Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents Essay Example Essay Example

Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents Essay Example Paper Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents Essay Introduction A first generation Mexican family living in rural North Carolina with a 16 year old daughter (whom we will identify as Marie) will be the focus of this paper. Marie and her family live in a trailer near the farm where her father works. The assessment of Marie and her family will include: making predictions, planning interventions, evaluating overall situation, and implementing a treatment plan. The family lives in a trailer, does not drive a nice car, and has limited financial resources. How will these factors affect Marie as a first generation young adolescent immigrant (YAI)? Unfortunately for girls in similar situations, this type of lifestyle is correlated with a high rate of â€Å"at risk† problems. The probability of negative future events, abnormal behavior, and irrational decision making processes influencing Marie are high. The major premise for this paper is lifestyle: Young immigrant adolescents are cornered in this situation because of poverty, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy to name a few.The YAI situation is a minority developed condition that operates in a circular pattern that continues over time. The YAI and their families leave their deprived country, come to America in search of a better life, and most, settle in conditions no better than they left. The procedure of relocating to a new country can cause cultural shock to a first generation girl like Marie. Latino family’s that end up in low SES neighborhoods usually have negative outcomes in related to their lifestyle. According to a study done by Tama Leventhal Jeanne Brooks-Dunn, neighborhood characteristics and child outcomes are related to achievement in high SES neighborhoods and residential instability and behavioral/emotional problems in low SES neighborhoods (p. 309). For the most part, the explanation for this YAI condition is substandard living conditions.Before evaluating the factors why Marie is at a higher risk of negative influences, researchers consider th e environment she lives in. Neighborhood influences and the implications for Marie are many, especially when considering the number of immigrant youth who drop out of school, become pregnant as a teenager, and become addicted to a substance in lower SES neighborhoods. There is little uncertainty that high joblessness, poverty, and even death, follow people like Marie and her friends. The hostile and sub par living conditions that Marie is subjected to are triggers that lead to the YAI circular lifestyle.Verifying the comorbidity Marie lives in is an important dynamic of her psychological situation. Cross-cultural studies in psychopathology have general conclusions that can be drawn about their mental state to Draguns, 1994: 1. All mental disorders are shaped, to some extent, by cultural factors. 2. No mental disorders can be traced entirely to cultural or social factors. 3. Psychotic disorders are less influenced by culture than are nonpsychotic disorders. 4. The symptoms of certain disorders are more likely to vary across cultures than are disorders themselves (when viewed at the level of a syndrome) (Oltmanns, Emery, and Taylor, 2002, p. 18). So, it appears that Marie is in danger of acquiring specific problems related to her cross-cultural lifestyle; however, the evidence suggests that Marie has little worry of attaining a psychopathological abnormal disorder.Mental state affects Marie in two ways with regard to her circumstances. Either the YAI determines that they must work harder to achieve a higher socioeconomic status, or the YAI is caught in their socioeconomic state and perceives they cannot get out. In the first case, studies show that YAI who come from this category are in the minority. Jacquelynne Eccles volume Adolescent and Child Developments states that, â€Å"According to US census estimates for 2000, 44% of Hispanics age twenty-five and older do not have a high school diploma† (191). Furthermore, Eccles goes on to describe high school graduates from cross-cultural families face low rates of educational achievement, high rates of poverty, and language barriers, leaving more Hispanic families to face under/unemployment. (191). Living in this type of socioeconomic cross-cultural situation essentially decreases the adolescents chance to succeed from the beginning. These YAIs have good rationale for believing they will have to work harder to achieve a high school diploma, but what about the YAIs who are not in the 44%?The previous results from Eccles’ study shows that most YAIs do not have the option to attend college. In addition, most YAI are not in a sound financial setting to pay for post-secondary education. For them, and those who graduate high school without a scholarship, returning to their poor socioeconomic status is the only option, whether they have the required grades to enter college or excel in other fields of academia. Moreover, job selection will limit the YAI to minimum wage and restrict futur e post-secondary advancement. Some YAIs will not even hold a job. The problem now begins to seem hopeless to the disadvantaged youngster. Marie, with help from a supportive family, will have to decide at a pre-teen age if she wants to be in the 44% or the 66% group of YAI’s.Some YAIs do not have the choice of which percentage they want to belong in. The volatile socioeconomic situation of the YAI may predict the outcome for the youth. For example, in Marie’s cross-cultural position she is at a high risk of becoming pregnant by the time she is 16. Furthermore, Rodney Goodyear states that: â€Å"Multiple pathways predicted the women’s choice of male partner. Psychological distress was strongly related to choosing partners with negative relationships with women† (p. 187). In other words, Marie’s choice of a male partner is directly related to her SES status and psychological state of mind. The lower her income, the more likely she is in psychological distress, and will choose an uneducated, abusive, male partner and become pregnant. Another problem relates to substance abuse. As Marie’s opportunities in life go away and despair sets in, YAIs consistently turn to harmful alternatives to hide from reality. MarAa Ortiz’s study shows that environmental factors influence boys into substance abuse, while environment and demographics influence females into substance abuse (p. 27). Although the odds seem to be stacked against the YAIs, they may find consolation in contemporary technology, better government programs and loans, and a proper family setting. While Marie’s circumstances once meant despair, disadvantage, and hopelessness years ago, it now seems that academic research and government programs are at least offering more options than in previous decades.Even for YAI’s with supportive family and programs, overcoming the negative influences in their lives can be hard. YAIs are prone to inconsistent behav ior patterns. Across time and situations YAIs frequently become troubled with what their socioeconomic status leaves them without. Consequently, the recidivism is high for YAIs, and behavior is often radical over long periods of time and throughout difficult situations. The average YAI will experience more physical, mental, and substance abuse exposure by the time they are 10 years old than most people in a lifetime. Thus, inconsistent behavior becomes a pattern to fall back on in times of conflict. The circle continues.The final socioeconomic reason of failure for YAI to consider in this paper includes personal lifestyle choices and social diseases. Even when YAIs are careful in pregnancy and substance use and take precautions, communal diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and venereal disease rates are high and predominate in Male Hispanics and on the rise for female Hispanics, and a good number of these people are undoubtedly social service recipients (Mayes, Cochran, 1988, p. 949). YAIs have few options to return to their families as an alternative to receiving welfare. Most of their parents are living on welfare, or in the case of Marie’s father, working for casual labor that pays sub par wages. In either situation, social diseases leave a single, pregnant, infected YAI at the mercy of their consequential decisions and society. In her disadvantageous cross-cultural situation, Marie will have to have the perseverance of a Saint to make it.In order for treatment to take place a problem must be identified. In Marie’s case many possible problems have been recognized. In the beginning, before negative situations occur, Marie’s parents should suggest school counselors help Marie identify her at risk behaviors associated with her specific socioeconomic situation. Proactive prevention and counseling, such as school awareness programs for cross-cultural students, will give Marie a better chance at success. Social work treatment is concerned with t he commitment to action. Treatment can involve schools, courts, prisons, hospitals, as well as other social agencies.Treatment affects YAI in a number of ways in regards to â€Å"at risk† behavior. A good treatment plan should cover all potential angles. Before analyzing the treatment for the YAI problems identified in this paper, we will discuss prevention as a potential cure. â€Å"The prevention and reduction of maladaptive functioning,† is discussed in Alan Kazdin’s (1993) study on Adolescent mental health: Prevention and treatment programs. Kazdin suggests that, â€Å"Treatment could be reserved for those cases for whom preventative efforts failed† (131). Short-term motivational therapy works well on people who do not think they have a problem. In other words, social workers, psychologists, etc., should do all things possible to avoid letting a client reach the stage of treatment. In reality, we know it is impossible to prevent most cases from reachi ng the treatment stage.There are many therapies for helping the YAI if they reach the stage of self destruction. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and accepted forms of treatment in health forums today. CBT teaches people to identify and respond to the situation that impulsively draws people into such things as drug abuse. Coping skills training is one element of CBT. Social skills are identified in the person that will train them how to acquire problem solving skills, resist pressures of drinking and substance use, and formulate alternative courses of action. Maladaptive responses are transformed into adaptive thoughts that are rehearsed. Thus, negative patterns of the â€Å"self† and â€Å"environment† are attended to.Karol Kumpfer and Rose Alvarado did a study on Family-Strengthening Approaches for the Prevention of Youth Problem Behaviors and suggest three preventions in their article: Behavioural Parent Training, Family Skills Trainin g, and Family Therapy. The advantage an adolescent like Marie has in family centered preventions, interventions, and treatments is linked to cross-cultural acceptance. The YAI can become familiar with there initial cultural surroundings while communicating with their family. Less alienation from family should mean more confidence in making tough decisions.Although not all aspects of Maries cross-cultural situation can be addressed in a short paper, the implications of the areas covered do highlight the major roadblocks she will face as a 16 year old, Hispanic, female, living in a rural American neighborhood. It is the individual that is being asked to take the risks that cultural factors present. The social well being of all American citizens must be cared for in our society whether we want to or not. For Marie, and all YAIs, their future depends on it. Social Work Practice with Children and Adolescents Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

