counter derivative outstanding amount was

Particle Size and Shape Measurements of Soot Using Image Analysis Lab Report

Particle Size and Shape Measurements of Soot Using Image Analysis - Lab Report Example The shapes of the particles were not purely rounded. The soot image had slightly larger particles having an area of approximately 8.6 cm squared. The solidity of the particles was found to be relatively high for the soot images that was swelling. Introduction. In industrial sectors, accurate and quick analysis of particle size distribution is of great importance. In many cases, the surface growth of the soot has been seen to be more dominant that the soot mass yield. A number of operations of mineral processing rely on the distribution of sizes and measurements that are key in bettering the efficiencies of the industrial sectors (Megaridis 14). A significant number of industrial processes of soot are mostly established through the distribution of the sizes of particles in their industrial processes. To characterize the soot growth rate, the theoretical model assessment is the surface area of the soot. For instance, the growth of the mass of soot normally comes before the abstraction of hydrogen establishing a radical surface site in the acetylene preparation. In these processes, the rate of mass addition relies on the total area of the surface and the amount of reactive surfaces. A substantial number of parameter that identify soot’s growth rate can be measured in an optical manner such as the fraction volume of the soot, temperature, and velocity. Such measurements are beneficial due to their non-intrusive nature, and the fact they occur in real time. The optical measurement of the size of the particle can facilitate the soot mass growth measurement and the rates of oxidation per surface area. A number of studies conducted on this field have determined the size of the soot particles using different methods like the electron transmission microscopy, time intensive and intrusive processes, and thermophoretic soot sampled micrograph among other methods. So far, there is no study that has used image analysis to determine the shape and size of soot particles . In this respect, a study was set to investigate the particle size and shape measurements of soot using image analysis. Theory. A digital image is made up of different pixel that are normally assigned a specific value. In the digital vision, the process of segmentation can be referred to as a partitioning process of the digital image into several segments (Harris 3). In this respect, the segmentation objective is normally to change or simplify the image representation into an easier an meaningful image for analysis. One of the simplest methods in image analysis is thresholding. Beginning with a grayscale image, binary images can be obtained through thresh holding. Binary images can be defined as digital images having only two pixel values (Sunderland 7). In many situations the two categories of colours used in binary imaging involve black and white. In this process, the shape descriptors of particles from the analysis of the image are normally determined through the use of values t hat are measured for the area, major, perimeter, and minor axis parameters. These values are normally given out through the image analyzer and can be identified as a critical tool in the particles classification of shape (Howard 1107). The calculation of the particles’s shape can be given by equation 1. C = 4pi* [Area/ Perimeter2]....................

The financial crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The financial crisis - Essay Example Lehman Brother’s was one of the major victims of this crisis, and its bankruptcy acted as a catalyst in such a situation. The decline of Lehman Brothers started with the abolition of the Glass-Steagall Act. This is considered as one of the legislative acts which influenced the financial institutional structure of US. This was a seminal event that intensified the financial crisis of 2008. About $10 trillion eroded away from the equity market in 2008 after the bankruptcy event of Lehman Brothers, which was recorded to be the biggest decline of all times. Answer a: Financial Crisis of 2007-2010 The financial crisis of 2007-2010 is considered as one of the worst financial crisis after the Great Depression of 1930s (Coggan, 2007; Minsky, 1992). In this section, the discussion would be specifically on such causes that led to financial crunch Right from lax regulation, housing bubble, credit rating given by the agencies, to subprime mortgage lending, pay structure of the management a nd board, and easy credit facilities, are considered to be the major causes of financial crisis. In this study each aspect will be identified, and flaws in every situation would be evaluated, so as to discuss the grounds for the downfall major financial institutions in the second section. ... However, Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999, also known as Financial Modernization Act, was an abolished part of Glass-Steagall Act of 1993 acted as a force in minimizing the gap between the traditional commercial banking institutions and the modern risky investment banks. It allowed the banks to associate with each other and engage into underwriting activities and security deals (Baily, and Elliott, 2009; The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, 2011). The Commodity Future Modernization Act which was passed in 2000, allowed over the counter derivatives to become self-regulating. Derivative was designed to be a tool that hedged risk associated with investment in securities market. However, this soon turned into a speculative tool (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2012; (Duhigg, 2008). The banks sell the loans to the investment banks, which combine different types of loans such as home loan, car loan, education loan, etc into a complex derivative instrument, called Collateralized De bt Obligations (CDOs), and further sell them in the market to the investors. The borrower of the loans when paid the loan back, the money went straight to the investors. The Sub-prime loans were also popular because it was a high interest loan taken by those who could not afford it. The return and risk of any CDO investor was dependent on the various tranches. The securitization food chain is stated below. Figure 1: Securitisation Food Chain The Credit Default Swaps (CDS) allowed the investors to invest in certain corporations without feeling the heat of direct equity exposure, as can be seen in Figure 1. By 2008 it was found that the outstanding associated with CDS was around $40 trillion, and the over the counter derivative outstanding amount was

