Handloom Sector

The Textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into existence in India, it accounts for 14% of the total Industrial production, contributes to nearly 30% of the total exports and is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. Today, India's textile sector comprises four important segments: †¢Modern textile mills †¢Independent Power looms †¢Handlooms and †¢Garments ROLE OF HANDLOOM SECTOR:The Handloom sector plays a very important role in the country’s economy. It is one of the largest economic activities providing direct employment to over 65 lakhs persons engaged in weaving and allied activities. As a result of effective Government intervention through financial assistance and implementation of various developmental and welfare schemes, this sector has been able to withstand competition from the power loom and mill sectors.This sector contributes nearly 19% of the total cloth produced in the country and also adds substantially to export earnings. Handloom is unparalleled in its flexibility and versatility, permitting experimentation and encouraging innovations. The strength of Handloom lies in the introducing innovative designs, which cannot be replicated by the Power loom sector. Thus, Handloom forms a part of the heritage of India and exemplifies the richness and diversity of our country and the artistry of the weavers.The Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms has been implementing, since its inception in the year 1976, various schemes for the promotion and development of the handloom sector and providing assistance to the handloom weavers in a variety of ways. Some of the major programmes relate to: †¢Modernisation and Up gradation of Technology †¢Input Support †¢Marketing Support †¢Publicity †¢Infrastructural Support †¢Welfare Measures †¢Composite Growth Oriented Package †¢Development of Exportable Products †¢Resea rch ; DevelopmentThe various schemes implemented by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms address the needs of weavers who constitute the disadvantaged social strata and occupational groups, which are at the bottom of the economic hierarchy. Concerted efforts are being made through the schemes and programmes to enhance production, productivity, and efficiency of the handloom sector and enhance the income and socio-economic status of the weavers by upgrading their skills and providing infrastructural support and essential inputs.

Elijah Heart Center

I will discuss the best options for the healthcare center; this will include evaluating funding options for capital expansion, what the best option would be when it comes to upgrading the hospitals equipment, and how bridging a working capital shortage will help to turn financial matters around. Phase l: Capital Shortages In 1998 – 1999 New York, the hospitals lost on an average $678 million due to Medicare cuts that were imposed by the Balanced Budget of 1997.It was difficult for managed care organizations to receive the full payments on managed care plans. I am assisting EACH in the best way possible to reach $750,000 for the first quarter. The simulation offered two options to choose from in order to receive the best loan to cover the remaining shortfall for Elijah Heart Center (EACH). I chose Loan option 1, it seemed to make more sense, and according to the simulation option 1 was the best to choose from to solve the working capital shortfall at EACH. In 3 months EACH will be receiving from Medicare and Managed Care Organizations to assist in loving the cash flow issue.EACH will have to pay a higher rate interest at 9. 45% but there is no repayment limitation. Loan option 2 had to be prepaid within six months (impossible without going further in debt). I also suggested that reducing a great amount of agency contracted staff would be beneficial for Elijah Heart Center as well, because the contracted workers receive much higher wages than those of the staff. The full – time staff at the care center has been there a long time and have established a patient worker relationship, the staff truly care for the patients whereas, the agency come and go.When this is implemented there will be a huge change in the â€Å"Revenue and Expenditure Projections†, and all will notice this is the most effective measure in reducing cost. I also chose changing the skill mix (first time I had heard of this), this will increase the â€Å"Revenue and Expenditur e projections† in the beginning and the future months. It is a good decision to hire unlicensed assisted personnel; they may have 40 or less hospital training but they can help out by doing such work as the Stanza's (feed, bathe, and dress the patient), and theRegistered Nurses can focus fully on his or her Job duties and the patient will receive appropriate care. By making these decisions EACH will not only save $811,249 but they would have exceeded their goal by the first quarter. The capital shortfall issue has been solved for EACH and it also is increasing. Phase II: Funding Options for Equipment Acquisition CEO Gilbert Sanchez is interested in acquiring hospital equipment such as a High- Speed CT Scanner, X-Ray Machine, and a new Ultrasound System. Mr.. Sanchez wants the best for the patients as well as the staff; having updated equipment will reduce tress, and patient wait times.The most cost effective equipment acquisition strategy would be to purchase wisely, meaning g et the best for your dollar. I liked the idea of buying refurbished medical equipment. The best option would be to purchase a refurbished High-Speed CT Scanner, do operating lease on the Ultrasound, and a capital lease on the X-Ray Machine. The High-Speed CT Scanner seems to be the smartest buy because it is the cheapest of the three, and the life span is approximately 10 years, and it is medium technology that can become obsolescent in years, it is already 5 years old, this equipment can be upgraded.Elijah Heart Center also wants to keep up with the latest technology, and in doing the Ultrasound System would be the best option for this reason, but we would need to acquire an operating lease for the low upfront payments and low monthly payments. It does cost more to keep up with the Joneses. Phase Ill: Funding Options for Capital Expansion HAD 242 Loan Insurance Program is the best choice for the expansion of She's project; this program provides mortgage insurance for hospitals. Acc ording to RuralAssistance Center (2002 – 2014), â€Å"The maximum term on the loan is 25 years, loan to value may not exceed 90%, a one-time fee of 0. 8%, the fixed annual premium is 0. 5% of the remaining balance and the FAA insures 99% of the loan amount† (HAD Section 242: Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program). This insurance can be used for remodeling, construction, refinancing, equipment and what EACH needs expansion. Hospitals are able to finance as an investment grade, and the hospital will get the lowest rate possible when it comes to borrowing funds in capital markets.The rejects Net Present Value (NP) is $221 million thru this program. In 8 years the hospital can buy back the bonds if interest rates were to decrease. In conclusion, I learned that when making money matter decisions it is best to look at all every option possible; what may seem like a good option at the time may not be good for me in the long run. Elijah Heart Center will have a promising future as long as they follow the options and strategies given. References Rural Assistance Center. (2002 – 2014). Rural Assistance Center. Retrieved from http:// www. Reconcile. Org/funding/95.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

