Research Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Method - Essay Example Inamulhaq (2012) discussed that there are different techniques which can be adopted by nurses and other health practitioners in order to ensure and improve hand washing techniques. One of these methods is health education, and this would necessitate the actual training of the staff in relation to proper hand washing techniques in the clinical setting (Inamulhaq, 2012). The availability of antibacterial soaps was also highlighted as an important means of ensuring the application of hand washing techniques. Moreover, facilities where hand washing can be carried out can also be made available in as many places as possible for the hospital staff (Inamulhaq, 2012). In the paper by Erasmus and colleagues (2010), the importance of action planning, was established as one of the effective ways hand washing among nurses can be improved. Action planning involves active participation in the hand washing process, for example, nurses may list when they are supposed to wash their hands. Covering 17 participants in a pilot study on hand hygiene behaviour, the authors established that where an action plan for the nurses is established before or during the shift, the possibility of ensuring that hand washing is carried out becomes greater (Erasmus, et.al., 2010). The action plan then soon becomes part of the nurse’s routine and the possibility of compliance is significantly improved (Erasmus, et.al., 2010). In the study by Nicol, et.al., (2009) the authors emphasized the theory of planned behaviour. The study revealed that the theory of planned behaviour could sufficiently help improve the education and training of nurses in hand hygiene behaviour (Nicol, et.al., 2009). This study was also able to demonstrate that deep-seated habits which are incorporated well into a person’s activities have a significant potential of improving a certain activity or behaviour (Nicol, et.al., 2009). The theory of planned

Puerto Rico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Puerto Rico - Essay Example Through my research, I gained information on some places around the world which tourists categorize to be the most breathtaking amazing sites. My academic course incorporates the subject of tourism; the event enriched my understanding of Puerto Rico as a tourist location. The event is also related to my academic course in the sense that, it has served as a learning resource to me. This event, relates to the holidays we are currently having, in that, it will be a destination site during the holiday. Watching the event is more like watching Puerto Rico being advertised as a tourist destination site. This program relates to both international and global issue since people all around the world are interested with phenomenal tourist site such as Puerto Rico. Since the program acts like an advertisement tool, it influences global tourism (Dietz 87). Watching the event, made me remember, the first experience I had when I was touring the Caribbean Islands. I reminisced over the thrilling feelings I had some years back when I walked on white sandy beaches for the first time. In particular, I appreciate the fact that I got first hand and detailed information on Puerto Rico. The program, showed spectacular features on the landscape, such as different kinds of coral reefs, which I had never come through when researching on tourist sites. Through the program, I gained more knowledge on Puerto Rico’s history. The information on the landscape made me appreciate and understand some geography, because it talked of how the various physical features on the island came to be formed. (Dietz

Business Law Phase 2 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law Phase 2 Individual Project - Essay Example said contract period, to comply with any provision of this Agreement intended for the client’s protection or benefit, or that that by its sense and context, is intended to survive the completion, expiration or termination of this Agreement. Contractor understands that no work should begin under this agreement until all required signatures on this Agreement have been obtained. Any work performed by contractor prior to such time shall be considered as having been performed at the contractor’s own risk and as a volunteer. Client may terminate this Agreement in whole or in part for its sole Convenience. Upon notice of such termination, Contractor shall immediately stop all work including shipment of goods under this Agreement and cause its suppliers and/or subcontractors to cease their work for this Agreement. In the event of such termination, Contractor shall be entitled to payment, calculated on a pro rata or other equitable basis, determined by the Client in its sole discretion, for work or services satisfactorily performed. In no event shall Contractor be paid for work performed or costs incurred after receipt of notice of termination, or for costs incurred by suppliers or subcontractors, which reasonably could have been avoided. Offer: It is mentioned that the offeror/ contractor offers to perform the house renovation as agreed upon in ‘annex 1’. Basing on the given guidelines, the contractor shall render the service needed by the client in exchange for monetary payment at the end of the contract period. It is also stated how the contractor expects to be compensated in the ‘Terms of Payment’ section. As such, the contractor is able to clearly state what is expected of him while bound by this service contract. Acceptance: The client/ offeree signified his intent to comply with his side of the agreement by signing off the document. With this, the client makes it clear that he understands what is expected of him as a client and agrees to pay for the

Athens State Information Systems and Information Technology Research Paper

Athens State Information Systems and Information Technology - Research Paper Example Student Advising Module is an element that is provided by Athens State University through Banner. SAM is the students’ official plan of the study which gives students chances to view courses according to year. It also allows the students to view unofficial transcripts, degree plans, as well as grades from the courses, completed recently. SAM’s applicability is the matter to the accurateness of the academic history of students as well as the programs that are installed in SAM. It allows the students to receive the updated transcripts regarding the raises as well as promotions after completing the degrees or courses. This means that the students get information directly from the instructor posts the grades. The degree planner offers students guarantee for coursework pertinent to degree plan as well as the updated grade for expected graduation. SunGard Banner has utilized by the Athens State University. It has helped the University in analyzing, measure as well as improves academic programs and student victory projects. This is an automated self-service software package that connects the whole institution. Banner provides, as well as grades from the courses, s, account information, and needs of course material and individual information control ability to students of Athens States University. This system assists the students who in few years ago had to travel to the institution in order to get and fill the forms, and move from one campus to another in order to finish the required tasks.  