The U.S. Foreign Policy in East Asia

The U.S. Foreign Policy in East Asia Introduction Since the relations between the United States and China were straightened two decades ago, American interests have invariably remained constant and consistent with those of the larger China. This has been followed with reproach from the political realm which has constantly victimized the long term intentions of this relationship.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The U.S. Foreign Policy in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The American population seems to have conceptualized and victimized the manner in which the American administration seems to hold on to the long overdue early political ambitions of social stability, improved levels of technology, a better and firm security force. Would these have materialized, China would be a fertile ground for the vast investments made by the United States in China. Even more compelling, the historical dispute between Taiwan and China does not seem to be getting to a close with each party maintaining a heavy budget on the acquisitioning and sophistication of their armed forces. In effect the ambitious profit forecasts that raised an interest back after the cold war have remained a dream. The nation’s future therefore appears to be held on weak strings threatening to crumble any time in the face of fluid geopolitics. China’s intention to forcefully acquire Taiwan has embraced serious and sometimes acute criticism even as it continues to acquire apply and export essential technological strategies. There have also been endless concerns as to China’s appetite for human rights as well as religious freedom even as the trade relations with China are nursed. It is therefore only natural that the general opinion is that of every five Americans four are of an opinion that precaution and strict scrutiny of China’s intentions should be taken before these relations become more intimate. They believe that Chinaâ€℠¢s labor policies should be put to check. Issue and Background China’s long and winding history dates back to the Clinton era when North Korea first announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at a time around March 1993. Negotiations followed and bore the first and possibly the only tangible results in October the following year. A compromise in the form of an agreed framework was drafted that required that all parties be enjoined to the International Atomic Energy Agency monitors. All of the 8000 fuel rods that had been spent were agreeably canned and sealed. Also part of the bargain was the construction of two light water reactors by the end of the 2003 with heavy fuel oil supplies. China in 1996 picked up the cars by firing missiles towards Taiwan. The response by the United States was a show of might in the form of aircraft carriers. A year earlier the Taiwan president had made a trip to the United States leaving the impression that America was endo rsing the independence of Taiwan.Advertising Looking for term paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was the beginning of the distrustful relations between the United States and China. North Korea would then raise eye brows on the 1st of September 1998 by firing a long-range ballistic missile over Japan. The world responded with aggressive suctions and withdrawal of financing amidst claims by the United States of an underground nuclear project by North Korea. The status quo was maintained by the bush administrations which did little but fan the flames of the conflict between China and Taiwan. In 2001 former president bush was quoted to have supported a military solution and the use of force in the control and maintenance of the North Korea situation. The situation was made even more serious by the admission of North Korea of having abducted of 30 Japanese nationals in connection betwee n 1977 and 1983. This could not have appeared at a more appropriate time. In the same year the United States intelligence would then uncover a nuclear program underway in the Korean country probing the withdrawal of oil shipments by America. The United States position was made manifest in the former president’s speech at Kyoto in November 2005. He advocated for openness in China’s approach to the issue of human freedoms and went on to use Taiwan as an example of a country that had achieved prosperity by embracing freedom and allowing for a democratic Chinese society. It is common ground that the China- United States relations have trod on shaky ground. Talking points The quarrel between China and Taiwan Taiwan originally was occupied by Japan for a long 50 years from 1895 to 1949. Four years later the nationalist Chiang regime lost its power to the communist party in China. Chiang would then flee into Taiwan. The regimes that followed perceived Taiwan as part of  "one China† that would be united come the resumption of the nationalist movement. After a long and harsh rule of the Koumintang administration in 1986, the first opposition party was founded. This was after a long period of dictatorship and a ban on opposition parties. The party finally managed to secure a presidential seat for their candidate in year 2000. The doctrines adopted by the party offend the Chinese government’s long conception of Taiwan as a defector province that would one day be united with the larger communist China by whatever means. Nuclear concerns In the recent history China has placed blame on the US for benefiting on selling on nuclear sophisticated technology to countries like Pakistan who just recently practiced its pilot missile. Nuclear concerns have time and again stood in the way for the mending of the relations between these two countries. There are those who are of the opinion that it is the strategic and developmental significance that hold s still the random and shaky connection between these countries.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The U.S. Foreign Policy in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Points of Debate The United States position Despite the recent series of events, China has remained to be the most populous nation in the world as well as among the most promising of countries. It bears a colossal capacity for growth and is an ideal ground for investment. The United States has historically recognized Taiwan as part of the greater China and has time and again advocated for an amicable resolution to the e Taiwan China dispute. Despite the provisions of the 1979 Taiwan Relations act to which the United States is bound it has maintained a fine line between the long history between the relations of these two nations and the gradually improving influence of China. In effect the United States has made a firm stand in the campaign for its principles and values of freedom and democracy and yet avoiding an unnecessary conflict with China. Even so it would be hard to avoid noticing the current status of Taiwan which by 2005 had a gross national product of 328 billion of which 174 billion was attributed to trade and export of electronics. This indicates a successful economy that is supported by a multiparty democracy. In the spirit of democracy and the recent examples of Eritrea, Southern Sudan, Libya and Tunisia it would only seem fit that the revolutionary effects of democracy are not far off. Moments of collaboration For all intents and purposes the relations between Washington and Beijing have been of mutual assistance and cooperation in the search for an amicable resolve to the conflict crisis. In 2005 the bush administration secured peace talks negotiations between Taiwan and China. These are less likely however to occur in future owing to the division among the electorate with a substantial amount in favor of bot h propositions. In other avenues China and the United States have displayed a team effort as was seen in the 1991 gulf war against Iraq in its move of sustaining as opposed to exercising its veto in the un security council. Way forward Despite the above mentioned setbacks, the two states maintain a certain degree of trust that each nation will keep the others interests in mind when it comes to the making of big decisions affecting either nation. If the current state of affairs is anything to go by, the solution to the constant hedge against each other is co-operation and demonstration of regard for each other’s goals. An outstanding cause of the constant conflict between the two nations is the divergence of values and interests alongside the difficulty in ascertaining each party’s intentions. More often than not it stands in the way of development of a common object of values and commonality of interests.Advertising Looking for term paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More China for instance invested its national interests in territorial integrity alongside institutional security and economic development. Of paramount importance is institutional security with the sole tenet of service to the