Finance - Essay Example A business could not open and operate without working capital finance. Another purpose of working capital is addressing seasonal or cyclical financing needs. Here, working capital finance supports the build-up of short-term assets needed to generate revenue, but which come before the receipt of cash. Adequate and appropriate working capital financing ensures that a firm has sufficient cash flow to pay its bills as it awaits the full collection of revenue. When working capital is not sufficiently or appropriately financed, a firm can run out of cash and face bankruptcy. Working capital is also needed to sustain a firm’s growth. As a business grows, it needs larger investments in inventory, accounts receivable, personnel, and other items to realize increased sales. Lastly, working capital is used to undertake activities to improve business operations and remain competitive, such as product development, ongoing product and process improvements, and cultivating new markets. The components of working capital usually comprise all the components of Current Assets (Petroff, June 1, 2001). However, that is not always so in the nature of the working capital cycle. Some modifications to working capital may involve the exclusion of some components of current assets. The diagram below illustrates a simple working capital cycle of an organization. There are two elements in the business cycle that absorb cash - Inventory (stocks and work-in-progress) and Receivables (debtors owing money to the organization). The main sources of cash are Payables (your creditors) and Equity and Loans. Each component of working capital (namely inventory, receivables and payables) has two dimensions: (1) Time and (2) Money. When it comes to managing working capital, time is as valuable as money. If an organization can get money to move faster around the cycle (e.g. collect monies due from debtors more quickly) or reduce the amount of money tied up (e.g.

Fredrickson's Various Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fredrickson's Various Models - Essay Example Sherman Alexie’s assimilation story revolves around an Indian woman named Mary Lynn. She is married to a white man, Jeremiah, and they are blessed with three children. Due to conflicting cultures, she finds herself at a cross-road since she cannot find her own identity (McClinton-Temple & Velie 44). Her husband is such a racist man who even extends his hatred of other ethnic groups onto his own sons. He only loves his daughter who looks more like him. In addition, he does not just associate with all the whites, but with a subset of people, most of them being educated and affluent whites. He, however, successfully manages to get rid of some social burdens in one way or the other. Lynn spent most of her free time listening to Indian songs. This means that she could not let her culture go off her. Jeremiah believes that his wife can be fully assimilated into the white culture, if only she changes her behaviors and attitudes (McClinton-Temple & Velie 44). Ethnic Hierarchy  The a ncient American society categorized ethnic groups into different levels and classes. There was the predominant group, the whites, who are perceived as superior to other ethnic groups. The whites claimed that other ethnic groups were unfit and unready to acquire equal rights and full citizenship (Frederickson 633). Frederick’s hierarchical model can be traced back to the colonial period when blacks were enslaved and Indians were conquered. From Alexie’s assimilation story, it is obvious that all the problems that existed.... Lynn spent most of her free time listening to Indian songs. This means that she could not let her culture go off her. Jeremiah believes that his wife can be fully assimilated into the white culture, if only she changes her behaviors and attitudes (McClinton-Temple & Velie 44). Ethnic Hierarchy The ancient American society categorized ethnic groups into different levels and classes. There was the predominant group, the whites, who are perceived as superior to other ethnic groups. The whites claimed that other ethnic groups were unfit and unready to acquire equal rights and full citizenship (Frederickson 633). Frederick’s hierarchical model can be traced back to the colonial period when blacks were enslaved and Indians were conquered. From Alexie’s assimilation story, it is obvious that all the problems that existed between Jeremiah and Lynn were triggered by their cultural and religious differences. None of them was willing to abandon his or her culture and adopt other p eople’s culture. This is the reason why Lynn cheated on her husband with a fellow Indian man (McClinton-Temple & Velie 44). In the early 20th century, Americans of English ancestry, the dominant group, were not simply whites but Anglo-Saxon White Protestants. Mary Lynn found it difficult to accept and adopt Anglo-Saxon’s culture her husband belongs to; because she believes she does not qualify to join the dominant group. Jeremiah, on the other hand, believes that her wife can get fully assimilated into their culture if she changes her behaviors (McClinton-Temple & Velie 44). In the contemporary American society, the presence of socially deprived, physically unsafe and improvised barrios, ghettos and Indian reservations, indicate that

Managing High Performance commons assessment Essay

Managing High Performance commons assessment - Essay Example The firm also has to identify appropriate personnel to be promoted to management positions. This will be the focus of this paper. Performance management is defined by Armstrong as â€Å"the process of establishing shared understanding about what is to be achieved and how it is to be achieved, and an approach to managing and developing people that improves individual, team and organizational performance† (2009 p. 55). This implies that an organization has some goals or objectives to be achieved and these should be shared by all employees. In other words, employees should strive towards achieving company goals if the company is to have sustained success. However, employees are different and as such have different performance levels. Some are high performers while others are low performers and the managers should deal with low performance as early as possible for the success of the company. According to Cardy and Leonard (2011 p 137-138) it is not only low performance that needs to be checked but also high performance to understand success factors and enhance them. Rewarding high performance is also essent ial in ensuring the company maintains best talent by keeping such employees motivated. One way to achieve this goal is through promotions and recognitions. The first question that managers need to ask themselves is; who are the high performers? In this case, as a consultant I would advice the management to have a carefully devised job description which outlines what is to be performed, standards of performance, and how to measure performance (Armstrong 2009). The goals or standards against which performance is to be measured should be a mutual understanding between management and employees so that they can own up the process and be able to assess their own performance. Those who achieve beyond the expected standards are considered high performance and are best suited for promotions.