ICT in Organisations Essay Example for Free

ICT in Organisations Essay 1: Introduction: What is EPOS? What is epos? Epos is a name for a till that operates in big organisation. EPOS systems are mainly used by businesses that have large numbers of regular sales like debenhams, EPOS stands for Electronic Point of Sale, is an electronic system that processes credit cards transactions so that the credit card has the right funds in it ,it is also Checkout tills that are connected to a computer with a bar code scanner that scans the products . The EPOS also provides full stock control; it also provides the tracking of refunding goods. It electronically receives and sends bar code information. How debenhams use epos is that it controls Product handling at point of sale, stock control, automatic reordering and rate of sale information and also is set up to retain a database of all customers volunteering their name/address/telephone number, for the purpose of mailing lists or other marketing database. EPOS can hold details on a maximum of 100,000 stock items. It Takes about 0.25 seconds per product to find its name /country / expiry date, With a 10,000 item stock file. The barcode can be read with a hand held scanner at the checkout .the scanner makes a light appears the reflects off the barcode. The white lines on a barcode reflect the light strongly while the black lines reflect less strongly. There are many differnet types of epos systems that have different makes and different types of size , proccesor , speed a Epos systems include the following features that are on EPOS systems that are in debenhams * Barcode entry sales * Discounts for staff customers * Stock search * Refunds to customers * Stock control * entry for credit card details * customers details * suppliers details * statements * invoices * make barcodes * stores details 2 : description of each of the components Input devices Input devices that are used at debenhams are à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Keyboard à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Mouse à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Scanner à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Barcode reader à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Sensors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Magnetic stripe reader à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Touch screens Input devices are devices that can enter the computer, input devices can give access to information so that it can be stored or entered in the computer for processing or the act of storing goods or the state of being stored on a magnetic tape or a storage device that stores information. Input devices One input device that is on an epos system that is used in debenhams that I will be discussing in detail will be a keyboard. One of the most used input devices in debenhams is called a keyboard, it changes key presses into the computer code, say for example pressing the C key produces electrical signals which the computer uses to represent that letter. Computer uses a different code for each character on the keyboard. A key board is also A hardware device consisting of a number of mechanical buttons (keys) which the user presses to input characters to a computer. How keyboards input devices work is that When a key is pressed, it pushes down on a rubber dome sitting beneath the key. A conductive contact on the underside of the dome touches (and hence connects) a pair of conductive lines on the circuit below. This bridges between them and allows current to flow changing the signal strength. A scanning signal is worked by the chip along the pairs of lines to all the keys. When the signal in one pair becomes different, the chip generates a make code corresponding to the key connected to that pair of lines. The code generated is sent to the computer either via a keyboard cable or over a wireless connection. A chip inside the computer receives the signal bits and decodes them into the appropriate key press. The computer then decides what to do on the basis of the key pressed (e.g. display a character on the screen, or perform some action). There are many different types of keyboards that are used in a epos systems but one that is used at debenhams is called a QWERTY keyboards named after the first six alphabetic keys on the keyboard . Keyboards are especially useful for entering text and numbers. How a type of input device that is used in debenhams which is called a keyboard is used is that it helps the employees working at debenhams to find prices of products that loses it barcode or if they have a mistake in the receipt it can resolve the mistake and give them there money back or if they have to multiply a product more than once so that they dont have to carry it because if its to heavy . They input devices used as part of EPOS in debenhams There are many input devices that are used at debenhams for EPOS systems , one of them is a Bar code scanner its make is Symbol LS6000 , the second input devices that I will be talking about is a Magnetic stripe reader its make is NCR and also its a 3 track reader . Processor used The processor (also called Central Processing Unit, or CPU) is the part of the computer that actually works with the data and runs the programs. the processor is called the brain of the computer, It is a microchip which carries out all of the searching, sorting, selecting and calculating within the computer. Specification of the processor used at debenhams is that most common CPUs in PCs are Celeron Processors made by Intel , it has a fast speed measured in MHz and also it has a hardware that can get the computer up to scratch . .the processor is needed in debenhams epos systems because it helps debenhams to sort everything up to date and get everything sorted to scratch so that it can run like a functional company and also helps debenhams to calculate its shares so that they can know whither the have loses or profits . I think the processor helps debenhams get up to date for that debenhams can gain profits because they have a well fulfilling company that meets its processing needs. The processors used as part of an EPOS system in debenhams There are many processors used at debenhams for epos systems ,one of them is a Store server its make is NCR Worldmark 4455 and the processor type is Pentium Xeon and its processor speed is 500MHz and the size of the RAM is 500MHz. the second processor I will be talking about is the mainframe , its make is IBM ISeries model 840, its size is 3.1Tb, its processor type is 64 bit RISC #23FC , and its processor speed is 16,500 CPW batch 2,000 CPW Interactive . Output devices devices that are used at debenhams are * VDU * Printers * Monitor * Scanner * Hand held barcode scanners