people. The genuine changes that have transformed China such as imperialism colonialism and hegemonic ideology have set it back to the development road a road that the United States gives a detached cognizance. (Despres, P. 115) The Chinese bear a saying to the effect that modesty aids progress while conceit drags the one behind. It is of essence that both parties treat each other with a sense of equality and respect for the others institutions. For all intents and purposes, the American conception of the Chinese system should me more objective in as far as performance is concerned and in relation to the international standards of civil rights and social reform. The relationship between the two states has in recent times received substantial support by the current president of China even in the face of the hard economic times brought by the year 2010. The challenge therefore is on building and maintaining these improvements. This will not be an easy task due to the divergence of the compatible interests of both nations. China on its part will be required to do more than just casual international exchanges and international cooperation. It will be required to adopt policies that safeguard its investments and the interests of its people. This may be the explanation behind the continued investment in the defensive capacity. If however the objectives are not stated clearly and their plans explained, the United States may get the wrong impression and it is therefore important to ensure that their level of trust is maintained to save both parties the misconceptions and misjudgments (Pouyan, P. 115) It is also important that China understands the legitimacy of the concerns and desires specifically with regard to the all too common issue of freedom of navigation in the open seas. Undeniably the United States has monopolized the administration of and management of the open seas including Asia. Naturally it has been a cause for concern for policy makers and drafters as well as critics as to the United States objectives and interests. Presumably the picture has been tainted as one of selfish interest. This situation has been worsened by the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and increased need for alternate sources of revenue for the continued development goals the navigate freedom continues to be more and more liberal. This has been a cause of anxiety for the United States for instance in the Chinese prospects over a number of exclusive economic zones. This has raised eyebrows and could be a cause of dissatisfaction. It is of essence that the Chinese government declares its intentions to ensure that the essence of suspicion does not persist. The survival of these friendly ties it’s for the mutual benefit of both nations. It would be of specific benefit to China if both parties as well as other ASEAN members to make attempts to reconcile each others stand by creating a system of administration that will aid the free convenience of the south China seas but still support the invariable interests and privileges of China in so far as economic exploitation is concerned. The connection between the American population and the Chinese is invaluably important since the Chinese economy presents and maintains a substantial market for the many citizens who deal in export goods in the likes of farmer’s workers and businessmen across the United States besides the all famous multinational companies such as Microsoft, Motorola and Boeing. The Chinese also have a bearing on the American security situation. The United States has sent its troops to mitigate the South Korean issue. China is therefore an important agent in ensuring that the democratic concerns Pu t forward by the United States receives motivation and backing. In the face of the rising need for renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy, China plays a big role in the fight against pollution. It is therefore an important ally in the environmental campaign. China’s economic progress has taken a down turn owing to among other things the changing economic times. It has been presented with hard edged choices as the profits from the liberalization ideology seem to be marginalizing. It is of urgent need that the nation takes measures to address the social and political steps towards an amicable resolve. Of urgent concern is the political twist that has befallen the regime that enforced controls that allocate lesser capital for instance to the banking sector. The banking system in any nation forms the benchmark for the growth of any economy. It therefore is counterproductive to restrain it since it has a bearing in almost all sectors. It is also important that the level of corruption be put to check as well subs tantive reform to the nation’s taxation system. The political environment in China leaves alit to be desired. It is a high time that the leaders are made more accountable for their undertakings in their various administrative dockets. The leadership seems to be preoccupied with preserving and guarding its power and territory at the expense of the vision of China. It is important in the fulfillment of the democratic mandate vested in them by the electorate. The entrance (Harries, P. 2-25) For the past decade monetary policy has been among the greatest concerns in the United States- China relations. Issues have been raised as to whether each not each country’s currency is at the equitable value. Each country has often shifted blame on the other refuting the responsibility for the state of affairs. Experts however have a different view and have the assumption that Chinese Yen is rated low. The rising value of the Chinese currency will therefore have a great bearing on the balance in trade between the two nations. Just recently have tried the best to put pressure on China to Up- grade Chinese Yen as a currency. The US congress has presented a bill that seeks among other things to require the administration to enforce tariffs on any imports from China. In return the Chinese have criticized this move as one of unfair motive. It has formed a renewed source for debate and if not resolved, could lead to unwanted conflict. Recommendations From a realist stand China is a threat to the United States by the fact that it has gradually walked to global homogeneity. They suggest that these recent turn of events could likely to lead to war. The liberalists on the other hand take the view that the increase in power of the Chinese regime is not solely enough to lead to war. They consider casual mechanisms as an amicable solution to the sustenance of peaceful coexistence. Both present strong argue that tend to lean on pessimism rather than objective optimism. To avo id any of these unfortunate eventualities they suggest that the United States adopts the advice of one Walter Russell which entails the strategic employment of sticky power. This is a term that was derived by Russell from the construction of peace built on trade relations. It marries the liberalist and realist approaches in providing a balance to the whole stand down. It embraces liberal ideas such as economic reliance to motivate continued relations. It also recognizes realist chances of war. In effect the interdependence and democratization are used as a barrier to war. It also keeps in mind the realist possibility of war and braces for such war bringing aboard historical precedent. Sticky power seems to be the most reliable compromise that has long-term prospects of success. Conclusion The future of these relations is crowned with uncertainty. As it were the two nations have a lot to learn from Theodor Roosevelt’s quote to the effect that it is always to the benefit and in terest of every other nation that a nation maintains its stability and prosperity. It is not to any nations disadvantage that a nation has stability within its borders the kind that is strong but not too strong as to provoke aggression form its neighbors. It is for the greater good that hopes for change development growth and progress with regard to democracy peace and legitimacy in line with the doctrines of natural justice summarized in the quote â€Å"live and let live† In the end after all the legacy of the presidents regime in so far as the bilateral relationship is concerned will be judged buy the ability to bring the Chinese regime into the campaign for international concerns such as global warming. It is of alarming concern that the two nations combined account for at least 40 % of the global emissions. It is issues of this kind that the world at large measures the achievement and potential of a nation’s democracy. Despres, John. â€Å"American Interests In a nd Concerns with China†. 3/12/10 Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports.html Harries, Owen.†China In The National Interest†. New Jersey.Transaction Publishers 2006. P. 115 Pouyan, Vahabi-Shekarloo.†The making of American foreign policy towards China†.Norderstedt Germany. Druck and Bindung. 2005 .P, 2-25