Cognitive component Essay Example for Free

Cognitive component Essay The cognitive component of SWB involves making judgments of one’s life: either satisfaction with life as a whole, or satisfaction with life domains such as work, family, leisure, health, and finances (Prince, Prince 2001; Diener et al. , 1999). It can be viewed as how you think about your life (in contrast to the affective component: how you feel about your life). In this study, the cognitive component means the way the elderly perceive, think and assess their life and their beliefs and attitude toward life, world and God. Campbell (1976) suggested that individuals judge their objective situation in each of various life domains according to standards of comparison based on aspiration, expectations, feelings of what would be just, reference group comparisons, personal needs, and personal values. Domain-satisfaction provides useful information about with which aspects of life an individual may be happy or unhappy, but cannot be summed to give an overall impression of life satisfaction. This would mean that it is necessary to assess overall satisfaction with life, as well as life domains (Susan Hird, 2003). An idea that has long captivated writers is that how we perceive and think about the world determines our SWB. In the area of SWB, researchers find that one can dampen or amplify one’s emotions by what one thinks, and thereby experience more or less intense emotions (Larsen, Diener, Croponzano, 1987). This approach relies on the standards of the individual to determine what is the good life and the personal choices the person make at the moment (Diener, 1984). People might increase their SWB by control of their thoughts. For example, perhaps SWB can be increased by believing in a larger meaning or force in the universe. Support for this proposition comes from findings showing that on average religious people are happier than nonreligious people (e. g. , Ellison, 1983; Myers, 1992, cited in Diener et al. , 1997). The study explored how the elderly think about their life or what thought processes, beliefs and attitudes predominantly helped the elderly to experience a sense of well-being at this point of their lives. Affective Components (Affect Balance) It is the second component or construct of SWB, which corresponds to what we generally understand as happiness. According to (Prince, Prince 2001) affect is thought of as how happy or unhappy you are. It results from a balance between positive affect and negative affect (Christopher, 1999). As it has been already indicated, when we appraise how much we appreciate the life we live, we estimate our typical affective experience to assess how well we feel generally, which is referred to here in the study as affective component. In summary, the affective component can be thought of as how you feel about your life (Susan Hird, 2003). Suh Diener (1997) observed that feeling pleasant emotions most of the time and infrequently experiencing unpleasant emotions, even if the pleasant emotions are only mild, is sufficient for high reports of happiness. Although people report being above neutral in mood the majority of the time (Diener Diener, 1995), intense positive moments are rare even among the happiest individuals. Instead happy people report mild-to-moderate pleasant emotions most of the time when alone or with others and when working or at leisure. One thing is clear, that people need to understand that intense experiences are not the corer stone of a happy life (Diener, 2000). Mood and emotions are called ‘affect’, and there is contradictory evidence as to whether ‘pleasant affect’ and ‘unpleasant affect’ form two independent factors and should be measured separately, or whether they are interdependent (Diener et al. , 1999). The amount of difference between momentary pleasant and unpleasant affect is still debated, but the separability of long-term affective dimensions is less controversial. Diener and Emmons (1984) found that unpleasant and pleasant affect become increasingly separate as the time frame is increased (Diener et al. , 1999). In the case of the institutionalized elderly, the study examined the affective component in general, mainly how they felt generally about their lives that helped them experiencing a sense of well-being in their lives. As indicated by Christopher (1999), it is this second aspect of SWB that corresponds to what we generally understand as happiness and it results from a balance between positive affect and negative affect.