A Study And Report On Social Work

A Study And Report On Social Work Social work has always been considered as a difficult and complex occupation, with a complicated and perplexing framework. This is due to its different settings accompanying different tasks. An inevitable part of social work is its values and ethics and the questions and debates that surround its structure. Although values can be considered as personal and individualistic, it is also possible for a group with the same beliefs to share the same values, such as social work. It is important to acknowledge that values continually shape our actions and it is of the opinion of Ronnby (1992) â€Å"that someone becomes a social worker because they have the same ethics and values and attach them to the position†. Biestek developed traditional values in the late 50s. (Biestek, 1961). His principles outlined the basics of traditional social work and were constructed of a seven-point scheme. The principles consisted of 1. Individualism.2. Purposeful expression of feelings. 3. Controlled emotional involvement. 4. Acceptance. 5. Non-judgmental attitude 6. User self-determination.7. Confidentiality, Many of Biestek beliefs were very traditional and were criticised for their diversity in their interpretation. Controversies relating to different principles caused many problematic conclusions e.g. individualisation and confidentiality. Individualisation could not be possible in the fast moving modern world, people lose their identity and individualisation is not respected. Confidentiality has its limitations to be enforced e.g. If a user divulges information where someone will be harmed, the social workers duty is to share it as a right to other individuals. It was clear these key issues had to be developed and advanced to help social workers. It was considered that there must be guidance on values and ethics for social workers, as they play a major part in their work Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work was a significant part in the development in education for social workers. It is also acknowledge by (CCETSW, 1998) that it is a necessary part as the title suggest, that social workers must gain an understanding of ethical awareness as part of the professional practice. Skill development gave social workers a range of skills that are needed to ensure that social work is a high quality profession. The CCETSW set out details of a number of competencies that they should be able to cover in their work. It is considered that there are two main ideologies within social work, social justice and personal caring. These were considered to be benefit for social workers as they exercised anti-oppressive practice. They produced a list that social workers had to identify with. This stated that a social worker: . Should be committed to: Respect and value of individuals Promote peoples rights to choice privacy protection and confidentiality, while looking at the rights and demands The right of individuals to make choices Strengths and skill embodied local communities Right of protection for those at risk Social workers should be able to do: Develop awareness of inter-relationship of the process of structural oppression, race, class and gender Understand and counter act the impact of discrimination from poverty, age, disability and sectarianism Demonstrate an awareness of individual and institutional racism Understand gender issues and demonstrate anti-sexism in social work practice Promote policies and practices which are non- discriminatory and anti- oppressive Demonstrating these skills in learning, acknowledge that they had competence in practice. The Central Council for Education in Social Work stated that ‘practice must be founded on, informed by and capable of being judged against a clear value base (CCETSW, 1995). This knowledge base was very important, but it did not give ready-made answers as to how social workers should continue in any particular situation. However it gives lots of insight and clues about situations that social workers may face, it also enabled them to have an appropriate response for any particular predicament. Never the less it is still down to the individual social worker to acquire and expand their knowledge base for practising in social work. The range of skills that can develop from learning will be responsible for an established and high quality in the service that are offered to service users. There are professional ethical standards that are relevant to social workers in practice. These allowed social workers to work at a professional standard and to behave professionally. These standards concern ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, social work profession and responsibilities to the broader society. Some of the standards are guidelines for professional conduct, such as the code of ethics for social workers. For social work the code of ethics plays a major role in its training, policy making and its professional literature. These guidelines provide a framework for making sense of the practice in social work. The code of ethics for social workers (BASW 1996) was put in place in 1975 to ensure that social workers had a set of guidelines for professional activities. The primary objective of the Code of Ethics is to make these pragmatic principles clear for the protection of clients and other members of society. Its principal objectives are to ensure that the professional social workers were recognised as a non-bias worker. The code covered two main areas, including principles and practice, The statement of principles covers social workers understanding and identifying of the values and dignity for every human being, irrespective of origin, race, status, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religious belief. Social workers are expected to prevent and eliminate exploitation and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability. Millerson (1964) argued that the code of ethics could become irrelevant, as it was difficult to use, as it could not be dominated by one specific area within social work. Millerson noted that there were many areas of specialist including child protection, community care, mental health and family therapy, that it becomes more difficult use the code as a principal source of moral guidance. Ethical awareness is a necessary part of the professional practice of any social worker. His or her ability to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to clients. It has been thought that the code of ethics was set in place to allow social work to be recognised as a professional occupation. Social workers were expected to Identify and interpret the basis and nature of individual, group, community and social problems. Illustrating their ability to recognise professional and personal limitations, and refrain from any behaviour that may damage the profession. The uncertainty of day to day practice brings with it many ethical dilemmas, which are a challenge for many social workers. The complexities of ethical dilemmas arise when a social worker has two or more possible undesirable conclusions that go against their own moral principals, these dilemmas cause a battle because they have to make a choice and they dont know which one is right. Professional service shall assist clients to take responsibility for personal actions and help all clients with equal willingness. Social work is a decision making occupation that can lead to many problems, the feeling of guilt and blame for the outcome of many decisions that they have been involved in. This may cause much stress and strain for social workers in having to make major decisions and choices, but also to take responsibility for any outcomes that may go wrong. This essay has described the value base of social work in its development and education, also looking at its effect and consequences. Learning base work can give possible solution as to how social workers should proceed in a situation; it can also give lots of insights into fields that they have no experience in. The codes of ethics standards were explained and considered it has been argued of its effect and purpose, its usefulness and its guidance for the profession of social workers. How we deal with them will always be a challenging and stimulating process for all social workers. There are many instances in professional social work where simple answers are not available to resolve complex ethical issues. A case study has been discussed and analysed, showing anti-oppressive practice. It is shown that power and oppression of all kinds must be regulated and resisted, we must acknowledge that power and oppression is always present in individuals and within society. In conclusion social work can be a challenging subject and one that will actively push the boundaries of all social workers on a personal level and professional level. It is agreed within social work that ethics, morals and values are all an inescapable part of professional practice and ‘Ethical awareness is a necessary part of practice of any social work (IFSW, 1994). Values and ethics are not simply reasonable matters that we can unravel through logical arguments; they are a combination of thoughts and feelings closely linked to action. There must be distinctions on how to apply social work values and ethics into their professional work, without causing personal conflict. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Moreover, the Social work values emphasises that the social workers should â€Å"identifies and question their own values and prejudices, and their implication of practice;†¦ and they should â€Å"Respect and value uniqueness and adversity†¦.and identify (discrimination), analyse and take action to counter discrimination, racism, disadvantage, inequality and injustice using strategies appropriate to role and context† (CCETSW, paper 30 referred in UB. 2002: 6). Therefore, the social work value gave people a direct power to clients by letting them choosing and decide for themselves and social worker are advised to â€Å"promote opportunities for people to use their own strengths to make decisions for themselves (CCETSW, paper 30 cited in UB. 2002: 4). In other words, social work has widened the concept of ‘freedom and ‘toleration by being considerate for all members of the community, which is now-a-days known as ‘anti-discrimination, freedom of choice and ‘equality. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// There are also issues regarding to social workers practice e.g. practicing in ‘traditional way due to personal prejudices, which has oppressed the clients and has stigmatized the social work itself. Thompson (1997: 11) emphasise that the â€Å"†¦social work practice which does not take account of oppression and discrimination can not be seen as ‘good practice†¦.†. The ‘bad practice is portrayed through the media but the good practice is not awarded and neither praised by media. The social work constantly reviews the policies to encounter prejudices and emphasises high on anti-discriminatory practice. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The concise oxford English dictionary defines â€Å"values† as â€Å"principles or standards of behaviour†. Personal values can very dependent on our social, cultural and religious background. Although being inherent these values can change as we develop and mature and become less dependent on the values that are important to our parents, family and peers. David Howe (1999) advises that â€Å"values are important because they help to guide action† (Study Unit 1, p.18) he also suggests â€Å"values spell debate and trouble† (Study Unit 1, P.18), values can cause conflict and tensions which need to be reflected upon. I come from a large family and lived on a council housing estate where family and neighbours â€Å"looked out† for one another. I have six brothers and one sister and, although we were disciplined, our parents always showed their love for us. Within my immediate and extended family there was a feeling of security in that we all knew we ha d people who cared for us and who would always be there for us no matter what. It was inherent in us to care for each other and I perhaps made the assumption that most