Advantages of Induced Pluripotent Stem cell research Essay

Advantages of Induced Pluripotent Stem cell research - Essay Example A very important breakthrough came two years ago with the discovery that adult multipotent adult stem cells can be induced, by the addition of transcription factors, to convert into pluripotent cells (Takahashi, Tanabe and Ohnuki). These cells came to be known as induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. Research of iPS cell technology must be promoted because of the many advantages of using iPS cells compared to the other stem cell types. The first major advantage is the use of somatic tissues instead of embryos as sources. Various types of somatic tissues can be used as sources of iPS cells for the repair of damaged tissues (Yu, Vodyanik and Smuga-Otto). Patient-derived somatic cells can produce patient-specific iPS cells that contain the patient’s genetic information. When these iPS cells are used in transplantation to replace diseased cells, the risk for rejection is reduced. Immune rejection is a problem in the use of embryonic stem cells (de Wert and Mummery). Another potential application is to use the iPS cells for constructing specific disease models and screening for effective drugs (Yamanaka). The potential therefore is high for healing degenerative and chronic diseases like cystic fibrosis, chronic heart problems, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s dis ease and many more (Yamanaka). The advantage of using somatic cells as sources for iPS cells leads to another advantage, which is the removal of the major ethical and moral issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells. Ethical and moral issues have hounded stem cell research since its potential applications were discovered, most concerning the use of 4-5 day old embryos as sources of embryonic stem cells. Since the embryos die upon the isolation of stem cells, the main ethical questions centered on life and its beginnings. Other issues were on obtaining stem cells from pre-implantation embryos, and if this is the case,

The Violation of Joe Public's Procedural and Substantive Due Process Essay

The Violation of Joe Public's Procedural and Substantive Due Process - Essay Example In addition, it is mainly decided upon through the assessment of deliberation of error and analysis of interests. The substantive due process explains how the justice is depicted in the law and its link to the perception of legality. It offers a source of fairness and justice beyond the Constitution, which is determined through basic rights and persuasive requirement tests. However, an individual, fundamental rights and equal protection may be violated in the course of justice. Selective incorporation involves the explicit protection of essential and fundamental rights of an individual. This is similar to equal protection; however, equal protection clause is not present in the Fifth Amendment. Equal protection concerns discrimination allegations, therefore, from a selective incorporation viewpoint; the case can be filed as a discrimination claim under the Fifth Amendment. Joe Public can file his case in the federal courts. The case is involving the Fifth Amendment and Fourteen Amendm ent of the United States Constitution, and the federal courts handle most cases that may concern or challenge the Constitution. Moreover, the case can challenge and argue that there were some outlawed procedures that were violated, and the entire procedure substantively desecrated the doctrines of essential and fundamental justice. This will prompt a shift in the load of evidence to the State to demonstrate the compelling need. The case can be filed within the jurisdiction of the state courts and specifically in the state in which the health institution is location. The state courts can also handle cases involving the U.S Constitution, the state law and the state constitution. According to the Fourteenth Amendment, as a United State citizen, Public has a right to access all the privileges that belong to the citizens of United States. There is no law in the State in which Public resides, and went to seek medical treatment that was enforced which prevents Public from accessing the nee ded requirement. Therefore, he was denied his right as a United State citizen to quality and efficient medical care without any discrimination. This violated his procedural due process. Under the Fifth Amendment, Public has the right to quality life, which is possible through access to medical care that also provides relevant information regarding the social, health and cultural needs. The medical facility deprived him of this information, thus violating his fundamental rights and substantive due process (Stephens and Scheb, 2007). According to Holt (2010), the Fifth Amendment was only to apply to the federal government initially, thus the federal courts. However, the Fourteenth Amendment makes the Fifth Amendment binding to the states and their jurisdiction, hence the state courts. The violations of Public rights as a patient and a citizen are extensively covered with the Fourteenth Amendment. The case can be filed in both federal and state courts. However, Public is best suited fi ling the case in the State Courts since it is still in its jurisdiction and authority. The equal protection of Public’s rights was also violated. The right to access to emergency services was denied to John Public. This led to deterioration of the symptoms that Public was experiencing at the time. In addition, the hospital did not provide information that was relevant to the disease. This would have provided insight into the management of the disease. Mckenzie et al (2011) argue that without this information, understanding

Green Field Enterprise Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Green Field Enterprise - Research Proposal Example The business would be aimed to incur profitability through the delivery of exceptional quality cuisines and specialty food and value creation for the customers in the United Kingdom market. The restaurants of Fortuna will appeal to customers of various demographics and would be a fine dining restaurant choice for both family and business purposes. The menu of Fortuna restaurants would be inspired from a range of various cuisines from all across the world. The personnel planning, management structure, marketing mix, operations management and financial forecasts are used to understand the feasibility and profitability of the Fortuna restaurant chains. The Fortuna chain of restaurants will be opened up with the aim of providing differentiated gourmet cuisines to all the generations of customers in the market of United Kingdom. The restaurant business would provide a wide variety of meals and dishes and would try to cater tom a wide variety of clientele. Fortuna restaurants would be characterized by a cosy and upscale atmosphere, a premium ambience, superior facilities, excellent customer services and a wide variety of cuisine specialties to create an overall exceptional fine dining experience for both the family and business customers in the market. The chain of restaurants would be established to operate as a main player in the food and hospitality sector of United Kingdom. The place would be suitable for quiet dining, business meetings as well as for celebrating special occasions and would thus be suitable for a variety of services for the customers (Kutratko, 2008, p.215). Fortuna will be established with the aim to create a great place for fine dining combined with excellent quality and wide variety of cuisines and an excellent dining atmosphere. The mission of Fortuna chain of restaurants is to become the restaurant preferred by a wide range of customers varying from