Reflection on Inter-professional (IP) Working

Reflection on Inter-professional (IP) Working Introduction. Professional development and up to date practice is a requirement of the nursing profession. Reflection is a vital component of this (Gustafson and Fagerberg, 2004) and allows nurses to critically and actively evaluate their practice in the light of current research and their own learning. Reflection has been defined as a process of describing experiences and then using reflection as a basis from which to ask questions about practice (Bowden, 2003). The NMC (2004) states that nurses should use professional standards of practice to self-assess performance. This essay evaluates my own learning in relation to the NMC Standards through the use of a reflective cycle by Gibbs (1998) (see Appendix). The focus of the reflection is Inter-professional (IP) working. IP is a fundamental component of education programmes for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (Pollard et al, 2004). The NMC (2004) states in the standards of proficiency for entry to the register that student nurses sh ould: â€Å"consult other health care professionals when individual or group needs fall outside the scope of nursing practice.† (p26). â€Å"utilise a range of effective and appropriate communication and engagement skills† (p 27). â€Å"seek specialist/expert advice as appropriate.† (p28) â€Å"establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with members of the health and social care team and others.† (p32) â€Å"participate with members of the health and social care team in decision-making concerning patients and clients.† (p32) â€Å"review and evaluate care with members of the health and social care team and others.† (p32) Description: What Happened. In providing care for clients allocated to me on the general medical ward, I engaged with the case of Mrs B, who had been admitted seven days previously from a nursing home with dehydration and confusion. Mrs B was registered blind, and required full nursing care which was delivered according to a care plan. Having been treated with IV fluids and encouraged with diet and oral fluids, she had made a good recovery and my role was to implement a discharge planning process with her, so that she could return to the nursing home. In order to assess her discharge needs, I consulted occupational therapy colleagues, dieticians, medical colleagues and social work colleagues to ensure that her needs would be met in her home environment. I also attended the ward rounds with the medical consultant and his team, to gain the expert advice needed to ensure all Mrs B’s needs were met and that she was well enough for discharge. In collaboration with other nursing colleagues and the occupational therapist, dietician and social worker, I reviewed the care plan, carried out a thorough reassessment and evaluation of Mrs B’s condition, medication and ongoing care needs, and drew up a comprehensive discharge plan, including communication to the receiving nursing home. I also discussed all of her needs with Mrs B, and her family, and ensured their input was included into the discharge plan. Feelings The sense of responsibility attached to discharge planning is considerable, and I was aware that I needed to ensure all Mrs B’s needs had been addressed. I felt uncomfortable in some of my interactions with other professionals, and frustrated at times with communication issues. Evaluation I felt confident in care planning and evaluation, having had ample opportunities to develop these skills over my training, but was also aware of the scrutiny of colleagues. This kind of scrutiny was double-edged, in that I felt uncomfortable to be the subject of scrutiny but that it also helped me to focus on the highest standards of care. It was difficult sometimes to ensure timely communication with these colleagues, and the responsibility for ensuring collaborative working and good communication was also somewhat stressful. Analysis At this stage of my training, I was very aware of requirements that I meet standards of competency related to the nursing role. This led to an initial reconsideration of what competency actually is. For example, competency has been described as being able to complete tasks (Gonczi 1993), but professional competence is much more than this. In this case, the ability to complete single tasks was evident in my ability to plan and manage care. Identifying individual nursing tasks in relation to Mrs B was a part of this process, and the process contains in-built mechanisms of evaluation which, if applied objectively, allow the nurse to ‘tick off’ tasks as achieved or in progress. But the complexity of care planning does not led itself to a simple task-based approach, and it is here that the greatest challenge to competence can be identified. The holistic approach to nursing requires the nurse work in a collaborative, inter-professional manner. In particular, it is important to take into account the context of nursing care and presence and contribution of others, including their effect on performance (Ashworth and Saxton, 1990; Field, 1991; Collins, 1991). The NSF for Older People demands the provision of care services which are based around the needs of older people and their carers (DOH, 2001). In order to meet these needs, there is a need to employ â€Å"an integrated approach to service provision†¦ regardless of professional or organisational boundaries.