families had the same values as ours. I think I considered people who did not have these values to be untrustworthy, unreliable and uncaring and at that time I did not realise that this was a preconceived opinion based on no actual experience. It was not until I started to work in residential childcare that I began to question my prejudices. I realised that not everybody was brought up with the same values as I had been and that my values and beliefs would change and grow through my experiences within my work. I worked with many children and young people from varied cultural, religious, racial and social backgrounds with a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. I saw how little some parents/carers valued their children and how badly they treated them. As parents/carers have such a big influence over a c hilds life this meant that the children themselves had very little self worth or value, with low self- esteem and feelings of social isolation. They found difficulty in forming relationships, having been subjected to various levels of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Through this experience I achieved a greater sympathy and understanding of how peoples life history can affect their future. People have individual life experiences and because of this their values and beliefs are very often different from our own. The speakers on tape one (K111 Side 1 Band I) state that we should â€Å"reflect on our own prejudices and not skip over them and we should be willing to accept others beliefs†. I have learned through experience that we cannot impose our own personal values and opinions on others; we must constantly re-evaluate our thoughts and actions. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 2 An experience with one of the young people in the Childrens Residential Unit where I worked illustrates how my values have been called into question and reflected upon. The young person had only had contact with his mother, who was white and had never met his father, who was black. His father had a long troubled history involving drug and alcohol abuse. When he was 9 years old, the young person chose to make contact with his father, against the wishes of his mother and siblings, who were born to a different father. They thought that contact would split the family even further and this put a lot of pressure on the young person. The father at first offered consistency but this was short lived and there were problems with his lack of basic parenting skills. To alleviate these problems it was necessary to build a working relationship with the father to improve the lack of support given to the young person. Whilst dealing with these problems it was important to work in a non-judgmental wa y as there were issues that whilst they may have seemed adequate to some, I did not totally agree with. This taught me that it was important to allow the young people choices, and to respect those choices, and to allow them to take control of their lives. Empowering a young person will give them â€Å"more control over their lives, to have a greater voice in institutions, service and situations which affect them†(Bray Preston-Shoot, 1998:48 cited in set book Adams, Dominelli and Payne, p.38) There were also issues surrounding the fathers race. The mother and the siblings were all white and lived in a white environment and this caused some strain between the children. By using positive encouragement and working in an Anti-Oppressive (seeking fundamental change in power structures and exploitative relationships which maintain inequality and oppression)(Bray Preston-Shoot 1995 cited in Study Unit 1, Part A, p.77), Anti-Racist and Anti-Discriminatory (challenging unfairness or inequity)(Bray Preston-Shoot 1995 cited in Study Unit 1, Part A, p.77) way I managed to alleviate some of the problems. This made me reflect on how important a persons culture is to their identity and I have learned not to discriminate on the grounds of race, religion, culture, language, social status and life-style. In â€Å"identifying and questioning my own values and prejudices†(CCETSW 1996 p.18 Aids to Practice Cards) I am constantly re-evaluating my thoughts and actions through reflection. During my past experience I have also become aware that â€Å"our professional values may sometimes conflict with those of organizations for whom we work† (Aids to Practice Card, Valuing). I took care of two young brothers who, when they were placed in the residential care home where I worked, had serious attachment disorders, behavioural problems and mental health issues. My colleagues and I worked closely with them in conjunction with other relevant agencies, which included Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in order to enable them to gain trust and establish relationships with us. The children were thriving in our care and had stopped self-harming but, after two years of working with them, the funding local authority decided, because of lack of funding, to remove the boys from their placement and return them to a facility in their hometown. This was done against their wishes and against the advice of the mental health team. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 3 The childrens right to choice was disregarded. As social workers are challenged to be advocates for those who are unable to advocate for themselves and â€Å"all the social workers efforts should be directed towards removing the obstacles which enable the service user to take control of their own life†(Aids to Practice card Advocacy Empowerment) the decision was contrary to my personal and professional values and a difficult one to accept. This experience made me reflect that there will be times during my practice when my values will conflict with others but difficult decisions will always have to be made. I hope I can learn from past mistakes within the system and continue to practice within my professional code as described in the course reader, â€Å"will respect their clients as individuals and will seek to ensure that their dignity, rights and responsibility shall be safeguarded† (BASW 1986 Set Book Adams, Dominelli, Payne, p.34) Describe your current understanding of professional social work values and how you have arrived at this understanding. Outline those issues which you find problematic and want to work