Strategic Human Resource Management In Barclays Commerce Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management In Barclays Commerce Essay Barclays Pakistan. With a network of more than 155,000 people working globally across a range of businesses, we consider Barclays one of the best organizations for case study in order to explain the strategic human resource management; Barclays Bank Pakistan commenced operations in July 2008. With such a diversified network of the organization the HR experts work with every single employee and Business Unit to help the Barclays stay ahead from other organizations in the competition and by attracting and retaining the best people available, all over the world. This is not done by recruiting new employees but also committed to nurturing its established colleagues. The HR teams play a vital role in monitoring performance and managing a host of training programs. More importantly in the last one decade, the Banking Sector in Pakistan has become highly dynamic and competitive because of more international banks and local banks are offering the same products and services to the customers. To motive the employees the Barclays bank also introduced a pension scheme which also falls within the Human Resources Teams remit. This team makes sure the full support to all 155,000 employees across the world. Retirement Fund and the Pension Fund Executive works with the funds Trustees to ensure the scheme operates to the highest standard. Human Resource Planning (HRP) Human resource planning is needed to have a sense of both the current external environment, and anticipate things that may happen in the future in the labor market place. Human resource strategies to be implemented must be translated to the employees clearly so that they can well understand the strategies and you can get best out of it. At Barclays human resources are considered as a capital of the bank the course of action of planning process translated to the Human Capital for the achievement of predetermined goals. This is the organizations most valued assets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business. If the strategies are not properly communicated to the employees it becomes a barrier in the increase of loyalty factor of the employees with the organization. The company also needs to categorize the HR planning in to short, medium and long term. HRP The Process The most important thing for HR management is to understand the needs, demand and nature of business requirement, in this way he will be able to employ those who will deliver the required performance. The manager have to take keen interest for spotting the talent, this is called right man for the right job and ensures that the workforce is competent enough the meet the targets. Future workload must be calculated before hiring new employees, and from this way you HR can design an accurate job profile and job expectations. At Barclays well experienced HR manager are hired and motivate his prospective employees to perform to their potential. Steps involved in the Human Resource Planning Process are as under: Designing the Management System The first step in human resource planning process is to develop an efficient system for managing human resource in the organization to ensure the linkage of individuals targets and objectives with the organizational strategies. The plans, procedures, practices and policies of related to human resource come under this HR management system. An ERP system should be in place to manage all the record and data related to each and every employee of the organization. This will help to analyze the performance of each individual and also to analyze the performance of a whole workgroup. The managers can evaluate the current performance by comparing it with the previous trends which would be easily accessible form the ERP system. The policies and procedures should be put together in the system so that certain HR function may be automated and data can be updated automatically. An example of such system can be an automated attendance system for employees. An employ ee marks his or her attendance on his arrival in the office and marks his/her departure time. This is a small example that can automate one of the human resource practices in the organization. Implementation of such automated system should be the part of human resource planning in order to avoid the wastage of time due to manual work. In this way the resources can be utilized any other productive activity. Environmental Analysis After strengthening the internal systems the analysis of internal and external environment is done in the next phase of human resource planning. The collection of data related to the industry, technology, competition, unemployment rate, inflation rate, labor market trends and economy is required to be collected and an analysis of the past trends should be done. This analysis will become the foundation for the decision regarding the human resource management in the organization. In this competitive business environment, organization attracts the skilled labor as the key to success is the skilled workforce. Organizations should continuously analyze the human resource practices of the competitors in order to facilitate their employees with the same or even higher to keep them loyal to the organization. As if this is not the case then the employee will leave the organization and will join the other who is offering good compensation and other facilities. Analyzing the economy trend and inflation rates will help to determine that how much organization has to raise the salaries of the employees in the future. Forecasting Human Resource Demand The future needs and types of the employees are forecasted in the next phase of human resource planning process. For instance the analysis of the industry and the labor market will help to evaluate that how well the labor market will fulfill the future needs of the organization. It is quite possible that organization may need the skilled business development officers in the coming year and the analysis indicate that this need will not be fulfilled by the labor market. In this case the planning for training the existing workforce to meet the future needs will be done. Bottom-up forecasting is very popular for analyzing such demand of human resource in the future. Analyzing Human Resource Supply Internal and external hiring are both the techniques which can be used by the organizations. Maintaining the data bank of the possible candidates is another important part of the human resource planning. This data bank of potential candidates allows the organization more leverage to select the skilled candidates from a list of experienced and skilled employees. Reconciliation and Planning All the data, information and analysis of different alternatives collected from different sources are gathered and action plan are developed in the last phase of human resource planning process. The acceptation of plan is the key issue for top management and employees and barriers to success of plan should be identified to the key players. Many of these plans include training and management development plan, appraisal plan, employee utilization plan and human resource supply plan. Human Resource Strategy HR Strategy is aligning the goals of HR to the goals or strategy of your organization, recruitment, retention and termination are a small part of it. PEOPLE designed and structured a variable compensation scheme for Barclays Bank Investment Banking Group. The new scheme was built upon an equitable and balanced approach which took into account individual performance factors as well as market movements. The idea of Human Resource strategy and its alignment with the business strategy came in to practice by most of the organization in 1960s. There are different strategies and patterns related to HR systems which are involved in the formulation of HR strategy. Preparation of Job Description Documents / Job Profiling Evaluation and bench marking Grading structure development Compensation mechanism and quantum evaluation Development of a comprehensive set of policies in the form of a HR Manual Evaluation of all organizational and operational needs of the Bank Re-structuring the business divisions of Barclays Bank according to change management agenda Compilation of a comprehensive Job Description Manual for all unique position in Barclays in light of the newly restructured organization Performance management system and related training Compensation policy design and realignment Barclays Human Resource strategy components Employee Training Barclays is very keen in employees training whether the employee is newly hired or existing one. Training is mandatory for newly hired staff and after the training they are tested if they failed in the test they are not eligible for the job. For the old employees the company conduct on-job and off-job training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of the employees. Barclays conducts the employees training for these benefits: Improved job satisfaction and morale among employees Enhance employee motivation Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain Development of capacity to adopt new technologies and methods Increased innovation in strategies and products Reduced employee turnover Enhanced company image, Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training Learning Management System Barclays offers Learning Management System that is an online tool designed to help individuals to manage their training. Mentor programs Barclays encourages mentoring within the organization. Colleagues will be rewarded through this mentoring program. Recruitment and Selection The process of recruitment and selection at Barclays is initiated by the concerned departments and for this purpose candidates are interviewed by different persons of the concerned departments at different levels. From this process of identified that what is organization need and who is the suitable candidate to fill this post. Performance Appraisal Each employee at Barclays know his/her key performance indicators. A performance appraisal is a part of guiding and managing career development. It is the process of obtaining, analyzing, and recording information about the relative worth of an employee to the organization. Job specification A job specification goes beyond a mere description in addition, it highlights the mental and physical attributes required of the job holder. Barclays clearly highlights the job specification to the hired employees. Job analysis, description, and specification can provide useful information to the job holder and he clearly knows his responsibilities. Career Development Through this way employees manage their careers within organization. The way of career development clearly indicated to the employees. Rewards and Benefits Barclays employees all over the world enjoy a range of benefits including financial bonuses, private healthcare and flexible working, which vary depending on the region in which they are based. Remuneration Barclays pays competitive salaries and bonus and benefits according to the industry benchmark. Bonus and benefits depends on the individual performance and a company pension scheme is also available. Discounts Employees in certain parts of the world benefit from YOUniquely Barclays a range of Barclays products and services offered to employees on preferential terms. Including Buy-A-Car scheme, banking products, insurance and travel services, and the scheme offers comprehensive cost savings. Health Barclays offers a health and wellbeing benefit to its employees and many of them qualify for medical expenses