Short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short answers - Essay Example ng Congressional action with his authorship of the Federalist Papers and his stern belief in a more balanced and financially fair system of government expenditures. An early and notable military leader during the war for American independence, Washington eventually rose to become the first president of the United States. A devout American patriot, Washington was respected by many citizens in that time as both a strong military might and a fair potential president. Despite Washingtons retirement to Mount Vernon prior to being elected the first American president, he remained influential in many governmental matters until his death in 1797, supporting the idea that Congress should fund the debt of the nation. An early puritanical leader, Hutchinson maintained somewhat radical religious beliefs for that time, eventually establishing a bible study lesson for citizens who had migrated to the New World in the 1600s. Her viewpoints on religion eventually caused her to be banished from the early colonial society, however her progressive thinking in relation to religion serves, today, as a map for the evolution of religious beliefs in early colonial America. Angry over Britains imposition of excessive taxation, colonial Americans opened up crates of tea, which was set for exportation to other nations, and dumped it into the harbor to prevent England from receiving profit and taxes on the tea. The colonists were also angry that imported tea distributors/manufacturers were not paying import taxes, which could have assisted the economy of early America. This act enraged England and is noted as the starting point for the Revolutionary War. Angry over Britains constant imposition of taxes on the colonists without their approval, the term no taxation without representation involved the early colonial American belief that taxes cannot and should not be expected to be paid (or acknowledged) without some form of governmental representation that speaks on behalf of citizens.

Netflix distraction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Netflix distraction - Research Paper Example There are differing view on the subject where a few argue that distractions are quite unhealthy for humans and must be avoided to pertain one`s focus, however, others argue that what makes the humans different from robots are these distractions which turn out to play the role of replenishing the humans out of their dull busy routines. In this context, Freud may be quoted, since he is considered to be the father of psychoanalysis. He was of the view that human happiness is concerned with avoiding pain and pursuing pleasures; and the best way to achieve that is through distractions. These distractions may be perceived as a vacation away from routine, some refreshing music, a movie, venting out with peers, talking a long walk or other activities which may take one`s mind off from the routine. Nowadays, with the incorporation of technology in almost every aspect of social life, especially with the advent of digital media, distraction is more often being considered as divulgence in the di gital life. For this reason, the paper will use Netflix as a positive distraction to expand upon the significance of Netflix as an aspect of life which isn`t just undeniable, rather proves to be quite healthy for the human body. In this context, it is crucial to understand distractions in general and their placement in the human behavioral patterns. Distraction can actually be quite a useful tool once an individual is off to the baseline. Especially when distressful situations are at play, one must converge towards distractions in an attempt to avoid permanent damage to the system. The tools which the psychologists recommend in such a scenario are related towards positive reflections, body sensations, bringing a change in one`s routine and divulging in constructively distracting behavior. However, distraction must not be confused with meaningless endeavors for long intervals. Rather, distraction by virtue of

Facilitating Group Interaction6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Facilitating Group Interaction6 - Essay Example My main weakness would be my desire for perfection. In a group, it is difficult for each team member to produce equal results and even more difficult to make sure that each team member completes tasks on time. Since, I strive to achieve excellent results in a timely fashion the pressure can be overwhelming and unintentionally hinder relationships with other team members. The main conflict resolution skill utilized by this group is integration, which is a result of shared responsibility and having each group member openly express their concerns over existing problems. Each individual team member does not try to dominate another but listens to suggested changes carefully and finds methods in which these ideas can used to benefit the group, "Collaborative listening takes those attending and discerning skills one-step further. It recognizes that in listening each person has a job that supports the work of the other" (Lynch, 2004). One idea is not perceived as superior over another but is examined for is qualities to benefit the group and produce better quality results. In order to prevent conflict before it occurs the team ensures that each member is clear on their responsibilities so there is no confusion over duties. Each team member acknowledged that each task carries equal responsibility and worth thus each member shares credit for each successful task. By ensuring that each group member is aware of their value and assigning them tasks which they are able to complete and produce results that they are proud of, the whole group benefits. The group does try to change each member but respects each member's unique, individual skills that strengthen the whole team. This group is composed of many different personalities that bring their own strengths and weakness to the table. The best method of conflict management is being open to others ideas rather than dominating. The group worked best when each member was free the express their own ideas and see that these ideas were somehow integrated into the project rather than dismissed. Decision making within a group is a very challenging but rewarding task. When tackling a large problem a consensus was reached before putting a plan into action. Whenever a problem arose, the team leader notified group members. The leader of the group set up a group meeting time and encouraged team members to think of ideas before the meeting so it would produce more effective results rather than being time consuming, "Proper brainstorming should involve first an individual, then a group, followed by an individual brainstorming session" (Meade, 2007). Each team member was expected to contribute in these meetings, no exceptions. Group meetings, which involved creative brainstorming sessions, were held as a method of solving problems. Each team member shared his or her ideas on how a particular problem could be solved. The group believes that a creative approach to problem solving is effective because it generate many ideas and inspires each group member to think of better solutions to existing problems. Each idea was taken into consideration and assessed for its feasibility. Group members were free to voice their feelings towards a particular solution and were not judged if they did not agree with another

Golden Age of Poverty Reduction Essay Example for Free

Golden Age of Poverty Reduction Essay The presentation of the article related to poverty reduction does not seem too optimistic whether the global aim was actually achieved. Basically, the main argument is that poverty reduction provides only the rate of presented resolutions to alleviate the problem. However, the real figures of people under poverty are not really reflected. As time forwarded from the late 19th century up to the present, there was an actual development of social welfare services especially in the health care sector. This prompted world populations to increase and obtain extended life expectancies. But the issue of disparity between the rich and the poor was not really reduced but worsened. The main factor to blame is the capitalists’ attitude towards profitability. They fuel growth in economies but also become the catalyst for the social inequalities to expand. To summarize the main argument, general poverty incidences could have been reduced more if economic inequality had not worsened (The Free Library, 2006). References The Free Library. 2006. Todays golden age of poverty reduction: the story the World Bank and other agencies dont want you to know. International Economic Publications. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Todays+golden+age+of+poverty+reduction:+the+story+the+world+bank+and+-a0146175404