on during your present placement. Professional social work values as listed in the course material (K111 stage 1 p.20) are part of the core competencies. The K111 aids to practice card (valuing) defines these as â€Å"having a clear set of values which actively informs your social work practice, particularly concerning promoting the intrinsic ‘worth or ‘value of another human being†. These are values that need to be inherent within any professional and indeed hopefully within each worker on a professional and a private basis. My own understanding of professional social work values has changed and evolved over time through my own past experiences. I feel that, fundamentally, respect for other people is the most important value as ultimately you should treat people the way that you would wish to be treated yourself â€Å"There is a long tradition in social work that emphasises the importance of ‘respect for people'(Study Unit 1, Part A, P.76). Bisteck, 1961 (as cited in K111 study unit 1 p.76) listed â€Å"seven principles of casework which included acceptance, self-determination, confidentiality, individualisation and a non-judgemental attitude. These are grouped together under the umbrella of ‘respect for persons†. I feel that I have learned to build on my respect for others through past contact with service users, especially in residential care where the majority of children and young people had little or no self-respect. Valuing something means that we know its worth. â€Å"This is essential in social work precisely because many service users are seen as ‘undeserving by society, or as worthless. Indeed, some service users have this view of themselves†(Aids to Practice Card, Valuing). Treating them as individuals, each with their own identity, and not as part of a homogenous group, helped me to understand how important self-identity, self-awareness and self-worth is. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 4 I have been able to reflect on this and bring it into my practice. Although I did not necessarily agree with or approve of the values and behaviours of the families of some of the young people it was imperative that I was guided by the ‘values of social work (CCETSW 1996 p.18, Aids to Practice Card, The Values of Social Work) and that I communicated a non-judgmental attitude toward them. Acceptance of others and a belief in the worth and dignity of every human being are values that are conveyed through non-judgmental behaviour. To be able to respect another persons privacy and safeguard confidentiality affirms that persons worth and dignity. I presently work with children from areas that are classed as â€Å"disadvantaged†; these areas have a high transient population from all over the country, including the travelling community. This makes for a wide range of cultures, religions, social status, ethnic minorities and to treat people as individuals and â€Å"respect and value uniqueness and diversity†(Aids to Practice Card, The Values of Social Work) is essential when practising in such diverse social settings. The travellers who I have worked with have views which are very different to my own. They believe that girls do not need to be educated at all and that boys only need formal education until the age of ten. Because this goes against my personal values I sometimes find it difficult to promote peoples right to choice in such situations but I do recognise the need to â€Å"work with individuals and families from backgrounds and cultures of which I may have little direct experience in a way which is sensitive to this diversity† (Study Unit 1, Part A p.19). I try to recognise that changes must come from within the service user and that we cannot impose our standards and values on them. However, I am always conscious of the need to be aware of any child protection issues and the need to â€Å"assist people to increase control of and i mprove the quality of their lives, while recognising that control of behaviour will be required at times in order to protect children and adults from harm†(Study Unit 1, Part A, P.20) I am constantly learning about myself and other people and re-examining my own attitudes and prejudices. The K111 Aids to Practice card Valuing, informs us that â€Å"the assumption is that the values which inform training will come to influence practice† and perhaps more importantly, â€Å"having a set of principles to apply to the practice of ‘valuing the existence and contribution of another human being, of respecting them and upholding their rights and responsibilities, is seen as essential to accountable social work†. The values that are central to social care should affect all aspects of my working practice. My current understanding is that the profession of social work centres on the improvement of quality of life for people and the enhancement of human potential for full, productive participation in society. If we let our own personal values be guided by the â€Å"values of social work†(Aids to Practice Cards, The Values of Social Work) then we woul d allow everyone that we come into contact with to try and develop their full potential whilst also giving them the choice of and responsibility over their own actions. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 5 References: Adams. R, Dominelli. L, Payne.M, 2nd Edition Social Work: Themes, Issues and Critical Debates, Palgrave K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, Aid to Practice Cards, The Open University, Milton Keynes K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, The Open University, Milton Keynes. K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, Tape 1, Bands E-I Pearsall. J, The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2002), 10th Edition, University Press /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Day 2: Users expectations of social workers The main points that I felt were reiterated during the sessions led by the service users were; an expectation that the partnership with their social worker would possess the positive qualities of any good relationship. The focus was on an open and equal attitude, mutual trust and respect. Empowerment was crucial to the service user as it addresses their feelings of impotence within society; this can be achieved by being informative e.g. sign posting to other agencies for support and