scheme, offering the comfort of access to private healthcare treatment. It also provides discounts at major health care clubs. Flexibility Barclays offers flexible working hours to the employees through flexible working practices. Resource Based Strategy A strategic human resource tool known as resource based strategy is used to analyze and evaluate the current position of the human resources available to the organization. Resource based strategy allows the organization to identify those resources which are able to give a competitive advantage to the organization over the other firms. After the identification of these resources the efficient utilization of them is planned through multiple strategies. Every organization possess certain resources which can give them a leading edge over the others in the market, the need is to recognize those resources. At times the organizations having so many resources which can give competitive advantage fail to succeed in the market. The major reason behind that is that organization do not identify or recognize or give importance to these resources and they use such resources inefficiently which causes the failure of those organizations. At Barclays Pakistan, this strategy is used to identify the re sources which brings a short term competitive advantage in to a long term and sustainable competitive advance which is not imitated or copied by the other organizations. Superior value is created by efficiently using the resources and a leading edge is taken over the competitors that are the reason that in 3 years Barclays has been in a very good financial position and is among the leading banks operating in Pakistan. Sustainable Competitive Advantage The major focus of the resource based strategy of Barclays Pakistan should be to attain a sustainable competitive advantage. This will allow the newly established bank in Pakistani market to gain more experience and a market leadership position in the future. At the moment there are other Pakistani local banks which are having a leading position and a huge customer as well as deposit base. For Barclays to achieve that position is not an impossible task as with an international banking experience and by identification of resources responsible for sustainable competitive advantage, the leading position in the market can be attained. Distinctive Capabilities According to the new resource based view, the changing market conditions and their responses from the organizations determine the effectiveness of sustainable competitive advantage. For Barclays Pakistan, responding to the changes in the market condition would be very necessary in order to maintain the effectiveness of sustainable completive advantage. The bank has to build the distinctive capabilities which will maintain a sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Leadership There is a difference between a leader and a manager. A leader is not only a manager, but is a role model for the others in the organization. It was said that leaders are not made rather they are born, but the studies proven this wrong as innovation and research in human resource management revealed that leaders can be built by effective human resource practices. Barclays need to build the leader from their employees as everyone has the capability of being a good leader. The bank should engage their employees in to different training and development programs which enable them to work in a competitive environment with a team spirit. Having such leadership qualities in the workforce will definitely lead them to gain a huge competitive advantage over the other banks in the country. Systemic and radical Innovation To get continuous success in the modern business world innovation is very important. The firm who do not innovate their products and services do not sustain in the market for long. This is because the customers needs and demands are changing very rapidly and to meet those demands the organizations had to offer new products. Barclays has been catering their customers in other countries very efficiently and in Pakistani market the bank needs innovation in the products and services according to the local needs and demands. The saving trend in Pakistan is not at the higher side as most of the people are hand to mouth and they spent whatever they earn, so the products and service offerings should be designed by keeping in mind this major factor of Pakistani market. Innovation should be in a systematic way, as Pakistans banking sector has seen a tremendous growth in the past one decade and now the need is to invent the essential features of the banking busi ness. Barclays Pakistan can become the pioneer of this radical innovation and gain the huge customers attention and can increase its profits. Resource and Competence-based Strategy Today, customer is considered as the king, meeting their needs and demands is the primary objectives of all the organizations. Resource based strategy leads the organization to achieve such competencies which assures the fulfillment of needs and demands of the customers. Analyzing the half SWOT, i.e. strengths and weaknesses of the organization helps to overcome the internal weaknesses and capitalizing the strengths to serve the customers in a best possible way. Identifying the valuable resources and gaining the winning competencies combination allows the organization to innovate and design such offering for the customers which meet their needs and demands. The available valuable resources are utilized by the organization in an efficient and productive manner and can be used for innovating products and services. This will enable the organization to maintain a competitive and leading position in the market. By analyzing the weaknesses an organization can gain the completive advantage by following cost leadership strategies and overcoming those weaknesses which are responsible for the wastage of the time and valuable resources of the organization. By saving the valuable resources an organization is able to utilize them in serving the customers in a better way. This makes the organization unique from the others and helps to increase the market share. Resource and competence-based approaches are particularly valuable when the boundaries of the business can be changed through, for example: Considering Make versus Buy alternatives Entering new markets around the globe Installment of new technologies Adversity is at hand. Achieving sustainable competitive advantage. You need innovation to improve your business. Best utilization of your resources in plans to achieve your objectives. Linking business and HR strategy Businesses today demand a strong relationship between the human resource and organizational strategies. The business whose personnel policies and procedures lead towards the achievement of organization strategies and objectives are successful. This relationship is the major contributor in creating the value of the organization. The policies and procedures of the human resource department of an organization should focus towards the employee training and development and introduction and innovation of career paths which corresponds to the corporate objectives of the organization. In the past the purpose of human resource department was only to manage and maintain the data of the employees in the organization, but with the passage of time the major purpose of the human resource became to develop a skilled and strong workforce that can give a competitive advantage to the organization. Skilled workforce one of those factors which cannot be imitated by the other organization and thus the co mpetitive advantage become sustainable for a longer period of time. Another major purpose of human resource department in the organization is to introduce and maintain the corporate culture in the organization. This should be done by motivating the employees and developing programs which encourages the employees to develop their skills and apply them on the job which can be beneficial for the organization. Organizational Design/Structure of Barclays Pakistan Organizational structure shows the Hierarchy of organization management system along with flow of duties and responsibilities. Organization structures are different in different organizations it depends on number of factors like organization size, geographical locations, organization type, nature of product etc. A hierarchy exemplifies an arrangement with a leader who leads leaders. This arrangement is often associated with bureaucracy. Hierarchies were satirized in The Peter Principle (1969), a book that introduced hierarchy and the saying that in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. At Barclays organization structure is divided into different work groups and work units based on their skills, expertise, resources, and knowledge, as shown in the figure each department has individual head that is called HOD (head of department). All HODs are reported to the Country Head, and each manager is reported to the Head of his/her department. Description of Worker groups at Barclays Pakistan Every worker group/division of Barclays has separate role and functions, which are stated as under: Head Finance Head Finance is responsible for bringing important financial controls to a company and all the financial activities in the organization. These controls includes management of all the cash flows, expenses, establishing credit policies for customers and also responsible for conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to arrive at an understanding of the options that are available. Head Risk The core responsibilities include managing a team of credit specialists covering performance management, Set up and then manage robust monitoring control systems procedures, Ensure that Risk Control Credit procedures, training developing. Shaping the team and improving processes. Acting as an escalation point for complex credit cases as well as dealing with internal and external clients. Head Corporate Banking This segment involves in sales to the corporate segment of the particular region, making credit line, credit proposals and making sure of effective utilization of bank credit line. Corporate sales and planning is an integral function of this business division. Head of Internal Audit Barclays audit department is an independent authority and helps the organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. It is designed in way to add value and improve operational and governance process. Head Investment Banking At Barclays Investment Banking Unit is developed for the investment actives of the bank. Head Human Resource Barclays this division is responsible to manage the human resource and is responsible for all the HR functions which are mentioned earlier. Head Marketing This segment is responsible for marketing campaigns for all the new and existing product and services of the organization. Getting feedback from consumers and making the new strategies to achieve the required targets. Business planning that involves the future market forecasting market segmentation is also a function of this department. Head Liability Sales This is the core unit of Barclays and responsible for bring in the new customers and finally deposits for the bank. They get the deposits in different kinds like current account, saving account and term deposits. Head Retail Commercial Banking Commercial banking is also known as business banking. Bank provides current account, saving account and accept time deposits. Commercial Banking is different from investment banking and retail banking, bank accept deposit from individual customers and corporations and gives loans to large businesses.