Burn out of social workers in the work place Essay Example for Free

Burn out of social workers in the work place Essay Social workers are people committed to better the lives of others and this is done through varying capacities. Some work with families, children as well as in school while others work in the medical field especially those dealing with mental health. They assist people to amicably deal with domestic conflicts, disabilities, challenging health conditions, economic problems that precipitate housing problems, unemployment as well as issues like drug and substance abuse. (www. bls. gov). Their role in policy making can also not be underscored given their efforts in conducting research and making relevant recommendations as to the best or appropriate strategies. Social workers are also quite influential in the adoption processes as well as single parent assistance. Medical and public health social workers are committed to offering psychological support to people with life threatening conditions for instance HIV Aids and Alzheimer’s disease patients. Social workers can also work in local authorities as well as in government. In pursuit of making the lives of others worth the while, social workers in their respective fields are faced by many challenges. (www. bls. gov). They have to be in constant movement from their offices to where their clients are located and back to their offices where clerical work is done. Most often than not they experience burn outs while in their work a condition that affects their productivity levels. The focus of this paper is to explain why burn out occurs among the social workers, it will illustrate how it occurs, its effects on the organization and thereafter suggest that appropriate solutions to resolve it. The term ‘burn out’ is used to refer to the process or state of mental exhaustion that has a high impact on one’s productivity. In the book Handbook of human factors and ergonomics in health care and patient safety, Carayon presents some signs and symptoms of burn outs in the work place. Burn outs leads to anxiety and lack of zeal. It causes depression and mental exhaustion, poor concentration and memory as well as increased instances of absenteeism and general poor productivity. (Carayon P, 2006). Burn outs are not good for any profession in any organization. They cause a negative impact on interpersonal communication among the various employees in an organization would definitely have a bad effect on the company’s output. (Azar T, 2000). Burn outs increases people irritability and minor issues are magnified and this can be a source of conflicts among the various employees. The overall effects of burn outs are transferred from the individuals affected to the organization as a whole. Organization risk registering high dissatisfaction levels, increased job turn over as well as low morale. In Carayon’s book burn out is defined as ‘the persistent negative work related state of mind that is characterized by exhaustion which is accompanied by distress, a sense of reduced effectiveness and the development of dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors at work’. (Carayon P, 2006). This psychological problem develops gradually and may initially be unnoticed. It arises from the contrast between one’s objectives or intentions and the reality at the job. In most cases burn outs are caused by the adherence of inappropriate or rather inadequate stress coping mechanisms. Prolonged job stress leads to burn outs among the employees in question. Burn outs lead to decreased motivation and creates anti work attitudes. (Carayon P, 2006). Social workers in the various fields experience burn outs while in their work places. This occurs when the organizations they work for fail to meet their high goals and expectations. They feel dissatisfied with their work and this dissatisfaction leads to feeling of disappointment and grief. (Soderfeldt M and Soderfeldt B, 2003). According to a 2006 research it was clear that most social workers are not contented with their work. A high percentage reported high levels of job dissatisfaction and were ready to leave their various organizations. According to them, the value of the work they did was not equivalent to the pay they received. (The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2006). Social workers suffering from burn outs may feel detached with their clients and this will definitely affect their productivity levels. (Takeda F et al, 2005). Although different people will react differently to burn outs some could isolate themselves and have poor eating and sleeping habits. Others may find solace in alcohol or smoking all of which has a negative effect on their health. The relationship between the social workers experiencing burn outs and their clients as well as with fellow workmates is negatively affected by burn out as it triggers anger. (Lewandowski A, 2003). Organizations suffer economically whenever social workers leave due to the burn out problems. They incur the costs of hiring new employees and training them to be effective. This is made worse by the fact that they have the constraint of scarce resources. Organizations or agencies that fail to address the issues presented by their employees in this context the social workers are more likely to register higher incidences of job turnover which translates to increased costs. (Lewandowski A, 2003). A major cause of the increased instances of burn outs among the social workers is attributed to lack or failure by some agencies to involve them in the decision making processes. The lack of autonomy and the increased bureaucratization in their work place makes them feel alienated or isolated. (Lundy C, 2003). The problems to be handled by social workers become difficult by the day and this demands that the organizations adjust with the changing times if amicable solutions are to be arrived at. In her book, Social work and social justice, Lundy explains that social workers have a challenging job. Financial constraint is a major set back hindering their efficiency or productivity. They have to undergo or rather face job related stress as they try to allocate the minimal resources to match the overwhelming demands. The structure of the social welfare delivery, the mandate of the agencies they work for as well as the needs of their clients also lead to increased stress which precipitates burn outs among the social workers. (Lundy C, 2003). Most social workers are in the job due to a call or vocation to help others and the failure to involve them in the decision making process hinders their effective performance. (Kreisher K, 2002). Great control of funding sources also has a negative effect on the level of satisfaction that social workers derive from their work. The reduced commitment by the government to boost the welfare sector has led to the reduction of funds which makes social work a very challenging profession. (Lewandowski A, 2003). Without the autonomy or involvement in the decision making process they are denied the chance to apply their findings or expertise to directly affect their practice. This hinders the effectiveness of various welfare programs and on not realizing their goals they are frustrated and feel helpless. The ineffectiveness of the sector that they work for may have a direct negative impact on the social workers. They may place themselves in