empowerment and assisting with direct payments so that service users can make their own decisions regarding their care. I learned that it was the positive qualities of any good relationship that were most appreciated such as a personal and friendly approach; practical offers of practical help i.e. useful phone numbers and keeping to appointment times and agreed timescales and these made the difference between a good working partnership and a poor one. One service user felt that, because she presented as v ery articulate and independent, she had not been offered assistance with filling in forms for direct payments, which highlighted to me that a positive assumption can lead to needs not being met. (193) Day 3: Carers expectations of social workers One of the key things that I learned from the meeting with carers and my own experience within my family was the emotional rollercoaster of the 24hour commitment involved. One of the case studies we looked at during the module highlighted how the focus of support is mainly directed at the service user and the needs of the carer are often overlooked. One point that stood out from one of the lectures was how personality has some influence on what care is appropriate for that person. The example given was a service user whose mental health problems sometimes conflicted with the delivery of care for his physical health problems adding extra stress for the partner and carer. As a family carer myself I identified with how good sign posting from the social worker can assist with the frustrating process of trying to gather knowledge of how and where help can be accessed. I also identified with other carers experiences of the need for the professionals involved with our family members care to respect our family members individuals needs e.g. her religion and her food preferences to maintain dignity. Maintaining good interprofessional relationships was highlighted, to maintain cohesion and continuity of care and to be prepared to advocate on behalf of the carer and service user. (217) Day 4: Cultural competence Cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and economic differences impact on how individuals and groups access and use health, education, and social services. They can also present barriers to working in partnership in health care interventions particularly when practitioners stereotype, misinterpret, make faulty assumptions, or mishandle with insensitivity their encounters with individuals and groups viewed as different in terms of their backgrounds and experiences. Adopting an anti-oppressive approach by admitting and reflecting on personal biases, stereotypes, and prejudices is the starting point of developing cultural competence, the next stage is to be sensitive to cultural norms, attitudes, and beliefs; in fact valuing the diversity of cultural difference. Other important ways in which you may become more culturally competent and avoid potential pitfalls would be in learning verbal and nonverbal cues of other cultures, becoming more comfortable in cross-cultural situations by assessing wha t works and what does not. By assessing how the beliefs and behaviours of the cultural group affect the service user, their interaction with services offered, learning to negotiate between the persons beliefs and practices and the culture of your profession, cultural competence can be achieved. I am valuing the opportunities this course is affording me in developing my cultural awareness by learning from and with people from a variety of different cultural and social backgrounds. (214) Day 5: Social workers use of power and authority My concerns about using professional authority are about finding myself in situations that require careful judgement due to the consequences for both service user and myself because of my own actions or non-actions. I can ensure that I acquire up-to-date knowledge of the values and principles of the British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics for Social Work and work by them at all times. Other sources of help in verifying that I was not using the powers and authority invested in me appropriately would be talking to line managers, referring to the General Social Care Council codes of practice and referring to the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. Other ways of seeking assistance would be to discuss dilemmas and reflect upon similar case studies weighing up the consequences of certain courses of action. Seeking help from other professionals and agencies may give a fresh perspective, however, it is a case of balancing personal and professional judgement in the c ontext of codes and guidelines of the profession and treading the thin line between safe holding and violation. (178) PART 2 The personal impact of the learning that took place on the topic of cultural competence was that it gave me greater understanding of how everybody differed in their own individual perceptions of their culture, background and religion. This realisation has increased my self-awareness of my own cultural identity and how that has shaped my own values and opinions. I am aware that in society we often group people according to their cultural background, based on appearance or religion, when what real

Comparison Of Bureaucratic And Non Bureaucratic Organisations Commerce Essay

Comparison Of Bureaucratic And Non Bureaucratic Organisations Commerce Essay The Style of bureaucratic organization has totally different structure as compare to the non bureaucratic organizations. The bureaucratic style is preferred due to its technical style of administration but for the new and small and medium size organizations no bureaucratic style is most popular. Here are comparisons between these two: Suitability: Bureaucratic style is more suitable for large organization but for new small and medium size organization the non bureaucratic style is more suitable Utilization of Human resources : In the non bureaucratic the human resources are more effectively and efficiently used by the organization as compare to the other style. Creativity and Innovation: As the non bureaucratic organizations is more flexible environment so the more chances o creativity and innovation is in non bureaucratic as compare to bureaucratic organizations. (Stamm V B: 2008), Operational control: In the bureaucratic