1984 vs Brave New World Essays -- essays research papers

1984 vs. Brave New World   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1984 and Brave New World, written by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, respectively, are both books that reflect the authors vision of how society would end up at the course it was going at the time of the writing of the book. Both books were written more than fifty years ago, but far enough apart that society was going in a totally different direction at the time. There are many ways to compare these two books and point out the similarities. On certain, deep levels they are very much the same, while at first glance, on the surface, they are very different. One point that in some parts is the same and some very different, is the governments in each of these books method’s of control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thing to think about is how the governments control the newborns, infants, and children. In 1984, children are taught as early as possible all the thoughts and teachings the government wants them to. With these teachings being carved into their brains also comes intense loyalty, each child of the Party is ready and willing to turn their parents in to the authorities at the first sign of heretical thoughts. They are taught this as early as possible to keep them from having time of form independent thoughts of their own. The newborns of Brave New World in some cases are not even alive long enough to have thoughts of their own. People are no longer born, they are grown and hatched to fill a need of the so...

Earl’s Top 5 Filipino Traits Essay

1. Adept†¦ Filipinos are very flexible at surging any difficulty and hardship 2. Craftsmanship†¦ Filipinos are very crafty 3. Obsessive†¦ Filipinos wish to improve their lives and those around them and are willing to go through great hardships and efforts, but don’t always know when to stop or how to balance it all. 4. Mimicry†¦ Filipinos tend to copy or gain that which others have. In this respect, that’s why you see groups of Filipino’s in foreign countries that are so similar (like in LA every Filipino seems to have a piano at home that no one buys, or in Japan every Filipino on a military base seems to own rose wood. But if they move to a new group, then they easily wish to change and copy the new styles. Kind of like following a fad. 5. Short memories†¦ No I don’t mean their dumb or something, I mean they forget the past or let go of the past easier. They don’t hold grudges quite so bad. Filipino’s are not more family oriented than in other cultures, but what makes them Filipino’s is they think they are. No offense. But many people have strong relations with their families. I lived in a home for six months and had to listen to my Brother in law tell me how family oriented they are as he yells at his father, and puts down his dead mother. I watched as just about every male member of the family had girlfriends, and the wives knew and ran those girls out of town when they got pregnant. I watched families that lived across the street visit each other once a year. I had a Filipino tell me that my daughter (half Filipino isn’t Filipino enough to live in his house with my 2nd wife for a short time). So in any respect, I’m not say they are less family oriented, but that we all have our issues with getting along, and Filipinos are no more family oriented than other cultures. This is according to the yahoo answers dot com. Well I agree with these because most of the Filipinos come from poor families and they can survive any trials becsuse they are already used to it. They are already down, so they on;y way to go is up. In the Philippines the most common thing that is talked about is the government. This is because this is the largest contributor of the poverty in the Philippines.

Avoid the HMRC backlash - Emphasis

Avoid the HMRC backlash Avoid the HMRC backlash You may recall that six million people have through no fault of their own paid the wrong amount of tax over the last few years, thanks to a blunder at HM Revenue Customs (HMRC). The story dominated the column inches last month, in part because of the way HMRC so unceremoniously delivered this bombshell to its customers (in the form of a standard tax calculation letter) and in part because of the backlash that followed from taxpayers. Being customer-centred Arguably some of the controversy could have been avoided through a large dose of subtlety and a more customer-centred approach from HMRC. And if it had actually taken into account how its customers might receive the news (particularly if you were one of the 1.4 million poor souls who had underpaid). HMRC was never going to make friends in this situation, but equally it didnt have to make enemies. The tone of its letter was on the clinical side at best and unapologetic at worst. Heres an extract to give you a flavour: Dear taxpayer [Name] I have reviewed your income tax liability for the year shown above to see whether you have underpaid or overpaid tax for that year. My calculation is given on the enclosed sheet. The calculation result is given near the foot of that page. The See Notes column refers to the numbered notes in the guidance leaflet Understanding your tax calculation which I also enclose. A copy of this calculation has been sent to [Agent name]. Part of this underpayment is already being collected through your tax code during [year] and the rest will be collected during [yearyear] (Source: BBC News) Keeping letter writing customer-centred is always important, but probably never more so than when giving bad news. The last thing you want is to exacerbate the situation by not only delivering a blow, but by also sounding like a robot as you do so. To avoid this, try the SCRAP (Situation, Complication, Resolution, Action, Politeness) formula. Situation Begin by explaining the situation (or where they [your readers] are). By doing this, your readers will realise you understand and empathise with them. In the case of HMRC, this could have involved briefly summing up (and owning up to) mistakes in the PAYE system, and suggesting it was at least aware of the worry this might cause to its customers. As you may be aware, HMRC has recently found that some taxpayers have paid the wrong amount of tax through the PAYE system over the last two years. We understand that many people will now be concerned about how this may affect them. Complication Introduce the idea that theres a problem readers need to solve or a request they need to fulfil (why they cant stay there). Here, of course, this will be the money taxpayers owe (or are due). It would also be wise to reinforce this with an apology. Im very sorry to tell you that you have been undercharged by X for the year XX, as the enclosed calculation shows. Resolution State your resolution to the problem or request. Your readers may well be relieved that youre offering a ready-made way of fixing things. (In the case of HMRC, such a sense of relief would unfortunately elude those taxpayers suddenly finding themselves seriously out of pocket.) We are now in the process of collecting underpayments. For those who have underpaid by less than 2000, like you, we will do this by altering your tax code to reclaim the money in monthly instalments over the next X year[s]. We would also like to assure you that from now on, we will be using a new computer system that will minimise the risk of such a mistake happening again. Action Suggest what action the reader can or should take. In some cases, this will be what further action you, the writer, are going to take. Make sure that this follows on logically from the resolution. HMRC has been criticised for not being entirely open about taxpayers possible rights to appeal. If these were made clear at this point, it might avoid being bombarded with letters of appeal sent on the off-chance. You dont need to do anything at this point: your new tax code will be applied automatically. The additional tax taken each month will be X. If, however, you feel that you provided all the necessary information for us to tax you correctly, you may be entitled to appeal. Please see the enclosed leaflet for details on whether this applies to you and how to contact us. Politeness Finally, end with a polite sign-off. And, in this example, a second apology. I hope you understand why we need to take this corrective action. Once again, Im sorry for the effect that our mistake may have on your financial situation. Yours sincerely [name] Apologise like a human No-one likes to admit theyve made a mistake, but owning up and apologising when its justified will always have a better reception from your reader than trying to wriggle out of it. And, while I apologise is better than nothing, Im sorry is much better: it sounds more sincere and more personal. The language of we apologise for any inconvenience caused has been dubbed professionalese by Daniel H Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink advises avoiding the phrase entirely, because it makes the author seem like theyre distancing themselves from the mistake. We speak human at home and professionalese at work, he explains. And that might be hurting our businesses more than we realise. In childhood were often told to say were sorry and mean it. And it seems that remains the best advice at every level. In his book The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely found that a simple Im sorry, uttered following a mistake, stopped the other person from getting annoyed and retaliating in some way. Say, for example, refusing to pay back tax. Want to improve your teams customer-letter writing? See our in-house customer-letter writing course.