the shoes of their clients who could be victims of abuse or violence and live in fear especially with the knowledge of how ineffective the system is. (Kreisher K, 2002). Given the emerging social and economic conditions, the involvement of social workers in the decision making process would be more of a necessity then a requirement. This would ensure that there is effective division of labor and the work load could be minimized. Workload has negative effects on the employees’ health. This can be backed by a 1999 survey by the Canadian Union of Public social workers which established that increased work load among the social workers in the development services in children aids societies had a negative impact on their well being. To a tune of 87% social workers in the various fields confessed that the increased work load had a negative on their health. (Kreisher K, 2002). Work overload precipitates burn outs. With minimal finances at their disposal, agencies or organizations dealing with welfare hire fewer people than would be required a condition that sees the social workers with a large work load at their disposal. The social workers job predisposes them to risks of physical and verbal abuse and threats at work all of which have negative implications on their mental, physical and social well being. It also has an effect on their job satisfaction levels. In the article ‘Burned out’ Kreisher Kristen argues that the poor pay given to social workers dealing with children and the youth, in the face of the tough economic times has a big role to play in boosting ‘burn outs’ among the social workers. Their job demands are increasing while their reward or pay is dwindling and this is a major disincentive for them. There is need for the welfare organizations to adjust the compensation rates to match the difficult economic times. (Kreisher K, 2002). As Lewandowski in Organizational factors contributing to worker frustration: The precursor to burnout notes disappointments among the social workers have also been aggravated by the fact that their roles or responsibilities have changed and are in contrast with their expectations. Instead of spending more time with their clients in the field they spend more time carrying out clerical work. (Lewandowski A, 2003). For the agencies or organizations accountability is of essence as they are under pressure from the financiers to show how their resources are spent. In other words the agencies are more concerned with the number of people served while the social workers are more concerned with the quality of services provided. The social workers pay is at times affected by gender bias where for instance women dealing with children are lowly paid. (Kreisher K, 2002). The burn out problem can be resolved if appropriate strategies are adopted to help the social workers face the challenges in their work effectively. Prevention of burn out can be handled both at an individual level as well as at an organizational level. Social workers can be advised to take well balanced diets, have enough sleep, talk with their workmates and share their challenges as well as create some time away from the stressful conditions. Social networks are vital as they enable one to connect with their friends and make the stress that they face easier to deal with. Identifying hobbies that would ease the work tension and pressure is also an effective way of reducing the effects of burn outs. Of mush significance is the role of organizations in resolving burn outs among the social workers. Organizations must adapt all inclusive strategies where social workers have a significant role in the decision making process. (Azar T, 2000). This makes them feel appreciated for the roles they play in the organizations. To enable social workers better manage the challenges attached to their work it is important that the social work curriculums be modified to train them on the appropriate ways to handle complex situations. Spending more time training would also ensure that they acquire immense knowledge on how to deal with real life situations. Mentorship programs would also suffice in resolving the problem of burn outs. Strong mentorship where older and experienced social workers share their experiences with younger and inexperienced social workers will provide them with adequate knowledge on how to deal with difficulties while in this job. It will reduce their job stress as they will understand that it is part of their job. Mentorship also provides them with relevant solutions to would be problems while in their jobs. Strong supervision is also vital in ensuring that work load problems that cause burn outs are effectively handled. (Kreisher K, 2002). An organization culture is also crucial in creating or reducing burn out in the work place. Positive cultures must be embraced by all means. Organizations with positive cultures go the extra mile to ensure employee retention. They make them feel that they are part of the organization and involve them in the decision making processes. They also provide financial incentives like paid vacations and health benefits. Team work is also embraced in such organizations and it ensures that job stress does not have adverse effects on the employees. Supportive co workers are essential in reducing job related stress. (Kreisher K, 2002). Organizations must also invest in making the work place safe such that the risks of being physically harmed are minimized. They can train the employees on how to deal amicably with incidences of violence. The effects of social workers burn outs on the individuals, clients and on the organizations are not desirable. The organizations must by all means ensure that employees are retained as increased job turn over sees them lose skilled, experienced and dedicated employees. They must therefore be committed to minimize the job stressors in the work environment to curb burn outs. References Azar T. 2000. Preventing burnout in professionals and paraprofessionals who work with child abuse and neglect cases: A cognitive behavioral approach to supervision. Psychotherapy in Practice, 56, 643-663. Colleen Lundy. 2003. Social Work and Social Justice: A Structural Approach to Practice. Broadview Press. Fumi Takeda. Naoko Ibaraki, Eise Yokoyama, Takeo Miyake and Takashi Ohida. 2005. The Relationship of Job Type to Burnout in Social Workers at Social Welfare Offices. Journal of Occupational Health Vol. 47 (2005), No. 2 119-125 Kristen Kreisher. 2002. Burned Out Childrens Voice Article, July/Aug 2002. Retrieved on 12 August 2008 from http://www. cwla. org/articles/cv0207burnedout. htm. Lewandowski A. 2003. Organizational factors contributing to worker frustration: The precursor to burnout. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 4, 175-185. Pascale Carayon. 2006. Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care and Patient Safety. Routledge Publishers. Soderfeldt M and Soderfeldt B. 2003. Burnout in social work. Social Work, 40, 638-647. Social Workers. Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Editions. Retrieved on 12 August 2008 from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos060. htm The Royal College of Psychiatrists. 2006. Mental health, burnout and job satisfaction among mental health social workers in England and Wales. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2006) 188: 75-80. doi: 10. 1192/bjp. 188. 1. 75.