† (DOH, 2001, p9.) Thus IP working can be seen to be fundamental to the process of discharge planning for Mrs B. One of the challenges for my practice was to identify all the other professionals who might need to be engaged in this process. Some of these were obvious, such as the medical team, other nurses, and the dietician, who already played a fundamental role in her care management and implementation. The other professionals involved were not as obvious, and I had to consult with senior nurses to identify where other professional colleagues might be important in discharge planning. There were also other challenges in this process, in engaging with other professionals and carrying out individualised discharge planning. The NSF for Older People recognises that this has been a problem in the past, acknowledging that organisational structures have hitherto had the effect of impeding the provision of individualised care management packages (DOH, 2001.) One of the difficulties I reflected upon was the conflicting demands of such an individualised process which formed only one of my many nursing duties in a busy medical ward environment. And the sense of achievement I felt in taking such responsible role was not always reflected in the ways in which other colleagues interacted with me. Discussion with other nursing colleagues, and some exploration of the theoretical and research literature on this subject identified that this is no new experience for nurses engaged in IP working. Research seems to indicate that medical hegemony leads to the pivotal role of nurses in IP working being largely unacknowledged, which can affect the development of collaborative care practices (Coombs and Ersser, 2004). However, a new awareness of this issue made me more confident and proactive in engaging with other professionals, which led to a negotiation of sorts, during the communication process, between my role and some of their perceptions of my role and position in the institutional hierarchy. There were definite lessons to be learned from this in particular. Adapting modes of communication, paying attention to communication, and formalising communication through detailed record keeping all supported this process. I also learned how vital the nursing role is in inter-professional, client-centred working, if the highest standards of care are to be consistently achieved and maintained for every client. Some authors argue that nurses, as the primary care contact for the majority of patients, should seek to distinguish and celebrate their practice as professionally discrete from that of others because of their intimate and sustained knowledge of their clients (Price, 2006). This is a really important point, and one which allows me to take my experience forward into future practice and build on my confidence in addressing challenging situations. Conclusion I felt that I ‘matured’ through this particular care incident and my own reflections upon it, coming to terms with a sometimes uncomfortable reality of persistent hierarchies, stereotypical beliefs and defensive protection of professional role boundaries. My own competence in achieving an excellent discharge process, engaging in communication despite considerable challenges, and ensuring individualised care in an IP context were all signposts of considerable achievement in my professional journey. However, I could also have perhaps worked more collaboratively with other colleagues, qualified nursing colleagues in particular, who might have been able to give me some advance warning of these issues and perhaps identified ways in which I could overcome them. Instead, I learned the hard way. Action Plan Explore alternative strategies for inter-professional communication. Carry out further research into the challenges of IP working and its benefits. Explore ways to safely challenge rigid roles and hierarchies whilst still providing client-centred care. Seek out support from colleagues when challenging situations arise and build on this experience in future nursing practice. Carry out future cycles of reflection on similar clinical issues, and compare these to previous reflections to clearly signpost my own learning and development. References Ashworth, P. and Saxton, J. (1990).On competence. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 14, 3-25. Bowden, S.D. (2003) Enhancing your professional nursing practice through critical reflection. Abu Dhabi Nurse Summer 28-31. Collins, M. (1991). Adult education as vocation. London: Routledge. Coombs, M. Ersser, S.J. (2004) Medical hegemony in decision-making – a barrier to interdisciplinary working in intensive care? Journal of Advanced Nursing 46 (3) 245-252. Department of Health, (2001) National Service Framework for Older People. Available from www.dh.gov.uk/publications accessed 22-3-07. Field, J. (1991). Competency and pedagogy of labour. Studies in Education of Adults, 33(1), 41-52. Gonczi, A. (1993). Competence and competencies: A global perspective. Paper presented at the First National Conference on Competencies in Nursing Adelaide: Australian Nursing Federation (SA Branch) Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing. A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford Gustafsson, C. and Fagerberg, I. (2004) Reflection: the way to professional development? Journal of Clinical Nursing 13 271-280. Knight, P. (1995) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education London: Kogan Page. Neary, M. (2000) Responsive assessment of clinical competence. Nursing Standard 15 (10) 35-40. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Conduct Available from www.nmc-uk.org Accessed 30-4-07. Pollard, K.C., Miers, M.E. Gilchrist, M. (2004) Collaborative learning for collaborative working? Initial findings from a longitudinal study of health and social care students. Health and Social Care in the Community 12 (4) 346-358. Price, B. (2006) Exploring person-centred care. Nursing Standard 20 (50) 49-56. Appendix Gibbs (1988) Cycle of Reflection http://www.nursesnetwork.co.uk/images/reflectivecycle.gif