How to Build Word of Mouth

How to Build Word of Mouth As a new freelancer scrounging advice, â€Å"word of mouth† was a common response from the more experienced. If I wanted to increase my work and income, that’s what it was down to: Word of mouth. It drove me nuts. What was word of mouth and how could I get myself there? Build contacts.  Make it your job to know people. Attend events and book releases, join online forums, get in touch with editors via the staff-section of magazines. Contact websites and business that catch your interest. Where there’s opportunity, introduce yourself. Random conversations have led to year-long contacts (and referrals).   Just one example: An avid card player, I struck up a conversation with a friend about local Bridge clubs: They put me in touch with the editor of Great Bridge Links, and I’ve been on-board ever since. Be accessible.  People should always have access to your portfolio and have a way to reach you. Two birds with one stone is a well-designed website that strikes the right chords. You want professionalism and efficiency. Have at least writing samples, links and an about section on your official website. Expand your network further with other contactable profiles like Amazon Author Central or your own blog separately from your website. Spread your reach.  Now and then (I do it once a month), write something for free and send it somewhere meaningful: A guest post, magazine. This is only about expanding your reach: Introduce yourself to a new market, and make sure your website is updated when a prospective client types your details into Google. Ask.  Many referrals have come from simply asking happy clients to refer others. Other times, unsuccessful cold queries have resulted in a â€Å"we’ll be sure to pass your info on† that paid off later down the line. Gather testimonials.  In addition to referrals, ask clients for testimonials to go on your website. These are your references, and it shows that you can do the job. If you can grab a testimonial from a well-known client or author, so much better: Author Francois Bloemhof was more than happy to offer up a review for the NB Publishers anthology short story â€Å"Boelie† (Afrikaans for bully), and it’s just because I’d asked. Reputation is everything almost goes without saying.  Don’t burn bridges, don’t miss deadlines, don’t gossip or bitch about clients and colleagues – and yes, I’ve sadly seen this – stay accurate and stick to your work-ethic. Protect your reputation; it’s everything for word of mouth. People are going to talk about your work, and you want what they’re saying to be good. Reach out.  Sometimes you have to reach out first, or people will never hear about you! Getting people to know me (and get in touch later) involved a lot of cold calling – not just to magazines, but business who looked like they could use my services. Incentive is great for attracting word of mouth.  Use social media to launch a competition, offer a 15 percent discount for referred clients, put a short story up for download, host a course or start a newsletter; The bottom line is getting people to talk, share, interact and refer. Refer others.  Refer clients to other freelancers in your contacts library, too. Sometimes a job comes along that I might not have time for, and I’m happy to recommend a friend. This, of course, encourages them to refer others back to you. That, dear writer, is the cycle of word of mouth. Have you got people talking?

Bombing of Pearl Harbor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bombing of Pearl Harbor - Essay Example Due to its massive impact on the foreign and war policy, the attack is also considered a defining moment in the US history. Rightly, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941 as the date, country would live in ‘infamy.’ Later ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ became a universal theme in the wartime propaganda (Slackman, 1990). Pearl Harbor is 10 square miles of navigable water located on the southern coast of Oahu island in Hawaii. It had capacity to hold large warships and submarines. Even prior to the transfer of Pacific Fleet from San Diego on the west coast in 1940, Pearl Harbor was under development as a major naval base. The revamping of the Pearl Harbor had begun in 1936. At the time of attack, the Pearl Harbor was equipped with an industrial plant for repair and maintenance of warships and oil tanks for fuelling purposes. Central to the Harbor was a Naval Air Station for fighter planes. However, facilities Pearl Harbor were grossly inadequate to meet the needs of Fleet and its large manpower. The housing and recreational facilities were grossly inadequate for thousands of sailors, marines, and soldiers even though a massive project was underway for proper accommodation of the Pacific Fleet and thousands of its marines and sailors. The inadequacy of facilities had rendered the Fleet handicapped and vulnerable to attack. As a result, the morale of the forces was on the low ebb. Roosevelt too was convinced of the vulnerability of the Pearl Harbor, but the White House repeatedly ignored warnings and intercepted messages of an impending attack. The attack was master-minded by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. The attacking force was immediately commanded by Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Senior officers ensured that planning was text-book perfect, but Japans limited energy resources was the weakest link in the plan (Maechling, 2000). Consequently, the attack plan was complex and it

Five key objectives for Eastman Kodak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Five key objectives for Eastman Kodak - Essay Example According to the paper  Kodak was considered as the most profitable corporation in America, which gave its shareholders a return of 18% for many years. The company has continuously invested in developing its competitive advantage in photography business. It is observed that 40% of the revenue of company came from outside United States (US). Though the company had encountered huge profit but the situation was not the same over the past few years as it encountered external pressure in form of competition.This essay discusses that  the new objective changed the imaging group of Kodak which included motion pictures, consumer products and audiovisual products, consumer electronics and photo finishing. The new objective filled the gap in the product line by introducing several new products, which are either prepared by Kodak or any Japanese manufacturers or sold it under the name of Kodak. In order to manage the market share of the company, Kodak took major steps to solidify the market of film processing. It has strategized to stem the flow of low cost foreign photography papers for acquiring control over processing market. The company has also acquired many companies in order to make its base strong in electronic photography sector. This acquisition increased the number of customers for chemical paper products. The declining profit of the company was forced to maintain tits level by massive cost – cutting, which improved efficiency of the products related to photography.