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Hofstede stated 5 Cultural dimensions which can be used to investigate national preferences. To explain the variation of cultural dimensions in different countries, a chart illustrating all 5 Cultural dimensions is shown in Hong Kong, China and USA. Detailed explanations are given below: Power distance is the distance in the approach between the subordinates and seniors in an organization. The high Power Distance countries make use of Centralized decision making and the employees are less likely to question their seniors. Whereas, in low power distance there is decentralized organization structure and employees are more likely to question their seniors. In high Individualism, it is generally expected that people only take care of their loved ones like their immediate families, there is very less tendency that the people will work and belong to any groups. Countries with high Masculinity, there is high degree of gender differentiation and people will place much importance on recognition, challenges, wealth, earnings etc. whereas, countries with high femininity, importance is given to quality life, cooperation, friendly atmosphere, caring others etc. Uncertainty avoidance is how people feel and react in doubtful situations and has created beliefs to avoid such situations. In countries with high Uncertainty people believe on experts and their knowledge, there is need for security and people are not willing to take risks. Whereas, in low Uncertainty avoidance people tend to be ambitious and are ready to accepts unknown risks. The fifth cultural dimension was studied by using Questionnaire in various countries around the globe. Long Term Orientation deals with good moral values regardless of truth. In Long Term Orientation the values such as Perseverance, thrift play vital role, while respect in beliefs, principles in society and binding oneself by social duties are associated with Short Term Orientation (Hofstede and Bond, 1984). Trompenaar Cultural dimensions: Universalism and Particularism: According to Trompenaar, the culture assigns the importance either to the rules or personal relationships. In Universalism culture people share belief that the rules, values and law are more important than personal or other relationships while, in Particularism cultures people focus more on human friendship or personal relationships. Individualism and Communitarism: Trompenaar Individualism and Communitarism cultural dimension carry the same meaning with Hofstedes Individualism. As explained above, the culture differences are illustrated as to whether people function more as individuals or in groups. Specific and Diffuse: In Specific cultures such as Denmark, the interactions between people are well defined viz the interactions are tending to criticize their juniors directly and openly, people tend to concentrate on hard facts, standards. In diffuse cultures like Russia, the criticism is considered a personal matter and may form a part of losing value or prestige. Affectivity and Neutrality: Affectivity and neutrality cultural dimension provides a degree in which people show their feelings. In Affectivity cultures, individuals express feelings naturally and openly. People talk loudly, show happiness or unhappiness, greet with enthusiasm etc. whereas in Neutral cultures, people tend to hide their emotions. Achievement and Ascription: In Achievement cultures, members are awarded official position depending on job performances, whereas, in Ascription cultures, members are respected or awarded official positions depending on ethnic groups, age, family, gender etc. In Sequential time cultures, people generally perform duties sequentially i.e. perform only one duty at a given time. While, in Synchronous time cultures people are flexible, handling several duties at a single point of time. Inner and Outer directed: It is set of people who believe that environment can be controlled versus a set of people who believes environment controls them. In Inner directed cultures, people believe that it is in humans hand and right a expertise knowledge can control nature; In outer directed cultures people believe that nature is not in their control and therefore they should live and change themselves according to the nature or environment. Source: Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, (1993). Hofstede and Trompenaar helped to explain cultural differences with help of various cultural dimensions. Below table provides information on Trompenaar cultural dimensions with respect to various countries around globe. Thus, it can be seen that the cultural dimensions provided by Hofstede and Trompenaar help to better understand various cultures and thus they help to investigate different national preferences. Strengths and Weakness of Hofstede and Trompenaar: Inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar and ways to overcome Inherent bias: To show the inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar an association between national metrics on individualism and national sales data of i branded phones is demonstrated. The analysis shown in Table 1 reveals the bias on individualism criterion of Hofstede and Trompenaars (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). The lack of precision can be overcome by using diagnostic tools like SPSS (Wilcox, 2001). SPSS helps to correct the deviations and presents post hoc test outputs which can be analyzed (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). Hofstede Improvement model: In Hofstedes model it has been seen that the model merely assumes uniformity. Hence, there is a need to study diversity, richness of institutions and their practices. Presently, intense debates, reviews on interaction, structure and conceptualization are available on immediate basis. We should be engaged and involve in using theories of action, which can deal with multiple influences, change and variety, situational non-national variability, power and difficulties on individual subjects instead of seeking explanations from the conceptual lacuna for assumed national uniformity (McSweeney, 2002). Comparison between different models: Most of the cultural literatures have discussed and pointed towards core values of culture which helps to identify difference between cultures. Hofstede proposed that the most efficient method to modify the process of thinking is to change individual behaviour (Schwartz, 1999 and Hofstede, 1980). Project GLOBE has focused and illustrated effects of leadership qualities on various cultures and examined charismatic leadership at three levels industry type, national and organizational- nested within each other (House et al., 1999). The fit between management practices and cultural characteristics is considered to play a vital role in implementing a successful management team (Aycan et al., 2000). Nevertheless, Hofstede and Harzing, (1996) proposed that only few studies were able to examine or only few theories realized that the culture itself changes over period of time. Schein (1992) proposed a cultural dimension which reflects on the levels of visibility. Drawing on Scheins proposal, cultural theories vary depending on concentration on the different layers of culture. Many cultural theories concentrate on the middle portion; values specialized in between visible and invisible parts of culture (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980; Inglehart and Baker, 2000). The association between change in economic development and work values was studied by Inglehart and Baker (2000) and both found noticeable cultural changes. Very few models concentrate on the visible and the external layer of practices and behaviors, Trompenaar assessed or judged the differences in cross-cultures with respect to behaviours, driven by values (Trompenaars, 1994; House et al., 1999). Multiple levels of cross cultures are shown in Figure 1: Most of the cross cultural research focused on national level, illustrating differentiation in cross cultures with regards to national values (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980). Berson, Erez and Adler, (2004) proposed the formation of interdependent and multinational work teams helps to minimize the complexity in workplace within and across borders. The interdependent teams help the companies to bridge cultural gaps and assure smooth coordination and communication. Even the CEOs has consistently emphasized the interdependence and connectedness in their speeches. Hall (1976) studied high and low context cultures. Environment is important for the people belonging to high context cultures and they rely on interpretation i.e. make use of non-verbal signals during communication, whereas, in low context cultures non-verbal signals are often ignored and environment is less important. Hall model does not rank different countries and is built on qualitative insights and the model does not provide numerical data and hence, comparisons can only be on subjective basis. Problems for Expatriates: This section discusses differences in organizational styles and cultural patterns between Japanese and German staff members in Dusseldorf region of western Germany, and issues they encounter for morale, communication and co-operation. As English not being the native language for both Japanese and Germans, a sizable amount of Japanese firms in Dusseldorf region remark on communication problems and stress between Japanese expatriates and local staff members. There is also a contrast on subject of politeness, Japanese staff are recognized for considering the politeness to great extents; a distinct Japanese politeness syndrome is unwillingness to say no with firmness, which confuses the foreigners and Westerners find it disingenuous, whereas, Germans suffer the reputation for being arrogant, blunt and curt. The Germans see the standoffishness of Japanese as an obstacle to pleasant office relationships. German managers found it difficult and comment that even after continuous efforts they are not in a position to socialize with Japanese expatriate teams. The isolation and the size of Dusseldorf region helped to put a belief on German side, that Japanese are reclusive and clannish by character. The Japanese were annoyed by German curtness and Germans were bothered by Japanese unfriendliness (Lincoln et al., 1995). The Japanese expect forthright assumption of guilt and produced apologies in places where the Europeans find it inappropriate and unnecessary. In Japanese firms the acceptance of failures of ones duties is an obligation to European (Wall Street Journal, 1989), as the Westerners impulse to shift blame to others and defend oneself. Some differences also occur on the decision making process as for Japanese its bottom-up command and control while for Germans its reverse (Kieser, 1990; Lincoln et al., 1990). More, the Japanese hire employees as generalists and not as specialists. The Germans found the appraisal style inconvenient because the Japanese appraisal style judges