organizations the control command for operations are distributed while in non bureaucratic there is a centralised command of control for the operations of the organization. Time Saving: In bureaucratic organizations there is very long chain of command and when the order is given by the higher authority from top to down level it takes more time to communicate while in the non bureaucratic direct orders are given from the higher authority to the subordinates in order to get the spontaneous response. It takes less time and more time to work is devoted. Motivational level: The level of motivation is very high in non bureaucratic style because the direct orders are given from the top level and more rewards and appreciation is given by higher level to the subordinates directly while in bureaucratic style the top level has rarely communicate directly to the subordinates. (Sapru R.K: 2006) Structure: Non bureaucratic structure is more volatile as compare to the bureaucratic structure. Communication and policies and procedures: In bureaucratic there is poor level of communication while in non bureaucratic the level of communication and passing information from top to down is much quicker and faster. However, In bureaucratic style there are written documents of policies and procedures and if any problem comes they can resolve it by using that policies and procedures while it is absent in non bureaucratic organization. As in bureaucratic organizations there are more policies and procedures which are followed by the employees and they feel no freedom and less motivated environment as compare to on bureaucratic organizations where people are more motivated and more efficient to make the organization more successful. Preferred Organization: As discuss earlier that the non bureaucratic organization style is more suitable for small and medium sized organization while for higher or big organizations the bureaucratic style is more suitable. While I have seen that in non bureaucratic style the flexibility of work, communication from top to down and motivational level of the employees are high so they chase easily chase the goal of the organization. However every organization has its own style and structure and it is not easy to decide for a particular organization that which structure is best for them. After critical analysis I will choose non bureaucratic style because the motivational factor involved in it is the main point for my organization and as motivation brings innovation and creativity in the organization. As in 1995 Herzberg says During work the different factors which motivate people and different from those which create dissatisfaction **The factors which are usually involved in doing the job related to job satisfier while the factors which define the job context usually relates the job dissatisfies.** Advantages and Disadvantages: Every organization has its own style and every style has its own advantages and disadvantages. So these are as follows: Advantages of Non-Bureaucratic Organization: Non bureaucratic organization style is more flexible and easy to adopt the changes in any organization. As the authority has direct communication to the subordinates so the fast communication makes the response quicker and efficient. There is no long chain of command which saves the time and efficient use of human resources at its potential. Employees are more motivated by rewards and appreciation by the higher authorities directly which bring the innovation and creativity in any organization as the decision and working environmental are more flexible so more quicker to adopt the global changes which keeps the employees more responsive and responsible to chase the organizational objectives. As there is no long hierarchy so any employee can be given work without any time limit and position burden. So the employees can take their own initiatives and make decision in order to complete the task without waiting the higher authority permission. Disadvantages of non-Bureaucratic Organization: The main disadvantage is that the structure is very informal there are not any hard and fast rules, policies and procedures in the written form. There is lack of standardisation so the problems arise in the organization on the same issues cannot be solved so the workforce are involved to put their input to solve the problem. As the centralisation of command of control make the employees to depend only on the top authority or single person to fulfil the operations or tasks of the organization. However every new small and medium organization will look forward to be expanding in the future so this non-bureaucratic style should be changed into the bureaucratic style in order to handle the tasks and operations of the organization in more effective and efficient way. Due to the absence of proper procedures and policies in the written form sometimes its very hard for the organization to fulfil the requirements. Conclusion: According to me the non bureaucratic style has some edge over the traditional bureaucratic style as it is more flexible and easy to adopt changes in this modern style of era. Although every organization has aits own structure according to its requirements and size. Although the non bureaucratic has some disadvantages like lack of standardisation and absence of written policies and procedures but still it is suitable for the small and medium size organizations. However while choosing the style of an organization its all depend on the nature and size and the main operations which is carried out by the organization. At the end every non bureaucratic is turn into bureaucratic as it grows and capture more market shares. So in the start of any new business the non bureaucratic style is adopted while it expand than there should be written rules, policies and procedures which should be followed by the employees in order to solve the problems and to attain the major objectives and goals of any organization. This is a world of changes and future is uncertain so there should be some sort of innovation and creativity in the organization and its workforce should be satisfied with their work level and responsibilities. Thus the main purpose is to purse the organizations objectives and goals whether it is bureaucratic or non bureaucratic in style because both have their own advantages and disadvantages.