long-term achievements and performances and not present performances (Endo, 1994). If the company wants to reward the younger ambitious local hires for their appropriate skills, the company was not able to do so, because of the morale issues of appraisal system of Japanese business cultures, due to which the problem of inequality arise. Expatriates Managers motivating and leading staff: Research has shown that the styles of leading staff, motivating and communicating vary among countries (Adler and Gundersen, 2008). To motivate and to understand the motivation drivers of the employees, an expatriate manager should have a broad idea about real root values of different cultures (Sergeant and Frenkel, 1998). Work placement motivation plays an important role so that the employees work effectively and organization can achieve their goals. In multi-culture environment the motivation factors will vary from person to person, so the organization should use different motivational tools. One of the strongest motivational factors is probably the development of an appropriate reward system; this can influence both employee motivation and job satisfaction (Hickins, 1998 cited by Albu, 2009). The people motivations may vary depending on their emphasis on income, more number of contacts, security in job or feeling of accomplishment. The attributes and roles chosen by experienced expatriate managers in leading their teams are not constant and may vary in different contexts. Finnish expatriates in various countries indicated different perceptions of leadership, examined by Suutari (1996). For examples, an expatriate from Germany commented that the softness in Scandinavian is inappropriate and claim for receiving respect from subordinates a person should be more authoritative. Similarly, if a manager from a different culture is working in France, he should avoid participating in groups, as he would not succeed to get any ideas from his colleagues and nothing will work if he did not take a decision himself. An expatriate in UK was advised to make use of directive style and be more rigorous. Whereas, in Thailand good leadership qualities are associated with moral values like to sacrifice, to think about majority and not only about their families. A successful leadership style must be appropriate to the context within which it is exercised (Mead, 2005, p. 133). PART 2 Preparation for Expatriates and their relatives: After reviewing various research articles following were the requirements found for preparing an expatriate for successful mission. The companies need to employ rigorous and sophisticated pre-move policies to expatriates along with their families, which include personality and psychometric testing, cross-cultural and language training (Forster, 2000). Many researchers like Mendenhall and Oddou, 1986; Tung, 1981; Brislin, 1981, Smith and Still, 1997; Bochner, 1982; Forster, 2000, Brislin et al, 1986 have strongly emphasized on cultural empathy during expatriate trainings. Cross cultural training is broadly classified into 6 types by Tung (1982): 1] Using information containing facts such as information on housing, schools, weather, and geographical location. 2] Cultural preferences or tendencies, information such as the value systems of host country. 3] Cultural Assimilation programs which help to describe cross cultural experiences. 4] Linguistic training 5] Sensitivity training, helps developing confidence in particular situations. 6] Exposure to other cultures by means of field experiences, which will help to get a feel of emotional pressures. According to Brewster and Pickard (1994) following should be the cultural training programs for expatriates: 1] a cognizance about major emphasize on influencing cultural behaviours 2] Mandatory knowledge which is required when dealing in different situations. 3] Developing emotional maturity and acquiring skills to help psychological adjustments when working abroad. Thus following can be the relevant training programs, which can be used to prepare an expatriate. How Cross cultural Training programs support Expatriates and their relatives: The cross-cultural and linguistic training introduces the employee the importance of cultures and help to sensitise the actual differences in cultures. The training programs help expatriates to become vigilant of unavoidable psychological stress which usually happens when individual tries to adapt in foreign cultures (Forster, 2000). Cross cultural training and language training helps to built cross cultural competency skills and add on social and professional skills, knowledge, coping techniques and factual information to expatriates and helps to create an artificial make-up. Training programs also helps to provide relevant information on the living and working styles of the host country. Cultural, political, economic information and information on cultural awareness helps expatriates to understand the foreign culture in more suitable and personal way, all these factors work at intellectual or mental process of the expatriate. More, cross-cultural training also consist of learning activities which are purely based on experience combining mental process and behavioural techniques which help to reinforce the assimilation of information on occasions like experimenting alternative response strategies and simulating critical incidents. It is also believed that, cross cultural training helps to acquire an intercultura l effectiveness skill which improve families and personal adjustments overseas. Such skills include building relationships, effective cross cultural communication, transition stress management, cultural awareness, improving managerial decision making, negotiation techniques and conflicts resolution (Kealey and Protheroe, 1996). Nevertheless, as per Gertsen (1990) literature, excluding the training, for a successful expatriate mission, lot more depends on the employees personal traits like openness, self confidence, good communication skills, intelligence, optimism, tolerance, empathy, independence, initiative and willingness to change. Requirements for working in multi-culture environment: Intercultural competence plays an important role and is necessary, when a member of a cross-cultural team needs to build strong relationship with other nationalities. Due to intercultural competence the member is able to exchange verbal non-verbal levels of behaviour (Dinges, 1983; McCroskey, 1982; Spitzberg, 1983). Research delineated important features of inter-cultural competence such as ability to develop and maintain relationships, personal traits like inquisitiveness and effectively sharing information with others (Black and Gregersen, 2000; Mendenhall, 2001). Apart from knowledge of language and culture, Intercultural competence also involves affectivity and behavioural skills like charisma, empathy, friendliness, ability to control uncertainty and anxiety (Gudykunst, 1998; Spiess, 1998). There are three parts of intercultural competence, sufficient cultural knowledge, appropriate skills and Personality Orientation. The managers in USA and Russia have associated high performing cross cultural teams with clearly understanding their approach for team goals, equipped with complementary skills, working with expertise teams, and tremendous commitment with relatively higher degree of motivation, clear responsibilities of team roles, cultural sensitivity, cooperative team climate and access to technology (Matveev and Milter, 2004). To work effectively with multi cultural teams the managers need to know and understand the culture of a person with whom they are interacting, their behaviour patterns during conflict situations, and information about their personality, life experiences, demographics etc. Manager of diverse cultures needs to be vigilant with regards to the interests, resources of different cultures and diversity of perspectives, to obtain all this information the manager requires high level of intercultural communication competence (Matveev et al., 2002). Lessons drawn from tutorials and classes From tutorials and classes, we gathered knowledge which helped critical analysis of contexts and issues relating to business and management operating across cultures. Various aspects of cultural diversity and national cultures have been explored. International HRM has become a strategic asset of many organisations and play vital role in implementing and developing policies on cross cultural management. We learnt differences between cultures, their relations when working in organisations, businesses and the way people from different cultures interact and communicate. It was also observed that if the variety of cultures is ignored, the organisations suffer from conflicts and underperform. From the principle theories of cross cultures I explored the effects of cultural diversity on leadership, negotiation, communication, motivation and ethics in organisations. Through critical analysis the awareness among cultural differences was raised, while reinforcing behaviours and skills that can help managers to adjust in such differences. The main focus of study was on management of International Business and there was seen a strong emphasis on cultural differences between European, Asian, Anglo-American and African. How multicultural awareness can be raised and stereotyping be decreased To raise multi cultural awareness, Sleeter (1992) given importance to multicultural professional development programs and awareness building inservice programs. Sleeter observations revealed that after completion of these programs, teachers greatest change was increased attention to Black students and increased the usage of cooperative learning activities. Multi-cultural awareness can also be raised through well-prepared induction programmes incorporating cultural awareness training. Professional counselling across cultures could also provide effective help to raise cultural awareness (Skinner, 2010). Sue et al. (1982) suggested three dimensions of cross cultural counselling competencies: knowledge, awareness and skills. The counsellor needs certain cultural specific knowledge and must be aware of potential cultural differences. Thus, cross-cultural training and cultural competencies raise multicultural awareness. Stewart et al., 2009 proposed the success of a modern technique Situational Attribution Training Technique to minimize the underlying stereotyping. White participants were trained extensively to choose situational over dispositional explanations for negative stereotype-consistent behaviors performed by Black men (Stewart et al. 2009, p. 221). Reduced racial stereotyping was demonstrated by the individuals who finished their Situational Attribution Training. More, the impact of Stereotyping can be minimized by bringing together different cultural members and when these members come together they notice that other persons are not as stereotype as considered, this proof makes a disagreement, which finally helps in improving thinking about stereotypes. Words: 3,179

Outline for Paper on The Importance of Accelerated Reading

A. Purpose of the Study â€Å"Reading is the motivated and fluent coordination of word recognition and comprehension† (Leipzig 2001). In the educational system, pupils are encourage to read books because of the belief that one becomes better at a skill based on the amount of time dedicated to that particular skill. Pupils must practice the skill learned and receive â€Å"frequent feedback (Samuel and Wu).† Practice is most effectual when it is individualized and accompanied with instruction (Renaissance Learning Inc 2007). Individualized practice, allows the pupil to work at his/her individual ability. It challenges the pupil instead of frustrating him/her. Accelerated Reader (AR) program provides individualize practice to each pupil to maximize academic success. The purpose of this study is to examine the affect of AR on first grade students’ comprehension scores on the End of the Year Assessment. B. Significance/Importance of the Study Accelerated Reader is a program used in several schools in the United States with the belief that each child has a prescribed practice based on hi/her reading ability. AR program is usually used in addition to the school’s core Reading Text. The AR program is said to increase students reading skills and â€Å"reduce achievement gaps† (Advance Learning System 1997). The program is a computer software that allows students to read a textbook and then take a computerize quiz on that textbook. Students are then given an immediate feedback of their score. It allows students the opportunity to view the items that were marked incorrect. Researchers believe that immediate feedback is very important for student achievement (Samuels and Wu). Being that many of our schools use AR, it is safe to assume several believe ... ...lace a sticker next to his or her name on the chart in the classroom, which will be visible to all. The researcher will also monitor the students’ progress on AR. The researcher will have bi-weekly discussion with the teachers regarding students’ progress. At a later time, students will take the EOYA. The researcher will follow the same procedure that was followed for the MYA. F. Research Questions/Hypothesis Does the use of AR increase first grade comprehension scores on the End of the Year Assessment? G. Methods of Data Analysis The researcher will record the raw scores and calculate the standard deviation for both the pretest and the posttest. A dependent T-Test will be used at the .05 level of confidence to decide if there is statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the two tests given.

Online Pay-Per-View Movies :: Computer Entertainment Papers

Online Pay-Per-View Movies I choose to discuss the topic of the internet as a new medium for pay-per-view movies because I feel it is a very fresh and new topic that has not been discussed, nor received much attention. The onset of this new medium comes from an attempt to deter online movie pirates from stealing the movies to actually purchasing them for a low price. I feel this is especially important for me to be writing this on a college campus because that is where a great deal of movie pirating occurs due to the fast online connections that the universities provide. File sharing programs like Kazaa and Limewire run ramped on college campuses making this an interesting alternative to explore. With this subject hitting close to home, I choose to research it and find out why it would be a good alternative to the free downloads that we receive from online people to people file-sharing programs. While there are a few sites out there that offer this kind of pay-per-view service, I choose to specificall y focus on the site Movielink.com because it is backed by five major Media Corporations comprised of Universal, Sony, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, Paramount, and Warner Brothers. For this reason, it was the ideal internet site to explore to show the recent trend towards getting new movies online, even if only for a short time. For this paper, I had to do a lot of research to find information on how the internet sites for pay-per-view movies worked, and how they were going to be marketed. Since the prevalence of this kind of internet site is very recent, I received the majority of my information from periodicals. For this, I did a lot of research on my University Library Site looking for newspaper and magazine articles from all around the world. I came up with a few very good articles that gave me a plethora of knowledge that I attempted to incorporate into my story. Since I choose to focus on the site Movielink.com, which is backed by the previously mentioned entertainment companies, I choose to make each of the CEO’s of the companies a character in my paper. It is important to note that none of these CEO’s ever met, nor do they necessarily reflect the personality traits that I created.